For generations, Caribbean grandmothers have steeped and brewed indigenous herbs, roots and even bush, convinced of their ability to cure just about any ailment.  When two young entrepreneurs in the twin-island republic of Trinidad and Tobago decided to pay homage to this tradition, not even in their wildest dreams did they imagine that their earthy concoctions would be dubbed among the world’s most innovative foods.

Caribbean Cure, an award-winning tea company, draws from tradition to promote more naturally healthy lifestyles among those who sip their infusions.  The company is one of only two in the Region to be shortlisted for a SIAL Paris 2018 Product Innovation award, which recognises those who help shape what we eat today, and tomorrow.  They earned the selection for their indigenous ingredients, packaging, branding and the taste of their five infusions.

The awards will be held in Paris during the world’s largest food innovation exhibition, from October 21-25, 2018, and attended by tens of thousands of food and beverage industry stakeholders.  It’s an amazing opportunity for Sophia Stone and Stacy Seeterram, the owners of Caribbean Cure.  The company will receive immeasurable exposure from the shortlisting alone.

But getting to this point has not been without sacrifice and the determination to persevere despite numerous obstacles.  After all, the mark of success is not the absence of failures, but choosing to press on in spite of them, relentlessly seeking ways to make the dream a reality.

BREWING A VISION TO CURE THE CARIBBEAN

Passionate about using nature to promote health and wellness, Stone founded the company in 2015.

“I wanted to honour our long history in the Caribbean of using herbs and bush teas,” she said.  “And backed by science, my goal was to make these healing remedies more efficacious, convenient and attractive to today’s consumer.”

What began as a small experiment quickly became an obsession.  Consumed with ideas by the million, Stone was constantly in conversations with herself about how she could execute them, and also bombarded with reasons why they wouldn’t work.  But in spite of how impossible her dreams seemed, she could not shake them, and after months of agonising over the decision, she resigned her 9 to 5 for the full-time pursuit of her dream.

Success was not forthcoming with her initial line of eight supplements, and after depleting her savings, Stone was faced with two very clear choices, pack it all in and quit “dreaming”; or, find another way to make the dream work.  Like any true entrepreneur, she chose the latter.

It was a choice made entirely on her own belief in her dream, because, as Sophia recalled, everyone, including family and close friends, with whom she shared an idea of making tea blends with the ingredients used in the supplements, thought it was a bad idea.  They encouraged her to either try to make the supplements work, or close shop and find a “real” job.

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING

“I decided in that moment that I needed a partner who could help me and who would share my passion and vision for the company,” Stone said.  I didn’t want an investor.  I wanted a partner who would bring value and strength where I needed it most.”

She turned to the sole friend who embraced the vision.  A tea enthusiast in her own right, Seeterram had already invested hours listening to Stone share about the ups and downs of her journey and had become somewhat of a confidant.

“She was always very encouraging,” Stone said.  “She has her own herb garden and would always experiment with me on weekends in the kitchen with the latest healing herb she managed to harvest.  I knew Stacy would be the ideal partner…I knew in my heart that she was exactly who I wanted to continue the journey with,” Stone shared.

She credits the partnership for the success Caribbean Cure has garnered over the past year.

Seeterram, a former health management executive with over six years’ experience at the national level,  joined the company in March 2017, and the mutual respect and admiration she shares for Stone is evident in the way she speaks about the partner she refers to simply as “Soph”.

“I am now, and always have been awed by who she is.  Her work ethic impresses me at least once every week,” Seeterram said.  “She is also very innovative and purposeful in her mission that our company is so much more than an entity that will generate revenue.”

Contemplating these things, Seeterram said she felt a purposeful paradigm shift, one that could offer an opportunity for her to be a part of something less corporate, more interesting, more rewarding, and more impactful.

“It’s the feeling that comes from creating something from point A to Z,” she said.  “And I felt like that was exactly what I needed.”

WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT CARIBBEAN CURE TEAS

In mere months, Seeterram and Stone created five tea blends, and won the approval of family and friends who indulged in their curative, feel-good concoctions, but Caribbean Cure’s official recognition as producers of world class teas was cemented when they won bronze medals at the internationally recognised Global Tea Championships, hosted by the World Tea Expo in Colorado, for their Tropical Relaxation blend in November, 2017, and again for Island Breeze in January, 2018.

The SIAL shortlisting is their most recent, and biggest nod from the international community.

The secret is in the process, said Seeterram.  The tea leaves are slow-dried to maximise nutrient content.  Each blend is also a delicate balance, formulated to “create a memorable and unique experience in every cup,” she said.

There is also a little bit of history brewed in each cup of Caribbean Cure tea.  Island Breeze, a delicate blend that includes cardamom pods and white tea, is a tribute to Stone’s Afghan/Canadian heritage, and borrows from one of her family recipes; while Carnival Oasis with its inclusion of mauby bark, cinnamon and clove, transports Stacy – a Trinidadian, with roots woven throughout the West Indies – back to her childhood as it conjures  memories of her grandmother’s “magical” blends.

“We try not to worry about being successful,” Seeterram shared.  “What we do is work toward being significant.  And from this, success seems to have naturally followed us.”

RELEASING EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT IN ORDER TO GROW

For any entrepreneur, a key success factor rests in the ability to maintain some emotional detachment from the business and product in order to make the difficult decisions necessary for brand development.  Stone and Seeterram discussed this from the get go.  If ever necessary, they would, no matter how difficult, have the courage to make the changes that would support growth.

Glass jars beautifully showcased the tea infusions they dedicated years to formulating.  This packaging was therefore foundational to Caribbean Cure’s conceptualisation.  But when opportunity knocked, with a chance to export to Canada and Japan, these jars, because of their weight, became impractical.  The partners therefore had to pivot to grasp the pending export opportunities.

In July 2018, Caribbean Cure, unveiled their new packaging, beautiful tea tins, adorned with designs created by a local artist.

EXCITING TIMES FOR CARIBBEAN WOMEN IN BUSINESS

“I am sure that someone could write an entire book on the struggles female entrepreneurs face…I think for me, the mental load of being a mother, and a dedicated entrepreneur is the biggest struggle I face,” Stone shared.  “Trying to balance my home and business life is a difficult task, and I think society tends to expect female entrepreneurs to do it all, successfully!”

The pair admit to experiencing both chauvinism and ageism, particularly when trying to pitch business ideas and close deals in male dominated settings.  But they remain focused on the silver lining in the ever looming cloud of gender inequality.

On the flip side, Seeterram said, “I must confess; we’ve gotten so many blessings because of our gender.  A good example is Caribbean Export’s WE-XPORT programme.  One of the reasons we qualified is because we are 100 percent female-owned.”

The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), a Regional trade and investment promotion agency supporting CARIFORUM firms with development for export, launched its Women Empowered Through Export (WE-XPORT) programme in March, 2018.  The European Union, fund the programme and is supported by UN-Women and the Caribbean Development Bank, providing mentoring, training and numerous resources to Caribbean women in business to facilitate export or increase the export of their products and services.

Twenty businesses, all women-owned and operated, comprise the first cohort enrolled in the programme and are due to complete next year after a Women’s Business to Business Forum.

“They have supported us in our vision and given us many opportunities internationally to expose our brand that we may not have otherwise had,” Stone said of Caribbean Export and WE-XPORT.  They’ve have been absolutely invaluable resources, but they also encourage stick-to-itiveness, she shared.  “Caribbean Export, for example, is like a buoy in deep water, there for you when you’ve been swimming too long and hard, and you need a break.”

WORD OF ADVICE FOR BUDDING ENTREPRENEURS

As they reflect on a journey that has not been without immense challenges, Stone and Seeterram share some seeds of inspiration with fellow, and aspiring entrepreneurs.

