Blog

When the Crafts for Export Cluster was launched for the first time in the Dominican Republic in June of this year, architect Fátima Polanco was already 18 years old when, together with two sisters, she started a business selling items including costume jewelry, her true passion.

After the experience with her sisters, she became independent in 2010, when she opened her first store and formalized her commercial activity with a view to reaching a wider and more diverse public. For this moment, it has also defined its design line and production materials in which the native, Dominican and island materials such as semi-precious stones Larimar and amber prevail.

Fátima Polanco 3 estilos, is the name of the brand created with her two sisters and that she has kept in honor of them. The designer, whose mission is to position her creations in the international market, is a member of the Dominican Federation of Artisans, FEDARTE, the National Association of Women Artisans, Designers and Artists, ANADAMA and the Promotion of Craft Development, FODEARTE, among others in the craft sector.

The Crafts Cluster of the Dominican Republic is made up of the subsectors of jewelry, fashion, accessories, textiles, decoration, wood and recycling, and is an initiative supported within the framework of the Trade and Private Sector Support component of the Haiti/Dominican Republic Binational Cooperation Program financed under the 11th International Cooperation Program. European Development Fund and implemented by Caribbean Export. Under this same program, Fatima Polanco 3 estilo is a beneficiary of the binational chain of handicrafts, jewelry, fashion and accessories.

Thanks to her participation in the program, the designer has received technical assistance for the formulation of the re-launch of her brand, with updating of the digital platform and networks.

The optimization of the brand’s graphic line, as well as having a stronger presence on the web and social networks, has contributed to the strengthening of the company, achieving a more recognizable image in the eyes of the public and more in line with its nature. On the web, we are working to improve the user experience, facilitating the navigation of potential customers and a better display of jewelry in a visually attractive catalog.

With the support of Caribbean Export, it has also acquired equipment to contribute to the development of productive capacities that in turn are at the service of the artisan sector, including women and young people interested in strengthening capacities with workshop and training programs that allow the promotion of links to increase the competitiveness of production, allowing access to international markets and thus improve the quality of life of the artisan sector. On the other hand, the opportunity to acquire endemic materials of the island for the elaboration of jewelry, which increases the economic development of the sector and that the raw material is acquired from local producers both in the country and in neighboring Haiti. This promotion contributes to strengthening the production capacity of the handicraft value chain, promoting creative diversity and optimizing product marketing processes.

Currently the raw material par excellence of Fatima Polanco’s creations are the semi-precious stones larimar and amber native to the Dominican Republic and in this way she is profiling her company as a Country Brand, “guaranteeing to show the world the beautiful shades and colors of Larimar, and position our handcrafted jewelry as the number one option in the national and international market”.

As part of this support provided by Caribbean Export, the exhibition of handcrafted jewelry “Symbiosis” was held, of which she was part, and in which the public could enjoy and purchase handcrafted jewelry made with raw materials from the island, including larimar and amber, jasper, malachite, azurite. This production, marked by process improvement and added value, corresponds to the objectives of targeting binational handicrafts to foreign markets.

For Fatima Polanco, the Agency’s support will contribute to strengthening the country’s handicraft sector in terms of training, specialization and the evolution of quality levels to meet the demands of a more demanding international market, especially the English Caribbean. The Crafts for Export Cluster is part of the results of the Caribbean Export program, whose initiative includes companies, public and academic institutions related to the jewelry, fashion and decoration sectors.

For the future, Fátima Polanco envisions teamwork in the handcrafted jewelry sector with a view to creating greater opportunities for the growth and productive and economic capacity of the sector that will position and promote it to capture new international markets, placing the Dominican Republic at the forefront with colorful and modern designs, positioning the larimar in all the showcases of the world.

The Spanish explorer and conqueror Juan Ponce de Leon, who was governor of Puerto Rico, and conqueror of Florida (he lived in our country before going to Puerto Rico) thought that when he sighted the things of Florida, it was the mysterious island of Bimini, they thought it was an island, which was what this advance guard of the crown was looking for. Specifically, the mysterious island of Bimini, a place where, according to natives of Puerto Rico and Quisqueya, there was a fountain that “turned old men into young men”. While others sought gold, the colonizer sought something even more valuable, eternal youth. He never made it to the island, and of course, he never found the fountain of youth either.

