STARTUP Grind Georgetown Guyana successfully pulled off its first fireside chat and networking forum with entrepreneurs in the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), calling for Guyanese to embrace local software developers.

Startup Grind is the largest independent startup community actively educating, inspiring and connecting 1,000,000 entrepreneurs in over 200 cities. The Georgetown GY Chapter is the one of the most recent additions to the international organisation which has been nurturing startup ecosystems in 98 countries through events and partnerships with organisations like Google for Entrepreneurs.

During the groundbreaking event at WeOwn Space in South Ruimveldt Gardens on Wednesday evening, Director of Startup Grind Georgetown Hilary Benjamin-Byer engaged the Founder of Version75 Solutions and Co-founder of WeOwn Space Eldon Marks in an explosive interview.

While chronicling his life’s experiences before a live audience of close to 40 budding entrepreneurs, Marks explained that Version75 Solutions (V75) is a community disguised as a company uniting user interface design specialists, graphics designers, marketers, web developers, mobile application developers, database developers and software engineers to deliver the most effective, comprehensive and unified solutions.

He said when the digital company was established three years ago, it initially targeted foreign companies outside of Guyana due to the current stigma that persists.

“Locally we are faced with this stigma with respect to our own local developers…. We have this diminished image of our own skills as Guyanese,” he explained. Its first client was a Canadian company.

“Through networking, we were fortunate enough to secure an offshore client – a Canadian Insurance Company,” he added. Today, 64 per cent of its projects are for clients outside of Guyana.

TENDENCY
Marks’ sentiments were seconded by Chief Executive Officer of IntellectStorm, Rowen Willabus, who during the networking session, explained that many Guyanese have a tendency to support products and services that are developed outside of the country.

“In Guyana we have this culture where we must get a foreign nod before people could see the value in what we are doing,” Willabus posited.

He said the team at IntellectStorm – an Information Technology based solutions and marketing company – only gained national recognition and acceptance after it would have won the PitchIT Caribbean Challenge Competition in Jamaica with its mobile software application Directory.gy.
As such, Willabus said it is important for entrepreneurs to collaborate within communities like Startup Grind to eradicate the stigma.

“We as a people, we as an entrepreneurial community, we need to come together and keep pushing, pushing the boundaries, pushing people’s expectations – that is what is going to destroy this thing,” Willabus’ partner Triston Thompson added.

Notwithstanding the challenges, the entrepreneurs said the Government through the Public Telecommunication Ministry is creating an enabling environment, particularly for entrepreneurs in the field of ICT.

According to them, the hosting of the 2016 Hackathon is a step in the right direction, noting that more and more businesses are having greater appreciation for ICT. The Hackathon, held for the first time in Guyana in November 2016, was designed to give software product developers an opportunity to own and market their own products and simultaneously develop their skills.

EXCELLENT INITIATIVE
Minister of Public Telecommunication Cathy Hughes said the ‘Fireside Chat and networking” hosted by Startup Grind Georgetown GY was an “excellent initiative” – one which will help to promote Guyanese entrepreneurs and simultaneously ease the stigma.

“More and more I love the fact that people are getting up and doing new and innovative things,” Minister Hughes said on the sideline of the forum. Enthusiastic about the future of ICT in Guyana, the minister, with a burst of excitement, said it is only through ICT that Guyana will be transformed.

She said, however, the issues regarding local support is not unique to the ICT sector.
“We as Guyanese traditionally seem to think that something foreign is better,” Minister Hughes said while pledging to ensure that the Government plays an important role in changing this reality.

“Why would you go to Trinidad and hire somebody to make an app when you have a Guyanese right here that can do it?” questioned the minister as she reiterated the call for Guyanese to support local entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile, the Local Startup Grind Director Hilary Benjamin-Byer said the ultimate goal of the organisation is to create a start-up community in Guyana.

“Tonight’s event was a major success. We are working our way into creating a community where entrepreneurs could be nurtured. Importantly too, the community will create a space where entrepreneurs could network with each, and have easy access to investors who are willing to invest in start-up businesses.

“A community in which potential and young entrepreneurs could be nurtured, a community that will allow for entrepreneurs to network and a community that will attract investors to invest in start-up businesses not only in ICT, but in all fields,” he said.

Operations Director Yogvika Arjune said the next event will be held in April.

In addition to the Minister of Public Telecommunication, the event was attended by President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GGCI) and ActionCOACH Guyana, Vishnu Doerga, Founder of the Masterclass Institute Rosh Khan, Charles Huton of eCabs and representatives from New Generation Great Minds (NGGM).