Hustleshare

In this episode of Hustleshare, we chat with Alex de Leon, Group VP of Marketing at PropertyGuru, to unpack the wild journey that took him from tinkering with computers in Manila to working at Google in Silicon Valley—and eventually marketing for one of Southeast Asia's biggest proptech companies. Alex shares how growing up between cultures shaped his hustle, what working three jobs in college tau...

Juvien Galano of Dewaste Solutions and Pamela Mejia of PAMMÉ join the show for a heartfelt, funny, and no-holds-barred conversation on building businesses with real purpose. From growing up beside rivers filled with garbage and surviving private school on a tight budget, to turning plastic waste into fashion pieces that sell in Rockwell and building waste systems from the ground up—they share how...

In this episode of Hustleshare, we sit down with Gerard John Deriada and Kareen Grace Lacorte of Agri Exim Global Philippines to talk about how they helped grow an organic agriculture company from a small 10-person team in Davao to over 1,000 employees across the country. Kareen shares how she stumbled into HR and built a career on empathy, grit, and a willingness to figure things out on her own,...

Jovy Gill of Altilium Green Energy and Cecilia Miranda of Isla-Tek sit down for a raw, inspiring conversation on building businesses that stay rooted in purpose. From turning pineapple waste into fabric to powering off-grid communities with smart batteries, they share how their paths—shaped by family, failure, and full-circle moments—led to ventures that serve both people and planet. They also tal...

In this episode of Hustleshare – Emil Eriksen is the founder of &you—a digital health platform built to meet the everyday needs of Filipinos through online consultations, expert care, and discreet nationwide delivery. With a vision to build a fully localized, end-to-end healthcare system tailored for Southeast Asia, Emil shares how &you is redefining access to care—starting in the Philippi...

In this episode of Hustleshare, we chat with Carlyn Gabon, founder and CEO of GetYourVisa, about how her personal struggles with immigration led her to build a startup tackling the visa process. From hustling barbecues as a kid in Quezon City to leading regional ops at Grab, Carlyn shares how her drive and clarity of purpose shaped her journey. She talks about losing her job during the pandemic, l...

Gillian Santos, co-founder and CEO of AniTech, and Neil Kho, co-founder of Arka, join the Founders Only podcast to share how they turned research backgrounds and last-minute grant wins into real, working agri-tech startups. They talk about the hustle of building in a close-knit industry, earning trust from the ground up, and why working in agriculture isn’t just about deploying tech—it’s about sol...

In this episode of Hustleshare, we sit down with Mr. Michael Sta. Maria, the dynamic President and CEO of Northeast Business Solution, Inc. — a company at the forefront of digital transformation and business optimization in the Philippines. Michael shares the inspiring story behind Northeast Business Solutions, Inc.: how it grew from a promising concept into a trusted provider of software solution...

In this episode of Hustleshare, we sit down with Dan Gonzales and Earl Valencia, co-authors of Startup Mindsets, to unpack the emotional and mental journey of building startups especially through the lens of the Filipino experience. Dan, a Filipino-American writer with a tech background, reflects on his path from tech skeptic to ecosystem builder, while Earl, a pioneer of the Philippine startup ec...

In this episode of Hustleshare, we sit down with Luis Mesina and Marilen Yap, the visionary founders and owners of Cake2Go . A homegrown cake brand that redefined convenience and taste in the Philippines long before online delivery was mainstream. From humble beginnings in a side porch with a borrowed oven, to running 18 stores and pioneering the takeout cake model, Luis and Marilen share their in...

In this episode of Hustleshare, we talk with Ben Alderson—startup mentor, angel investor, and founder of BA Mentor, a platform supporting early-stage founders with practical, no-fluff guidance. With a career spanning engineering, management consulting, startup founding, and venture capital, Ben unpacks the uncommon path that gave him a uniquely grounded lens for helping founders succeed. He shares...

In this episode of Hustleshare, we talk with Joseph De Leon—partner at Gravitas Prime, founding member of MAIN (Manila Angel Investors Network), and a cornerstone of the Philippine startup ecosystem. JDL shares his fascinating path from global ad strategist to M&A advisor, and how his eclectic background helped him shape a uniquely sharp lens for evaluating startups. He breaks down the realiti...

