Hello Entrepreneurs. Distinguished Entrepreneurs – We are so excited to see all of you here in Les Cayes this evening.
“All over the world, entrepreneurs are revolutionizing our economies and improving our societies.” These are the words of Ivanka Trump at the most recent Global Entrepreneurship Summit. These words ring true to me from the contributions I see entrepreneurs making here in Les Cayes and throughout Haiti on a daily basis.
Did you know that small and medium sized businesses are the backbone of the American economy? They make up more than 99% of American businesses and employ 48% of our workforce.
The United States recognizes the value of entrepreneurs to the global economy. In this hemisphere we are very proud to support the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative or YLAI which builds linkages between young leaders. YLAI empowers business and social entrepreneurs with the training, tools, networks and resources they need to transform their societies and contribute more fully to economic development and prosperity. Two of your presenters are YLAI alumni. We are proud to have thousands of Haitians active on the YLAI network. Some of you learned about TechCamp Okay through this network and I encourage all of you to sign up this week-end.
In Haiti, we also support entrepreneurship by sharing virtual programs through GIST, supporting the Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Kafedore, and the second Haiti Tech Summit which will be occurring in June.
Today, we congratulate you for wanting to grow your business and learn new technologies. TechCamps are designed to be responsive to your needs and we appreciate you taking the survey to lead the process. I have seen there is so much opportunity in Les Cayes and it gives me great pleasure to stand in front of dedicated and powerful entrepreneurs seeking to learn more about how to boost their entreprise and strongly contribute to the economy of their community and the country
We are pleased to have partnered with an outstanding group of business people who have all volunteered to address your identified interests. One thing we all believe is that together we are stronger. Each of you has a vital role to play in the Southern regions’ ecosystem. I would like to ask each of them to join me here as a call out your names in recognition and appreciation for your contributions to TechCamp Okay.
Mayor Fortune
Pierre Antoine Borgas, President, Chamber of Commerce
Paul Touloutte, Provost,American University of the Carribbean
Alex Nana Sinkam, from IDeo in San Francisco
Carel Pedre, Chokarella
Marc Alain Boucicault, Banj
Christine Souffrant Ntim, Vendedy founder
Makendy Smith, Mak Pa Nou founder and YLAI alum
Daniella Jacques, founder of Dofen News and Women’s Chamber of Commerce
Wanborch Bastien, PC Express
Miguelito Jerome, founder of 500Gourdes.com and YLAI Alum
Shaina Silva, Google
Naisha Silva, Haiti Tech Summit Executive Board
Sanon, Surtab
Together we now declare TechCamp Okay officially opened. Explore, have fun, share and most of all Prosper!
