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.