Caribbean Startup Scene Issue #5

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ADAPTATION CARIBBEAN ENTREPRENEURS & THE IMPACT OF COVID

Volume 1 | Issue 5

A Publication of 1

“IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD”...BUT A

COMMUNITY TO BUILD A BUSINESS

LET’S HELP YO

2

OU BUILD YOURS

THE ENTREPRENEURIAL N E T W O R K

H A B I TAT

www.tenhabitat.com

Where Entrepreneurs Come To Grow 3

CONTENTS 27

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sparks of evolution

Adaptation

Find out how the power of leveraging AI predictive systems can improve contact tracing.

Find out more about TEN’s timely move online & charting new beginnings

Caribbean Sounds Echo in Hall of Fame

Innovation

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inside ten

23 QUOTE UNQUOTE

19 ‘RONA DONE DE PARTY

COVID gave us pause for cause; now what will you do differently?

How Caribbean creatives are coping with social & physcial distancing and finding their groove online.

24 A DIFFERENT WORLD

33 TEN XTRA

A quick look at the suite of tech apps you can be using to improve and develop your office processes

Global Roundtable: How are startups responding?

TEN QUESTIONS

Find out how one Entrepreneur in the entertainment field shares how his love for Caribbean music and culture has spanned a 40 year business.

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IMPACT

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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Entrepreneurship AFTER THE PANDEMIC

Hear directly from a leading Economist on how you & your business can strive as an Entrepreneur after the Pandemic.

13 The Covid Pivot

PINCH FOR HELEN OF THE WEST INDIES

One app developer uses the shutdown time to redevelop and prepare for a relaunch of his brand.

Trinidad Startup Founders grab hold of mindset, attitude and the need to innovate as integral steps toward rebuilding.

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LIVE WIRE DIMMED...

Volume 1 | Issue 5 Producer/Creator: Selwyn Cambridge Editor: Belle Holder Coordinators: Andrea Austin, Belle Holder Photographers: Amleya Clarke, David Yearwood, Amery Butcher Illustrator: Shaquon Grosvenor Copy Editor: Pauline Holder Graphic Design: IDS Creative Inc

...BUT NOT OUT IN BERMUDA Bermi Isles using music & light to lift spirits and foster positive vibes.

Contributing Writers: Dr. Chitra Anand, Selwyn Cambridge, Martin Hanna, Belle Holder, S. Antonio Hollingsworth, Israel Mallett, Empress Zingha, Jeremy Stephen, Mitchelle Trott, Kevin Valley, Mel Warner

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SHUT EDITOR’s NOTE

DOWN 2020 I admit this is one of the most difficult messages to our readers that I’ve ever written. There are so many layers to the story of COVID-19 and how it has impacted us, internationally, professionally and personally.

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The year 2020 held so much promise, we were excited about the prospects, we played with the numbers, 20/20, a clear vision; this was going to be the year to advance our dormant goals and lay claim to ideas we’ve been sitting on…then the world turned!

Collectively we were all gripped by the same story, the coronavirus and its ravaging pandemic effects. The world watched as this respiratory illness claimed lives and livelihoods.

Amidst the international headlines we were and are each affected in very personal ways. I pray for my family members on the medical frontlines in Germany and New York. My father was forced to say goodbye to one of his younger sisters who died in Brooklyn, knowing that he could not attend her farewell service.

To stay connected we zoomed online, found new ways to use WhatsApp and clung to Instagram. Whatever the chosen electronic platform, we took to online as our very lifeline to each other.

In this issue, we connect with entrepreneurs in the region on how the pandemic, the resulting shutdowns and quarantine impacted their businesses.

Barbadian Economist Jeremy Stephen helps to chart the way forward for Caribbean Entrepreneurs. Trinidad’s Kevin Valley was fortunate enough to play mas this year

in February, while in most other Eastern Caribbean islands, ‘RONA done de party, as culturalist Empress Zingha explains. Music and merriment are a core part of Caribbean culture, Kittitian Mel Warner, shares how his party business in Canada ground to a halt; he offers core advice for those wanting to get into event promotion. St. Lucia’s Martin Hanna is already busy charting a new path for his company Penny Pitch, while

FIND YOUR PERSONAL NEW NORM IN HEART, MIND, BODY & SPIRIT TO HELP NAVIGATE THE NEW SOCIETAL NORMS AROUND YOU Bermuda’s Mitchelle Trott, a reggae artist, knows all is not lost.

