7 News Belize

Young Entrepreneurs Get Chance to Learn In the US
posted (September 17, 2018)
4 Belizean entrepreneurs are already packing to leave on Wednesday for a 5 week fellowship program in the US. They were chosen as participants in this year's US Embassy sponsored Young Leaders of the America's Initiative. The program gives these young entrepreneurs the singular networking experience that will help them take their business to the next level. The US Embassy hosted a special lunch for the successful applicants today at the Chief of Mission Residence in Belmopan. 7News was there. Here is more about the program.

Natella Svistunova, Public Affairs Officer, US Embassy
"YLAI, also known as Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative program is a hemisphere wide program. It brings together young entrepreneurs; business and well as social entrepreneurs from all over Latin America to the United States for a 5 week exchange program."

"The program is a combination of seminars, internship - there will be placed with businesses and non-government organizations that are similar to what it is that they do here in Belize and the goal is to learn from each other. So Belizean entrepreneurs will learn from American entrepreneurs and American entrepreneurs have a lot to learn from Belizean entrepreneurs as well."

We also spoke to the participants about their businesses and how impactful this opportunity will be for them.

Mervin Budram, Founder and Director, TAS Belize Ltd.
"TAS Belize is a digital marketing firm based here in Belmopan. It was founded in 2009 and we have been in existence since then. We started with a headphones and a laptop. We are currently producing videos, websites, graphic designs and audio production as well."

"The YLAI program well actually I am part of SBDC Belize, I am one of their clients and they actually introduced me to the program."

"In my area specifically I will be working in Boston, I get to shadow a company and learn a lot more how to better market and also how to take what I am doing and bring it to a social responsibility aspect of my business that I really want to devote more."

Courtney Weatherburne, reporter
"Tell us about your passion and drive for accounting and how it blossomed into your business?"

Fatima Chi, Founder of L3G's&Associates
"It is all started when I was in high school, I didn't know what career choice to pick and one of my teachers said hey I see you are good at accounting, maybe you should go that way. So I kept on with my education and I got a full time scholarship and went to pursue my degree in accounting."

"I saw the need in my district which is the Cayo district, I saw the need that many businesses need mentorship in the financial aspects of their business."

Courtney Weatherbrune
"Tell us about this program, how this will certainly impact and enhance your business?"

Fatima Chi, Founder of L3G's&Associates
"Okay, I know a few but I think being exposed and expanding my network and starting off being given this opportunity to go to the US to share a little bit of our business culture and enhancing by learning what they have to offer for me."

Lorcia Moore, Owner, Naturally Belize Coconut Products
"I started in 2014 basically making coconut oil at home and selling it, I recently went full time in February. What I basically do is transform coconut oil into hair and skin care products so basically add my own creative and innovative touch to it."

"I will be stationed in Miami and how this will help me is that I will be networking with other entrepreneurs from the Caribbean and also Latin American countries. Basically they place me with an institution that does similar products to what I do or similar products that I do so basically they would be assisting me to develop my products further and I will also be gaining knowledge and experience."

Kyle Zuniga, BK Creative
"What BK Creative does is help businesses such as itself help to market their business by doing website, graphic design, videography, music videos, photography anything that has to do with digital scale, you name it, we can do it and we also print ID cards for schools and businesses alike."

"Actually this is the first time I am going to Detroit, it is not the first time I am going to the states but it is the first time I am going to Detroit and Washington and I am very excited. I am little scared of the cold but I will find a way to deal with that."

If you want to find out more information and apply, you can go to the US Embassy website. Applications for 2019 open in February. The program began 3 years ago.

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