"Let's Get Social" Brings Support for Filipino Business

Getting loud is only one step, as speakers come together to help build success in local community leaders

By André Averion, Communications Manager

Published September 9th, 2024.

Hosted at DelCaiano Pinoy Cuisine Sept. 7, dozens of business owners came together to build their business and compete in elevator pitches for a chance to win a free booth at Lone Star Palengke.

“It’s important to see more Filipinos go out of their comfort to do something empowering. Our theme is let’s get loud! This is how we help our community do that. Speak up- because now is better than never,” Abby Casallo, event founder and owner of Pixel Parlour, said.

Focused on building social media branding for local business owners and community leaders, Let’s Get Social started in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Casallo hosted a free online workshop for Kent, WA, and in the many years since, she’s brought her experiences to focus on supporting Filipino and other local AAPI businesses to prepare for Lone Star Palengke and beyond. 

“When the pandemic hit, the government ordered us to go home. Leaving our dreams behind and leaving it up to chance for it to survive or worse, make us go out of business,” Casallo said. “So I did what I do best. We took to social media. I created a free online workshop for all small business owners called Let’s Get social. The idea is to show entrepreneurs on how to build their brand on social media without fear.”

This year the event opened with the tagalog singing of special guest Rasheen Harahna, followed by poem reading of Talk Your Creativity host Veronica Pamindanan, who has been acting emcee of Let’s Get Social since it arrived in Dallas in 2022. Pamindanan introduced speaker Sarah Cruz, and founder of Your Cool Ninang, who opened about her experience as a market vendor at Lone Star Palengke and her stories of being a Filipina entrepreneur.

Followed was Casallo introducing the history of the event, what business needed to focus on for media growth and how business could get loud and social with their community. 

Towards the end of the event business owners were judged for their elevator pitch by Rowena Watters, the first Filipina council woman of Carrollton, TX. Winning the event was Alpa Cortez, who instead of taking a free booth, opted for a $200 donation for her church, the Genuine Faith Community Church. Followed by the competition, Gabriella Buba, author of the critically acclaimed “Saints of Storm and Sorrow”, talked about her novel and experience as a Filipina.