Now, we must each find our personal new norm in heart, mind, body and spirit to help navigate the new societal norms around us. It is incumbent upon those of us lucky enough to continue physically unscathed, to lead the charge of resiliency, strength and tenacity. To move forward and rebuild, it will require collaboration, cooperation, innovation, patience, kindness and love #StaySafe

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Belle Holder Media & Communications Consultant TEN Habitat @belleholder246 • bholder@tenhabitat.com www.belleholder.com

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FOUNDER’s NOTE

LEt’s not waste this crisis!

In just a few short months the world changed forever! Now we have no other choice but to respond. Markets will respond, industries will respond, governments must respond and so will entrepreneurs.

The arrival of COVID-19 has been an unwelcomed guest for us in the region and also for our international counterparts; given the negative impacts on businesses and economies, many startup founders have been forced to take a hard look at what they do and how they do it. How 8

Selwyn Cambridge Founder & CEO TEN Habitat @tenfounder scambridge@tenhabitat.com

entrepreneurs create and deliver value has been forced under a microscope. However you dub it, #COVID2020 or #Quarantine2020, this should not be a time and an experience we waste, but rather the time we seek to be better and do better. Along with the reliance on each other, we will need new perspective.

The ripple effect that quickly mushroomed in many cities across the globe and to a lesser extent in some Caribbean islands, has certainly revealed a few things about our changed future.

The rise of the Gig Economy regionally & internationally Physical and social distancing directives in attempts to safeguard health, meant sudden loss of markets and revenues. Where possible, some sought the alternative to work remotely, but many startups were left with staff they could no longer afford to keep on the payroll. This sudden shock to the system meant that all jobs, which were not adding direct value or generating revenue for businesses, were being eliminated.

Now struck by this recent experience and learning from having to function minimally, many companies will look to reduce fixed overheads; one sure way to achieve this would be through outsourcing. This will give rise to a gig economy where a single individual will no longer be tied to one job. Many will explore the diversity and sustainability of offering their expertise to many companies to reduce the risk of sudden loss of a single income.

Remote work will support the Gig Economy & become the new norm Just about every business not considered essential service, would have had to practice remote work in some form or fashion during this pandemic. Although working from home or telecommuting is not a new phenomenon, we will see a proliferation of this practice, which will also give rise to developing new skills and efficiencies. Many companies will no doubt embrace outsourcing and remote work as a long-term strategy and employment measures that are now a part of doing commerce, as businesses seek to limit fixed overheads.

To determine what this could mean for you as an entrepreneur you should consider: 1. How will the move to outsourcing change

my business and my market?

2. How will my customers now wish to engage or be engaged?

3. What will remote work mean for the solution I offer to consumers?

4. Will this mean my customers have more or less time?

5. How can I leverage this change to the benefit of my business?

6. How many of my existing and future customers will be impacted by a gig economy?

7. What can I do and what role can my business play in these changes?

The COVID-19 crisis has undoubtedly presented us with an opportunity to innovate,

HOWEVER YOU DUB IT, #COVID2020 OR #QUARANTINE2020, THIS SHOULD NOT BE A TIME & AN EXPERIENCE WE WASTE…” but it has also elevated the need for every startup founder to ask themselves this fundamental question: What business am I really in? More often than not, the answer is not just about your product or service but rather how you solve the problem for your customer.

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The good news is there’s more than one way to effectively solve that problem. Keep exploring it!

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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Entrepreneurship

AFTER THE PANDEMIC

As I write this, I cast my mind back to the halcyon days of a decade past when the word of the day was entrepreneurship. This period is idyllic due to a lack of choices stemming from the fallouts from the Financial Crisis of 2008. In the Caribbean, parents had finally bought into the notion that maybe, just maybe, that entrepreneurship in nontraditional fields may prove viable. The years that followed witnessed many a millennial who bought into the notion, spurred on by the now gripping reality of uncertain public sector jobs and a surplus of doctors and lawyers. We witnessed the rise of new kinds of businesses but the general point I wish to make here, is to display just how the landscape shifted remarkably in the face of uncertainty when the world last “burned�. Burned on as large a scale as what we are currently witnessing in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The sad reality of it all is that all of the news articles are right: things will never be the same again post COVID. Ideally, entrepreneurs must always think that regardless of the environment, nothing can ever be the same. An entrepreneur who constantly applies such a mindset is ideally the kind who entrepreneur that has the ability to survive what all businesses are going 10

through right now.

The changes happening right now are way more extreme and destructive that they were some 12 years ago. Less we forget that many a storefront has closed never to be reopened. Travelling between countries will be quite difficult as more airlines are being wiped out of existence or at the very least, going into receivership by the day. Thankfully there are many aspects of business can be conducted online, just as effectively as face to face. Well maybe not, but the good thing is that this online form of communication is now validated. I would bet my last dollar that this will be our children’s preferred mode of business communication.

