Michael Calma, Country Manager at Advance AI, introduces the company’s goal of enhancing financial inclusion by providing seamless identity verification and credit assessment tools powered by artificial intelligence. He reflects on his early hustles and learning programming in the 2000s, leading to key corporate roles, including his time at NEC where he acquired valuable hard skills. Transitioning back to the startup world, Mike helped build DDLS, an IT training center, and adapted the...

Rene Cuartero is the Co-Founder and CEO of AHG Lab – the largest independent venture studio in the Philippines that empower entrepreneurs and enrich ecosystems. With extensive experience in leadership roles at multinational companies such as P&G, Deutsche Bank, and Morgan Stanley Capital International, Rene also made a significant impact with the Red Cross and Child and Youth Finance International, scaling operations to 150 countries. Finally, Rene shares how the pandemic inspired his...

Guaya Melgar, CEO/Co-Founder, and Adrian Co, CTO, share their journeys leading up to co-founding Mochi, a receivables management platform designed to improve billing and collections. Pete discusses his early self-taught coding experiences and forming a dev group, which led him to Proudcloud and later to Logitech. Meanwhile, Guaya reflects on her first startup, Vesl, which addressed credit access for small businesses, and how these experiences prepared her for Mochi’s creation. They both...

Jay Olos, Founder and CEO of OneCFO, takes us through his path from humble beginnings to becoming a financial leader in the tech industry. He introduces OneCFO, his platform designed to make CFO services accessible to SMEs and startups and recounts his early entrepreneurial experiences, underscoring the grit and resilience instilled by his upbringing. Jay shares his journey from auditor to tech professional, explaining what inspired him to become an angel investor. He highlights his role in a...

Tina Amper, a pioneer in the Philippine startup ecosystem, shares her inspiring journey. Tina discusses how she founded Geeks On A Beach as a way to give back to the community and foster innovation in the tech space. She recounts her upbringing in Cebu, early exposure to government work, and her academic experience studying engineering at USC San Carlos before moving to the US. Tina’s career in tech began with her work on integrated circuits for the space industry, which led to navigating the...

Macy Castillo is the Co-Founder and CEO of Enstack - an app that helps small businesses set up online stores, manage payments and handle shipping seamlessly. With a background in banking and tech, she significantly advanced e-commerce in the Philippines through her work with Zalora and Shopee. Launched in 2021, Enstack transforms SME operations by consolidating order management, inventory tracking, shipping, payments, and finances into one platform, addressing the crucial challenge of payment...

Jeffrey Ong is the Co-founder and CEO of Mobee Group, a platform that facilitates car buying and selling in the Philippines. Jeffrey explains how Mobee serves both car owners and used car dealers by offering transparent pricing and ensuring seamless transactions. He discusses the growing demand for both new and used cars in the Philippines, driven by social mobility and poor public transportation. Jeffrey also shares his entrepreneurial journey, starting with early lessons from his family...

Enrique Hormillo (CEO) and Miguel (Mixx) Locsin (COO) are the co-founders of DOON, a peer-to-peer car-sharing platform that transforms traditional rentals by linking car owners directly with renters. Enrique and Mixx share their rollercoaster journey from personal setbacks to raising $1.5 million in pre-seed funding to fuel growth and expansion, comprising $500,000 in equity and a $1 million debt facility. Investors include angel investors, family offices of tech entrepreneurs, and venture...

Erika Aquino is the founder of M Squad, an organization dedicated to supporting women and minority-owned startups in the areas of sustainability, wellness, education and the future of work. Her career began with corporate roles at Shell, financial services, and as a PR manager at Mandarin Oriental before moving into the startup space with Lendo, where she played a key role in scaling the user base. Erika later took on leadership positions at Infinit-O, where she contributed to their...

Michael Bantigue Walter Boo are the dynamic co-founders of Invesko, a Filipino-founded investment platform, Invesko's growth was driven by a $1.6 million seed round from regional VC firms in early 2023. The company allows investors to build diversified portfolios with minimal capital by offering fractional shares, SIPC protection, and instant portfolios, thus promoting financial growth and security. Michael shares his journey from working with global brands like Starbucks and Lululemon to...

Georg Steiger is the CEO and Co-Founder of BillEase, a fintech company providing consumer loans and “Buy Now, Pay Later” services to the emerging middle class in the Philippines. Georg shares insights into how BillEase manages default risks and fosters customer loyalty, while drawing comparisons between the financial landscape of the Philippines and its neighboring markets. He recounts his career journey, beginning with law studies in Austria, shifting to IT, earning an MBA in the US, and...

David Yao is the General Manager of Vertiv’s Manila Hub, a pivotal entity in delivering essential digital infrastructure and continuity solutions. Starting with his early influences and hustle lessons from his uncle, David’s path took him from studying architecture to becoming a pivotal figure in the tech industry. David recounts his time at Amazon, where he shifted from managing customer service to excelling in supply chain management, highlighting the value of understanding the big picture....

Bianca Cruz Azurin is a leader in the future of work. Her passion for real estate and tech startups led her to flexible workspaces, where she expanded Acceler8 Coworking, earning it the title of Best Coworking Space for several years. She then moved into crypto and blockchain, driving business development at Moneybees and partnering with trusted names like Tambunting and Cebuana Lhuillier to make crypto more accessible in the Philippines. Now, Bianca heads 10XME Academy, focusing on equipping...

