Global Entrepreneurship Week – Breakfast Event

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The launch of Global Entrepreneurship Week in Antigua and Barbuda, as celebrated around the world, was marked with an Early Morning Connector Event, held on 17 November 2014, from 8:30am – 10:30am, at the City View Hotel in St. John’s. 
There were twenty-nine (29) persons who attended from the following organisations.

  • GARD Center (3)
  • Scotiabank Antigua (3)
  • International Monetary Fund (IMF) (1)
  • Antigua and Barbuda Coalition of Services Industries (ABCSI) (2)
  • L.C.P Industries (3)
  • Astute Management & Consulting (1)
  • Lighthouse Global Executive Services (LGES) (1)
  • Antigua and Barbuda Investment Authority (ABIA) (1)
  • Office of the National Authorizing Officer (NAO) (2)
  • Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) (3)
  • Department of Youth Affairs (1)
  • Nyahbinghi Farms (2)
  • Brenda Carrott (Media Consultant) (1)
  • Observer Media Group (1)
  • Amya’s Design (1)
  • Jah Showers Smoothies (1)
  • Bajez (natural soaps) (1)
  • Keynote Speaker

The Keynote Speaker for this Breakfast event was Mr. Curtis Dennie M.B.A, Marketing Consultant.
Within his presentation, Mr. Dennie stated that the mindset of students are brainwashed into thinking that upon leaving high school, it is expected for them seek employment rather than to venture into creating employment for themselves and others and to be more entrepreneurial.
The Theme for this year’s GEW Breakfast was, “Venture Capital & Entrepreneurship in a Caribbean Context”
 

GARD Center Antigua and Barbuda Kicks Off Global Entrepreneurship Week

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The Gilbert Agricultural and Rural Development Center (GARD Center) – Antigua and Barbuda hosted a Breakfast on 17 November 2014 to kick-start Global Entrepreneurship Week.  This is a part of the Scotiabank funded Bridging the Gap project, and was held in collaboration with regional partner CoESL.  The GARD Center launched GEW 2014, joining hundreds of countries globally who are taking part in the November 17-23 activities.  The launch was held at the City View Hotel, Antigua. It was moderated by Mr. Johan Oliver, Business Development Officer at the GARD Center.  Mrs. Roberta Williams, Executive Director of GARD Center, read remarks from Mrs. Marcia Brandon, of the Caribbean Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Livelihoods (CoESL), which is based in Barbados.
The Bridging the Gap (BtG) project aims to celebrate entrepreneurs and promote entrepreneurship. It serves as a way to create ties between Private Sector and Civil Society, entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship, as well as to connect regional entrepreneurial development entities in an economic sustainable development triangle. The BtG project has three (3) main activities. These are the regional launch; early morning regional connector events which will be held during GEW, on different days, under separate themes by each country participating in the project; as well as a series of regional business mentoring sessions. These business mentorship sessions are intended to facilitate a generational transfer of knowledge which will assist and guide young and mature entrepreneurs on how to prepare to launch a business and how to grow their businesses.

2014 Annual Caribbean Sustainable Livelihoods Through Entrepreneurship Conference

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IMG_1052The Caribbean Center of Excellence for Sustainable Livelihoods (CoESL) and regional partner the GARD Center, recently concluded the 2014 Annual Caribbean Sustainable Livelihoods Through Entrepreneurship Conference in Antigua and Barbuda, from 27 – 29 October.  The theme for this 7th annual conference was “Getting Regionalism Right – A Strategy for Sustainable Development.”

IMG_1711The Opening Ceremony and the Conference were held at the GARD Center, Mercers Creek.  The keynote speaker was the Hon. Samantha Marshall, Minister of Social Transformation & Human Resource Development.  After the Ceremony, the Minister officially launched Caribbean Entrepreneurship Week (CEW) and declared the Trade Show open.

