31 young entrepreneurs battle to secure funding in the ‘Jaguar’s Den’ – pitched their business ventures to panel of judges
DPI, GUYANA, Thursday, May 24, 2018
The battle in the Jaguar’s Den began this morning as young entrepreneurs pitched their business proposals to a panel of judges. Their aim was to secure funding either to expand or start up their businesses. This was part of the Youth Business Summit, being held at the Pegasus Hotel, Kingston.
Diane Pompey.
Seventeen-year-old Diane Pompey from Mahaica, Region Five, was one of the hopeful entrepreneurs. After presenting her idea to the judges, Pompey was confident that she would make the cut with her ‘Country Fresh Farm’ poultry rearing and cash crops venture. She is proposing to start with 300 broilers and layers. A plus for Pompey is the fact that the waste from the birds will be used as manure for the cash crops.
The young lady explained that based on the feedback from the judges, she will receive the funding needed for her business. “I think I will be successful because they have been encouraging me to go on YouTube and look at a solar apparatus that a girl put up on YouTube, so they have been encouraging me with what to do”, Pompey stated.
Traceyann Massay.
Another participant, Traceyann Massay is looking to expand her business, ‘Handcrafting with Traceyann”. Massay currently designs a wide array of speciality cards including invitation, birthday, anniversary, thank you, love and baby shower cards on a small scale. Requiring close to two million dollars to expand, she was positive. According to Massay, the judges “loved” her presentation.
When questioned on what makes her venture standout, the young entrepreneur explained that it was her “uniqueness, “My business is different from all the other presenters here today so I think that gives me an advantage.”
However, of the 31 applicants, only 10 will be selected. They are being judged based on presentation, innovation, the potential for growth and financial viability.
The Youth Business Summit was part of National Youth Week 2018 and concluded this evening. This year’s activities were hosted under the theme “Empowering young people to foster national and community development through innovation.”
By: Isaiah Braithwaite.