But myth and history have kept alive the idea of trying to avoid aging and its consequences. And we have come a long way. The market is overflowing with offers and promises to counteract the passage of time. Wonderful creams, cosmetic surgeries, pills and potions with extraordinary properties.

But in our country, Leonardo de León Miranda, who according to his father, belongs to the descendants of the Spanish conquistador, has dedicated part of his life to study and obtain from nature products that, although they do not promise eternal youth, are a natural alternative to maintain health and general wellbeing.

A natural sportsman, De León always felt the need to consume products and supplements free of industrial processes, and in that personal search he started what today has become a successful project that in a short time has positioned itself as a natural alternative for food supplements and cosmetic products based on what nature has to offer.

“More than 20 years ago I was looking for protein supplements, because I have always exercised and I needed and need that supplementation. But I couldn’t find what I was looking for, neither in the country nor in the United States. I was looking for something that had no sweeteners, no flavorings or preservatives, that was as natural as possible. What I found had at least six chemical or artificial ingredients and my body did not like that. When I consumed that, my body reacted against it, it rejected it. I started to prepare my own supplements from natural products such as cocoa, products without chemical processes. That was the beginning, because when I saw the results in me, I thought that this could benefit many people. That was the beginning of The Fountain of Youth,” Leonardo de Leon tells us.

The products offered by La Fuente de la Juventud are obtained from fruits and plants carefully cultivated and selected to guarantee the consumer products free of artificial elements, guaranteeing verifiable results in their health.

The quality of Fountain of Youth ‘s natural products has been welcomed by customers. “The people who have tried our products have shown absolute satisfaction with the results. This is part of our success,” says De León, who never misses an opportunity to express his pride and gratitude for what has been achieved so far.

La Fuente de la Juventud has its organic farm in Rancho Arriba, San José de Ocoa province, but it has also built up a portfolio of suppliers that guarantee products whose cultivation process it oversees. “We wanted to involve small producers, especially women, whom we teach to grow and handle the products we buy from them, giving them the opportunity to obtain a source of resources, to develop themselves,” explains the president of La Fuente de la Juventud.

Caribbean Export, an invaluable help

De León does not miss an opportunity to highlight the support received by Caribbean Export, without which he believes he could not have taken his project to the level it is currently at. “Caribbean Export is present in every success we have achieved, in every product we exhibit. That is why their brand is on the label of our products, as a sign of pride, recognition and guarantee”, he expresses visibly excited.

“Our relationship with Caribbean Export began when we participated in a contest organized by them, and we won with a project to create essential oils. Thanks to that first support from Caribbean Export, we have become the first factory that produces from the bush, we are an absolutely ecological and organic factory,” says De León.

It is currently part of the project led by Caribbean Export to strengthen the binational value chain of essential oils/cosmetics, which is part of the trade and private sector support component of the Haiti-Dominican Republic binational program with funds from the 11th European Development Fund.

“As part of this program, one of the major achievements was the installation of a water purification system that updates our irrigation and production processes. This ensures optimum water quality for our processes,” added De León.

Africa is rising,with one main reason being the increased and sustained efforts on boosting intra-African trade. Traditionally, the trade of the individual countries in Africa followed routes and patterns established since colonial times. The African Free Trade Continental Area, the largest free trade area in the world in terms of the number of particpating countries, is changing that narrative. Given the massive opportunities arising from greater African trade, there are also good options for boosting the African-Caribbean trade and investment partnership. In this context, Caribbean Export joined the landmark Intra-African Trade Fair 2023 (IATF 2023) in Cairo, Egypt, last week.

IATF 2023, held from November 9-15, unfolded as a pivotal platform for fostering economic ties and cross-border collaboration while showcasing the continent’s vibrant diversity. This pioneering initiative welcomed thousands of business owners and trade experts, providing an invaluable forum for meaningful discussions on pressing topics. These included private sector development, trade facilitation, investments, digital trade, the importance of digital financial inclusion and quality infrastructure. Delegates gleaned insights that transcended borders, laying the groundwork for a future marked by strengthened economic partnerships and mutual growth, including the emphasis on business.

