Building Bridges: Asian Entrepreneurship
“Every setback is just a chapter, not the whole story. What you do next, how you pivot and rise, is where the magic happens. Take this week as an open canvas — be patient, be bold, and let your vision expand beyond what you thought was possible. You’ve got this.”
Dear Readers,
After attending the ACE NextGen (Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship) Unity Conference in New York, I found myself reflecting on my journey into entrepreneurship. At first glance, it seemed unlikely — my background didn’t exactly point toward business ownership. But in hindsight, it was inevitable. I had the traits entrepreneurship demands: resilience, self-confidence, determination, and — crucially — I wasn’t risk averse.
This is where the contrast lies. Like many Filipino households, the traditional career path often led toward safe, stable roles — nursing, engineering, accounting — or the pursuit of a higher education that offered financial security or societal acceptance distinction. Entrepreneurship, with its uncertainties, wasn’t widely encouraged. Yet, the earliest question I can recall my mother asking me is, “What do you want to do with your life?” Um…my answer at the time? “Be Barbra Streisand”, a boss! Seems like a pretty inspired and expansive answer for a 5-year-old, if you ask me! And a downright call-to-action from my mother.
For the most part, stepping into business ownership means going against the grain, as well as carving out a new path. For me, entrepreneurship wasn’t just about starting a business — it was about creating opportunities and building something with purpose. And to succeed in this space, it takes more than just grit and resilience. You need finesse. An entrepreneur needs to master leadership skills, such as communication, and most importantly, the art of setting boundaries. It’s something that I have had to learn the hard way: through missteps and failures, some more embarrassing than others.
The only way to become great is to dare greatly.
But every failure became an opportunity to learn and improve, so long as I was able to be uncomfortable and sit with my shortcomings and self-reflect.
The Man in the Arena
On the topic of entrepreneurship, boundaries are often wielded recklessly IMHO. Frequently misunderstood, boundaries can appear as walls or as demonstrative declarations of “no!” But real boundaries? They’re about building bridges, not walls. Boundaries create structure and clarity. They invite collaboration while protecting what’s important — our energy, our time, our vision. The best leaders I know use boundaries to guide others and self-regulate with grace. They set expectations without shutting people out, making the process of working together feel inviting, inspiring, and enjoyable.
Entrepreneurs don’t work alone. We’re constantly navigating relationships — some brief, some long-lasting — and knowing how to balance those interactions is where boundaries play a crucial role. Boundaries help us manage short-term transactions without losing sight of long-term goals, guiding us in maintaining long-term relationships while navigating short-term misunderstandings. They allow us to create space for discourse and exploration within a team, ensuring that our journey remains one that others are eager to join and contribute to.
At the ACE NextGen conference, I reflected on how much our Filipino community has evolved. Historically, we’ve been drawn to careers that promise security, but now, more of us are stepping into entrepreneurship, showing that we’re willing to take risks for something more. Perhaps we’re also answering a call to our instincts. As Carlos P. Romulo wrote in I Am a Filipino, we are “inheritors of a glorious past, hostage to the uncertain future.” Iyón, our fate is sealed — we are built for adventure and self-actualization. With each business, we are creating fate, and it all begins with understanding that entrepreneurship is more than just running a business — it’s about creating a movement economy.
So here’s where we can start reflecting: How do we want to define our unique entrepreneurial environments? Are we creating spaces that invite collaboration and make the process enjoyable for everyone involved? It’s not just about reaching our goals — it’s about who we bring along for the journey and how we get there.
At its core, entrepreneurship is about building ecosystems that empower others as much as ourselves. It’s about designing a path that’s as meaningful as the destination. What we build is important, but how we lead — and who we bring along for the ride — is what truly defines our success.
Cheers, to us!
Nicole
IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION, YOU’RE IN GOOD COMPANY. Filipino Bosses!
STATISTICS ON ASIAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND BUSINESS OWNERSHIP
ASIANS OUTSIZED CONTRIBUTIONS IN BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
MANHATTAN
October 17 - 19
Filipino Comedy Festival
It's October, which means it's Filipino American History Month and the return of the Filipino Comedy Festival! Join some of the best Pinoy comedians you’ve seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, Just For Laughs, Stephen Colbert, and all over social media. Come through and support a first-of-its-kind festival and meet the next generation of Jo Koys.
Comedian Patricia Dinglasan of the Filipino Comedy Festival
Performers include Michael Cruz Kayne (Stephen Colbert), Clare O'Kane (Saturday Night Live), Rina Lina (BBC), Dr. Kevin Nadal (NPR), Kyle Marian (Inside Edition), Josh Ri'Esgo (Funny or Die), Leah Eva (MTV), Christian Escoto (Sirius XM), and more!
PROMO CODE: FILIPINOTIME for $5 off
MIAMI
October 19
Saturday, 11 AM - 9 PM
Banana Catchup: Filipino Block Party
Bienvenida a Miami! Come through and hang at the only Filipino party in Miami at the *only* Asian food hall, 1-800-Lucky. Enjoy modern and traditional cuisine, cultural dances, a karaoke contest and tsismis. Admission is free but registration requested. Hosted by Nicole Ponseca of Jeepney, Darren Mendoza of Lutong Pinoy, and Cheryl Tiu of Cross Cultures in partnership with the Filipino Food Movement and ACE NextGen Miami, with special guests DJ Kuya Trey, Leicel Ros and Nancy Dominguez of Sili Miami, Reiji Yoshizawa and Jason Acoba, and Filipino-Cuban mashups by Masa Craft.
RESTAURANT HIGHLIGHT
I’ll be in the San Francisco area at the end of the month.
Any restaurant recommendations?
IN THE PRESS
Thank you to Loida Lewis for the feature in the FilAm newspaper.