Esme Palaganas works in the intersection of creativity, culture and commerce. 

In 2023, she completed a Masters in Innovation, Creativity and Leadership from City University of London – Bayes Business School as a Chevening Scholar with a focus on Web3 and Creative Industries Management. She is an ASEAN member of the UNCTAD e-Trade for Women and External Board at the Centre of Creativity in Professional Practice in London. More about her here.

Trained as a designer, she has presented in fashion shows and garnered awards in the Philippines and Malaysia.   

@esmewoldstudio

In leadership and management roles, she took charge of the Policy and Planning Committee at the Philippine Fashion Coalition, guiding efforts to pass the Creative Industries Development Act with Congress and Senate technical working groups. Earlier, she led the Special Projects Committee during the organization’s inaugural year, focusing on fundraising and member engagement. She’s also a council member at the Fashion Design Council of the Philippines, launching projects with public and private partners.

@philippinefashioncoalition www.philippinefashioncoalition.com 

Formerly a founder of an e-commerce venture with a portfolio of over 20 brands reaching markets such as Singapore, Japan, Italy, Australia and the Philippines, she focused on growth strategy to boost the brand value, revenue and community engagement.

@basicmovement @basicmovementclub www.basicmovement.club

Currently, she is 1/3 of the founding team of PHx Fashion Group dedicated to producing events and activations focusing on Fashion Education and Market Incubation.

As a Creative Industries Management and Marketing educator, she guest lectures in both business and design schools in the Philippines. She is a contributing writer for Philippine Star and Vogue Philippines with articles focused on creative industries, culture and technology. 

@phxfashiongroup www.phxfashion.org