The Slingshot Cebu 2017 event last August 8-9, 2017 at Marco Polo Plaza Cebu was an experience to remember.

Filled with tech startups, innovators, MSMEs and people from the academe, Slingshot Cebu 2017 hosted panel discussions with industry leaders, successful entrepreneurs and government heads, while breakout sessions were geared towards various sectors, each having their own different tracks.

As luck would have it, bloodlife.ph was invited to be one of the exhibitors during the event, and we were given an opportunity to assist in its booth. Slingshot Cebu was a great venue for bloodlife.ph’s advocacy to be recognized and allowed us the opportunity to highlight the positive aspects of the cause while understanding the concerns and feedback of the people.

For those who are not aware of it, bloodlife.ph is an online platform that aims to connect families in need of blood with the right donors, through the Facebook Messenger application. It is a labor of love by Fleire Castro, CEO of Third Team Media, and Paul Sydney Orozco, Software Engineer in Singapore. It was born out of a need, and a desire to make blood sourcing easier for Filipino families.

As I was surrounded with people who were immensely passionate about their jobs and advocacies, I felt awed and inspired. It led me to tell myself, “These are the kind of people I want to be after I turn that tassel.”

These two founders, Ms. Castro and Mr. Orozco, fueled their passion by defying the odds and believing in their idea, which helped them get them to where they are now. They didn’t just think outside the box — they think as if there is no box at all.

Without further ado, here are my 3 key takeaways from the recently concluded Slingshot Cebu 2017:

1. Be an expert at your craft

In sports, when did you ever hear about a team wanting to place 7th at a competition? Never! Dedicate your time and effort into improving yourself. Don’t stop learning. Always be on top of your game.

2. Seek new opportunities

Find inspiration in the things you encounter every day. If you find a problem, then make a solution for it. Bridge that gap. Find problems. Discover solutions. Bridge that gap. Repeat.

3. Grow your network

Surround yourself with the right people. Be friends with people who have more experience than you and learn from them. Make them your role model!

All in all, this experience at Slingshot Cebu was definitely one for the books!

If you want to know now more about the advocacy and how it works head on to bloodlife.ph’s official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/bloodlifeph or visit the website: www.bloodlife.ph.