8,000 Founders, One Agenda: What AYES 2026 Told Young Entrepreneurs

More than 8,000 young entrepreneurs, students, business leaders and policymakers filled the SM Mall of Asia Arena for the inaugural ASEAN Youth Entrepreneurship Summit 2026, and they left with something concrete: an eight-point ASEAN Youth Entrepreneurship Action Agenda.

SM Cares, the Global Peace Foundation Philippines and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Philippines organized the Manila summit. The agenda the event launched outlines eight recommendations to strengthen support for youth-led businesses, developed from young entrepreneurs' own perspectives.

SM's stake is direct. Royston Cabuñag, program director for SM Cares and youth lead for SM for MSMEs, said: "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."

He added: "These experiences give them more than sales, they offer valuable insights, practical experience and the confidence to keep improving."

Here is what the speakers told the arena's young founders.

Start with a problem, not a breakthrough

Hanna Carinna Sy, senior assistant vice president for marketing and leasing at SM Supermalls, pushed young people to start with what they can change. Entrepreneurship does not need a groundbreaking idea — it needs recognition of something that could improve, plus the courage to act. Small ideas, with the right support, can create opportunities for businesses and communities.

Should you get a job first?

ASEAN-BAC Chairman Joey Concepcion says yes. "Take a job first, get experience, make the mistakes in the company you're working for," he told the summit. He reminded attendees that employment can also lead to leadership positions and company ownership. His formula: build skills, learn from mistakes, take calculated steps toward entrepreneurship.

A seat at the table, not just a voice

Nora Terrado, senior adviser for women at ASEAN-BAC Philippines, challenged business and government leaders to involve young people in shaping solutions, not merely consulting them. "Cooperation means being an active participant of that conversation," she said. She also stressed teaching accountability — pairing a role in decision-making with ownership of responsibilities.

Why mentors matter from day one

Anna Magalona-Go, founder and CEO of But First Coffee, told founders to find a mentor from day one. Andrew Chan, founder of Singapore's LoomWorks Studio, advised seeking mentors "cycles ahead" and learning how they scaled through people, processes and technology. Tran Thai Binh, co-founder of Vietnam's Green Beli Farm, offered a lesson in patience: "Trees don't grow overnight."

Cabuñag framed it as network-building: "Entrepreneurs don't grow in isolation. 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."

Think beyond borders

Southeast Asia counts nearly 700 million people, and digital tools have made regional expansion more accessible to micro, small and medium enterprises. Ernesto Tanmantiong, global president and CEO of Jollibee Group, shared lessons from building a global Filipino brand, summing it up: "Dream big, dream global, start local."

Sy returned to the theme: "The challenges we face today go beyond borders. Our ideas and solutions can too."

Failure as curriculum

Participants echoed the speakers. One, @EiansOptimist, posted: "Along the way, failure is inevitable, but every failure is also a chance to learn, grow, and become better." Another, @kerusen, called practical optimism "the foundation of sustainable progress," pairing a hardworking mindset with patience to learn through foundational experience first.

For SM Cares, the goal of the inaugural summit is for the next generation to pursue ambitions, create opportunities and contribute to their communities — with the eight-point agenda now the document to watch.