Anguilla has a new hub where the island’s young entrepreneurs can develop their business ideas in a modern, high-tech environment.
‘Innovate Anguilla’ offers state-of-the-art workstations, secure meeting rooms, conference spaces with interactive whiteboards, a vibrant lounge and a computer training lab.
Young people, aged 18 to 35, can also benefit from mentorship in business planning, financial management, and understanding consumer needs.
The opening ceremony took place on 20 November, featuring speeches from project stakeholders and a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Anguilla Youth Business Foundation, an organisation established under the Anguilla Foundation Act to provide business development and support services for young people, spearheaded the project.
Foundation chair Clemvio Hodge explained that the hub occupies a space with a rich history, having previously served as both a soda factory and an educational institution.
“This space will be able to house the businesses of a lot of the young persons who are growing today,” he said, adding that many people will benefit from it.
‘Engineered launchpad’
In a video presentation, Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers, Minister of Education and Social Development, called it the “dawn of a transformative era” in Anguilla’s entrepreneurial landscape.
“This initiative is not just a pretty structure but an engineered launchpad for the sustainability of young entrepreneurs,” she said.
“For our bright minds, aged 18 to 35, this incubator provides fertile ground where their ideas can take root, grow, and flourish into thriving commercial ventures while being protected.”
She said data on youth unemployment in Anguilla is sparse, but the global picture shows a historical trend of the young being the highest demographic of unemployed people.
“This incubator is our response – a bridge to span this gap, helping our young people move from unemployed to self sustaining individuals who understand the markets within which they operate.”
The minister thanked the team from the Anguilla Youth Business Foundation for working to make the hub a possibility.
She also thanked the Tim Reynolds Foundation for its “unwavering partnership” with the government and donation of $100,000.
The hub will help to increase productivity, lower unemployment rates, diversify the economy, increase global connectivity and boost resilience and sustainability, the minister said.
A platform for creativity
Chief Education Officer Bren Romney said Innovate Anguilla is the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and unwavering belief in the potential of the island’s young people.
Since the idea for the project was born in 2016, “we have envisioned a space where innovation thrives, ideas take flight and dreams become reality”, he said.
“This incubator is more than just a physical space, it is a platform for creativity and a beacon of hope for our aspiring entrepreneurs and a catalyst for economic growth.”
He said the government understands that starting a business can be daunting, especially for young people.
“That’s why we’ve created this nurturing environment equipped with the resources, mentorship, training and support systems entrepreneurs need to succeed,” he said.
The event also included prayer, live music, a guest presentation, words from the sponsors, a tour of the facility, and the blessing of the building.
Click here to watch the event in full.