In this episode of Hustleshare, we welcome Shumate Royo, a passionate educator-turned-ecosystem-builder whose journey redefines what it means to lead with purpose. From her humble beginnings as a history teacher with a heart for youth empowerment, Shumate takes us through her incredible transition into entrepreneurship—co-founding one of the Philippines’ first community-driven coworking spaces, Th...

In this episode of Hustleshare, we welcome Nichel Gaba, the founder and CEO of PDAX, a groundbreaking cryptocurrency exchange in the Philippines. Nichel takes us on his remarkable journey from a risk-averse banking professional at HSBC to a trailblazer in the crypto space. He shares his insights on the evolution of the Philippine startup ecosystem, the importance of timing in entrepreneurship, and...

Josiah Go, Chairman of Mansmith and Fielders and a pioneer in business model innovation, shares his journey from hustling at a machine shop during college to building multiple successful businesses and training thousands of entrepreneurs. In this season premiere of Hustleshare, Josiah opens up about the lessons from his father that shaped his entrepreneurial mindset, the power of sacrificing weeke...

Alwyn Rosel, the new Executive Director of IdeaSpace and QBO Innovation Hub, shares her inspiring journey from growing up in Navotas to becoming a key builder of the Philippine startup ecosystem. In this episode, she reflects on her early hustle in the BPO industry, her crash course in startups through DOST and AIM, and the passion that fuels her work today. Alwyn opens up about the power of commu...

Christo Georgiev, co-founder and CEO of LenderLink, a credit data platform bridging gaps in the Philippines’ lending ecosystem, joins us to talk about the credit data revolution he’s spearheading in the Philippines. From growing up in post-communist Bulgaria to building startups across three continents, Christo shares how he’s tackling one of the country’s most persistent financial problems: fragm...

Alex Aronson, co-founder of Helios, a groundbreaking startup focused on democratizing solar energy in the Philippines, takes us on a journey from his roots in the Bay Area to his impactful career in the Philippine startup scene. He shares his passion for building high-performance teams and solving pressing consumer problems, particularly in the renewable energy sector. With a wealth of experience...

Shad Dela Cruz, the co-founder and CEO of Flying Tigers Express, talks about his journey, from his humble beginnings in Bacolod to navigating the vibrant startup ecosystem in Cebu. He shares his evolution from a tech enthusiast to a leader in the logistics industry. After experiencing the highs and lows of startup life, including a challenging first venture, he found his calling in revolutionizing...

Mari Martirez, co-founder and CEO of Rezbin, shares his inspiring journey from building startups to driving social impact through waste management innovation. After working in key roles at successful startups like Kumu and STORM, Mari took the leap to create Rezbin, a platform revolutionizing waste segregation and recycling in the Philippines. He opens up about navigating failure, rediscovering pu...

Priya Thachadi, co-founder and CEO of Villgro Philippines, shares her inspiring journey from grassroots activism to driving social impact through entrepreneurship. After a diverse career spanning journalism, public policy, and social enterprise development, she moved to the Philippines to establish Villgro Philippines, a pioneering incubator supporting impact-driven startups. Priya opens up about...

Ursel Murillo-Laureno, founder and CEO of EdFolio and SkoolTek, shares her inspiring journey from being a school principal to launching a successful startup that empowers educators. In this episode, Ursel dives into the challenges of building a tech platform outside of Manila and how her passion for education fueled her entrepreneurial path. From navigating funding hurdles to balancing multiple ve...

For our 6th anniversary episode, Jerry Tieng of OneWorkforce joins us in this episode to share his incredible tech journey spanning 3 decades. Jerry shares his humble beginnings in software development that started with servicing clients to Binondo and how he grew his software dev shop thru word-of-mouth. Jerry also shares how they've been able to stay stable and profitable through the years despi...

Beryl Li, co-founder of Yield Guild Games (YGG)—the world's first and largest decentralized network of gaming guilds specializing in blockchain games and Web3 education—returns to the show to share how her startup has evolved since the Play-to-Earn boom. She discusses YGG’s journey through crypto market fluctuations, the challenges of scaling a Web3 company, and their strategic shift towards "Futu...

Raymond Del Rosario, President of Fisher Mall, shares his remarkable journey from doing small hustles in the States to revolutionizing the retail landscape in the Philippines. In this episode, Ray dives deep into the entrepreneurial spirit instilled by his father and the challenges of breaking into the highly competitive mall industry. From navigating the uncertainties of the pandemic to attractin...