Jungie Gumiran
E-commerce mentorship program enters second year after helping aspiring entrepreneurs build homegrown brands
MANILA, Philippines — The first step toward entrepreneurship can be as simple as an idea—but turning that idea into a business requires a very different set of skills. LaunchStrong is helping Filipino first-time founders bridge that gap, reaching more than 150 entrepreneurs in its first year.
Founded in 2025 by entrepreneur Jungie Gumiran, LaunchStrong is a five-week live mentorship program designed to guide aspiring founders through the early stages of building an e-commerce brand.
More than 100 homegrown brands have been developed through the program to date, spanning wellness and supplements, food and beverage, personal care, pet care and fashion.
The program’s mentorship covers product ideation and validation, supplier sourcing, positioning, pricing, branding, launch strategy, customer acquisition and early-stage growth.
LaunchStrong reports that approximately 80% of first-time founders who joined without an existing product or e-commerce background have successfully progressed toward launching their first online business.
Among the brands supported are Eat Move Love, Pharmatrust, Magic Bowl, Tonios, TELA Pinoy and NanaPro Litter.
“E-commerce in the Philippines is becoming much easier to enter, but harder to win,” said Gumiran. “Opening a marketplace store or having a good product is no longer enough. Aspiring founders can generate sales and still lose money if they don’t fully understand business economics, platform fees, logistics, inventory, and cash flow. Success, more than just the launch, is making better decisions before putting hard-earned capital at risk so the business can survive and scale.”
Gumiran’s mentorship philosophy comes from his own experience as a founder.
His wellness brand JUJU Lifestyle has served more than 300,000 customers since its founding in 2021. After entering physical retail, the brand expanded to more than 20 retail partners within its first year, including SouthStar Drug, HeyDay, Wellness Plus, specialty clinics and fitness studios.
His previous experience scaling digital marketing agency frameworks and dealing with major early-stage setbacks also shaped his focus on helping founders validate products and manage risk before committing significant capital.
Since 2019, Gumiran has further expanded his role as an educator through AdsLevelUp, where he has coached more than 30,000 CEOs, freelancers, marketers and business owners across 200+ training sessions and workshops.
As LaunchStrong begins its second year, the program aims to reach more aspiring founders and help them navigate the full journey from idea to launch and early-stage growth.
“Our vision is to give first-time founders the practical perspective to realize that they can build a brand from scratch, regardless of where they are starting from,” Gumiran said. “In our second year, we want to equip more Filipinos with the skills, discipline, and execution capability to build sustainable consumer brands that can compete nationally and eventually scale beyond the Philippines.”
LaunchStrong’s next five-week live mentorship cohort is scheduled for December 2026.