BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Nov. 30, 2017 — De Jeunesse Bath and Body Products, a company that manufactures high-quality, natural bath and body products, earned the top prize at the launch of the LINK-Caribbean Pitch Competition held November 21 at Hyatt Regency Hotel in Trinidad and Tobago.

They wowed the judges with their pitch from a field of five competing firms and walked away with the coveted $5,000 USD prize. Chief Executive Officer Shenelle Hills-Fife said, “We are overjoyed but we also realized that it does not matter what kind of company you have. If you show your passion, demonstrable evidence that the business can work and get feedback from customers, then you are in business — if not, it is a hobby. We plan on using the funds to purchase equipment that will triple our current production capacity.” 

Like many start-up founders, Hills-Fife juggled full-time work with developing a business, but quit her day job earlier this year to concentrate fully on growing her business. “This is only the start. We intend to apply for the $25,000 USD LINK-Caribbean Investment Readiness Grant and even the Co-Investment Grant given the increased interest of investors in our company,” she said.

The 5-5-5 Pitch Campaign is the latest initiative of LINK-Caribbean in an effort to find more investable businesses, or “deal flow” for the region’s Angel Investor networks. The competition allows five entrepreneurs to pitch their businesses to a panel of five investors, with the top successful business selected to receive a $5,000 USD cash award.

“We decided to run this initiative to raise greater awareness around the LINK-Caribbean programme and to ultimately spur a more buoyant angel investment ecosystem within the region,” explained Chris McNair, manager of Competitiveness and Export Promotion at the Caribbean Export Development Agency. The LINK-Caribbean pitch campaign will continue in the Bahamas, Grenada, and Saint Lucia in 2018 and all interested entrepreneurs are encouraged to submit applications via the website www.link-caribbean.com. 

The World Bank Group, together with the Caribbean Export Development Agency, launched LINK-Caribbean in September 2016, funded by the government of Canada. This investment facilitation program aims to enable early-stage Caribbean entrepreneurs to raise capital from private investors, particularly business angel investors.

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Photo Caption:

Winners Shenelle and Janelle Hills-Fife of De Jeunesse Bath and Body Products receive their $5,000 cheque from Gerard Thomas LINK-Caribbean Project Officer and Melissa Brathwaite, LINK-Caribbean's Programme Assistant from Caribbean Export.

About LINK-Caribbean

LINK-Caribbean is an initiative of the World Bank Group’s Entrepreneurship Program for Innovation in the Caribbean (EPIC), a seven-year, CAD 20 million program funded by the government of Canada that seeks to build a supportive ecosystem for high-growth and sustainable enterprises throughout the Caribbean.

The Project Development Objectives are to contribute to increased competitiveness, growth, and job creation in the Caribbean region through the development of a robust and vibrant innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. EPIC has three core activity pillars: mobile innovation, climate technology, and women-led entrepreneurship. These pillars are complemented by an access to finance facility for Caribbean entrepreneurs and a skills upgrading and capacity development program for all ecosystem stakeholders.

World Bank Group Contact:

Alison Christie Binger, Communications Consultant

T +1 (876) 330-1155

Email abingerchristie@worldbank.org
http://www.infodev.org

@infoDev

About Caribbean Export Development Agency

Caribbean Export is a regional export development and trade and investment promotion organization of the Forum of Caribbean States currently executing the Regional Private Sector Program funded by the European Union under the 10th European Development Fund.

Caribbean Export’s mission is to increase the competitiveness of Caribbean countries by providing quality export development and trade and investment promotion services through effective program execution and strategic alliances.

Caribbean Export Development Agency Contact:

JoEllen Laryea, PR and Communications

Tel: +1 (246) 436-0578, Fax: +1 (246) 436-9999

Email: jlaryea@carib-export.com             

www.carib-export.com

@caribxport