Jollibee Group Shares Filipino Success Story with Next Generation Leaders at the Inaugural ASEAN Youth Entrepreneurship Summit
Key Highlights:
- Jollibee Group President and CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong was invited as a guest speaker at the inaugural ASEAN Youth Entrepreneurship Summit (AYES) 2026.
- The invitation recognizes Jollibee Group’s journey from a single Filipino-founded business into a multinational restaurant group with a global presence.
- Jollibee Group shares its entrepreneurial journey to help inspire future generations of business leaders across Southeast Asia.
- Over 10,000 participants attended the summit, which serves as a regional platform for youth entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership.
MANILA, Philippines. October 12, 2026. Jollibee Group Global President and CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong was among the guest speakers at the inaugural ASEAN Youth Entrepreneurship Summit (AYES) 2026, held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. He shared Jollibee’s story with young entrepreneurs and future business leaders from across the region, tracing its growth from a single Filipino-founded business into a multinational restaurant group.
“When people ask about our success, I feel grateful—and careful. Grateful for the milestones. Careful because success never belongs to one person. It is built by people who dare to dream, teams who work hard, partners who believe, customers who return, and communities that help a business grow,” Tanmantiong said.
Today, Jollibee is the number one quick-service restaurant in Vietnam, with more than 250 stores serving an entirely Vietnamese customer base, and the number one chain in Brunei. In the United States, it was voted No. 1 Best Fast-Food Fried Chicken in USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for the third consecutive year.
“As Jollibee expanded abroad, we learned that food can carry memory and also create connections across cultures. Delicious taste has no borders,” he said.
By sharing its story, Jollibee Group hopes to encourage more young people to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions and to show that Filipino-founded businesses can succeed internationally.
Tanmantiong closed with a message to the audience: “The world is waiting for ASEAN’s next generation of entrepreneurs to write their own stories. I hope one begins with you. May you build boldly, bring others with you, and spread joy beyond borders.”
Inspiring the next generation of ASEAN entrepreneurs
The inaugural ASEAN Youth Entrepreneurship Summit 2026 was organized by SM Cares, Global Peace Foundation Philippines, and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN BAC) Philippines. Described as ASEAN BAC Philippines’ largest youth entrepreneurship initiative, it brought together more than 10,000 young entrepreneurs, students, innovators, startup founders, business leaders, and policymakers from across Southeast Asia.
Building on the Global Youth Summit, this special 2026 edition expands the initiative’s regional reach in support of the Philippines’ ASEAN hosting. The program featured global and regional speakers, founder conversations, youth entrepreneurship showcases, and the launch of the ASEAN Youth Entrepreneurship Action Agenda, a youth-driven framework to advance entrepreneurship across Southeast Asia.
