Entrepreneurs, business leaders mentor MSMEs

MANILA, Philippines — Some of the country’s top business executives and founders of successful businesses showed up to mentor MSMEs at Go Negosyo’s first salvo for 2024, the 3M on Wheels free entrepreneurship mentoring event at the TriNoma Mall in Quezon City last Jan 20.

Joey Concepcion, founder of Go Negosyo and chairman and CEO of RFM Corp., welcomed the contingent of mentors and led the one-on-one mentoring of active and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Volunteering to coach the MSMEs were some of the biggest names in Philippine business and the founders of successful businesses, including George Barcelon of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bernie Liu of Penshoppe, PCCI-NCR’s Tess Ngan Tian of Lots’a Pizza, restaurateur Ricky Dee, Wildflour’s Ana de Ocampo, AstraZeneca’s Lotis Ramin, Richie Cuna of Fiorgelato, The Manila Times’ Blanca Mercado, Ovation Productions’ Renen and Cel de Guia, Eric Teng of Resto.ph, Myrna Yao of RichPrime Global, Richard Sanz of Bibingkinitan, Chris Lim of the Philippine Franchise Association, Rhoda Caliwara of PALSCON and Marife Zamora of Filipina CEO Circle.

“The success of this first 3M on Wheels free entrepreneurship mentoring event gave us more reason to intensify our campaign to reach as many MSMEs nationwide this year, especially considering the bright prospects for our country’s economy,” said Concepcion.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, who opened the event, reassured entrepreneurs in attendance that “building businesses is number one in our city’s agenda.” She emphasized the city’s efforts in ease-of-doing-business, saying it makes entrepreneurship accessible in the city. Coupled with mentoring and access to capital, Belmonte said this is key to business success.

Concepcion personally mentored several MSMEs, including single mother Magdalena Ramos, who runs a distributorship business of Kettle Korn; Denise Caranto, who founded the snacks business Konu and Marjorie Barcelona, who grew her lemonade business into franchising.

A special part of the program was a short talk by entrepreneur and content creator Isabel Magalona Go, who founded her business But First Coffee during the pandemic. She shared how small