Top Entrepreneurs: Trailblazers in Business and Innovation

1. TOP ENTREPRENEURS Prepared by: Bryant C. Acar

2. Bill Gates Microsoft founder Gates is the richest person in the world, with a net worth of over $77 billion - virtually all of which he intends to give away. William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, philanthropist, investor, computer programmer, and inventor. Gates originally established his reputation as the co-founder of Microsoft, the world’s largest PC software company, with Paul Allen.

3. Carlos Slim Mexican telecommunicatons giant previously believed to be the richest man in the world. Carlos Slim Helú is a Mexican business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. From 2010 to 2013, Slim was ranked as the richest person in the world. Known as the "Warren Buffett of Mexico", Slim derived his fortune from his extensive holdings in a considerable number of Mexican companies.

4. Richard Branson Billionaire and founder of Virgin Group, comprising over 400 companies. Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English businessman and investor. He is best known as the founder of Virgin Group, which comprises more than 400 companies. At the age of sixteen his first business venture was a magazine called Student. In 1970, he set up a mail-order record business.

5. Michael S. Dell Founder and CEO of Dell Computers, worth $24 billion. Michael Saul Dell is an American businessman and entrepreneur. Michael, founder and CEO of Dell, Inc. is listed as one of 2009 Forbes Billionaires.

6. Larry Ellison Oracle founder and CEO, now a full-time philanthropist. Lawrence Joseph "Larry" Ellison is an American programmer, internet entrepreneur, adventurer, businessman and philanthropist. He was the Chief Executive Officer of the software company Oracle Corporation between its foundation in 1977 and 2014. In 2014, he was listed by Forbes as the third-wealthiest.

7. Sergey Brin Google co-founder listed as the 21st wealthiest person in the world. Sergey Brin, a native of Moscow, received a bachelor of science degree with honors in mathematics and computer science from the University of Maryland at College Park. He is currently on leave from the Ph.D. program in computer science at Stanford University, where he received his master's degree.

8. Mark Zuckerberg Facebook founder worth over $47 billion. Takes a salary of one dollar. Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is an American computer programmer and Internet entrepreneur. He is best known as one of five co-founders of the social networking website Facebook. Zuckerberg was made the chairman and chief executive of Facebook, Inc. in April 2013. and his personal wealth, as of March 2015.

9. Vera Wang Founder of Vera Wang Fashions, one of the most successful designers in history. Vera Ellen Wang is an American fashion designer based in New York City and former figure skater. She is known for her wide range of haute couture bridesmaid gowns and wedding gown collections, as well as for her clientele of elite lady figure skaters, designing dresses for competitions and exhibition.

10. Steve Jobs Founder and CEO of Apple who revolutionized mobile computing. Steven Paul Jobs was an American entrepreneur, marketer, and inventor, who was the cofounder, chairman, and CEO of Apple Inc. Through Apple, he was widely recognized as a charismatic and design-driven pioneer of the personal computer revolution and for his influential career in the computer.

11. Ted Turner Media billionaire and founder of TBS. Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the Cable News Network more popularly known as CNN, the first 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television.

12. Magic Johnson Basketball star who founded Magic Johnson Enterprises, investing in media and real estate. Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association for 13 seasons. After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA.

13. Jerry Yang Yahoo! co-founder who has since helped fund over 50 startups. Jerry Yang is a Taiwanese-born American internet entrepreneur, engineer, the co-founder and former CEO of Yahoo! Inc.

14. Elon Musk Internet mogul who founded Paypal, SpaceX and Tesla Motors. Elon Reeve Musk is a South African-born, Canadian-American entrepreneur, engineer, inventor and investor. He is the CEO and CTO of SpaceX, CEO and chief product architect of Tesla Motors, and chairman of SolarCity. He is the founder of SpaceX and a cofounder of Paypal, Inc., Tesla Motors, and Zip2

15. Ma Yun known professionally as Jack Ma, is a Chinese business magnate who is the founder and executive chairman of Alibaba Group, a conglomerate of Internet-based businesses. He is one of China's richest men, as well as one of the wealthiest people in Asia, with a net worth of US$47.5 billion, as of November 2017.He has become a global icon in business and entrepreneurship, one of the world's most influential businessmen, and a philanthropist known for expounding his philosophy of business. He was ranked 2nd in Fortune's 2017 "World's 50 Greatest Leaders" list.

