NARRATIVES WHERE DIFFERENT WORLDS MEET
Jiro Reyes BY AARON D. TOLENTINO THERE ARE those who believe that art and business can’t go together—those who believe that the pursuit of the arts is doomed to bankruptcy. However, Jiro Reyes (4 BFA ID) has shown otherwise. As an artist, he spent his college years honing his skills as a graphic designer while passionately cheering for the school as a member of the Blue Babble Battalion. At the same time, Jiro made great strides as an entrepreneur with art as the catalyst for his business ventures. Refining his craft Before Jiro got to where he is now, he had to put in a lot of work, especially when it came to becoming a better designer. “I had no background in design when I came into college. I just knew how to work a pencil,” he says. Over the next few years, Jiro studied and practiced graphic design until he built up the courage to offer his services to establishments around Katipunan. Now, he is proud of the progress he has made: “Looking at the designs I started with and the designs I do now, halatang halata yung difference (the difference is obvious).”
Aside from finding a family in the cheering squad, he also learned how to be more communicative and confident—a far cry from his high school self who was frightened of crowds. Jiro believes that if it wasn’t for Babble, he wouldn’t be the “new man” that he is today. A young entrepreneur College quickly exposed Jiro to a wide range of possibilities, but his growth didn’t stop with design and cheering. Accompanying these achievements was the realization that he could capitalize on his skills. One of the first times he put his interest in graphic design to use was when he sold shirts on Ateneo Trade in his freshman year. Later on, his business savvy high school friends influenced him to venture into entrepreneurship as well. This would eventually push the passionate artist to apply himself to the cut-throat world of business.
But design isn’t the only thing Jiro is passionate about. In his freshman year, Jiro passed by the Moro Lorenzo Football Field on a Wednesday afternoon and heard the beating of the Ateneo Blue Babble Battalion’s drums. From that moment on, he wanted to be a part of “the heartbeat of Ateneo.”
Jiro jumped from selling t-shirts online to co-founding his first legitimate business in 2019—Tipsy Lab Mobile Bar. As the head of Tipsy Lab’s marketing and branding, he wanted their company to give the “high school” experience of friendly barkadahan to people holding events like debuts and weddings. Jiro and his partners acknowledged that they had to stand out from the competition, so they searched for a way to add “depth” to their business. “We marketed [Tipsy Lab] in a way that we’re not selling the drinks, rather, the experience we’re giving to the consumers,” Jiro says.
Jiro decided to put his boisterous personality to good use and became a part of Babble. “Babble has been really the biggest factor of my college life, the biggest game-changer,” he says.
Despite initially struggling to find capital, Jiro and his partners were able to quickly earn from the business after around four months of continuous services at events.
Unfortunately, Tipsy Lab had to cease operations due to internal reasons. Though it came to an abrupt end, the venture was not for naught, especially for Jiro, who looks back on the experience as one of immense growth. Thanks to Tipsy Lab, Jiro was featured as the youngest person on When in Manila’s list of 30 successful entrepreneurs under 30. But more importantly, the budding entrepreneur walked away from his first business endeavor with insights that will help strengthen his future ventures. Overturning conventions Although the business is no longer running, Tipsy Lab was able to bring Jiro one step closer to realizing what he wants out of life. After his experience with running the mobile bar, he now wants his future businesses to serve a greater purpose: “For me, [having a purpose] is also the driving force for why I would continue one thing even if I lost all the motivation for it.” As Jiro continues his quest for improvement, he gets closer to his goals—which include achieving financial independence and traveling more. However, to reach these milestones, he believes that he should not be boxed in by what he learned in college: “It doesn’t mean if you’re a fine arts major that you’re only inclined to that, you can be whatever you want to be, as long as you work for it.”
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