Project GO, the brand new reality series by GoDaddy, the company empowering everyday entrepreneurs worldwide, in collaboration with AXN, one of the leading general entertainment channels owned by KC Global Media Asia, has revealed in its latest episode yesterday evening the Top 4 contestants that will be vying for the Php 1 million cash prize to help make their dream business a reality. 

From hundreds of entries received from aspiring Filipino entrepreneurs during the Open Auditions held for three weeks in August, selected hopefuls with the most promising business ideas moved on to pitch directly to the show’s Mentors: Maggie Wilson (Owner, Acasa Manila); Bea Cupin (Lifestyle & Entertainment Editor, Rappler); the Tung Brothers: Mikko (CEO & Co-Founder, Odd Job Bob), Macky (Vice President of Advertising, Ligo and Co-Founder, Odd Job Bob) and Mark (Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Ligo); and Tina Shieh (Marketing Director for Asia, GoDaddy). 

Derek Wong, KC Global Media Asia’s Vice President and Head for Production and Creative Services, said, “From the beginning, Project GO has hoped to seek out ingenious, innovative ideas that have the potential to turn into fruitful and thriving businesses, and the hundreds of Filipino entrepreneurs that heeded the call did not disappoint. It was not an easy task for the Mentors to shortlist only four candidates out of the many promising ones that they reviewed. All of the contestants demonstrated a very high entrepreneurial spirit, which shone through despite the challenge of not being able to be physically present on set.”

The contestants pitched to and communicated with the Mentors via live stream, since social gathering restrictions currently enforced in Metro Manila meant that filming could not accommodate all the teams that made it into the first shortlist.

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After stringent and careful deliberation, the Mentors have selected the Top 4 contestants who will be proceeding to the next stage of the Project GO competition:

True to their motto “Life protected,” AO Innovations Tech, represented by Arnel Andal, is actively helping in the fierce battle against the pandemic through the sale of their innovative technical mask to healthcare frontliners at subsidized rates. The product, dubbed “AO Healthcare Fullface Mask”, offers two-way filter protection and fan-assisted airflow management, providing added safety and comfort to the people who need it most. It has been tested successfully by doctors in surgeries and procedures of up to six hours and claims to be the maximum compact protection available in the market. Currently, this invention by AO Innovations Tech is helping protect hundreds of healthcare workers in the Philippines against COVID-19.

AO INNOVATIONS TECH

Wantrepreneur: Arnel Andal

Product: Fan-assisted Fullface PPE Masks

Category: Healthcare, Technology

The creator of the AO Healthcare Fullface Mask, Arnel’s timely invention has preliminarily helped to protect hundreds of healthcare workers against COVID-19. The masks offer full two-way filter protection, has fan-assisted airflow management and has been tested by doctors in surgeries and long six-hour procedures successfully.

Now, Arnel is looking to venture further, supplying his innovative technical masks at subsidized rates to increase the productivity of frontline and healthcare workers everywhere.

Poor waste management has created a monstrous problem worldwide. Hoping to promote a more sustainable and conscious lifestyle, Dominique Trinidad and Pocholo Espina, along with a few other collaborators, created Loop Store PH, which offers plastic-free, reusable or recyclable alternatives for everyday items. Their latest product concept is a new sustainable food packaging made from banana leaves, inspired by the increase in food deliveries that the team has observed in this current period of quarantine. Banana leaves are sturdy, water-tight, clean and, being abundant in the Philippines, cheap and accessible. Loop Store PH envisions that the production of such products would not only lessen waste, but also create jobs for many Filipinos across the country, making it an ideal solution for both people and the planet.

LOOP STORE PH

Wantrepreneur: Dominique Trinidad and Pocholo Espina

Product: Banana Leaf Packaging

Category: Sustainability, Waste Management

Dominique and Pocholo are passionate about finding solutions to the loop of mindless consumption and increased reliance on single-use plastics. That’s why they’re proposing banana leaves as a cheap, viable alternative to plastics.

Sturdy, waterproof, biodegradable and readily available in the Philippines, the team hopes to introduce a new sustainable food packaging to the market.

Mindoceo currently operates as a digital private tutoring service for elementary and high school students, but founders Ryan Marcel Ibay, Calvin Lorenzo Borja and Noelle Sofia Mison, have even bigger dreams for it. They hope to grow Mindoceo into a full-fledged on-demand tutoring platform, accessible via mobile app and web service, that connects students of all ages and levels to professional tutors and educators. The business idea is inspired by the team’s own experiences: having been products of homeschooling themselves, they want to empower students by giving them access to tutorials, review services and other quality educational materials anytime and anywhere. Also having worked as tutors, they want to provide others the same opportunity to enjoy a flexible work environment. Mindoceo means “to teach the mind” and is a portmanteau of the English word “mind” and the Latin word “doceo”, which means “to teach”.

MINDOCEO

Wantrepreneur: Ryan Marcel Ibay,  Calvin Lorenzo Borja and Noelle Sofia Mison

Product: Virtual tutoring platform

Category: Education, Technology, Mobile App

Currently operating as a digital private tutoring service to fund its own development, Ryan, Calvin and Sofia aim to disrupt the tutoring industry by connecting students of all ages and levels to professional tutors and educators, making help accessible wherever it’s needed.

By facilitating access to tutorials, review services, and educational materials anytime, anywhere, the team hopes to build a community devoted to educating others, with the opportunity to earn flexibly as well.

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Staffz, represented by Pearl Janine De Guzman, is a business solutions portal offering services such as SEO, administrative support, copywriting, communications and graphic design. What sets it apart from many others of its kind is that its roster of skilled workers consists of young professionals from less privileged communities. De Guzman, having experienced being a freelancer, found in the growing demand for offshore workers an opportunity not only to build a business, but also to train less privileged youths in skills that would allow them to hold financially rewarding professions. She, along with her collaborators, founded Staffz with the goal of making dreams come true on both sides: to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses through the services their portal provides, and at the same time give the gift of opportunity to those who help them provide it.

STAFFZ

Wantrepreneur: Pearl Janine De Guzman

Product: Business Service Portal

Category: Technology, Social Service
While most agencies offer skills-for-hire like graphic design, SEO and other creative services, Pearl’s freelance service portal is dedicated to helping the underprivileged. This way, entrepreneurs can expand their businesses through Staffz while also giving less privileged youths opportunities to make something of themselves.

First equipping them with the necessary skill sets, Pearl hopes to give them a platform to pursue a freelancing career and rise above their economic situations.

Tina Shieh, GoDaddy Marketing Director for Asia and a Project GO Mentor remarked, “This whole process has deepened our understanding of the Filipinos’ admirable entrepreneurial spirit. With high hopes, we intend to further hone their skills, build on their ideas’ potency, and help them bring their dream ventures into reality. No matter what happens, they are all winners and we wish everyone the best of luck.”

Project GO is all about giving Filipino entrepreneurs a chance to pursue their dream business ventures. With their entrepreneurial spirit and keen business mindset, these four finalists are set to impress audiences with solutions they’ve created that the nation can benefit from.

Who will come on top and make their dream business a reality? Viewers can tune in to Project GO every Thursday at 8.25PM on AXN. Weekly simulcasts will also be available on AXN Asia and GoDaddy Asia’s YouTube channels. 

For more information on Project GO, visit the official website: www.axn-asia.com/ProjectGO.

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