Entrepreneur

He is the man who build the bus and call it "Haitian Pride", symbolic, Jean Paul Coutard.

In May 2006, when President René Préval was taking oath of his presidency, Coutard felt determined to make his dream come true. He took this as a challenge. His first step in achieving his dream was to win a scholarship from Canada to learn coach design. While studying in Canada, he took a part time job. He used his earnings to import various body parts from the UK, Australia and Canada. He waited a long time to find the right time to launch his dream. Following the 2010 earthquake, he returned home and began production with his family firm, 'Coutard Motors'. On 22 August 2013, his dream came true. The first prototype bus made in Haiti was presented at the Metropolitan Industrial Park SONAPI in the presence of several ministers and members of the Government.

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Here is a picture of the first bus prototype Made in Haiti by Jean-Paul Coutard.

As part of luxury and comfort, it is equipped with 54 reclining seats, televisions, sound system, custom lamps and sanitary facilities. Once an assembly plant is established, the cost of the new production will be much less.

Earlier to the 'Haitian Pride', transport system in Haiti was very much inadequate-- when it was available--was prohibitively expensive for most citizens. During the inauguration of Rene Preval, the buses used for the occasion were all imported from the Dominican Republic. Jean Paul Coutard took this as a national insult, because he felt that his country must not be so poor and unproductive that it could not even produce its bare essentials. He inherited a love for motor mechanism from his father who was a commercial truck driver.

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The Haitian entrepreneur Christine Souffrant and Vendedy Street vandor site

Christine Souffrant is a 25-year old Dubai-based entrepreneur and a graduate of Ivy League University. She could not forget her parents' struggle; they eke out a living as street vendors. Christine has founded 'Vendedy International' that would empower the street vendors globally with access to the digital market. During the 2010 earthquake, she was a college student. She saw her mother's most trading partners went missing or were presumed dead and her business collapsed. It was then she decided about building some 'apps' that would facilitate street vending business, digitally. After graduation, she found a job at Baker Hill Finance in New York. Thereafter, she moved to Dubai to study masters in international business and social entrepreneurship at Hult International Business School. It was there she launched her company for vendors online "Vendedy"-- global street markets in your pocket.

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Here is a picture of the young Haitian entrepreneur, Garius Lonick.

Haitian Youth Businessman in Contest for International Distinction

Young Haitian Businessman, Garius Lonick, is one of 2014's Ten Outstanding Young Haitians. He is now vying for one of 2015's ten outstanding youth globally.

Lonick began his business at age 12 when his parents could no longer afford school tuition. He became an artisan, funding his education, ending with a BA in medical technology.

He has launched four businesses in the medical field, with an employment force of 100. JCI will determine ten winners of the global competition.

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Here is a picture of 72 buses that have been handed over to new Haitian entrepreneurs. This is part of the social program "Chanje Metye Chanje Lavi" which allows a selected group of young people, old car washers to join a training program and become entrepreneurs

Entrepreneur Program takes Youth off the Streets

President Martelly presided over a graduation ceremony of 72 young people, formerly living on the streets, which have completed a ten-month training program under the initiative "Chanje Metye Chanje Lavi.

As new entrepreneurs, the youth will work in the transit industry and finance their own vehicles with their earned income and a subsidy from the government.

At the ceremony Martelly gave the program recipients keys to their new vehicles. He wished them success and praised the stakeholders.

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The founder of the organization APLADEM, Uzale Remay, has been nominated Digicel Entrepreneur of the Year 2014

Uzale Remay, founder of APLADEM, was awarded the prize of the 2014 Entrepreneur of the Year by the Digicel Foundation. The tradition of awarding those who survive Haiti's tough business climate to make successful businesses from the ground up began five years, when Remay's company, which she started in Jacmel, was 20 years old. She began her company after witnessing the waste of fruit produce in her community. She made contact with the Ministry of Agriculture and worked out a system that allowed for the formation of a fruit transformation process, which proved very profitable and resourceful.

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Here is a picture of the Final National Digicel "Entrepreneur de l'année 2014" that took place on December 16, at Hotel Caribe in Haiti

This year, a short list of 85 finalists for 2014 EOTY has been prepared out of over 250 initial entries and the list reflects the changing face of a new Haiti moving on a journey to advancement and prosperity. This year the winners will be selected in a new way-- two finalists from each category will be selected from the west, and one from each category in the center, north and south Haiti. The theme of the award has been chosen as "A Voice for Entrepreneurs". The entrepreneurs will describe what they need to achieve success, how they achieve growth, what they can to contribute to the community and their vision for the future. Maarten Boute, the CEO of Digicel Haiti, has welcomed the rise in the number of women finalists (25% from an earlier 20%). The first twenty five finalists will be taken to an executive education program at Florida International University in Miami, focusing on finding new opportunities and achieving success.

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In the business plans competition conducted by Haitian Business Accelerator, 10 young entrepreneurs were selected by jury among 30 finalists of business plans competition in July, 2013

Here is the list of winners : David Descieux (Expansion of National Boulangerie & Snack-Bar) Elan Moncher (Agricultural farm ACOD) Ernso Decelien (Royal Fast Food Mobile) Jacques-Eli Pierre (Pintade Plus) Jean Richard Daniel Prudent (BIO-AKWA integrated farm) Job Peterson Mompremier (FRENAGI) Katleen Jeanty (Madan BelFwi - Fruit Mixes) Martial Ewald (FEM PA'M - My farm) Nicodème Sainmestil (Production of fruit compotes in Haiti) Obed Maurice (Point Vert aqua ferme, aquaculture farm)

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Before the Chicago bears, Michael Jordan, Chicago Pizza, there was a Haitian wh started all that. Born in St marc, Haiti, Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable is widely known as the founder of the city of Chicago. He was born in the Haitian city of Saint Marc in 1776 as a free black man, then moved to the US at a young age. In Chicago, he settled along the Chicago river with friends. Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable met his wife Catherine there

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