Rajo Laurel attended De La Salle Santiago Zobel School in Muntinlupa City.

Rajo Laurel attended states that a major early fashion influence was designer Louie Mamenga, whom he apprenticed with while studying.

Rajo Laurel began his professional career in 1993, holding his first international exhibition the following year.

"Made-to-order couture" is what Laurel prefers to call his couture line. Each piece is referred to as a "mission" dress that is designed to create a lasting impression, although is worn probably once or twice in a year.

"Designer Ready-to-Wear" is how Ben Chan describes his off-the-rack line. Besides Chan's own fashions, House of Chan showcases the work of other designers, and has featured the work of Puey Quiñones, Charina Sarte, Eric de los Santos, Bea Valdes, and Rhett Eala.

Quotations: "I see it as a specialty boutique because we offer limited pieces per style,".

In 1987, Ben Chan started a small t-shirt shop at the SM Department Store in Marikina.

Ben Chan comes from a family of serial entrepreneurs.

He is the son of Chan Ling and See Ying, who established Liwayway Marketing Company, which soon became the country’s leading starch supplier due to its famous flagship product Liwayway Gawgaw (laundry starch).

Rajo Laurel's Suyen Corporation is also the local distributor of global fashion brands like Cotton On from Australia, Vero Moda from Denmark, Under Armour, Aldo, and Cath Kidston; as well as fragrance and cosmetics lines like Jo Malone, Bobbi Brown, Kiehl’s, and Estee Lauder.

Bench, which now has a Bench Café in partnership with FooDee Global Concepts, has also brought exciting global food concepts to the Philippines like Paul Boulangerie, Maisen, St. Marc Café, Patchi Chocolates, Pablo Desserts.

By 2007, Bench was on its way to global retailing, with established stores in Los Angeles, Riyadh, Bahrain, Guangzhou, Xian, and Dubai. China remains its primary focus with more than 27 company stores and 19 franchises.

"Sometimes it's just a matter of the market not being ready, other times we just didn't get it right. I look at these trials as lab work: you can't expect to get the perfect formula on the first try, but then you're also smarter about what doesn't work and you know better the next time."

Socorro or “_______” as she is fondly called, was born into a family of shopkeepers who were thrown into poverty after losing the family business.

Socorro met and fell in love with Jose Roxas.

The couple Socorro and Jose Roxas founded National Book Store in 1940.

The biggest fast food restaurant chain in the Philippines.

When restaurant became profitable with the help of all family members and this success enabled Mr. Caktiong to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering in Manila.

At the age of 23, Tony tan inspired by a visit to an ice cream plant, he set out to gain his own foothold in the restaurant business: relying on family savings, he seized a franchising opportunity with Magnolia Dairy Ice Cream and opened two ice cream parlors.

Not all greats start from small beginnings. Sometimes, they are born privileged, later to be taken away from them, but succeeding once again in the future. This is John Gokongwei Jr.’s story.

Unfortunately, one day, all these things Gokongwei Jr. enjoyed were taken away from him when his father died.

They became flat broke. At 15, Gokongwei Jr. had to work to provide for his family. His mother had to sell her silk clothes. His siblings were sent to China where the cost of living was cheaper.

Gokongwei Jr. sold roasted peanuts and opened up a small stall in the market, where he had to compete with other vendors to sell his goods. He sold soap, candles, and threads to earn money.

It was in 1943 when Gokongwei Jr. began trading goods from Cebu to Manila. When the World War II ended, he saw this as an opportunity to trade goods in the Philippines. He put up Amasia Trading with his brother which helped bring back his siblings home to help out with the business.