Recognizing the strategic imperative of enhancing collaboration, our Executive Director, Deodat Maharaj expressed his enthusiasm at participating in this significant event. The invitation extended by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to serve as the Caribbean Ambassador for IATF 2023 demonstrated the growing recognition of the mutual benefits that lie in advancing the alliance between Africa and the Caribbean.

Reflecting on his participation, Mr. Maharaj emphasised: “The imperative to deepen the trade and investment relationship with Africa is clear. Witnessing the Caribbean contingent in Cairo, as we celebrate the pinnacle of African excellence, engaging in the exchange of ideas and fostering new connections demonstrates our commitment to this objective. My sincere congratulations to Afreximbank for adeptly orchestrating yet another successful event.”

Throughout various panel discussions, the common challenges faced by Africa and the Caribbean, particularly the need for bankable projects, became evident. Addressing these challenges not only requires innovative solutions, but also a heightened level of collaboration. The event’s dynamic celebration of the creative sector underscored the potential of the arts as a formidable catalyst for economic opportunities between Africa and the Caribbean. It highlighted the prospect of the creative sector becoming the next frontier for trade between these two regions, offering a promising avenue for mutual growth and exploration.

The Caribbean actively participated in the event led by Barbados and St Lucia. Caribbean Export’s role as an IATF 2023 Ambassador, coming just months after our first trade and investment mission to West Africa, amplifies the momentum established for Caribbean businesses to actively collaborate with their African counterparts and foster mutually beneficial opportunities. This is one sure way to deepen our trade and investment partnership with Africa. It is about less talk and more business.

Dr. Lynette Holder and Dr. Leroy Almendarez, have been reelected as Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of Caribbean Export Development Agency’s Board of Directors this past October 26, 2023 at latest board meeting held in Nassau, The Bahamas. Their unopposed re-election underscores a strong endorsement of dedicated leadership in the midst of ongoing regional challenges. In recent years, the Agency has faced the task of repositioning itself, and the Board, collectively, has shown steadfast support throughout this transformative period.

Caribbean Export operates with a profound mandate – to foster sustainable economic development and regional integration throughout the Caribbean. It aspires to uplift the lives and prospects of the diverse nations within the Caribbean region. This commitment is reflected in the Agency’s multifaceted efforts aimed at enhancing trade, investment, innovation, and entrepreneurship – all essential ingredients for the advancement of this vibrant and culturally rich community.

At the heart of Caribbean Export’s operations is its Board of Directors, a group of dedicated individuals, representing the 15 member states of CARIFORUM, who serve as the Agency’s guiding compass, steering it towards the attainment of its goals and ensuring that its efforts contribute to the betterment of the region.

Regarding her re-election to the Board, Dr. Holder stated: “ The overwhelming support from my regional colleagues has been both humbling and an encouragement that we are on the right track in making the agency fit-for-purpose at this time. Caribbean businesses and by extension people, expect their regional export development agency to provide the programmes and interventions needed to make a tangible difference in their lives and livelihoods as we confront a myriad of internal and external challenges. I am appreciative to every Director for reposing the confidence in me to lead the team for another term.”

One of the Agency’s core principles is the practice of good governance. Transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct are the cornerstones of Caribbean Export’s operations. This commitment not only ensures the organisation’s integrity but also positions it as a beacon of hope and opportunity for the people of the Caribbean region.

Together with the collective wisdom of the Board of Directors, Caribbean Export is well-poised to realise its vision of a prosperous and integrated Caribbean, where economic growth and cultural richness can coexist harmoniously, bringing prosperity and opportunities to the nations and people of the region.

What is the Digital Check-up?

Are you a micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (MSME) looking to navigate the digital landscape successfully? The Digital Check-up is the key to unlocking your digital potential. The Digital Check-up is a powerful diagnostic tool, designed to assess and evaluate the digital capabilities and readiness of a small business. The Check-up will assist the owners and/or managers of MSMEs to understand the current level of digital maturity of the business, identify areas for improvement, and provide comprehensive recommendations to guide digital adoption, consistent with their digital level of maturity.

