Ace Gapuz Shares Real Talk on Leadership, Growth, and Being a Woman in Business at PHILSME Business Expo 2026

Ace Gapuz, Blogapalooza CEO, Trixie Esguerra-Abrenilla, PHILSME, Tina De Guzman, Pinay Girl Boss are all smiles after their fruitful panel discussion with the topic Market Makers: Women Designing Their Own Tables

Ace Gapuz, CEO of Blogapalooza joined fellow entrepreneurs Trixie Esguerra-Abrenilla of PHILSME and Tina de Guzman of Pinay Girl Boss as one of the panelists for the discussion “Market Makers: Women Designing Their Own Tables.” During the talk, Ace shared her insights on leadership, entrepreneurship, and the realities of being a woman navigating industries often dominated by men.

Known for building Blogapalooza, the country’s first and longest-running influencer marketing company, Ace shared personal experiences and lessons from her journey as an entrepreneur, giving the audience a glimpse into both the challenges and rewards of building a business.

Ace Gapuz (2nd from left), Blogapalooza CEO, hyping up fellow entrepreneurs at the PHILSME Panel Discussion

Opening up about the realities of being a female entrepreneur, Ace shared how navigating male-dominated industries became one of her biggest challenges as a founder.

“From my experience, one of the hardest would still be operating in male-dominated industries. Ace shared candidly. Then, putting in the female power in that, I say that it's a challenge and it's one of the hardest because there's still that unspoken attribution of power to masculine figures.”

The audience responded with laughter and applause, but Ace’s message struck a deeper chord, highlighting the resilience women often need to thrive in business spaces traditionally led by men.

Ace also reflected on how her entrepreneurial journey began long before influencer marketing became mainstream. Starting as a blogger in 2001 at just 11 years old, what began as a simple hobby eventually led her into the worlds of social media, PR, events, and business. Looking back, she described her journey as something that felt destined from the very beginning.

Beyond her success story, Ace spoke honestly about the ongoing struggles of scaling a business as a founder. She admitted that one of the hardest lessons she continues to face is learning how to step back and build systems without becoming the bottleneck herself.

“You want to protect the business so much that sometimes you become the bottleneck, the problem,” she shared, earning nods and agreement from fellow entrepreneurs in the audience.

One of the most heartfelt moments of the panel came when Ace talked about the importance of women supporting women. She emphasized how meaningful it is to have a community of fellow female entrepreneurs, not always for solutions, but simply for support, understanding, and safe spaces to be heard without judgment.

Ending the discussion with a reminder for aspiring entrepreneurs, Ace encouraged everyone in the room to lead with value.

“My advice to business owners is to continue giving value wherever you go and however you do it. If you focus on delivering value all the time, opportunities will always find you.”

With authenticity, experience, and undeniable passion, Ace Gapuz once again proved why she continues to be one of the most inspiring voices in the local entrepreneurial and creator space today.