“Do not fear mistakes,” Stone advised.  “Regrets are far more difficult to deal with than mistakes.  You walk away from a mistake having learned something, but a regret is a missed opportunity. Even if it seems beyond your reach, try. You will amaze yourself with what you are capable of.”

Finally, the partners stress that slow and steady wins the race.  Developing a business is a marathon.  So it’s not about speed.  It’s all about endurance.

“There will be lots of tears,” Seeterram said.  “But the moments of pride when it all comes together are priceless.” 

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CARIBBEAN CURE: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn – @caribbeancure and by visiting their website www.caribbean-cure.com. 

In the 1980’s, a professional food scientist with experience in dietetics, nutrition and food research development positioned her Jamaica-based company as an export-driven operation. Considered a pioneer in her field, Dr. Juliette Newell started what has grown to become one of the local leaders in the manufacturing and distribution of Jamaican products in the overseas markets. Today, Tijule Company Limited is managed by Dr. Newell’s nephew Roy Newell, who took over the business after her passing.

With 65 full time employees, and occupying over two acres of prime commercial land, the 30-year old company produces an exceptional line of products, which includes canned and frozen fruits and vegetables, flavourful sauces, seasonings, dips and condiments, exotic and gourmet jams, jellies, marmalades, fruit bars and bammies (cassava bread). Tujule also manufactures sauces and other products to customers’ specifications and tastes.

According to Roy, the Managing Director of Tijule, opening the company was a dream come true for Dr. Newell.

“My aunt had a PhD in Nutrition so food was her passion. She has also wanted to always take a taste of Jamaica to the rest of the world.”

Dr. Newell succeeded in doing just that as 80% of the company’s output is exported directly to the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, China, India, Japan, and the balance sold to other regional exporters and locally.

Roy noted that because of the market they are in, all companies that produce jams, jellies, and other condiments in Jamaica are their competitors; but his aunt never saw this as a challenge. He revealed that Dr. Newell’s biggest hurdle came in securing capital for her business.

“The 1980s was a difficult period, especially for a woman. Banks saw women as high risks and they were not too willing to give loans unless men were on the Board of Directors. As a woman in business, my aunt had to get a lawyer to verify that she was of sound mind and could manage a business.”

Roy added however that determination was what pulled her through, as interest rates at that time were very high, but she has a goal in mind and would not be deterred.

Since taking over the business, Roy has himself had some challenges noting that understanding how to run the business was the greatest one, but after completing an audit of the operations he feels more confident in his ability to carry on his aunt’s legacy.

The former electronics engineer believes that a large part of the company’s success is owed to his aunt’s insistence of comprehensive market research for the identification of markets and customers.

“This really gave the company a jump start in exports and helped us find our niche, which is catering to the Jamaican Diaspora in the US and the UK. We have also decided to focus more on our brand and ramp up the visibility of our company.”

With this new branding and marketing focus, Tijule has become increasing involved in in-market demonstrations, trade shows and study tours. Roy shared that most of the opportunities were made possible through the Caribbean Export Development Agency.

“We became aware of Caribbean Export in 2007 through the Jamaica Exporter’s Association (JEA). The Agency has since helped us with the development of new labels and modification of the old ones, the acquisition of quality management standards, streamlining and marketing and promotional systems, conducting market research, and upgrading our infrastructure. All of this was achieved through the grant scheme and through technical assistance.”

Read the full article in Primed for Success Vol. 3

The Caribbean has a long history of coffee production, especially on islands with high mountainous regions and cool climates. Though they are outpaced in modern times by vast coffee plantations in South America, Caribbean countries have unique soils and growing conditions that contribute to some of the most popular coffee varieties sold in the global market. One of those highly sought-after selections is the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee.

Known for its superior taste, medium body, and low acidity, the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee has grown to become a significant contributor to the local economy, especially small farming communities and coffee distributors, as is the case for Country Traders Limited. Established in 1992, Country Traders set out to be the roasters, packers and distributors of the world’s finest coffee.

