In celebration of Philippine American History Month, a university Hawaii The Manoa event “Entre-Pinoy-Ship” brought together a dynamic panel of Filipino American entrepreneurs who shared their amazing journeys, the influence of their Filipino culture and the challenges they faced, and gave advice to young entrepreneurs. They also discussed their visions of the future of Filipino American entrepreneurship, all while pursuing their dreams in Hawaii.
The panelists:
- Carlo Tanjuacchio, General manager and founder of GoLeanSixSigma.com + Kure
- Keith Furukawa, owner of Maui Chili Chili Oil
- Elaine Ignao, Co-Owner and General manager Same same
The event, held on October 27 at the state-of-the-art Walter Dodds Jr. Center, was organized by the Shidler Professor of Business Marketing and the Pacific Asia Entrepreneurship Center.PACE) Faculty Fellow Constancio Paranal III, PACE Program Manager Adeline Ortiz and PACE Leader and Hawaii Student Entrepreneurs President Daniela Pacion. The event gave the Filipino American community a platform to explore the stories and experiences of successful entrepreneurs who are making a huge impact in the state.
“In addition to celebrating the significant contributions made by Filipino Americans HawaiiThe goal was to share our stories of struggle and challenges and allow those stories to cross borders,” Paranal said. “To remind us that with our shared challenges, there are opportunities and that there is wisdom and strength in those stories. According to the panelists, this is part of building our tribe and expanding our community to include non-Filipinos.
Finding interest and purpose
Each participant described what inspired them on their entrepreneurial journey. Their stories were different, but they shared a common theme of a relentless drive to create something meaningful and impactful. For Tanjuakio, it was about finding a problem that he was very fond of. Ignao is driven by her love of sharing stories, and Furukawa is inspired by her desire to be her own boss and the freedom to forge her own path.
The discussion highlighted the strong influence of Filipino culture on their business decisions and strategies. In how they approached their businesses into the products they created, the entrepreneurs were intentionally incorporating cultural elements and values into their operations. Ignao shared that beyond sharing her culture through our products, it is about educating her customers on the value and relationship.
Although there are many Filipino Americans HawaiiThe panelists candidly discussed the challenges they faced in starting and growing their businesses. The panelists shared how they navigated the challenges associated with not being accepted or others not recognizing their worth and sometimes the internal struggle of Filipinos to reclaim their values of modesty and modesty.
The event provided a platform for the panelists to give tips to young entrepreneurs. He encouraged aspiring business leaders to embrace their cultural heritage and use it as inspiration.
Be brave and surround yourself with people who support your vision.
– Carlo Tanjuacchio
“Be bold and surround yourself with people who support your vision,” Tanjuacchio advises young entrepreneurs.
Ignao emphasized the importance of believing in your worth, saying, “You know how hard you work, don’t doubt yourself.”
“Build your social capital,” Furukawa emphasizes the role of networking. The relationships you build now will be vital to your future success.
Joshua Rio, a senior majoring in management information systems and marketing, said, “It was very encouraging to hear from communities that have gone through similar struggles and see them succeed. I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing event!”
The event was directed by director Pia Arboleda. UH Chair of the Department of Philippine Studies and Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures, Manoa Center.