BVI entrepreneurs receive training from Branson Centre

By MERRICK ANDREWS, Online News Editor

(JTV News) — Twenty-one British Virgin Islands (BVI) entrepreneurs have completed the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship’s four-month accelerator programme and collected their certificates on January 26, 2023, at the Eileene L. Parsons Auditorium, according to a news release from the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC).

Those who received Certificates of Completion were Aneika Smith, Arona Forbes, Carlie Stanislaus, Dale Mapp, Darrell Ruan, Gabrielle Bardo, Gail Young, Hubert Lennard, Joyceln Ricketts, Kezia Allen, Kristol Penn-Hadaway, Neressa Fraser, Petrona Davies, Riiah Durante, Ruben Mingo, Sandi Boyce, Sasha Creque and Sherry-Ann James.

Shakelah Harrigan, Julie Swartz and Derick Ambrose received Certificates of Participation.

Topics covered in the programme were: Preparing for the Pitch and Developing the Pitch Desk, Developing a Winning Business Model, Growth Strategy, Marketing: Branding and Customer Engagement, Accounting Principles: Statements – Check and Balances; Sales Forecasting and Enterprise Value, Competitive Analysis and Maximising Sales.

According to the release, the programme included a week-long investment readiness BootCamp, a 12-week virtual platform training, and access to mentors and coaches, which provided entrepreneurs with additional training to assist them in navigating the economy, expanding their knowledge, refining their pitch decks, and growing their businesses.

“The Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship supports the development of entrepreneurs through a unique combination of three core activities: Training entrepreneurs to structure their business for growth; holding entrepreneurs accountable for their growth plans through a mentorship programme; and preparing entrepreneurs to access and efficiently manage funding,” the release said.

Vice President of Academic Affairs at HLSCC, Dr. Arlene Smith-Thompson, was quoted as saying in the press release that as part of the college’s strategic plan, “we pride ourselves in partnering with institutions such as the Branson Centre for Entrepreneurship and Unite BVI in the provision of training opportunities that seek to build workforce capacity and reduce unemployment in our territory”.
CEO of the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship Caribbean, Lauri-Ann Ainsworth, said in the release that her organization was “thrilled to be back in the BVI, supporting and empowering local entrepreneurs through our accelerator programme”.

“We are proud to have played a role in the development of these innovative enterprises and look forward to our continued efforts in fostering the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the BVI,” Ainsworth said.

The programme was funded by Unite BVI, according to the release.