New experience booking platform iWanna soft-launched last Friday, December 2, 2022, making it one of the newest and most unique gifts you can give your loved ones this holiday season.
The platform hosts experiences specifically for individuals to improve their skills, try out new hobbies, explore potential side hustles, and experience other careers.
Currently, iWanna offers day-long experiences where experience-takers will be able to shadow and learn from professionals in many different industries for a day.
Its experience-givers distill what they’ve learned throughout the years, and even decades, to give its experience-takers the best learning and most empowering experiences that they can learn from and lean on as they go on their own journeys.
“It took me years to figure things out, to get to where I am today. Getting here was a rocky path but it was worth it because there were a lot of lessons learned that I would’ve never received if I didn’t go through what I did,” said Bettina Bernabe, Managing Director of B-Line IMC, Inc. and iWanna experience giver.
“iWanna is here to help people who are going through what I went through, what my friends and peers went through, but fast-tracking the process and their progress, their journeys, with the guidance of someone who’s possibly walked that path before,” added Bernabe.
A new way to upskill, explore new side hustles, get quality mentorship, and network
iWanna’s experiences help anyone looking for the next steps in their careers, an opportunity to pursue their passion, ideas for potential side hustles, and quality mentorship to help them upskill.
This has been a critical unsolved pain point for many new graduates, early to mid-career professionals, and individuals aiming to start doing something new in life.
During the early stages of designing and building iWanna, the team interviewed millennials and Gen Zs and discovered that they were having trouble finding ways to help them (1) advance in their careers, (2) find and jumpstart a side hustle, and (3) upskill and get experience.
These two groups also said that they didn’t know where to get quality mentorship from established professionals who have gotten through the exact same problems they are going through today.
And on-the-ground data backs this up.
A 2019 JobStreet survey showed that up to 71% of Filipino millennials and Gen Zs focus on an employer’s promotion opportunities, self-development programs, and skills development programs when looking for a new job. 63% of millennials and 65% of Gen Zs also found mentoring programs significant.
Furthermore, a separate study conducted by Deloitte revealed that on top of their primary job, 63% of Filipino Gen Zs and 61% of millennials have an additional part-time or full-time job.
By offering these day-long experiences, iWanna helps young professionals and anyone looking for a change in life chase their dream careers, get mentorship to help them advance in their careers, and explore potential side hustles.
Each experience comes with A-plus mentorship with its network of career professionals and industry leaders.
iWanna has partnered with startup founders, chefs, fitness coaches, baristas, hosts, music producers, content creators, and financial advisors to take individuals on experiences that will give participants insight into their careers.
It firmly believes that one of the best and most efficient ways for young professionals and individuals to learn more about a certain career, hobby, skill, or life, in general, is to seek advice directly from those who have experienced and journeyed through it before.
iWanna’s experience-givers include boutique integrated marketing communications firm B-Line IMC, Inc. Managing Partner Bettina Bernabe, J.Cuppacakes owner & founder Chef Julianne Bernardo, POUND and Werq coach Madie Pfiffner-Dinglasan, founder of farm to kitchen platform Zagana Inc. Joshua Aragon, Host, TV Presenter & Journalist Lia Cruz, and Cherries to Cup Coffee Solutions, Inc. owner Coffee Specialist Mark Neil Madrelejos.
Other experience-givers include ANTHILL Fabric Gallery co-founder & managing director Anya Lim, Rags2Riches co-founder Reese Fernandez-Ruiz, Big Baby Studios music producer Mikey Amistoso, and Insular Life financial coach Katrina Lee & Matthew Singson.
iWanna’s mission is to inspire and enable experience-takers in their own journeys towards their goals whether that be upskilling, career-shifting, exploring a new hobby, getting their foot in the door, and so much more.
iWanna’s looks forward to offering more and more experiences with varying setups and immersion in the coming year.
New Year’s Resolutions?
With a new year right around the corner, iWanna is looking to introduce one-on-one coaching calls, and multi-day mini-internship experiences as early as mid-2023.
Currently, iWanna has opened the waitlist for a number of one-on-one coaching call experiences for those who want to meet and get advice from a creative entrepreneur, pastry chef, impact startup founder, barista, and financial coach.
iWanna has also opened the waitlist for more immersive experiences. It is piloting this setup for those who are interested in seeing how coffee gets from the farm to their cup. Here, experience-takers will be able to go to an actual coffee farm in Northern Luzon and see how coffee is grown, harvested, and brewed.
To learn more about iWanna, and the experiences they offer, click here.
Get to now more about iWanna through their Facebook and Instagram accounts!