By now you’re probably saying that there are additional changes I failed to mention and that they may definitely be more complex than I’m giving credit for; You’d be 100% correct. Besides, very few persons could even conceptualize the massive upheaval witnessed during the Spanish Flu in 1918, which infected about a third of the world’s population at the time and lasted 15 months. We simply do not have the playbook. I’m reminded now of Jeremy Stephen

Jeremy is an Economist & Financial Consultant. He is a Lecturer at the UWI and a former President of the B’dos Economic Society. He is always up for a robust financial debate or a game of football or basketball.

IG: @jeremydstephen

something a business partner of mine loves to tell me when I try to rationalize things, “Jeremy, entrepreneurship is like jumping off a cliff and trying to find your way back up while on the way down”. My hope here is that entrepreneurs at this time spend the time wisely utilizing all of the technology tools available, in an effort to profit from and adapt while recovery sets afoot. In my view, it all comes down to this…because of this development, our regional entrepreneurs can be expanding further afield in a way never

ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS LIKE JUMPING OFF A CLIFF AND TRYING TO FIND YOUR WAY BACK UP WHILE ON THE WAY DOWN.... seen before in our region. Furthermore, I’m quite encouraged since the importance of regional integration is once again foremost, as there will be opportunities to deepen trade links in technology, logistics, intra-regional tourism, and agriculture. The scarcity in these areas throughout the Caribbean during the pandemic was quite telling.

There is one more thing that entrepreneurs should ponder and leverage the importance of during this downtime; upgrade your skills, pivot, and foster stronger relationships with your existing customer base while focusing on building new ones. That final point would have required that entrepreneurs consistently showed the human face to their business, by simply just reaching out while everything was quiet during the period of lockdown. I believe that those who did that are the ones who will hit the ground running sooner than others

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ENTREPRENEURS

Pinch in St. Lucia Martin hanna

This crisis has shown and proven that digital services are heavily needed and are relied upon.

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MARTIN HANNA GETS IN THE RING AT ENTREPRENEURSHIP WORLD CUP 2019 IN RIYADH

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like saving money. In 2018, my company Penny Pinch started off as a savings app, allowing shoppers across St. Lucia to redeem exclusive discounts at their favourite brands and stores. Along the way we’ve achieved some important milestones that keep us pushing forward.

In 2019 I attended the Caribbean Startup Summit in Barbados, hosted by The Entrepreneurial Network. I returned to St. Lucia victorious after winning the CSS Pitch Pit competition. Fueled by the positive feedback and support from an audience of fellow entrepreneurs and the mentors, I decided to take Penny Pinch further.

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It was a busy year, after winning in B’dos I went on to represent St. Lucia at the entrepreneurship world cup and travelled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the quarter finals. We are currently rebuilding our app and including many new features at the request of our customers.

Now more than ever, while corona has negatively affected businesses in many sectors, Penny Pinch looks at this change in a good way. This crisis has shown and proven that digital services are heavily needed and are relied upon. Although we have had to pause on operations and discussions with major partners and clients, we are currently finalizing the

CSS PITCH PIT 2019 L TO R: ROVINA BROOMFIELD, MARTIN HANNA, SELWYN CAMBRIDGE, BAIJU SOLANKI, PATRICK RILEY

brand’s relaunch phase. While there are of course some negative effects on the business development, this has allowed us to use more time to focus on marketing strategy, product development & raising capital. We see a good entry for our business once the economy stabilizes, where both customers and merchants will be looking for digital solutions to encourage shopping. Our team has had more time to focus and strategize new digital services that are needed in times like these such as online bill paying & mobile top ups. The relaunch of Penny Pinch will include a new version of the app with a range of shopping solutions that will aid customers in saving money

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Martin is a Graphic Designer, Marketer and the Founder & CEO of Penny Pinch. He is a technology enthusiast who enjoys travel and fitness.

Connect: @PennyPinch.lc

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ENTREPRENEURS

Live wires

dimmed

in bermuda Mitchelle TROTT

aka Arijahknow Live Wires is giving thanks for the platform to share his music during this Pandemic. He knows, “The Almighty runs tings”, and is giving thanks and praise, Good over evil, Life over death.

Nuff respect!

Connect: @ArijahKnowLive

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We were just getting started and then the music stopped. The city was empty, it seemed asleep. The roads were clear and quiet, punctuated only by the army road blocks to ensure Bermudians are adhering to their designated shopping days, organized by last names. Many people are confused, even bewildered about the way they will be able to cope with the the imposed restrictions and new laws, designed to protect our nation.

Yet some people are upbeat and willing to help others who fall within the small half of a mile distance from our homes, where we are allowed to walk, run, or cycle…COVID-19 is here.

