Nadia Browne is a fifth form student at the Montserrat Secondary School MSS captured first place with her ‘Fruit ‘N Fit’ idea, a snackette and gym combination, targeting the youth the sub-regional competition, put on by Eastern Caribbean Currency Union’s ECCU Business Innovation Contest.
Her submission emerged the top amongst a pool of 157 entries from secondary schools and sixth form college students in the ECCU member countries.
A release from the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank ECCB says the Contest challenged the competitors from across the ECCU to conceive an innovative business idea and submit the concept with a supporting business plan.
It notes, “Nadia’s submission was driven by her concerns about the precarious rise in obesity levels in the region and a drive to help the young people of her community.”
Second place winner Keivor Delpleche of the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College, St Kitts and Nevis was not daunted by a market already awash with bakeries. She impressed the judges with her home bakery concept called ‘Cravings’ specialising in decorative cupcakes for every occasion and classes designed to help pastry enthusiasts enhance their baking skills.
The team of Nia Sorhaindo and Jawole Joseph of the Convent High School, Commonwealth of Dominica saw a need in their island home and proposed an entertainment centre which they dubbed, ‘The Arts.’
The idea, which captured third place, proposed a centre that would be open to all, particularly the youth and provide an environment where aspiring artists could express themselves through visual and performing arts.
The ECCB release says the team of Nia Sorhaindo and Jawole Joseph saw a need in their island home and proposed an entertainment centre which they dubbed, ‘The Arts.’
Their idea proposed a centre that would be open to all, particularly the youth, and provide an environment where aspiring artists could express themselves through visual and performing arts.
Another Montserrat student, Sharese Allen featured in the competition and placed amongst the list of commendable entries selected by the judges.
The ECCU Business Innovation contest awarded EC$10,500 in prizes to the winners.
On Monday, April 22, Mrs. Claudette Weekes, ECCB Agency representative in Montserrat will deliver the lst prize winnings and certificate to Nadia at the school’s morning Assembly.
The contest formed part of the Bank’s discovery exercises to identify areas in which capacity building was needed in terms of entrepreneurship and innovative thinking which are critical to the growth and development of an economy. As a result, the ECCB will use the observations made by the judges of the competition to develop sessions designed to address the gaps found in the students’ submissions.