Khalid Keenan is the co-founder and CEO of Elevate Pay, a Y Combinator-backed startup that provides US dollar bank accounts to freelancers and remote workers in emerging markets. Khalid shares his journey from a software engineer to a fintech founder, offering insights into the challenges and triumphs of building a startup in the highly regulated financial industry. He also reflects on the pivotal moments that shaped Elevate Pay, including a move to East Africa and a strategic pivot that...

Martin Gonzalez is the bestselling author of “Bonfire Moment’ workshop, a transformative program designed to help startup founders and their teams step out of their daily pressures to resolve conflicts, realign with their mission, and prepare for future challenges through a structured, intense and reflective one-day session. Martin shares his experiences from his early career days at J&J and BCG to his transformative role at Google, providing invaluable insights into overcoming imposter...

Vince Rocha is the Founder and CEO of the Mylo Speech Buddy App, a groundbreaking application dedicated to aiding children with autism and speech delays in their speech development journey. Vince recounts his personal experience of raising a child with autism, which served as the catalyst for his mission to develop the Mylo App, providing crucial support to children facing similar challenges. He delves into the obstacles and successes of navigating the startup world, offering valuable...

Raffy Montemayor of Salmon Finance joins us in this episode to share how they were able to raise funding in the middle of a funding winter. He also shares the difficult milestones they had to unlock and why they acquired a rural bank to give more benefits to their consumers. Raffy also shares the rapid changes Salmon went through to keep up with their fast growth. Founders Only is brought to you by PayMongo, Qapita, GoTyme, and SeekCap Raffy's Top 5 Founders Pavel Fedorov:...

Carlo Valencia of Startup Training PH joins us in this episode to discuss the fundamentals that founders often overlook in launching their startup. Carlo also discusses remedies in overcoming the key basic mistakes founders often do. Founders Only is brought to you by PayMongo, Qapita, GoTyme, and SeekCap Carlo's Top 5 Founders Shumate Royo- https://ph.linkedin.com/in/shumateroyo MK Bertulfo- https://ph.linkedin.com/in/mkbertulfo/tl Gian dela Rama- https://bit.ly/443eN11 Paul Rivera-...

Artie Lopez joins us in this episode to share his unique journey coming from a startup coach to become a startup Founder. He also shares the incredible hustle that startups do in order to survive in an investment winter where runways are short. He also shares an amazing #FoundersOnlyTop5 brought to you by Shoppable Business. Founders Only is brought to you by PayMongo, Qapita, GoTyme, and SeekCap Artie’s Top 5 Founders Ray Refundo: https://bit.ly/46hCq8r Gab Benito:...

ER Rollan, Founder and CEO of GrowSari, joins us in this episode to discuss the massive tradeoffs that founders make to chase their startup success along with the pros and cons of making these life decisions. ER also shares the tough decisions they made after raising Series C to make GrowSari continue growing. Founders Only is brought to you by PayMongo, Qapita, GoTyme, and SeekCap ER Rollan Hustleshare Episode: https://bit.ly/3PUPcUl https://bit.ly/3Da0ht5 ER's Top 5 Founders: Mel Nava -...

How hard is it to be a Filipina Startup Founder? Mel Nava of 1Export and Carmina Bayombong of Invested joins us in this episode to share the challenges they had to overcome as Filipina founders and how they cope with startup life. Founders Only is brought to you by PayMongo, Qapita, GoTyme, and SeekCap Carmina and Mel's Hustleshare Episode: Carmina: https://bit.ly/3XjnnXt Mel: https://bit.ly/3MLZTFC Carmina's Top 5 Founders: Mel Nava: https://bit.ly/3MLZTFC Camille Ang:...

It's virtually unheard of to see a highly scaled and profitable tech startup but Dragon Pay defied all odds and did both for 14 years! Find out how they did it when the CEO of Dragon Pay, Dick Chiang, shares the success secrets. Founders Only is brought to you by Qapita, GoTyme, and SeekCap Dick's Hustleshare Episode: https://bit.ly/48ey1CU Dick's Top 5 Founders Coleen Chiang Ron Hose: https://bit.ly/3MMvBCV & Nichel Gaba: https://bit.ly/3CXWj6J George Royeca & Angeline Tham:...

Christian Blanquera, serial entrepreneur and #StartupPH creator, joins us in this episode to talk about how the Philippine startup ecosystem has changed since it got launched around 2012. We tackle the improvements, setbacks, and the mistakes that startups still do to this day. Founders Only is brought to you by PayMongo, Qapita, GoTyme, and SeekCap Christian’s Top 5 Founders: Domingo Roxas John Gokongwei Henry Sy Dado Banatao - https://bit.ly/3P02VJo Winston Damarillo -...

Crystal Lee Gonzalez of Noneaway is a seasoned industry veteran known for her leadership roles at companies like Pick A Roo, Honest Bee, and Viber in the Philippines. She shares how the pandemic impacted her leadership style, leading her to become more nurturing and present. She also delves into her personal growth, the importance of being present, and the deliberate choices she made in her career and life. Crystal also opens up about a health scare she had in 2012, which prompted her to...