“The Maker’s Setup: A Casual Conference Dedicated To Local Passion Projects”—an adobo magazine supported event and the first in hopefully a series of talks conducted by Mikee Atendido and Rocky Ola of Whoaremaro, the creative duo responsible for staging creative events such Live Drawing series, and Kayla Dionisio of Warehouse Eight, the co-working space at Pasong Tamo Makati City, on October 8—brought together several successful young entrepreneurs to talk about their experiences and insights in how to successfully make dreams come true to a packed audience of millennials.
These included: globally acclaimed illustrator Dan Matutina, founder of Plus 63 Design Co; Brian Cu, co-founder of Grab PH and of Zalora PH; Camille Meloto, co-founder of Human Nature; and Jericson Co, co-founder of The Curator Coffee and Cocktails and the EDSA Beverage Design Group.
Brian Cu revealed that, after the success of bringing to the Philippine market the online retail site Zalora—the sister apparel site of shopping platform Lazada, both of which are part of the German parent company, Rocket Internet Group—he refocused on growing Grab—the ride hailing app from Malaysia and currently headquartered in Singapore—for the Philippine market. He sees an urgent need and possesses a real passion for helping solve the traffic problem in Metro Manila as well help create better livelihoods for taxi drivers. He advises using all of one’s connections and relations to help the business. Prior to Zalora and Grab, Cu was a project leader with the Boston Consulting Group.
Camille Meloto, daughter of noted humanitarian and Gawad Kalinga nation building movement founder Tony Meloto, certainly imbibed her father’s values. Fusing it with her passion for makeup, she—together with her sister Anna Meloto and her brother in-law, British millionaire and former video game developer Dylan Wilk—founded Human Nature, a quality, fair trade, organic cosmetics company dedicated to sourcing indigenous materials and uplifting the lives of farmers and laborers. She advises staying true to uncompromising principles in uplifting employees and stakeholder’s lives, who in turn remain loyal to the company.
Jericson Co may be the man in charge of business development at Manly Plastics, but his real passion are beverages, specifically The Curator Coffee and Cocktails and The EDSA Beverage Design Group. He is a man on a mission to elevate the level of drinks and services in the country. Sharing his passions for cocktails and coffee with likeminded individuals who also happen to be his upscale clientele, Co is generous in developing the talents of his staff as bartenders, baristas, and servers. He advises staying true and revisiting the vision and message of the company, as well as getting partners who both complement ones’ competencies with their own as well as share one’s commitment.
Cu, Meloto, and Co all did their part inspiring participants by revealing their path to entrepreneurial success while staying rue to their principles. They all inspired and regaled participants with their anecdotes and advice. Matutina, however, stood out among this highly accomplished company.
With no international or government connections to start local franchise of global internet empires, with no billionaire investors within his circle of friends and family to capitalize his business, and with no part in the elite in-crowd that comprises both possible partners and clientele, Matutina made in big, globally, while staying true to his passions. He is proof that dream businesses aren’t an exclusive domain reserved for those born with a silver spoon in their mouths.
He recalled having to work in the advertising industry—admittedly not his passion—just to make ends meet at first and putting up with difficult clients as a freelancer. He shared that developing signature style as an illustrator did not come automatically but was developed over time. He revealed how posting his works at several portfolio sites such as behance.net not only exposed him to a global clientele but also facilitated his transactions in exchange for an acceptable commission. He confides how pursuing passion projects such a collaborations with fellow designers at Hey Hydra and designing for the UP Maroons, his alma mater’s sports teams, keeps his passion burning.
His presentation also included samples of his work, such as:
https://www.behance.net/gallery/41942739/Playing-Arts-Edition-Three
https://www.behance.net/gallery/27663827/Formula-E-Championship-Posters
http://twistedfork.me/Versus-Hearts
http://twistedfork.me/Red-Lotus-Legend-of-Korra
Brian Cu, Camille Meloto, Jericson Co, and Dan Matutina inspired audiences for different reasons. The next generation of entrepreneurs look forward to more insightful and inspiring talks from The Maker’s Setup by Whoaremaro and Warehouse 8.
