By: Yolanda Pawar
This month, students enrolled in the Entrepreneurship 101: Doing Business in The Bahamas course at the Centre for Training and Innovation’s Harbour Island Trade School (CTI-HITS) joined forces with undergraduate entrepreneurship students and faculty from Wake Forest University (WFU) for an innovative and immersive experience designed to enhance the students’ entrepreneurial and business development skills.
For the second consecutive year, this extraordinary program aligned a diverse group of twelve entrepreneurship students from North Eleuthera with twelve students from the US in a collaborative exercise where they gleaned invaluable perspectives from each other. Partnered together, over a week, the students mapped out strategies for business success while exploring local and global market dynamics and best practices in business ideation and planning.
Business Plan Refinnement
The WFU students assisted the CTI-HITS cohort in developing and refining their business plans and preparing a pitch for the program’s final assignment. This culminated on January 11th with a special Business Pitch event in front of potential investors and the Harbour Island community.
Led by WFU’s Whitaker Executive Director and Professor of Entrepreneurship, Dan Cohen, and CTI’s Dean of Continuing Education and Workforce Development, Cordero Johnson, and
local CTI instructors Riccara Dean and Peter Mitchell, this year’s program once again showcased North Eleuthera’s entrepreneurial talent and emerging businesses. Areas covered included evaluating a business idea, marketing, budgeting, preparing a business plan, conducting market research, and getting your business licensed and launched. Students demonstrated the confidence and business acumen nurtured during the previous ten weeks of the CTI-HITS entrepreneurship course.
Week of Activities
“We thought last year was exceptional, but we managed to top last year! The CTI-HITS students were well prepared over the fall, which allowed us to progress faster, and I think the proof is in the pudding; we had a spectacular pitch day,” expressed Professor Cohen. “The Wake Forest students have expressed to me that this experience was off the charts in terms of experiential learning. I think the best way to learn something is to teach it, and they gained a lot of respect for the profession of entrepreneurship in this consultative role and, ultimately, grew through teaching other entrepreneurs about this discipline.”
Key activities from the week’s intensive included insightful presentations and workshops from industry experts on entrepreneurship, one-on-one mentorship sessions, and networking opportunities. Over the week, the students were treated to a daily master class with international and local business leaders who shared personal stories of the triumphs, setbacks, and breakthroughs that contributed to their success. Presenters included Henry Rolle,
the proprietor and Manager of Rock House; Will Simmons of the Harbour Island Green School; Lawrence Dawson of Beacon Hill Estate and the proprietor of several successful medical supply businesses; Ben Simmons of The Other Side Hotel, Ocean View Club, and The Farm and Pierre Morrissette, founder of Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship and The Weather Network.
Exceptional Students
Last year’s program graduates were also on hand during the week to show support and offer encouragement. Some graduates would’ve received additional assistance through direct funding, grants, and business mentorship, which has produced tangible growth and helped them expand their businesses and flourish.
Program graduate Chelsea Cleare, better known as the “Hot Dog Lady” and purveyor of Briland’s exquisite, loaded gourmet hotdogs, encouraged this year’s cohort to “take full advantage of the learning opportunities and to soak up the ideas and information presented.” Chelsea was able to secure funding for her food truck following the 2024 pitch event, thanks to a generous Harbour Island resident and loyal supporter of the school. Her food business has been soaring ever since, and other similar success stories exist. In October last year, Chelsea’s food truck was featured in an article in Town and Country by an esteemed Harbour Island influencer as a “must-have” late-night treat when visiting the island.
Commenting on the success of this year’s Entrepreneurship program, Keyron Smith, CEO and President of One Eleuthera Foundation (OEF) and the Centre for Training and Innovation (CTI), shared, “We are so grateful to our students, instructors, donors, Professor Dan and Wake Forest University for partnering with us on this monumental program. CTI will continue to expand and invest in programs like these to benefit our students and elevate our communities and economy. We know that there is power in community and there is empowerment when these kinds of opportunities are created for our students. We can and will solve problems and address some of our island’s challenges through education and entrepreneurship. This year, we were pleased to welcome the Deputy Executive Director of the SBDC, Phyllice Bethel, and the Team Lead for Family Island Programs, Deborah Gibbs.
We look forward to developing synergies, welcoming new partners, and expanding this program and its benefits for our students.”
Since 2015, CTI has trained over 500 students on Eleuthera, most of whom would not have had access to any level of post-secondary education. Powered by OEF, CTI has fostered economic growth while empowering students to meaningfully contribute to their households, communities, and the local economy. As communities become hubs of skilled professionals and thriving enterprises, people prosper, and Eleuthera experiences positive economic growth and a rising tide effect.
For a second consecutive year, the Friends of Harbour Island Trade School (FHITS) graciously organized and facilitated the WFU program, student accommodations, and related events. The organization continues to support CTI’s mission to empower local students. To benefit CTI-HITS, it will host a gala dinner, live auction, and fundraising event on Monday, February 10th, at the Rock House restaurant on Harbour Island. Proceeds will provide scholarships for students in North Eleuthera. To support with a donation or to buy tickets, please visit oneeleutheraus.org.
