Filipino women entrepreneurs and professionals from across the UK attended a pioneering business networking event on 21 October at The Abbey Centre in London.
Entitled “Voice and Visibility for Filipino-British Women in Business,” the networking event was organised by Tinig UK to mark its third anniversary as a community media serving Filipinos in Britain. You can watch the whole event here.
The event brought together Filipino women in law, accounting, technology, retail, marketing, education, food, finance and other sectors to meet and collaborate.
Bringing one’s Filipino identity in business
Four panellists representing women founders and diversity advocates shared their views on what voice and visibility meant to them. For Paula Braiden, having voice and visibility in business means “not being afraid to say where you are from.” She is the founder of Seek Social Ltd, a digital marketing company in Bury.
“I’m from the Philippines and my family is from the Philippines…To me, it brings a different sort of perspective in how you do business, in how you treat people, and you respect people because we bring our culture into the way we do business,” she said.
Despite having been born in the UK, diversity and inclusion consultant Elaine dela Cruz shared that visibility is a “personal journey” that requires understanding the systems that she is working in without losing who she is in the process.
The founder of the online group Filipino Mothers UK, Catherine Wigley, stressed that for many Filipino mums who have just arrived in the UK, having a voice means being able to build connections and being integrated into their new communities.
Speaking for the publishing sector, Maria Garbutt-Lucero talked about the lack of Filipino voices in the UK literary establishment which has inspired her to start the East and Southeast Publishing Network.
Shifting mindsets, balancing success and contentment
Asked about the challenges they faced and how they overcame them, the panellists talked about changing their mindset and learning how to balance work with selfcare.
Ms Braiden said, “The biggest challenge I faced was transitioning my mindset from being an employee – working for someone – and working for myself…But I realised I could be more. I didn’t even realise I could be this person.”
She advised going out of your comfort zone because “You would never know that you could do something until you’ve actually done it. And it’s a really good feeling.”
To list your business in the Tinig UK Business Directory, click here.
For Ms dela Cruz, it is also important to be able to say “No, it’s not for me” to opportunities. “One of the biggest challenges for me is to balance wanting to really succeed, wanting to do well – not fail, the fear of failure is real – but also, just living my life and being happy and content. I need to know that I can look out for myself and chill out in front of Netlix sometimes as well.”
Women across generations and industries
Close to 70 attendees joined the event, ranging from ages 18 to 54. Attendees included Nora Tsourous of Owl Financial, Glyndell Belmonte of Spoon and Rice, Shejan Nuñez of Vista Land UK and Luigi Crespo and Stella Sait of Ilaw Ltd. Also present were solicitors Danna Quinto, Crystal Dias and Keren Austria.
Reigning Miss Philippines UK Victoria Inglis and first runner-up, Allysa Taniajura, graced the event. They were joined by fellow MPUK 2023 candidates Nadia Fontana and Caxie Dagupen.
In an Instagram post, Ms Taniajura wrote, “(A)n incredible networking experience at @tinig_uk on Saturday 🇵🇭
(S)eeing so many Filipino professionals in various industries was such an eye-opener when it comes to the scale of a range of different careers. Listening to their experiences and advice along with high calibre conversations was an empowering experience altogether.”
Accountants, finance advisers, marketing professionals, online sellers, solicitors, education and training consultants, and real estate agents, among others, attended the event.
Community, identity and inspiration
Almost all of the attendees said this was their first time to attend a Filipino business and professional networking event.
During the feedback session, attendees spoke about the importance of taking pride as Filipinos and networking with fellow Filipino entrepreneurs.
Isabel Lamers, Filipino-German actor and founder of Luzon Creative, said that she felt a sense of community at the event which was important for someone like her who has just started her business. “I’ve just started my business so it was great to tell everyone about it and also to meet other Filipina business owners.”
Stella Sait, Filipino language teacher at Ilaw Ltd wrote on Facebook that the event “was informative, progressive and empowering.”
Sarah Cosgriff, a consultant for inclusive education, said it was her first time to attend a Filipino women’s event and appreciated the discussions. Wearing a modern Filipiniana top, she said these networking events which tackle culture and identity are important and mean a lot to her.
Future business events
“We are honoured to have been able to bring together for the first time Filipina entrepreneurs and professionals across the UK. We wanted to celebrate our third anniversary in a meaningful way and we are thrilled that the response to our event has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Liezel Longboan, founder of Tinig UK.
Attendees expressed looking forward to a follow-up networking event. One group wrote in their feedback that they enjoyed “Meeting amazing individuals and hearing inspiring entrepreneurial stories.”
Some suggested including a broader audience, not just women, and a longer programme.
Nenia Garland, owner of accounting firm Logic Accounts, travelled for six hours from Cornwall to attend the London event. “The event was great but it was too short! The next event should be for a whole day,” she suggested.
The networking event ended with a raffle with prizes donated by Catherine Wigley, Dina Trinidad, Pooten Forwarding and Mayumi Beads.
