Born from years of collaboration, friendship, and shared ambition, the Five Story Group of Companies is now one of the Philippines’ fastest-growing business collectives—led by five young women who believe that enterprise can be more creative, more connected, and more intentional.
What began as a constellation of side hustles and passion projects between five longtime friends has evolved into the Five Story Group. This bold, boundary-pushing ecosystem spans marketing, retail, distribution (bringing international labels such as The Editor’s Market and Rom&nd to the Philippines) to venture acceleration, and end-to-end corporate solutions—from e-commerce and social media to events, media production, and design.
At the helm of Five Story Group are Tamika Santos, Samantha Tangco, Robyn See, Ysabel Jao, and Raina Gabitan—five women with distinct strengths and a shared drive to do business differently.
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Lifestyle Asia sat down with the co-founders to talk about how Five Story came to be, the lessons they’ve learned along the way, and what it takes to build something meaningful together.
For those just hearing about you, who is Five Story Group? How would you describe what you do and what ties everything together?
Tamika: Five Story Group is a collective of companies. We’re built around the belief that creativity, culture, and commerce can work together and work better when led with initiative and intention.
Sam: We house creative agencies, shared services, fashion and beauty brands, and investments under one roof, connected by a common vision: to do things differently, to make a difference.
Robyn: What ties us together? A refusal to settle, a drive to create work that matters, and the magic that happens when you put five of us in the same room.
Take us back to the beginning. What inspired the five of you to start the Five Story Group?
Ysa: We’ve always been passionate about building something of our own, something that reflects our values, voices, and vision.
Raina: What started as side hustles and passion projects slowly grew into businesses. We realized that we were stronger together, and that by bringing our different skill sets, experiences, and styles into one space, we could build something bigger and more meaningful.
Did you set out to build a group of companies from the start, or did that evolve over time?
Tamika: Honestly, no. We didn’t sit down and say, “Let’s start a group of companies.” We each had something we were building: whether that was in retail, design, media, or services, and over time, they naturally intersected. Five Story became the structure to support them all.
Sam: It evolved organically. We followed the energy and said yes to opportunities that aligned with us. What started as a few side projects snowballed into a bigger ecosystem, and then we realized we needed a home to house all of it.
Robyn: It definitely wasn’t a traditional route, but it made sense for us. We were already collaborating on so many things, so why not build something that formalized that collaboration and allowed each brand to grow with shared support?
Ysa: It was about giving ourselves the freedom to experiment and expand. Five Story gave us that space.
Raina: It started with trust. We trusted each other’s vision and work ethic enough to go all in.
How would you describe your dynamic as a group of friends turned co-founders? What’s changed, and what’s stayed the same?
Sam: We’ve definitely grown up together, personally and professionally.
Raina: We all have different leadership styles, but we’ve learned how to complement rather than clash. We’ve created space for each other to grow into new roles.
Ysa: We’re still each other’s biggest supporters. The dynamic has matured, but the bond is stronger than ever.
Each of you brings a different strength to the table. How did you decide who would take on which roles?
Tamika: We knew early on that if we wanted to build something that would last, we had to be intentional about our structure. So instead of just assigning roles based on instinct, we brought in outside counsel to guide us.
Robyn: They interviewed not just the five of us, but also our early employees, suppliers, and partners. From there, we evaluated our natural strengths, leadership styles, and how we showed up in different situations. The roles we each stepped into weren’t just assigned, they were aligned.
Ysa: The whole experience gave us a structure that felt true to who we are individually, and solid as a team.
What’s next for Five Story Group? What should we be watching out for in the months or years ahead?
Raina: We’re growing, both in scale and vision!
Sam: Launching new brands, expanding our existing ones, and continuing to invest in businesses and people we believe in.
Tamika: We’re building something that lasts and continues to do things differently, to make a difference.
If you could each give one piece of advice to your younger self on the day you launched Five Story, what would it be?
Tamika: “A roof is a man-made thing.” The limits you see aren’t fixed; they’re built by someone or something else. Don’t be afraid to challenge boundaries, build your space, and raise the ceiling.
Sam: You can have it all, just not all at once. Anything can succeed if you’re laser-focused, fully present, and give it your 100 percent. Once you’ve built something you’re truly satisfied with, then you can move on to the next, then the next, and the next.
Robyn: If I could give a piece of advice to my younger self (and something I still remind myself of today), it would be to pace myself and stay focused. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. In the early days, I equated movement with progress and took pride in doing everything all at once. But I’ve learned that building something meaningful takes consistency, clear boundaries, and the discipline to follow through. I once heard that a million-dollar idea means nothing without execution, and it’s stuck with me. Vision is important, but what really matters is doing the work, staying focused, and seeing things through (even if it’s a little slower than you imagined).
Ysa: There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. When I first started as a young entrepreneur, I constantly questioned if I was leading the right way, executing projects correctly, or handling clients as I “should.” But over the past four-plus years, I’ve learned that there isn’t a single “right” way to do things. What matters most is finding what works best for you and your team. Don’t box yourself into the norm—give yourself the space to explore, experiment, and grow. Often, doing things differently is exactly what sets you apart.
Raina: You don’t need all the answers to start. Confidence begins with curiosity and the courage to begin anyway. Progress isn’t always loud—it’s found in steady steps, quiet persistence, and trying again. Trust what you have. Use what makes you different. Keep moving forward.
Photography by Kim Santos of KLIQ, Inc.
