Kaibigan Gives Back

Most often than not, Fun Runs happen for a reason. This time, the Davao Light and Power Company organizes a fun run to benefit the 21 children staying at the House of Hope. This is because every year, the employees of the DLPC, by their own initiative, organize activities for charity right about the time when the Holiday Season rolls around.

Last Sunday, November 18, they did a fun run for the kids who have cancer and are staying at the House of Hope. The House of Hope is where children and their families in the Southern Philippines Medical Center Oncology Ward stay when they are in the hospital for the kids' long-term cancer treatment. Anyone who is well aware of the inadequate living conditions in SPMC could only imagine how difficult it is to battle a debilitating disease in an environment that is cramped, uncomfortable, and not conducive for rest. Not to knock SPMC, because for sure they do the best with what they have. But really, they could only do so much with so little funds. This is why the main thrust of Kaibigan Gives Back for this year is to put up a considerable sum to donate to the kids, their families, as well as the House of Hope itself.

 

Ingenuity peeps, knowing how important the cause of the run is, did not hesitate to join in the Kaibigan Gives Back Fun Run in order to help these kids.

  

We had to wake up very early (a total sacrifice on a Sunday) and finishing dead last (on the 5K) notwithstanding, we truly had fun and felt a sense of camaraderie and bonding with each other. Also, it helped heaps to think about these sick needy kids at each tempting pitstop or when our legs felt like lead and we could no longer go on. (Jan wants to just go home; Baia wanted to turn around and jeep back to Victoria; Jollibee calling our names like it's nobody's business)

  

But we survived! What's a little sacrifice if it meant that we were helping out kids, right? Hey Santa, we've been naughty...but this time, we're nice too.

It sure does feel good to know that we'd already helped those who really needed our help with just a bit out of our own pockets (okay, okay, John's pocket!) and a bit of effort from our feet. After all, Christmas isn't called the "season of giving" for nothing.

If you'll excuse us, it's time to feed our hungreh tummehs.

BizzBoost Saturday

One of the prizes for winning the Start-Up Weekend Davao is a business talk on entrepreneurship and marketing, handled by Raf Vlummens of BizzBoost School of Entrepreneurship. Ingenuity had the good fortune to host this training event as the office's very roomy training area was volunteered by John to the organizers and the seminar was held here last Saturday, November 17, 2012.

 

The three teams who won SW Davao came out in full force to learn about business strategies and whatnot. SW Davao organizers Dulce and Gaye were there as well to make sure everything went smoothly.

 

 

The guys were given lectures, tips, and activities that they needed to get a jumpstart on their SW business ideas. A lot of them tweaked and built on their original ideas and thought about work-arounds to possible roadblocks that they might encounter in the development of their start-ups.

It was a very productive day indeed.

     

Also, can I just say that although I've heard it lots of times, it still puts a big smile on my face when the office gets complimented. Somebody would be like, "Dude, your office is sooo cool!" and I'd be like, "Hells, yeah, you know it!" with this totally uncharacteristic poker face but inside I'd be smiling a really crazy smile. I wasn't the designer or anything, mind. But it just really tickles me pink when somebody says something nice about our digs. Last Saturday was no different. When I came in, I found people with big-ass cameras taking pictures of everything, from my red, silver, and gold Christmas baubles to the view of the street outside. One of the guests even asked if she could post pictures of the office online. Of course, I answered with a super resounding "Yes!" That was such a "proud momma" moment for me.

With the influx of a lot of new faces into Ingenuity's humble home because of the back-to-back events beginning with the Start-up Weekend Davao (we've had SW's Zach Cohn, SW Cebu's Tina Amper, PicLyf's Eric Su, and Andrew Dela Serna over as well), more and more people have been to the office and a lot of them have really expressed their appreciation for the office's aesthetics.

So, pogi points, yeah. Thanks everyone for coming and for saying really great stuff about us. It warms the heart more than a piping mug of hot chocolate on a cold, rainy day.

A Weekend To Remember

The first ever Davao Startup Weekend was recently concluded and Ingenuity is happy to announce that our homegrown teams made a big splash! BookShelf was among the Top 15 contenders and JumpIn bagged the Top 3rd honors. 

