Dave Del Rosario on Technopreneurship, Grassroots Communities, and Sincerity Detectors
This is the second article from our weekly series featuring IdeaSpace’s five brand ambassadors.
Dave Del Rosario is the Center Manager of CIT@MSU-IIT, the first technology business incubator in Mindanao. The 23-year-old is based in Iligan City, and no stranger to IdeaSpace; he started his career as an Associate for Marketing and Advocacy for the non-profit, where he worked with different communities to deliver and scale the Philippine startup ecosystem. Dave is also a Startup Weekend organizer, and has a strong passion in promoting ICT, technopreneurship, and startup opportunities in the countryside and grassroots communities.
I talked to Dave about his vision for technopreneurship in the Philippines, advice for struggling entrepreneurs, and what inventions he wants to see created by the year 2050.
Kimberly: Why did you decide to become an IdeaSpace Brand Ambassador?
Dave: I’ve been with Ideaspace for the past four years and witnessed how this foundation grew and helped the country’s startup scene, and all I want is to still be part of their advocacies and still be one of their instigators in spreading the advocacy across the country.
What role do you think technopreneurship plays in the Philippines?
It is the future of the Philippines — the one that will make this country a better place to live in, the one that will solve this country’s biggest and pressing problems, and the one that will spur Filipinos to create something that will greatly help their community and country.
How did you get involved in your local community?
I’m actually a true-blooded Manileno but decided to work here in Iligan City all alone with one goal in mind: to help the local startup community and put this province on the world map.
What’s the best thing about your local community?
We have a lot of freelancers and startup enthusiasts here. Every event, workshop, and seminar we conduct, I see the sincerity and genuineness of the people and how hungry they are to help their community (though) they don’t have the proper resources and avenue to start.
How would you like to contribute as an Ideaspace Ambassador?
I want to promote the startup culture and technology and innovation community not just here in Iligan, but the whole Northern Mindanao as well. I want to bring the opportunities and resources Ideaspace has to every grassroots community.
What advice do you have to technopreneurs just starting out?
Always bring your community with you. My previous boss once told me that if you are doing it for your country, you can never ever go wrong. Always bring your hugot, your pain, your sakit and most especially your “why,” because these four factors will keep you pushing despite of the hardships and challenges that you will encounter along the way.
Now onto a round of quick-fire questions. If you had unlimited money, what is one thing you would do to promote technopreneurship in the Philippines?
Go to the different grassroots communities in the Philippines and help the technopreneur wannabes, and eventually hone and develop these talents and help them achieve their dreams.
What inspires you to get out of bed in the morning?
The seemingly unending pain of my country and the people trying to help their community and do it against all odds, with purity and sincerity to help their country.
If you were an animal, what would it be and why?
I would be an eagle — soaring high, observing the country, and eating all those bad-ass animals no matter how big or strong they are [laughs].
What crazy new invention do you want to see built by the year 2050?
Sincerity detector — it’s good to know if people are just playing around or really doing their thing with a pure and good intentions — and teleportation device. Time is so precious, it would be awesome to be in that place in a snap.
