What happens when a classroom idea refuses to stay inside the classroom?
It becomes a movement.
That is the story of KisLap, Ateneo’s student social enterprise program that returns for its second year with an even bigger ambition: to give young innovators the resources, mentorship, and confidence to turn their ideas into ventures that can make a difference in people’s lives.
Because for today’s generation of students, entrepreneurship is no longer simply about building a business. It is also about finding purpose—and creating solutions to problems that matter.
And KisLap is putting that belief into action.
Jointly presented by the Ateneo Center for Social Entrepreneurship (ACSEnt) and the Kwan Laurel Social Enterprise Fund, KisLap Year 2 will provide up to ₱1 million each to three winning student-driven social enterprises.
But the real prize may be bigger than the funding.
It is the opportunity to take an idea from a notebook, a classroom discussion, or a late-night brainstorming session and bring it where it matters most: into the real world.
Ideas that make a difference
The impact of KisLap can already be seen through the ventures that emerged from its first year.
Take AgriConnect, for example. Using artificial intelligence, the student-led venture helps farmers identify agricultural risks and make more informed, data-driven decisions.
It is technology with a very human purpose: helping farmers make better decisions where they matter most—on the field.
The idea has even gone beyond the Ateneo community, placing Top 3 in the ASEAN leg of the 2025 China-ASEAN Innovation Quest and advancing to the international finals in Guilin, China.
Then there is Sibol Creamery, proving that social enterprise can also be delicious.
The venture transforms locally sourced rice and Filipino ingredients into rice-based ice cream, creating additional value for farmers while giving a familiar dessert a distinctly local twist.
The team has worked with farmer cooperatives in Tarlac, Laguna, and Bulacan and sourced organic red rice. From there, the concept grew into pop-ups, online sales, and restaurant partnerships.
And there is KLARO, an AI-powered point-of-sale system designed to make business intelligence more accessible to small entrepreneurs.
By giving MSMEs real-time insights into their operations, KLARO helps business owners identify losses, understand their numbers, and make smarter decisions.
Three different ideas. Three different industries.
But one common thread: innovation with purpose.
A bigger playground for young innovators
For its second year, KisLap is opening its doors even wider.
The program is now accepting undergraduate and graduate students from across Ateneo de Manila University’s higher education units, including the John Gokongwei School of Management, Dr. Rosita G. Leong School of Social Sciences, School of Humanities, School of Science and Engineering, Gokongwei Brothers School of Education and Learning Design, Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health, Ateneo Law School, Ateneo School of Government, and Ateneo Graduate School of Business.
The official launch happens on September 30 at the APS Amphitheater in Rockwell Center, Makati City.
More than an announcement, the event is an invitation—to students who have ideas, see problems differently, and believe they can create something better.
The program will walk aspiring founders through the KisLap journey, from application and selection to acceleration, while highlighting the mentorship and ecosystem support available beyond the grant itself.
More than a pitch
Perhaps what makes KisLap especially exciting is that it does not treat young entrepreneurs as simply students with business ideas.
It treats them as people with experiences, frustrations, dreams, and a desire to create change.
As KisLap Project Head Arkel Mendoza explains, the program grew from a desire to take social entrepreneurship beyond the traditional classroom experience.
“It is to empower and support the next generation of social entrepreneurs through a partnership with the Ateneo Center for Social Entrepreneurship and the Kwan Laurel Social Enterprise Fund,” Mendoza shares.
The goal was to create something that could help student founders actually build and grow their ventures—not simply complete another academic requirement.
“From that experience, we saw an opportunity to take the concept further. We wanted to move beyond a classroom project and create something that could provide social entrepreneurs with the resources they need to actually build and grow their ventures. In 2025, that became KisLap.”
Where purpose meets possibility
In a world where young people are often told to wait until they have more experience, KisLap offers a different message:
Start now.
Start with the problem you see.
Start with the community you understand.
Start with the idea that keeps you awake at night.
Then find the people who can help you turn that idea into something real.
That is the promise of KisLap Year 2—not simply to fund student ventures, but to nurture a generation of young Filipinos who see entrepreneurship as a way to create meaningful impact.
Because sometimes, the most transformative ideas begin in the most ordinary places: inside a classroom, between friends, over a conversation, or scribbled on a piece of paper.
And when given the chance, those ideas can go much farther.
From classroom spark to community impact, KisLap is proving that young ideas don’t have to wait for tomorrow. They can start changing lives today.
