Ateneo Blue Nest Brings Experiential Leadership & Innovation Training Ecosystem (ELITE) Workshops to All aBOARD Expo sa QC ’26

Ateneo Blue Nest, the official startup incubator of Ateneo de Manila University under the Ateneo Intellectual Property Office (AIPO), successfully concluded its Experiential Leadership & Innovation Training Ecosystem (ELITE) workshops at All aBOARD Expo sa QC ’26, the biggest board game convention in Southeast Asia.

Held on May 30–31, 2026, at the Quezon City M.I.C.E. Center, the ELITE workshops added a leadership and innovation learning track to the four-day expo. Through strategy board games and guided reflection, the program showed how play can become a meaningful tool for leadership development, decision-making, collaboration, and systems thinking.

Learning Leadership Through Play

Across two full days, ELITE welcomed an engaged group of participants who experienced hands-on learning through carefully selected board games. Each session was designed to connect gameplay with leadership principles, innovation mindsets, and real-world decision-making.

On May 30, more than 22 participants joined the first day of workshops. The morning session featured Catan under the theme “Leading Through Scarcity.” As participants built settlements, traded resources, and negotiated their way toward victory, they explored how leaders make strategic choices while working within limited resources. The game surfaced lessons on adaptability, strategy, negotiation, and decision-making under constraint.

Participants navigate resource scarcity and strategic trade-offs in the "Leading Through Scarcity" Catan session.

ELITE Workshops, Quezon City M.I.C.E. Center, May 30, 2026.

In the afternoon, participants played Modern Art PH in a session titled “Leading Through Valuation.” Set in the fast-paced world of art auctions, the game allowed participants to reflect on timing, market behavior, risk-taking, and the discipline required to make sound decisions under uncertainty.

Participants weigh market timing and risk in the high-stakes "Leading Through Valuation" Modern Art PH session.

ELITE Workshops, Quezon City M.I.C.E. Center, May 30, 2026.

On May 31, ELITE welcomed 26 participants for a second day focused on sustainability, systems, and design. The morning session featured Kalikasan: Cascadia PH under the theme “Leading Through Decision-Making.” Participants built balanced ecosystems while reflecting on sustainability strategy, environmental awareness, and long-term thinking.

Day 2 participants cultivate balanced ecosystems and sustainability mindsets in the "Leading Through Decision-Making" session with Kalikasan: Cascadia PH. ELITE Workshops, Quezon City M.I.C.E. Center, May 31, 2026.

The program concluded with Cities, played using a special edition featuring the Quezon City tile, under the theme “Leading Through Systems.” Participants designed and developed their own cities while balancing growth, efficiency, and livability. The session offered a practical and familiar lens for understanding urban planning, innovation, and systems thinking.

Participants and facilitators at the closing “Leading Through Systems” session featuring Cities (Quezon City edition).

ELITE Workshops, Quezon City M.I.C.E. Center, May 31, 2026.

By the end of the two-day run, the ELITE Workshops demonstrated how game-based learning can create meaningful spaces for leadership development. Participants did not only play; they reflected, collaborated, tested strategies, and connected game experiences to real-life leadership challenges. The workshops showcased what Ateneo Blue Nest and AIPO continue to champion: transforming ideas into action, building innovation capacity, and creating learning experiences that are practical, engaging, and human-centered.

Ateneo Blue Nest extends its sincere gratitude to Gaming Library for providing the board games that made the ELITE sessions possible. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to experiential education, innovation, and ecosystem-building.

Ateneo Blue Nest also warmly congratulates the organizers of All aBOARD Expo sa QC ’26 for the successful staging of this year’s convention. We are grateful to have been part of this year’s run and to contribute through the ELITE Workshops. Ateneo Blue Nest looks forward to next year’s edition, with the theme “Foundations of Manila,” and to seeing how the expo will continue to celebrate Filipino creativity, culture, and community through board games.

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To learn more about the Ateneo Blue Nest Incubation Program or Ateneo Intellectual Property Office (AIPO), visit www.aipo.ateneo.edu or send them an email: aipo@ateneo.edu.