The Institute of Law and Economics (ILE) celebrated the Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC) finals on Wednesday, July 24 at the Altamont Court Hotel in New Kingston.

This event was supported by funding from the TRUST for the Americas, the Organisation of American States, and the CITI Foundation, and organised through the DIA Urban Lab for Youth Innovation.

The Entrepreneurship World Cup is a global competition that has greatly fostered Jamaica’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Held annually since 2019, the competition seeks to support and elevate entrepreneurs at all stages of development, providing them with a platform to showcase their innovative ideas, connect with mentors and investors, and compete for various prizes.

This year the local team received tremendous support from the Consular Corps of Jamaica and the Global Entrepreneurial Network (GEN) Jamaica, and after weeks of presentation, discussion, and training, saw eight contestants vying for the top spot. Five were in person while the remaining three participated virtually via Zoom, additionally, five participants were females while the other three were males.

Project Coordinator of the DIA Lab, Shauna Todd lauded the participants’ journey. “The growth of the participants over the last month is remarkable and is a testament to the remarkable partnerships, which give local entrepreneurs access to a rich ecosystem of support that fosters growth and development of innovative businesses,” she said.

Todd highlighted that “despite the challenges posed by Hurricane Beryl, the contestants demonstrated remarkable resilience and dedication to their projects.”

This year, the local competition included two information sessions and a four-week pitch preparation and mentorship programme led by Robert Scott, Dean of the Consular Corps of Jamaica. Judges for the afternoon were Chairman of GEN Jamaica, Jason Clarke; LASCO Micro Finance Limited, regional sales manager, Ann Marie Francis; and Executive Director, Barita Foundation Tanketa Chance-Wilson.

Representing Jamaica at the next level of the competition is Jermaine Bryan who hails from Montego Bay, St James with his project Blueprint Farms Ltd, which aims to provide revolutionary vertical farming technology for more efficient food provision.

Bryan shared his joy at taking the top spot: “Congratulations to all who entered the competition as this journey taught us a lot about ourselves and our businesses. I’m thankful to the ILE, DIA Lab, and all their partners for the opportunity and I am excited to see where all my hard work, passion, and dreams for this project will take me next.”

The local team wishes Jermain Bryan all the best as he advances to the ‘Group and Bootcamp Stage’ between September and October, participating in a combination of virtual training sessions and direct, one-to-one mentorship in preparation for the Global Finals slated for November in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.