16. Today J.K. Rowling is a household name for fans of the beloved Harry Potter book series, but she wasn't always gifted with magic. Today she is estimated to have a net worth of $1 billion. Rumor has it she's also the president of Gringotts Wizarding Bank, although it's a bit of a secret among the goblins. Did you know that some people believe that J.K Rowling sold her soul to the devil in exchange for the Harry Potter inspiration? When you're so successful people think you're making deals with the devil, you're a pretty big deal.

17. Walt Disney Disney's first original character creation was Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, but it was officially owned by Universal Pictures because he was working under contract at the time. When Walt walked out on Universal Pictures after getting a pay cut, he needed to create a replacement, which is how Mickey Mouse came into being. Disney was wildly successful with his animation company, but he wasn't satisfied. He was determined to make the biggest and greatest theme park ever seen, saying to a colleague, "I want it to look like nothing else in the world." One of the biggest entertainment moguls of all-time, with an unrelenting spirit and commitment to his vision, Disney is undoubtedly an entrepreneurial all-star.

18. Oprah Winfrey I think Oprah Winfrey has one of the most amazing modern rags-to-riches stories of all time. As you're probably well aware, Oprah is the richest African American of the 21st century, and with a net worth of over $3 billion, she is regarded as arguably the most influential woman in the world. Her incredible success is all the more impressive considering her rough upbringing. The daughter of an unmarried teen who worked as a housemaid, Oprah grew up in extreme poverty. Her family was so poor that, as a child, Oprah was teased at school for wearing dresses made of potato sacks. She also was the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of family members, which she discussed with TV viewers during a special episode of her show.

19. REFERENCES: https://www.inc.com/ss/diana-ransom/richest-entrepreneurs-2014 https://www.inc.com/larry-kim/11-most-famous-entrepreneurs-of-all-time-and-what-made-them-wildly-rich.html (2016)

20. Famous Filipino Entrepreneurs

21. SM is more than just a shopping mall. It is a beloved institution. Many of my favorite memories happened in SM. Henry Sy came from an impoverished family in Jinjiang, a town near Xiamen, China. The entire family left China in 1936 to help the family patriarch manage a thriving convenience store in Manila. Unfortunately for the family, their store was burned down during World War II. However, business-minded Henry saw an opportunity selling used military combat boots and other postwar goods from supportive American soldiers! His success led to the opening of his first shoe store, the SM in Avenida, Manila. Henry had problems finding shoe manufacturers who could design shoes according to what he had in mind, but he persisted. He spoke to customers and built his own network of suppliers and manufacturers. That never-say-die attitude got Henry Sy to where he is now: one of the richest men in the world and a world-class commercial center developer who provides opportunities to both entrepreneurs and the working class! 1. Henry Sy, Shoe Mart (Net worth: 12.7 billion dollars) His other occupational welfares include the SM Investments Organization, SM Prime Holdings, Banco de Oro Universal Bank. Henry is currently the richest person of Philippines.

22. 2. Lucio Tan (Net worth: 6.1 billion dollars) Lucio is a Chinese Filipino entrepreneur. He is the current owner of the Asia Brewery, Tanduay Holdings and Fortune Tobacco. In 1985, he credited the Century Park Hotel as well. He is still graded number two in the list of richest man in the Philippines with a net worth of $6.1 billion.

23. If you thought you only loved The Champ and Chicken Joy, then be prepared to be inspired by the man behind the franchise. Also coming from an immigrant family from China, Tony learned the value of hard work and dedication from his father who worked as a cook in a Buddhist temple. Tony’s father started a Chinese restaurant in Manila with his savings so he can send him to college. In 1975, Tony bought a Magnolia ice cream parlor. However, it was not generating enough business. After talking with his customers and people within the neighborhood, Tony decided to include sandwiches, fried chicken, and French fries in the menu. In time, the restaurant found itself packed to overflowing capacity. By 1978, Tony had opened six more restaurants, but the main item was no longer ice cream. Tony then decided to adapt the McDonald’s concept and named his franchise after his work ethic of being as “busy as a bee.” Today Jollibee has grown to more than 2,500 stores in the Philippines plus locations in the US, China, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Singapore, and Brunei. 3. Tony Tan Caktiong, Jollibee