Managing Director, Mark Fletcher, started out as a supplier for other brands, before deciding to distribute his own. Since then, the husband and father of two has amassed more than 30 years experience in the coffee business, and his love for the job and the product he sells is what keeps him going.

“After leaving school, I started distributing pickles, sauces and other condiments, in the hotel industry and tourist trade,” Mark shared. “It was there that I started distributing a brand of coffee and saw the potential for it as business.”

Today the company has 15 persons employed across several areas of production. The 100% Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee accounts for half of Country Traders’ business value, but they also produce another blue mount blend and an authentic Jamaica blend, which is a combination of low mountain coffee and imported blends for distribution.

On the local end, the company’s clients include all major supermarkets, gift shops, and some hotels and restaurants. In the export market, Country Traders mainly supplies small distributors and wholesalers, as well as retail through the company’s website. These include the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and China.

“China is our newest and fastest growing market. The middle class Chinese customers are known for their top quality products whether it’s cars, clothing, or coffee, and the Blue Mountain Coffee brand is one of those quality products. There are also quite a bit of Chinese living in Jamaica, and they have been instrumental in introducing the product over there, which has resulted in steady growth.”

Currently 20% of the company’s clients exist in the export market. Their export strategy is focused on partnering with small and specialised distributors.

“With high-end coffee, freshness is the key – the fresher, the better. These small distributors are more direct, and the product can get to the customer quicker.”

Mark admits that the company has come a long way in terms of its growth and profitability. He believes however that much of their success comes from finding their niche early.

“When we first started, finance was a major challenge. The business had to build from profits because at that time, and even now, interest rates in Jamaica were extremely high. But we realized the value of customer relations, it wasn’t really so much the brand that was driving our success, but more so the strong relationship developed with the customer”.

Another formidable relationship that the company has developed is with the Caribbean Export Development Agency. In 2012, Country Traders applied for a Direct Assistance Grant to prepare their facility for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) certification.

‘We used the grant to make all the necessary structural changes and food safety requirements we needed in order to gain certification and now we are certified.”

The company also participated in the ANUGA, the world’s largest food and beverage trade fair, in 2013.

“ANUGA was an opportunity to showcase our products to thousands of buyers from hundreds of countries all over the world. As a part of the Caribbean Kitchen pavilion, we also established valuable contacts with other regional exhibitors.”

Mark credits Caribbean Export as having played a central, albeit indirect, role in the company’s success.

“Without the Agency we wouldn’t have attempted HACCP certification, because the cost associated with the process would have been a challenge for us. We also believe that Caribbean Export contributed to our overall export growth due to the certification we received, leading us to be more streamlined and efficient in our overall production.”

Read the full article in Primed for Success Vol. 3

Full Circle Animation Studio was recently contracted by Big Jump Entertainment in Ottawa Canada to produce the animation for season three of ‘Animals,’ an HBO TV series featuring performances from the likes of RuPaul, Aziz Ansari, Wanda Sykes, Raven-Symoné, Usher, among others. Considered to be one of the funniest, most idiosyncratic shows on television, an in-house team of 12 people (9 animators, one animation supervisor, one project coordinator, and one project manager) worked tirelessly between December 2017 and May 2018 at the studio located in Trincity, Trinidad. “This show had a very unique and distinctive style of design and animation. It looks simple and minimalist but it required us to transmit a lot of emotion through the characters using very limited animation movement. Going in, we had otherwise underestimated how challenging that could be while keeping the provocative edge that really defines the style of the show. In that regard, it was a new technical experience for us” said Managing Director Jason Lindsay.

