Hustleshare

Michael Calma, Country Manager at Advance AI, introduces the company’s goal of enhancing financial inclusion by providing seamless identity verification and credit assessment tools powered by artificial intelligence. He reflects on his early hustles and learning programming in the 2000s, leading to key corporate roles, including his time at NEC where he acquired valuable hard skills. Transitioning back to the startup world, Mike helped build DDLS, an IT training center, and adapted the business during the pandemic. In 2022, he joined Advance AI, launching Credit Bureau Philippines to support the underbanked and highlighting early adopters like Skyro, a fast-growing POS loan provider leveraging Advance AI’s identity verification technology to serve thousands of customers daily. Mike concludes the conversation with a discussion on Advance AI’s accessible, API-driven platform for enterprises and startups including the company’s future goals to further enhance AI-driven security and credit solutions across Southeast Asia.This episode is brought to you by OneCFO and LarkFor show notes, go to Hustleshare.comHustleshare is powered by Podmachine

Rene Cuartero is the Co-Founder and CEO of AHG Lab – the largest independent venture studio in the Philippines that empower entrepreneurs and enrich ecosystems. With extensive experience in leadership roles at multinational companies such as P&G, Deutsche Bank, and Morgan Stanley Capital International, Rene also made a significant impact with the Red Cross and Child and Youth Finance International, scaling operations to 150 countries. Finally, Rene shares how the pandemic inspired his return to the Philippines, where he founded AHG Lab. Under his leadership, it has grown into the country’s largest independent venture studio, empowering tech founders and startups through accelerator programs, services, and ecosystem funds to foster growth and innovation across Southeast Asia.This episode is brought to you by OneCFO and LarkFor show notes, go to Hustleshare.comHustleshare is powered by Podmachine

Guaya Melgar, CEO/Co-Founder, and Adrian Co, CTO, share their journeys leading up to co-founding Mochi, a receivables management platform designed to improve billing and collections. Pete discusses his early self-taught coding experiences and forming a dev group, which led him to Proudcloud and later to Logitech. Meanwhile, Guaya reflects on her first startup, Vesl, which addressed credit access for small businesses, and how these experiences prepared her for Mochi’s creation. They both recount their initial meeting and partnership, explaining the intensive early product testing and the decision to build Mochi using TypeScript and Next.js for scalability, and Foxmont’s early investment that helped them launch. They share candid insights on navigating funding challenges, product bugs, and finding validation in their first paying customer, all while building a strong co-founder relationship based on transparency and resilience.This episode is brought to you by OneCFO and LarkFor show notes, go to Hustleshare.comHustleshare is powered by Podmachine

Jay Olos, Founder and CEO of OneCFO, takes us through his path from humble beginnings to becoming a financial leader in the tech industry. He introduces OneCFO, his platform designed to make CFO services accessible to SMEs and startups and recounts his early entrepreneurial experiences, underscoring the grit and resilience instilled by his upbringing. Jay shares his journey from auditor to tech professional, explaining what inspired him to become an angel investor. He highlights his role in a NASDAQ exit and emphasizes the importance of CFOs in helping startups succeed financially. Reflecting on his time as CFO at GCash and PayMongo, he discusses his contributions to fundraising and scaling operations. Now, as CEO, Jay envisions OneCFO making financial guidance accessible to businesses of all sizes.This episode is brought to you by OneCFO and LarkFor show notes, go to Hustleshare.comHustleshare is powered by Podmachine

Tina Amper, a pioneer in the Philippine startup ecosystem, shares her inspiring journey. Tina discusses how she founded Geeks On A Beach as a way to give back to the community and foster innovation in the tech space. She recounts her upbringing in Cebu, early exposure to government work, and her academic experience studying engineering at USC San Carlos before moving to the US. Tina’s career in tech began with her work on integrated circuits for the space industry, which led to navigating the challenges of adapting to US corporate culture. She also reflects on her time at Siemens and Western Digital, where she balanced an intense global tech career with her MBA studies. Finally, Tina shares insights on building Cebu’s tech community, growing Geeks On A Beach, and offers advice for female founders on resilience, grit and long-term vision.This episode is brought to you by OneCFO and LarkFor show notes, go to Hustleshare.comHustleshare is powered by Podmachine

Macy Castillo is the Co-Founder and CEO of Enstack - an app that helps small businesses set up online stores, manage payments and handle shipping seamlessly. With a background in banking and tech, she significantly advanced e-commerce in the Philippines through her work with Zalora and Shopee. Launched in 2021, Enstack transforms SME operations by consolidating order management, inventory tracking, shipping, payments, and finances into one platform, addressing the crucial challenge of payment collection and enabling merchants to sell anytime, anywhere. Enstack, after securing $3 million in Series A funding from Mangrove Capital Partners, now serves over 70,000 SMEs with versatile tools for both online and offline commerce. Macy also encourages female founders to cultivate resilience, grit, and a focus on long-term success.This episode is brought to you by UNO Digital Bank and LarkFor show notes, go to Hustleshare.comHustleshare is powered by Podmachine

Jeffrey Ong is the Co-founder and CEO of Mobee Group, a platform that facilitates car buying and selling in the Philippines. Jeffrey explains how Mobee serves both car owners and used car dealers by offering transparent pricing and ensuring seamless transactions. He discusses the growing demand for both new and used cars in the Philippines, driven by social mobility and poor public transportation. Jeffrey also shares his entrepreneurial journey, starting with early lessons from his family business and later corporate experiences at BMW. He reflects on his time scaling myTukar and expanding Carsome’s presence in Southeast Asia before founding Mobee. Finally, insights into Mobee’s future, including Kaya Founders’ investment and plans for growth through geographic expansion and tech development wraps up the discussion.This episode is brought to you by UNO Digital Bank and LarkFor show notes, go to Hustleshare.comHustleshare is powered by Podmachine

Enrique Hormillo (CEO) and Miguel (Mixx) Locsin (COO) are the co-founders of DOON, a peer-to-peer car-sharing platform that transforms traditional rentals by linking car owners directly with renters. Enrique and Mixx share their rollercoaster journey from personal setbacks to raising $1.5 million in pre-seed funding to fuel growth and expansion, comprising $500,000 in equity and a $1 million debt facility. Investors include angel investors, family offices of tech entrepreneurs, and venture studio AHG Lab, DOON's first backer.This episode is brought to you by UNO Digital Bank and LarkFor show notes, go to Hustleshare.comHustleshare is powered by Podmachine

Erika Aquino is the founder of M Squad, an organization dedicated to supporting women and minority-owned startups in the areas of sustainability, wellness, education and the future of work. Her career began with corporate roles at Shell, financial services, and as a PR manager at Mandarin Oriental before moving into the startup space with Lendo, where she played a key role in scaling the user base. Erika later took on leadership positions at Infinit-O, where she contributed to their foundation’s philanthropic efforts, and also founded Cebruery, Artisan Ales, a craft beer company in Cebu, which marked a major turning point in her career. The pandemic had a significant impact on her brewery, prompting her to shift focus toward startup investing. Today, she uses her extensive experience to mentor and guide startups globally, helping them achieve a balance between profit and purpose.This episode is brought to you by UNO Digital Bank, Salmon and LarkFor show notes, go to Hustleshare.comHustleshare is powered by Podmachine