Min. Audley Shaw, Jamaica, Kerrie Symmonds, Barbados, & Mary Ng, Canada’s Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade to join entrepreneurs at BIDEM 2020
Toronto, Canada – Mary Ng, Canada’s Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade will join Caribbean Ministers of Government, entrepreneurs from Canada, other OECS countries and the Caribbean to discuss “bridging diasporic and home markets”, and to promote trade and development at BIDEM 2020― International Caribbean Diaspora Entrepreneurs’ Conference and Trade Show.
Accelerating the development of Caribbean diaspora and domestic- Caribbean entrepreneurship; opportunities and challenges posed by COVID-19; climate risk, investments, technology and high value manufacturing are also high on BIDEM’s event programme.
Agriculture and food security as well as scaling up diaspora service businesses are also key topics to be discussed.
Over 500 free passes have been made available to entrepreneurs in the diaspora, the Caribbean and their mainstream peers.
Entrepreneurs can register free for the event at https://bidem.org until October 7, 2020.
Meegan Scott, Conference convener, says, “We are here to ensure BIDEM is accessible to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) with and without Caribbean roots in diasporic markets [ Canada, USA, UK, The Netherlands, The Middle East, Asia, Pacific, Africa, other Caribbean and Latin American countries ] and at home.
BIDEM is the commencement of a process for ensuring when the Caribbean entrepreneur says SMEs are the economic engine of host or home countries ―they can say it with pride and confidence in their ability to self-actualize; to contribute to capital formation; to attain financial independence and economic freedom”.
Under the theme “Connecting the Roots, Building Networks Together for Profit and Purpose”; the event will kick off the delivery of BIDEM, that is bridged, high impact diaspora entrepreneurs to efficient diasporic markets! And drive the growth of high impact mainstream businesses with a delightful ethnic flavor. “It is also about twining profit and purpose for delivering the global goals; and leveraging evaluation for improving planned and desired results”.
BIDEM aims to bring 2000 delegates, exhibitors and trade show attendees together virtually in Toronto― North America’s second largest financial center and Canada― one of the fastest growing economies in the G7 group of countries.
The event will support inclusive entrepreneurship, inclusive and exclusive business models. It provides an opportunity for big businesses and venture capitalist to support weak and ambitious businesses; for small businesses to support big businesses with their disruption strategies; as well as for academia, governments, mainstream and diaspora businesses to partner for solving the worlds “most wicked problems”.
Economic development clusters, consulting entities involved in international development as well as other sectors will find participating in the event to be one of their best calibrated canon balls.
Annually BIDEM will feature five to six elements for unblocking the desirability, feasibility and barriers to Caribbean immigrant entrepreneurship and the growth of strong businesses in the community.
Attendees will find value in the plenaries, research findings to be presented, global matchmaking, network building and breakout sessions as well as industry specific masterclasses.
Joining the honourable Mary Ng in the panel discussion “Towards a Policy Framework for Accelerating Caribbean Entrepreneurship at Home and in the Diaspora” will be Prime Minister’s designate, The Hon. Kerrie Symmonds, Minister of Energy, Entrepreneurship, Small Business and Commerce, Barbados; and Prime Minister’s designate, The Hon. Audley Shaw, Jamaica’s Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce.
The gathering will also be gifted by a message from John Tory, 65th Mayor of Toronto.
Business leaders looking for partners in driving the transplanting and replanting of businesses between the Caribbean and diasporic markets as well as government departments should attend the event.
BIDEM is convened by The Community of Practice for Caribbean Immigrant Entrepreneurs and Magate Wildhorse Consulting (Toronto & New York).
The Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH), at Ryerson University’s Diversity Institute is an event sponsor.
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
The event will also feature the segment BIDEM Investor Connect for deal-making and connecting businesses to venture capitalists.
- Jamaican Diasporan, David Mullings, Chairman and CEO Blue Mahoe Capital Partners Inc. will deliver a session entitled moving the Caribbean Forward.
- DR. WENDY CUKIER, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategy and Academic Director of the Diversity Institute, Ryerson University – will address commercialization and opportunities at Ryerson
- Dr. Tamu Browne of St. Kitts will deliver From Side Hustling to Scaling your Venture
- Antiguan diasporan, Michael Jackson will deliver, 4 Steps to Banishing Burnout
- Jamaican diasporan, Dr. Ann Ingraham will speak on BLOCKCHAIN IN HEALTHCARE: THE TECHNICAL INTEGRATOR OF THE QUADRUPLE AIM
- Claudio E. Florillo, Consultant, Business Transformation, Fintech, Digital & Innovation of Antigua will address DIGITAL PROCESS TRANSFORMATION OR PLATFORM ECONOMY: CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES
- Adib Rashid of the Jordan diaspora will address Success in Family Business
- GO-TO-GUY TIMBERLAKE, Federal Contracting Expert will deliver 2 sessions on how to win US Government Contracts while representatives from the Federal and Provincial Governments of Canada will share on how SMEs can leverage opportunities presented by Government of Canada.
- Also represented will be speakers from UWI Mona, and Ryerson University, The WTO will address the Gathering.