24. John’s life story is a “rich-to-rags-to riches” story. John Jr. was born in China to the scion of one of the wealthiest families in Cebu. When the father died, so did the business and the family fortune was soon gone. John Jr. supported his family by peddling items along the streets of Cebu by bike. Soon, he was trading items by boat to Lucena City and to Manila by truck. Eventually, he started importing items from the US. John Jr. soon realized that importing carried too much risk and low margins. Thus, in 1957, he borrowed Php 500,000 from China Bank and started a corn milling business named Universal Corn Products. By 1961, Universal started diversifying its products and launched several popular brands such as Blend 45. Universal Corn Products was renamed Universal Robina Corporation. Today, the Gokongwei family owns several successful and highly diversified businesses. Among these are Robina Land Corporation and Cebu Pacific. 4. John Gokongwei Jr., JG Holdings

25. The next time you buy your batch of new school supplies and textbooks, do not forget to thank Ms. Socorro C. Ramos! Girl’s brother marries scion of a wealthy bookstore owner in Manila. The girl finds job as a saleslady at 18, meets and falls in love with the son of the owner. Their parents forbid the relationship and sends the girl back to the province. However, their love is so strong, girl and boy stand up to the parents, get married, and have twins. The boy takes over a branch with the girl, and they renamed it in National Book Store. However, a war breaks out, and the store is destroyed! They rebuild the store, but everything is held under suspicion of being “questionable.” They relocate the store in Avenida, but as the business picks up, a storm destroys their roof. Soon, they rebuild the store, and every centavo is used to build a nine-story National Book Store. The girl is Socorro and the boy is Jose. Today, National Bookstore has grown to over 100 stores. Despite digital technology, it continues to flourish! 5. Socorro C. Ramos, National Bookstore

26. 6. Cecilio Kwok Pedro, Lamoiyan Corporation Cecilio’s life is not a typical rags-to-riches story; instead, it embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds. Cecilio used to head Aluminum Container Inc., which produced the aluminum toothpaste tubes for Procter and Gamble, Philippine Refining Company (now Unilever), and Colgate-Palmolive. However, environmental concerns led his clients to shift to plastic-laminated toothpaste tubes. Aluminum Container Inc. failed and closed its shop in 1986. He put up Lamoiyan Corporation and manufactured toothpaste that was priced 50% lower than his competitors. These included the still-popular brands Hapee and Kutitap. Although the foreign brands countered by lowering their brands by 20%, Cecilio responded by introducing toothpaste targeted for children that featured the characters from Sesame Street. Cecilio’s brands have made it to other markets in Asia, such as China, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Cecilio’s greatest accomplishment was not limited to manufacturing. He is also known for his advocacy to help hearing-impaired people find employment in the country. His programs include free housing for more than 30 deaf–mute staffs. To date, more than 180 hearing-impaired students have received college education through DEAF or Deaf Evangelistic Alliance Foundation.

27. Like many of the entrepreneurs discussed so far, Mariano found opportunities for entrepreneurship after World War 2. Mariano had been working in a local drugstore when the war destroyed several businesses in the city. Mariano saw the need to supply sulfa drugs, which were used to treat bacterial infections. He started to buy sulfa tablets and sold them at affordable prices. Soon, other people followed and adapted Mariano’s strategy. However, only Mariano sold high-quality sulfa tablets, which ensured him a steady clientele. With his hard work and dedication to build up savings, he was able to put up his first drug store in 1945, which he named Mercury Drug. The Roman god Mercury is known for speed. He also carries the caduceus, which is a symbol in the medical industry. By the time Mariano opened his second Mercury Drug at the newly constructed Ayala shopping center in Makati, he had invested in technological innovations, such as biological refrigerators and computer-guided controls. Mariano’s dedication to his business has allowed Mercury Drug into 700 stores and a widely recognized name for quality pharmaceuticals. 7. Mariano Que, Mercury Drugstores

