TCI News
TCI’s Gabriel Saunders and Team Win University-Wide Social Entrepreneurship Competition
#Providenciales, 24 December, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – Gabriel Saunders, a 23-year-old Turks and Caicos Islander, recently won the University of Waterloo’s Hult Prize Finals, as part of Team “Decomp”. On Tuesday, December 3rd, the University of Waterloo Hult Prize Finals was hosted at the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business. Eight teams pitched their ventures that aligned with this year’s social challenge – “Building Start-ups That Have A Positive Impact On Our Planet With Every Dollar Earned.”
The judges heard pitches on ideas, such as leatherless “leather” created through using bacteria, artificial intelligence sorting bins, as well as re-useable and antimicrobial menstrual pads.
Decomp, which is comprised of four members who have specialized in different areas – Gabriel Saunders (Marketing), Alison Purdon (Global Development), Caleb Turpin-Quaye (Finance), and Samuel Abdelshahid (Engineering) – pitched their solution to combat global plastic pollution.
Since 1950, humans have produced 8.3 billion metric tonnes of plastic – of which most becomes waste. Plastic waste takes 400-1,000 years to degrade and while sitting in landfills, it emits harmful greenhouse gases.
Decomp identified microbes – both fungi and bacteria – that are able to consume different types of plastics in 6-8 weeks. The group will be utilizing bioreactor technology to control temperature, pH, and humidity levels to optimize the growing conditions of the microbes. Plastics will be sorted, shredded, and placed into the bioreactors to be degraded by the microbes.
Decomp was awarded the first place prize – winning $3,000 for research and development, as well as having their travel expenses to the regional round covered.
“We’re extremely proud to have won the Hult Prize at University of Waterloo Finals, but this is just the beginning,” said Saunders. “Teams from University of Waterloo have done extremely well at this competition. In the past three years, two teams from our university have made it to the finals. We want to be the first University of Waterloo team to win it all,” added Saunders.
As a result of winning their On-Campus Hult Prize Finals, Decomp has a guaranteed spot at the Regional Summit of their choice. The Top 50 teams from the Regional Summits will spend six weeks at the Hult Prize Accelerator in Boston to learn from a global ecosystem of business leaders, mentors, investors, and corporate partners. Following this, six teams will be chosen to pitch their social ventures at the Hult Prize Finals, which will be hosted at the United Nations’ Headquarters in New York City.
The Hult Prize is the largest student entrepreneurship competition in the world. Each September, Former President Bill Clinton announces a social challenge topic. Thousands of post-secondary students from universities around the world form teams and create social enterprises to tackle the challenge and compete for the grand prize of $1 million USD in start-up funding.
Gabriel Saunders is a Master of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (MBET) student at the University of Waterloo, as well as a Student Entrepreneurship Coach for Concept – the university’s pre-incubator program. Gabriel attended The Ashcroft School (now The International School of the Turks and Caicos Islands) and British West Indies Collegiate (BWIC) in Providenciales, and graduated from Trinity College School in Port Hope, Canada. He is the proud son of E. Jay and Drani Saunders.
You can watch Decomp’s pitch at the Hult Prize at University of Waterloo Finals at the following link – http://bit.do/UWHultFinals
Release: Gabriel Saunders
Photo Caption: Team Decomp (Left to Right) Samuel Abdelshahid, Alison Purdon, Caleb Turpin-Quaye, & Gabriel Saunders
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – May 14th, 2024 – The Turks and Caicos Islands Government and Molo Hotel Group reached a pivotal juncture on Monday, May 13th, 2024, with the ceremonial signing of a development agreement at the Premier’s Office on Providenciales. The agreement, which received official Cabinet approval on March 13th, 2024, signifies a steadfast commitment to advancing the economic landscape of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Molo Hotel Group is a family-owned business, renowned for its distinguished portfolio of high-quality hotels worldwide. The
development initiative encompasses the construction of three distinct IHG branded hotels: InterContinental Turks and Caicos, Kimpton Turks and Caicos and Hotel Indigo Turks and Caicos. Scheduled for completion by 2027, each resort boasts a distinctive design from luxury to laidback sophistication spanning across the shores of Grace Bay Beach.
Kimpton Turks and Caicos – an epitome of luxury lifestyle living, will feature 192 guest rooms including three outdoor pools, a luxury spa and a fitness center. Additionally, seven dining options ranging from a beachfront restaurant to a rooftop bar.
Adjacent to the Kimpton, InterContinental Turks and Caicos will offer 59 classic luxury suites with panoramic ocean views. Mirroring its counterpart, this resort will offer an array of dining options and upscale facilities.
Steps away from the Intercontinental and Kimpton resorts, Hotel Indigo Turks and Caicos will embrace a sense of community and contemporary elegance, offering 56 bedrooms. The resort will feature an onsite restaurant, lobby bar, outdoor pool, and fitness room.
Beyond the realm of hospitality, this development agreement underscores the government’s commitment to fostering economic growth and enhancing employment opportunities in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Molo is partnering with the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College (TCICC) to actively promote hospitality as a career choice and support in developing training programs, career fairs, seminars, workshops, and events to raise awareness about hospitality careers. Molo has committed to provide employment and apprentice opportunities to TCICC students and provide mentoring and practical on property training to students.
The signing event was graced by Hon. Charles Washington Missick, Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Hon. Jamell Robinson, Deputy Premier, Hon. Kyle Knowles, Minister of Public Safety and Utilities, Hon. Rachel Taylor, Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, Łukasz and Marcin Slominski, Owners of Molo, Ross Morrow, Managing Director Molo, Arik Kono, Vice President Upscale Development for IHG, Dr. Candice Williams, President and CEO of the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College, Angela Musgrove, InvestTCI CEO, Dr. Barbara Ambrister, Chairperson of the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College, Dr. Delores Stapleton- Harris, Vice President of Academic, Vocational and Student Affairs for the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College, Mr. Kevin Baxter, Dean of Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) and Sheryl McLaughlin, InvestTCI Investment Services Executive.
Commenting on the development agreement, Premier, Hon. Misick, stated “The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing of
IHG/Molo Hotels is a significant step towards a sustainable future for hospitality in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Three hotels, Kimpton, Intercontinental, and Hotel Indigo, will be introduced, enhancing our tourism product and creating employment opportunities.”
He further added, “Partnerships with the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College and Turks and Caicos Islands Sports Commission are underway, demonstrating the Government’s commitment to developing human capital and elevating tourism offerings. This project will bring economic growth, embrace local talent, and enrich our economy.”
Additionally, Mrs. Angela Musgrove, CEO of Invest Turks and Caicos Islands, emphasized “This collaboration confirms our commitment to fostering economic growth and prosperity within our country. We have worked closely with Molo Hotel Group, and we are confident that this transformative project will further position the Turks and Caicos Islands as a premier destination for travel and investment. Much to our delight, it will also provide opportunities for engagement with our Community College and small business community.”
The Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands, operating through its primary Investment Promotion
Agency, Invest Turks and Caicos Islands, remains committed to attracting and facilitating Foreign Direct Investments to the country by providing a comprehensive suite of services. Through strategic initiatives and targeted promotion, the agency catalyzes sustainable development, driving innovation and small business opportunities across various sectors of the economy.
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