First batch of Filipina entrepreneurs graduates from I-WE’s Tech2Transform program

INDIAN Women in Enterprise (I-WE), a nonprofit organization centered on empowering women professionals, concludes the first run of Tech2Transform (T2T), a program that equips women leaders and entrepreneurs with the capacity to grow and develop their businesses.

Twenty-seven Filipina entrepreneurs graduated from all over the Philippines, while its top 10 finalists and four business projects received awards and distinction at a graduation event held at Marriott Hotel Manila presided by the Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Shambu Kumaran and Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary Blesila Lantayona, regional operations.

The event also celebrates the 70th anniversary of the PhilippineIndia Treaty of Friendship, which was signed to strengthen existing relations between the two nations.

Shambu Kumaran, Indian ambassador to the Philippines, said “I-We’s Tech2Transform program is a pioneering effort.

The idea of Indian entrepreneur ecosystem learnings being used to drive Philippine MSME entrepreneurial activity is a highly scalable idea and transcends technology.

As a jury member, I was happy with the quality of MSME contestants and the winners. I am looking forward to making this initiative scale up faster and wider with the foundation’s commitment to building MSME ecosystems, globally.”

All participants were required to submit a detailed business strategy for their capstone project which was judged by Eric Caeg, president of ICSB, and Samir Sathe, EVP of Wadhwani Foundation, India.

The top four participants of the program were also awarded during the ceremony for their business plans: Ericka Evangelista of the Ericka Evangelista House of Fashion for Most Committed to Transform; Franz BadongRepuyan of RuyagPH for Best Business Strategy; Jennifer Subang of Agridom Solutions Corp. for Best in Digital Marketing; and Ellenita Red of ARTE Fashion Store for Best in E-Commerce Strategy.

The winner Ericka Evangelista will now be eligible to join the “Wadhwani Lift-off” program and trained for 14 weeks to win an all-expense-paid trip to Silicon Valley and pitch her business plans to potential investors. All the winners also received a cash prize, trophy and certificate from Esquire Financing Inc.

Applications for the second run of T2T will open in early August for 50 women MSME business leaders.