There was another informative discussion on technology and innovation in our Vigattin Radio Program. Mr. Earl Valencia, President of Ideaspace Foundation, shared with us his experiences at the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Conference on Innovation and Trade Implementation Practices held in Indonesia. Mrs. Socorro Yap, on the other hand, talked about the upcoming Young Women Entrepreneurs Boot Camp 2013 (YWEB). This was really a jam-packed episode aiming to shed light on the current state of our local technology and startup community.

YWEB 2013
Unleash your entrepreneurial spirit!

The Young Women Entrepreneurs Boot Camp 2013 (YWEB) is a joint project of Samahan ng mga Pilipina para sa Reporma at Kaunlaran (SPARK!) and the U.S. Embassy. This is a fantastic opportunity for women entrepreneurs to share ideas and experiences and be mentored by successful business owners and experts. YWEB aims to empower women by giving them a three-day session (September 23-25) to fine-tune their business models and strategies, know more about the best practices in the industry, and enhance their products or services.

Studies show that countries which have more women entrepreneurs who are active in the industry tend to do better overall, i.e economically, politically, socially. This is perhaps the main reason why SPARK! Philippines encourage more women to drive growth and innovation in the Philippine economy.

For more information about YWEB 2013 and how to participate, you may visit https://www.facebook.com/SparkPhilippinesInc. Deadline for submission of application is July 30, 2013.

APEC Conference on Innovation and Trade Implementation Practices

"Most of the net new jobs added not just from the US but worldwide are from businesses less than 5 years old."

This was one of the main points of the recent APEC Conference in Indonesia. Most of us would think that big and established companies generate most of new jobs in the industry. In reality, those small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), when put together, generate lots of jobs.

This is also one of the primary reasons why a lot of events, projects, and international conferences are aimed at giving importance and empowering startups, new businesses, and fresh ideas. In fact, another purpose of the APEC Conference is to think of ways on how to promote these startups all over the Asia Pacific region and, consequently, the whole world. Nowadays, more startups means a stronger economy, especially if there's ample support from the industry, government, and the society as a whole.

One major support that our goverment can give is to drive policies and guidelines that will both protect and boost these startups. We are talking about local and international startup laws that will hopefully break borders and hindrances and bring clarity not only in the local scene but also in the itnernational startup ecosystem.

"Let's start local, but think global."

This is one good motivation for our startup founders who are somehow not yet sure on which way to expand their business. In this digital age where ideas can flow freely around the globe with the use of the Web and other social media, it's just right to think big. There will always be venues for assistance, mentoring, guidance, and even funding for our startups.

You may have noticed that a lot of our previous guests were either startup founders, web developers, programmers, seed funders, or tech business owners. We just want you to realize that great changes and improvements are happening in our academe, industry, and even the goverment, and it's mainly because of the use of modern technology and innovative resources available nowadays. We also want you to be aware of the rapid progress of our industry because the lean startup movement has been changing business models for the better. You might also be glad to know that anyone of you can join the community, as long as you're willing to share your idea and use it for the greater good.

Watch the full recorded stream below: