Rene "Butch" Meily of QBO Innovation Hub
Rene "Butch" Meily
Rene
"Butch" Meily of QBO Innovation Hub
A home for risk-takers
By
Michaela Villaroman
Risks are a big part of creating something new.
There will always be an air of uncertainty in attempting to make breakthroughs
and trying to push for innovation. But while the possibility of failing could be
off-putting, choosing to take a risk can sometimes lead to amazing things.
Entrepreneurs know that risk-taking is a part of
their job. A business’ triumph is not always guaranteed, so it takes real
bravery and ingenuity to become successful. Despite being aware of certain
perils that come with the profession, entrepreneurs continue to strive and stick
to it. Why is that so? Simply because they know that the pay-offs could make
even the greatest risks worth it.
Traditionally, Filipinos opt for secure careers. It
is understandable to want stability, so it does make sense that the concept of entrepreneurial
risk-taking isn’t encouraged from the get-go.
Rene “Butch” Meily, President of QBO Innovation Hub,
shared, “We’re trying to change that culture because it can sometimes be a very
risk-averse culture. A lot of parents would tell their children not to try this
– ‘Wag ka na diyan! (Don’t do that!)’
because it’s risky.” The status quo often dictates children to take up a
profession in law or medicine where they are more likely to have secure careers.
This kind of mentality could potentially take away
great opportunities from Filipinos. Fresh ideas and ingeniousness may be wasted
because of either discouragement or lack of support and guidance.
In an effort to change this, Butch established the
QBO Innovation Hub.
Butch Meily’s story
Butch Meily had always known that his mission is to empower
local Filipino startups, but it took him a few years to be able to concretize
exactly how he could help out.
Butch was born in the Philippines but left to study
abroad. He spent a lot of time in the United States, working there for almost
20 years. He worked at Beatrice International as the Vice President of Public
Relations for much of his time in New York, gaining plenty of valuable
experience in the field.
Eventually, he was offered a chance to work in the
Philippines. “I met Manny Pangilinan, the Chairman and CEO of PLDT, and he
asked me to come back home. I spent more than 20 plus years overseas and I had
come home because of him,” Butch shared.
Coming back to the Philippines, he took the role as
Special Assistant to Chairman and First Vice President of PLDT Smart
Foundation. It was through this that he became a part of the Philippine
Disaster Resilience Foundation.
In 2009, when the Ondoy typhoon disaster hit, most
areas in the Philippines were left devastated. “The Philippines had no Doppler
radar, so we just knew it was going to rain but we didn’t know the intensity,”
Butch recalled, “We were asked by the President at the time, President Arroyo,
to set up a public private sector partnership. That was the start of the
Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation.” The foundation helped with disaster
preparation and response, and ever since, its model has been used around the
globe.
Manny Pangilinan asked Butch to collaborate once more
and help out with Ideaspace. Butch told us that his longtime dream of promoting
and helping local startups was on its way to being realized from there.
He started QBO, the innovation hub he has been
wanting to create.
A kubo for
the Filipino startup community
The name QBO was derived from the Filipino word “kubo,”
which serves as a one-room house. It was named as such because Butch wanted his
company to represent a “home” for the local startup community. He wanted to
create a platform where Filipino entrepreneurs could develop their ideas and
their businesses.
“We do everything we can to help them,” Butch said.
Through QBO, collaboration is made possible as it
serves as an avenue for both the public and private sector to network. QBO’s
hub also serves as a productive office space for entrepreneurs and their team to
work and discuss ideas.
“Now the other thing we’re looking at is raising a
core of retired senior executives. And we have a ton of them,” Butch shared, “They’d
like nothing better than to help mentor these startups.” Giving importance to
the value of experience, Butch makes sure that startups may have the chance to
learn from people who have attained success in the field.
Providing startups with connections, space, and
mentorship, QBO ensures to give them a better opportunity to truly actualize
their plans and ideas.
Breaking the status quo
Looking at the bigger picture, success doesn’t just
mean being triumphant in a high risk venture. It includes making an impact on
other people’s lives.
Entrepreneurs who find success in their businesses
are able to provide people with job opportunities as well as inspire other
innovators to follow suit.
Running a meaningful business that makes a positive
impact on society should definitely be added to the prescribed career norms of
today. Butch wants to change this standard in Philippine culture. He wants
people to “see an alternate path and decide that if they start their own
company, they can become rich and, in turn, help this country.”
Through QBO, ideas and startups are given the space
and opportunity to grow, ensuring that a brighter tomorrow with more
possibilities is indeed on its way for the Filipino startup community.
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