My last public performance with The Kings Band was at the end of February at the Somerset Cricket Club in Sandy’s parish Bermuda.

In the early part of March 2020 we did a private gig, paying homage to a 93-year-old, the grandmother of Bermuda’s Macal Roberts, the founder of Mac 10 Entertainment.

It was an awesome occasion and we were honoured to celebrate her life with our music. Just a couple of weeks later everything shut down rapidly and most Bermudians were not happy about adapting to these new imposed restrictions.

Bermuda’s culture and heritage to locals and visitors. The long weekend celebrations include sporting events such as the Bermuda Day Half Marathon and a cricket match between the two parts of the island. These activities usually see an influx of tourists and of course a major boost to the island’s economy.

This is truly one of the greatest days of the year in Bermi! The Kings Band and I put a float in the 2019 parade, we dubbed it, Reggae Highway. We were proud to be

THE CITY WAS EMPTY, IT SEEMED ASLEEP. THE ROADS WERE CLEAR AND QUIET, PUNCTUATED ONLY BY THE ARMY ROAD BLOCKS Similarly to other islands, large celebrations have been deferred to 2021. May 24th marks the annual Bermuda Day celebrations, which includes a Heritage Day parade, which has been held in Hamilton every year since 1979, until now.

Formerly known as the Empire Day, It was first celebrated in 1902 to unite all the British colonies with a common cause of celebrating the Queen’s birthday. Bermi day is an opportunity to showcase

the only live band in the parade with local and international DJs, it was the best! For 2020 we have to celebrate differently. We have to be creative! Since the start of the curfew and lockdown there are some neighbourhoods playing loud music for the entire community.

All of the house lights are turned off and everyone shines their cell phone lights or flashlights, which is awesome so see! We are bolstered by people practicing social

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distancing, yet finding ways to still galvanize mentally. To witness these acts of humanity is to see inspiration in motion by Bermudians being more kind to each other.

I’ve been using the downtime to plan for the future, performance wise. My aim is to entertain smaller audiences

in more intimate venue spaces and just have a blast together. We will produce shows and stream them with a small live audience and also hosts specially invited celebrity guests. Our plan is to implement new strategies that fit the new normal and allow the good vibes to flow

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Do you want to take your business to the next level? What are you waiting for? The Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) is a 5-week program in the U.S. for you to build network across the region! Learn more at these U.S. Embassy websites: bb.usembassy.gov OR ylai.state.gov We will get through this together!

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‘RONA DONE DE PARTY

Empress Zingha is a writer and performance poet who is the co-founder of GineOn.com Connect @empress.zingha or @wuhgineon

Creatives crave inspiration! Whether it’s in the spontaneous idea shot to the brain while practicing ethnography, or feelings stimulated by one’s surroundings; creatives need inspiration. It’s the lyrics and the music that we cannot get out of our heads and the words of art and movements that help our lives make sense; an artist transfers and shares their artistry, so that it will linger within our culture. But now when you take away the gatherings that spur this collaboration and connection, the act of creating becomes very difficult.

Greek Philosopher, Plato shared how important necessity is to the creation of new ways to communicate. With COVID testing

the might of human nature, the world needs inspiration to strengthen our resolve to rise.

Just as much as we all need that motivation and be fueled by our why, creatives also need to connect. The summer of 2020 will see widespread event cancellation, no traditional stages, no festivals, no outside rallies and physical fanfare, yet the rise of connectivity through social media eases the pain of physical and social distancing and reminds us the future can be festive again.

Saturday nights during Quarantine-2020 saw the creation of Soca Lockdown, an online party featuring artistes from across the region, that definitely lifted the spirts of fans and creatives alike.

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Just ask Barbadian Soca singer Faith Callender, “The Saturday night parties are a way to let go and have some unconventional fun. I believe it has truly given the creatives not only joy to interact with their fans at this time and release some anxiety, but also to show the possibility of generating funds through live shows online.”

Many of my fellow creatives have cemented their spirits into the new everyday normal. If you thought we spent too much time on our phones before… don’t look now. Many feed their social cravings with numerous dance class challenges posted in Instagram stories, by sharing a verse on a riddim, which connects Caribbean nations across electronic platforms, by ‘attending’ online concerts, open mics, discussions and webinars. There has also been a rise in watchparties for local and Caribbean films and DJ sound clashes have rekindled our fascinations for music.

Dancer and choreographer Nandi Yard who graces the stage as part of Machel Montano’s Monk Monté stage shows, has taken her Soca-N-Sweat classes online, teaching her wuk up fitness classes via Zoom. Nandi explains, “Dance classes are taking place right in the comfort of your home and have brought back dance for some people, who gave it up for whatever reason. Creating and watching the content provides joyful and fun entertainment and in some cases even creates a source of income.”