Assessing your Digital Readiness

To determine the level of maturity of your business you will be required to answer a series of questions in seven (7) crucial areas of digital transformation, such as online presence, digital marketing, e-commerce, data management, and technology infrastructure. The platform’s built-in analytics and algorithms will analyse the responses to provide an assessment of your business’s digital strengths and weaknesses.

Your Personalised Roadmap to Success

One of the most significant benefits of the Digital Check-up is the actionable recommendations it offers based on your digital maturity level. After completing the assessment, you’ll receive a PDF document with targeted strategies to take your business to the next level of digitalization. The project includes other components linked to the Check-up that your company will benefit from, including free access to courses as part of learning tracks on the Caribbean Digital Transformation Institute (CDTI), an E-learning Management Platform designed specifically for this project.

The Digital Check-up provided under the CDTI Project, a 3-year initiative funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Implemented by the Caribbean Export Development Agency, is designed with MSMEs in mind.

The Check-up is modeled on a similar tool used by thousands of businesses in over 13 Latin-American countries. This version has the benefits of improvements informed by lessons learnt from its previous deployment and use in these countries.

Why should you use the Digital Check-up?

In addition to learning about your digital maturity level and your strengths and weaknesses in digitalization, here’s why the Digital Check-up is an essential tool for MSMEs:

• Benchmarking Against Industry Standards:
  • The tool will assist you in benchmarking against industry standards or best practices. This comparison provides a clear roadmap for improvement and helps you set achievable goals.
• Opportunities for Innovation:
  • By identifying gaps or areas with low digital maturity, your organization can explore innovative solutions and technologies that have the potential to drive growth, enhance efficiency, and improve competitiveness.
• Enhanced Customer Experience:
  • The Check-up helps identify gaps in your customer engagement, user experience, and digital touchpoints. Addressing these gaps can lead to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty, as well as increased sales and market share.
• Cost Optimization and Efficiency Improvements:
  • Streamlining your operations, automating tasks, and adopting digital tools, can optimize resource allocation, reduce costs and improve overall efficiency.
• Strategic Decision-Making:
  • Understanding your company’s digital strengths and weaknesses, empowers you to align digital initiatives with your business objectives, allocate resources effectively, and prioritize investments that deliver maximum value and impact.

Your Path to Digital Transformation

Once you’ve completed the Digital Check-up and received your personalized recommendations, your journey toward digital transformation becomes clearer. Here are some concrete next steps:

Access targeted courses on our online learning management platform, the Caribbean Digital Transformation Institute. These courses are part of learning tracks that seek to address the knowledge and skills needs of businesses based on their level of digital maturity.

Collaborate with a digital transformation services provider or advisor armed with data-driven insights, from the Check-Up, to help your business create a tailored digitalization and investment strategy. This strategy can be instrumental in securing funding from various sources to support your digitalization efforts. Having a data-driven, information-rich strategy and investment plan increases your likelihood of success of attracting and receiving funding or other types of support.

By completing the Digital Check-up and accessing its direct benefits, your company gains a competitive advantage in exploiting the growing opportunities for digitalization support from various agencies.

Click here to take the Digital Check-up today!

The EU Delegation in Guyana in the context of the EU Global Gateway has organized an EU Economic Mission to Guyana to be held in Georgetown from November 20-22nd with more than 20 companies from 8 EU Member States.

Deputy Director General of the EU’s Department for International Partnerships (INTPA) Ms Myriam Ferran, will lead the Economic Mission that is composed of companies from different sectors for the development of Guyana such as renewable energy, agriculture and forestry, logistics and infrastructure, ICT, medical and pharmaceuticals and hospitality and eco-tourism.

The mission comes at a decisive time for Guyana to undertake a green and inclusive growth model, which is the EU-LAC Global Gateway Investment Agenda (GGIA) objective. This initiative is part of the Global Gateway, the European Union’s strategy to boost smart, clean, and secure connections in digital, energy, and transport sectors and to strengthen health, education, and research systems worldwide.

