Ep 366 - The Hustle Behind Animo Labs
EPISODE INTRODUCTION
This week on Hustleshare, host Ron Baetiong sits down with Dave Del Rosario, Program Manager of DLSU Animo Labs and one of the unsung heroes behind Philippine Startup Week. From his early days as an intern at IdeaSpace to empowering innovators across Mindanao, Dave shares how his grassroots experience continues to shape the next generation of founders and drive inclusive growth within the Philippine startup ecosystem.
Episode Timeline:
[00:02:00] – Dave shares his hustle: growing startup ecosystems across the Philippines
[00:05:00] – Early sparks of entrepreneurship: trading collectibles and selling gadgets
[00:09:45] – From go-with-the-flow student to finding purpose in marketing and startups
[00:14:20] – How an IdeaSpace internship kickstarted his startup journey
[00:18:50] – Building the Philippine startup ecosystem from the ground up
[00:22:30] – Bringing startup education nationwide through campus bootcamps
[00:27:00] – Moving to Mindanao to build grassroots innovation
[00:33:40] – Overcoming challenges: Marawi Siege, curfews, and resilience
[00:39:10] – Strengthening Mindanao’s startup scene with #ParaSaMindanao
[00:44:30] – Closing the gap between Manila and regional founders
[00:50:15] – On privilege, risk, and building world-class talent from the grassroots
[00:55:40] – Key lessons from Kubo and leading Philippine Startup Week
[01:00:30] – The funding trap: when founders should (and shouldn’t) seek investors
[01:06:10] – Loving the problem, not just the startup idea
[01:10:30] – Why strong teams and genuine mentors matter most
[01:15:00] – Joining DLSU Animo Labs to drive sustainable innovation
[01:20:10] – Supporting DLSU spin-offs and uncovering hidden founders
[01:25:40] – Collaboration over competition: building Scale NCR
[01:30:20] – What’s next: global links and empowering resilient founders
QUOTES
“I always consider myself as one of the luckiest because right after graduation, there was already a job opportunity for me. They didn’t just offer me a job—they offered me a career and a passion.”- Dave Del Rosario
CONNECT WITH DAVE:
LinkedIn (Dave Del Rosario): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdavedr/
LinkedIn (Animo Labs):: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dlsu-animo-labs/
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