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Follow any artist on their social platform and you will see a scheduled live session coming sometime this week. While these sessions are not bringing the immediate financial currency that the live gig at the bar or hotel would normally bring, artists are using these forums to stay connected and build their community. The increase in online activity presents opportunities to bring the arts into the palm of the people and that financial currency, can be generated in different ways. With new glimpses into an artist who is now sharing differently, or sharing more of themselves, suddenly more people download the E-book for sale or check out the re-released EP. While many Caribbean artists are missing the big money gigs from festivals and performances, many are busy building their own foundations through the

IF YOU THOUGHT WE SPENT TOO MUCH TIME ON OUR PHONES BEFORE… DON’T LOOK NOW consistency of content creation, which an audience of “bored at home” eyes are eager to soak up. Let’s show the world that while we remain safe at home in the Caribbean, no ‘RONA can done dis party!

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We Stand Together Humanity has always adapted and overcome challenges since the beginning of time, and 2020 and the years to come will be no different. It is in these times that the strength and togetherness of who we are will shine through. As an extended community, we will overcome, adapt and reimagine.

We are with you all the way.

Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc

@thebtmi

21 corporate.visitbarbados.org

Committed to the Community

Since 2002, the ComTrust Foundation has provided nearly BBD44 million.

The FirstCaribbean International ComTrust Foundation was established in 2002 with the purpose of lending much-needed funding for the development of the region.

In 16 countries, we have given steadfast support under the themes of Entrepreneurship, Health & Wellness, The Youth and Education and The Community and the Environment.

Our employees also readily give of their time through our Adopt-a-Cause programme.

We recognise there is still more to do, and remain committed to the communities we serve.

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The CIBC logo is a trademark of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, used by FirstCaribbean International Bank under license.

“quote unquote” The world as we know it has been jarred by this global pandemic we know as COVID-19.

Some have referred to this as the great pause, some refer to it as a great depression, while others see this as an opportunistic time for people to reflect, think critically and to create a new pathway forward.

Never in our time have we been forced to stop. The question now becomes, How will we live our lives differently Post COVID and how will we conduct our businesses differently?

I encourage people to take the time to take stock of some of the great changes that you have made both personally and professionally over the past six to eight weeks.

What will you take from this and how will you move forward even stronger?

Dr. chitra anand

Best Selling Author of ‘The Greenhouse Approach: Cultivating Intrapreneurship in Companies & Organizations.’

She recently completed her doctoral dissertation defense in May 2020 for her PhD. Congratulations to Dr. Anand!

Connect @brahmtaj or www.chitraanand.com

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ENTREPRENEURS

A Different

WoRLD Israel Mallett

is the Chief Creative of IDS Creative Inc. and the Graphics Design Editor of this magazine Connect: @idscreativeinc

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Wednesday mornings now feel like a lazy Sunday afternoon and our current norm includes deeper connection through technology, we no longer have to imagine the stuff of sci-fi film…it’s here.

At IDS Creative Inc. we’ve maintained the mindset that remote work is always a possibility and as such we are making the technology work for us, moving beyond our regular use to help keep us connected rather than siloed within our own thoughts. As a team we started putting plans in place to further utilize the Google Suite of Apps to build out capacity for a time when remote work may very well become a mandatory necessity.

We wanted to share with our fellow Caribbean Entrepreneurs some of the options that have been working for us. For some it has been an easy transition to just pick up another app; for others it could be a bit overwhelming having to learn new technologies all at the same time, coupled with the necessary discipline required for working from home.

Let’s not get it twisted; deadlines, targets and deliverables matter now more than ever!

Like many of our colleagues we’ve been using a range of available technology to continue to get the job done, albeit in some new steps. At IDS we are using video chat software such as Google Hangouts Meet,

Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp video chats to host meetings and stay connected. As we all know, the show must go on and technology can help us to do that where possible.

We use Asana for project management, Toggl for tracking time and Google Drive, Docs and Sheets for collaboration. COVID-19 presented

IMAGINE, SOCIAL MEDIA NOT BEING A DISTRACTION IN THE OFFICE, BUT NOW THE GLUE THAT IS HOLDING IT ALL TOGETHER the opportunity to scale up these initiatives by being more disciplined and deliberate in their use, as we all navigate the uncertain times ahead.

At the heart of it though, these are just tools.

This current situation gives us the opportunity to really examine what we are doing, what needs we are meeting and how we can do it better. One thing is for sure, creative thinking and the power of imagination can help us to turn this current COVID-19 pandemic into a digitally connected, world-changing, productivity movement.

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Imagine, social media not being a distraction in the office, but now the glue that is holding it all together. The possibilities are endless!

