DAIC encourages innovation and support for entrepreneurship

DAIC members at the Chamber’s recent AGM

Re-elected President of the Dominica Association of Industry and Commerce (DAIC) Kenneth Green has provided some insight into the plans of the Chamber for the new period.

At the DAIC AGM held recently, Green identified these plans as the enhanced collection of statistical data of DAIC membership, increased innovation among Chamber members, greater assistance to dialogues of national importance and improved private sector collaboration.

The DAIC AGM focused on ‘Advancing Dominica’s Growth through an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem’ in an effort to increase innovation among the members of the Chamber, the private sector by extension and other stakeholders. The DAIC says this discussion was fundamental to stakeholders’ re-commitment to take the necessary actions which help entrepreneurs in Dominica to thrive.

DAIC members were advised to use available technologies wisely for the advancement of their businesses and organizations and to avoid becoming victims.

It was suggested that there is significant work to be done in continued education for the business community to understand more about technologies which will enhance the way business is conducted.

Additionally, attendees gained insight into Financial Technologies which will be released in Dominica and the Caribbean in the near future, which is geared to change how we conduct business or transact with each other. It was also discussed that in the banking system, there is a range of solutions for businesses in different stages of their growth and there is not a single financial institution that will have all the solutions.

PRO of DAIC and CEO of U.N.I.T.E. Sheldon Casimir made the point that entrepreneurship is different from small business ownership.

“There are several elements that are needed to ensure that this ecosystem is successfully supporting entrepreneurship and these include intellectual property, regulation, academia, banking, investment from venture capitalists,” Casimir explained

Attendees were encouraged to continue to seek solutions to the challenges of entrepreneurs and gaps which exist in supporting this system of doing business.

This panel was moderated by President of DAIC and Director for FreeStyle Inc. Kenneth Green. It comprised Stephen Lander, Country Manager of CIBC First Caribbean International Bank, Sheldon Casimir, Founder of U.N.I.T.E. and recent DAIC representative at the Regional Policy Dialogue on Innovation and Technology; Adeola Bannis, Doctoral Candidate and Tech Engineer at the National Telecommunication Regulatory Commission and Michel Williams, the Founder of Maxwell Technologies, a local company operating in the FinTech industry.

The digital version of the 2018-2019 report was released at the AGM. This report highlights some of DAIC’s key advocacy areas, membership (highlights, feedback, and list), partnerships, key statistics, outreach, events, regional boards representation, amongst others. This report can be readily accessed through the Chamber’s Website and Facebook page: (https://www.facebook.com/DominicaChamberDAIC/).

An executive team has been elected to support Green. It comprises Senior Vice President  Stephen Lander (First Caribbean International Bank), Treasurer Eliud Williams (Whitco Inc.), Public Relations Officer Sheldon Casimir (U.N.I.T.E.) and Immediate Past President Kira Thompson-Aird (H.H.V. Whitchurch and Co. Ltd.).

Additional directors elected to the Board of Directors for the 2019-2020 period are: Brenton Hilaire (Sagicor Life), Damien Sorhaindo (DCP Successors), Dave Stamp (DOMLEC), Jeffrey Baptiste (Cable & Wireless FLOW Dominica), John Robin (Benjo Seamoss and Agro Processing Ltd., Nathalie Sampson (Springfield Trading Ltd.), Nikima Royer Jno.Baptiste (Digicel (Dominica) Ltd.), and Yvonne Armour Hill (Dominica Tours Ltd.).

DAIC thanks all sponsors who contributed to the success of the AGM which are: Archipelago Trading Ltd., Fine Foods Inc., Josephine Gabriel, and Co Ltd., and Springfield Trading Ltd., in addition to the constant support of the Management and Staff of the Prevo Cinemall.

DAIC’s new executive

 

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2 Comments

  1. A. George
    July 26, 2019

    and just to add … the hard working and ever efficient Lizra Fabien continues as Executive Director :-)

  2. aceejay
    July 25, 2019

    On two occasions, I sought to be informed what benefits are to be had from joining the DAIC, and I found none. There is no tangible product or service there. You get nothing from the DAIC. The board of directors donate their time and ideas, but the DAIC seems incapable of transforming all those ideas into sellable products and services. There seem to be some frustration in moving the association ahead. It is time to take a critical look at the DAIC, and decide whether to continue as is, or make some deep structural changes in order to breed life and meaning into the organisation. Dominica needs a vibrant chamber of commerce; one with actual employers and business owners at the helm. One which can engage the politicians and policy makers and bring value to enterprise. As it now stands, the DAIC is patting its own back, and seem challenged to engage the political directorate in any meaningful way. C’mon guys, do something.

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