Latest update April 24th, 2024 12:10 AM
Apr 08, 2016 News
Local businesswoman Christine Gooding recently met with United States
Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway. The occasion was her return from the United States after participating in the Embassy-sponsored International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) exchange.
Ms. Gooding, founder and co-owner of Market Square (M2) joined 23 other female entrepreneurs from various industries across the globe in an IVLP exchange on “Women and Entrepreneurship” from February 27 – March 19, 2016.
Recognizing that the untapped potential of women is a lost opportunity for economic growth and development, the project aimed to illustrate the essential role of non-governmental and grassroots organizations in supporting and empowering the development of women-owned businesses; and exploring the progress of women in participating more fully in the global economy.
Through in-depth discussions, workshops, and site visits, participants were introduced to various business models, support mechanisms and innovations such as micro-lending, multi-level marketing, and the use of the internet. Discussions also centred around societal barriers facing entrepreneurs, especially women and other disadvantaged groups. Participants with firsthand experience overcoming those barriers had the opportunity to share best practices with their counterparts.
Among the highlights of Ms. Gooding’s programme was a visit to Silicon Valley, the heart of entrepreneurship, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector and innovation. She was particularly impressed with the emphasis placed on technological advancement for women and girls.
Promoting the full participation of women and girls in the political, economic, and social realms of their countries remains a key goal of US foreign policy. Ambassador Holloway reaffirmed the U.S. Government’s commitment to work with and strengthen the role of organizations and contribute to the improved well-being of Guyana’s most valuable resources – its people, through capacity building and strengthening institutions. He noted that the IVLP programme offers one of the best means to do so, as it fosters an exchange of new ideas with leading Americans and US organizations, while leading to lasting connections among IVLP participants.
IVLP brings together emerging leaders in their respective professions to learn how US experts in their professions operate, and to share best practices with other programme fellows who hail from across the globe.
Ambassador Holloway also recently met with young Guyanese entrepreneur, Triston Thompson, after he (Thompson) returned from participating in the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) in the United States.
During his visit to the US, Mr. Thompson got the opportunity to meet with the Secretary of State John Kerry and Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere, Roberta S. Jacobson at the U.S. Department of State to discuss the future of entrepreneurship and the importance of empowering young leaders throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
Launched by President Barack Obama in April 2015, YLAI seeks to expand opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs and civil society activists from Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States.
YLAI seeks to address the opportunity gap for youth, especially women, by empowering entrepreneurs and civil society leaders with the training, tools, networks, and resources they need to transform their societies and contribute more fully to economic development and prosperity, security, human rights, and good governance in the hemisphere.
In sharing his experience, Thompson noted that it was a real privilege to be a part of such an amazing group of young entrepreneurs and the extraordinary benefit of expanding his network of colleagues. He also shared with the Ambassador a project that he is currently working on, which will enable mobile technology to address the needs of consumers and businesses in a user-friendly and efficient manner.
Ambassador Holloway congratulated him on the initiative and said that he looks forward to utilizing the technology when it becomes available.
Thompson is a Partner and Information Systems Architect at IntellectStorm, an organization that specializes in providing information technology and marketing solutions to businesses growing in Guyana’s rapidly-evolving market.
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