As part of its commitment to empowering Filipino businesses and freelancers, Canva kicks off its 8th anniversary in the Philippines with “Negosyantrends: MSME Summit 2022” happening from July 19 to August 6. The summit is designed to inspire the entrepreneurial spirit of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country.
“The past eight years of Canva in the Philippines have been so meaningful. We collaborated with different partners, built a strong user base, grew our local team, and got moved by the tremendous support from everyone. Every year is a milestone that reminds us of our mission: to empower the world to design. This year, we want to make our celebration extra special by holding a series of events and initiatives that will reinforce our commitment in the Philippines and we’re starting with our community of Pinoy negosyantes and freelancers,” according to Yani Hornilla-Donato, Country Manager of Canva Philippines.
Canva launched its Manila office in 2014 and started only with a team of eight people working in customer service. Now, the global visual communications platform has over 700 employees in the Philippines and continues to champion design excellence through its team of local designers, more localized and diverse content, and initiatives like the Negosyantrends MSME Summit 2022 which aim to empower Filipinos through design.
The summit will bring together design experts from Canva Philippines and industry leaders from the Department of Trade and Industry, TikTok Shop, Lazada, Rags2Riches, WhenInManila.com, and MommyMundo to discuss topics and trends that will help MSMEs grow and scale their business. There will be sessions on branding, designing for e-commerce, social media advertising, leveling up your online sales strategy, and creating and scaling your business through video content among others.
The last day of the summit on August 6 will be a face-to-face event featuring a panel discussion with Rags2Riches President and Founding Partner Reese Fernandez-Ruiz, Vyous Digital CEO and Founder Nian Ellao, and Kohi Social CEO and Founder Andrea Sumida and brand consultation sessions with select summit MSME participants.
The Negosyantrends: MSME Summit 2022 is open to current and aspiring entrepreneurs and freelancers. To know more about the event and make sure you don’t miss any session, join the Canva for Negosyo and Canva for Pinoy Freelancers & Creatives Facebook Groups. It will also be streamed live on Canva Philippines‘ Facebook Page. The event is held in partnership with CNN Philippines, WhenInManila.com, adobo Magazine, Spot.ph, and Esquire Philippines.
“Pinoy negosyantes and freelancers have shown us the true meaning of resilience, having weathered the challenges brought by the lockdown and the pandemic. We’ve heard stories of entrepreneurs who almost went bankrupt or closed shops, and Filipinos who ventured into freelancing because they lost their jobs. They continued to thrive by being agile and learning digital tools even sometimes on their own. By bringing together a powerhouse of experts, we hope to empower and support them in their journey by telling them that, kaya nila with Canva,” said Maisie Littaua, Head of Growth of Canva Philippines.
In 2020, Canva Philippines launched Canva for Negosyo, an online hub featuring business resources, articles, and expert advice from fellow local entrepreneurs and Canva experts. Now with over 26,000 members, the Canva for Negosyo Facebook community is also thriving with special webinars held by Canva and design collaborations happening among members.