This is the first time that an animation studio in Trinidad or throughout the Caribbean has been contracted from an international studio for a full season of a TV show on a major network. Still only a modestly sized studio by international outsourcing standards, this opportunity has provided the company with financial sustainability and a platform for growth technical/creative capacity building. “For a young animation industry like ours here in Trinidad, the main long-term benefit of an opportunity like this is the investment in our human resource. The experience and technical/creative insight gained from our animators working with an experienced production studio like Big Jump Entertainment is invaluable. The entire team benefited from it tremendously” further stated Lindsay.

This achievement however has not been Full Circle’s first endeavor doing outsourcing work for a major network. The company has also worked on productions in smaller quantities broadcasted on The Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Universal Studios, DreamWorks TV and RAI.  Projects like this and other overseas productions outsourced to Full Circle puts the company in a position where over the last 3 years, over 50% of its income has been from foreign exchange revenue, with this most recent project catapulting its export earnings for the first half of 2018 to over ninety percent of its income during that period – a very unique positon for any small business in general to be in but a major achievement for the studio and the industry as a whole. Managing Director Lindsay is careful to point out the role that regional collaboration across the Caribbean has played in various capacities in getting the studio to this point in its growth.  He explained that the scale and timing of some of the projects, coupled with the diverse skillsets needed often requires Caribbean animation companies to collaborate to deliver.

A background illustration from the CARICOM mini-series Pepperpot Valley overlaid with the network of regional relationships relied on to produce it. Parts of this same network are used to produce other regional animation projects done by Full Circle. “On our very first outsourcing job, we collaborated with animation studios in Barbados and Jamaica. Since then, it’s not uncommon for us to work with animation studios in St. Lucia, Barbados and Jamaica for international outsourcing clients. We’ve collaborated on projects with Malfinis Productions in St. Lucia, Alycone Animation and Skyres in Jamaica and Westoonz and BIMAP in Barbados. We’ve also developed working relationships with a network of recording studios, casting directors and voice actors in Grenada, Belize, Suriname, Dominica, and Guyana for projects based on Caribbean content like the CARICOM mini-series Pepperpot Valley. The regional animation industry is still relatively young in the Caribbean. In that respect, a single animation project for either a feature film or a TV series requires a workforce with a diverse creative/technical skillset that can exceed the capacity of any one Caribbean nation. Fortunately, for a digital media industry like animation, location is not a challenge – but training is.”

Along with local support agencies that support services export, Regional organisations like the CARICOM Secretariat, the Inter-America Development Bank, Caribbean Development Bank, the European Commission and UNDP OECS have given Full Circle Animation tremendous support in their development over the years. The Company has also benefited indirectly from the investment that CARIBBEAN EXPORT has given towards supporting the region.

This is a historic accomplishment for the Full Circle and development of the digital economy in the Caribbean as a whole. One that exemplifies how the Governments, NGOs and the education sector and enterprise can work hand in hand to achieve and change the landscape of theeconomy.  Under the leadership of MD Lindsay, a creative business mind was brought into a creative space and out of it spawned a business model that is unique and applicable to the unique creative economy. Below the surface of this model is the seamless education thread that few are aware of and appreciate.  Students from the YTEPP Animation Retraining Programme, went on to complete the UTT Diploma in Animation programme and now ninety percent of the workforce are part of that thread that makes up the studio.  They have become an indispensable resource for the success of this industry.

This is a great example of success in the creative sector and the function of seamless education in a region of small islands that depend on foreign exchange. Animation is now heavily featured on the curriculum in regional training institutes. Programme coordinator for animation studies at the University of Trinidad and Tobago Camille Selvon Abrahams reminds us “Ninety percent of the young staff at Full Circle Animation Studio are UTT animation alumni. The current animation supervisor is a past student Mindy Bailey and most of the lead team are past students of UTT animation programme. Regionally this can be replicated as a model for our unique economic landscape. Led by a tried and tested managing director Jason Lindsay, this is an example to the Caribbean and world that perseverance pays off and we can create our future if CARICOM governments, education institutions and small businesses work in tandem”

Season 3 of the HBO animated series ANIMALS will premiere on August 3rd at 11:30pm. (PR)

Known for its spices and nutmeg production, Grenada offers great opportunities for agribusiness entrepreneurs willing to take risks and embark on a new business. Stephanie Ryan is one of them. In 2015, she and her partner Jim Jardine launched Summer Ltd, a company that produces healthy beverages from tropical fruits available on the island, such as mango, passion fruit, and coconut.