The Economic mission is organized in partnership with Trade Promotion Europe and the Office of Investment of Guyana, with the support of the Private Sector Commission, the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association, and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce.
The 3-day event will take place at the Marriot Georgetown and will include a seminar, business-to-business meetings, and field visits.

Companies in EU member states or Guyana that want to participate in the economic mission can visit the landing page https://nexconsulting.kartra.com/page/rGU45

What they have in common is an island, a material, but also unique know-how. Some twenty artists, designers and entrepreneurs from Haiti and the Dominican Republic worked together, rigorously and perseveringly, over several years to put together an original collection of 153 ornaments, to be presented in June 2023 under the aegis of Caribbean Export, with funding from the European Union.

Santo Domingo, Thursday June 22, 6 p.m., in the first exhibition room, busts of mannequins dressed in sober velvet appear, revealing their finery in stone, horn, metal, wood… With particular dexterity and creativity, Haitian and Dominican designers have played with materials as one plays with brushes to reveal to the world a collective collection of exceptional works through a new Caribbean brand “Symbiosis”.

We’re at Quinta Dominica, in the heart of the Zona Colonial. The spotlight is on the event. Red and green jasper from Haiti mingle with larimar and amber from the Dominican Republic, while metals are joined by fibers, horn and wood or coconut in a dazzling symbiosis. There is both unity and uniqueness, and above all a remarkable enthusiasm on everyone’s part for this exhibition and the project that gave rise to it. As Anny Abate, the exhibition’s curator in charge of its installation, put itIt’s a project that has strength, that expresses something and that seeks its balance. The challenge of the Symbiose exhibition is to connect the creators’ work, giving each of them their own space, without changing the meaning…”

In the beginning, a Taino theme…

It all began in 2019, with the launch of a technical assistance project aimed at strengthening the production capacities of the crafts value chain in the two neighboring countries. This project, part of the “Trade and Private Sector” component of the Haiti-Dominican Republic Bi-national Cooperation Program, financed by the European Union and implemented by Caribbean Export, the only trade and investment promotion organization for the CARIFORUM countries, has truly fostered the synergies desired by the program throughout the process, which are focused on co-promotion and co-production.

From the outset, the idea of ajoint, exportable jewelry collection with a defined Caribbean identification, is proposed as the culmination of the Taino project. Symbiosis, the brand that was born, was intended as a collaborative encounter between Haitian and Dominican designers, based on what we have in common“explains Philippe Dodard, then Director of ENARTS, Ecole Nationale des Arts, some of whose students also took part in this project through exchanges between the two training institutions, ENARTS in Haiti and CENADARTE in the DR.

16 designers in perfect symbiosis

Nine Haitian artists and seven from the Dominican Republic took part in this adventure. Two names come up regularly in their testimonials: that of the famous designer Jenny Polanco, without whom the project would not have seen the light of day and who unfortunately succumbed to covid before seeing it come to fruition, and that of Jorge Caridad, the “master” of stone, founder of the amber and larimar museums, who opened his workshop and his arms wide to all the participants, to share his talent and his knowledge of the mineral, the raw material of most of the jewels on display.

These sessions remain memorable and particularly enriching for everyone. “At the start of the project, none of us Haitians were jewelers or knew anything about stones, and we met specialists in DR. Working together on cutting and polishing techniques was completely new to us.“says Sandra Russo, who accompanied the project. “In Haiti, we have a very ancient tradition and techniques for working with horn and wood. On Michel Châtaigne’s initiative, the Bureau des Mines d’Haïti offered stones then unknown to the Dominicans, such as quartz, jasper, malachite and azurite.“.

Sharing know-how…

This exchange of material know-how, as much as the contribution of new stones, seems to have inspired craftsmen and artists in both countries.

Gisselle Mancebo Castillo, a well-known name in larimar jewelry, exhibited a dozen magnificent sautoirs, blending the blues, reds, yellows and greens of the island’s stones in a kaleidoscope of colors: “It’s the first time I’ve worked with these stones, and it’s been an incredible experience“. Gimarie Grullon, designer of the Tiaggi brand, has also adopted Haitian red and yellow jasper, harmoniously blended with amber in a remarkable creation. For her, it’s a wonderful experience as a designer, “as well as an honor and a pleasure to work with Haitian artisans“.