IMG_1111Over 40 persons from eight countries registered for this intensive three day conference which covered subject matter to include presentation on ‘Creating the Region’s Entrepreneurial People; Strengthening the Eco-System’ by Mr. Ashley John.

A Think Tank / Knowledge Sharing Session was held whereby four groups were formed and participants were divided amongst the area of their interest.  Topics discussed were: 1) Business Mentoring and Coaching for Entrepreneurs 2) Agriculture, Climate Change and Green Techniques 3) Volunteerism, Internships, Apprenticeship and Shadowing Programmes and 4) Entrepreneurship.  Each group was chaired by an expert in the respect fields.

The gathering was addressed by a local entrepreneur, Mr. Yves Ephraim, CEO, Pegasus Technologies Inc. who spoke about ethics in business.

Discussions included,  ‘Accelerating Regionalism Through Entrepreneurship.  What More Needs to Be done?  The Male panel was moderated by Mr. Ashley John, while the Female panel was moderated by Ms. Akosua Edwards.

A regional panel on ‘The Current Status of Efforts to Develop Regional Entrepreneurs. Helping People to Create Livelihoods for themselves.’ Panelist included: Robertine Chaderton, Caribbean Consulting Group, St. Kitts & Nevis; Stephane Burke, CIBC/First Caribbean International Bank; Keisha Sandy, Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) and Pamella Thomas, Team Fresh / Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN). This panel was chaired by Marcia Brandon, CoESL.

CANARI Launched its How to Guides, while the CoESL launched its 2013 Conference Publication & 2013 Research Publication.  In addition, a personalized  Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) Presentation was made by Mr. Jonathan Ortman, President, via video and the Launch of GEW Caribbean was announced by a drum roll and celebratory dance.  All participants were encouraged to message at least five (5) persons to announce this launch.

Field Research sites were organised for day 3, with participants divided into three groups.  Much discussion took place during the presentation of the Group Research Presentations.

IMG_1019The conclusion overview of the three (3) day conference was given by Roberta Williams, GARD Center.

IMG_1727IMG_1714An Award ceremony for the outstanding Trade Show exhibits and those with outstanding Entrepreneurial skills were rewarded on Wednesday afternoon.  Awards were given for the Best Product; Most Informative Exhibit; Most Innovative; Most Entrepreneurial – Male and Female; as well as for Environmental Awareness; Best Quality; Best Agripreneur – Male and Female; Most Committed and Best Potential.

The CoESL and the GARD Center sincerely wish to thank all of the sponsors, volunteers and participants of this event, who truly made it a resounding success.

Caribbean Entrepreneurship Week 2014

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Caribbean Entrepreneurship Week (CEW) will be celebrated from Monday, 27 October 2014 and will be launched in Antigua and Barbuda.
This is a week in which the Caribbean Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Livelihoods (CoESL) and partners encourage and lead the Caribbean in highlighting Caribbean Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurship.  It is a week of celebrating Caribbean entrepreneurs and turning the spotlight on the value of entrepreneurs and the impact of entrepreneurship in the Caribbean.

