Women Entrepreneurs Wanted for World Survey

NEW YORK (July 31, 2008) – A worldwide study on women entrepreneurs is presently being conducted by Dr. Andrea Smith-Hunter, an Associate Professor at Siena College in New York.

Dr. Smith-Hunter is studying the impact that female entrepreneurs have in seven regions of the world; Africa, South America, North America, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Europe and Asia.

The regions left to be completed are the Caribbean, Europe, Eastern Europe and Asia.

“I truly believe that women hold the key to the economic power of our future and so this project is to gather more data to establish that view. It has been an interesting process to discover the impact that women with small micro-enterprises are having on their community and even their nation,” said Smith-Hunter.

The questionnaire will take no more than 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Women can either choose to download the form and return it by mail or fax or fill in the form electronically and email it back to the researcher.

Dr. Smith-Hunter who is originally from Jamaica, holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Studies from the University at Albany – State University of New York. Her research interests include entrepreneurship across racial, ethnic, gender and economic lines. She has been published in the Journal of Business and Entrepreneurship, the Journal of International Business and Entrepreneurship, Women in Management Review and the Journal of Business and Economic Research, among others. Her first book, Diversity and Entrepreneurship: Analyzing Successful Women Entrepreneurs, was published in 2003 by University Press of America. Her second book, Women Entrepreneurship Across Racial Lines: Issues of Human Capital, Financial Capital and Network Structures, was published in 2006 by Edward Elgar Publishing.

Coordinating the project for Dr. Smith-Hunter is Nerissa Golden, the founder of YES, the Young Entrepreneurs Symposiums in the Caribbean. “This research will be a vital tool than can enable governments to understand the value of their female population and the impact they are already having and act accordingly to support them. It should also inspire not just women but men as well to consider starting their own businesses and follow the path that many have chosen and continue to navigate successfully,” Golden said. The entrepreneur is presently completing work on her second book “The Making of a Caribbeanpreneur: Overcoming Fears and Building Wealth.”

More information about the research can be obtained by contacting Nerissa Golden at info@trulycaribbean.net to participate in the survey.

Will There Be a YES 2008?

At this time, all plans are on hold to host the third Young Entrepreneurs Symposium (YES 2008). The goal right now is to build up the resources available online so that you can be equipped to start and run your own business effectively.

Please visit www.trulycaribbean.net to access all our small business ideas and tips for succeeding in a Caribbean environment.

Look out for events that Nerissa Golden will be speaking at throughout the coming months.

Special Women at YES 2007 - by Loic Bryan

Man, I would not have gotten through this conference without my big sister, Dianne. Big props to her for keeping her cool and just keeping me organized. She also won the Never A Dull Moment Female Award but slipped through without a public award at the reception.
Lady Zelma Prentice, from Nevis was a joy to get to know. Her new babysitting service is taking off and she came to YES 2007 to learn how she could maintain and grow her venture. You can check out her story on www.trulycaribbean.net.
Tessa Clark-Chaderton is an extraordinary cook and we found out just how good she is during our closing reception. Her mango bread was to die for and we can't wait to hear how her new catering business develops.
Stephanie James is journalist, professional translator and also the host of Women West Indies. While on St. Kitts she and her husband took the time to interview many local women who are shaking things up in the federation. You can also check me out on an upcoming episode.

The Guadeloupeans - Photos By Loic Bryan

Mr. Paul Naprix was put in a tight squeeze when he was voted Mr. Dressed To Impress.at YES 2007. His wardrobe everyday was tight and won the category hands down. Now he has to explain to his colleagues in the general counsel how he won a fashion award on a business trip.

Proof positive Delphine was at YES 2007. You guys missed her stunning performance as a rape victim being interviewed on a TV talk show during the film workshop with Frances-Anne Solomon.
Cheers Antony, Thanks for organizing such a fabulous group of young people to attend YES 2007.

