Media Release Courtesy GGGI April 9, 2024 – The Eastern Caribbean Green Entrepreneurship Initiative announced the selection of 27 green entrepreneurs as recipients of interest-free loans totaling USD 863,403. Under the Initiative’s Accelerator Program, these entrepreneurs were chosen from a competitive pool of applicants to receive funding and support to grow their respective green, sustainable enterprises.
The Initiative, delivered by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in partnership with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) with support from the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), aimed to nurture and empower environmentally conscious businesses, fostering sustainable development across the region. This regional program was dedicated to facilitating the development, establishment, and expansion of innovative green enterprises across six OECS Member States: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St.
Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The Accelerator Program is designed to propel high-potential green enterprises during their growth phase. By providing access to interest-free loans of up to USD 50,000, along with investment opportunities and ongoing education, the program equips entrepreneurs to scale their businesses for maximum profitability and societal benefit.
“With each interest-free loan granted to green enterprises in the Eastern Caribbean, we’re not just investing in businesses; we’re investing in a greener, more sustainable future. Congratulations to all recipients; your dedication paves the way for innovation and environmental stewardship in our region.” – Daniel Munoz-Smith, Caribbean Representative, Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) The three-year Eastern Caribbean Green Entrepreneurship Initiative concluded on March 31, 2024.
The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Competitive Business Unit (CBU) will continue to engage stakeholders and share knowledge about the Initiative and other green entrepreneurship opportunities. The entrepreneurs awarded interest-free loans are: Shelly-Ann Meade Little Zion Tourism; Agriculture Dominica Lime Rocks Enterprises Ltd, trading as Little Zion is a sustainable agrotourism company which owns and operates an agro-tourism estate.
Little Zion’s operations are characterised by the exclusive use of renewable energy; a focus on green job creation; and sustainable building design practices. Denell Florius EcoCarib Inc. Renewable Energy Saint Lucia EcoCarib is a full Energy Services – REGIONAL NEWS –
Company (ESCO) that designs, installs, maintains and finances solar photovoltaic systems. EcoCarib has proprietary designing and financing tools which are used to ensure that the customer gets the best energy deal possible.
Additional services include investment grade energy audits, energy management and energy efficiency, as well as electric vehicle charging. Kimya Glasgow Kimya Glasgow Inc Fashion; Circular Economy Saint Vincent & the Grenadines Kimya Glasgow Inc. is a slow fashion and lifestyle brand that uses organic, natural, and sustainable fibres in its manufacturing to minimize environmental impact and promote responsible consumption.
It supports women-owned factories to empower women in manufacturing and promote gender equality. Jimmy James Clavier Superior Catering Food and Beverage Saint Lucia Superior Catering is a catering company, focused on farm-to-table food solutions.
While featuring foods from local and organic sources, Superior Catering aims to limit its energy consumption and increase its recycling initiatives. – The company also operates a Micro-Farm. Mitra Cazaubon Narrow Way Life Tourism Saint Lucia Narrow Way Life is a Holistic Health, and Sustainable Lifestyle Center providing consultations, eco-friendly home construction, solar and rain harvesting installation services, regenerative farming lectures, health lectures, farm tours and retreats.
Christopher Wyatt Green Design and Construction Solutions Inc. Construction Saint Lucia Green Design and Construction Solutions Inc. (GDCS Inc) is a professional service provider with a focus on nature-based solutions and sustainable infrastructure design for flood mitigation, slope protection, coastal protection, watershed management, sustainable drainage systems.
It also works on innovations in agricultural production and green energy generation. Minerva Gaskin Divine & Events Catering Services Food and Beverage Saint Kitts & Nevis Divine & Events Catering Services uses an eco-friendly farm to fork model in its catering operations – half of the ingredients used are locally or sustainably sourced.
The company minimises waste through composting and supplying biofuel. It creates jobs by predominantly employing women. Marla Nathania Foster Quench Inc. Water Saint Lucia Quench Inc. sells insulated stainless steel water bottles and premium bottleless water dispensers.
It was created to encourage personal wellness by educating children on the benefits of water consumption, while reducing the usage of plastic water bottles in order to curb plastic pollution and reduce the island’s carbon foZotprint. Namayombo Mgonela Namara’s Cafe Food and Beverage Saint Kitts & Nevis Namara’s Cafe is a restaurant based on sustainable operations that prioritise green energy, waste minimisation and community engagement.
Namara’s aims to become a solar-powered operation that addresses food waste and empowers its community through cake decoration training. Janelle Germain Efresco Food and Beverage Saint Lucia Efresco is a cafe and restaurant with a focus on the sustainable production of local food, using produce grown from the owner’s farm, as well as other local farmers and suppliers.
