IABC PHL CommChat Series’ Et Tu Brutus shares experiences of Millennial Leaders, Change Makers

In media and pop culture, the Millennial has become known for many things. The Me Generation, the millennial is the tech-savvy digital native who is depicted as entitled and narcissistic but also socially conscious, flexible and creative.

It’s time to take a closer look at millennials as the new generation of managers, directors and entrepreneurs.

Hosted by International Association of Business Communicators Philippines or IABC Philippines, the recent CommChat webinar titled Et Tu Brutus: Millennials Leading in the New Normal explored the different experiences of four millennials and their experiences as leaders.

Possibilities, Progress and Passion

“First, always be open to possibilities,” shared Tricia Cusi-Jimenea, Business Development Director, Partner and Co-Founder of ComCo Southeast Asia and a Founding Member of the Filipino Communicators Collective in Dubai, UAE. Moving to Dubai after taking postgraduate studies in Australia and working on award-winning projects with a trailblazing team in the Philippines, Tricia was challenged as companies were looking for native English or Arabic speakers. This made her even more determined to prove what a Filipino can do in the global arena.

“Next, prepare yourself for progress,” she continued. Cultivating progress prepares you when opportunities present themselves. She and her former mentor and colleague decided to form ComCo Southeast Asia, a PR and Social Media agency which she believes is the culmination of the founders’ shared belief in the power of communication to impact people’s lives positively and to build a life-changing legacy.

“Lastly, pursue your passion,” she said, adding,  “It’s giving back to the community.  With the Filipino Communications Collective, we aim to update the narrative of Filipino professionals working in the UAE. We do a lot of upskilling and training, as well as celebrating our successes in more mainstream channels such as industry publications and networking events.”

Believe in your power to effect change

“What matters is that you understand what kind of change you want to see at the end of the tunnel. Use your passion as fuel but always put much thought and grounding into your vision,”opined Shawntel Nieto, “… that will give your passion direction and will give your career and your life a well-aligned and true trajectory.”

Shawntel is the Founder and President of the Society of Sustainability Practitioners, the One Cainta Food Program, and SustainaRumble Podcasts, and the newest Philippine Country Manager of CSRworks International. Through her organizations, she has provided food, water, electricity and education to over 500,000 people across the Philippines.

Shawntel talked about how the youth can break walls by having a vision and believing in their power to effect change.

Cultivating the Right Culture

“Cultivating the right culture is a priority of the company,” stated Milo Alejo,  Co-Founder and President of Kamino Algae Technologies Inc. His firm will enable sustainable communities and industries through micro-algae products and services. This means not only improving the cost, quality and yield of algae but most importantly caring for the team culture, from the choice of people, to looking after their health and wellbeing, along with their professional development.

With his team of dreamers and fighters, Milo aims to provide products and services to resolve the environmental crisis.  This includes developing a product for feeding poultry and livestock, and a service called bio-remediation to help companies manage their carbon footprint. While a single mature tree can capture 21 kilograms of carbon dioxide in a year; in the same amount of space and time, microalgae can capture 144 kilograms of carbon dioxide.

Milo also hopes for the company to contribute to job generation, especially in rural areas, and to increase availability of jobs for those in the hard sciences, like marine biology and agro-engineering.

Don’t be too hard on yourself

“You know as millennials, we have very high standards for ourselves and the things we do… don’t be too hard on ourselves, especially during COVID-19, we really need to protect our mental health,” shared Aljo Quintas,a Social Protection and Poverty Reduction Policy Specialist and Incoming Project Coordinator for the United Nations Development Programme. “We need to have that understanding that we have our limitations, we just have to do our best to maximize every opportunity that comes along.”

A believer that government work is a commitment to public service, he has a project nearing completion though not without challenges, Listahanan, or the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction, the official database of poor households in the Philippines. It is used by project implementers to identify eligible beneficiaries and enable the implementers to give services to vulnerable sectors.

“This is the wisdom shared by our young speakers,“ IABC Philippines President Ms. Belle Tiongco said. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times – Charles Dickens once said. In the midst of the pandemic, hope grows, and by sharing and discussing the good we do, we are able to do something good for society. Let’s keep the conversations going.”

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