YES 2007 Photos by Loic Bryan

The delegates from St. Maarten and Guadeloupe, Montserrat and Nevis gathered at the hotel to take pictures before heading off to the Ambassador's home for our closing ceremony and reception.
Dylan Lamaille of Guadeloupe made a presentation to the conference sharing what his high school is doing to promote entrepreneurship.
"Mr. enovations" Justin Griffith of Montserrat documented all of the fantastic workshops that took place. They will be available shortly on a highlight reel.

More Pics at YES 2007 - Photos by Loic Bryan

Greg Richardson checks in at the Marriott Front Desk - Dion was one of the friendly staff we met while on St. Kitts.
I missed Trevor Blakes, Investment 101 workshop. Everyone said it was awesome and most are ready to start playing the market. I got to watch the dvd and see what I missed.
Everyone listened eagerly during Trevor Blakes, Friday morning seminar. Blake is the General Manager of the Securities Exchange.
Carol Mitchell of Leyton Microcomputer makes final adjustments to her presentation on technology.

YES 2007 Mini Expo

Awards

Patricia Caines of St. Kitts won the Excellence in Entrepreneurship award. We simple loved her unique jewelry made from semi-precious stones. In photo above, we are both wearing necklaces she made. (Photo by Justin Griffith)
Stephanie Duggins of St. Kitts is well on her way to starting her first interior design business. She commented that every session was full of information that she can use to make her dream a reality.

Photos of YES 2007 - Delegates

YES 2007 Speakers - Photos By Justin Griffith

Sandra Guishard, St. Kitts spoke about The Creative You...How to develop your talents and deal with it as a business.

Roger Brisbane Caribbean Phone aka 888 St. Kitts

Gregory Richardson of Secure Tech International, St. Maarten

Frances-Anne Solomon of Leda Serene Films, Canada

Paul Naprix, representative of the Regional Counsel of Guadeloupe greeted the audience during the opening ceremony.

Oral Dowell of Dowell Advisory Services, Barbados

Photos From YES 2007

Roger Brisbane of 888 St. Kitts speaks to delegates about carving out a niche in the very competitive communications market.

Filmmaker Francis Anne Solomon of T&T and Canada shares her story of developing Leda Serene Films and her passion for telling the stories of Caribbean people.

Oral Dowell of Barbados kicked off the list of top-notch presentations with "Are You Ready to Be An Entrepreneur." He challenged the entrepreneurs to break many of the mindsets and patterns of behaviour that have dogged Caribbean people for generations. He mapped out a strategy for success that was easy to understand and execute.

Photos by Justin Griffith and Delphine Tinval

St. Maarten Entrepreneurs Win Big At YES 2007

BASSETERRE – St. Maarten entrepreneurs maintained bragging rights at the close of the second annual Young Entrepreneurs Symposium (YES 2007) which was held on St. Kitts from May 23-26.

During Saturday evening’s closing reception and Outstanding Caribbeanpreneur Awards hosted by Ambassador Rosalyn Hazelle of the St. Kitts/Nevis Federation, Loic Bryan, Anderson Percival and Gregory Richardson of St. Maarten were recognized for their entrepreneurial spirit.

US$ 15,000 in services and products from goldenmedia were given away as prizes to the winning entrepreneurs.

Anderson Percival of NFluence Records and In Sports Magazine received the TrulyCaribbean.Net Innovations Award and US$5,000 in services to develop his companies’ strategic plan, marketing concept, media kits and online advertising.

Loic Bryan, a much sort after graphic’s designer and illustrator was recognized as the Outstanding Caribbeanpreneur in Technology, WINAIR’s On The Move Award recipient, and the Never A Dull Moment Award for keeping the delegates laughing.

Gregory Richardson, CEO of Secure Tech International for the second year won the award for most Outstanding Speaker in Technology.

Other winners were Mikieda Franklin, a fashion designer who was the most Outstanding Caribbeanpreneur in the Arts; Patricia Caines, a jewelry maker – Excellence in Entrepreneurship, Oral Dowell of Barbados was the Outstanding Business Planning Speaker while Filmmaker Frances-Anne Solomon was the most Outstanding Speaker in the Arts.