The business intends to launch its agroprocessing line of green banana pasta, salad dressing, chutneys and blended seasoning. Efresco minimises food waste by making food fresh to order and by donating to the less fortunate in instances of excess production.
Quincy Bart Nevility farms Agriculture Saint Kitts & Nevis Nevility Farms utilises a green business model to enhance climate resilience, reduce its environmental impact and promote conservation. It uses water-efficient technologies, composting, recycling materials and solar energy in order to minimise its carbon footprint.
Rebekah Kasha Ragbersingh Buttercup House Rentals Tourism Grenada ButterCupHouse Rentals is a familyowned and operated apartment rental business which aims to provide quality and affordable accommodations to guests. One of ButterCupHouse’s goals is reducing its carbon footprint by developing green a space and garden for guests, focusing on soil conservation, and utilising energy efficient appliances.
Terri Henry Bee Natural Apiculture; Beauty and Personal Care Dominica Bee Natural is a business specialising in creating value-added products from the beehive. Its current range of deodorants, lip balms, body balms, body butters, candles and soaps all use local Dominican beeswax.
Bee Natural also runs a bee garden tour for both locals and visitors to learn more about bees and preserving the habitats for all pollinators. Helen Lunkenheimer-Patterson FRUITION Food and Beverage Grenada FRUITION is a family-owned agroprocessing and apiculture business whose mission is to use Grenada’s
bountiful agriculture to produce premium health oriented food and beverage products in a fair and sustainable way. It produces premium artisanal Kombucha, pure raw honey, honeycomb, and beeswax. FRUITION practices recycling and works directly with local businesses.
Lana Athanaze Eclat Nova Luxuries Beauty and Personal Care Dominica Eclat Nova Luxuries is a sustainable brand specialising in the production of handmade, luxury, botanical skincare and eco-living include botanical soaps, aromatherapy candles, and corporate & personal gift packages. These items are provided at both retail and wholesale scales.
John Wuilliez Grow Compost Factory Ltd Waste Management Antigua & Barbuda Grow Compost Factory operates on a small “backyard” scale with the intent to develop into a commercial-scale composting facility. Eniye Kagbala CARIB-BEANS Superfoods Coffee House Food and Beverage Saint Vincent & The Grenadines CARIB-BEANS is a specialist Coffee House and Superfoods Cafe, focused on providing healthy, nutritional beverages and food items that aim to ‘change the perception’ of plant-based food.
Vicky Smith Montete Cottages Tourism Saint Lucia Montete Cottages is an eco-friendly accommodation located on an estate on 4 hectares of land. Providing vacation homes for foreigners and locals where guests can explore the farm, pick fruits and feed animals, among other activities.
Patrick Uchenna Eze Eze Green Energy Company Limited Renewable Energy Saint Lucia Eze Green Energy Company (EGEC) is a manufacturer and/ or producer of renewable energy products. Eze Green Energy Company Biodiesel Production Operations (EGEC-BDPO) is a biodiesel production section of Eze Green Energy Company (EGEC) established to provide a solution for St.
Lucia’s waste vegetable oil generating industries using green tech recovery, recycling and waste oil management methodologies. Nathaniel Henderson Williams West Indies Botanicals Ltd. Food and Beverage Antigua & Barbuda West Indies Botanicals is a Caribbean-based health and wellness company registered in Antigua & Barbuda that seeks to address the rising levels of communicable diseases and poor nutritional intake becoming more prevalent in the region by utilizing
superfoods and botanical materials that are indigenous to the Caribbean and LATAM. Jermine Mike Mother Becky Bush Tea Food and Beverage Saint Kitts & Nevis Mother Becky Bush Tea is an agro-processing and beverage business which offers high-quality herbal tea products highlighting locally grown ingredients and the tradition of Caribbean bush tea to residents, tourists, and the Kittitian and Nevisian diaspora.
Catherine Sealys Business Services Plus Imports Saint Lucia Business Services Plus specializes in sourcing and importing high quality and affordable goods for government agencies, private sector businesses and regional organizations. 11 – NEWS –
Violet Clarke Llewellyn’s Manufacturing Company. Food and Beverage Saint Kitts & Nevis The business has developed a niche market for all natural products, particularly its line of hot sauces offered for both retail and wholesale.
The company’s second income stream comes from conducting cooking classes for adults, children and persons with disabilities. Bernice Gaspard Gaspard Agro & Processing Farm Agriculture Saint Lucia Gaspard Agro & Processing Farm has a customer base that extends to local
