Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenn Collazo.
Hi Jenn, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The story of the Filipino Young Professionals of Austin, Texas (FYP ATX) kicked off in May 2017 with a simple mission: find fellow professional Filipinos in town and put our community on the map. Back then, it was all about casual social networking and fun events— carving out a space to find like-minded people who wanted to celebrate our culture.
In November 2017, just a week after settling into Austin, I found that community for myself when I attended an FYP ATX Friendsgiving event. It wasn’t just a potluck; it was the beginning of finding my Austin family and the spark for my deep commitment to our Austin community.
Outside of volunteering with FYP ATX, I am a Manager, Solutions Engineer at InOutsource, where my day job is all about helping major law firms clean up messy workflows and solve tricky operational headaches. It didn’t take long for me to realize that running tech projects uses the same skills needed to scale a grassroots community group.
My superpower is project management. I absolutely love taking massive, chaotic ideas and breaking them down into clean, realistic objectives and timelines. While organizing is my skill, creating vibrant, unforgettable events for our community is what I’m passionate about. Bringing that corporate strategy into the nonprofit world became my way of turning big cultural dreams into real, high-impact community events.
Fast forward to May 2021, when I took the over as President from co-founder Marc Cayabyab. Stepping into this role, I defined my job with a simple philosophy: figure out what people’s superpowers are, and help harness and cultivate them. I always say that if I can find 10 people with amazing superpowers they want to share, then we have 10 amazing events for the community.
By bringing together an incredible team, we started expanding our reach way beyond casual happy hours and meetups. Alongside our dedicated volunteer board, committee leaders, and amazing community volunteers, we built out the core initiatives of FYP ATX today:
• Professional Development: Boosting careers with great programming. We just wrapped up our 2nd Annual Leadership Summit and we are launching the Lakbay Leadership Circle—a collaborative space for professionals to level up their skills alongside their community peers.
• Youth Development & Mentorship: Supporting the next generation as we head into our 5th school year partnering with the University of Texas Filipino Students Association (UT FSA). Along with amazing annual events like our Halo-Halo Social to welcome students to the new school year and Ingat Ka! Care Packages during finals week, we remind students they have a whole community cheering them on.
• Arts & Culture: Launching the Filipino Night Market ATX—now known as the Filipino Day Market ATX, which is proudly heading into its 5th year this October 25, 2026 and reached 1500+ attendees last year!
• Community Service: Teaming up with local nonprofits to give back to Central Texas and spotlight all the good work happening around us.
• Social Networking: Staying true to our roots with fun happy hours, community brunches, holiday parties, and casual hangouts that turn strangers into family.
The sheer drive, passion, and commitment of our team pushed us to reach a massive organizational milestone in February 2024, when we officially became a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization.
This transition fundamentally changed how we serve. We now actively elevate our mission by securing city grants, corporate sponsorships, and community donations. This ensures that access to our cultural celebrations and professional resources is completely free, open to the public, and never barred by a price tag.
Even after 9 years of FYP ATX, newcomers and long-time residents alike are still surprised to find a vibrant Filipino community thriving here in Austin, Texas. Our ultimate goal is to take away that shock entirely. We want anyone who calls Austin home to instantly know they have a family here, and we want the broader Austin community to know they are welcome to join our piyestas and karaoke sessions anytime.
As President, my focus is now on making sure our nonprofit is sustainable and sticks around for the long haul. We are focused on recruiting, retaining, and eventually passing the torch to the next wave of amazing leaders. By building an organization the community can always count on, we ensure that our annual events will continue to connect, uplift, and create a lasting impact for generations to come.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Running an organization powered entirely by people donating their free time comes with unique challenges.
Our biggest hurdle is recruiting and retaining volunteer leaders. Everyone on our team is juggling demanding day jobs, families, and personal lives, making burnout a constant challenge.
To tackle this, I focus on finding out what our volunteers are genuinely passionate about. When you align tasks with what people love doing, “volunteer work” transforms into a passion project. That shared excitement is exactly what drives our team to pull off such amazing events.
The other steep learning curve was figuring out how to actually structure and scale a growing nonprofit. Transitioning from a casual social club to an official 501(c)(3) required a lot of administrative groundwork.
We overcame this by researching other successful organizations and seeking out mentors. A catalyst for my personal growth this year was joining the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce (GAACC) Leadership Accelerator Cohort 2. It exposed me to fresh perspectives on leadership and team building strategies.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
To dive deeper into the daily grind, I naturally wear a ton of hats. Beyond steering our high-level strategy, I manage the hands-on operations, marketing, and social media alongside our team. I also work closely with my right hand woman, Tonee SC, to build strong civic bridges—connecting FYP ATX with the City of Austin, local chambers of commerce, and prominent professional, arts, and cultural organizations across the region.
In the community space, I’m best known for helping my team create sustainable, repeatable programs. My project management approach is all about editing and refining small, bite-sized events that serve as building blocks for our massive flagship experiences. Together, we strategically build momentum throughout the year, culminating in our flagship events:
Our Annual Leadership Summit every May in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month.
Our June 12th Philippine Independence Day + Austin Filipino American Day Celebration.
Our signature Filipino Day Market ATX, which is proudly heading into its 5th annual year this October.
What sets me apart—and what I’m ultimately most proud of—is being the operational powerhouse keeping these gears turning alongside our incredible board of directors, committee leaders, and volunteers. Building FYP ATX is deeply personal to me – I remember exactly what it felt like to look for home in a new city, and I love that I get to help build that home for others and find their ATX family.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
At the end of the day, the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that it’s all about making genuine connections with people. You can have the most flawless task list and biggest strategic vision, but none of it matters without human connection. When you focus on nurturing people and building real relationships, the community thrives.
Pricing:
- Free Membership
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fypatx.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fypatx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fypatx/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/filipino-young-professionals-of-austin-texas
- Other: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/filipino-young-professionals-of-austin-texas-52650268953
