Manila, Philippines – IdeaSpace, the startup accelerator and early-stage venture investment arm of the MVP Group of Companies, has recently appointed startup ecosystem veteran Alwyn Rosel as the company’s new executive director. She takes over the role from Jay Fajardo at IdeaSpace and QBO Innovation.
In her current position, Rosel brings 13 years of industry experience and has been with QBO Innovation as its deputy director for the past four years.
Previously, she served in senior leadership roles at startup enablers AIM-Dado Banatao Incubator and UPSCALE Innovation Hub, alongside VXI Global. She also became part of Singapore-based startup and tech media platform e27.
Commenting about the appointment, Rosel said, “I am elated to receive the news of my appointment as Executive Director of IdeaSpace and QBO at a time when we are celebrating National Women’s Month. I would like to thank the management for their trust and confidence in me. I take on this challenge and opportunity to serve the startup community.”
“The cornerstone of my work is to sustain the ecosystem so that we help more startups that have immense potential to contribute to the economy and national development,” she added.
Succeeding Jay Fajardo, Rosel steps into a leadership role following his predecessor’s efforts to streamline IdeaSpace and QBO’s structure and sharpen their strategic focus.
Fajardo spearheaded the establishment of Ideaspace Ventures, strengthening its presence as an early-stage investor. In 2024, the venture arm supported seven startups and recorded a 1.5X average MOIC over four years.
In addition, Fajardo strengthened QBO Innovation’s position as a leading startup community builder driving innovation, expanding its influential programmes across government, academia, international development agencies, and private enterprises.
Fajardo then stated, “I’m very happy to have had the opportunity to lead the remarkable team at IdeaSpace and QBO, reinforcing our role as a pivotal driver of the Philippine startup ecosystem. We believe that the organisation has regained clarity in its mission and now deserves dedicated, full-time leadership to take it to even greater heights.”
Meanwhile, Rene “Butch” Meily, president at IdeaSpace and QBO Innovation, stated, “Alwyn has been with the QBO and IdeaSpace team for four years. I am confident that she has the dedication and strategic vision to do the job. At the same time, I want to thank Jay Fajardo for his contributions to steering the ship during a crucial time.”
Earl Valencia, a co-founder of IdeaSpace in 2012 and currently a member of the National Innovation Council, shared, “I am so excited for Alwyn to take the leadership for the next phase of QBO and IdeaSpace. She has spent her entire career supporting early-stage startups and has been instrumental in creating programmes to accelerate the innovation ecosystem in the Philippines.”
Over the last 13 years, IdeaSpace and QBO has been a driving force in the startup scene, providing over P300 million in resources and supporting 35+ startups.
It has further incubated 250+ startups, assisted over 700 organisations, and received 15 awards. At present, it organises more than 100 annual programmes and capacity-building efforts for QMMUNITY startups.
They are also dedicated to fostering innovation and supporting startups through key partnerships. It is actively working on the Regional Startup Enablers for Ecosystem Development (ReSEED) Program with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and collaborating on strategic initiatives with Smart-PLDT Innovation Generation and the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines.
