Esme Palaganas is a strategist and researcher exploring the interplay between commerce, intellectual property, and creative futures. 

Once a designer with a deep background in public relations, marketing and manufacturing, she now works with founders, institutions, and governments on innovation, IP strategy, and ecosystem design. Her advisory practice spans fashion and jewelry businesses, FMCG and lifestyle brands, and partnerships with craft-led enterprises. She is the co-founder of PHx Fashion Group, a brand incubation initiative that began as a business conference and has since evolved to include events and retail activations.

With expertise in business strategy and design thinking, Esme has guest lectured at Ateneo de Manila University and University College London and held academic posts at design schools and business universities such as De La Salle University–Manila, De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde, and SoFA Design Institute. She writes on technology and culture as a guest contributor to publications like Vogue Philippines and Philippine Star.

She is a fellow of global organizations such as Salzburg Global (Art and AI Governance) and the UNCTAD eTrade for Women network.  As Policy Chair of a fashion industry organization, she advocated for and participated in Congressional and Senate hearings on the Creative Industries Development Act—deepening her focus on policy, ecosystem governance, and industry development. She later established an IP Help Desk with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines and Benilde to support IP concerns in the fashion, design and textile sectors.

Set to pursue her PHD at City University of London (Bayes Business School), she is interested in what the future of creative work will look like—and how we can protect it, grow it, and make it thrive.  

esme@esme.world