28. When Alfredo lost his dad at age 12, his mother was left to support him and his siblings by becoming a sidewalk vendor. A relative was able to give financial aid, which allowed Alfredo to reach, but not complete, college at the Mapúa Institute of Technology. Alfredo took several odd jobs, which included time at a printing press. During his stay there, Alfredo learned how to print cellophane wrappers for candies and biscuits. His experience prompted him to start his own printing business. His printing business was doing well. However, his discovery of the Doy Packaging system from Europe was the turning point of his entrepreneurial career. He tried to sell the system to juice manufacturers, but no one was interested. Thus, Alfredo ventured into the juice business by concocting flavors in his kitchen. These juices were not only delicious but also appealing to parents as they found the light and brightly colored packs easy to include in their children’s lunch boxes. Best of all, the packaging allowed the juice to stay chilled longer. Zest-O was born! Today, Zest-O controls 80% of the juice market, and it has expanded to markets in Australia, China, New Zealand, Korea, Singapore, US, and several countries in Europe. Alfredo has diversified his business interests into airlines by acquiring Asian Spirit Airlines and renaming it as Zest Air. 8. Alfredo M. Yao, Zest-O

29. Corazon represented the value of having passion in what you do as a motivating factor in finding success as an entrepreneur. Corazon was a dietitian by profession. She used her knowledge to create processed meats that were affordable enough to compete with the popular foreign brands. She developed corned beef, hamburger patties, meat loaf, and hotdogs, which were sold purely as a home business. By 1975, Corazon decided to scale her newfound business and established CDO Foodsphere. The company’s reputation to develop high-quality but low-priced processed meats quickly spread and made CDO a regular staple in every shopping cart. As a mother herself Corazon understood the value of having meals that can be prepared easily, taste good, and fit the family budget. In time, CDO expanded to industrial markets. Today, CDO supplies processed meats to 90% of quick service restaurants. 9. Corazon D. Ong, CDO Foodsphere

30. While working as a provincial board member in Cebu, Gregorio noticed that pigs sold to market were apparently malnourished. He decided to look into the cause of malnutrition by doing research in his spare time. Using only pots and pans in his home, Gregorio conducted several tests and experiments on how to alleviate the state of malnutrition of Cebu’s livestock. Despite numerous failures, his persistence finally paid off. He discovered the pigs were suffering from a type of bad bacteria. His solution was a probiotic bacteria that would increase the level of good bacteria in the body. The bacteria would be called LactoPAFI Probiotic Bacteria. Gregorio’s discovery would reach global acclaim as a leader in probiotics. It is now exported to New Zealand, Norway, France, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, and US. 10. Gregorio G. Sanchez Jr., LactoPAFI

31. The son of a farmer in Cagayan, Diosdado would walk barefoot just to complete his high school education. His resilience made him a Magna Cum Laude graduate in electrical engineering. His excellence in the academe paved the way for Diosdado to become a pilot-trainee at the Philippines Airlines or PAL, which would eventually open doors for a design engineer position at Boeing Co. The opportunity brought Diosdado to the US where he completed a master’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science at Stanford University. Diosdado’s experience working with the top technology companies led to his design of the first single-chip 16-bit microprocessor calculator. By 1981, Diosdado was commissioned by Seeq Technologies to assist the Ethernet to find an efficient way of linking computers. Disodado designed the single- chip controller that provided data-link control and the transceiver in the first 10-bit Ethernet CMOS. His success opened doors to build his own company, Monstroni, in 1985 and Chips and Technology, which made US$ 12 million in the first quarter alone. By 1996, Diosdado sold Chips and Technology to Intel for US$ 430 million! 11. Diosdado Banatao, Computer Chips

32. 12. Rajo Laurel (Net worth: 6.1 billion dollars) He is a fashion designer, artist and also a businessperson. He established the house of Laurel in Makati. He has received honors as the Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year in Philippines as well. Rajo has also performed in some small screen shows like Philippines’ Next Top Model.

33. 13. Andrew Tan (Net worth: 5 billion dollars) Andrew Lim Tan is a Chinese Filipino tycoon with commercial welfares in real estate, alcohol and fast food. Tan owns the Alliance Global Group Inc. (AGI) which has sub companies i.e. Mega world Corporation, Emperador Distillers, Inc. and Golden Arches Development Corporation.

