Award Ceremony on Oct. 26, 2019
PHILIPSBURG:--- October 2019: Bacardi and MicroMentor are pleased to announce the Sint Maarten-based winners of the Caribbean Innovation Challenge 2019: Caribbean Brewing Company B.V., Cocomoods Concepts, Come y Calla - Shut Up & Eat, Dish D’lish Restaurant, Excellence Learning Academy Foundation, Fire Fit Gym, Island Media Plus SXM Foundation, The Johnny Caker, Reef-It B.V., Soualiga S.a.L.T, Spaceless Gardens, SXM Cosmetics NV, Tri-Sport N.V., Waste2Work Foundation, and Wastefactory Sint Maarten.
After the destruction of the 2017 hurricanes, small businesses in the Caribbean are still struggling to recover. The Caribbean Innovation Challenge 2019 was launched as a partnership between Bacardi and Mercy Corps’ MicroMentor initiative to award local businesses that contribute to the economic development of the territory. The Caribbean Innovation Challenge is also supported by CC1, Bacardi’s local distributor partner in Sint Maarten.
To strengthen their businesses, entrepreneurs were given access to free mentoring through MicroMentor, a social platform that enables the world’s largest community of purpose-driven entrepreneurs and business mentors to create powerful connections, solve problems, and build successful businesses together. MicroMentor’s global community is formed of more than 70,000 users around the world and has created nearly 25,000 jobs in 198 countries.
Over 45 applications were evaluated by a local jury of eminent business professionals, including Edsel Gumbs of Qredits, Loic Bryan of the SHTA, Jennifer Carty of the Chamber of Commerce, Dominique De Tullio of CC1, Lela Simmonds of SXM Port Authorities, Dr. Will Moreland, and Damien Schmidt of Princess Juliana Airport. To guarantee fairness and transparency, an impartial Oversight Committee that consisted of Candia Joseph of the SOAB and Vicentia Rosen-Sandiford with the Bureau for Intellectual Property ensured that the selection process was conducted with the utmost integrity.
The awards ceremony will be held at SMILE on October 26, 2019 hosted by SHTA and its local partners. More than 300 entrepreneurs and policy makers from around the world will be in attendance, and winners of the Innovation Challenge will be showcased during the event. SMILE will close the awards ceremony with a presentation by Anita Ramachandran, executive director of MicroMentor.
About Bacardi Limited:
Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the world, produces and markets internationally recognized spirits and wines. The Bacardi Limited brand portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDÍ® rum, GREY GOOSE® vodka, PATRÓN® tequila, DEWAR’S® Blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, MARTINI® vermouth and sparkling wines, CAZADORES® 100% blue agave tequila, and other leading and emerging brands including WILLIAM LAWSON’S® Scotch whisky, ST-GERMAIN® elderflower liqueur, and ERISTOFF® vodka. Founded more than 157 years ago in Santiago de Cuba, family-owned Bacardi Limited currently employs more than 7,000, operates more than 20 production facilities in 11 countries, and sells its brands in more than 170 countries. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. Visit www.bacardilimited.com or follow us on Twitter: @BacardiLimited or Instagram: @BacardiLimited1862.
