Bahamas News
BAHAMAS: SBDC Family Island Roll-out Begins with Exuma
#Exuma, October 25, 2018 – Bahamas – The Access Accelerator Small Business Development Centre has kicked off its Family Island rollout on Exuma, meeting with the Exuma Chamber of Commerce and holding a town hall meeting in Georgetown, where dozens of excited entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs gathered to hear about the new entity and to sign up.
Access Accelerator Executive Director Davinia Blair was a featured speaker at the Exuma Business Outlook as well. She spoke to the crowd about what the data said about Exuma’s Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs).
Town Hall
One attendee at the town hall meeting was enthusiastic about the advent of the Access Accelerator, though she lamented that such an entity took so long to come to life.
“If this had been around when I was first starting out, I’d be a millionaire,” she said.
Another attendee summed up the need for the Access Accelerator when she described her frustrations trying to get her business idea off the ground.
She said, “I couldn’t find the right people to get into contact with.”
In addition to discussing the services the Access Accelerator will begin offering Exumians today (Tuesday), Ms. Blair acknowledged what some attendees said, that MSME development did not appear to have kept pace with the development of the island overall, even though by some measures, MSMEs in Exuma are outperforming the larger businesses.
Ms. Blair reiterated that the government has committed that 20 percent of its procurements would be reserved for MSMEs. She said in addition to that commitment, there must be a commitment to include local MSMEs in the supply chain for foreign direct investment (FDI) opportunities.
“Bahamian MSMEs – and for Exuma projects, Exuma MSMEs – must be at the table as heads of agreements are being negotiated,” Ms. Blair asserted.
Rollout
Later in October, the Access Accelerator will be in Abaco, where the Access Accelerator team will meet with the Abaco Chamber and hold a town hall meeting to introduce the Access Accelerator and connect with the local entrepreneurial community.
In November, Blair is expected to speak at the Long Island Business Outlook, and other islands to which the Access Accelerator is bound before taking a break for the Christmas season include Andros and Eleuthera.
Action
With the new name and branding, the Access Accelerator Small Business Development Centre has three critical new hires which highlight the tremendous momentum generated by the official launch on September 20, and carried into the first two weeks of operations, including the graduation of the first classes of entrepreneurs from the two-week introductory course, both in New Providence and Grand Bahama.
The SBDC is the product of a tri-partite arrangement between the Government, through the Ministry of Finance, University of The Bahamas (UB) and the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employer’s Confederation (BCCEC). The Centre has a three-year mandate initially to guide the development, funding, growth and evolution of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (“MSMEs”) in The Bahamas.
Executive Director Blair announced that the SBDC had hired a Senior Business Development Specialist, an Associate Director of Operations and had contracted someone to design and build the Access Accelerator website.
Mr. Nicholas Higgs is the Centre’s new Senior Business Development Specialist, tasked with providing business development advisory services to MSMEs and assisting the Executive Director with overall operation of the program.
Mr. Higgs is responsible for providing counseling on all aspects of small business operations including but not limited to management, financing, operations, marketing and personnel. He will have a special emphasis on capital advising for small businesses. In addition, Mr. Higgs will conduct client counseling, assist in the development and implementation of training events and workshops, promote Access Accelerator services, network with community organizations involved in small business and economic development, and assist in maintenance of data in the Access Accelerator Client Activity Training System (CATS).
“I view my role as one of the most important in fostering and growing startups, small and medium companies in 
the country. My role specifically is to assist companies with sharpening their financial swords to fulfill their goals of raising funds, expanding their companies or to simply become a more efficiently-run company,” said Mr. Higgs, who sees the Access Accelerator, and by extension himself, as something of a Jedi master for Bahamian startups.
Ms. Bianca Lee is the new Associate Director of Operations, tasked with oversight, supervision and administration of the SBDC’s business operations.
“I am very excited, because we will be able to focus on a section of the market that I believe has been untouched. Entrepreneurship is a big thing, especially among young people – even in passing you can hear people talking about their entrepreneurial dreams. Being able to provide support and guidance to those persons will be amazing, especially to assist that process from start to finish,” she said.
Meanwhile, the SBDC has selected Travis Miller of Thought & Method to develop the SBDC website, which is expected to be launched for public use in mid-December 2018.
Said Miller, “I’m excited about the SBDC because the initiative will allow entrepreneurs more opportunities to get their ideas out there and develop or refine their businesses and likely get access to funding to help make their dreams a reality. I believe what SBDC will provide will impact the landscape for entrepreneurs for years to come.”
The new hires come after the appointment of the SBDC Board of Directors, chaired by Geoffrey Andrews and Deputy Chair Dr. Olivia Saunders, two weeks ago. The new board includes Merrit Storr, Ellison Delva, Clifford Johnson, Hank Ferguson, Tyrina Neely, Gina McKenzie, Remelda Moxey, Kristie Powell, Christopher Sawyer and Pedro Rolle.
Press Release: Small Business Development Centre
Photo Captions:
Header: Executive Director of the Access Accelerator Ms. Davinia Blair discusses the new entity with entrepreneurs in Exuma at a town hall-style meeting, where she advocated for Exuma businesses to be included in discussions about FDI projects planned for Exuma.
Insert: Executive Director of the Access Accelerator Ms. Davinia Blair discusses the new entity with entrepreneurs in Exuma at a town hall-style meeting, where she led a panel including Exuma Chamber of Commerce President Pedro Rolle and Department of Inland Revenue
Nassau, THE BAHAMAS — Some of the most successful and accomplished professionals and business leaders in the country
recently shared their experiences and nuggets of wisdom with students at University of The Bahamas (UB) about thriving in a wide range of careers.
