MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The Philippines lost a champion of design, a creative force, and a passionate LGBTQ advocate when Brian Tenorio passed away on July 27, 2020 at the age of 42. Brian fought a brave battle with cancer for 11 months before his passing.
A graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Communication Arts in 2000 before taking further studies at the Asian Institute of Management. He then obtained a Master of Professional Studies in Design Management at the Pratt Institute, graduating with Academic Distinction in 2010. While studying at the Pratt Institute, Brian trained at the United Nations and designed award-winning work for Jaime Zobel and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. He eventually returned to the Ateneo to create the Design for Development program at his alma mater.
So expansive were Brian’s interests and advocacies that any reading of them is staggering. A proponent of the Design Competitiveness Act of the Philippines, Brian is the CEO and founder of design firm Brian Tenorio & Company. Among his many other initiatives was serving as founder of the advocacy group that is the Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce, founder of coffee chain KapeTayo Coffee, and, most recently, founder of the health-technology brand Mindcare Club, whose mission is to lessen sadness in the world.
Brian has served Head of Jury and a judge on many occasions at the adobo Design Awards Asia. He was also the Chief Strategy Officer of Impact Hub Manila. Brian was also an International Consultant for Communications Design at the Asian Development Bank and the World Health Organization.
Up until his retirement from Fashion in 2008, Tenorio Manila was one of the most publicized Filipino designer shoe brands in the country, and actively supported the Marikina shoe-making industry. Brian also produced and hosted Design Para Sa Lahat (Design For All) a program that aired on primetime Sundays in the USA via GMA Pinoy TV.
With 18 years of experience in design, development work, and entrepreneurship, Brian was a quintessential part of the Communication Design Association of the Philippines (CDAP). Speaking on behalf of the organization, CDAP president Jowee Alviar said, “Today, we are saddened by the passing of a creative luminary, design advocate, and one of CDAP’s founding directors, Brian Tenorio, due to complications from cancer. He passed away peacefully in the presence of his loved ones. We offer our prayers and sincerest condolences to his family.”
“Brian never fails to bring energy to meetings and discussions,” Alviar adds. “He was always overflowing with creative ideas. The industry lost one of its champions. Brian Tenorio believed that, ‘DESIGN is one of the most powerful forces in our lives. Designing for IMPACT creates positive lasting change –for commerce and industry, the environment, culture, and for our society and communities, through time and space.’”
The Philippines LGBT Chamber of Commerce released the following statement on his passing: “Brian Ubungen Tenorio, the founder and pioneering chair of the Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce, was a shining beacon of the Philippine LGBT+ community. He was a proudly out gay man who served as an inspiration to many of us, representing the community in a multitude of spaces when it was then rare to find visible LGBT+ leadership: international relations, entrepreneurship, technology, design, entertainment, and food & beverage, to name a few.”
“A trailblazing creative force, he held the torch for many advocacies aside from LGBT+ representation in business, such as Philippine design and craftsmanship, the local coffee industry, and the intersection of mental health and online technology,” the statement continues.
“In 2016, he founded The Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce to bring to front and center the LGBT+ contribution in the Philippine business sector. Under his leadership, the Chamber pioneered the #LGBTVotePH, a discussion that bravely challenged our government leaders to give focus on their political platforms the largely-underserved community. His guidance also brought to life the landmark study the Philippine Corporate SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression) Diversity and Inclusiveness Index, which assessed the diversity and inclusiveness of Filipino companies. He also spearheaded the SOGIE Executive Sessions, which aimed to persuade corporate decision-makers to strategize SOGIE diversity and inclusion as a way to uplift both the LGBT+ community and Philippine businesses.”
“The sudden passing of Brian – a leader, mentor, son, brother, and friend – is a loss that can never be replaced. But his demise will not leave a vacuum in the LGBT+ community which he fervently championed. Brian inspired, challenged, and mentored a new generation of LGBT+ advocates to carry on the good work. His legacy will persevere; guiding the Chamber with the light and passion he continues to radiate beyond his demise. Rest in power, Brian,” the statement concludes.
The Mindcare Club, where Tenorio was Chief Experience Officer, also released their own statement: “Brian was a person of immense passion and vision. Blending art and vision into ‘meaningful design’ is a reflection of his ideals and philosophy. Ultimately, Brain thought of design as a way to bring people together and the make the world a better place.”
“Brain conceived the idea behind MCC when he noticed that many of his friends had shared stories of mental illness, and that was difficult, and sometimes painful, to seek necessary care. The way that mental heatlhcare was designed was something he felt he could change and improve. He dreamed of designing spaces where mental health services can be accessed more easily without stigma. Not one to be daunted by innovation, Brian forged technology, design, and compassion in the Mindcare Club,” they conclude.
“We are one with everyone who is grieving the loss of Brian Tenorio,” notes Impact Hub Manila, where he served as Chief Strategy Officer. “We remember him for his energy that knew no bounds; his commitment to his craft, and his indefatigable passion for the country. He was instrumental in leading Impact Hub Manila’s brand and strategy that produced what Impact Hackathon is today. We are honored not just to have worked alongside him, but more so to be able to carry out many of the dreams we dreamed as a team. Our prayers and condolences go out to his family. We love you, BT! Rest well.”
Quintin Jose Pastrana, entrepreneur and founder of Library Renewal Partnership, describes Brian as, “a good person, visionary, raconteur, and patriot – gone too soon.”
