Women in Business Expo 2018 and “Inspire You!” Part One

By Gibron Rahim

WOMEN are the backbone of society. A society comprised of educated and enterprising women is a cradle for development. For this reason, it is essential that Guyanese women have opportunities to unlock, refine and showcase their skills and abilities in business enterprise. In 2018, the attendees, speakers and exhibitors of the annual Women in Business Expo 2018 and the “Inspire You!” motivational event will aim to do just that.

The third annual Women in Business Expo is scheduled for March 10 and 11 at the Pegasus Hotel while the “Inspire You!” event will be held on March 11. Both events will be presented by the Sonia Noel Foundation for Creative Arts (SNFCA), in collaboration with the Women’s Association for Sustainable Development (WASD) and to mark International Women’s Day 2018.

The Pepperpot Magazine was able to speak to Dr. Sonia Noel D.H.L., founder of SNFCA and WASD, and gain insight into the aims and importance of the two events. She noted that “Inspire You!” is a motivational event to inspire people to give the world the best version of themselves. “We all have greatness inside but some have difficulties unearthing it,” Noel said. The overarching theme of the event, she explained, will be motivation. The idea of motivation ties together the concepts of believing that it is possible to achieve all of one’s dreams, regardless of one’s background, and realising that such achievement is not possible without a growth plan.

The speakers at “Inspire You!” are women who have distinguished themselves in their diverse fields. These speakers who will be addressing the attendees are Sherry Ann Dixon, Caron Hawco, Hilda Bourne, Dr. Jackie Evans, Christine Neblett, Ayana McCalman and Dr. Sonia Noel herself.

Just as the speakers of “Inspire You!” will have much to share with attendees, so too will the exhibitors of the Women in Business Expo 2018. The Pepperpot Magazine was able to speak with several of these entrepreneurs to gain insight into their businesses and their motivations for being a part of the expo. Among them was Christine Profitt, the founder of The Scrubs Hub, a medical apparel business that supplies professional uniforms such as scrubs and lab coats, personal protective wear and educational supplies to the public and private sectors in Guyana.

Profitt holds a Degree in Medical Technology, has worked in customer service for the past four years and recently became one of Guyana’s Young Leaders of the Americas (YLAI) Professional Fellows Alumni 2017. She became passionate about public health and youth development while growing up in Agricola, a community that has a negative reputation for crime, violence and drug use, especially among youths.

Profitt’s passion for youth development led to the creation of the “I CAN Project”. The programme aims at combatting the negativity that youths face with strategic mentorship, networking and job seeking/entrepreneurial guidance for a better quality of life. Speaking about her motivation for being a part of the Women in Business Expo 2018, she explained, “I believe in the positive mental effects that support and encouragement bring, especially among women.”

She said that her participation will allow her to build her business and its social component the “I CAN Project”. Additionally, she opined that she will be able to build a diversely positive network and increase her self-confidence as a businesswoman in becoming better educated and inspiring others.

Another exhibitor is Carolyn Caesar Murray. Murray and her husband together run Harmony Inn and Secret Villa. Both establishments have become well-known both locally and internationally over the last 20 years in the hospitality industry for their clean, comfortable and affordable apartments with all modern amenities.

Secret Villa was the brainchild of the late Charles Caesar Snr., who believed strongly in education and used his enterprise to provide affordable accommodation to students from rural communities who wanted to attend the University of Guyana. Secret Villa’s sister company Harmony Inn was established in 2010 by Murray, Caesar Snr., daughter and her husband. Its owners have attributed the draw of Harmony Inn and Secret Villa to their hard work and commitment to continuous improvements in the services they provide and the moments that they create.

Murray noted that, by attending the Women in Business Expo last year, she was able to network with other entrepreneurs and attendees and learn from other members of the hospitality industry. After last year’s positive experience, she is happy to be a part of the event once more this year. “I encourage other women to be a part of it too,” she said.

Leisa Gibson is the owner of Lisa Salon and Beauty Supplies and is also among this year’s exhibitors. She manufactures her numerous hair and skin care products. Among them are hair and scalp conditioners, body butters for hair and skin, scented coconut oil and hair oils, all of which are coconut oil based. She also makes all-natural foot soaks and body scrubs.

She noted that she has definitely seen progress in her business after having been a part of the Expo from its first year. That first year she only had one product to offer. Now she has a whole line. She expressed thanks to God and to everyone who has assisted her thus far to get her products’ names out including Dr. Sonia Noel and the Women in Business Expo.

The main objective of the Sonia Noel Foundation for Creative Arts and the Women’s Association for Sustainable Development is to empower and provide platforms for various talents, business and personal growth. The Women in Business Expo and “Inspire You!” are facets of this objective. Speaking of the importance of events of this nature, Noel noted that our human resources are the most important but also the most underrated. She underscored that there have been other activities leading up to the two events. “This more than just a weekend of activities,” she explained. “We had six weeks of training in dressing for success, self-confidence, makeup and skin care, technology and business development, business and technology and health.”

Attendees to the Women in Business Expo 2018 and “Inspire You!” motivational event (and it is important to note that not only women are welcome to attend) should expect a wide variety of excellent products and services from women from all walks of life and various parts of Guyana, Noel said. There will be local and international speakers to provoke thoughts, promote introspection and encourage them to “press that reset button.” Throughout all of that though, it will be important to keep in mind that, “Women have a very important role to play in the development of this country and we need to provide the forums that will contribute to their mindsets and skillsets.”