The Journey: Road to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 Report

THE JOURNEY ROAD TO THE GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUMMIT 2017

PHOTO CREDITS:SHELLY BELL, FOUNDER OF BLACK GIRL VISION OUTFIT BY: RANDY MANDRAY DESIGNS (GUYANA) STYLED BY: XAMIERA KIPPINS

From Guyana

TO TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

Through the United States of America

& DUBAI

To Our Hosts in

HYDERABAD, INDIA

REPORT PREPARED & SUBMITTED BY: JUBILANTÉ CUTTING | DECEMBER 28, 2017

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THE GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUMMIT 2017

"WOMEN FIRST, PROSPERITY FOR ALL." PHOTO CREDITS: GES 2017

HYDERABAD, INDIA

BY JUBILANTÉ CUTTING The Global Entrepreneurship Summit is a global entrepreneurial initiative sponsored and supported by the U.S State Department under the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs’ Business Outreach and Commercial Diplomacy. The aim of this annual initiative is to provide meeting spaces for emerging entrepreneurs, investors and supporters from around the world to connect, collaborate and share experiences. This is done through motivational plenaries, breakout sessions, master classes and interactive workshops.

THIS YEAR, THE EIGHT EDITION OF GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUMMIT 2017, HEREINAFTER ALSO REFERRED TO AS GES 2017, WAS HELD IN HYDERABAD, INDIA – THE FIRST OF ITS KIND TO BE COMMEMORATED IN SOUTH ASIA.

PHOTO CREDITS: GES 2017

Under the theme “Women First, Prosperity For All”, this year’s GES 2017 provided a global platform particularly for women entrepreneurs, and other women-focused and innovative enterprises from over 1300 countries to voice their financial needs, interact with prospective partners and engage potential investors. The GES 2017 in Hyderabad, India ran from November 28 - 30, 2017 but for Guyanese delegates attending, namely: Ms Arifa Mohamed, Ms Abbigale Loncke and Ms Jubilanté Cutting, the trip incurred a cumulative three (3) to four(4) day inbound and outbound travel experience.

PHOTO CREDITS: GES 2017

The GES 2017 Guyanese Delegation (From L-R) Ms Arifa Mohamed, the Founder of iMed Guyana; Ms Abbigale Loncke, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Community Health Care Agency; and Ms JubilantĂŠ Cutting, the Founder and President of the Guyana Animation Network.

These delegates – Ms. Mohamed, Ms. Loncke, and Ms Cutting, like many others from around the globe, were selected by the U.S State Department, U.S Embassy Georgetown and Government of India after a gruelling and competitive online application process garnering information on the nature and needs of their respective ventures. Ms Mohamed, the Founder of iMed Guyana; Ms. Loncke, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Community Health Care Agency; and Ms. Cutting, the Founder and President of the Guyana Animation Network, all qualified and proceeded on the journey along the road to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017!

The Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 experience was a phenomenal one in itself coupled with the extensive travel and networking experiences that came before, during and after. Before arriving at the Summit, delegates were added to various Facebook and WhatsApp groups to allow them to connect before-hand and to share their travel experiences. This was motivating especially for delegates whose journeys caused them to be jetlagged or who lost luggage along the way.

They were encouraged and supported by a GES family who truly empathized with what they were going through. In the same vein, other participants to the Summit engaged each other on Twitter along with the hashtags #RoadToGES #GES2017. This facilitated extensive business networking preSummit.

ABBIGALE AND I ON OUR WAY TO JFK

HOVERING OVER DUBAI PAGE 2

PHOTO CREDITS: GES 2017

PHOTO CREDITS: GES 2017

OPENING PLENARY After arriving in Hyderabad, India at the Rajiv Gandhi Hyderabad International Airport, delegates were shuttled to their respective hotels. Ms Mohamed and Ms Loncke stayed at Hyatt Gachibowli, and Ms Cutting at the Sheraton Hotel Hyderabad. The next day, Tuesday, November 28, delegates were escorted to the Hyderabad International Convention Center (HICC) for check-in and networking. At check-in, each delegate received a delegate package of a custom badge, coloured pins to represent their industry of speciality – Healthcare and Life Sciences, Digital Economy and Financial Technology, Energy and Infrastructure and Media and Entertainment – and, smartwatches. Thereafter, delegates assembled inside of the HICC where networking and media broadcasts were in full swing in anticipation of the Opening Plenary addresses by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ms Ivanka Trump, Advisor to the President of the United States on “…education and economic empowerment of women and their families, job creation and economic growth through workforce development and skills training…”