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Bright ideas can come from the darkest of places.

As entrepreneurs, we survive and thrive in difficult times, through our ingenuity, drive and innovation.

You got this.

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547 8419 idscreativeinc hello@idscreativeinc.com www.idscreativeinc.com 26

INNOVATION

SPARKS OF EVOLUTION

s. antonio hollingsworth

My children, technology and mathematics have always been my biggest sources of inspiration. As the founder of Bajan Digital Creations [BDC] I often ask myself how can tech and coding be used to solve some of the issues around us? As the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic initially spread, we at BDC combed through global data to determine, if and when the virus would reach us in the Caribbean and what could be the potential impact. We focused our research around a “Deep Neural Network�, a form of artificial intelligence [AI] to help peer into the not too distant future.

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The use of AI algorithms helped us to be able to have a good estimation of when lockdowns were likely, a week in advance. This allowed us to be able to plan our remote work and the virtual classroom for “Kids Who Code”, a coding class for children ages seven to 15, offered at TEN Habitat. We were able to have the students practice using the virtual classroom in person before we had to go completely virtual.

That is the power of leveraging AI prediction systems.

So our next question became how can we use the data and the AI to improve contact tracing. Clearly lockdowns help in reducing virus transmission and further aid in the process of contact tracing, which is only as good as the level of enforcement and cannot be indefinite. The system of contact tracing is also incumbent upon participants completely honest about their movements, interactions and selfisolation practices. This makes the probability for human error high and makes the process highly labour intensive and tedious.

significantly accelerate contact tracing. ACTr allows us to garner contact tracing results in seconds instead of minutes! Designed to first protect participants’ privacy rights, the strengths of ACTr is that it prevents persons who are supposed to be self-isolating from being able to anonymously mingle in daily marketplace activity. It also sends mass alerts to those who may have been exposed to the virus as they conducted legitimate business.

COVID-19 is an opportunity to adapt and create. Education, food production and disease management within the service industries are the significant challenges created by the pandemic in 2020 that will persists through 2021. To restart devastated Caribbean Economies, innovators will have to step up and work in conjunction with AI to spark and create the necessary adaptive evolutions for our collective health and safety

COVID-19 PRESENTED AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADAPT & CREATE, USING A.I. OR SHEER COLLECTIVE HUMAN WILL…”

Enter, ACTr, which is a product of a collaboration between a number of developers.

It is a system meant to use technology to

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S. Antonio is a Tech professional, his company Bajan Digital Creations was nominated to the World Summit Awards in its first year. He is also the lead Coding Instructor for TEN Habitat’s Kids Who Code Programme.

Connect: @bottribeai

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IMPACT

T H E

COVID PIVOT KEVIN VALLEY

On Friday, February 28th, 2020, I left my office for the last time, walking away from a career in which I helped to fund the dreams of other business owners, to focus on building my own. Inspired by the stories of the Caribbean entrepreneurs I interviewed on my podcast; I took the leap to devote myself 100% to pursuing my entrepreneurial endeavours. I was excited to create value in a new way. After all, my businesses have always been ‘digital-first’, so I was looking forward to working from anywhere.

By Friday, March 13th 2020, the landscape of the world changed rapidly. COVID-19 became a full-fledged pandemic that was affecting T&T. Many businesses were closing, with employees working from home, if they were lucky; and unemployed if they were not. No longer confined to an office, I am now confined to my home, where fortunately my digital business can still run.

However, many of my fellow business owners do not have the option of running their businesses from home. The crisis is affecting small and medium sized enterprises disproportionately, with less than 50% expected to survive the next few months of lockdown. Those who pivot effectively, however, have a chance. The Managing Director of Aspire Fund Management, Kerwyn Valley puts it this way, “It’s either innovation or irrelevance”.

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Such innovation is needed even more for businesses that have been completely shut down. The Executive Chairman of CinemaONE Theatre Multiplex, Brian Jahra, made the difficult decision to close, putting public safety first, he personally communicated the

news to staff. Jahra explained, the company is using the time away to, “Action how best to re-emerge as a stronger, more customer focused company through enhanced digital platforms, optimized HR and strategic shortterm growth.”

Similarly, the Managing Director of Events Caribbean, Osei Wright-Alexis, is facing the reality that everything has come to a halt in the events industry, with no certain future.

He is researching new tools to develop a new business and knows that, “Those who cannot adjust and start something new will fold up, whereas those with the true entrepreneurial mindset and grind will emerge successfully.”

Musicians like Muhammad Muwakil of Freetown Collective have also had to adapt, licensing music for commercial ventures and engaging fans directly through virtual platforms. The performer explains, “I’m finding the model of creation and output now that the gigs have been taken away”.

