With the aim of guiding the future MAEntrepreneurs in building their own startups, Miriam Adult Education (MAE), in collaboration with QBO Innovation Hub, held a seminar-workshop on entrepreneurship dubbed as “Basiqs: Introductory Class on Startups” on October 12, 2018 at the Miriam College Henry Sy, Sr. Innovation Center.

Alea Ladaga and Carlo Yaptinchay of QBO lectured about the basic jargons used in startups and introduced different ways and practical methods to validate and execute an idea. They also gave a workshop for the students to teach them how to attract investors to capitalize on their products. Their workshop also provided an overview of the business model canvas and lean startup method.

Aside from the QBO team, equally reputable speakers shared their expertise and their personal startup experiences. Marian Paminiano, Brand Communications Director of Style Genie, narrated her humble beginnings after finishing BFA Information Design at Ateneo de Manila University. She also shared her experience in handling over 27 startups as previous Venture Relations Head of Launch Garage.

Ron Baetiong, co-founder and CEO of ChatbotPH on the other hand, inspired the budding student-entrepreneurs in the audience to embrace disruption and to transform the narrative in order to become successful tech entrepreneurs. He also shared how he is thriving with his new startup after he closed Partyphile, a mobile application that used to be the biggest nightlife app in Southeast Asia.

Generally, the facilitators and the speakers emphasized the importance of developing startups in the country and how developing one’s awareness about startups could be of great help in early stage companies and ideas.

The seminar-workshop is part of the culminating activity of Grade 11 students taking up Entrepreneurship. Nonetheless, all MAE students were enjoined to attend the program as preparation for MAE’s Business Fair on February 2019.