Entrepreneurs from all over the region converged on Barbados last week to participate in TEN Habitat’s flagship annual event, the Caribbean Startup Summit. Jessica Alexander and Vernesa St. Marie represented Saint Lucia in the May 24-25 event. Alexander spoke to the STAR about her experience. “It was more than worthwhile,” Alexander declared. “It’s amazing that in the region, when it comes to business prospects or possibilities, we think on a very small scale and so it was eye-opening to hear the positive feedback from those international experts. We were told that our products are of international quality and there’s potential for our businesses to grow beyond the shores that we inhabit. I took much heart from that.” This year’s Caribbean Startup Summit brought together a worldwide team of startup experts and founders to help startups in the region. Among those experts were representatives from Facebook, Netflix and Amazon, who provided feedback on the various pitch presentations last weekend.
“A funny thing happened. There was a mix-up and so the two of us weren’t able to participate in the pitch portion of the event,” Alexander recalled. “But I took the initiative, explained the situation, and they allowed me a little time to pitch before the official competition started. That impressed the experts and thankfully my pitch got some amazing feedback. I now have the chance to network with experienced international entrepreneurs and hopefully I can use that to help grow and improve upon my business.”