There are some businesses however that are finding themselves well prepared. Online business coach, Keron Rose says, “I’m doubling down on e-commerce and building digital assets.” He is teaching essential concepts to those who are trying to create businesses online.

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From commerce to movie entertainment, event production, music and performance every entrepreneur can speak to how their business has been affected or effected. Though the full shock from COVID-19 is yet to be measured, businesses and business owners can and will survive this shock through innovation, creativity, and for some, starting over

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Kevin Valley is the Founder of Become Investible Limited & the host of Caribbean Power Lunch Podcast.

Connect: @Kevin.Valley

You're young. You're smart. You're brave. You're a female entrepreneur between 18-45, and you want to take your business to the next level. The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) will give you the tools you need! Learn more at these U.S. Embassy websites: bb.usembassy.gov OR eca.state.gov/awe

The US Embassy continues to stand with you during this time.

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TEN XTRA

TEN TALK SERIES: GLOBAL ROUNDTABLE

How Are Startups Responding?

I believe that Benjamin Franklin was the greatest entrepreneur ever! His entire philosophy was, ‘Industry and frugality’, work hard, be diligent and don’t waste.

I think our entire society has been wasting a lot of time and money, we can’t afford to waste anymore. This crisis is creating a lot of lean, mean and nimble startups that I hope will be able to survive and become the new leadership and result in creating a new kind of economy, that works better

for most people. Income equality and access to opportunity has to improve for everyone.

The whole startup scene and the way companies are financed and what customers and employees expect from companies in the future, are going to change for the better. Organizations that are really focused on creating shared value among their stakeholders will be strengthened

.

Ben Powell

CEO & Founder of Agora Partnerships

Agora empowers purpose-driven entrepreneurs with knowledge, networks and capital. They are a community of entrepreneurs, investors, consultants and partners who take action to strengthen entrepreneurship across the Americas.

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TEN questions with

MEL WARNER

Entertainment hall of fame Concert promoter

Belle HOLDER

The walls and the dance floor of the Commodore ballroom vibrated as the sounds of reggae rhythms flooded Vancouver’s most popular concert venue. A sea of multi-ethnic faces swayed in unison, while Jamaica’s Beres Hammond crooned into the microphone! After 2am hundreds of Caribbean music lovers satiated by a night of riddim and vibes poured out of the Commodore, but not before thanking the man responsible for satisfying their hunger for Island music and culture, multiple award winner, Mel Warner, the founder of Mel’O Productions and Hall of Fame Inductee.

1. How has COVID-19 directly affected your business?

The Coronavirus has crippled my business. Between January and May 2020 I’ve had to cancel seven shows including party cruises and local DJ old school dances. Stephen Marley, Tarrus Riley, Chronixx, Koffee and Beres were all slated for 2020 Mel’O productions.

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2. You are the foremost Caribbean music event producer in Vancouver, Canada. How did you get started in concert & event promotion?

I was born and raised in St. Kitts & Nevis and relocated to Canada at age seven. From the time I was in high school at Eric Hamber High in Vancouver, I was the entertainment coordinator. I would stage dances in the cafeteria at lunch time. Friday and Saturday nights, it was high school dances and in those days it was rock and roll.

3. You have been doing this successfully for decades in such an unexpected market of ethnic diversity. Vancouver certainly isn’t Toronto, which has the Caribbean population to support its own annual carnival, what is that secret sauce that you saw?

4. So many entrepreneurs struggle with the day job vs the created dream job, you were able to maintain two careers for decades and made it look easy, tell us how.

After I got my degree in Science I went to work for the Canadian Grain Commission as a Chemical Engineer. My work schedule allowed me to do both jobs. From 7am to 1pm I wore my lab coat and from 2pm until 7pm I was on the phone checking tour dates and booking artistes to make Vancouver one of their stops.

My motivation was the joy of spreading my Caribbean culture to the world while the job at the CGC paid my bills.

When I started 35 year ago, the old school vibes of reggae and Caribbean music were exploding all over the world. Here in B.C. is very diverse and I decided to capitalize on that diversity and I decided to put my love for Caribbean music to the test and my core audience turned out to be Caucasians.

Truthfully my foray into Caribbean concert promotion dates back to the 1970s when I brought St. Kitts’ Ellie Matt and the Brass to Vancouver, while I was still in College.

The concert was held at the Devonshire.

It was to be a one-off event but I realized that the audience wanted music from the Caribbean, Latin music, reggae, soca, zouk and calypso. Canadians were taking cruises and vacationing in the Caribbean and they wanted more of that musical sunshine they had experienced.

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5. What has been the biggest highlight of your career?

