Bing Tan is the co-founder and CEO of the Philippines' Packworks, and has been in the IT industry for the past 20 years. In his spare time, he loves photography and anything with engines.

Packworks works with sari-sari stores (neighborhood mom-and-pop shops) by providing them with access to goods and financial products.

👋🏼 How would you explain your job to someone outside tech?

We provide a business solution for sari-sari store owners so that they can be more efficient in running their enterprises.

🧐 What's something about you or your job that would surprise us?

I am an avid motorcycle enthusiast! It allows me to enjoy the Philippine roads while also being able to visit our sari-preneurs, no matter where they are located.

🏆 What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?

Definitely starting Packworks because we have found a business that creates true inclusion. We do not sell goods, so we don't peddle to our customers. We're not a loan provider, so we don't give them loans. We are genuinely in sync with the success of the stores that we serve. We grow when our sari-preneurs do.

🔍 What's a startup trend or space you're watching this year?‍

I think it is our humane duty to find a model that can create business and financial inclusion. This allows us to really provide value for the next billion people starting in the Philippines.

💼 What advice would you give someone starting out in your industry?

Bring a lot of grit and a lot of creative solutions.

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🗣 What's one thing you can keep talking about for hours?

Photography! In this age of computers, I still enjoy the romance of shooting large-format photography. It allows me to slow down and think and really just appreciate what's in front of me.

🎥 What's your favorite movie/TV show?

The Fast and the Furious franchise.

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🍨 What's your go-to ice cream flavor?‍

Straciatella!