SuriHabi: Our First Gathering
Every community starts with a conversation, and the SuriHabi community began with one over coffee.
Our first official gathering took place at Good Day Café in Imus, where members came together to share ideas, connect, and lay the foundation for what SuriHabi hopes to become—a collaborative space for meaningful discussions, learning, and growth.
SuriHabi was created as a space for founders, makers, and creatives to pause from the day-to-day work of running a business and reconnect—not just with their own journey, but with one another.
Rather than focusing on networking, we wanted to create a gathering where people could openly share where they are, what they’re building, and how they could genuinely help each other move forward.
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Good Day
Cafe, Imus
Our Brand Participants
Teresa Apura
Founder of ZLovesCoffee and BloomsBrewsMNL
Jazztine Batoon
Founder of Sirkulo Studios
Nina Duque
Founder of Sparklight Candle Co.
Faye Orcullo
Founder of Luminous Wire & Gratia Co.
Yen Galanto
Founder of baybayen.ph, facilitator
The Highlights
Nina of Sparklight Candle Co. & Teresa of BloomsBrewsMNL
Nina and Zsa identified a partnership opportunity by planning workshops that bring together their communities. They also discussed supporting each other’s future events through promotion, participation, and shared resources, demonstrating how meaningful conversations can naturally lead to collaborative action.
Jazztine of Sirkulo Studios & Faye of Luminous Wire
Jazz and Faye found ways to collaborate through product photography, service referrals, and something even more valuable: accountability.
As solopreneurs, they recognized how important it is to have someone who understands the realities of building a business—someone to celebrate wins with, navigate challenges alongside, and simply check in with during busy seasons.
What We Learned
Our first SuriHabi reminded us of a few things that continue to matter, no matter how much the business landscape changes.
Accountability still makes a difference.
Building a business can feel isolating, and having people who genuinely check in on your progress can make the journey more sustainable.
The right community matters.
It's not about being in the biggest room—it's about finding people who encourage your growth, celebrate your milestones, and challenge you to keep going.
Collaboration will always be greater than competition.
When founders choose to work together instead of apart, everyone grows.
It’s not just networking—it’s productive time.
The session naturally shifted from introductions to real discussions about business direction, collaborations, and actionable next steps. It became less about meeting people, and more about actually building with them.
Structure matters for creativity.
Keeping each session small and intentional (with a maximum of 10 participants per batch) created space for deeper conversations instead of surface-level networking. It allowed everyone to be heard, present, and fully engaged.
Looking Ahead
This first gathering is only the beginning.
We’re currently planning the next SuriHabi community gathering—a new chapter where founders, creatives, entrepreneurs, and local brands can come together to learn, collaborate, and grow.
If you own a café, creative space, studio, coworking space, or community venue and believe in hosting meaningful community events, we’d love to partner with you. Together, we can create inspiring experiences that bring people together and support the growth of local creative communities in the Philippines.
Let’s build spaces where conversations become collaborations, ideas become reality, and every gathering helps strengthen our local creative ecosystem.
See you at the next SuriHabi.