In 2019 I was inducted into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame. Inductees come from the world of music, dance, theatre, film and television, I was recognized for my contribution to the province’s entertainment industry and cultural landscape. I’m most proud that my peers in the entertainment business have recognized the great work I’ve done bringing Caribbean culture to the forefront in British Columbia. My name has been etched in history at both the Queen Elizabeth and the Orpheum theatres along with artistes like Celine Dion, Michael Bolton, Brian Adams and Kiefer Sutherland.

When I’m dead and gone, I will still be the first Black promoter in B.C. 6. You also have a long-standing radio show, Caribbean Sounds, which has been on Vancouver’s CFRO for more than 30 years, has the radio show become the lifeline because the events are unable to take place?

The radio show has been closed down as well!

There was one radio announcer who tested positive for COVID and they didn’t want to take any chances, so the station was closed and all of the shows are on reruns. As difficult as it is not to be on air, safety comes first and even though it is all reruns, those repeat shows still allow the listeners to feel the vibes of the music until the virus blows over.

7. How have you been using social media?

This pandemic has taken so much from us.

I’ve been using social media to thank those

on the front lines and those essential workers still out there working to keep us comfortable.

8. This business can seem so alluring on the surface if you only focus on the bells and whistles, the glitz and the glam, what advice do you have for aspiring event promoters?

First ask yourself whether you are getting into entertainment to pay your bills, if the answer is yes, don’t quit your 9 to 5! If you are doing it for the fun and to make a profit then I’m with you. With every single show you can potentially lose your money. This cannot be your end all be all. You can have half of a million in the bank then lose all of it overnight because of a bad show. Get your reputation out there, make sure you know your market and that you are targeting the right audience.

People also think it is a glorified thing, but if you don’t put in the work you will lose.

TRINIDAD’S MACHEL MONTANO WITH MEL AT THE COMMODORE BALLROOM, VANCOUVER, B.C.

9. How will your business model change post COVID? I have a great team around me. My formula will remain the same. Overall for the first period of 2020 we have lost about $80-thousand USD in profits. I know people will come back strong and they will be hungry for reggae and soca and be generally thirsty for whatever comes out of the Caribbean.

Initially people will be cautious to venture back out, but they will find a comfort zone and there will be an influx.

took part in charity runs to raise funds for cancer research. I was running with some 20-somethings and keeping up with them, man I took a spill. My foot went into a bit of a pothole, I twisted by ankle and went done hard, busted up my knee. So I’m an avid walker now and do almost two hours every day

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10. What was the last show you did and where?

New Year’s Eve 2019 to 2020 at the Hilton hotel at Metrotown…then the world turned.

All of the entertainment businesses in the province have been closed. All of the support systems for entertainment are certainly not there.

11. Bonus Question: I know you are an avid runner is that still a big part of your life?

Yea, I’ve been an avid runner for years, done countless 10K races and so on and 38

Mel is a respected Concert Promoter based in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. He is credited with influencing the musical and cultural tastes of the city and being a positive representative of the Caribbean and Canadian multiculturalism.

Connect: email meloproductions@telus.net OR on FB Melo Mel

Count on Prestige International to help you

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INSIDE TEN

Adaptation:

The Move Online & Charting New Beginnings The Entrepreneurial Network [TEN] Habitat is now fully online and continuing to serve the needs of Caribbean Entrepreneurs, Startup Founders, Emerging Businesses and supporting new ideas waiting to flourish.

Through this Adaptation phase we will continue to engage, educate and empower entrepreneurs through our regularly scheduled online TEN Talks and Webinars.

space in Bridgetown, Barbados, the Habitat is fully opened online and allows us to bring ALL entrepreneurs from across the region and internationally, together.

In the words of scientist and inventor, Alexander Graham Bell, ‘When one door closes, another opens…’ we are happy to announce the development of a new purpose built co-working space in Wildey, St. Michael, Barbados! This will include available office rentals, theatre space and so much more to serve your business development needs.

Join us online https://www.tenhabitat.com for our continued support services, as we focus on benefiting even more amazing startups and innovative entrepreneurs, who are spread across our beloved Caribbean, to realize their startup goals and business achievements!

Together we have built some amazing businesses and created some unforgettable memories in a place where entrepreneurs once called home. Although we have closed the doors of the Hincks Street co-working

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#StrongerTogether #NewBeginnings #TENStrong #InThisTogether #TENHabitat

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Here’s to creating new successes and a continued belief in our collective strength, innovation and access with TEN Habitat

Connect: https://www.tenhabitat.com FB/IG: @TenHabitat Email: info@tenhabitat.com Tel: 1 (246) 231-7051

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Here’s how.

Contact the publication’s producers for details.

info@tenhabitat.com 1 (246) 621-7355

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