Conference host and goldenmedia owner Nerissa Golden said the delegates all agreed the atmosphere at YES was one of togetherness and openness. “The opportunities to network and forge new alliances were important results of YES 2007.”

She added that the Guadeloupe delegation, which comprised students, entrepreneurs, journalists and government officials, broadened the possibilities for the development of the conference throughout the Caribbean.

“We are counting on you Ms. Golden to assist us in our efforts to expose our youth in Guadeloupe to the wider Caribbean,” Paul Naprix of both the General and Regional Councils of Guadeloupe told the organizer during the closing reception. He added that YES 2007 has made a great impact on his delegation and they are looking forward to returning home to implement many of the ideas they received during the conference.

YES 2007 Begins on St. Kitts

BASSETERRE –The second annual Young Entrepreneurs Symposium (YES 2007) opened on Thursday morning at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort.

Ambassador Rosalyn Hazelle of the St. Kitts/Nevis Ministry of Industry & Commerce welcomed the delegates in attendance which includes entrepreneurs from St. Maarten, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, Nevis and St. Kitts.

She said her government recognizes that for the continued growth of the nation the mindset of “our people must become more business oriented. This conference is part of our plan to promote our young people to develop an entrepreneurial spirit. It is possible to take all of our niche businesses into an organized setting.”

The ambassador said that we need to see our creative skills such as dance, singing, arts and craft as marketable skills. The official referred to the island’s sugar industry which was closed two years ago, which brought to bear that other sources of development must take place.

Nerissa Golden, conference host and entrepreneur remarked during the opening ceremony that YES 2007 is a vital tool that Caribbean people can make use of to help turn their passions into enterprise. She added that when we identify our personal gifts, many of them can also be used to provide an income and improve our personal resources and communities.

Paul Naprix of the General Council of Guadeloupe greeted the delegates during the ceremony. He said that the presence of 10 delegates from Guadeloupe represents the strong emphasis of the council to expose their youth to the wider Caribbean and to events and innovative methods of thinking. He added that the council is preparing for a major conference scheduled for later in the year called “To Study & To Work in the Caribbean” to identify opportunities for young people from Guadeloupe to cooperate and work within the region.

Mr. Naprix told the Ambassador that although the political structures are different, there are things that are deeply Caribbean that unify us.

The conference is packed with outstanding presentations from speakers from around the Caribbean. Oral Dowell of Dowell Advisory Services from Barbados set the stage with his “Are You Ready to Be An Entrepreneur” workshop dealing with the emotional and mental preparation necessary to begin a business. He expounded on strategies that can be used to pursue investors for financing as well as mitigating the risks in any start-up venture,

Other presenters included Gregory Richardson of Secure Tech International of St. Maarten who presented a wealth of information on how Caribbeanpreneurs can use technology to advance their business; T&T-born Frances-Anne Solomon of Leda Serene Films Canada discussed the development of her film company and making Caribbean-themed programming; while St. Kitts fashion designer and artist Sandra Guishard spoke about “The Creative You: Using natural talents to earn a living.”

YES 2007 continues on Friday with more workshops on investment, business financing and marketing. A much anticipated session is the filmmaking workshop where delegates will be able to use cameras and cell phones to make a short movie.

The conference ends on Saturday evening with the Outstanding Caribbeanpreneur Awards, which will be hosted by Ambassador Rosalyn Hazelle.

More information can be found at online at http://caribbeanpreneur.blogspot.com.

