When we started off 2020, we didn’t expect half of the events that turned this year upside down for our team and for our community. We’ve experienced tragedy and loss, but also beautiful moments of joy and belonging. Most of all, we’ve been overwhelmed by the support from you, our community, through it all. As we close off this year, we want to remember the moments that reminded us of the reason that we do this work in the first place: to build community while representing and expanding what it means to be Filipinx American. 

Brownthought Academy

At the start of this year, we lost the heart of our Undiscovered team, Marco Jastillana. There hasn’t been a day that’s passed where we can’t help but remember Marco and his signature fedora, his wry grin before he started listing off different names for new brands and campaigns, or the way he selflessly gave his time and energy to every project that raised awareness for SOMA Pilipinas and Filipinx American identity. 

With Marco’s legacy in mind, and in collaboration with  the Jastillana family, we launched the Brownthought Academy - a marketing bootcamp and internship designed to pass on Marco’s teachings and deep love for the community to the next generation of marketers and changemakers. 

We received an overwhelming number of highly qualified applicants, and the selection process was rigorous. In the end, Kristine Dizon, Lorenzo “Jolo” Merilleno, and Jimmie Flora were finally selected as the inaugural class of Brownthought Academy. In each of them, we saw the same passion and ambition that Marco radiated and we’ve been amazed at the energy and new perspectives they’ve brought to our growing team.

After months of learning everything from PR and media, social media, analytics, email marketing, and  paid ads while simultaneously working on campaigns for UNDSCVRD X and Undiscovered Sundays, Jimmie, Kristine, and Jolo ended their BA internship by presenting to Marco’s family. 

Their ideas for generating funds to replenish the BA internship for a second year captured the entrepreneurial spirit, creativity, and heart that became Marco’s legacy and signature brand. The Jastillana family will be funding their final project to replenish the internship’s funds so we can continue to share Marco’s teachings and wisdom with the next generation. 

We’re so proud of Jimmie, Jolo, and Kristine - keep an eye out for their products debuting soon!

Undiscovered Sundays

While we were planning our first virtual summit for a global audience, we wanted to give our hometown community a way to safely gather together while supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs in SOMA Pilipinas. Undiscovered Sundays, in partnership with Sunday Streets SoMa, was a weekly pop-up featuring a farmer’s market, Undiscovered vendors and food businesses, and the local businesses along Folsom Street. 

Our team was challenged by the unpredictable nature of the weather, fire season, and changing restrictions during the pandemic that would limit outdoor gatherings. Though it was difficult, we strived to create a safe space for our community to gather outdoors and simply share the same space - a sense of connection and belonging that we were all looking for after months of meeting virtually. 

We want to thank our local community in SOMA Pilipinas, all the residents of the SoMa, our new vendors and veteran Undiscovered merchants, as well as the Folsom Street small business owners who participated in Undiscovered Sundays and supported the markets. We wouldn’t have been able to do this without you, and it meant so much to our team to see our community coming together to support each other. 

First Virtual Summit: UNDSCVRD X

This year, we hosted our first virtual summit UNDSCVRD X - the first online gathering of Filipinx Americans celebrating culture, food, music, art, and identity. With hubs in San Francisco, LA, Manila, and New York, we wanted to offer a diverse range of what it means to be Filipinx and Filipinx American and to highlight the incredible accomplishments that our global community has achieved.  

Our whole team, working remotely across the Bay Area, organized, planned, and promoted the summit that featured over 90 speakers, performers, artists, vendors, entrepreneurs, and more from across the globe! 

From Filipinx streetwear icons Lady Maximo and Jon Phenom to Hood Famous’ Chera Amlag and Geo Quibuyen (Prometheus Brown), we wanted to curate panels and performances that highlighted the voices of our generation and the next. 

Above all, we wanted to celebrate the multi-faceted nature of Filipinx identity across the globe to build community online during these challenging times. 

Undiscovered Talent

Launched as a way to promote UNDSCVRD X, Aaron Orcino and Lorenzo “Jolo” Merilleno spearheaded Undiscovered Talent which quickly became an overnight sensation and a platform to showcase the rising talent from the global Filipinx community! 

Our finalists, Kate De Los Santos & Decent People, Michie, and Ace de Guzman won us over with their one of a kind songwriting skills, unparalleled vocals, and show-stopping stage presence. 

First place winner Kate De Los Santos performed live on the main stage at UNDSCVRD X with her band, Decent People, opening for headliners Ruby Ibarra and Kiana V. Kate’s ethereal vocals swept us away and we can’t wait to see what she does next! 

Twitch Livestream

To build up to UNDSCVRD X during Filipinx American History Month, resident music curator and marketer Marky Enriquez launched a series of Twitch Livestreams leading up to the virtual summit! 

Each week featured a different DJ from the Bay to New York as well as speakers from our sister projects and campaigns like Filipinos Feed the Frontlines and Balay Kreative. Launching our weekly Twitch shows was our first foray into livestreaming and informed the way we curated DJs and performances for UNDSCVRD X.