By: Tito Chapman
The U.S. Embassy for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean and The Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) launched Startup Huddles in seven Eastern Caribbean countries in celebration of Global Entrepreneurship Week.
The islands included are: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The “Huddles” which will be held monthly aims to support local entrepreneurs in honing their pitch skills and developing solutions to business challenges.
Six of the seven successful entrepreneurs who will serve as StartUp Huddle organizers in their respective countries are also alumni of the U.S. government flagship entrepreneurship exchange program, the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI).
Janeel Boon of St. Kitts will serve as the StartUp Huddle organizer for St. Kitts and Nevis.
The other organizers for the respective territories are:
Elijah James (Antigua & Barbuda), Cardell Fergusson (Barbados), Avena Prince (Dominica), Tamara Prosper (Grenada), Michelle Samuel (Saint Lucia), and Jeneille Lewis (St. Vincent & the Grenadines). Six of these organizers
Startup Huddles offer a unique program designed to educate, engage and connect entrepreneurs. The Startup Huddle format is consistent in each location: one or two early-stage startup founders give a six-minute presentation of their companies to a diverse audience of peers, mentors, educators and advisers. Each presentation is followed by a 20-minute question and answer session.
For the first huddle, the organizers will select local speakers from successful startups in their own countries to share best practices with all participants. Some organizers are hosting their huddle virtually, while others are holding in-person gatherings where COVID-19 protocols will be strictly enforced.