Startup Weekend is an international movement involving 100 countries around the world, which endeavors to empower individuals to become entrepreneurs. It is a 2day-3night event where anyone can present their ideas to their peers, receive feedback, mentoring, sponsorship, and support every startup needs to get going.

BookShelf, is an interactive, online library system where book lovers can easily search, reserve, check availability, borrow, read summaries, and order books. They may also join communities and find out what a member of their community is reading, what they think about a book they've read, and has an online forum that acts as a book club of sorts.

JumpIn is dubbed as the Facebook for ideas. Instead of talking about other people's lives and feelings, here is a social network where ideas are pitched in. Peers can comment and pledges can be declared to support an idea and see it come to life.

Other winners of the event include GetMe, an online help system that gives you access to local plumbers, electricians, carpenters, etc. Tell them what you need and GetMe will send the professional to your home. Testcovery allows a developer to post their creation i.e. a mobile application on their site. Users can download, test, and post their comments about the app.

Congratulations to our Ninjas-- John, June, Riel, Mancio, Jah, Koon, Dan, Seth, and Earvin! (and their other teammates Tom and Allan)

Making friends and inviting team-less teammates to join

Riel, Mancio, JA, and Earvin

Sa presinto ka na magpaliwanag!

Hey, I just met you..and this is crazy..but here's my number..so call me, maybe?

Zac Cohn, starting up StartUp Weekend

Zac Cohn, better pic

in cahoots with other peeps from Google and Amazon

Dulce, Zac, and Tina - StartUp Weekend bigwigs

Credits to Start Up Weekend Davao FB Page for the pictures.

More photos at StartUp Weekend Davao Facebook Page! Click here to jump.

Lakbay Aral (Travel for Education)

In our continuing commitment to support the academe, we opened our doors last October 29, 2012 to 28 graduating students of the Northpoint College of Arts and Technology in Kidapawan, North Cotabato. Their educational trip was meant to expose them to actual IT industry practices and operations.

We conducted an orientation and gave them a bit of an overview about Ingenuity, its history, how it operates, best practices, the people who are part of the team, and of course, we also shared to them our unorthodox company culture that is centered on fun and camaraderie.

 

They were given opportunities to ask questions and have the CEO, Training Director, HR Officer, and Marketing Consultant answer their queries. The students were also given a quick tour of the office as well and were regaled with stories of what fun and magic happen here on a daily basis.

 

They were also allowed a glimpse of how the Ingenuity developers use some tools in coding. The devs also gave them brief overviews of these new technologies so that the students could learn them and they could be well-equipped for when they graduate.

  

Needless to say, the students went home taking away a warm feeling at the bottom of their tummy (in the words of the great Steve Jobs - "stay hungry, stay foolish") and a brighter perspective of their future...and we are so grateful that somehow, even though how small, we have hopefully made a difference in their lives.

Non-Tech Training #1

In the field of Psychology, the Johari's Window is a helpful tool in discovering oneself. One pane of such a window focuses on stuff that others know or notice about you but you don't know or acknowledge about yourself; while another pane, describes how you know yourself.

It is within this premise that our first Non-Tech Training revolved around -- to get to know oneself, one's teammates, and to get to know how they see you.

The exercise was called "What color am I?" Spearheaded by our Marketing/PR Consultant Lelit, it was quite a fun way to get to know the people you work with.

Koon: Ma'am Lelit is a RED because she is a STRONG woman.

Lelit: I disagree. I'm a RED because I'm in love with ROMANCE.

Mancio: Sonito is a RED because he is ANGRY.
Sonito: I disagree...I'm a RED because..RED HORSE.

Ronil: Pat is RED because he's ROMANTIC. Bearhuggs bai!!!!

Felicia: I'm a PINK because I'm BLOOMING...
Marlon: Ay, I DISAGREE!!!

Gia: She..um..she is..ummm...Wait. Kinsa gani ka??

Robert: JC is WHITE because...he doesn't want to be black anymore.

Angelo: Kinsa may una ani? Ako?
Scooby: Bato bato pick na lang ta!

B1 smiles while B2 strikes a petulant pose.

You are BLUE because...Violets are BLUE!

Riel: Philip is BLUE because he is like the SKY, so wide.

Joseph: I'm BLACK because I'm pure EVIL.

June: Aaaah...aaaaah..aaaah..aaaah (Little Mermaid Song)

Sitaw, bataw, patani...