Hustleshare

This week on Hustleshare, host Ron Baetiong sits down with Michael McCullough, Chairman of KMC Solutions, to unpack how a lemonade stand kid from Oregon built one of the largest flexible office and offshoring platforms in the Philippines, powering 800+ companies and 20,000 desks nationwide. From coding MVPs and battling 2.5 Mbps internet to betting big on Filipino talent, Michael reveals the grit, culture-building, and calculated risk-taking it took to turn labor arbitrage into a long-term empire.“There's developers that want to do it perfectly and they want a full week or three weeks to do it perfectly. And there's some that will understand that you're looking for a quick shortcut because there's no money in the project unless someone's about to sign and pay for the project. And having it done perfectly doesn't mean that we're going to have cash coming in so I can pay you. And they don't understand. The developers don't always understand the commercial aspect of what we're trying to solve for. And that money just doesn't appear out of thin air.” – Michael McCulloughConnect with Michael:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmccullough/Website: https://kmc.solutions/Links/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-postpaidHustleshare is powered by Podmachine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hustleshare, host Ron Baetiong sits down with Donald Lim, COO of DITO CME, to unpack his journey from selling lighting products in Binondo and cleaning toilets at Burger King to leading digital transformation across agencies, media giants, and the country’s third telco. From building Yehey in the early internet days to shaping strategy at ABS-CBN and beyond, Donald shares why humility, hunger, and hard work remain the real secret behind long-term success.“There’s no secret to any success. It’s just simple hard work. It’s just simple humility. It’s really just doing the grind.”Links/Sponsors:Links/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-postpaidResources:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-patrick-lim-b359b52/Website: https://ditocmeholdings.ph/Hustleshare is powered by Podmachine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hustleshare, host Ron Baetiong sits down with Dom Sagolla and Anna Spisak, the minds behind Developer Camp, an 18-year-old global hackathon movement that began in Silicon Valley and is now coming to Manila. From the early days of Twitter and the first iPhone Dev Camps to building inclusive tech communities worldwide, they share how cooperation, mentorship, and community-first innovation can shape founders, families, and entire generations of builders.Resources:LinkedIn (Dom Sagolla): https://www.linkedin.com/in/sagolla/X/Twitter (Dom Sagolla): https://x.com/domLinkedIn (Anna Spisak): https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaspisak/Website (Developer Camp): https://developer.camp/LinkedIn (Developer Camp): https://www.linkedin.com/company/developercamp/Links/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-postpaidHustleshare is powered by Podmachine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hustleshare, Ron Baetiong sits down with Paulo Canivel, GM of Evro Mobility Solutions, to unpack his journey from scrappy side hustles and barbershops to building the Philippines’ leading EV charging platform under 917Ventures and AC Mobility. Paulo shares how betting early, learning faster than the market, and staying relentlessly adaptable helped him go zero-to-one—again—while leading one of the country’s most critical mobility shifts.“You never know what you’re going to need to be. What the business needs you to be.”Resources:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulocanivel/Website: https://www.evro.ph/Hustleshare is powered by Podmachine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hustle Share, host Ron Baetiong sits down with Cris Azaña, co-founder and CEO of Kazam, to trace her journey from growing up in a household shaped by kasambahays to building a tech platform that connects homeowners and domestic workers in a safer, smarter way. Cris shares hard-earned lessons on grit, family expectations, and founder conviction—revealing what it really takes to solve meaningful problems, push through doubt, and create opportunities for overlooked communities.Resources:LinkedIn (Cris Azaña): https://www.linkedin.com/in/cris-aza%C3%B1a-ba55812b4/Website: KazamFacebook (Kazam): https://www.facebook.com/kazamph/LinkedIn (Kazam): https://www.linkedin.com/company/kazamph/Links/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-postpaidHustleshare is powered by PodmachineHustleshare is powered by Podmachine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hustleshare, host Ron Baetiong sits down with Julian Legazpi, founder and chief venture officer of Infi Group, to trace his journey from growing up Filipino-Canadian to becoming a global operator, angel investor, and venture builder across Southeast Asia. Julian shares hard-earned