The Opening Plenary for GES 2017 was inspiring. Speeches by Ms Ivanka Trump and Prime Minister Modi evoked personal calls to action within all entrepreneurs in the room. Ms Trump’s speech was rousing as she recounted the thousands of women entrepreneurs who benefitted from U.S aid and finances, some of whom were present at the opening session. Ms Trump further revealed the existence of the Women Entrepreneur Finance Initiative (WE-FI) for developing countries with a mandate to “…help women in developing countries gain increased access to the finance, markets, and networks necessary to start and grow a business…” This announcement was well received by more than half of the women entrepreneurs present at Summit who travPAGE 3

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elled from developing countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia. Ms Trump’s speech was followed by Prime Minister Modi’s powerful presentation. As a political leader, Prime Minister Modi exemplified the characteristics of impressive and visionary leadership. After outlining the various ways in which the Government of India encourages an entrepreneurial and start-up culture, Prime Minister Modi articulated that the three (3) stages of entrepreneurship, namely: ridicule, opposition and acceptance, are stages an entrepreneur must overcome to achieve success. He stated that an entrepreneur must first face ridicule and opposition before being accepted. He stressed the importance of Research and Development (R&D) mechanisms in place in India which allowed the Government to tackle the challenges and needs of the youth and women. He closed by challenging, “…It is not possible for a bird to fly with only one wing. Every country needs women in entrepreneurship.

The world needs women in entrepreneurship.”

PHOTO CREDITS: GES 2017

Following the speeches of Prime Minister Modi and Ms Trump, a team of women panelists joined Ms Trump for a discourse under the team ‘Be the Change - Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership’. This panel featured successful entrepreneurs who have provided opportunities for other women entrepreneurs in their countries and communities. The panel was then followed by an Opening Reception hosted by the Government of India. At the reception, delegates feasted on traditional India food made with a wide range of Indian spices. The reception saw the end of the first day of official GES 2017 activities.

HE CLOSED BY CHALLENGING, “…IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR A BIRD TO FLY WITH ONLY ONE WING. EVERY COUNTRY NEEDS WOMEN IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP. THE WORLD NEEDS WOMEN IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP.” PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI

PHOTO CREDITS: GES 2017

PHOTO CREDITS: GES 2017

BREAKOUT SESSIONS & MASTER CLASSES Wednesday, 29th November 2017, was filled with exciting breakout sessions and master classes.

These sessions were hard to choose from, but the Easy Entrepreneurship: The Entrepreneur’s Perspective master class was highly interactive, packed and informative. This session was led by panelists: Ms Christine Souffrant, Partner & COO of Global Startup Ecosystem; Mr Ronnie Screwvala, Founder of UpGrad; Ms Sandra Jonsdottir-Buch, CEO of Platome Biotechnology; and, Mr Srinkath at Bolla, CEO of Bollant Industries. The panelists in this session discussed the policies and programs in place in the U.S and other markets which are shaped to allow entrepreneurs to thrive.

During the Q&A session, Ms Cutting commented on her experiences starting up the Guyana Animation Network in Guyana and having to make the decision of whether to register the organization as

a non-profit under the Friendly Societies Act or as a non-profit company under the Companies Act. She further questioned the absence of a platform at GES 2017 for women entrepreneurs at the Summit to receive knowledge of the legal procedures to be followed in India for launching a business venture during or after the Summit.

Another delegate noted with great frustration his own experiences struggling to register his venture in India, and the complications notwithstanding the removal of large sections of the laws to facilitate easier registration. These observations sparked thoughtful responses from the panelists who responded by commending the process for non-profit registration in Guyana and agreeing that more needed to be done to integrate entrepreneurship and the legal system.

