‘WE LIFT’ Expo 2024 to celebrate innovation of women in business

– Expo to take place on April 20th and 21st at National Aquatic Centre

Female entrepreneurs are being urged not to limit themselves but to be motivated to break glass ceilings in the business sector.

This call to action came from Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud, who encouraged women to utilise the Women Empowering, Leading, Innovating, and Flourishing Together (WE LIFT) expo as a stepping stone to propel their businesses.

The anticipated female-centric WE LIFT expo is slated for April 20 and 21, 2024 at the National Aquatic Centre, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, the minister said, “WE LIFT celebrates the innovation and strides that Guyanese women would have made in business. It is really coming together in this unified way, creating a movement of women entrepreneurs and telling them not to limit themselves.

So that when they succeed in one area they must progress to the next because we want women to understand that they have opportunities equally.”

The event will feature 250 women-owned businesses and female fashion designers, aiming to elevate the visibility and success of these designers from a local to an international platform.

Leaders in business and entrepreneurship will join in the two-day activity, offering invaluable mentorship, sharing business insights, and exchanging ideas with participants.

Moreover, young adults will have the opportunity to engage in the Ella Inc. mentorship competition, vying for a chance to secure a scholarship for university studies in Miami or mentorship opportunities abroad.

The collaborative programme targets 25 persons to equip them with the tools to start and sustain a business.

Demerara Bank Limited, a sponsor of the event has made financing accessible for participants. They are offering reduced interest rates, as low as eight per cent, and decreased contributions of 10 per cent.

Further, all processing fees will be waived, and participants will receive guidance on cash flow management, ensuring prudent financial decisions and favourable returns on investments.

“I think Demerara Bank Limited coming on board with this offer of a lower interest rate and also waving the processing feet is a very good step for those women.  For some it might be a start-up, for others it might be expansion, and definitely for many it might be sustenance…that technical support is also going to be useful to these women,” Minister Persaud emphasised.

Additional sponsors of the event include School of The Nations, ExxonMobil, Enet, Inter-American Development Bank, Banks DIH, and Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Co Ltd.

Meanwhile, citizens are encouraged to come out and support the largest women-centric expo, free of cost from 2 pm to 8 pm on Saturday and Sunday.