Entrep University: Where Young Minds Meet
When in Manila during the weekend and you didn’t hear about Entrep University, you definitely missed out on a lot.
Entrep University is a bazaar-slash-convention put together by the Association of Collegiate Entrepreneurs, made up of various entrepreneurial organizations from 7 big schools: Adamson, Ateneo, La Salle, La Consolacion College, San Beda, UP, and UST. I attended day 1 of this all-day bazaar on March 1 and I was more than pleased with what they had to offer.
Student concessionaires had set up booths next to each other and filled half the space of Megatent Events in Libis, while the other half was spared for a stage where talks, bands, and a fashion show would be conducted later on in the evening. It was interesting to see what the stores had to offer, especially since most of the owners were students representing their respective universities; it was quite astounding to think they all had business ideas that turned into something as tangible as actual food and desert stalls, clothing shops, and more.
Moreover, some of the concessionares that were at the event actually started out as online stores. It was inspiring, to say the least, to walk around and see students wearing ID laces get worked up about their products (some even had to cook/prepare/bake for their food stalls) as customers passed by. You don’t get to see that kind of dedication very often, and suddenly they’re all here and gathered in this massive space.
The speakers were something else, too. I was able to catch the winner of Apprentice Asia Jonathan Yabut talk about seizing the day because “the clock can stop anytime”–and following your passion based from his own learning experiences from the reality show and from currently being AirAsia’s Chief of Staff. He talked about grit, that’s what I mostly remember– and the reason why it stuck with me is that it makes a lot of sense, too. He said it’s not the most talented, or the smartest, that gets to win in the end. It’s who actually has the enough motivation to continue striving despite failing, getting back up after falling, and never losing hope.
That’s exactly what I saw in these student owners and what I saw in the event itself. These humble beginnings will all turn into something big one day if the people behind them are really passionate and actually believe in what they’re doing. As the event’s tagline says, anything truly is possible.
Aside from that, ACE was able to invite Pedicab and Gracenote to perform onstage for the attendees, which was a bonus. All day, bands from the schools who participated serenaded the crowd. The fashion show that concluded day 1 featured some of the student concessionaires themselves.
So, when in Manila next time and you’re the kind of person who’s into entrepreneurship, business, or just thinking about going down this road, better watch out for events like this!
(Photos by Daryl Cotoner)
Entrep University 2014
Association of Collegiate Entrepreneurs
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EntrepUniversity
Twitter: @EntrepUniv
