Dave Overton: Philippines Humanitarian Commitment, Serendipity at Geeks On A Beach Community, Cebu Serial Founder - E517

Dave Overton, Founder of Symph.co & Geeks On A Beach, and Jeremy Au discussed:

1. Philippines Humanitarian Commitment:

Dave recounts moving to the Philippines in 2003 with his wife, a midwife-turned-doctor, who co-founded a nonprofit delivering over 7,000 babies in the past two decades. What began as a temporary three- to five-year plan evolved into a long-term commitment to creating impact in Southeast Asia. Supporting the nonprofit’s growth to a team of 50 medical professionals, Dave reflects on sustainable impact, sharing lessons learned about transforming lives and communities.

2. Serendipity at Geeks On A Beach Community:

Co-founded by Dave and Tina Amper in 2012, Geeks on a Beach (GOAB) was inspired by 500 Global’s Geeks on a Plane and aimed to unite startups, investors, and ecosystem players in a collaborative setting. Dave shares the financial hurdles faced during GOAB’s early days and how the event became a platform for significant deals, including an investor funding five startups at a single event. He emphasizes the importance of creating “gravity” to foster collaboration and serendipitous connections within the startup ecosystem.

3. Cebu Serial Founder:

He discusses his ventures: Symph.co, a software development company with 88 team members, and Flying Tigers Express, a logistics startup shortening delivery times from 12 days to just 24 hours in cities like Cebu and Davao. Dave also reflected on Cebu’s IT Park evolution from a single building in 2003 to a thriving tech hub, illustrating the broader transformation of the local ecosystem. . They explored challenges of balancing Cebu’s regional development with larger hubs like Manila and Singapore

Dave and Jeremy also discussed the lessons learned from stepping back to let new leaders drive community growth, the importance of nurturing students into the next generation of founders and community vs. ego systems.

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