From waste to wealth — finding affordable and sustainable systems for recycling and creating energy. Bringing the faces and voices of the Caribbean to books and film. Mixing aquaculture and hydroponics to improve the quality and production levels of local organic produce.
These were just a few of the concepts that startups pitched at Venture Hive, the downtown Miami accelerator and incubator. But instead of South Florida, these teams were from Trinidad, Dominican Republic, Barbados, Jamaica, St. Lucia, the Bahamas and other Caribbean nations.
This week, 19 Caribbean entrepreneurs took part in BoomCamp, part of the Caribbean IdEA Program, an initiative of the U.S. State Department, US AID and the International Diaspora Engagement Alliance (IdEA). There they received intensive pitching instruction. Most entrepreneurs taking part were focused on needs in their markets, such as TransCel.com, a mobile solution for the unbanked; another team presented a fashion platform for Caribbean designers. Jamaican Leo Williams’ company, JAE, combines the stock market with agriculture, seeking to cut out the middle men and bring more value to the farmers.
On Thursday, 12 companies pitched to a full house of invited guests from the South Florida business community, many of Caribbean heritage. “Stay in touch with these entrepreneurs,” Susan Amat, Venture Hive founder, advised the crowd. “Whether it is through these companies or their next ones, they will go on to do great things for their countries.”
The idea for BoomCamp at Venture Hive was spawned during the Caribbean IdEA Marketplace last spring in Jamaica. The finalists and semifinalists there were invited to hone their presentation skills at this four-day workshop, one of many events the US State Department and Venture Hive have been involved with to help Diaspora entrepreneurs and bridge communities. BoomCamp also inaugurated a new 4,500-square-foot event space at Venture Hive. With individual work areas, communal tables and a colorful lounge area, the new space will be used for the high school tech-entrepreneurship magnet program starting in January, as well as events like BoomCamp, Amat said.
Above, members of South Florida's business community network and await the presentations by entrepreneurs from the Caribbean at Venture Hive. At top, Cathal Healy-Singh of Caribbean Renewable Energy Technologies practices his pitch during the four-day long Caribbean BoomCamp in Venture Hive's newest event space.
Posted Sept. 7, 2013