
2010 Inspiring Young Entrepreneurs
This year, we will be recognizing 13 inspiring young entrepreneurs. The Go Negosyo Inspiring Young Filipino Entrepreneur award is our way of giving importance to the youth’s achievements as entrepreneurs and as inspiring role models. Our awardees are remarkable young people with their own entrepreneurial stories to tell.
After working for different companies after graduation, RJ David collaborated with his wife to develop an experimental website. The result – Sulit.com.ph, an online classified ads website that has earned a present popular reputation among Filipinos. It is also the go-to site for buying and selling almost anything and everything people can think of. For RJ, who serves as the Managing Director, Sulit.com.ph is a realization of the dream to be able to design and invent something to be used by many people. He considers it to be a product of his passion towards web development.
The next awardee, Mary Grace Santos, saw the potential market for recreation centers for the convenience of the parents while shopping inside malls. Then, she established Li’l People Enterprise. It is an indoor play center where parents can leave their children doing certain educational and fun-filled activities. It also serves as a center where both the child and the parent can spend some quality time together while engaging into recreational activities. As the vision of the company states, Mary Grace sees to it that Li’l People indeed is a place where children can play and grow.
Richard Sanz pursued the entrepreneurial path because of the need to provide well for his family. He resigned from his job in an IT company to start his own business in the food and franchise industry. He used his savings from a couple of years of being an employee and even borrowed capital from his father-in-law. Presently, as the President of Food Asia Corporation, Richard continues to lead brands like Tea Square and Bibingkinitan! in the local food retail and franchise industry.
On the other hand, Timothy Sarvida started his El Buono Pizza business together with friends and partners Sam Faj Calaca and Laura Murayama. It started with Timothy’s passion for food and discovering new tastes. They are well known for their large-diameter pizzas that range from 35, 40 and 50 inches. El Buono even made a record for coming up with a whopping 65-inch diameter pizza.
Aside from the 10 Inspiring Young Filipino Entrepreneurs, we will also be recognizing three Inspiring Young Filipino Social Entrepreneurs. These are the young entrepreneurs who are able to pursue a sustainable business venture while significantly helping a particular community. They are the new wave of entrepreneurs who are able to integrate their passion to help improve the lives of others and bring positive impact to different communities.
Social Entrepreneur Reese Fernandez was raised by a single mom who does missionary works. It was in fact one of her sources of inspiration in feeling a strong responsibility towards making the world a better place. At the age of 25, Reese is the President and Founding Partner of Rags2Riches. It is a social enterprise that creates high-end fashion masterpieces and home accessories that are ethical and eco-friendly. Reese has also been multi-awarded by different organizations in the Philippines and abroad for her remarkable achievements in Rags2Riches.
The next Social Entrepreneur awardee is a dynamic duo. Bam Aquino and Mark Ruiz were buddies since high school. They are also the founders of Microventures, a social enterprise that provides services to microfinance institutions and their clients. Through Microventures, the duo also launched the Hapinoy Sari Sari Store Program – a full-service microentrepreneur enhancement program. Through these efforts, Bam and Mark have indeed empowered communities to dream and achieve.
We also have the trio of Anna Meloto-Wilk, Dylan Wilk and Camille Meloto as one of our Social Entrepreneur Awardees. They represent Gandang Kalikasan, a social enterprise that creates sustainable livelihood opportunities for Filipino farmers. It is also the company that produces the Human Nature range of all organic beauty products. Through this endeavor, the trio have continuously provided help and assistance to different NGOs, communities and farmers that specialize on organic farming and processing.
My congratulations to our Inspiring Young Entrepreneur Awardees. Your quest towards success has just begun. The road is never straight, as challenges will confront you and that will make you better entrepreneurs. Use this recognition to inspire more people, especially the youth, to pursue their dreams.
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