This year’s IDEAYALA initiative challenged the next generation of budding entrepreneurs, aged five to 17, to form original businesses and put their ideas into action as they took over the gallery of Greenbelt 5 last May 20 and 21.
Launched in 2014, IDEAYALA aims to inspire, train, and challenge the youth to innovate and develop new mall experiences or entrepreneurial designs and concepts that are viable, sustainable, market-inclusive, and/or have the potential to address the country’s social and environmental concerns — even shape the “mall of the future.”
Previously, IDEAYALA mostly engaged college students through talks, mentorship programs, and competitions. After seeing how the pandemic affected numerous businesses, particularly micro, small, and medium enterprises, IDEAYALA took on a different shape. This year’s IDEAYALA initiative focused on developing a new generation of strong business leaders by engaging entrepreneurs as young as five.
This sparked a partnership between IDEAYALA and Kiddo-preneur, a socially oriented nonprofit organization that aims to spark entrepreneurship among the youth. Together and through Ayala Malls, they want to affect impactful change and launch the next generation of entrepreneurs.
“IDEAYALA was created by our need to define the ‘mall for the future,’” shared Mark Sablan, vice-president and head of leasing of Ayala Malls. “Fast-forward to today, after the pandemic, we revisited the concept of IDEAYALA together with Kiddo-prener because we believe these young minds will be the source of inspiration and new concepts that we’ll be discovering in the next coming years.”
“It’s exciting to be in the midst of all this creativity. It’s also impressive to see kids this young conceptualizing and executing fresh ideas and new solutions. Our goal now at IDEAYALA is to nurture this mindset and encourage the kids to keep imagining new and sustainable business models and ideas for the future,” IDEAYALA Co-Founder Mariana Zobel de Ayala added.
Over a hundred kids launched their businesses during the two-day affair at Greenbelt. Some of these businesses were eight-year-old Mariella Oreta’s Science in a Jar, an education-oriented business that sold live caterpillars; Zara, Zree, and Zac Chua’s Cafe de Slime, which sold slime sets; and siblings Vino and Bella Bugayong’s VB Pantry, which sold treats and refreshments to hungry mall goers.
The two-day affair ended with the best-performing businesses receiving medals and gift certificates sponsored by the Bank of the Philippine Islands. The winning businesses were Forest of Fun for Best Booth Design; Dear and Dainty for Best Concept; Snack Stack for Best Service; and Reese and Chelsea’s Magical Book for Best Ad.
Other highlights of the event were the Build-A-Brand Workshop, where 50 young “kiddo-preneurs” were challenged to get creative, and create and present their very own shampoo brand. The kids also got the chance to listen and learn from industry titans, namely Jollibee Foods Corp. President and Chief Executive Officer Ato Tanmantiong and the founder and namesake of the well-loved Mary Grace Café, Mary Grace Dimacali, who shared their humble beginnings and how they grew their businesses into the empires they are today.
IDEAYALA continues to give opportunities to kiddie entrepreneurs as it makes its rounds at various Ayala Malls in the coming weeks: TriNoma on July 1 and 2, Fairview Terraces on July 22 and 23, Alabang Town Center on Aug. 5 and 6, Ayala Malls Manila Bay on Aug. 19 and 20, Market! Market! on Aug. 26 and 27, Ayala Malls Circuit on Sept. 2 and 3, Glorietta on Sept. 23 and 24, Ayala Malls Solenad on Oct. 7 and 8, Ayala Malls The 30th on Oct. 21 and 22, Ayala Malls Feliz on Nov. 11 and 12, and Ayala Malls Marikina on Nov. 18 and 19.
