Vivi’s concept is the Lubao Community Venture Incubator — in her words, “a micro-enterprise incubator where any Lubao resident can pitch a business idea, get mentorship, refine it, get connected to investors, and launch it.” The first piece she and Lucus designed to test is Lubao Community Seed Funding: small grants of ₱5,000–₱15,000 for micro-entrepreneurs, paired with a financial-literacy workshop called “Micro-Business Foundations: Scaling in Lubao.”

Lucus built the evidence base and the program’s operating procedure. His research review draws on National Bureau of Economic Research and impact-evaluation studies of seed funding — including an evaluation in Somalia where business grants raised participation in non-farm business activity by nearly 15% — and his design makes education part of the deal: applicants complete business and finance training, write a business plan, and sign an agreement with check-ins and oversight.

“Among eligible micro-entrepreneurs in Lubao, those who receive micro-grants will show a statistically significant greater increase in their Business Asset Accumulation Index (BAAI) over a six-month period, compared to a randomized control group who do not receive funding.”

What they’ve built

• A randomized controlled trial design (40–60 micro-entrepreneurs; workshop + grant vs. workshop-only control, with blinded outcome assessors)
• The BAAI field protocol — a 0–5 scoring of equipment, inventory, space, signage, and transport, verified with photos and receipts at baseline and six months
• A complete two-hour financial-literacy workshop (the “Two Pockets” rule, ledgers, cash-flow health checks)
• A micro-grant application with instructional materials and a sample application, plus a baseline survey

Their $4,000 fundraising goal covers the first cohort of micro-grants — eight micro-businesses at $175 — the workshop, and field staff. The project is fully designed and in its fundraising phase.