The much-anticipated Geeks On A Beach (GOAB) is all set to bring a wide and strong program of knowledge, networking, and investment possibilities from November 22-24, 2023, in Panglao, Bohol.Â
Geeks On A Beach (GOAB) 6
GOAB is a conference that promotes collaborations, growth, and innovation in startups, technology, and design, opening up prospects for collaboration in the Philippines and beyond.Â
An initiative led by GeeksPH and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), GOAB underscores the event’s commitment to fostering a thriving startup ecosystem in the Philippines with this year’s theme “Igniting Innovation and Collaboration.”Â
With this year’s theme of “Igniting Innovation and Collaboration,” GOAB, an effort coordinated by GeeksPH and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), highlights the event’s dedication to creating a healthy startup ecosystem in the Philippines.Â
On November 23, the main conference begins with a keynote speech by DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy on the Philippine Startup Development Program and a deep-dive panel titled “From Seeds to Stars: Unveiling the 10-Year Evolution of Philippine Startup Ecosystem.”Â
The Founders’ Panel on “Navigating the Challenges of Startup Life” featured luminaries such as Roland Ros of Kumu, ER Rollan of GrowSari, Angeline Tham of Angkas, and Steve Sy of Great Deals E-Commerce. The Philippine Venture Capital Report 2023, presented by Franco Varona of Foxmont Capital, digs into the expanding startup activity and the involvement of new investors.Â
Varona also sits on an Investors Panel alongside Kaya Founders’ Paulo Campos, Gentree Fund’s Mark Sng, 500 Global’s Martin Cu, Seedstars’ Patricia Sosrodjojo, Saison Capital’s Ziheng Li, and Kickstart Ventures’ Jason Ramirez. Following that, Emmanuel Isaiah Zuiga Detera of Andale Technology and Diane Eustaquio will hold a Fireside Chat on the Impact of the Innovative Startup Act (ISA).Â
Additionally, Jack Madrid, President and CEO of the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (ITBAP), will speak about “The Power of the 1.3M BPO Workforce in Driving Startup Success” and will join Albert Padin of Symph.io and Colin Christie of Analytics and AI Association in a panel discussion on the “Impact of AI on Tech Startups & Industry.”Â
Another panel on “Horizon Philippines: Charting the Course to an IP-Based Economy,” chaired by Uy, Jojo Flores of Plug and Play Tech Center, and Ricky Banaag of DFNN Group of Companies, will conclude the morning session.Â
With a variety of high-impact sessions and discussions, the second day of the conference is expected to maintain its pace. Atty Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, DICT Undersecretary for ICT Industry Development, will provide a keynote address on the Digital Startup Development and Acceleration Program (DSDAP). Â
Jason Gaisano of Gobi-Core Philippines will unveil the Philippine Startup Ecosystem Report: Founder’s Edition, followed by a discussion on “Startups and the Capital Market – Going Public?” Butch Meily of QBO Innovation Hub and IdeaSpace Foundation, Inc.Â
Nel Laygo and Deirdre Conde, the creative geniuses behind Peddlr and Edukasyon.ph, will be featured in a series of Founder Focus sessions. There will also be seminars on prospering under difficult circumstances, including Jessica de Mesa of Kindred Health Inc. and Victor Lim of Kraver’s Canteen, as well as the role and influence of Kickstart as a venture capital firm led by Bit Santos.Â
Monk’s Hill Ventures’ Jeremy Au will give the “$10M Fundraising Playbook,” which will discuss the tactics for obtaining venture financing.Â
Au will also take part in a panel discussion comparing global startup ecosystem practices and tactics titled “Southeast Asian Startups.” Pun Jaruthassanakul of Seedstars Thailand, Sohun Bae of AVV (Ascend Vietnam Ventures), and Dylan Keota of A2D Ventures will join him.Â
Meanwhile, Chris McCann of Race Capital and Solana will participate in a Fireside Chat with Dave Overton and Padin on “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLM),” presenting a Silicon Valley perspective on these cutting-edge technologies.Â
The talks will be followed by a “Founder-to-Founder Chat” on “Mental Health in Startups,” moderated by Ros and Ron Baetiong of Hustleshare & Podcast Network Asia.Â
The day also features a “Lightning Pitch” session for DICT Startup Program entrepreneurs, which provides a forum for budding startups to demonstrate their ideas.Â
Aside from keynotes and panels, GOAB 6 includes breakout sessions in a variety of areas, such as regional startup ecosystems, technology for global concerns, and government initiatives. Coffee breaks and lunches with speakers provide several possibilities for networking.Â
This year’s GOAB also commemorates the conference’s tenth anniversary, a testament to the Philippine startup scene’s ongoing expansion and energy. GOAB has grown from its humble beginnings in Boracay to become a champion of the local startup ecosystem, showcasing the Philippines’ development and promise.Â
GOAB, now in its 6th year, encourages entrepreneurs, visionary investors, inventive company owners, and tech enthusiasts to join this movement.Â
GOAB is organized by GeeksPH and co-organized by the Department of Information and Communication (DICT) with the local government units of the Province of Bohol, Tagbilaran City, and Panglao Municipality as LGU partners;Â Plug and Play Tech Center as Strategic Partner; Eastern Communications, GCash, and Kickstart Ventures as Key Partners; Globe, Lalamove, Grab PH, Cleaningly.AI, DOHE Global, A2D Ventures, Converge ICT, and Ideaspace&QBO as Supporting Partners.Â
Contributing Partners are CoDev, AHG Lab, and Alibaba Cloud; Unisol Uniform Solutions as Innovator Apparel Partner; HelixPay, SnackPH, and Purple Cow as Registration Partners; From Here Co-Working and The Company as GOAB Community Partners; PLDT and Dito as Connectivity Partners; and The Bellevue Resort as Hospitality Partner. Â Media Partners include Philstar Global, NewsbytesPH, Dealstreet Asia, SunStar, The Business Manual, and Sugbo.ph.Â
Visit https://www.geeksonabeach.com/ and follow @GeeksOnABeach on social media for additional information.Â