New designers

Right next to it, a delicate and original finery decorates not only a bust in a majestic way, covering shoulders, arms, chest and even the head. The stones are soberly linked by copper wire and chain. This sober yet intriguing creation by Garibaldi Jean Baptiste captivates visitors. Just like that of Emmanuel Saincilus, whose artistic universe as a painter, visual artist and sculptor is reflected in his highly original hammered goldsmith’s work. These young Haitian designers, graduates of ENARTS, weren’t there to talk about the creative experience, but their creations spoke for them.

Michel Châtaigne, a Haitian fashion icon with extensive experience in the design of clothing, shoes and accessories, signed his first metal jewelry creations here, using the cut-iron technique and combining copper, brass and stones. It’s the same technique that inspired Nora Leurebours of Tipik Créations, accustomed to designing fashion accessories and objects for the home from paper maché, cow horn or natural fiber, and who found herself inspired by the metals and stones available to her creativity.

Blend of materials…

Happy combinations of stones and other materials such as horn and wood were found in the work of several designers such as Gisela Maria Lozada, from the Shelaia Store brand (RD), or Barbara Taveras (RD), each of whom delicately combines wood, shells, amber or larimar. This was also characteristic of the highly ethnic pieces presented by Cristina Nuñez, always rich in endemic inputs from the Dominican Republic such as coconut, bone, amber or larimar, to which she discreetly associated a few stones from Haiti.

Daphnée Floréal, who trained in jewelry making at the Altos de Chavon design school, has had fun enhancing her Bijou Lakay creations (pectoral necklace), where horn is very present, with a few accents of new colors and materials.

An expert in the fusion of tribal elements and urban design, Martine Bourjolly Cantave, Haitian jewelry designer of the Héritage Nomade brand and host of the only jewelry workshop ever held in Haiti, presented a number of striking pieces from her version of the Symbiose brand.

All first times

Like Martine Bourjolly Cantave, Haitian designers have often chosen to stay close to the Taino theme. Régine Tesserot Fabius and Ariel Fabius, designers of furniture and home accessories, have thus created pieces resolutely inspired by Taino designs and objects, sometimes incorporating traditional materials (leather, horn, wood) as well as the stones fashioned and mounted for them in Dominican workshops. “We were led to create on a theme and in a medium new to us,” they report.

An architect by profession, Fatima Polanco developed a passion for jewelry design, and proved herself a virtuoso in the palette of indigenous stones. Symbiosis seems to have inspired his imagination with a rich collection of all the island’s stones arranged with originality.

Tangible evidence of collaboration

The first edition of Symbiosis, both a project and a brand, showcases the creation of handmade jewelry and fashion accessories using the island’s raw materials. For Leonel Naut, Director of Caribbean Export, this first collection is a tangible testimony and the product of a collaboration that highlights the island’s exceptional potential and artisanal talent. “ This collection promotes binational dialogue between the two countries, thanks to the collaborative spirit with which these pieces have been created. It’s an avant-garde project. A collection that can bring so many positive results, it’s moving…” he declared, underlining the extent to which the island’s creative and cultural diversity and the development of new value-added products can enhance the exportable offer and contribute to the sector’s economic development.

In 10 years, TiSakSuk has gone from a platform for selling “Made in Haiti” handicrafts to an increasingly renowned brand of painted clothing, which finds its market in Haiti and abroad. Behind this success lies a passion, dreams, hard work and opportunities that the company has seized!

Having left to study in the United States, Daphnée Valmond Bourgoin stayed on to launch her professional and family life. But after the 2011 earthquake, she was one of the many Haitians who enthusiastically returned to build on their native soil. It all began with Daphnée’s passion for handicrafts and “made in Haiti”, as she was in charge of selecting products for the store she managed at the US Embassy in Haiti. A devotee of her country’s objects and products, she even earned the nickname “Madame Made-in-Haiti”, when she had the idea of promoting and selling the products of Haiti’s artisans on her social networks, then on a website … under the profile of TisakSuk. And so the adventure began.