After a couple of years spent consolidating her business, Ryan is ready to expand across the Caribbean. LINK-Caribbean — a program that facilitates access to finance for promising Caribbean entrepreneurs — is supporting her business ambition through a co-investment grant.

Angel investors helped launch the business 

After visiting several Caribbean countries in a bid to find the best place to launch their company, in 2014, Ryan and Jardine settled on Grenada. “It’s a beautiful, safe island and the people are known for their warmth,” Ryan says.

“When we went to buy juice from the local grocery store we were surprised to find out that there was no commercial juicing facility on the island, despite the abundance of local fruit, so we contacted the government and started a conversation,” Ryan says. “We got lots of help with understanding the opportunities and the business climate and had some concessions offered with bringing in equipment. But there was no money or financing available.”

Ryan and Jardine got the much-needed capital from an angel investor. With the funding received, they rented and converted a 6,000 square foot warehouse from the Grenada Investment Development Corporation and imported the equipment to produce and bottle juices. With a state-of-the-art production facility up and running, Summer Ltd was officially launched in early 2015.

LINK-Caribbean is helping the company scale across the Caribbean 

A year later, Ryan and Jardine began to seek additional funding to expand the business. Ryan recalls: “The more I heard about the grant tool the more it seemed like we were a logical fit. Beyond financial support, we also needed business advice and counsel to help in areas where we’re not experts.”

She explains why the business investor wanted to get involved: “The person has property in Grenada, is passionate about the island and wants the country to succeed. They are also interested in sustainability and the environment and really saw the potential for this opportunity.” 

Ryan and Jardine used the grant to refine their products, launch a new bottle size, and boost domestic and regional sales. Their promotional efforts include a new logo, revamped materials, and two new sales staff dedicated to growing the company’s market share in the fruit juice sector.

“People are excited about the tropical fruit flavors and eventually we’d like to be able to take that taste of the Caribbean abroad,” says Ryan. “The grant will allow us to market our product better and help us to differentiate ourselves as an island product.”

The future of the company is in new markets 

The company has previously exported to Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom, and the United States but has not been able to establish steady sales channels. Ryan hopes the grant will help improve the situation, along with bolstering secondary marketing support.  She highlighted that being at the end of the supply chain meant the company was faced with some high costs related to infrastructure.  This coupled with the challenging transportation systems within the region makes accessing exports more difficult.  Ryan is pleased to be able to tap into any support mechanism that are available.

The company plans to expand its current staff of 17 employees and develop connections with the local tourism industry by offering tours of the production facility. “There are integration opportunities because people are interested in knowing how you pick a coconut or mango and make it into juice,” explains Ryan. “So we can see the potential for farmers to show tourists how it all works. Also we’re up in the north of the country where unemployment is traditionally high so any integration with tourism in this area would be an exciting opportunity.”

As a seasoned entrepreneur, Ryan concluded our interview with a word of advice for other businesses in the region: “We came in thinking that we knew everything and didn’t need help but you need to take advantage of the different support mechanisms that are available through mentorships, grants and other financial tools. Do lots of research to understand the culture of the business environment and be resourceful. There is plenty of room for lots of successful businesses in the Caribbean region and people really want you to succeed.”

LINK-Caribbean is an initiative of the infoDev’s Entrepreneurship Program for Innovation in the Caribbean (EPIC), a seven-year, CAD 20 million program funded by the government of Canada that seeks to build a supportive ecosystem for high-growth and sustainable enterprises across the Caribbean. The initiative is implemented by the Caribbean Export Development Agency.