13 July 2022, San Francisco – Many of us are stressed and anxious with our hectic day-to-day lives. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified these and other more serious mental health disorders.  Entrepreneurs and startup founders are not different. They face mental health challenges during the pandemic and even up to this day.

Learning to cope with mental health challenges helps entrepreneurs become more resilient. This was the special talk hosted by Dynamico Space, in collaboration with the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Silicon Valley (PTIC-Silicon Valley) on 13 July 2022.

The event, “Mental Health Check-In for Entrepreneurs,” featured guest speaker Danica Jacinto, who underscored the importance of mental health awareness among entrepreneurs, drawing from her own experiences as a technopreneur in Silicon Valley and in the Philippines.

“As entrepreneurs, we always prioritize our customers, our teams, and our businesses.  It’s time to add to that list – and that is to also prioritize ourselves by creating space for mental health check-ins.  It is from a place of sound mental health and clarity that great businesses can thrive,” Ms. Jacinto said.

She noted that entrepreneurs are a unique group of people, with 72% of them reporting anxiety and depression and 60% reporting that they are on the edge of burnout at any given time. The interactive talk encouraged entrepreneurs to find their own personal ways to face mental health issues, such as by doing activities including sports and yoga, and other activities that release endorphins or “happy hormones.” She also shared about her own coping mechanisms when facing stressful situations, such as by having positive mantras to encourage herself.

Consul General Neil Frank R. Ferrer thanked Ms. Jacinto for sharing her own experiences in dealing with mental health. He noted that there are government and non-profit resources that provide mental health services in the San Francisco Bay Area that entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs alike may avail themselves of. “We need this kind of conversation and veer away from the stigma of having to deal with mental problems,” he said.

JR Calanoc, CEO of Dynamico further amplified this by adding that “At Dynamico Space, we strive to support entrepreneurs in our community. Meaningfully focusing on your mental health has proven to be one of the top factors in improving quality of life, and business efficiency and productivity.”

Ms. Jacinto is an executive leader in Finance and Operations who has been part of the founding teams at two B2C consumer companies: Museum of Ice Cream (Series A valuation of $200M) and No. 8. She is also currently the Interim CFO and Senior Advisor at AHG Lab, one of the largest venture studios in the Philippines.

The Consulate General in San Francisco, with PTIC-Silicon Valley, has a public-private cooperation with Dynamico Space, led by its CEO, Mr. JR Calanoc, in supporting Philippine startups, especially in gaining exposure to Silicon Valley and bridging Philippine and U.S. startups.

The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco (www.pcgsanfrancisco.org) is the foreign service representative of the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Pacific Northwest.  The Consulate is guided by the country’s national development goals and objectives and its core programs are anchored on the three pillars of foreign policy: enhancement of national security, utilization of development diplomacy to attain economic security, and promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of the Filipinos overseas.

The Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Silicon Valley (https://www.dti.gov.ph/overseas/silicon-valley/) is the representative office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) covering Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. We work to promote trade and investment partnerships between the United States and the Philippines.

Dynamico Space (https://dynamico.space/) offers a sustainable and affordable co-working space in San Francisco. They focus on combining a flexible office and workspace with a multitude of virtual services, so companies and startups can focus on running their core business.

Date of Release: 04 August 2022