Tapping into entrepreneurial energy in the Philippines

In early July, Challenge Works had the privilege of spending time in the Philippines and getting to know the entrepreneurial ecosystem in metro Manila and more widely in Southeast Asia, as we celebrated the launch of the Good Start Challenge. 

Engaging early childhood experts at ARNEC

Together with the Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC), a broad network working across the Asia-Pacific region to advance the agenda on and investment in early childhood, we presented in the main stage of the 2025 Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Early Childhood Development to share the ambition of the  €2.6 million Good Start Challenge. The Challenge will advance innovative solutions that improve the wellbeing of parents and caregivers of young children in disadvantaged circumstances in Indonesia, the Philippines, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Senegal, Mexico, Colombia and Brazil.

We also joined a panel discussion to explore innovations to improve the wellbeing of parents and other caregivers, with real-world applications shared from across Asia and Africa. The Good Start Challenge offers a unique opportunity for innovators to access funding and capacity building support to develop, test and refine their solutions to advance the wellbeing of parents and caregivers of young children.

The conference themes centred around opportunities to elevate local governance to better support children, families and parents, and touched on a number of themes that intersect with the Good Start Challenge’s ambition to support parents living in poverty and advance innovations to improve the wellbeing of parents and caregivers in disadvantaged circumstances, including rural and disaster-prone communities in the Philippines and Indonesia.

Tapping into the entrepreneurial ecosystem in metro Manila

Additionally, in partnership with xchange, Villgro PH, and Ashoka Philippines we co-hosted an energetic Impact Happy Hour with 100+ Filipino changemakers to explore innovative solutions that build and deepen the wellbeing of parents and caregivers of young children. The evening consisted of high-paced small group exercises, an inspirational panel discussion with Filipino social entrepreneurs supporting parents, and plenty of information conversation and idea-generation. From employer-based solutions to product design and education-led wellbeing, we heard brilliant ideas from a diverse group of innovators for how they would support parents and caregivers during the most critical early years.

Get involved

The Good Start Challenge is now open for entries! Visit the challenge website to learn more, sign up for an upcoming webinar, check out the entry form and requirements, and contact us with your questions. 

The deadline to submit entries is 17 September 2025, 1PM UCT.