KMC and Impact Hub Manila join together to support entrepreneurial spirit VIA Startup

Manila, Philippines - November 2018 - KMC, in partnership with Impact Hub Manila (IHM), brings together key stakeholders with an entrepreneurial spirit at the 1st ever VIA Summit happening on 28 November 2018 at the Green Sun Hotel, Makati City.  

One cannot handle alone, in order to succeed you need the help of others. With this StartUp summit, you can find partners to help grow your business. You can learn new ideas from different organizations and build relationships to maintain your sustainability in the industry.

“This summit brings together the best and brightest minds in the startup ecosystem. Throughout the summit, there will be many opportunities for developing relationships with key players who share common vision of growth and economic sustainability,” said Gregory Kittelson, Chairman and Co-Founder of KMC.

From left to right: Atty. Cristine F. Alcantara - Managing Partner of Abad Alcantara & Associates, Director Senen Perlada - Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Chris Morris - Head of NGO and Civil Society Center of Asian Development Bank (ADB), Hendrick Kiamzon – Executive Vice President of MINT College, Ces Rondario – Co-founder of Impact Hub Manila pose after having a panel discussion for the VIA Startup Summit

The speakers present for VIA handled different aspects that are vital for the growth and sustainability of the local business scene.

Partnerships and Collaboration
VIA Partnerships discussed the respective roles of the government, academe, and industry network in fostering growth for the local startup ecosystem. The panel was moderated by Atty. Kristine F. Alcantara from Abad Alcantara & Associates, with panelists Assistant Secretary Rafaelita M. Aldaba from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Dentsu Aegis Network Philippines’ Country CEO, Donald Lim, and Chris Morris, Head of NGO and Civil Society Center of the Asian Development Bank.

Another segment focused on the positive effects of inclusion and teamwork. Called “VIA Collaboration,” this discussion was led by industry experts and ingenious startup owners. Ces Rondario, Co-Founder and CEO of Impact Hub Manila joined Gregory Kittelson, Chairman and Co-Founder of KMC, for the panel discussion. Space for Ingenious batch one winner, Alexis Lingad of Cryptors Cybersecurity was also part of the panel.

According to Kittelson, KMC wants to provide startups and entrepreneurs the avenue to establish relationships, develop connections, and engage in programs that will help grow and sustain their endeavors. He says there are (6 from the first batch of the SFI program) startups spread around the 19 locations of KMC endeavored together with their partner, Impact Hub Manila.

In partnership with Impact Hub Manila (IHM), KMC undertook a program entitled “Space for Ingenious Program” which helps bring an idea from conception to reality through mentorship from industry experts, spaces conducive to productivity and idea incubation, and access to a vast network of connections and potential investors. The six-month program began last May 2018 and has incubated six startups that were among the first batch of applicants for the program. One startup is Pushkart PH, an online grocery application that basically does the shopping for you. Founder Josh Aragon, 29, lauds the mentorship of the program, “Having mentors dive into your business model, dissect all of the issues, and create a solution for you is really a valuable takeaway from the program. They also give you the connections you need for your business to take off.”

The VIA Startup Summit is also serves to recognize the valuable contributions of startups to the local economy. “Many startups have ventured into mobile, e-commerce, and fintech. This is proof that Philippines’ startup ecosystem is growing rapidly with more and more young professionals starting their own ventures. Matthew Barrie is one of our young CEOs and his company has just won an International Smart City competition called AcceliCITY against 600 startups from 40 countries,” says Riccardo Corsini, KMC’s Vice President for marketing.

300 startups and growing
According to the 2017 Philippine Startup Survey, there are now more than 300 startups in the country, most of which being founded between 2012 and 2017. Continuing changes in technology and innovation have also contributed to the growth of startups. “We firmly believe in the Filipino entrepreneurial spirit. “All startups have a dream they want to pursue. That dream is their starting point. They face many sacrifices, risks and challenges. Through the VIA Startup summit, we seek to be their partners in the pursuit of their dreams,” says Ces Rondario.

 From left to right: Ces Rondario – Co-Founder of Impact Hub Manila, Director Senen Perlada of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Riccardo Corsini – Vice President of Marketing for KMC during the VIA Startup Summit Press Conference.

For more information about the VIA Startup Summit, you may visit https://via-summit.com/. 

About KMC

KMC is an ISO Certified Flexible Office Solutions and Staff Leasing Provider, dedicated to delivering customer-centric and highly flexible solutions to businesses seeking to set-up and grow in the Philippines.  KMC has the largest portfolio of serviced offices and co-working space in the Philippines while providing dedicated offshore virtual teams in to its clients from the US, Australia, Europe and Singapore.

 

KMC helps shape businesses by following them through each phase of their growth-From SPACES which includes serviced offices, co-working and virtual offices, PEOPLE encompassing HR management or payroll and benefits administration to ENTERPRISE covering tailored office fit outs, end-to-end offshore and business continuity plan solutions.