Tisaksuk will grow up!

Daphnée has gone from being a promoter of local products to a creator of local products. First by having linen clothes made for herself, then by having them personalized by an artist. Shirts, dresses and pants painted in the colors of Haiti quickly attracted the attention of those around her, and then of her “followers”. The market was there, and the obvious thing to do was to create a workshop under the Tisaksuk brand.

Tisaksuk means “little bag of sugar” in Creole. This is how the man who would become her husband had christened his childhood friend Daphnée, when they were growing up in the same Carrefour district of the capital. Little did Vladimir Bourgoin know that “Tisaksuk” would become his wife and the founder of a promising small business. Today, it’s the name of a collection that’s on a roll.

Change of scale, but still artisanal

With the brand’s success, Vladimir left his own career to strengthen that of his wife. The small company now has a team of 20 people, half of them women, to make and paint the year’s collection. The workshop, created in their original Carrefour neighborhood in 2013, had to move to Frères for safety reasons. Today, between local sales and online sales to elegant Haitian women in the diaspora, the brand has undergone remarkable expansion. International sales, mainly in the United States, account for 80% of sales. But while TiSakSuk is moving to a new level of production and distribution, the brand is committed to maintaining its artisanal standards of manufacture and quality. Each garment in the annual collection, available in six to ten models, is a unique piece, hand-painted by a Haitian artist.

Technical support crucial to growth

This growth, which has been gradual over the last ten years, has recently gained momentum with the support of Caribbean Export. Through the binational program financed by the European Union, Tisaksuk has benefited from substantial technical support, with training and support in accounting and management. ” We’ve been a beneficiary of this value chain support project since 2019, but between Covid and the problems in Haiti, everything had slowed down a little. We’re catching up now… “explains the designer. In 2023, the pace quickened: while the company’s administrative capabilities were being strengthened and two team members were being trained on Quickbooks, the Caribbean Export program also helped to boost product availability and visibility. Tisaksuk’s participation in an annual fair for small and medium-sized enterprises in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, was intended to expose the company to other markets. ” Their support has enabled me to take part in Semana Mipynes in June 2023. I was impressed by the reception the collection received. I never imagined that the Dominican market, and the Caribbean market by extension, would be interested in our creations.. I’m delighted by this discovery, as it opens up so many new avenues …” confides D. Bourgoin, who is looking forward to the experience. Bourgoin, who is delighted with the experience.

An international distribution platform

Increased sales abroad prompted the company to set up a distribution platform in Tampa, Florida, to distribute TisakSuk orders more cost-effectively. Tomorrow, this platform could even become a dispatch point for other designers.

Alongside the strengthening of production organization and the prospecting of new markets, the success of the Santo Domingo fair has reinforced Tisaksuk’s plans to make the Tampa platform a veritable hub for Made in Haiti products… and why not for Made in the Caribbean products, which are struggling to find adequate distribution. ” Our dream is to become the Amazon of Caribbean Made by 2025. “emboldens Daphnée Valmond Bourgoin. The little bag of sugar can become a big project!

In just a few years, Makaya Chocolat has become “THE” chocolatier in Haiti. Present in all gourmet stalls, as well as at fairs and online, the collection owes its success to its high quality taste, but also to the personality of its creator, Ralph Leroy, who steers the brand’s image and digital career.

It was probably at the Salon du Chocolat de Montréal in 2013 that the genesis of Makaya was established. At the time, founder Ralph Leroy was a fashion designer, invited as he has been every year since 2009 to create a collection of accessories… in chocolate!

From aesthetic inspiration to chocolate production, it was an ocean to cross, for this native of Cap-Haïtien in northern Haiti. But his interest in cocoa turned into a passion, and gradually took the place of fashion. In 2015, on his chosen soil, he met the Fédération des coopératives cacaoyères du Nord, Feccano. “It’s a common misconception that chocolate is only made in Europe. But why not work with chocolate right here in Haiti?” Leroy was astonished when, in 2016, he set up a laboratory and carried out his first cocoa bean selection and roasting.

