Youth Business Summit a huge success – provided pertinent information and opportunity to network
DPI, GUYANA, Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Young entrepreneurs who participated in the first-ever youth business summit have commended the initiative. The summit, formed part of Youth Week 2018 and afforded hundreds of young people the necessary information needed to expand or establish their businesses.
Julian Cadogan.
The participants received information from the Guyana Revenue Authority, National Bureau of Standards, the National Insurance Scheme, Go-Invest, Guyana Energy Agency, the Master Class Institute among other public and private agencies.
Additionally, the conference also gave away millions of dollars to 11 young entrepreneurs who successfully pitched their business ventures to a panel of judges in the ‘Jaguar’s Den’.
Maleka Russell from Kwakwani in Region 10 successfully secured funding to expand her agricultural business. Along with the cash, Russell also took away a wealth of knowledge gained from the summit.
“I will use this as an opportunity to meet with other youths and share with them the information that I would have received. Information like NIS compliance, how to pay your taxes and all of these basic things that you would need to do in order to go into business in Guyana,” Russell stated.
For Julian Cadogan, CEO of Caliper Drone Services, it was an opportunity to network with colleagues and discuss developments in their respective area of business. According to Cadogan, “We were able to build on each other’s strengths.”
Budding agricultural entrepreneur Vanita Savory noted that there was a surfeit of information for young entrepreneurs like herself. “It was loaded with a lot of information, more than I bargained for,” Savory remarked.
Overall, the participants were impressed with their experience at the Youth Business Summit and are encouraging others to take advantage of the opportunity next year.
The summit was an initiative from the Department of Youth to tackle unemployment among young people by fostering entrepreneurs.
By: Isaiah Braithwaite
Photos by: Shane Clement.
Vanita Savory.
Maleka Russell.