Business View Caribbean | Volume 8, Issue 9

10 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 8, ISSUE 9 Our DIA program has been fostering innovation and empowering new generations to engage in social and economic ventures for 6 years social and economic ventures for 6 years. And this competition is one of the most popular and highly anticipated events of the work done in Jamaica. All the participants have gone through weeks of rigorous boot camp training sessions to polish their venture concepts, presentation skills, and pitching abilities. We applaud all winners for producing out-of-the-box ideas that will boost and support their community development.” The DIA program has supported more than 100 participants with funding for their projects. Over USD 44,000 has been granted to kick start enterprises related to renewable fuel alternatives, data collection software, gender equality, sustainable agriculture, recycling, digital marketing, beauty, and self-care, and more in the last two years. Rodrigo Iriani, Senior Program Manager DIA at The Trust for the Americas shared: “I am glad to say that this year 14 projects received USD 1,000.00 in seed-funding grants and another eight initiatives received re-investment to take their ventures to the next level, which demonstrates the immense potential we have in our Lab, and how the guidance and leadership from the experts at the ILE team can have a positive impact in transforming an idea into reality. It also reminds us of how important it is to keep working despite the challenges we faced with the COVID-19 pandemic.” Through access to technology, collaborative spaces, training, and competitive seed funds, the DIA Innovation Lab, Citi Foundation, and The Trust for the Americas have benefited the lives of over 2,238 young participants. Since 2016, Jamaican youth have acquired tools to develop their business ideas or create social projects to address local challenges. **The Trust for the Americas is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS). It was established in 1997 to promote public and private sector participation in social and economic development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our initiatives, implemented through local partner organizations, seek to improve access to economic opportunities as well as to foster innovation in vulnerable communities in the hemisphere. To this end, The Trust also promotes social inclusion and good governance. The Trust has offices in Washington, D.C., Colombia, and Canada. www.trustfortheamericas.org