Houston, TX — August 9, 2025 — The Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Texas (PACCTX), in partnership with the Philippine Consulate General in Houston (PCG), hosted the 2025 Summer Bootcamp at Mabini Hall within the PCG premises.
The event received support and participation from the Consulate General of Indonesia in Houston and the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce as well as from Daniel Chung Lee, HD26 Texas Representative candidate. This full-day program was designed to provide Filipino entrepreneurs with the crucial tools and knowledge needed to start, expand, and safeguard their businesses.
Welcome and Goals
Joyce Garcia, Chair of the Greater Austin Region, opened the program by warmly recognizing the guests, sponsors, and attendees. She also acknowledged representatives from all five regional PACCTX chambers – Dallas/Fort Worth, Greater Houston, Rio Grande Valley, Greater San Antonio, and Greater Austin.
Following her, PACCTX State President Aileen Ligot Dizon extended a heartfelt welcome to everyone, outlining the purpose and mission of the bootcamp for aspiring entrepreneurs and owners of young businesses. She provided an overview of what participants could expect from the event and shared guidance on how to maximize their experience.
Entrepreneurship Insight and Community Support
Houston Philippine Consul General Gunther Emil Sales delivered a powerful message highlighting the importance of MSME economic development. He emphasized PACCTX’s vital role in helping Filipino and Filipino-American entrepreneurs grow their businesses, which in turn fosters trade and strengthens ties between the Philippines and Texas. Consul General Sales also reaffirmed the Consulate General’s ongoing support for PACCTX’s efforts.
Inspirational keynote
Councilwoman Crystal Sarmiento of the City of Manvel delivered an inspiring keynote address hlighting key principles for entrepreneurial success. She is a Certified Behavior Analyst, Executive and Career Coach, speaker, and best-selling author. As the founder of The ARI Source and Becoming a Lioness, her book which earned the #1 spot in Christian Leadership and won the Amazon Best Seller’s Award, Sarmiento brings over 20 years of corporate experience and a deep commitment to empowering the communities.
In her address, Sarmiento emphasized the importance of having a clear vision as a foundation for thriving in business. She encouraged entrepreneurs to cultivate strong networks and consistently follow up with contacts to build lasting relationships. Her message resonated as a call to action for entrepreneurs to combine vision with proactive effort to create meaningful connections.
Legal Foundations for New Businesses
Aileen Ligot Dizon, founding attorney of Ligot Dizon Law Firm, P.C., conducted a practical legal workshop outlining the essential legal steps for starting a business in Texas. Her session covered selecting the appropriate business entity—such as sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, PLLC, or corporation—along with registration and filing procedures. She also addressed fundamental contract issues, intellectual property basics, and compliance obligations including taxes, permits, and employment laws.
Your Idea in 60 Seconds During Lunch
Participants took part in “Your Idea in 60 Seconds,” a working round where entrepreneurs pitched their business concepts and received immediate peer feedback and mentor suggestions. The activity created a hands-on environment to refine messaging, identify quick pivots, and surface potential collaborators and customers from the room.
Business Insurance Essentials
Jordan Draper and Scott LeWinter of Greenway Insurance presented a workshop on business insurance fundamentals essential for risk management. They reviewed types of coverage commonly needed by small businesses — general liability, professional liability, property, business interruption, and employer policies such as workers’ compensation — and discussed how to match coverages to business models and budgets. Their session included a Q&A for participants to explore specific insurance scenarios.
Business Immigration Considerations
Gary Ilagan of Fong Ilagan, LLP covered business immigration topics relevant to employer-sponsored visas, hiring foreign workers, and compliance with immigration-related hiring requirements. His presentation focused on common pathways, documentation and timelines, and practical steps for businesses that employ or plan to recruit international talent.
Entrepreneur Panel Discussion
Moderated by PACCTX-Greater San Antonio Chair Gene Carangal, a panel of successful Filipino business owners shared their experiences:
- Lani Cabral, Angels Over Us
- Mary Jane Osmeña, Kâpé Tayo
- Joel Bamba, Freedom Cargo
- Dr. Nichelle Pacia, True Health & Wellness Center, LLC
- Justin Runes, Atlas Agent
Panelists engaged in a detailed discussion covering their business beginnings, motivations, and operational challenges. They shared insights on managing logistics and building trust across borders, highlighted common mistakes related to technology use, and discussed balancing clinical care with business management in home care. The conversation also explored strategies for standing out in competitive food markets, scaling businesses locally and internationally, marketing while maintaining client trust, and adapting to trends like holistic wellness. Additionally, they offered advice for non-tech entrepreneurs on integrating technology to boost efficiency.
Practical Advice from Entrepreneurs
Panelists offered valuable advice drawn from their personal and professional experiences. They answer questions like what guidance they would give to their younger selves, reflecting on lessons learned throughout their entrepreneurial journeys.
Additionally, they underscored the critical role of community support and networking in building and sustaining successful enterprises. Finally, the panelists provided insights on selecting the right locations, menus, or suppliers when starting a business, stressing the importance of these choices in establishing a strong foundation.
PACCTX Expresses Gratitude to Sponsors of 2025 Summer Bootcamp
PACCTX expressed sincere gratitude to its partners and sponsors for their generous support of the 2025 Summer Bootcamp. Organizers recognized that the event’s success would not have been possible without their invaluable contributions.
The sponsors’ commitment to empowering Filipino entrepreneurs played a crucial role in providing participants with expert guidance, practical resources, and networking opportunities. These efforts are expected to help small businesses overcome challenges and achieve sustainable growth.
PACCTX emphasized the importance of such partnerships in fostering economic development within the Filipino-American community and expressed deep appreciation for the continued support from its sponsors.
Takeaways for Attendees
Organizers emphasized intangible takeaways: step-by-step legal checklists, insurance decision guides, immigration pathways overview, and peer-tested strategies for branding, customer service and scaling. The blend of expert workshops, practical Q&A and the entrepreneur panel aimed to shorten the learning curve for attendees while strengthening a community of Filipino entrepreneurs who can refer clients, hire locally and collaborate across industries.
Next steps and resources PACCTX encouraged attendees to follow up with the speakers for one-on-one guidance, join local PACCTX chapters for ongoing mentorship, and use distributed resource packets containing checklists and contact information for legal, insurance and immigration advisors.
The bootcamp demonstrated the value of focused, community-based training for small business owners, offering both the technical know-how and the peer support needed to turn ideas into sustainable ventures.
Plans are underway for additional programming throughout 2025 to continue supporting Filipino-American entrepreneurs in Texas.
Photo credits: Philippine Consulate General in Houston, Gene Carangal, Joyce Garcia, Bobby Reyes, Vilma Romero, and Christian Toledo. For more information about PACCTX programs or to join the chamber, visit www.pacctx.org.
