We are excited to announce the GOAB Community Ambassador Program (GOAB Ambassadors) for Geeks On A Beach 2025!

This community-led initiative brings together passionate local leaders, advocates, and connectors from various cities in the Philippines. Our 2025 ambassadors, including startup founders, educators, UX designers, technologists, and builders, all share a common goal of contributing to a greater cause.

The program aims to connect these grassroots community leaders with the international GOAB network, allowing them to collaborate within the broader tech ecosystem, expand their professional network, and amplify their community's influence. Their local expertise will ensure that the GOAB is responsive to on-the-ground needs. 

Through cross-promotion and collaborative initiatives, we are committed to creating a win/win situation for all involved, following the belief that a rising tide lifts all boats.

Please welcome our 2025 GOAB Ambassadors led by Ashley Uy, GOAB Community Director.

- Ashley Uy (Bohol) - Lead, GOAB Ambassadors and Sprout Up Bohol Founder
- Aldrich Tan (Manila) - UX PH
- Christian Geonzon (Davao)-  Davao Young Executives
- Grahssel Dungca (Pampanga) - DEVCON.PH
- Karl Dela Cruz (Cebu) - CebuUXD
- Liam Mendoza (Davao) - Davao Interschool Computer Enthusiasts
- Melissa Lagat (Cebu) - Startup Island
- Shannen Sapar (Davao) - UX Davao, Sidlak Creatives
- Steven Asoy (Bohol) -  Sprout Up Bohol, DEVCON.PH

A Grassroots Origin Story

We like to think that each GOAB conference creates a virtuous cycle of inspired ecosystem players and builders to take action for the betterment of their communities and, in many ways, it started long before this year.

Ashley Uy embodies what community leadership looks like. Ashley, an original volunteer from Bohol for our non-profit group then, TechTalks.ph, co-organized the first Startup Weekend Bohol in 2014 alongside Ben Skelton & team. Ashley attended her first GOAB in 2014..

Years after that first GOAB, Ashley now runs Sprout Up Bohol, a nonprofit focused on creating accessible upskilling opportunities for individuals working in or want to work in the digital sector.  She does her non-profit work in addition to her day job as Senior Product Manager at a technology company.

Ashley’s journey—and the support GOAB and other communities has extended to initiatives like hers—became the foundation for Ashley’s initiative to formalize this new ambassador movement. 

Ashley is GOAB’s Community Director and last year she led a pilot program to test out this concept and is now ready to roll out a bigger program with 8 ambassadors in 2025.

Ashley’s vision for an annual Community Leaders' Retreat, where tech advocates from across the Philippines gather to support each other, share notes, and plan ahead, inspired us to think bigger.

We realize that GOAB needs to do more than just organize an annual beachside conference to truly become a national platform and an international magnet for global startup builders. We need to meet communities where they are, support their work, and bring them closer to the energy and resources that GOAB can offer.

That’s where the Ambassador Program comes in.

Who Are the Ambassadors?

Our 2025 ambassadors are community champions from places like Davao, Cebu, Pampanga, and Manila. They are startup founders, educators, UX designers, policy shapers, and builders who have one thing in common—they want to contribute to something bigger than themselves.

Each ambassador brings a unique story:

• A founder who wants to help emerging startups scale smarter and faster.

• A designer committed to helping product teams integrate real user feedback into their builds.

• And even a student who wants to use their entrepreneurship sense to encourage their peers in exploring opportunities in technology.
  
  

It isn’t just a role, but a movement rooted in a shared belief that when startups thrive, the whole community rises.

What Ambassadors Will Do

Our ambassadors aren’t just faces on a banner. They are our local sounding boards, collaborators, and co-creators. Throughout the year, they’ll:

• Amplify GOAB in their communities and networks

• Help local founders and teams access opportunities through GOAB and its partners

• Continue to curate their own local meetups, AMAs, and learning circles in alignment with #givefirst #giveback ethos that GOAB subscribes to

• Share insights and stories from the ground so we can build better programming together

GOAB Ambassadors also get insider access—first dibs on programming ideas, speaker nominations, and the chance to contribute to how we shape GOAB events both on and off the beach.

Why It Matters

Ecosystem building isn’t glamorous. It’s slow, and sometimes invisible. But it’s also necessary.

GOAB has always been a platform where the right conversations lead to real outcomes—investments, partnerships, even acquisitions. And it’s the community glue between events that helps make those outcomes stick.

That’s why we started the Ambassador Program to carry that energy forward. With this network of grassroots leaders, we can extend GOAB’s impact far beyond our annual conference. We can nurture talent, surface new founders, and champion solutions that solve real problems in local contexts.

If you're a startup founder looking for support in your city, chances are, one of our ambassadors is already doing the work. If you're an investor-mentor exploring emerging hubs, these are the people who can show you what’s happening on the ground. And if you’re someone who’s always wanted to help shape the future of Philippine tech but didn’t know how—this is it.

What’s Next

We’re just getting started. Over the next few months, we’ll spotlight each of our 2025 ambassadors, share their stories, and highlight the work they’re doing in their communities. Expect local events, cross-region collaborations, and a few surprise initiatives led by these incredible folks.

Most of all, expect GOAB to keep evolving. With your help.

Being an ambassador means showing up even when no one’s watching. A commitment to show up, lift others up, and keep building, no matter where the shorelines are.

Want to be part of this movement?

🎟️ Join GOAB 2025 and meet the community making things happen.

🪣 Get the best deal! Join the GOAB Beach Club for the biggest discount on GOAB tickets and 12 months of exclusive benefits.

Let’s keep designing the future, together. On the beach and beyond.