Business and Art, Unite! 

by Amidala Mallari, Thames Undergraduate Student

Last October 22, 2020, Thames International’s business leaders and artists united in a virtual event to celebrate their passions amidst the pandemic. Titled “Add to Cart, Add to Heart”, the event was a collaboration of the student organizations Business Leaders’ Society and Thames Communicators, which promoted several local and start-up businesses owned and run by Thames students and alumni to the school community, then the participants enjoyed artistic performances from Thames students in between promotions. 

The event began with BLS President Yana De Villa’s opening remarks, telling the participants that showing one’s support for the brands is not necessarily limited to purchasing or consuming its products, but can also take the form of sharing their posts on social media, potentially attracting customer interest. Afterwards, student hosts Ivan Combalicer and Jullien Resplandor introduced the participating businesses: Thepopcorn.mnl, Everything Art, The Cereal Bar Manila, Moonleaf, Nico Belasco Photography, The 4th Floor Kitchen, and Lively Grains. Each of the owners of these businesses was allotted three minutes to give a brief background of the business, to present their products, and to give their business contact information. Thames Communicators members Andy Matias, Daena Resurreccion, and Jennien Jose each serenaded the audience with a song in between the business presentations. Certificates of appreciation were then awarded to the business owners for their enthusiastic participation, followed by a raffle draw, giving the lucky winner a prize of Lively Grains’ Black and Red rice as the program concluded.

Feedback from promoters and viewers was positive, deeming the event meaningful and purposeful. For Thames student and Moonleaf  part-owner Nadine Manuel, the event was a way for the community to enjoy the brand’s discounts and freebies for the month. For student-participant Arielle Caubang, the event enabled her to expand her connections as she aspires to start her freelance modeling portfolio. “Add to Cart, Add to Heart” was a fun and exciting way to end the first term of the academic year 2020-21, inspiring viewers to never let anything, including a pandemic, limit their perseverance and creativity. 

Thames International is committed to building a new order for the world by giving talented students and entrepreneurs the tools to thrive and lead the way in a world beset by rapid change. If you’re interested in augmenting your skills and making connections with some of the brightest minds in business education today, please take a look at our future-proof undergraduate degree programs.