17th December 2024

Taiwan Embassy, YEA Co-host Successful Second Youth Investment Forum

By Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan)

The Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Youth Economy Agency (YEA) co-hosted the second annual Youth Investment Forum on Thursday, December 12, 2024, at Harbor Club Hotel in Rodney Bay, reiterating their commitment to help create business opportunities for young Saint Lucian entrepreneurs.

This year’s Youth Investment Forum theme, “Thrive in 25”, is a rallying call to entrepreneurs to remain diligent in their pursuit of excellence and success in their respective business endeavours next year.

A key objective of the all-day event is to encourage entrepreneurs to network with each other. Like last year’s event, this year’s Youth Investment Forum was used as a platform to enable young entrepreneurs to become more knowledgeable about the evolving business climate, thereby helping them to remain competitive and sustainable.

The Youth Investment Forum brought together entrepreneurs, featured speakers, and panelists who shared experience and knowledge on various aspects of business. Among the topics discussed were “Promoting Youth Investment to Facilitate the SDGs”, presented by Mr. Jade Hutchinson, Managing Director of Noah Energy; “Artificial Intelligence: Positioning Saint Lucia for Economic Development”, presented by Mr. Keeghan Patrick, Chief Executive Officer of Orbtronics; “Investing in Youth Entrepreneurship (Millennials & Gen Z as Trailblazers)”, presented by soca artiste and entrepreneur, Mr. Gamal “Skinny Fabulous” Doyle; “Invest with Passion, Possibilities & Purpose”, presented by Mrs. Natalie John, Chief Executive Officer of The Dreamy Group; and “Game Changers: Businesses of the Future”, presented by Mr. Raphael Saul, Business Consultant, Corporate Trainer, Attorney and Entrepreneur.

Later in the day, an interactive panel discussion on the topic, “Developing Young Entrepreneurs”, featured panelists Mrs. Keithlin Caroo-Afrifa, Founder of Helen’s Daughters; Mr. Jayde Jean, Attorney-at-Law from TM Antoine Chambers; Mrs. Anna Kaye Green-Marshall, Chief Treasury Officer of PROVEN Bank; and Mr. Raphael Saul; and was moderated by Mrs. Lindsay Phillip, YEA’s Monitoring and Evaluation Officer.

Hon. Emma Hippolyte, Minister for Commerce, Manufacturing, Business Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs, began her remarks recognizing the Youth Economy Agency for their outstanding work. She also expressed gratitude to the Government and people of the Republic of China (Taiwan) for their significant investment in Saint Lucia’s development.

Hon. Hippolyte told the entrepreneurs her Ministry remains steadfast in providing them with the support they need to grow and sustain their businesses. However, she cautioned them to take advantage of the various departments that can assist them in meeting international standards. She urged the entrepreneurs to be able to respond to the challenges they face in their journey. Equally important, she implored them to be accountable and transparent in running their businesses.

“One of the key areas we ask of you is that of accountability,” Hon. Hippolyte told the entrepreneurs. “Whether it is through the Youth Economy Agency, the MSME Loan-Grant Facility, or getting some support from Export Saint Lucia, we expect accountability. Whatever we agreed to do, we expect you to do it. If you have challenges, or things change, we expect you to come back to us and together we will navigate.”

Ms. Ginel Mondesir, YEA’s Business Development Officer, offered welcome remarks at the event, saying the YEA recognizes the youth entrepreneurs’ unlimited potential which enables them to transform industries, create innovative solutions, and address some of the Region’s most pressing challenges. She encouraged young entrepreneurs to continue breaking barriers.

“Millennials and Gen Zs, you are not just participants in the global economy; you are its architects and trailblazers,” Mondesir said. “Your generation has already begun to rewrite the rules of what it means to be a creator, a leader and an innovator. From developing ground-breaking technologies to championing sustainability, from disrupting traditional industries to building communities through social enterprise, you are showing us the power of purpose-driven entrepreneurship.”

According to Mrs. Khrystal Riviere, Chief Operations Officer of YEA, more than EC$4.3 million has been injected into the local economy by the YEA as of November 30, 2024. She said this figure represents only the 1,038 grants approved so far. She noted that the YEA will begin disbursing loans in January 2025. Through partnership with the Taiwan Technical Mission, the YEA app will be launched next year, to enable young entrepreneurs to sell their products online.

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