lessons on grit, diaspora identity, and what it really takes to build, fund, and scale companies in emerging markets—beyond the hype and into the real work.Ep Timeline:[00:02:30] – Julian's hustle: venture building, investing, and scaling across Emerging Asia[00:04:17] – Origin story: Growing up Filipino-Canadian in Vancouver[00:06:56] – Mr. Worldwide era: Austria, Taiwan, Indonesia, and everywhere in between[00:08:48] – First influences: Rich Dad Poor Dad and Tito Ray's real estate seminar[00:14:05] – Skill stack: What traveling the world taught him about confidence[00:18:18] – Building confidence vs. competence: embracing failure as fuel[00:22:32] – The Philippine diaspora: Why most Phil-Ams see home as "back there"[00:29:20] – Jumping into entrepreneurship during COVID (worst timing ever)[00:32:47] – From angel investor to VC: putting money where your mouth is[00:37:09] – What Julian looks for in founders: "You're a cockroach, bro"[00:40:45] – Why Southeast Asia is always one cycle behind[00:44:48] – The vintage problem: Fund One exits and the recycling capital game[00:52:22] – Why most startups shouldn't take VC money (and what to do instead)[00:59:02] – The B2C trap: Why product businesses struggle with VC math[01:05:18] – The hybrid model: How InfiGroup blends VC, PE, and venture building[01:11:14] – InfiCommerce: Rolling up boring logistics businesses across the region[01:18:14] – Bridging the diaspora: Julian's mission to bring talent home"I cannot stress enough that we all have to find our own superpower. And everyone is different. Everyone has something that is not categorized in math, science, social sciences, economics, like we learned in school, right? There are these gray area fringe type of personality skillsets that you only get by working and constantly analyzing yourself."Resources:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlegazpiWebsite: https://infigroup.co/Links/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-postpaidHustleshare is powered by PodmachineHustleshare is powered by PodmachineListen to our brand new podcast: Founders Only HEREDiamond Supporters: Sarisuki, PayMongo, SeekCap, Shoppable Business, Qapita, GoTyme Bank, Sprout Solutions, UNO Digital Bank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hustleshare, host Ron Baetiong welcomes Stephanie Kubota, president and CEO of Rush Technologies—one of 917Ventures’ most successful portfolio companies. Steph shares her journey from being a Subway sandwich artist in Boston to becoming one of the youngest CEOs in the Globe ecosystem, navigating imposter syndrome, building social capital, and making the hardest call any founder faces: downsizing her team during tech winter.Resources:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniekubota Website: https://www.rush.phLinks/Sponsors:OneCFO: https://www.onecfoph.co/Hustleshare is powered by PodmachineListen to our brand new podcast: Founders Only HEREDiamond Supporters: Sarisuki, PayMongo, SeekCap, Shoppable Business, Qapita, GoTyme Bank, Sprout Solutions, UNO Digital Bank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hustleshare, host Ron Baetiong sits down with Ernest Cu, President and CEO of Globe Telecom, to trace the journey from helping in a family business and studying in the U.S. to building a career in tech and returning home to make his mark. They dive into Ernest’s first entrepreneurial leap, his role in shaping the Philippines’ BPO boom, and the leadership mindset that helped transform Globe into a digital-era powerhouse.Resources:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ernestcu/Website: https://www.globe.com.ph/Links/Sponsors:OneCFO: https://www.onecfoph.co/Hustleshare is powered by Podmachine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hustleshare, host Ron Baetiong sits down with tech pioneer Dado Banatao, alongside Maria Banatao of the Phildev Foundation, to trace the journey that earned him the title “Bill Gates of the Philippines”—from a rural barrio to engineering school, Boeing, and Silicon Valley. They also dive into Dado’s semiconductor breakthroughs, early entrepreneurial setbacks, and the VC framework he now uses to support the next generation of Filipino founders.Resources:LinkedIn (Dado Banatao): https://www.linkedin.com/in/dado-banatao-96ba89b7/LinkedIn (Maria Banatao): https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-banatao-49721a38/Website (PhilDev): https://www.phildev.org/Links/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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hustleshare, host Ron Baetiong sits down with Nina Ellaine Dizon, the founder of Colourette Cosmetics, as she shares her journey from selling items in school to accidentally entering the beauty space through soap—and scaling the brand exponentially through online growth. Nina also opens up about her decision to raise venture capital and how it reshaped Colourette’s trajectory from a side hustle into one of the country’s most recognizable beauty brands.Resources:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-ellaine-dizon-b24bb6100/Website: https://colourette.ph/Links/Sponsors:OneCFO: https://www.onecfoph.