The spirit of entrepreneurship is alive and thirsting for growth and opportunities across the Caribbean ecosystem. Global Entrepreneurship Week (2022) filled the region with much excitement, innovation and diversity as many entrepreneurs, budding business owners, innovators, investors, creatives, governmental and non-governmental organisations came together to celebrate the global movement between November 14-20, 2022.
The effervescence was felt from the official launch across GEN Caribbean on Thursday November 10, 2022, with the live online kick-off campaign hosted by GEN partner, Caribbean Center of Excellence for Sustainable Livelihoods (COESL). Community partners who attended the session included co-founders of GEN Caribbean Mrs. June Jackson - GARD Center and Dr. Ashley John - Constructive Solutions Inc, St. Vincent + the Grenadines. Other GEN Caribbean community members in attendance were Mr. Shedron Collins, Managing Director of GEN Trinidad & Tobago, Ms. Michelle Samuel and her team members from SLUDTERA, Ms. Rashida Beckles of COESL and Yahsonn Tafari of GEW St. Kitts + Nevis. (Diaspora partner).
GEN’s Global Advisor for the Caribbean – Dr. Marcia Brandon expressed from her observations and conversations “this year has been extremely brutal on top of the past two years as many entrepreneurs especially, struggled through trying to make a living, make an income, take up other jobs and build a business at the same time.” She added: “many of us in some ways have felt what the pandemic has brought, and we have also seen the wonderful opportunities it has presented such as, being on this online platform.” Dr. Brandon has been a part of the Global Entrepreneurship Network for 15 years and recommended some of the existing Caribbean hosts to the network. She expressed gratitude on behalf of the community for being a part of the global network and congratulated GEN president, Jonathan Ortmans for his vision, including his team, for their hard work and success.
Cecilia Wessinger, Director for Global Community at GEN, delivered greetings on the auspicious occasion as GEN celebrates the 15th anniversary of Global Entrepreneurship Week. She thanked the Caribbean entrepreneurship fraternity for their work over the years and for showing what entrepreneurship looks like for us in our region as part of the global community. The concept for Global Entrepreneurship Week, she commented, grew from Enterprise Week in the United Kingdom, and has now expanded to “over 10 million people, 40, 000 events, 20, 000 organisations in almost 200 countries."
The week brought hope, connectivity, pride and opportunities despite recent challenges and unexpected phenomena which ranged from COVID-19, volcanic ashfall, hurricanes, inter-regional travel hindrances and supply chain concerns across the region. This fact was further cemented through remarks from St. Kitts and Nevis Minister of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, the Honourable Samal Duggins, who noted that his government applauds entrepreneurs and small business operators who continued to operate through difficult times.
Partners, united by a common goal to ‘build forward better’ epitomised the power of cross-border collaboration as they used the week to market and propel economic growth opportunities for entrepreneurial initiatives. Entrepreneurs were exposed to various empowerment and educational platforms through community outreach, school, online webinars, pop-up shops, training, mentorship and more across Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Curacao, St. Maartin and other territories.
Thematic areas included export and new markets, digital skills, managing finances, marketing, challenges in business, agribusiness, mentorship and grant opportunities amongst others to aid them in understanding, operating and preparing to scale their business. Highlights included “the rising tide of successful micro-enterprise,” a two-day event focusing on tech and agri-enterprises led by Oslene Carrington of The Guyana Trust, who is also the lead for Startup Huddle Guyana. Fifteen entrepreneurs from nine countries took part in the event. The Regional Finals for Entrepreneurship World Cup Caribbean was held on November 20, ending the week of activities for the GEN Caribbean community. Eighteen countries with 18 national organizers and 18 national winners participated. Major congratulations to Dr. Mathieu Radd and his team at SmartBiotic out of Martinique for copping first place. Second place went to Ms. Eugenie Addison, Senzi,ME of Jamaica and third place went to Mrs. Jodie Dangleben, Jaydees Naturals of Dominica. All three regional winners will participate in the EWC Group Stage, starting in mid-December. Here they will engage with the EWC Accelerates team to get ready for the Bootcamp on February 3-5, 2023 where they will compete for a chance to make it to the EWC 100 and participate at the Global Finals in March 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. If you missed the regional finals, view it here.
On Saturday, November 19, Export Barbados hosted their 2022 awards ceremony for exporters, under the theme, “rewarding resilience, igniting innovation.” A wide range of awards were presented including Design Economy award, Ocean Economy award and Bio-Economy Award. COESL’s supported entrepreneur, Mrs. Cherry-Ann Boyce of Hello Naturalle received the Emerging Exporter award.
On this, the 15th anniversary of Global Entrepreneurship Week, the call for action continues to grow while showing the impact which the Caribbean entrepreneurship ecosystem can have on the world stage. Like our melodious and infectious CARICOM Anthem, we will continue to accelerate growth amongst one of our biggest resources, our unique Caribbean people, as we pledge to build support and be the vehicle of change for the entrepreneurial community.