Go Negosyo hosts largest youth entrepreneur event

BY Argyll Cyrus Geducos
Feb 21, 2025 08:46 AM

At a glance

  • Concepcion urged the students to dream big and surround themselves with mentors.

Over 1,500 senior high school students took part in Go Negosyo's Youthpreneur—a youth entrepreneurship mentoring event—at the San Francisco High School in Quezon City on Feb. 21.

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BIGGEST YOUTHPRENEUR YET — Department of Education (DepEd) Sec. Sonny Angara leads almost 1,500 senior high school students from San Francisco High School in Quezon City in the biggest Youthpreneur event yet by Go Negosyo, which was held last February 21, 2025. The non-profit’s founder Joey Concepcion thanked the DepEd, the Quezon City government, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Quezon City for the successful event. In the photo with Sec. Angara are DepEd NCR Regional Director and OIC for the Office of the Asst. Sec. for Operations Jocelyn Dr. Andaya, Asst Sec. for Operations Malcolm Garma, CESO V School Division Superintendent Carleen Sedilla, Director IV External Partnerships Services Graciela Mendoza, Principal IV of San Francisco High School Marissa Lou Rodriguez, Go Negosyo Executive Director Mina Akram, and officers of the Quezon City LGU and Quezon City Schools Division Office. They are joined by veteran entrepreneurs who volunteered to guide the students in their first steps toward a life of entrepreneurship, including Butch Salvador, Violy Lapid, Kim Lato, Mika Leetong, Reymond ‘Boss RDR’ Delos Reyes, and event host RJ Ledesma of Mercato Centrale. (Go Negosyo)

In a speech, Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara thanked Go Negosyo and its founder Joey Concepcion for organizing the biggest turnout yet for Youthpreneur.

He also thanked the mentors for sharing their lessons in entrepreneurship.

"What the mentos will share here today cannot be found in books because they are real-life lessons," Angara told the students.

In a recorded speech, Concepcion thanked the key officials of the DepEd, the Quezon City government, and the country’s largest business groups for helping the public school students.

He also urged the students to dream big and surround themselves with mentors.

"Character formation is important, and a lot of it comes from parents, from mentors, from good friends," Concepcion said.

Joining Angara and Concepcion were DepEd NCR Regional Director and OIC for the Office of the Asst. Sec. for Operations Jocelyn Dr. Andaya, Asst. Sec. for Operations Malcolm Garma, CESO V School Division Superintendent Carleen Sedilla, and officers of the Quezon City LGU and Quezon City Schools Division Office.

The private sector was also well represented by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Quezon City, leading the over 50 veteran entrepreneurs who volunteered to mentor and guide the senior high school students toward a life of entrepreneurship.

Presiding over the program was Mercato Centrale founder RJ Ledesma.

Successful entrepreneurs Violy Lapid, owner of R. Lapid’s Chicharon, and Graciano “Butch” Salvador, owner of Car Magic Auto Painting and Street Smart Magic General Merchandise, enthralled the students as they shared their journey toward entrepreneurship. Successful young entrepreneurs, meanwhile, urged the students to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams early on. These included Kim Lato, founder of Kim Store; Mika Leetong, owner of Brew & Co.; and content creator Reymond ‘Boss RDR’ Delos Reyes of RDR business solutions.

Youthpreneur has reached more than 6,000 public school students so far. It has visited 22 schools across the country, including those in Quezon Province, General Santos City, Cebu, Davao, La Union, Lucena, Laoag, Baguio, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro, and several cities in the National Capital Region.