Komunidad sat as one of the panelists in a recently held knowledge-sharing event where it highlighted social impact as the fuel to keep startups going amid a business climate that puts premium on delivering revenues.
Komunidad COO Allister Ayque told attendees of the MeetUP themed “Tech for Good”: “As long as you are solving problems on the ground, it makes your business viable in terms of continuing operations.”
“As founders, we need to be creative amidst the pressure, the looming recession, and the challenges that startups typically experience during these times,” he continued.
MeetUP is a series of networking activities created by UnionBank and PhilDev Foundation to encourage innovation and technology to build a more inclusive and sustainable Philippines. It gathers social enterprises, startups, academe, investors, banks and others.
Its last session for the year, on “Tech for Good,” gave space for discussions on the significance of technology and how it can promote digital inclusion, cost-cutting benefit, and market access.
Ayque represented Komunidad, a startup that uses data and analytics to provide accurate weather forecasts that can help business operations and augment local government units’ disaster risk reduction and management efforts.
He asserted that so long as they are helping address a problem in society, then businesses like theirs will continue to thrive. “We have to be sharp amidst the pressure, and need to perform, anticipate risks, adjust from time to time, and monitor our progress regularly,” Ayque added.
Ayque was joined by UnionBank Philippines Vice President on Data Science and AI Joshua Bosiños and Xchange Director Love Gregorie Perez. Xchange is an incubator for local early-stage social enterprises. Both companies share the mission to help the communities in the Philippines, especially the marginalized.
The panelists however acknowledged that the biggest challenge they face is the lack of education and awareness of technology, which may be addressed by encouraging stakeholders who are risk averse to adopt technology and disseminating information to grass root communities on the advantages of innovation and how this could help them live better lives.
The event was held at the UnionBank Plaza in Pasig City last December 6. PhilDev Foundation Program Officer Samantha Chico moderated the panel discussion.
