HerVenture Summit & Expo hailed a success

Mar 10, 2025 News

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Kaieteur News- The HerVenture Summit & Expo, held on Saturday, was a resounding success, bringing together a dynamic group of women entrepreneurs and representatives from financial institutions. A press statement from HerVenture, said that “The HerVenture app, a collaboration between the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women and the ExxonMobil Foundation, has already transformed the business landscape in Guyana, with 27,800 users leveraging its digital resources to scale their businesses. The HerVenture Summit & Expo 2025 was not only a celebration of women’s achievements but also a launchpad for future opportunities. As the Summit concluded, it reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that women continue to lead, innovate, and drive meaningful economic change.”

The event showcased innovative business pitches, and various businesses through exhibition booths- revealing a wealth of talented business ideas from aspiring entrepreneurs. Under the theme “Future-Proofing Women Entrepreneurs: Innovation, Finance & Digital Transformation,” the event emphasised the transformative role of women in shaping the business landscape through cutting-edge technology, financial empowerment, and leadership.

The HerVenture Summit & Expo 2025 was powered by ActionINVEST Caribbean Inc. (ACI) in collaboration with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women (CBFW) and sponsored by key partners, including: Mobile Money Guyana (MMG), Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), Republic Bank Limited (RBL), and the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry Guyana (WCCIG). The event created an unparalleled platform for strategic discussions, mentorship, and investment opportunities, reinforcing the profound impact of women entrepreneurs in Guyana and across the region. The exhibition hall featured 22 women entrepreneurs, all graduates of the Road to Growth Programme.

Delivering opening remarks at the event Leanna Baker, Senior Programme Manager at the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women explained that the HerVenture has been specifically designed to support women in low or middle-income countries who are starting or running micro or small businesses in any sector. Through this app, women gain foundational business knowledge and skills, confidence and self-belief to start and grow businesses, support their entrepreneurial journeys and digitise their enterprises.

“We know that women entrepreneurs are some of the busiest people in the world not only are they running their businesses, sometimes several businesses, they also have a fulltime job and also have responsibility for domestic tasks. HerVenture has been designed to fit in their busy lives,” Baker said.

Professor Paloma Mohamed Martin, Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana (UG), spoke on women in academia and their pioneering role in the future of education. She encouraged, “The world is changing very rapidly, become a friend of technology…those phones in your hands are very powerful, you can carry your library, you can carry your contacts, you can do your research, you can market, you can store your information, you can write your emails, it’s your office on the go, so use your phones in very, very strategic way.”

Moreover, Jane Miller, the British High Commissioner to Guyana during her speech emphasised the critical role of women entrepreneurs as drivers of national development. She said, “So national development… claim your seat, now what I mean by that is… it’s up to everybody to take that step forward, that is your seat look for opportunities, look for opportunities for business, look for opportunities that you can grow, look for your opportunities that you can be involved in national development, don’t wait for those opportunities to come to you because they probably won’t.”

Additionally, the HerVenture Summit and Expo also featured a live business pitching session, where six women entrepreneurs presented their ventures to an esteemed panel of judges. The high-stakes session unlocked access to critical funding, mentorship, and resources that will drive the future success of these businesses. The overall winner, Alexis Stacy Reece of East Gate Products, was awarded a grand prize of $100,000 from GBTI.

The six entrepreneurs who pitched were: Salima Dos Santos, owner of Salogistics Consultancy & Training, Raynuka Shecarie Tulsiram owner of Itika Social Media Marketing, Reece Menawattie Aray owner of Country Side Kitchen, Shondelle Gray owner of Nail Room and Spa International and Charlyn Miller owner of Impact Business Solutions.  Notably, in recognition of their efforts, all participants received laptop bags from the Small Business Bureau (SBB). Another segment of the event featured a panel discussion under the topic, “Leading the Change: Pioneering Women in Business and Their Path to Global Impact.” Those included in the panel discussions were Cassandra Crawford, the owner of Kaiso Fiesta Organic Juices, Wanda Campbell, owner of Wonderfully Made Products, and Alana Bunbury-Walton owner of Jars Zero Waste Store. They all shed their journeys of overcoming barriers and achieving global success.

(HerVenture Summit & Expo hailed a success)

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• Entrepreneur, exposition, HerVenture, innovative, Women

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