5 Filipino/Local Successful Entrepreneurs
1. Mrs. Nina Ellaine Dizon- Cabrera founder/ CEO of Colourette cosmetics
Despite dropping out of college and coming from a middle-income family,
Nina founded Colourette in 2015. Her company has become a trailblazer in
the beauty industry, standing out as the first in the Philippines to genuinely
showcase inclusivity and diversity.
Colourette is a cosmetic brand that’s popular here in Philippines. They are all
about creating products that are proudly made by Filipinos for Filipinos. They
started in 2015 with their goal being to empower Filipinos and ensure that they see themselves in
advertisements, social media, and campaigns. Their team is made up of women who believe in the brand’s
mission and make continuous efforts to achieve it.
Nina’s unwavering dedication to Colourette's purpose has earned her numerous accolades, including
recognition as a 2022 Tatler Gen T Honouree and one of 2022 Preview's 50 most influential people in the
advocate category. Her positive impact on the beauty industry, combined with her commitment to social
responsibility, has made her a role model for aspiring entrepreneurs and a respected figure in the Philippines.
Colourette's inclusive and socially aware approach to beauty has made it a staple in many Filipino households,
uplifting and empowering people to embrace their unique beauty with confidence and pride.
2. Edgar Sia
Edgar Sia, the brains behind Mang Inasal, is widely regarded as the Philippines’
pioneer in limitless rice meals.
Sia, who is native to Iloilo City, dropped out of college at the age of 19 to start
his own laundry and photo-developing business. Sia, then 26 years old,
decided to launch the fast-food restaurant Mang Inasal – meaning “Mr
Barbecue” in his native Hiligaynon – in 2003. In his hometown, the first branch
was erected in a mall parking lot.
The restaurant was a huge success. Jollibee’s Tony Caktiong bought Mang
Inasal for PHP5 billion after hearing about Sia’s growing business. Sia invested
the proceeds from the sale of Mang Inasal into banking and healthcare. He is the country’s youngest billionaire,
at the age of 42.
3. Alfredo M Yao (Zest-O)
Alfredo Yao’s father died when he was 12; his mother supported him and his
siblings by working as a street vendor. Yao was able to attend college at the
Mapa Institute of Technology thanks to the help of a family member, but did
not complete it. Yao did a variety of odd jobs, including working at a printing
machine. He learned how to print cellophane wrapping for candy and biscuits
during his time there, and was inspired to create his own printing company as
a result of his experiences.
His printing company was thriving, but it was his discovery of the Doy
Packaging technique from Europe that really launched his career. He sought
to market the system to juice companies, but they showed little interest. Yao decided to start his own juice
company, initially concocting recipes in his kitchen.
Zest-O now owns 80% of the Filipino juice market and has spread to other markets in Australia, China, New
Zealand, Korea, Singapore, the United States, and other European countries. Yao’s commercial success has
resurrected the Philippines’ juice industry and boosted dalandan orange farmers’ businesses. Small-scale
entrepreneurs recycle the Doy packs into handbags for export to other countries. By acquiring Asian Spirit
Airlines and renaming it Zest Air, Yao has expanded his business interests into the airline industry.
4. Mariano Que (Mercury Drug)
Following WWII, Mariano Que discovered a commercial opportunity.
Que, who had worked at a local drugstore before the war, opened his
own drugstore when he noticed the demand for sulfa, a type of antibiotic
used to treat bacterial illnesses. He began selling good-quality sulfa for a
low price. As a result, he was able to expand his clientele. In 1945, he
founded the Mercury Drug chain of pharmacies.
Mercury Drug was named after the Roman god Mercury, who was known
for his speed as well as for originating the medical industry’s symbol, the
caduceus. He helped the company grow over time, and it is today one of
the best-known drugstores in the country. Que’s knowledge of
pharmaceutical principles propelled him to success. With FutureLearn, you too can learn the essentials of good
pharmacy practice.
