Prominent businessmen and celebrities continue to mentor active and aspiring entrepreneurs at Go Negosyo’s free entrepreneur mentoring program 3M on Wheels. Among them will be actress and entrepreneur Ara Mina, who will join Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion when she plays mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs at the 3M on Wheels event this August 19 at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay.

Ms. Mina, who founded her own business Hazelberry Café, will now be among the ranks of prominent mentors who share their time and knowledge to help Filipino entrepreneurs.Among them are LT Group COO Michael Tan, Hands-On Manila founder Atty. Gianna Montinola, Francorp CEO Bing Limjoco, Sterling Paper Products’ Michelle GanKee, and Oryspa Founder and CEO Sherill Quintana, in mentoring aspiring and active entrepreneurs. Actress Gladys Reyes, who founded her own food business, has also mentored for Go Negosyo.

“We try and inspire as many Filipinos as we can to become entrepreneurs,” said Concepcion. “MSMEs need mentorship, along with access to money and markets to succeed. We at Go Negosyo, through our 3M on Wheels events, bring these to where the entrepreneurs are.”

Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascuali and Parañaque Mayor Eric Olivarez are expected to grace the event on August 19. In addition, Go Negosyo will also be giving away a total of Php250,000 to participating entrepreneurs.

3M on Wheels is Go Negosyo’s highly successful on-ground, nationwide program for active and aspiring entrepreneurs. “3M” stands for Mentorship, Money, and Market, and reflects the wider scope of entrepreneurship assistance it now offers entrepreneurs.

“We felt that as Go Negosyo continues its mission of giving MSMEs access to business opportunities, we must expand it to the wider framework of money, market, and mentorship – completing the three M’s that we believe are essential in growing small businesses,” said Concepcion.

During the event, there will be one-on-one coaching of entrepreneurs by mentors coming from different industries. Finance service providers will be on hand to introduce entrepreneurs to facilities for small-business lending, while specialists in different marketing channels will be on hand to introduce solutions that cover everything from establishing physical stores, digital platforms, logistics solutions, and digital payment platforms.

3M on Wheels started as Mentor Me on Wheels in 2018 and was inspired by the growing number of Filipinos turning to entrepreneurship to lift themselves out of poverty. The initiative filled the learning gap in the entrepreneurial journey, and turned mentorship into a solution that addressed the capacity-building need of a Filipino entrepreneur.

“Thanks to the successful businessmen and entrepreneurs who generously gave of their time and knowledge, and to the finance institutions and enterprise solutions providers who have been with us through the years, we were able to scale MMOW into a nationwide program, and expand its scope,” Concepcion said.

3M on Wheels remains a free nationwide mentorship program by the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship. The free entrepreneurship program is expected to roll out to other urban areas across the Philippines later this year.