Making up only 18% of the Asian population of the United States of America, Filipinos are the underdogs – tiny ducklings that accidentally waddled out of the small pond and now find themselves in the overwhelming depths of a huge lake. As minorities struggling to realize the American Dream”, Filipinos in the USA often find themselves faced with arduous challenges to overcome to keep their heads above water. Dealing with a myriad of obstacles such as discrimination, hate, and missing their homeland, they’re known for their hard-work and resilience which is why little to nothing can stop them from rising above the hardships. Once in a while, Filipinos do more than just rise… becoming remarkably performing disruptors and pioneers that emerge triumphantly from adversity – just like Tommie Mopia.
Born in Guimbal, Iloilo and raised in Makato, Aklan, Tamerlane “Tommie” Mopia and his family had only migrated to the US in 2008. “It was hard, as a then eighteen-year-old, to navigate moving into an entirely different place where we were the minority,” Tommie shared in an interview, when asked about the beginnings of his journey in the United States. He started off as an office worker in one of the hospice agencies in Southern California.
Upon noticing that Filipinos are one of the most in-demand healthcare workers, Tommie thought to himself that while his countrymen worked hard to perform well, they were always just workers and never the owners despite making up a huge bulk o f the workforce. “This led me to opening our own hospice and home health agency in Southern California.” According to him, this venture was his first entrepreneurial big break.
Since he’s been in the healthcare industry for a long time, Tommie has been successful in creating relationships, building trust, and supporting business plans focused on critical collaboration. But having worked in diverse private and government-owned hospitals, he felt like he needed a break from the constant and heavy responsibilities that came with working in healthcare. “What made me branch out into the entertainment industry was this need for a break. I lived, breathed, and ate only hospice and home-health. I needed something that was fun. And I also wanted to do something that also gave back to the Filipino community.”
This led to the creation of the TGM Group of Companies inc, which Tommie founded and worked in as CEO. The company, which does live concert and music productions all around the United States, held their first ever concert featuring internationally renowned musician Jake Zyrus. “We started from one concert, building up to more and more. One thing led to another, and I was having so much fun that I didn’t notice we had worked with so many Filipino artists, already.”
Tommie’s gritty exploration and crossover from one industry to another has garnered attention and gotten him awarded by Gawad Amerika as the Outstanding Young Entrepreneur of 2022. “It’s a truly humbling experience,” Tommie exclaimed when asked about it by CNN Philippines. “I’m proud to be able to be a part of this.”
His beginnings may have been tough, as Tommie recalls what it was like having all the resources he needed in the Philippines but suddenly having to start over from scratch when they migrated to the US. “As a minority, someone often overlooked, it was important for me to bring something new to the table. Something people had never seen before,” Tommie explained when asked about the process of how he achieved his success. “Most importantly, the most critical thing for me was loving what I do. As long as you love your dream, chase after it, and work hard for it. Everything will just flow through.”