34. 14. Ben Chan (Net worth: 39 million dollars) Ben Chan is also a Chinese Filipino mogul who is the mastermind behind Bench. Bench is renowned as the leading and famous clothing chain in the Philippines. He has extended his supplies not only in the Philippines but also in China, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

35. 15. George Yang (Net worth: 38 million dollars) He is another famous Chinese Filipino entrepreneur. He established the McDonald’s Philippines. Apart from being an effective capitalist, he is also a brilliant singer. Ronald McDonald House Donations is also an aid started by McDonald’s Philippines whose aim is to support requirements of Filipino families.

36. Reference Materials and Image Credit Section: • References: • SM Shoemart - History --- http://www.sm-shoemart.com/history.htm • AsianTaipans-Tony Tan Caktiong -- http://www.asiantaipans.com/html/philippines/tony-tan-caktiong.html • Lamoiyan Corp. History - http://www.lamoiyan.com/company/index.shtml • Zest-O Corporation History - http://www.zesto.com.ph/zesto_company_history.php • NBS Store -Our History - http://www.nbsstores.com/about.asp?article_id=2 • Mercury Drug Corp.History - http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history/Lo-Me/Mercury-Drug-Corporation.html • CDO -History - http://www.cdo.com.ph/profile/history.html • LactoPAFI Story - http://lactopafi.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53&Itemid=70 • Engineer Diosdado Banatao, Jr. -- http://mabuhaycity.com/forums/business-entrepreneurship/8903-top-10-most-successful-filipino-entrepreneurs-3.html • ‘The Filipino Bill Gates’ comes to LA for Ayala Foundation USA’s business seminar --http://www.asianjournal.com/dateline-usa/15-dateline-usa/3066-diosdado-dado-banatao-the-filipino-bill-gates-comes-to-la-for-ayala-foundation-usas-business-seminar.html?showall=1 • Image Credit: • By Estarapapax at en.wikipedia Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License; • Courtesy of SMShoemart.com • Courtesy of Jollibee Food Corp. • Courtesy of Lamoiyan Corp. • Courtesy of Zest-O Corp. • Courtesy of NBSStores • Curtesy of Mercury Drug • Courtesy of CDO Foodspheres • Courtesy of LactoPAFI.com • By Ben Schumin / Wikimedia • By Alecv / Wikimedia Commons

37. What do you think is the common thing/s about these entrepreneurs that made them successful?1. Characteristics2. Stories (origin)3. X-factors

38. Ask yourself: • What would you do if your business or only source of income was destroyed like what happened to Henry Sy, Socorro Ramos, and Mariano Que? • How would you react if you had lost everything you had gained in a blink of an eye like what happened to John Gokongwei Jr. and Cecilio Pedro? • How would you overcome the challenge of large-sized powerful competitors as Corazon D. Ong and Cecilio Pedro faced? • What would you do if you woke up one morning and realized you were living in extreme poverty as what Alfredo Yao, Tony Tan Catkiong, and Diosdado Banatao experienced? • If you saw a need or a concern, would you act on it out of passion as Corazon Ong and Engr. Gregorio Sanchez Jr. did? Or would you be compelled by greed?

39. Failure in any form is never easy to accept. Some have described the feeling of failure from being slapped in the face to getting stabbed in the gut. It is a very painful feeling that leaves even the most powerful men helpless and stripped of dignity. However, the ones who succeed are the ones who persevere. They acknowledge failure not as a termination point but an educational experience. It is a wake-up call on what needs to get done. These entrepreneurs had three choices to make: fight, flight, or freeze. Every single one chose to FIGHT.

40. Assignment: Poster of Future EntrepreneursMechanics:1. Picture yourself being successful 30 years from now?2. What will be your line of products or services?3. What are the qualities you have/you should have to be successful4. What is your philosophy?

41. Jack Ma Chinese Business Magnate Ma Yun, known professionally as Jack Ma, is a Chinese business magnate who is the founder and executive chairman of Alibaba Group, a conglomerate of Internet-based businesses. Born: 10 September 1964 (age 53), Hangzhou, China Net worth: 39.6 billion USD (2017) Forbes Education: Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (2006), Hangzhou Normal University (1988) Successful Qualities: Perseverance and strong commitment to goals Philosophy:"Today is cruel. Tomorrow is crueller. And the day after tomorrow is beautiful." "We will make it because we are young and we will never, never give up."

42. 5. Place your poster concept in ¼ Illustration board6. Worth 100 points (task performance)7. Every Meeting, 2 students will share story of future success.