At just 21 years old, Gian Dizon has already carved out a name for himself as the founder of Playahz, a culture-first creative agency rooted in community, authenticity, and lived experience. From flea markets and pop-up gigs to TEDx stages and national brand activations, the college student has proven that creativity doesn’t need a Silicon Valley playbook to thrive; it just needs connection.

In our latest Elevator Pitch, we sat down with Gian and talked about the origins of Playahz and its unique service model, the challenges of running a company at such a young age, and his vision for taking the agency further while keeping its heart anchored in the communities it serves. We delved into the mindset of a creative entrepreneur and the grit necessary to build something real and lasting from the ground up.

Building a Brand from Experience

Gian’s journey as an entrepreneur began earlier than most. At just 12 years old, back when fidget spinners, pocket tees, and tropical polos were at their peak, he spotted an opportunity among his friends and classmates. Recognizing the craze, he made his first business move: sourcing these in-demand items from Manila and bringing them back to Calamba, Laguna, where he was based at the time. What started as a small hustle quickly became his first lesson in supply and demand, teaching him the value of timing, resourcefulness, and listening closely to what people wanted.

“I actually started contacting manufacturers in terms of the pocket tees,” he shared with The Beat Manila. “They were shocked to find an 8th grader reselling their own pocket tee, so they made me a dealer. I didn’t have to purchase up front, so it was more of a pre-order basis.”

“I’m also a big fan of social media. I was scrolling through my feed all day, and eventually I got to learn more about how brands do it, how they build a community. I started joining communities like Social Media Marketing Philippines. It was also the time when vloggers were a thing, and I was interested in doing that type of content. ‘Facebook GG’ [Facebook Gaming] was also a thing back then, so I started streaming and really just exploring and enjoying what I want.”

Around 2020, Gian landed his first “friend-client” when he collaborated with streetwear brand REVEL, founded by Mykee Jofet Rojas and Chelseah Hilary Ongsee — a well-known influencer and sibling to social media personalities Natalia Ongsee, Ranz Kyle, and Niana Guerrero. That early opportunity opened doors, allowing Gian to expand his network.

By the time he returned to his hometown in Batangas, brands had already begun reaching out to him. His first official project came through Al James merchandise, a connection he built via DougBrock TV (DBTV), which had a production company that specialized in music called TMP. After parting ways with the company, Gian shifted his focus to freelancing, steadily building a portfolio by creating content for brands, producing shoots, partnering with venues, and later branching out into event organization. Since then, he has worked on major projects, including 10X in Manila held at Solaire Resort, and most recently, an event under Philippine Blockchain Week at the SMX Convention Center in June 2025.

Gian is also balancing school with his work and is currently a third-year college student studying Marketing Management at De La Salle Lipa. He had also earned his Accredited Marketing Professional (AMP) license, which certifies him as a marketer.

Each step in this journey has marked Gian’s growth, not just as a creative but as a young entrepreneur shaping spaces for culture and community. This is the cornerstone of how Playahz began, a culture-first creative agency that operates on both a community and commercial level, bridging the people who move culture and the brands trying to keep up with them. The company was officially established in late 2023, starting as a media publication meant to inform people about what was happening in the music scene.

“I've really been learning a lot, and I've done most of the execution myself. Initially, I had an on-call team, but since they're on-call, there’s no commitment. So it’s just me, full-on committed to this, but having partners who are on and off,” he explained. “But at some point, I saw that my interest lies in the production field. I really wanted to push with Playahz, so I decided, okay, how can I make it a unique asset zone? I studied the whole business side of it, and unlike other production companies that are exclusively towards B2B, we also cater to B2C, and we treat it like a rat experiment. We call it ‘Playground events,’ where we learn about how people react to certain things and different types of activations. Just basically getting their feedback and connecting with communities. That has become the forefront of Playahz — not just to engage the scene but to connect brands and communities.”

According to their company profile, Gian built Playahz to help brands “break through the noise not with more ads, but with deeper presence, intentionality, and human insight.” With Playahz, he was able to create an agency that helps brands become part of the community, not just target it.