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On the same day, Ms Cutting also participated in the breakout session for ‘Beyond Returns: Investing in Emerging Markets’. This breakout session was led by the second team of distinguished panelists who were investors. They were: Mr. Amit Midha, President of Asia Pacific and Japan Commercial at Dell EMC; Mr. Ankur Sahu, Managing Director and co-Head of the Merchant Banking Division in Asia Pacific; Mrs. Kirsten Lund-Jurgensen, Executive Vice President and President of the Pfizer Global Supply Chain; and, Mr. Rajan Navani, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Jetline Group of Companies. This team of investors was extremely knowledgeable on investing in emerging markets within developed countries. However, it was observed that little to no attention was placed on handling investment in emerging markets of developing regions like the Caribbean, South Pacific and certain parts of Asia.

The final master class attended by Ms Cutting was entitled ‘Pitch to the Rich: Key Messages to Deliver to Investors’. This session was led by panellists: Mr Bhavish Aggarwal, C-Founder and CEO of Ola; Mr Deep Kalra, Founder and Group CEO of Make My Trip Ltd; Ms Kristina Davison, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of iEurope Capital LLC; and, Ms Stephanie Marrus, Director of the Entrepreneurship Centre at the University of California San Fransicso (UCSF).

LATIN AMERICA, INCLUDING CARIBBEAN, DELEGATION GROUP PHOTO PHOTO CREDITS: GES 2017

PERSONAL REVIEW

The foregoing represents those exhilarating moments which I distinctively remember amidst the plethora of activities that I attended. The Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 successfully provided the space for entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds to truly connect, learn and collaborate with each other. Without initiatives like these, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) doing phenomenal work would go unrecognized and unsupported. However, the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 revealed several challenges that states in the Caribbean like Guyana are faced with at a global level. These will be discussed in the Recommendations section of this Report.

- JUBILANTÉ CUTTING FOUNDER, GUYANA ANIMATION NETWORK INC.

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RECOMMENDATIONS Outside of tourism opportunities, few entrepreneurs around the globe see the Caribbean as an emerging market for investment in health care, fintech, infrastructure and entertainment.

Additionally, it was observed that the Caribbean delegation at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 was not a distinctively identifiable group. Instead, the Caribbean delegation was swept under a wider grouping of Latin America. This, for logistics purposes, would seem in some respects understandable, but for representation purposes, it was disparaging. While it is commendable that the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 provided entrepreneurial exchange especially for Caribbean women entrepreneurs, I respectfully submit the following recommendations. These are as follows: 1. For future global conferences, a Caribbean delegation should be well represented and identifiable to speak authoritatively on entrepreneurial and investment opportunities readily available within the Caribbean for global responsiveness.

2. Observing India's entrepreneurial culture and government interplay allowed for the documentation of possible initiatives that the Ministry of Business in collaboration with the Ministry of Legal Affairs can adopt to boost entrepreneurship and investment. Essentially, these initiatives should be focused on the reduction, transparency and ease of access to legal institutions responsible for business registration and other related activities.

3. Alternatively, the Ministry of Business can also endeavour to establish a Research and Development (R&D) Centre to assess gaps in the local markets with potential for growth and investment. This project can be easily done in collaboration with the University of Guyana and its student base.

4. Further, the establishment of larger tech and entrepreneur-friendly institutions by the Ministry of Business in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Telecommunications is quintessential in promoting and stimulating a disruptive start-up and entrepreneurial culture.

5. Finally, I recommend greater partnerships among the University of Guyana, Ministry of Business and Ministry of Legal Affairs to encourage registration of more business entities by university students for innovative purposes. This type of partnership will also achieve the objective of spreading best business and legal practices for business registration and company incorporation by university students. Further, a partnership such as this would help to promote greater entrepreneurial initiatives for students on a larger scale through the University of Guyana.

