About Us
Bayanihan Circle is founded by a husband and wife duo, building a community of people that support and collaborate with each other through networking events, membership and mentorship programmes that we provide.
Bayanihan Circle was born from the spirit of the Filipino culture, creating a community of people that support and collaborate with each other. We connect, inspire and support entrepreneurs, professionals and investors in reaching their personal and business goals through our events, membership and mentorship services.
As a solo-preneur or small business owner, it can be easy to feel isolated and alone in your daily work. That’s why it’s so important to have a community of like-minded individuals to turn to for support and social cohesion. Building and maintaining a supportive community can have a powerful impact on your mental health and overall well-being.
Our Story
Bayanihan Circle (BC) is founded by a husband and wife duo; Adrian and Mae. Before starting BC they were solopreneurs, each running their own businesses separately. Husband and Wife teams are not for the faint of heart, more often than not they are like Cats and Dogs BUT they do have moments, where they laugh about anything which makes it all worth it! As a couple they have been together for a long time now and will be celebrating their 18th wedding anniversary in December 2023!
Mae owns a catering business, is a content creator and a food blogger, also known as @foodwithmae. You might recognise her from her Boodle Fights, Supperclubs or maybe you saw Mae on TV with Mary Berry. She’s also a big foodie and loves Zumba dancing!
Adrian runs his own Consultancy advising Tech startups aka the connect guy, the one who if you need something, he will know who you can contact! Adrian loves whisky and football. Ask him who he supports next time you see him…or maybe not depending on the results!
Adrian and Mae wanted to do something together that they are both passionate about. Similar to what they did with their friends in 2007, in setting up Philippine Generations (PG). A not for profit organisation whose sole purpose was to Educate, Inspire and Empower the younger generations of Filipinos, ultimately the children of Migrant Workers.
One of PG’s activities outside of the cultural events was the PG Social. A semi-regular networking meet-up that was very popular! People still mention some of the times we all met up with great nostalgia. Many met new friends, some found love and many made business collaborations. This is where the idea for Baynihan Circle came from. To focus solely on the business networking and community side of the Socials.
In September 2018, Adrian and Mae, wanted to see if this new format would work and got together a group of Filipino Business Owners, Professionals and Entrepreneurs to network in the TFC (The Filipino Channel) offices in Earl’s Court. It was a great turnout and the main takeaway was that people want to share their experiences with others, they want the human interaction that can be difficult when you are working for yourself or even working on yourself!
Bayanihan Circle was born in Feb 2019. It really started small, after a couple of meetups they had to stop because of Covid. The general thought was that’s it, we can’t continue anymore. Covid was hard on all of us, BC relies on people meeting face to face and the social element that the whole of the world missed. They tried a zoom call and a socially distanced meet up, they didn’t give up.
Early this year Adrian and Mae decided to really give Bayanihan Circle a push, they looked at how it would work and what services could be offered. There have been 3 networking events so far this year and they have been really successful. From a handful of attendees in a pub to nearly 80 attendees in a private members club!
BC has now partnered with the Century Club, a private members club in Soho, opposite China Town. Acting as the Networking event for the Asian members of Century and the wider business community.
The positive feedback and praise really does show that Bayanihan Circle is on the right path.
Bayanihan Circle is truly thankful for all the support from our guests, panellists, the Century Club and our Members!
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Our Values
Inclusivity
Inclusivity cannot be achieved through exclusivity. We welcome people from any background and experience level into our community.
Community
Community is created through our networking events and is vital for personal and business growth. We believe in giving back to the community too; 5% of the proceeds from membership fees go towards The Bayanihan Pledge, which supports our chosen charities, all of which support Filipinos either in the United Kingdom or the Philippines.
Inspiration
Inspiration should come from both the shared experiences of others and the sharing of each other’s successes. We will create an engaged community of like-minded people who want to use their consumer purchasing power to contribute to the success of our collective businesses.
Support
Support is a basic need that should be provided to each other through community and collaboration. We provide the tools and support they need to combat the challenges associated with career progression or building a business.
Image 2. The Baynihan Circle Logo.
What is Bayanihan?
Bayanihan is at the core of Filipino culture, a traditional system of mutual assistance in which the members of a community work together to accomplish a difficult task (as seen in image 1 above).
Our logo (as seen in image 2 above) is very culturally significant, Baybayin is the phonetic writing system native to the Philippine islands prior to colonialist rule. The upturned heart represents the Baybayin symbol for ‘Ba’ (as seen in image 3 below), the first syllable of ‘Bayanihan’.
The circle represents Community and Completeness. The logo itself resembles the ‘LingLing-o’ – a native tribal symbol for ancestry, pride, fertility, luck and growth (as seen in image 4 below).
Image 3. Sample of Baybayin, the native Filipino script, by M. Adiputra.Image
Image 4. Three designs of lingling-o from the Philippines, now housed at the Musée du quai Branly in Paris, France, by Chaoborus.
Our Team
Mae Magnaye Williams
Co-Founder
Mae is a Chef and Entrepreneur. Having launched the UK’s first Supperclub in 2013, Mae has gone on to have residencies in Soho, appear on TV with Mary Berry and help inspire the next generation of food entrepreneurs aross the UK! Mae has spent over 15 years in community engagement and social enterprise and was a co-founder of Philippine Generations. Mae spearheaded the language classes and parol workshops.
Adrian Montero Williams
Co-Founder
Adrian is a Partnerships Consultant for Tech Companies and Entrepreneur. Having worked with global high growth Advertising Technology businesses, building many teams and launching many innovative solutions! Adrian has spent over 25 years in community engagement and social enterprise and was a co-founder of Philippine Generations. Adrian spearheaded the football tournaments and social networking meet-ups.
Alex Baldwin
Community Marketing Lead
Alex is a Digital Marketing Leader. With a particular focus on Web Design, Content and Social Media Marketing, His day job is the Head of Marketing for a Business Consultancy balanced with his own Digital Consultancy. He is passionate about creating a vibrant community focused on entrepreneurship, development and of course camaraderie, all built on foundational Filipino values.
Scholesy Bruno Mars Williams
Chief Morale Officer
Scholesy is a Morale Boosting Security Specialist. Having protected his family and home from the Postman, the Vacuum Cleaner and Fireworks for over 6 years now. Scholesy has spearheaded the fetching of balls in multiple parks throughout London. Scholes has also claimed the majority of lampposts and trees in the Marylebone and Regents Park Areas.
hello? is it you we're looking for?
Intern
We are looking for Interns to help us with running different parts of Bayanihan Circle, such as Events, Membersips and Mentorship! Do you want to be part growing the kind of Community you want to be part of? Send us an email, come to our events or reach out over socials!
hello? is it you we're looking for?
Intern
We are looking for Interns to help us with running different parts of Bayanihan Circle, such as Events, Membersips and Mentorship! Do you want to be part growing the kind of Community you want to be part of? Send us an email, come to our events or reach out over socials!