Photo caption:

YES 2007 Conference Host and entrepreneur Nerissa Golden with Ambassador Rosalyn Hazelle of St. Kitts & Nevis and Paul Naprix of the Guadeloupe General Council. The conference began on Thursday and closes on Saturday May 26 with the Outstanding Caribbeanpreneur Awards. (Photo by Justin Griffith)

Filmmaker Frances-Anne Solomons of Trinidad discusses the importance of telling our Caribbean stories on film, video and through all available media during the creative workshop at YES 2007 on St. Kitts. She said that technology has now made this possible by reducing the high cost of production and new avenues such as You Tube mean that the entire world can now hear and see our stories. (Photo by Justin Griffith)

Nerissa Golden and other speakers can be contacted by calling Tel: 1-869-667-6978.

YES 2007 Conference Schedule Updated

DAY ONE: Wednesday, May 23 2007
1- 5pm Registration in hotel lobby

DAY TWO: Thursday, May 24, 2007

8:00 – 8:45am Registration
9:00 – 9:45am Opening Ceremony
· Opening Prayer
· Welcome & Overview of YES 2007 – Nerissa Golden, Conference Host
· Remarks from St. Kitts & Nevis Chamber of Commerce & Industry Rep.
· Opening Keynote Address – Ambassador of Plenipotentiary, St. Kitts/Nevis Ministry of Industry & Commerce
· YES 2007 Officially Begins
10:00 – 10:45am Are you ready to be an Entrepreneur? – Oral Dowell, Barbados
10:45 –11:00am Coffee Break
11:00 –11:45am How Can Caribbeanpreneurs Make Use of Today’s Technology To Advance Our People and the Region? Greg Richardson (St. Maarten)
11:50 – 12:30pm Telling Caribbean Stories on Film with Frances-Anne Solomon, Leda Serene Films, Canada/T&T
12:30 – 2:00pm Lunch
2:00 – 3:00pm The Creative You – Sandra Guishard “His Glory”, St. Kitts
3:00 – 3:45pm Me Inc. – Sharon Rattan of Vivacci Dancers speaks on Developing a Business in Dance
3:45 – 4:00pm Coffee Break
4:00 – 4:30pm Making Money on the Net: Can You Really? - Nerissa Golden, goldenmedia
4:30pm Announcements and wrap-up



DAY THREE: Friday, May 25, 2007

9:00 – 10:00am -Investment 101 with Trevor Blake, General Director of Securities Exchange Commission
10:05 – 10:45am -How can entrepreneurs use technology to expand their client base and services outside of their island and the Caribbean with Carol Mitchell? (St. Kitts & Nevis)
10:45 – 11:00am -Coffee Break
11:00 – 11:45am -Case Study: 888 Phone - Finding Your Niche in the Marketplace with Roger Brisbane (St. Kitts)
12:00 – 1:00pm - The Noah Principle: Strategies for Financing Your Dream with Nerissa Golden
1:00 – 2:00pm - Lunch
2:00 – 4:00pm -Film Workshop with Frances-Anne Solomon (bring your video cameras or camera phones)
2:00 – 2:35pm -Finding Your Niche in the Tourism Market with Christine Walwyn, Director Tourism
2:45 – 3:45pm - Artist Development Workshop – Launching your creative careers (copyright, marketing, building a portfolio) with Nerissa Golden
4:00 – Coffee Break
4:30pm – Say YES to Entrepreneurship (Workshop Wrap Up) Final Q & A/Evaluations
6:00pm - Friday After Dark – Event and Venue (TBA)
*** Attire Conference T-Shirt and jeans


DAY FOUR: Saturday, May 26, 2007
9:00am - YES 2007 Conference Photo
10:00 - Island Tour & Shopping
Press Conference
7:00pm - Outstanding Entrepreneurs Reception & Awards (Grand Ballroom) sponsored by the Ministry of Industry & Commerce

* Attire is Professional Business wear unless otherwise noted
** Speakers and workshops may change

Opening Ceremony

To accommodate a number of overseas guests who will not arrive until Wednesday evening, it has been decided to move the opening ceremony to Thursday morning at 9am.

The general public is invited to attend.

An updated schedule of workshops will be available shortly.

