11 young entrepreneurs secure funding for their business -successfully pitch business ventures in Jaguar’s Den
DPI, GUYANA, Saturday, May 26, 2018
After pitching their ideas in the Jaguar’s Den eleven young entrepreneurs successfully secured funding to either start or expand their businesses as the Youth Business Summit came to a close. The young businesspersons now have access to funding from $500,000 to $1M.
Director of Youth Melissa Carmichael-Haynes (center), Deputy Director of Youth Leslyn Boyce (far left) along with the winners of the Jaguar’s Den and the panel of judges.
Omica DeSouza who travelled from Region One, Port Kaituma to participate in the Youth Business Summit, did not have any regrets. She was one of the winners who secured funding to expand her snackette by adding a gaming shop.
“It makes me feel I am worth it. I have been trying and trying. I failed a few times but I kept going and at the end of the day I was successful” DeSouza stated.
Twenty-one-year-old Liliendaal resident, Vanita Savory, is ecstatic that she can now fulfil her dreams of establishing her ‘savoury mushroom’ business.
The young lady explained that ‘mushrooms’ are “actually a delicacy, you have mushroom soups, you could cook it as a compliment to a regular meal.”
Malcolm Wills, Rashley Ferguson and Elton Newton are partners of Dynamic Enterprise, a medical supplies business. They are set to take Guyana by storm with the production of prosthetic limbs via three-dimensional (3D) printing at an affordable cost.
“We are very much grateful for the opportunity afforded to us today, I believe this summit was a great initiative and it gave me a lot of drive to continue in the field of entrepreneurship and business” Wills stated.
Director of Youth Melissa Carmichael-Haynes explained that winning was the first step. A further assessment will be done to determine how much funding each winner will receive. The youth Director said that for those who did not make the cut at the Youth Business Summit, there is still the Youth Innovation Project of Guyana (YIPoG).
YIPoG has $70Million for young people to access up to $2Million for a community-based project using Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, Anthropology, Archeology, Arts, Mathematics and Spirituality also known as STEAMS. She also pointed out said the Youth Department will continue to provide platforms to empower young people.
By: Isaiah Braithwaite
Photos by: Shane Clement.
Vanita Savory.
Omica DeSouza.
Rashley Ferguson, Malcolm Wills, and Elton Newton.