Presentation made during Workshop on Supporting ICT-based Entrepreneurship and Innovations in Agriculture organised by CTA on 19-21 November 2013

1. How ConnectiMass
Supporting Youth ICT-based
Entrepreneurship
& Innovation
Generally and in Agriculture"
INGRID RILEY
Founder, ConnectiMass & Tech Entrepreneur
Wednesday, November 20, 13

2. Why ConnectiMass?
• Industrial Age is Over. Helloo Digital Age!
• Jamaica/Caribbean at Economic
CrossRoads with Bold Choices to Make
• Jamaica has Young Population,
Unemployment is disproportionately high
amongst youth
• We believe Entrepreneurship changes lives,
creates jobs and prosperity.
Wednesday, November 20, 13

3. What is ConnectiMass?
•
•
A Social Enterprise
•
Our mission is to increase the number of
successful tech entrepreneurs and startups in
the Caribbean.
Wednesday, November 20, 13
We teach and promote tech
entrepreneurship in the Caribbean through
our media platforms (blogs, newsletters,
opportunity databases) and community
and capacity building events
(meetups,conferences, startup bootcamps).

4. We’re On A Mission
• We are about empowering a generation
who see technology and entrepreneurship
as catalysts to live not only a better life, but
the life of their dreams.
• It’s about them owning their future!
Wednesday, November 20, 13

5. How We Do?
• We Inspire
• We Connect
• We Train
Wednesday, November 20, 13

6. How we Inspire?
• HIGH SCHOOLS Talks
• UNIVERSITIES Group Talks
• Monthly Email Newsletter - workshops,
conferences, competitions, opportunities.
• Our Event Blogs- chronicles Startup Ideas
Pitched, the Entrepreneurs & Developers
behind them
Wednesday, November 20, 13

7. How we Connect?
• Community Development
• Peer to Peer Learning Network
• Mentors Network
Wednesday, November 20, 13

8. Hub of the
Jamaican Tech Entrepreneurship Scene
Wednesday, November 20, 13

9. Caribbean BETA
Annual Tech Entrepreneurship
Conference
Wednesday, November 20, 13

10. Online Peer Networks
• Caribbean Women in Tech Facebook Group
• Kingston BETA on LinkedIn
• Caribbean Tech Entrepreneurs
• GramStep
• Jamaica Association of Developers
• Cayman Developers
• Jamaica Association of Designers
Wednesday, November 20, 13

11. Mentor Network
• 50 local, regional, diaspora, international
mentors - software engineers, developers,
successful entrepreneurs, angel investors,
silicon valley entrepreneurs,
entrepreneurship trainers.
Wednesday, November 20, 13

12. Funding Network
• Developing a Small Angel Investor Network
Wednesday, November 20, 13

13. Our Partnerships
Wednesday, November 20, 13

14. How we Train?
Interactive + Experiential
• STARTUP WEEKEND JA
• STARTUP BOOTCAMPS
• LEAN STARTUP SERIES
• COMPETITIONS - BetaPitch at
Kingston BETA & PitchFest at
Caribbean BETA
Wednesday, November 20, 13

15. Wednesday, November 20, 13

16. Lean Startup Bootcamp Series
Wednesday, November 20, 13

17. USED SOCIAL MEDIA to KICK START
a
TECH ENTREPRENEURSHIP
MOVEMENT
• Our Event Blogs
• SiliconCaribe.com -Our Caribbean Tech
news Blog
• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
Wednesday, November 20, 13

18. ICT+AGRI Projects
• FARMSCORE
• TEAM AGRO
Wednesday, November 20, 13

19. FarmScore
Credit Rating System for Farmers
•
Jamaica
has
163,600+
registered
farmers
•
•
Farmers
are
business
people
aka
entrepreneurs
Farmers
need
financing
for
Expansion
•
Banks
need
to
lend
to
remain
Machinery
Cash
flow
support
Wednesday, November 20, 13
solvent

20. FarmScore
• Farmer
RaDng
Profile
–
financial
insDtuDons
can
generate
risk
profiles
•
•
•
•
Farmer
Self
Evalua:on
Loca:on
based
risk
profile
–
Op:mal
locale
Product
based
risk
profile
e.g.
Banana
Constant
improvement
through
data
collec:on
and
analysis
Wednesday, November 20, 13

21. Project Agro
PREMISE
o
o
o
Wednesday, November 20, 13
Agriculture contributed 6.6% to the Jamaican
economy in 2011 and employs 18% of the
workforce.
There is currently a growing demand for
Jamaican products from overseas, as well as
from the tourist trade, means that there will be
a need for expansion and improved efficiency in
the industry.
Jamaica has a 110% mobile penetration

22. How it Works
Project Agro is Jamaica's first digital agricultural clearing house
utilizing web to SMS technology to connect small farmers and businesses
•
•
Wednesday, November 20, 13
Once a farmer posts produce for sale by SMS
directly to the site - that the buyer is interested
in, we will send an alert directly to them via
SMS. The buyer will have the option of replying
to this text message, if this is a product that
they currently need.
Using their mobile devices buyers will be able
to post the produce that they wish to purchase,
directly to our website, this is then
disseminated to the farmers in our database.

23. Startup Caribe
Programme for 2014-2017
...identifying, coaching, connecting the most
promising Caribbean technology entrepreneurs
through its community an capacity building events,
competitions, global networking, entrepreneurship
skill-building, startup pre-acceleration services,
interactive mentorship programs.
100 Caribbean Tech Entrepreneurs from Start to
Startup Success over the next 3 years.
Wednesday, November 20, 13

24. THANK YOU!
@ingridriley
@ConnectiMass
Wednesday, November 20, 13