ASPIRING entrepreneurs will receive valuable mentorship from prominent businessmen and celebrities via the free entrepreneur mentoring program “3M On Wheels” initiated by Go Negosyo.
Among those who will share advice and insights is actress and entrepreneur Hazel Pascual-Almarinez, more popularly known as Ara Mina. She will join Go Negosyo founder Jose Ma. “Joey” Concepcion 3rd on August 19 at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay.
Ara Mina, who founded her own business Hazelberry Café, will join other prominent mentors who will share their time and knowledge to help entrepreneurs. They include LT Group COO Michael Tan, Hands-On Manila founder Atty. Gianna Montinola, Francorp CEO Bing Limjoco, Sterling Paper Products’ Michelle GanKee, and Oryspa Founder and CEO Sherill Quintana.
Actress Gladys Reyes, who founded her own food business, has also mentored for Go Negosyo.
“We try and inspire as many Filipinos as we can to become entrepreneurs. MSMEs need mentorship, along with access to money and markets to succeed. We at Go Negosyo, through our 3M on Wheels events, bring these to where the entrepreneurs are,” Concepcion said.
Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual and Parañaque Mayor Eric Olivarez are expected to grace the event.
Besides the free mentorship, Go Negosyo will also give P250,000 to the participating entrepreneurs.
3M on Wheels is Go Negosyo’s highly successful on-ground, nationwide program for active and aspiring entrepreneurs.
“3M” stands for Mentorship, Money and Market, and reflects the wider scope of entrepreneurship assistance it now offers to entrepreneurs,” said the former presidential adviser for entrepreneurship.
“We felt that as Go Negosyo continues its mission of giving MSMEs access to business opportunities, we must expand it to the wider framework of money, market and mentorship — completing the three Ms that we believe are essential in growing small businesses,” he added.
Expected during the day-long event is the one-on-one coaching of entrepreneurs by mentors coming from different industries. Finance service providers will also introduce entrepreneurs to facilities for small-business lending, while specialists in different marketing channels will give solutions that cover everything from establishing physical stores, digital platforms, logistics solutions to digital payment platforms.
3M on Wheels started as “Mentor Me on Wheels” (MMOW) in 2018, inspired by the growing number of Filipinos turning to entrepreneurship to lift themselves out of poverty.
The initiative filled the learning gap in the entrepreneurial journey and turned mentorship into a solution that addressed the capacity-building need of the entrepreneur.
“Thanks to the successful businessmen and entrepreneurs who generously gave their time and knowledge, and to the finance institutions and enterprise solutions providers who have been with us through the years, we were able to scale MMOW into a nationwide program and expand its scope,” Concepcion said.
3M on Wheels remains a free nationwide mentorship program by the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship. The free entrepreneurship program is expected to roll out to other urban areas across the Philippines later this year.