The University Centre for Counselling and Career Services and the Career and Job Placement Advisory Unit collaborated to host the 2024 Career Symposium which brought students face to face with leaders in the careers to which they aspire.
Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Maria Oriakhi, said the symposium was key to developing potential as university students strive to leave their mark on the world.
Ms. Rickell Curry
“In the spirit of collaboration and growth, let us engage in meaningful dialogue, cultivate relationships, and harness the power of collective wisdom to shape our futures,” said Dr. Oriakhi. “Together, let us embark on this journey of exploration and discovery, united in our commitment to realizing our fullest potential and making meaningful contributions to our communities and beyond.”
Promoting careers in psychology, Ms. Curry noted that psychologists are equipped with the ability to help others, troubleshoot areas of weakness within themselves, and become better people and professionals in the process.
“The floor is yours to be able to explore. There’s no job where you don’t have to deal with people, so learning, even if you get a bachelor’s in psychology, is a great grounding,” she said.
Dr. Darville, one of few interventional radiologists in The Bahamas, offered another nugget of advice on choosing an area of study.
Dr. Elizabeth Darville
“It is important to know enough about yourself in order to make the decisions you want to make,” said Dr. Darville. “You have to work on yourself first and know what you want to do. Radiology gives you a chance to have fun. It gives you a chance to mold your career closer to your personal life than other medical specialties might.”
Another growing field is project management which Mr. Hepburn called a life skill. He also urged a commitment to lifelong learning.
“Individuals that continue to learn become unstoppable, period,” said Mr. Hepburn. “It is so true. When you learn, you become unstoppable because nothing can stop you in your process of development.
Mr. Wellington Hepburn
“The more you know, the more valuable you are. We need individuals who are cross functional—that can operate in different capacities. So please understand that your learning should never stop.”
With small and medium-sized businesses helping to drive the economy at an incredible rate, Ms. Rolle affirmed the importance of entrepreneurship in any economy.
“When we talk about entrepreneurship, we usually look at it from a myopic standpoint,” she said. Ms. Rolle. “What do I mean by that? Small, but usually about self: ‘how do I make more money?’ And in some cases, some look at entrepreneurship as a way of survival. ‘I need to make a couple extra dollars, I have this bill to pay’. Those types of things.
Ms. Samantha Rolle
“But entrepreneurship really, in its truest form, is about innovation, whether it’s a new concept or any existing concept that you innovate new ways, or help expand the economy.”
The career symposium was held at the Harry C. Moore Library and Information Centre and is held every academic year.
PHOTO CAPTIONS
- Career Symposium 1: UB Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Maria Oriakhi, delivers the opening address at the 2024 Career Symposium.
- Career Symposium 2: Students and guest speakers enjoy a lighthearted moment during the 2024 Career Symposium.
- Career Symposium 3: Ms. Rickell Curry speaks to students during the 2024 Career Symposium.
- Career Symposium 4: Dr. Elizabeth Darville delivers remarks during the 2024 Career Symposium.
- Career Symposium 5: Mr. Wellington Hepburn educates students on the importance of project management during the 2024 Career Symposium.
- Career Symposium 6: Ms. Samantha Rolle talks about the role and importance of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in any economy.
Office of University Relations
University of The Bahamas
2nd Floor, Michael H. Eldon Complex
Oakes Field Campus
P.O. Box N-4912
Nassau, The Bahamas
Tel: (242) 302-4355/4354/4365
Rashaed Esson
Staff Writer
#TheBahamas, April 15, 2024 – After years of thorough maintenance, The Thomas A Robinson National Stadium in The Bahamas is finally getting a multi-million dollar makeover, readying the 10-year old facility ahead of the World Athletics Relays on May 5, 2024; it is being staged in Nassau for the fourth time.
This $36 million refurbishment is being funded by the Chinese Government, as part of a vision to enhance the country’s sport infrastructure to benefit youths in athletics. The stadium was gifted to The Bahamas in 2012 by the Chinese.
The relay is the qualifying event for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games and there will be 32 national teams, in each relay event, and 20 races on both days of competition, according to World Athletics.
Day 1, will have 20 heats across the five Olympic-calibre events (4 heats each for 4×100, 4×400, men, women and mixed) and will qualify 40 teams for the Summer Olympics.
Distinctly, the top two teams from each heat will directly qualify for the 2024 Games.
On day 2, 30 more national teams will be qualified through 15 heats and five finals, across those five events.
The upgrades which include new trusses, rooftops, seats, the lawn, score boards, LED displays and more, are expected to be complete at least two weeks before the relays, being held under the theme: ‘Chase the Sun’.
In a special ceremony on Monday April 8, The Bahamas Prime Minister, Philip Davis said:
In December 2023, our shared vision took shape, as the government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, and the government of the People’s Republic of China, inked an implementation agreement for the renovation of the stadium. This gesture of goodwill and friendship, from the Chinese government to undertake the China Aid Maintenance and Renovation project of our national stadium, stands as a testament to the strong bonds that unite our countries. This project, executed by China Urban Construction Research Institute Company Limited, and the China Machinery Industry Construction Group Company Limited, reflects our shared commitment to excellence, innovation and mutual development.”
Additionally, H.E Dai Qingli, outgoing Chinese Ambassador to The Bahamas who also attended that ceremony, spoke.
“At the end of the project, the Bahamian people will get a fully renewed and modern world class stadium because everything is going to be either renewed or repaired,” she said.
Some 1,600 athletes will be in The Bahamas for the World Athletics relays, with five events. The Bahamas won the bid over Lausanne, Rome in 2022.
Mario Bowleg, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture in reports, thanked China for their contribution to the redevelopment of the stadium.
“We thank them for their commitment to ensuring that they bring this facility back up to A1 standard so that we can continue holding international events and using these facilities as a development of our young people.”
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