7 Biggest Moments of ISIP in 2019
by Adriel Nisperos
A new decade is about to begin in less than a few weeks. It was a rollercoaster ride for the Innovation for Social Impact Partnership (ISIP) project, especially that the project is about to enter its third year of implementation. Our end goal was clear, our direction towards sustainable development, and it would not have been possible to reach this point without the support of our partners, the Australian Embassy in the Philippines, UNDP Philippines, and PhilDev Foundation.
Before we enter 2020, let’s look back to the biggest moments of ISIP in 2019.
1. When the Social Enterprise Founders Met a Pioneer Filipino Innovator from Silicon Valley
Futuristic Aviation and Maritime Enterprise (FAME) chats with the Filipino innovation and entrepreneurship pioneer, Dado Banatao
In February, the social enterprises of the Social Impact Accelerator had the opportunity to sit down with Dado Banatao, the “Silicon Valley Rockstar” himself, to talk about their business. It was a rare opportunity for any innovator or entrepreneur to be able to seek advice from experts in Silicon Valley, let alone an innovation giant and pioneer like Dado. But it is just one of the perks social enterprises in the Social Impact Accelerator receive. [READ: ISIP Features Filipino Silicon Valley Innovator at Social Impact Accelerator]
The social enterprise founders were not the only ones who met Dado. On that same day, a Fireside Chat was also organized to inspire more innovators and entrepreneurs from Dado’s story. Over a hundred participants got the chance to listen and chat with the seasoned entrepreneur. It was a momentous event for the accelerator.
2. When the First Batch of SEs Showcased Their Growth During the Demo Day
It was like graduation day for the inaugural batch of social enterprises in the Social Impact Accelerator when they took the stage to showcase their growth and social impact to investors and funders during the Social Enterprise Showcase, ISIP’s version of a Demo Day. The 10 social enterprises presented their innovative business solutions to the world’s toughest problems, aiming to seal funding or an investment from the guests.
The social enterprises prepared well for the showcasing event knowing how it is an opportunity for them to build connections and partners. “Before the Demo Day, I attended a lot of Pitching Competitions. In the days leading to the ISIP Demo Day, I just stayed home and kept practicing. I really prepared for it,” said Mark Gersava of Bambuhay. [READ: Inside the SE Showcase: A Special Issue of the ISIP Updates]
Alongside their individual preparations, the ISIP team also supported them through the Pitch Clinics in which they can receive real-time feedback about their presentations directly from investors.
3. When the Second Batch of Social Enterprises Started their Journey in the Social Impact Accelerator
Batch 2 of social enterprises in the Social Impact Accelerator
Supporting the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Philippines continues as the Social Impact Accelerator onboards five more social enterprises in the program last October. These innovative social enterprises are:
The second batch may be few, but each has demonstrated notable impact on their communities. FH Moms, for example, has been building the capacities of over 160,000 mothers through their virtual community and online university to have gainful employment at home. MAGWAI, on the other hand, is pioneering on accessible, locally-made, and reef-safe sunscreen to help lessen toxic chemicals from reaching the sea.
Batch 2 had the chance to meet the ISIP team and the project partners during the onboarding event. As part of the onboarding, the project team also gathered their needs and feedback to ensure that the program will be essential to the growth of their social enterprise.
To date, they have participated in learning sessions and other activities in the Social Impact Accelerator that help build their technical capacity as founders and streamline their business processes. They recently completed sessions on value creation, founder identity, procurement processes, strategic planning, and business development. [READ: Social Impact Accelerator Batch 2 Kicks Off with First Set of Learning Sessions]
4. When Professors from Universities All Over the Philippines Experienced Being an Entrepreneur for a Week
In September, over 70 professors experienced what it’s like to be social entrepreneurs for a week during the 2019 ISIP Faculty Training. Part of the activities of the ISIP project to support a sustainable stream of startups who are mindful of their social impact is to build the capacities of Philippine universities and colleges in teaching Technopreneurship and integrating social impact concepts. In the training, the professors had the opportunity to build their social enterprises and go through the journey of an entrepreneur. According to Ken Singer, one of the lead trainers of the faculty training from the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology at UC Berkeley, the best way to teach entrepreneurship is to be an entrepreneur.
