Left to Right: Ashcon Nejad – Content, Noel Dasmariñas – Media, Karen Ann Pranga – Consulting, Raphael Jamil Pranga – Growth, Danielle Escalada – Community, JR Calanoc – Co-Founder, Eric Zagala – Sales, Nancy Hwang – Mentorship and Bianca Trinidad-Lamb – Events. Courtesy of Dynamico Media
The startup accelerator bridges the gap between sprouting Filipino entrepreneurs and Silicon Valley
Starting a fashion label requires more than having a flair for style. Aside from the creative pursuits, a label needs a certain amount of funding and mentorship to sustain its success. Despite multiple resources being available to the public online, fashion labels are often plagued by a lack of investment and guidance.
Building a fashion label from the ground up, like with any other business is an intimidating venture for any entrepreneur. Guidance is repeatedly taught in the form of firsthand experience, and mentors are often found few and far between. For startups, as the saying goes, “It’s all about jumping off a cliff and building your plane on the way down,” says co-founder and CEO of Dynamico Space, JR Calanoc. Successful businesses are made up of a combination of factors, with timing and luck being the most apparent. In the context of the Philippines, there are more obstacles that prevent entrepreneurs from expanding beyond their local industries. For Dynamico Space, the startup incubator hopes to be the bridge between local Filipino entrepreneurs and global opportunities.
Dynamico Space helps startups overcome their hurdles through providing funding, mentorship, and opportunities for budding Filipino entrepreneurs across all industries. “We help find and define their problems, how they’re going to solve them, and how they can scale globally,” adds Calanoc.
The startup incubator boasts an experienced pool of mentors from various backgrounds. This includes names such as Divya Nag from Apple, Nancy Hwang from Google, Jessica Tsoong of Wifi Slam, among others who are associated with Stanford, Meta, NASA, Harvard, and other successful startup owners.
Based in Silicon Valley, the venture introduces entrepreneurs to the startup ecosystem through different initiatives. Dynamico Space holds pitch nights and accelerator programs where Dynamico works hand in hand with select startups. Each of these programs culminate towards a “Demo Day”, which allows startups to pitch toward investors and venture capitalists to foster a connection between Philippine entrepreneurs and Silicon Valley.
Among the many recipients of their programs, two particular startups stand out. Jiph is a Cebu-based remittance platform that aims to provide the most affordable remittance transfer rates that will provide greater paycheck power to Filipinos. Under the cohort program, the startup received funding opportunities and coaching from Dynamico’s in-house marketing team. With a goal to scale globally, Jiph is now set to launch within the year with Dynamico’s support. Another impact startup funded by Dynamico is Plantsville Health, a social enterprise geared towards saving Philippine cinnamon, upholding sustainability practices, and providing livelihood to small farmers while mitigating climate change. Starting in Bacolod, Plantsville which is a woman-led organization was also exposed to international opportunities and investors through Dynamico’s own network.
In further fostering Filipino entrepreneurship, Dynamico developed a public-private partnership with the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, and the Department of Trade and Industry. “We collaborate on events, communicating and finding centers of influence, and on programs to really highlight Philippine entrepreneurs and the startups coming out of the Philippines,” says Calanoc. Through this collaboration, the parties hope to be able to increase investments into Filipino-owned businesses.
Dynamico Space looks toward the future of entrepreneurship. As both a guide and a stepping stone for startups, the startup incubator pushes Filipino entrepreneurs to not be limited to their local environment. Moving forward, Dynamico hopes to continue its mission toward representing Philippine talents and other entrepreneurs across South East Asia, allowing them to compete on a global scale.
For Filipino entrepreneurs with global ambitions visit www.dynamico.space to be a part of the Dynamico ecosystem. Follow their Facebook, Linkedin, and Instagram.
