San Francisco PCG hosts first startup meetup featuring QBO

San Francisco, CA — QBO (pronounced “kubo”) Innovation Hub, a Philippine public-private partnership (PPP) whose objective is to spur the development of the Filipino startup companies, visited San Francisco on the first week of November 2017.  The delegation, composed of QBO President Rene “Butch” Meily, Director Katrina Chan, and Operations Head Natasha Bautista, met with Silicon Valley startup incubators and accelerators to learn best practices for Philippine application.

QBO met with Consul General Henry S. Bensurto Jr. and the Philippine Consulate General’s economic team to apprise them of recent developments in the Philippine startup ecosystem, and to synchronize activities in support of the Philippines’ economic development objectives through the advancement of science, technology, and innovation.

The Philippine Consulate General also featured QBO in first IT-oriented Filipino American event called the “StartUp MeetUp” held on 2 November 2017.  The networking event gave QBO the opportunity to present their projects and activities with the Philippine Government, and to inform the Filipino American IT professionals in Silicon Valley of the results of the country’s ever comprehensive study of the Philippine startup ecosystem.  The event was followed by a public discourse and exchange of ideas on how the Philippine startup ecosystem could flourish.

In his opening remarks, Consul General Henry S. Bensurto, Jr. encouraged the Filipino Americans in IT to become stakeholders in the Philippines Government’s initiative to develop its startup sector: “We are here before you because of a vision: That of a Philippines, in the near future, having found its place in the vibrant world of tech; a Philippines that is able to fully harness the innate creativity and sharp minds of Filipino engineers and scientists to nourish a thriving startup ecosystem; a Philippines, fueled by techpreneurs, creating jobs, increasing productivity, and reaping economic opportunities for all Filipinos towards inclusive and long-term growth.  We invited you here to implore you, the young Filipino Americans who have lived, worked, and breathed the culture of boundless possibilities in Silicon Valley, to become catalysts for accelerating the growth of the Philippine startup ecosystem.”

The MeetUp series is part of the Philippine Consulate General’s push for the SPARK*CONNECT*EMPOWER movement.  By sparking interest in the country’s fledgling startup ecosystem among the Filipino Americans working in IT, and by connecting them not only with each other but also organizations both in the United States and the Philippines, the Consulate envisions an empowered Filipino American community able to help bridge the divide between what the Philippines’ startupecosystem is now, and what it could be; a Filipino American community that, in turn, empowers Kababayans back home.♦