Docomo offers internship to Google event winners

From left: Bank of Guam Saipan branch manager judge Larry Phillip, Docomo Pacific brand manager judge Danny Daniel, first place winner team captain Ballen Song (middle), University of Guam dean of Business and Public Administration judge Annette Santos (second right), and BOG’s judge Charles Peters posing for a picture after Google’s Start Up Weekend Saipan. (Erwin Encinares)

The first and second place winners in the first ever Google Start Up Weekend Saipan were offered an internship opportunity at Docomo Pacific, a mobile phone operator from Japan.

Start Up Weekend Saipan, a three-day workshop from Nov. 4 through 6, was meant to motivate young entrepreneurs to generate and pitch their ideas to a panel of judges.

Daphne De Leon Guerrero, Docomo Pacific’s human resource business partner, said the Docomo Pacific internships provide opportunities to driven individuals.

“Docomo Pacific really likes to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation within the community. We’ve done a lot of work around educational programs, so we are very supportive of children. One of the opportunities that we like to provide is to have these budding entrepreneurs come in to see what it’s like to work for a large company such as Docomo Pacific. We employ over 650 associates as of this moment so I think it is such fast-paced and ever changing environment that will give them the opportunity to see the telecom industry and more innovation,” said Guerrero.

Ballen Song, team leader of the first place winner, said his idea for the Google Start Up Weekend Saipan is intended to help people. Song’s idea, which is to provide gym services without the thought of just going to it for the aesthetics rather than health, won the judges’ votes.

“I believe that my purpose, and that’s where my source of motivation comes from. I looked at Saipan, which is my home. I’ve lived here 10 years already, and the obesity and diabetes level is kind of high. When it comes to gym and fitness, this is what I do the best. It’s the best side of me and I just want to give that to the community,” said Song.

“That’s why I started this whole thing. Regarding the gym, I’ve thought about this for two years already, so chances like this is more like opportunity meets preparation,” he added.

Now that he’s won a competition, Song said he now recognizes great business ideas.

“Eventually, the gym is going to happen so this is just a program I just wanted to try out; [I wanted to know] where my competition was on the island and where my knowledge of being an entrepreneur stands. I believe this is one of those things where it just brings up my confidence a little more, it lets me feel a little bit more secure and the thing that I want to do with the community is that once I build the gym, I’m going to use 5 percent of the annual income to do things for the island, such as funding the sports team on the island or I can bring in things to educate the kids more, because they are the next generation and education is key,” said Song.

University of Guam’s Business and Public Administration dean Annette Santos, who served as a judge during Start Up Weekend Saipan, thinks that Song’s idea was well thought out.

“I think that Song’s group had an idea, and that idea was fleshed out into more specifics. Identifying the resources was one of his major strengths, and just really knowing who his target market was really going to be. He was targeting the youth, the elders, and also obtaining the statistics of the health situation on Saipan. He looked at obesity and diabetes, and I think that the ability of the group to identify the problem and recognize a potential solution to solving that problem led to their success,” said Santos.

Although the business idea is great, Santos warned that failure is easier to find, so it all depends on the group’s ability to adapt when it comes to real world application.

“Starting a new business comes with trial and error. There are risks and rewards in every entrepreneurial endeavor. How a new business responds to the risks or the challenges will really dictate their level of success. …Anticipating what those challenges are going to be just by following trends and forecasting potential activity and then positioning themselves to deal with those threats to be able to minimize the impact to the company will certainly put them in a good position to continue to exist,” said Santos.

Docomo Pacific brand manager Danny Daniel, also one of the judges during the Google event, was proud of all the participants.

“This was an awesome experience and I am so glad to be part of the inaugural event. I was so happy and pleased to see the excitement and everybody’s energy. I love that I am looking at the future right now and that is really amazing,” said Daniel.