More than 8,000 young entrepreneurs, students, business leaders and policymakers gathered at the inaugural ASEAN Youth Entrepreneurship Summit 2026 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena to empower the next generation in shaping Southeast Asia’s economic future.
Organized by SM Cares, the Global Peace Foundation Philippines, and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Philippines, the summit aligns with SM’s advocacy of transforming its spaces into avenues that equip and educate the youth for nation-building.
For SM Cares, the summit reflects its commitment to youth development, leadership, community empowerment, and nation-building. By bringing young people together with business leaders, mentors, and fellow aspiring entrepreneurs, AYES 2026 provides opportunities to gain knowledge, build networks, and exchange ideas that can help them realize their potential.
‘Young entrepreneurs have so much potential, and part of empowering them is making sure they have opportunities to turn their ideas into something tangible. Through SM for MSME’s programs, we aim to provide entrepreneurs with spaces to showcase their products, connect with real customers and learn what it takes to grow,’ said Royston Cabuñag, program director for SM Cares Children and youth lead for SM for MSMEs.
‘These experiences give them more than sales, they offer valuable insights, practical experience and the confidence to keep improving. By helping young businesses take those first steps, we hope to support their growth and enable them to create opportunities for others,’ Cabuñag added.
The summit featured key insights, as well as launched the Asean Youth Entrepreneurship Action Agenda, which outlines eight recommendations to strengthen support for youth-led businesses.
Here are six takeaways from the event:
1. Start simple: Look for problems you can solve
Entrepreneurship does not always require a groundbreaking idea. Sometimes, it starts with recognizing something that could be improved and having the courage to act.
Hanna Carinna Sy, senior assistant vice president for marketing and leasing at SM Supermalls, encouraged young people to start with what they can change. With the right support and willingness to learn, even small ideas can create opportunities for businesses and communities.
2. Gain experience before starting a business
ASEAN Business Advisory Council Chairman Joey Concepcion urged aspiring entrepreneurs to gain practical experience before venturing out on their own.
‘Take a job first, get experience, make the mistakes in the company you’re working for,’ he said, reminding young people that employment can also lead to leadership positions and company ownership.
His advice: build your skills, learn from mistakes and take calculated steps toward entrepreneurship.
3. Give young people a seat at the table, not just a voice
Meaningful youth participation goes beyond asking for opinions. Nora Terrado, Senior Adviser for Women at ASEAN-BAC Philippines, challenged business and government leaders to involve young people in shaping solutions.
‘Cooperation means being an active participant of that conversation,’ she said.
Terrado also stressed the importance of teaching young people accountability, giving them both a role in decision-making and ownership of their responsibilities.
4. Find mentors early and learn from their experience
Mentorship can help young entrepreneurs navigate challenges, avoid costly mistakes and build sustainable businesses.
Anna Magalona-Go, founder and CEO of But First Coffee, emphasized finding a mentor from day one. Andrew Chan, founder of LoomWorks Studio from Singapore, encouraged entrepreneurs to seek mentors who are cycles ahead of them and learn from their experience in scaling businesses through people, processes and technology.
Tran Thai Binh, co-founder of Green Beli Farm from Vietnam, offered another lesson in patience: ‘Trees don’t grow overnight.’ Business growth takes consistent effort and the support of people who believe in a venture’s potential.
Mentorship also means paying it forward by sharing knowledge and helping others grow.
‘Entrepreneurs don’t grow in isolation,’ said Cabuñag of SM for MSMEs. ‘By building connections with malls and marketplaces, government agencies, business groups, mentors, established companies, fellow entrepreneurs and ASEAN networks, young business owners can learn from others, discover new opportunities and find the support they need to take their businesses to the next level.’
5. Think beyond borders
With nearly 700 million people across Southeast Asia, ASEAN offers Philippine entrepreneurs opportunities to reach customers beyond the domestic market. Digital tools have also made regional expansion more accessible to micro, small, and medium enterprises.
At AYES 2026, Ernesto Tanmantiong, Global President and CEO of the Jollibee Group, shared lessons from building a global Filipino brand from the ground up. He encouraged young entrepreneurs to trust their beginnings while continuously pursuing greater possibilities, summed up in the message: ‘Dream big, dream global, start local.’
The ASEAN Youth Entrepreneurship Action Agenda also seeks to support this ambition through eight recommendations developed from young entrepreneurs’ perspectives.
‘The challenges we face today go beyond borders. Our ideas and solutions can too,’ said Hanna Carinna Sy of SM Supermalls, encouraging young people to create opportunities not only for themselves but also for others.
6. Stay optimistic and learn from failure
Building a business comes with setbacks and doubts, but young entrepreneurs can treat these challenges as opportunities to learn and improve.
One participant, @EiansOptimist, shared: ‘May mga taong susuporta sa’yo, pero marami rin ang magdududa sa kakayahan mo. Along the way, failure is inevitable, but every failure is also a chance to learn, grow, and become better.’
Another participant, @kerusen, highlighted the importance of practical optimism, saying: ‘My key takeaway is that practical optimism is the foundation of sustainable progress. True success requires pairing a positive, hardworking mindset with the patience to learn through foundational experience first.’
Together, these insights underscore that optimism goes beyond believing in an idea. It also means staying resilient through failure, putting in the work, and having the patience to build a strong foundation for long-term success.
Ultimately, for SM Cares, the goal of the inaugural AYES 2026 is to empower the next generation not only to pursue their ambitions but also to create opportunities and make meaningful contributions to their communities.