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CONCLUSION It was a tremendous privilege to be exposed to educational events, connect with entrepreneurs, meet political leaders and engage potential investors at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017. It was truly a life-changing and enjoyable experience for me as I documented every moment, from the transiting travel experience on my way to India to one-on-one interactions with delegates from the Caribbean or with Caribbean heritage. It was an honour for me to compile this report to recount on those invaluable experiences particularly Prime Minister Modi’s observation that as an entrepreneur, there are three (3) stages you must pass through – ridicule, opposition and acceptance – before you can safely eye success. This statement resonated with me in so many ways. In particular, it encouraged me to press on towards success in spite of ridicule and opposition because acceptance will always follow.

My main expectations before the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 were to connect and collaborate with innovative tech-entrepreneurs which would enable me to provide more cross-cultural opportunities for Guyanese youth within and outside of the Guyana Animation Network community. I am pleased to report that these expectations were met and several other opportunities presented themselves beyond my expectations. Notably, on the final day of official activities, I connected with a potential investor who will soon become my business partner for a major Guyanese / Caribbean initiative. We connected over a random conversation on things we were passionate about, in particular, innovation, the arts and tapping into underserved causes. This conversation quickly turned into us spending less than an hour brainstorming and mapping out a new business concept on some tissue and pieces of paper.

We were thrilled and looked at each other in disbelief and awe after that moment. It was a moment that we

"... I DOCUMENTED EVERY MOMENT, FROM THE TRANSITING TRAVEL EXPERIENCE ON MY WAY TO INDIA TO ONE-ON-ONE INTERACTIONS WITH DELEGATES FROM THE CARIBBEAN OR THOSE WITH CARIBBEAN HERITAGE...."

would never forget. It will forever be etched in our minds. In closing, the journey... was worth it!

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my very great appreciation to the U.S Embassy Georgetown and the Government of India for selecting and sponsoring me to attend and participate in the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017. In particular, I would like to acknowledge Ms. Sandra Zuniga Guzman, the Economic and Commercial Officer within the Economic and Political Affairs Section whose kind recommendation, unbeknownst to me prior to the Summit, allowed me to benefit from this lifechanging opportunity. I would also like to offer my special thanks to the U.S Embassy Georgetown’s Public Affairs Section, most notably: Ms. Amanda Cauldwell, Public Affairs Officer and Ms. Aretha Majeed, Public Affairs Assistant Officer, who were the first to challenge and congratulate both myself and colleagues to take advantage of this opportunity. The advice given by both Ms. Cauldwell and Ms. Majeed has been a great help in my preparations for and throughout the entire journey.

Moreover, I would like to take the opportunity to thank a few Guyanese entrepreneurs who were instrumental prior to and during my journey: • Mr. Randy Madray and his assistant, Ms. Xamiera Kippins of Randy Madray Designs, whose beautiful designer pieces I wore to market his business and Guyanese talent.

• Ms. Olympia Small Sonaram, whose beautiful design of the “Guyana dress” caught the eyes of many inquiring eyes. This allowed me share Guyana with many who did not know of our rich culture and talent.

• Mr. Paul Burnette, whose designs I was unable to wear but whose willingness to share a few pieces was touching.

• Ms. Sophia Dolphin of Gizmos and Gadgets, whose kind heart was extended to me to ensure that I was able to travel with a temporary mobile phone after the unfortunate breaking of mine before I travelled. I am indebted to Sophia for her kindness as the phone allowed me to stay on track with flight changes, routes, times and Summit updates. It also allowed me to stay in contact with Abbigale and Arifa, the U.S. Embassy Georgetown and my close friends and family at home.

I am also particularly grateful for the advice given to me prior to Summit by Mrs Riane Dehaas-Bledoeg and Mrs Jennifer Britton, both staff of the CARICOM Secretariat, whose mentorship I have been humbled and fortunate to receive.

Penultimately, I am thankful to my family who stayed by my side virtually and prayerfully throughout the entire journey.

Finally, I wish to acknowledge my God for keeping me throughout the entire journey and for opening this extraordinary door. I am thankful to His servant, my Senior Pastor, Bishop Dr. Murtland Raphael Massiah, CCH for also prayerfully joining me on this journey.

I am grateful for every person who made this journey a success and whose invaluable contribution has helped me to properly represent my country and family.

THANK YOU.