When asked why it was important for the company to be culture-first, he replied, “When you do things, you always consider the audience. I've experienced some moments where I've worked with different brands and people, and at some point, they get lost in what could be or what’s in honor of the event — where did the idea derive from? Being creative is really good, but there are just some points where we just have to respect the culture that's already built within that exercise or activity,” he explained.

“They forget where it stems from and the values that should be upheld and delivered during the execution. And what we do differently is we don't just go to events to just read the room and how they do it, but we try our best to actually learn from the people, and adapt on the spot. So when we cater this activity or pitch this type of activity to brands, we know what we should be doing, and we know what people would actually enjoy.”

Gian may not have had formal agency training, but it seemed that being street-learned has given his company a unique edge. For B2B, Playahz brings behavioral insight into strategy and production with a service menu that will soon include Content Production, Creative Direction, Promotion, Logistics, and Talent Sourcing.

Although based in Lipa, the agency also operates in Manila. When asked if there are any benefits or disadvantages to setting up shop outside of the capital, Gian answered, “I believe it's good to have this outside perspective. I’m from Batangas, and I’ve always been surrounded by people who want to experience this or that event, and I always ask the question ‘Why? Why do you want to experience this?' That’s one of the things that really builds my idea of how I should structure an event. Since I’m also still a student, I have a good grasp of the student market, so when I go to Manila for the events, I know how to target them.”

“Disadvantage-wise, logistics is always a problem. Most of my clients are from Manila. During our early phases, we really didn’t have people who could represent us there, but now we do. I partnered with various people who could meet up with these clients, who could deliver this type of output when I’m not around during the early phase.”

As a young founder, Gian has been steadily growing as a leader, learning from every experience while managing a diverse team of both full-time and part-time members. When asked about the systems and structures he has developed to help the agency stand on its own and operate efficiently, he shared that Playahz is guided by values rooted in a family-like culture.

“One of my very important learnings is that when someone is drowning, you don't throw a comment, you offer a hand,” he said. “You only comment once a project is done. We’ve had our fair share of experiences of just trying to deliver projects, and one of my learnings out of that is your team will be there, but you have to set that standard to always aim to complete, not just deliver. So I always ensure that when I onboard people to the projects, they have no prior commitments at that time.”

Gian further explained that although it is commendable to want to try or balance several things, he wants his people to understand that they must be fully available and committed to a project. He also mentioned that having worked with people whom he considers friends has helped him build the business on trust.

“I know there's been this talk on social media that we shouldn’t work with friends, but we’ve had this understanding that whatever happens, this is work life. This is not our personal life. This is just another version of us striving to learn and earn.”

From our conversation, it’s clear that the young founder considers Playahz as a learning experience, something he intends to build and expand in the years to come. From music video launches in Makati City to organizing fashion shows and pop-up booths for Batangas-based brand Nifties, Gian is gaining more knowledge with every project, leveling up their game as they work with various clients. The founder also shared some of his goals for the company, which included establishing a more permanent team, as well as establishing the name “Playahz” in the market as a competitive creative agency.

“There's this stigma that when you go to Manila, it’s more competitive. That's the mindset of every senior high school student who wants to go to a university-belt college. But competitiveness relies on the choices you make and the privilege you have. So we just want to build that idea that you don't find competition in places, you set yourself to be how competitive you want to be,” he stated. Gian also shared that they aim to be the Filipino version of “Emily in Paris,” and to expand not just locally but also internationally eventually. They also have several events lined up throughout the year, forging partnerships with music labels, local retail brands, and speakeasy bars across Manila and Lipa.

When asked about the best advice he’s gotten through his entrepreneurial journey, he replied that it was to work on things you want and enjoy, to make mistakes, learn from them, move forward, and then do it all over again." As for the advice he would give other young entrepreneurs hoping to build something meaningful, he answered, “I encourage people to hear people out, but at the same time know the people you're hearing it from and decide whether to take it or not. Advice is really important, but make sure that the one giving you that advice is really someone you find credible.”

You can follow Gian on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram, or stay tuned on Playahz’s official Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram pages for more information and updates on their services.

Enjoyed this article? Check out our previous Elevator Pitch profiles here.