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hustleshare, host Ron Baetiong sits down with Kim Lato, founder and CEO of KimStore, the Philippines' longest-running and largest electronics e-tailer. Kim shares her incredible 19-year journey from selling cameras on Multiply as an 18-year-old college student to building an e-commerce empire that survived platform shutdowns, customs controversies, family tragedy, and a global pandemic—emerging stronger each time.Episode Timeline:00:02:06 – Kim's hustle: Building KimStore.com from scratch00:06:41 – The Fil-Chi way: financial literacy from age 1200:09:04 – Launching on Multiply: from hobby to side hustle00:11:25 – Early fulfillment: LRT rides with cameras to meetups00:14:15 – Wild Wild West: ghosting customers and cash-on-delivery struggles00:16:36 – 2008 financial crisis: choosing full-time hustle over job hunting00:19:29 – Building the first team: CSRs and in-house riders in Tondo00:21:52 – Riding the group buying wave (Groupon era)00:24:18 – Go Negosyo feature: "I want to be the Amazon of Electronics"00:29:02 – When Multiply shut down (2013): pivoting to Facebook00:35:17 – 2015 tragedy: Dad shot 8 times in inside job holdup00:36:45 – Finding God: the turning point that changed everything00:42:36 – Lazada and Shopee: competition or opportunity?00:48:10 – COVID-19: The breakthrough year (2020)00:52:35 – Building brand equity vs. just selling00:54:02 – Delayed gratification: first car after 9 years00:56:01 – Finding purpose beyond the hustle"I wasn't really certain about what I'm doing, but I took a leap of faith that I think this is something worth pursuing. I think we could make this big. And that really helped me do this in a bigger aspect."Resources:Website: https://www.kimstore.comFacebook: KimStore (3M+ followers)Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimstorePH/Links/Sponsors:OneCFO: https://www.onecfoph.co/Hustleshare is powered by PodmachineListen to our brand new podcast: Founders Only HEREDiamond Supporters: Sarisuki, PayMongo, SeekCap, Shoppable Business, Qapita, GoTyme Bank, Sprout Solutions, UNO Digital Bank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hustleshare, host Ron Baetiong sits down with Smile API co-founder Jan Pabellon to uncover how he bounced back from a failed first startup, taught himself tech, built his own dev shop, and discovered the massive credit data gap holding millions of Filipinos back. Jan also reveals what pushed him to become a founder again and how Smile API is now taking on one of the biggest challenges in Philippine financial inclusion.Resources Mentioned:Website: https://www.getsmileapi.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jpabellon/Links/Sponsors:OneCFO: OneCFO Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hustleshare, Ron Baetiong sits down with Pam Belen, Founder and CEO of Umpisa, to unpack how a CPA-turned-tech-founder is on a mission to make the Philippines recognized globally as a tech hub. Pam shares her journey from accountancy to winning a startup weekend in San Francisco, the fundamentals that keep Umpisa profitable and sustainable, and why Filipino founders need to stop putting bamboo ceilings on themselves.Ep Timeline:00:03:07 – Pam's hustle: leveling up the Philippines as a global tech hub00:10:13 – Origin story: from Alaminos, Laguna to leadership roles early on00:16:18 – The skills that matter: treating people with respect, optimism, and sports discipline00:21:27 – Why accountancy fundamentals are critical for every founder00:30:41 – The pivot: from Big 4 accounting to Winston Damarillo's startup world00:38:42 – Why Filipino founders must work in high-growth startups first before going all in00:48:05 – The trigger to take the leap of starting her own company00:56:38 – Finding the right co-founder: Dennis, the CTO who worked with Pam for 2 years first01:02:54 – How Umpisa grew methodically: revenues, cashflow, execution, and the right people01:10:14 – Growing and evolving as a leader and as an organization01:22:31 – Mentors who shaped Pam’s entrepreneurial journey, in and out of Endeavor’s Scale Up01:29:04 – How to achieve Umpisa’s ultimate goal"If you're going to have a co-founder, you have to make sure that you've worked with the person. At least give it a year, maybe two years. Because you won't know how the person deals with pressure unless you've been through it together." — Pam BelenResources:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pambelen/Website: https://umpisa.coEmail: pam@umpisa.coLinks/Sponsors:OneCFO: https://www.onecfoph.co/PLDT Enterprise: https://pldtenterprise.comHustleshare is powered by PodmachineDiamond Supporters: Sarisuki, PayMongo, SeekCap, Shoppable Business, Qapita, GoTyme Bank, Sprout Solutions, UNO Digital Bank Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hustleshare, host Ron Baetiong sits down with Raphael Rey Bacolod, director of