The professors built their teams and crafted their innovative solutions addressing at least one of the goals of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On the last day of the training, the professors completed their entrepreneur journey when they successfully pitched their ideas to the lead trainers. Miguel Remolona from the University of the Philippines notes, “My takeaway is that it’s a good way to teach leadership. We’ve always been outcomes-based when it comes to learning. As teachers in engineering, how do we teach leadership to our students? I think that is an integral part of the outcome we want for our students. It’s not necessarily about the products that come out of it but handling the problems that come along while developing these products. That is the challenge and the advantage of teaching this class.” [READ: Creating the New Breed of Filipino Social Entrepreneurs through T101]
5. When ISIP convened key ecosystem actors to gain firsthand data and experience about the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Philippines
ISIP’s Roundtable Discussion with investors and funders held at UNDP Philippines office
Addressing existing gaps in the ecosystem and creating an enabling environment overall for social enterprises in the Philippines is one of the missions of the ISIP project. Throughout 2019, the ISIP team gathered key stakeholders and participants in the social entrepreneurship ecosystem such as entrepreneurs, the academe, entrepreneur-supporting organizations, investors, funders, and bankers in a series of roundtable discussions to better understand their situation and to carve out potential solutions to the existing gaps in the ecosystem.
The information and experiences gathered from the roundtables will provide substantive support to the knowledge products ISIP is developing--all to further increase the knowledge and capacities of the ecosystem to be able to contribute to the achievement of the UN SDGs. [READ: ISIP Roundtables Uncover Critical Success Factors, Recurring Challenges in Philippine Social Enterprise Ecosystem]
6. When International Professors Immersed in Various Universities in the Philippines
ISIP 2019 Visiting Professor Eugene Noh from University of California Berkeley sharing his expertise and experience at the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP) in Cagayan de Oro.
From August to November, four international professors were deployed in the Philippines to support HEIs in their Technopreneurship activities and incubator operations. These professors were:
Each professor spent a week in the university immersing in the local social entrepreneurship ecosystem, sharing expertise and experiences with local professors, and growing as professionals as they listen to practitioners and social entrepreneurs. Each visiting professor became part of the progress of the universities towards becoming innovation-driven institutions. Eugene shares his experience during his visit to the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP) in Cagayan de Oro, “It’s exciting to see the impact that my efforts could have. As much as I’m impressed with what they’re doing, the fact that I can come in and help accelerate their efforts, it seems like a dynamic place so I’m personally fulfilled to be involved in the [Visiting Professors activity].” [READ: Problem-solving at the Core of Building a Startup with Social Impact]
7. When ISIP brought together leaders of Universities and Higher Education Institutions from all over the Philippines to develop the Technopreneurship Governance Blueprint
ISIP conducts Technopreneurship Governance Readiness survey results validation exercise with higher education institutions from Visayas and Mindanao.
To make sure HEIs can sustain their Technopreneurship activities and programs, ISIP also aims to develop a Technopreneurship governance blueprint for them. The blueprint will be a guide for the HEIs to help them implement their activities smoothly and consequently, achieve their Technopreneurship agenda. Similar to the roundtable discussion series, ISIP gathered leaders from partner-universities to carve out best practices and craft potential solutions to existing gaps and challenges in the realm of Technopreneurship governance in HEIs.
ISIP is looking forward to a bigger and more challenging year ahead as more of the project’s outputs geared towards empowering social entrepreneurs and the local social entrepreneurship ecosystem come alive. While it takes an entire village to raise a child, ISIP will need the support of an entire ecosystem to be able to create and sustain an impact as large as this one, overall contributing to sustainable development. Here’s to empowering more social entrepreneurs in 2020!