The Scotiabank and COESL “Bridging the Gap Project”
Re: Thank you for attending the Global Entrepreneurship Week Breakfast Seminar 2014 “Breaking Barriers through Innovation” Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Livelihoods along with its Approved Implementing partner Dynamic Youths of Grenada Business Hub wishes to thank all our guests who attended this morning’s business connector meeting. We are very pleased with the level of interest that you showed.. We also look forward to future linkages in creating a brand that Grenada can call its own. A brand that can change mindsets and promote and create sustainable livelihoods through entrepreneurship. We must express that Scotiabank has seen it fit to invest money and other technical support in Entrepreneurs throughout the region and we are elated to be the beneficiaries and to be able to partner with this institution. How innovation can foster entrepreneurship in Grenada and the Caribbean region? 1- Developing and exploring human and financial resources for new businesses. 2- Rethinking governmental schemes on how we manage the busineses we already have.
3- Creating a culture of innovation – establishing research and innovation funds, creating ecosystems; private sector, public sector and academia (local & international e.g. SGU/UWI) – why academia? Because they are reputable institutions. The Private Sector must lead in this ecosystem since they are main contributors to our GDP. Trust is one of the main ingredients for the ecosystems to work. We can emulate the world’s modules of innovation but we need to localise innovation. (Silicon Valley in the United States, Singapore and even Japan) Governments – Public sector - role in the ecosystem is to promote innovation, financing, creating tools for the rest of the ecosystem to stand and grow. To protect entrepreneurs while they are small – there is a saying in Chile; “Kill them while they are young”, often times someone opens a business and one year later they close down..... Weren’t they contributing to GDP or had persons employed there? We need to think about these business owners as they are assets, it could have been that they need mentoring or needed help accessing markets; money is not the only cause of business closures. When they fail they need to be picked up, mentored, trained, given technical/financial support where needed. Government also need to look at establishing public policy/intellectual property rights. As an ecosystem we need to take more risks and fund bigger visions – we really need visionary leadership – like putting a man on the moon or building Wind turbines to cut the cost of our skyrocketing energy bill.
We need VISION, TALENT, SERENDIPITY & DIVERSITY Vision is important in driving the innovation vehicle, starting right at the bottom in our youths lives; in our schools. Talent is also important improving knowledge and developing skills Creating serendipities – people have different skills.
Diversity is the real thing here; if you put two completely different people from totally different backgrounds who are both innovators in their fields, you can create something spectacular. I want you to check out two innovations which I am inspired by; The Green Building in Zimbabwe modelled after Termite Mounds - http://inhabitat.com/building-modelled-on-termites-eastgate-centre-inzimbabwe/ The Ice Hotel in Sweden - http://www.icehotel.com/about-icehotel/our-environment/
There are a vast number of innovators here, let’s challenger ourselves to find them and turn our Country around and become Barrier Breakers! Best regards Lisa Lewis Founder of Dynamic Youths of Grenada Business Hub
Like Our page On Dynamic Youths of Grenada Business Hub Email: lisa_douglaswi@hotmail.com Telephone: 1473 418 5114