the Austrian Business Agency (ABA), who’s leading Austria’s push to recruit top Filipino talent in IT, engineering, and healthcare. Rafael shares how Filipinos can land jobs in Austria with no placement fees, bring their families, and enjoy world-class quality of life—just like his grandmother did when she became one of the first Filipino nurses there in 1974.Resources:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphael-rey-bacolod Website: https://www.workinaustria.com/en/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workinaustria Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABAWorkinAustria/ YouTube: https://youtube.com/@austrianbusinessagency Links/Sponsors:OneCFO: https://www.onecfoph.co/Hustleshare is powered by Podmachine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hustleshare, Ron Baetiong sits down with Vince Yamat, CEO and Managing Director of 917Ventures, to unpack how the country’s top venture builder is reshaping Philippine innovation through people-first leadership, relentless experimentation, and a powerful ecosystem advantage. Vince shares the wins, failures, and bold new direction behind Velocity—917V’s program giving startups unprecedented access to Globe’s scale, data, and distribution.Resources:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinceyamat/Website: https://917ventures.com/Links/Sponsors:OneCFO: https://www.onecfoph.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hustleshare, host Ron Baetiong sits down with Cristina “Indo” Ibanez, president of Scale NCR and head of Miriam College’s Innovation Center. From growing up in a family of entrepreneurs to championing collaboration among university-based incubators, Indo shares how she’s turning classrooms into launchpads for the next wave of Filipino founders.Resources:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcibanez/ Facebook (Scale NCR): https://www.facebook.com/SCALENCR/ Website (Philippine Startup Week 2025): https://www.phstartupweek.com/Links/Sponsors:OneCFO: https://www.onecfoph.co/Hustleshare is powered by Podmachine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hustleshare, host Ron Baetiong sits down with Dave Del Rosario, Program Manager of DLSU Animo Labs and one of the unsung heroes behind Philippine Startup Week. From his early days as an intern at IdeaSpace to empowering innovators across Mindanao, Dave shares how his grassroots experience continues to shape the next generation of founders and drive inclusive growth within the Philippine startup ecosystem.Links/Sponsors:OneCFO: https://www.onecfoph.co/Hustleshare is powered by Podmachine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kevin Brockland, Founder of Indelible Ventures, reveals the hard-earned lessons from the 2008 financial crisis that now fuel his venture capital success backing B2B tech startups across Southeast Asia. From small-town Missouri to Malaysia's dynamic startup scene, he unpacks the reality of impact investing, what makes companies truly investor-ready, and the keys to building resilient, scalable tech businesses in emerging markets.Links/Sponsors:OneCFO: The Philippines' leading fractional CFO services provider. https://www.onecfoph.co/Hustleshare is powered by Podmachine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we sit down with Dennis Velasco, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Prosperna, an online marketing and e-commerce platform designed to empower small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and real estate professionals in the Philippines. Dennis shares his journey from growing up as an Asian-American in Texas to discovering entrepreneurship through his family’s businesses. He recalls his rise in Silicon Valley with companies like Salesforce, Cornerstone OnDemand, and Xero, and how launching a small business during the 2008 financial crisis shaped his entrepreneurial mindset. Ultimately, Dennis reveals what inspired him to return to the Philippines to found Prosperna, empowering SMEs to embrace e-commerce and digital growth.Links/Sponsors:OneCFO: https://www.onecfoph.co/Hustleshare is powered by Podmachine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Hustleshare, we chat with Phil Renner, co-founder and CEO of Dr. Shiba, to share how a German-born McKinsey consultant turned his love for pets into one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing pet care brands. Phil breaks down how his multicultural upbringing shaped his hustle, why he bet on the Philippines’ booming e-commerce scene, and how Dr. Shiba became a go-to brand for pet parents across the region. He also talks about scaling from startup to multi-market player, the tough calls behind culture and hiring, and what it takes to build a proudly Filipino-led global brand from the ground up.Resources:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipprenner Website: https://dr-shiba.com Links/Sponsors:OneCFO: https://www.onecfoph.co/Hustleshare is powered by Podmachine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.