GARD Center Represented at GEC in Moscow – March 2014

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Last month, more than two thousand delegates met in Moscow for the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC)—an inter-disciplinary gathering of startup champions from more than 140 countries. Above all else, they are interested in sharing ideas with one another on how best to help startups flourish in their countries.
Representing Antigua and Barbuda, and the GARD Center at the congress was Johan Oliver, Business Development Officer. The GARD Center is also the local representative for Global Entrepreneurship Week, and their corresponding events.
Johan Oliver et al in Moscow-March2014
(Johan Oliver; far right, with Jonathan Ortmans; President of GEW, & Award winning startup Founders for Teddy the Guardian; Josipa Majic & Ana Burica of Croatia.)
The entire week of the Congress offered an impressive range of interesting activities. The Opening Ceremony commenced with a global Research+Policy Summit, and an entrepreneurs’ Peer to Peer event. Official fringe events, conducted by leading practitioners and entrepreneurial support organizations, took place on the days surrounding this Forum—providing educational and networking opportunities as well as a unique window into successful Russian models with potential for being replicated.
The Congress pulls together a broad collection of voices from across the entrepreneurial spectrum—with previous participation from celebrity entrepreneurs like Richard Branson and Marc Ecko, startup community champions like Brad Feld of TechStars and Dave McClure of 500 Startups, as well as an increasing number of government officials interested in getting smarter about how to more effectively help entrepreneur led startup communities.
However, the real driving force at the Congress was an expanding community of delegates—entrepreneurs, researchers and supporters who have partnered with their national leaders in more than 140 countries—working tirelessly to advance startups and position entrepreneurship as the cornerstone of global prosperity and stability.  It includes the teams from all 140 countries who run Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW)—the annual collection of national startup campaigns that attracts 7.5 million participants to roughly 20,000 events, activities and competitions during one week each November.  In Moscow, they gathered to exchange ideas for GEW 2014 and strengthen the connections that fuel a burgeoning global entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The 2014 Congress was a joint effort by Global Entrepreneurship Week, the Moscow City Government and the Kauffman Foundation.

Nature Center and Trail Launched

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The GARD Center officially opened its Nature Center and Nature Trail on Thursday, 24 April 2014, to its Board Members and Staff.
The brief Ceremony was opened in prayer by Rev. Patmore Henry, Secretary, Methodist Conference and the blessing of the site offered by Rev. Otto Wade, President, Methodist Conference and GARD Center’s Chairman of the Board.
IMG-20140428-WA000
Following, those present were taken on a tour of the Discovery Corner and then walked the shorter part of the three mile trail.  The journey of the one-mile trail was quite refreshing in the morning as we observed various plant species and a functioning water tower built during the 1800s.
At left, is a collage of some of the interesting discoveries to be made when guests visit the Nature Center and Trail.

Mentors and Tutors Trained in Gender Sensitization

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GARD Center recruits and trains eleven Mentors and Tutors on Gender Sensitization
In an effort to continue providing young women and men between the ages of 16- 35 with professional training and nurturing, the GARD Center recently recruited and trained eleven mentors and tutors who will be working along with these young persons.
Gender Sensitization Training 4-14The training was conducted at the Directorate of Youth Affairs by the Director, Ms. Cleon Athill, see photo at right.  The topics covered in the training prepared the mentors and tutors for the challenges and situations they would most likely be faced with when working along with these youths, such as, differentiating between gender and sex, and gender biases.  It is expected that the mentors would be assigned to these youth and potential entrepreneurs for a period of 3 years, during which time they would be evaluated on a quarterly basis.
The GARD Center continues to attract young persons aspiring to become entrepreneurs to contact the Business Development Unit. We can be contacted at 463-4121 or 734-0084.

USAID Team Visits GARD Center

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The Director for the Latin America and Caribbean Bureau, Mr. Jene Thomas visited Antigua and the GARD Center on Thursday, 10 April, to get an understanding of the local situation and to see some of the programs that USAID supports (or supported).  Although the Caribbean Youth Empowerment Project (CYEP) has ended the team was very interested to hear about the work with vulnerable youth which was carried out by the Center   He was accompanied by the Acting Mission Director Debra Banks and the General Development Officer Walter Doetsch.
USAID personnel visit to GARD Center-10April2014
 
(2nd from left: Roberta Williams, Executive Director, GARD Center; Debra Banks, Jene Thomas, USAID team members; surrounded by GARD Center staff.)  Photo taken by Walter Doetsch, third member of the USAID team.
 
 
 
The team engaged in very fruitful discussions with the Executive Director and staff.  They were also able to observe youth in training and viewed some of the facilities that support our training programs.  Hopefully, this would allow the broader USAID team to get an understanding of the extremely important role the GARD Center plays working with vulnerable youth.  The team also heard some of the issues faced by youth.