If you had stepped into the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel on the evening December 19th, 2025, they would have seen hundreds of people filling a glittering ballroom. There was laughter, music, and dancing. Pure joy.
What you wouldn’t have known is that just weeks earlier, many of these same people had watched typhoons damage their homes or their communities. You wouldn’t have guessed that months before, strong earthquakes had shaken the region. Looking at the celebration in that ballroom, you’d never suspect the (literal) storms this Philippine creative outsourcing company had weathered throughout 2025.
But that’s exactly how RipeConcepts operates. We face adversity head-on. We support each other through the hardest moments and celebrate our wins. Rising to challenges is part of our nature, but we’ve also been incredibly fortunate to have the unwavering support and care of Nagarro, our mother company.
So, at that year-end ball we called The Venetian Affair, we had a lot to be thankful for and much to celebrate.
Setting the Stage
At the RipeConcepts Christmas party, the keyword was transformation. Elaborate decorations created a resplendent but cozy atmosphere. Guests in their finery posed for pictures throughout the night, and some donned mysterious masks in keeping with the Venetian theme.
With VIPs joining the celebration, the stakes were particularly high this year. We wanted to show them what exactly RipeConcepts was about. These industry leaders traveled to Cebu to see firsthand this top design agency in Cebu in action and to meet the people behind the work. After their long flights and back-to-back meetings, we pulled out all the stops to show them a good time at The Venetian Affair.
Upon entry into the venue, guests were treated to transcendent covers of pop songs by a string quintet. “Pink Pony Club” never sounded so good. Later in the evening, the company’s in-house band took the stage, and this group of talented staff members from different departments performed contemporary covers that got everyone on their feet.
Another group from the RipeCrew prepared a hilarious but heartfelt performance set to the "Kpop Demon Hunters" soundtrack. Meanwhile, aerial dancers executed a jaw-dropping number that was a feat of strength and grace.
Leadership and Vision
The program then brought the focus to the people steering RipeConcepts’ future. Paul Lyon, RipeConcepts CEO, addressed the crowd with reflections on the company as a labor of love, and where it’s headed in 2026 and beyond.
Manas, co-founder and CEO of Nagarro, followed with his own remarks about Philippine culture, RipeConcepts’ trajectory, and the importance of the work being done in Cebu. His presence, along with Nagarro CTO Vaibhav, demonstrated the strong support system surrounding RipeConcepts’ continued growth.
Amid the celebration and forward-looking optimism, the evening also held space for a deeply personal goodbye.
Honoring Miles
The ballroom fell quiet as attention turned to Miles Nepomuceno, the outgoing president affectionately called Mother Miles. After well over a decade of building RipeConcepts alongside Paul, she announced her retirement at the end of the year.
It is difficult to overstate her impact on RipeConcepts. She helped shape the company from its early days into the digital creative powerhouse it is today. Under her leadership, RipeConcepts has remained at the cutting edge of creative process outsourcing.
The announcement brought tears to many eyes in the room, but there was also gratitude and recognition that her legacy would carry forward, even as RipeConcepts prepared for its next chapter.
Paul’s words were simple, but carried immense weight: “Thank you, Miles. Without you, RipeConcepts simply wouldn’t exist.”
Masters of Change
Transformation has always been part of RipeConcepts’ story. We evolve and find new ways forward without losing sight of who we are. The culture that we’ve created and the support that Nagarro provides are the constants that anchor us amidst shifts. The Venetian Affair gave our crew of digital chameleons yet another chance to show what we do best: transform, adapt, and create something unforgettable. Despite everything 2025 threw at us, we’re still standing, still creating, and ready for whatever comes next.
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