October 23, 2026 · Sustina trained 30 individuals in Davao City from October 13-15, 2026, in a workshop for climate entrepreneurs organized with Upgrade InnoLab.
The three-day training marked Sustina’s first workshop in Mindanao, and the first part of its workshop series on climate entrepreneurship, funded through a grant from Climate KIC.
Over two days, participants worked through two modules in person at the Upgrade InnoLab office. On the third day, participants joined an online session.
The first module, Impact Metrics, focused on how to measure and report the difference their work makes for the climate and for their communities. The second, Storytelling and SustainabilityGlobal EssentialsSustainabilitySustainability is the ability to manage and use resources to meet present needs without compromising future generations. It can be examined through environmental, economic, or societal lenses. These are the…Read more in the Glossary → for Climate Entrepreneurs, focused on how to turn that evidence into clear, honest stories that win the trust of customers, partners, and funders.
Participants came from startups, small businesses, schools, government, and civil society. They included Envirotech, Green Tayo, Agrinext, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Ateneo de Davao University, ASQB Business School, Lesstics, Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS), Anitu Chocolates, and Espoire School of Life.
“Climate entrepreneurs in Mindanao are already doing important work, yet they rarely get the chance to learn how to measure that work and tell its story well. That is why we chose to begin our series here,” said Anna Reyes, Executive Director of Sustina. “Over three days, we watched participants put numbers to the change they create and shape those numbers into stories that customers, partners, and funders can trust. Good ideas grow faster when people can show clearly what they have achieved.”
The Davao City workshop is the first part of the workshop series. Details on the next workshop will be released in the coming months.
About Upgrade InnoLab
As a business incubator based at the University of the Philippines Mindanao, Upgrade InnoLab brought local knowledge and close ties to Davao’s startup community, which helped connect the workshop with the entrepreneurs it was meant to serve.
Sustina and Upgrade InnoLab have had a working partnership since June 2026, when Sustina became a partner trainer in the Technical Learning Lab of Circulab under the European Union-Philippines Green Economy Partnership (EU-GEPP).
Circulab is a 9-month venture-building accelerator that transforms grassroots circular economyCircular Design & EconomyCircular economyAn economic model designed to keep materials in continuous use through maintenance, reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling, decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources.Read more in the Glossary → ideas into scalable, investable businesses across Mindanao. It is a key component of the broader Green Economy Programme in the Philippines, a strategic partnership between the European Union and the Philippine Government designed to accelerate the country’s green transition.
During the Circulab launch, Sustina joined fellow partners in signing a memorandum of understanding that formalized a shared commitment to advancing circular economy solutions and green entrepreneurship across Mindanao.