From Italy to Trinidad

The Makaya brand is launched with a wide range of aromas and flavors, including fleur de sel and coffee. The reception was spectacular, but our creator felt limited by his technical shortcomings. How do you keep your chocolate shiny? He would need to master “tempering”, a decisive step in making chocolate. Leroy contacted chocolate makers in Montreal, but didn’t convince anyone to come to Haiti. In 2018, he decided to go to Italy to learn how to tame this precious material. ” In the end, it was the best option: to acquire the skills myself and be able to pass them on, rather than receive them from experts who, once my team had been formed, would leave…”confides Ralph Leroy.

After six months’ training in Italy and a sculpture masterclass in Chicago, Ralph completed his world tour as an apprentice in Trinidad to master the part of making chocolate from the bean. Back in his homeland, Ralph Leroy began producing tablets from beans supplied by Feccano. The launch on the Haitian market was a rapid success thanks to word-of-mouth and local fairs, but the real success of the brand came from social networks, the chocolate maker’s marketing tool par excellence.

Social networks and online sales

Makaya takes on a new dimension with the opening of an original outlet in Pétion-Ville, combining laboratory and tasting room, and hosting events. The chocolate workshop provides both team training and fun workshops for children, teenagers and adults. Despite the COVID pandemic, 2020 is a good year thanks to the website, which is starting to generate sales. A dispatch center has been set up in Miami to deliver orders for the United States, and another in Montreal for Canada. 40% of production is exported, boosted by his dynamic social networking strategy: Ralph Leroy doesn’t just promote Makaya, he creates digital conversations around chocolate, bringing in professionals and celebrities and opening up the discussion threads to all chocolate lovers. In the same year, the brand went on sale at the airport duty-free shop, adding to those in supermarkets and high-end boutiques. With the processing of the beans, Makaya signs the first range of Haitian chocolates “from bean to bar”, From bean to bar. A source of national pride!

Strong local recognition

In February 2022, Makaya took part in an exchange of best practices organized by Caribbean Export with Dominican companies. This mission on Dominican cocoa promotion and marketing strategy, production and processing techniques, and organizational management mechanisms implemented by CONACADO, will mark the start of a collaboration with Definite Chocolate.

The Dominican Republic’s chocolatier and Haiti’s chocolatier join forces in a creative partnership proposed as part of the gastronomy component of the “Binational Cultural Dialogue” supported by the European Union. The two master chocolatiers have joined forces to create a collection that reflects their island: the Quisqueya collection. With the support of Caribbean Export, the collection takes shape with three different chocolates and an original packaging. It was first presented to a large audience at the Dominican Chocolate Festival in July, then at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris the following autumn.

In December 2022, Makaya is also participating in the Capacity Building Program for the new European Organic Regulation in cooperation with ITC for the beneficiary companies of the HT-DR bi-national cocoa value chain project implemented by Caribbean Export.

Haitian chocolate on tour!

In 7 years, Makaya has created 15 products, processed a ton of beans and can be found in some 15 sales outlets in Haiti and abroad. Its online sales capacity now accounts for 40-50% of sales, thanks to 100% digital promotion and marketing.

Makaya has plans to open a boutique chocolate factory-tasting room in Cap Haïtien and another in Montréal, but the situation in Haiti has put the chocolatier’s economy and ambitions on hold. His workshop has shrunk from 23 people to 7, but fortunately, foreign sales are saving the day: 90%, 80%, 70%, 65% or 45% dark chocolates, white chocolates, almond, cappuccino, 42% Expresso, 65% Latte, and recently, a special edition, the Héritage bar, all find their fans. And Makaya 100% cocoa, the basis for its famous hot chocolate, remains the star product in the chocolate lounge. The founder of Makaya spares no tour and hosts a host of events around Haiti in Miami, New York, Washington and Montreal. Chocolate desserts, activities, workshops, conferences… Ralph Leroy has become a true ambassador for Haitian chocolate. He hopes to take part in the Salon du Chocolat in Paris next October and present his new 2023 product, Makaya coffee beans and ground coffee, due for release next autumn. As he puts it, ” with Makaya, Haitian chocolate goes on tour!