My startup leap of faith and where it got me so far
Few years back, I never thought that I’d be joining a startup as soon as I get a degree in college. I honestly didn’t know back then that there exists a word like that.
Fast forward, I was able to find myself making decisions to be part of a social enterprise startup in the Philippines, with inspiration I got from like-minded people from my organizational involvements. I was also able to join a team called DreamWeave and win the Benilde Prize 2.0 Social Innovation Contest, being incubated at Benilde HiFi which got us an invite at MakeSense’ first ever #SenseCampPH in the country.
Attending the first #SenseCampPH is actually a refreshing experience for someone like me who just graduated from college and is still adjusting with the idea of social entrepreneurship as a chosen career. Meeting really diverse people with different social advocacies reassures me that I’m never alone with my daily life endeavors.
THE FARM.
I realized that spending most of my days in the fast-paced environment intoxicates me, so bringing myself to Kahariam Farms made me realize things about myself, my team and our enterprise. Oh, plus the food. Living with an organic lifestyle and being so mindful of what we take in everyday is actually a responsibility to myself and others, since life is committed to a community wanting to be developed, all the more that health is wealth.
On the side note, I actually see the farm’s social advocacy and business opportunity running side by side. Such an inspiration to all Filipino farm owners to always challenge themselves to look for other ways of getting profit from the soil, not only be confined by conventional farming or simply put- the usual ways of doing things.
THE PEOPLE.
When I was in college, I have attended national congresses, and inasmuch as we claimed that participants are so diverse, well this time, differences are all dictated by generation, nationality and careers. No one else can contest how diverse people are. Nonetheless, all these people share one thing in common, and that is a shared value on helping the society sustain a livable city, addressing both social and environmental issues.
THE NETWORK.
As an introvert myself, making small talk with stranger has always been a challenge but as I grow I learn to value such acts as a chance for me to introduce myself and as also to value the presence of someone by knowing also his/her story. So seeing it in a bigger spectrum, I am certain that it will be a great chance for a collaboration in the near future.
THE LEARNING.
Acknowledging that I am not an expert of anything, but always reminding myself that there’s more to learn from everyday experience gives me more space to absorb discovery and insights from people. However, just like any other exposure this would always call for a concrete plan of translating learning into action, paying it forward from “heritage to destiny”.
They ALL MAKE SENSE to me.