5. Cresida Tueres (Greenwich Pizza)
Greenwich began as a modest over-the-counter pizza shop in Greenhills in 1971,
founded by Cresida Tueres. Tueres had a natural talent for cooking; her friends
and family were so taken with her food that they supported her in developing
her humble shop into a national franchise.
Jollibee Foods Corporation, impressed by Tueres’ commercial acumen and
Greenwich’s expansion, struck an agreement in 1994 to buy 80 percent of
Greenwich’s stock.
The new company was renamed Greenwich Pizza Corporation after the
successful commercial agreement, and it launched its first store in the Ever
Gotesco Commonwealth Shopping Mall in 1994.
5 INTERNATIONAL SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS
1. Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was an American entrepreneur who actually
immigrated from Scotland. Born into the lower class, Carnegie and his
family immigrated to Pennsylvania, where they lived a better lifestyle.
Carnegie later founded the Carnegie Steel Company, growing it to
become one of the largest companies in U.S. history.
In addition to the success of his company, Carnegie became a very
successful angel investor. Using the money made through his steel
company, he invested in various car companies, messenger services, and
land that contained oil reserves. Upon his death in 1919, Carnegie had an
estimated net worth of $350 million, which, in 2021 dollars, would be
worth nearly $5.5 billion.
2. Henry Ford
Unlike Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford was a natural-born citizen who grew
up in Michigan. Born into a family that originated from England and
Ireland, he was well off, though not wealthy. Ford was a hard-working
man and eventually completed an apprenticeship with the Detroit Dry
Dock Company. In 1891, he met with Thomas Edison and told him about
his concept of the automobile. Edison liked the idea and let Ford use his
warehouse to develop and manufacture two prototypes.
Using the prototypes, Ford soon founded the Detroit Automobile
Company. The company was short-lived, however, since the product did
not meet Ford's standards. He went on to found the Cadillac Motor Car
Company, which also failed, before starting the Ford Motor Company for
which he is famous. His third attempt at a car company made him very successful, and the company remains a
going concern with annual sales of over $127.1 billion.
3. Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is a shining example of an American success story. While she did
not reveal her past until 1986, Winfrey was a victim of sexual assault at the age
of nine and became pregnant at the age of 14 before losing the child during
childbirth.
These early trials and tribulations gave her the perspective and confidence that
helped her land her first TV show in 1983. From there, Winfrey steadily grew
her brand and her empire, founding Harpo Studios, a multimedia company, in
1988.
Winfrey, together with Discovery Communications, founded OWN (Oprah
Winfrey Network) in 2008, another media company that attracts millions of
television viewers. Winfrey, a TV personality turned entrepreneur, has a net
worth of $2.6 billion as of Dec. 5, 2021.
4. Bill Gates
Bill Gates, one of the most well-known American technology entrepreneurs,
is the fourth-richest person in the world with a net worth of over $133
billion as of Dec. 5, 2021. Gates grew up in Seattle, Wash., and began
tinkering with personal computers at an early age with friends such as Paul
Allen. Showing a ton of aptitude and promise, Gates enrolled in Harvard,
where he met Steve Ballmer before dropping out to start Microsoft.
Gates, with the help of Allen, Ballmer, and others, built Microsoft, now
valued at over a trillion dollars based on its market capitalization, making it
one of the world's largest and most influential tech companies.
In 2020, Gates stepped down from the board of Microsoft, to focus his
personal efforts on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
5. Larry Page
Larry Page is the co-founder of Google, the world's number one search
engine. Google was started by Page and his co-founder Sergey Brin while
they were doctorate students at Stanford University. With an initial
investment of just $100,000, the two partners quickly grew Google into a
multinational conglomerate.
In 2015, Google was restructured to form the parent company Alphabet
Inc. , with Page serving as CEO. Page has a net worth of $126 billion as of
Dec 5, 2021.
