Hustleshare

In this episode of Hustleshare, we chat with Stephanie Sy, founder and CEO of Thinking Machines, to unpack her journey from Stanford and Silicon Valley to building one of the Philippines’ leading AI and data science companies. Stephanie shares how her early startup attempts and time at Google shaped her hustle, why she made the leap back home to start from scratch, and what it took to grow Thinking Machines in a market that was still new to data science. She also gets real about the challenges of building an AI team in a resource-constrained environment, the scrappy moves that helped them thrive, and how purpose-driven projects are helping shape the future of tech in Southeast Asia.

Learn more about Stephanie Sy:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefsy 

Website: https://thinkingmachin.es/ 

Links/Sponsors:

OneCFO: https://www.onecfoph.co/

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In this episode of Hustleshare, we sit down with Jake Go, Founder and CEO of Springboard Philippines, to trace his path from coasting through a dead-end dev job to running one of the country’s most resilient niche staffing firms. He shares how lessons from his grandma’s tiny Recto canteen stuck with him, the career-shaping mentorship he got at Kalibrr, and the leap into entrepreneurship that saw him earn back his first investment in six months—completely bootstrapped. Jake talks about winning boardroom deals as a baby-faced 23-year-old, how teaming up with his wife brought a much-needed dose of frugality, and why balancing “push” and “pull” has kept Springboard profitable for over a decade. He also opens up about teaching at La Salle, mentoring students, and the leadership shifts that turned him from a people-pleasing founder into a decisive, purpose-driven leader.

Resources:

Email: [email protected] 

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaakego 

Website:  https://springboard.com.ph & https://speedregalo.com

Sponsors:

OneCFO: https://www.onecfoph.co/

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In this episode of Hustleshare, we sit down with Bimbo Adewoyin, founder and CTO of Doublesquare Networks Inc., to talk about how he went from installing DIY wireless setups in college to leading a nationwide tech company. Bimbo shares how growing up in Nigeria shaped his work ethic, how he adjusted to life in Bicol, and how he hustled his way into city-wide projects—all while figuring things out on his own. He also talks about building a team, learning the ropes of government procurement, and how PLDT Enterprise helped them grow through the toughest moments of the pandemic.

Resources:

Official Website:

https://dsnetworks.net 

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bimboblade 

Sponsors:

OneCFO: https://www.onecfoph.co/

PLDT Enterprise: https://pldtenterprise.com

- MSME Fiberbiz - https://bit.ly/pldtenterprise-ROId-nbsi-fiberbiz 

- 5G SIM Only - https://bit.ly/pldtenterprise-ROId-nbsi-smart-postpaid

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Jessica Ouano of Kinabuhi and Nikki Sevilla of EcoNest Philippines sit down for a real, no-frills conversation on building businesses that put people and the planet first. From crafting handwoven fashion with artisan weavers to producing cassava-based bioplastics for everyday packaging, they share how personal values—and frustrations—turned into sustainable ventures. With support from Villgro Philippines, they talk about the highs and lows of bootstrapping, what it really takes to get quality and pricing right, and why staying mission-driven matters when things get tough. It’s a story about making room for impact, one challenge at a time.

Resources:

LinkedIn (Jessica Ouano): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-ouano-433321180 

Website (Kinabuhi): https://www.kinabuhi.com 

LinkedIn (Nikki Sevilla): https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkisevilla2018 

Website (EcoNest Philippines): https://www.econestph.com 

Links/Sponsors:

Villgro Philippines: https://villgrophilippines.org/

Paymongo: https://www.paymongo.com/

GoTyme Bank: https://www.gotyme.com.ph/

SeekCap: https://www.seekcap.ph/

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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 taught him about grit, and why it took 26 tries before he finally landed at Google. He also gets real about what it’s like starting from customer support, how being a generalist became his edge in tech, and why building from scratch in the Philippines was the most career-defining move he made.

Resources:

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandermdeleon 

Website:

https://www.propertygurugroup.com/ 

Links/Sponsors:

OneCFO: https://www.onecfoph.co/

Hustleshare is powered by Podmachine

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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 their personal stories shaped their paths. With support from Villgro Philippines, they talk about winning grants, bouncing back from big setbacks, and why relationships matter. It’s a story of grit, growth, and going back to your roots to create real change.

Resources:

LinkedIn (Juvien Galano): https://www.linkedin.com/in/juvien 

Website (Dewaste Solutions): https://www.dewaste.solutions 

LinkedIn (Pamela Mejia): https://www.linkedin.com/in/thepamelamejia 

Website (PAMMÉ): https://thepamme.com 

Links/Sponsors:

Villgro Philippines: https://villgrophilippines.org/

Paymongo: https://www.paymongo.com/

GoTyme Bank: https://www.gotyme.com.ph/

SeekCap: https://www.seekcap.ph/

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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, while Gerard looks back on the scrappy early days of wearing multiple hats and helping build systems from scratch. They get real about the challenges of hiring and retention, scaling with purpose, and staying aligned with a bigger mission. We also dive into how PLDT Enterprise helped power their digital transformation and kept them connected through the toughest moments of the pandemic. If you’re in the thick of building something meaningful, this episode is full of hard-earned lessons you’ll want to hear.

Resources:

Official Website: https://agrieximorganic.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/agriexim/posts/?feedView=all

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/agrieximorganic

This episode is brought to you by:

OneCFO: https://www.onecfoph.co/

PLDT Enterprise: https://pldtenterprise.com

- MSME Fiberbiz - https://bit.ly/pldtenterprise-ROId-nbsi-fiberbiz 

- 5G SIM Only - https://bit.ly/pldtenterprise-ROId-nbsi-smart-postpaid

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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 talk about the slow, quiet grind before markets catch up and what it takes to juggle leadership. With backing from Villgro Philippines, they’re proving that you don’t have to leave to make a difference—and that the best solutions are built with community from day one.

Resources:

LinkedIn (Jovy Gill): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jovygill 

Website (Altilium Green Energy): https://www.altiliumgreen.energy/ 

Website (Isla-Tek): https://isla-tek.com 

Links/Sponsors:

Villgro Philippines: https://villgrophilippines.org/

Paymongo: https://www.paymongo.com/

GoTyme Bank: https://www.gotyme.com.ph/

SeekCap: https://www.seekcap.ph/

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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 Philippines. From early startup wins in Europe to costly missteps with a legacy brand, Emil reflects on the highs and lows that shaped his journey. Discover why he walked away from partnerships, how he scaled fast as a solo founder, and what it takes to build a high-growth company designed for emerging markets.

Resources:

LinkedIn (Emil Eriksen) : https://www.linkedin.com/in/emileriksenandyou/

LinkedIn (&you): https://www.linkedin.com/company/andyouph/

Website: https://andyou.ph/

Links/Sponsors:

OneCFO: https://www.onecfoph.co/

Hustleshare is powered by Podmachine

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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, lining up at 5 a.m. outside immigration offices, and why she took the leap into entrepreneurship through the Antler program. If you’ve ever dealt with visa stress—or thought about building something global—this one’s for you.

“If this is already happening to me and to these people who have the good background and we still have to go through this, what about the rest of the people? That was when I told myself... I just want to make it easier for people coming after me.”

Resources:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyngabon 

Website: https://getyourvisa.app 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getyourvisa.app 

Links/Sponsors:

OneCFO: https://www.onecfoph.co/

This episode is brought to you by OneCFO

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Listen to our brand new podcast: Founders Only HERE

Diamond Supporters: Sarisuki, PayMongo, SeekCap, Shoppable Business, Qapita, GoTyme Bank, Sprout Solutions, UNO Digital Bank

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