US-based tech council to help local technopreneurs: Techtalks
6:50 AM
Vernon Joseph Go
Science & Technology Advisory Council - Silicon Valley’s ON3 Program launched in 2011 is expected to help local technopreneurs realize their goals.
Tina Amper of Techtalks.ph said the involvement of the council, which recently announced a partnership with the Global Entrepreneurship Program (GEP) of the United States State Department, will provide “exciting opportunities to the Filipinos.”
“This partnership will provide Filipino entrepreneurs, not just the technopreneurs, access to a network of global resources. GEP Partners include international groups that can offer Filipino entrepreneurs mentoring which is experiencing increasing demand” said the Silicon Valley-based Amper.
Early this month, the Silicon Valley-based council, which has identified Techtalks as among its partners, has announced its partnership with the US State Department's GEP in promoting entrepreneurship around the world.
Christina R. Laskowski, STAC President, said the entry of her group in the Philippine technology community signifies its interest to work with local technopreneurs to help accelerate the growth of their companies and to provide access to the tools and resources to compete globally effectively and efficiently.
“We recognize the potentials of the country and we believe that with access to tools, resources and training, that there is so much that can be achieved by these technopreneurs. We are here to provide them with whatever assistance we can in order to increase the probability of their success,” Laskowski said.
Amper added that one additional incentive to Filipino entrepreneurs is that STAC SV is committed to provide them access to angel investors, many of them based in Silicon Valley.
Amper made the comment after the Silicon Valley-based council recognized the efforts of TeckTalks.ph (techtalks.ph) in promoting technopreneurship in the grassroots level in the country.
Techtalks.ph successfully held the "Startup Weekend Cebu" last May where the most successful Filipino Silicon Valley Entrepreneur and Venture Capitalist Diosdado Banatao served as one of the judges. A second Startup Weekend in Cebu is scheduled this October 2012.
Banatao is an entrepreneur and engineer who have made his mark in the technology industry being a veteran startup technopreneur. He is even considered a visionary Silicon Valley.
Startup Weekend, which is also held in other countries, is a 54-hour event that provides participants a venue for building Internet-based or mobile applications that can become viable enterprises. Startup Weekend is a registered 501 © (3) non profit charitable organization funded by Global & Regional Sponsors and Grants, first and foremost among those being The Kauffman Foundation.
