Much has been made of the problems Caribbean entrepreneurs face in their home countries. From lack of finance to unreliable infrastructure, start-ups in the islands have a lot of hurdles to overcome if they are to monetise their aspirations. Entrepreneurs in the disapora occupy a different environment, but face similar challenges. With the right support, however, this economic powerhouse can be mobilised to help its members, their families and their communities back home.
Coming together
Jamaican Georgie-Ann Getton-McKoy is on the front lines of supporting and enabling disapora entrepreneurs. The New York-based businesswoman established Caribbeans in Tech and Entrepreneurship (CITE) in 2014, while she was still in college, to address a longstanding issue in her new home.
“I was going through the ecosystem of the start-up community at that time and I saw there were groups for Latino entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs, black entrepreneurs, but no specific group for the Caribbean,” she says. “I felt like we have such a niche culturally, and aspects of that should be celebrated and recognised.”
Five years on, CITE has over 800 members hailing from all over the Caribbean including Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Montserrat, Martinique, Dominica and Saint Lucia. The group holds regular meetings, conferences and workshops. It also hosts a yearly summit which includes a pitch competition. CITE’s mandate is to help members realise their business ambitions through support and networking. Getton-McKoy explains: “I know from personal experience that having community support and having people who understand what you are doing allows you to grow as a business owner and an entrepreneur.
“You need people at the same level, or close to your level, so you can let your hair down with someone who is going through it with you. At the core of everything, CITE is a community. We want folks to be able to tap their neighbour for resources and to share ideas and get feedback. We have that honesty and transparency with each other.”
CITE members are mostly involved in the ICT fields but the group is open to all industries. For those outside the tech sphere, Getton-McKoy wants to help them become more comfortable with emerging technologies and says: “Everything is becoming more tech-centred. People are booking online and paying online and if you are not up to speed on that process, you will miss out on opportunities. We are getting people to become more digital and see the world as a global ecosystem.”
Expanding their reach
CITE is currently funded through donations and paid memberships. It has also been supported by partnerships with the corporate world, with big names such as Facebook, Google and the New York Times providing conference facilities, event hosting and resources. Members benefit from established connections with companies and stakeholders – connections that were fostered by Getton-McKoy as she navigated the business world in the early days of CITE. “I built this network organically. I attended lots of events and conferences to learn, see and explore. Often I was the youngest person in the room or the only woman, or the only person of colour, so people were interested in me and I was able to build natural relationships.”
CITE is soon to become an official non-profit and is focused on expanding its reach with plans to open chapters in three more US cities (Atlanta, Miami and Washington DC) by the end of 2020. Getton-McKoy hopes that reaching more of the entrepreneurial diaspora will not only spread the message in the US, but also positively impact the Caribbean. “We don’t just want to help Caribbeans in the US but also the Caribbean islands,” she says. “We left our countries for opportunities in the US and a lot of our family members are still in the Caribbean struggling. A lot of our members are supporting themselves and their families, sending money and supplies home.
“The ones who left the Caribbean were the lucky ones, in a sense. There are a lot of people with the education and the work ethic but they just did not get lucky with their immigration processes. It is our responsibility to figure out ways to help those who are not so lucky but have that same drive to change their lives and improve themselves and their communities. The people looking for opportunities in the Caribbean are hard workers and early adopters but we need to help build up the ecosystem down there because a lot of people are leaving.”
Diaspora entrepreneurs help their home countries in a number of ways, from financial transfers and remittances to trade partnerships and networking opportunities. CITE resources are available to entrepreneurs in the Caribbean through virtual webinars and conferences, and Getton-McKoy says having that digital community can help regional start-ups develop the confidence they need to grow.
“Networking and support is one of the biggest issues for entrepreneurs. There is a fear of failure. There is this idea that you have to be great right from the beginning and, even when it is perfect, it is still not good enough. People do not want to go through that mental rollercoaster. They do not want to disappoint their families and communities. You have to fail, sometimes multiple times. That is the only way to learn, grow and transform.”
Getton-McKoy has had her own share of set backs, starting multiple companies and her own clothing line, but remains committed to her true passion. “I focus on execution and helping people get out there instead of having this beautiful, great idea that no-one has seen or used or interacted with.
“There are so many people excited about CITE. Every day someone will tell me about a connection they’ve made and every day I see how members are benefitting. I’m inspired by talking to people impacted by the group and just thinking and dreaming about the end goal. It’s unbelievable. It took a little while to get here, but I could never have imagined this.”