YES 2007 Begins Wednesday on St. Kitts

BASSETERRE – The second annual Young Entrepreneurs Symposium (YES 2007) begins Wednesday, May 23 at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort.

The event which was created by goldenmedia is being sponsored by WINAIR NV, TrulyCaribbean.net and endorsed by the St. Kitts Ministry of Industry & Commerce.

Conference Host and speaker Nerissa Golden said she is excited YES 2007 is here as it provides another opportunity to meet more of the talented Caribbeanpreneurs who are following their dreams and starting their own business.

“This event is about motivating entrepreneurs to continue and to encourage others to join the game. We will only be empowered as a people when we are established in all arenas including the business world. Many Caribbean people have poor money management habits and give up too easily when pursuing own dreamstrol of our own resources. Entrepreneurship is a powerful tool that more of us can use to change our personal circumstances and make lasting changes which will impact our communities,” Golden explained.

The conference begins at 1pm on Wednesday with open registration followed by a Rules of Engagement Workshop to give delegates tips on the best way to get the most from the four-day event. The opening ceremony will begin at 5pm and will include presentations by government officials and executives of the host nation as well as cultural performances. A welcome reception follows the ceremony.

The main workshops take place on Thursday and Friday with presentations in the areas of finance, technology, marketing, filmmaking, fashion, business planning and more. Conference speakers include Trevor Blake of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, Oral Dowell of Barbados, Carol Mitchell of St. Kitts, Gregory Richardson of St. Maarten and Frances-Anne Solomon of T&T who now resides in Canada and Nerissa Golden.

YES 2007 will close on Saturday evening with the Outstanding Caribbeanpreneur Awards to recognize those in attendance who are excelling in various enterprises. The WINAIR On The Move Award will be presented to the delegate who shows the most promise for starting the next big venture. Other categories include Outstanding Entrepreneur in Technology, The Arts, and the TrulyCaribbean.Net Innovation Award.

Golden says persons can still register on opening day at 1pm at the St. Kitts Marriott. The latest conference information is available on the YES 2007 blog at www.trulycaribbean.net.

Note for St. Kitts/Nevis Nationals

Did you know it costs you only US$150 to register for YES 2007.

Take advantage of this special rate to gain the advice and expertise of some of the finest minds in the region.

Get help with developing a business in music, fashion, dance, technology, hospitality and more.

Visit the Ministry of Industry of Commerce to register or see you at 1pm on Wednesday May 23 for open registration.

Options

You have options plain and simple.

You have the option of continuing to accept mediocrity and always blame the other guy for being better than you or you can choose to get up and go after your dreams.

YES 2007 is all about making the dreams come through. Dreaming is not just for kids, it is actually your personal movie theater to a better life. The trick is to know when its time to put the dream into action. The Young Entrepreneurs Symposium is the tool you can use to get there.

Four days of energy and motivation and practical help to make your business a reality, to turn that side gig into a big earner and to take your small enterprise into a global phenomenon. Let us help you get started.

See you in St. Kitts Wednesday May 23 for registration and the opening ceremony.

Register Today

You still have time to join us in St. Kitts for YES 2007. Registration fee is US$ 350 and you do not want to miss this opportunity to connect with other entrepreneurs and showcase your products and services.

YES 2007 is a wonderful time to perfect that sales pitch you have been working on. So bring along your business cards, brochures and portfolio.

Remember that all general sessions are business attire only.

Contact 011-599-523-3731 if you have questions or if you need us to reserve a room for you. You can also email us at info@trulycaribbean.net

YES 2007 is For You

Who should attend YES 2007 on St. Kitts?

Anyone with a dream to work for themselves. There are business plan writing workshops, marketing and customer service seminars and much more.

If you have already begun living this dream, YES 2007 has lots to help you grow and expand your venture. Do not miss the finance and investment seminars to learn how you can grow those profits you are making.

Need a little technical assistance? Then be first in line for the creative workshops on dance, music, fashion and film.

There is something for everyone. Download your form and send it in today.