Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Big ideas emerge during Innovation Week

Big ideas emerge during Innovation Week

“There are a lot of big deals in this room,” said emcee Kareem-Nelson Hull as he surveyed a conference room full of dozens of young Virgin Islands entrepreneurs at the Come Innovate business forum on Tuesday at Maria’s by the Sea.

They soon broke into 10 “tribes” based on their industries, ranging from “creative” to “food and beverage” to “professional services.”

Even those who didn’t yet own a business were happy to share their aspirations, including Michelle Rogers, who said she aspires to open a dive centre, sell dive gear and “teach underprivileged children how to dive.”

When the planned Innovative Business Lab opens next year, there may be more “big deals” where she came from.

According to Junior Trade Minister Sharie de Castro (R-at large), who is spearheading the lab project, the event on Tuesday was the first step in teasing out what young entrepreneurs - who she invited personally - want from their government in order to help them dream big and grow the economy.

“It is our duty as a government to do all that we can to ensure that businesses, especially new businesses and small businesses, feel supported and surrounded by tools that continue to make them feel like conducting business in the Virgin Islands is still worth it,” Ms. de Castro announced at a press conference on Friday.

Innovation Week, which continues through tomorrow, is just the start of Ms. de Castro’s vision for a new era of innovation in the territory.

Its centerpiece, however, was the announcement of plans for the lab, which will be designed to be a “home” for entrepreneurs to “call their own,” she said.
When the facility opens, “on a weekly and monthly basis, there will be opportunities for collaboration, interaction and partnership fostered in an environment designed for entrepreneurs to win,” she said.

Enterprising business


Glen Charlton, another Tuesday attendee, is a veteran entrepreneur. His first venture was a music website, but “life hindered me from getting the website to where I wanted it,” he said.

His current dream is to take an old industry in the VI - tourism - and open it to a new form of tourist: gamers.

“Video games bring everyone together,” he said. “My end game is to bring that product to the VI.”

Another big dreamer was Akeela Frett. She already owns a hair supply company, but her ultimate dream is to own the “first hair manufacturing company in the BVI.”

Previous gov’t


The concept for the lab was first developed in 2016 under the previous government, Ms. de Castro said.

Those plans were disrupted by Hurricane Irma, although Ms. de Castro said she was amazed at how far along the idea was when she took office earlier this year.

“A lot of the groundwork has been done in terms of the planning and the paperwork,” she said. “What we must do now is move it forward and make it actionable.”

At the conference, acting Premier Kye Rymer said that innovation will play a vital role in diversifying the VI economy in light of a spate of existential threats to its traditional industries.

He noted that the concept of “economic substance” is looming large both in the financial industry and in the economy of the territory in general.

I-Week, and the lab to follow, will “provide a platform to gain a greater understanding of how we can integrate [economic substance],” he said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×