One Eleuthera’s Seed to Succeed awards $20,000 in grants to Eleutheran Entrepreneurs

One Eleuthera’s Seed to Succeed awards $20,000 in grants to Eleutheran Entrepreneurs
(L-R) Grant recipients Randall Tynes, Breandra Whylly, Lashawn McPhee and Insworth Wallace pose after successful presenting their business ideas following the inaugural ‘Seed to Succeed” event hosted by One Eleuthera Foundation on August 31, 2020.

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The inaugural ‘Seed to Succeed’ event was hosted by One Eleuthera Foundation with eight participants showcasing their business ideas in front of a panel of judges.

According to a statement, five winners were selected, and received some $20,000 in grants.

Landscaping hopeful Lashawn McPhee received a grant in the sum of $6,500.00 to assist with tool purchases and a deposit for a company vehicle.

Painter Breandra Whylly received a grant in the sum of $4,240.00 that would be used to purchase tools and a deposit for a company vehicle.

Randall Tynes received a grant in the sum of $3,750.00 that would be used to purchase tools and a deposit for a company vehicle.

Kendy Thompson received a grant in the sum of $3,060.00 that would be used for courses, tools and marketing.

Insworth Wallace received a grant in the sum of $2,450.00 that would be used for tools and marketing.

Mark Palmer, the One Eleuthera Foundation (“OEF”) Social Enterprise Accelerator lead, said he was impressed by pitches from the participating Eleuthera residents on August 31.

“The newly minted entrepreneurs represented a plethora of industries including esthetician services and waxing, mobile car detailing, landscaping, painting and construction,” he said.

The Seed to Succeed Program assisted participants with perfecting their business plans and sharpening their creativity and technological skills.

Once they completed their plans, the participants pitched their business ideas before an experienced panel of judges to receive feedback and assistance with funding.

OEF CEO and President Shaun Ingraham said: “The participants showcased the wealth of knowledge and expertise of Eleutherans.

“We are incredibly thankful to our esteemed judges – Christian Sawyer, owner of Sunryse Information Management; Anya Ferguson, Finance Manager at The OEF Cooperative Credit Union Limited; Travis Miller, founder at Shift The Culture, Venture Coworking and Arrowlynk Adventures; Sameer Bhatti, Board of Director Member, One Eleuthera Foundation, USA and Avis Munroe, Senior Accounts and Reporting Officer at OEF.”

He said: “OEF is concerned with the economic development of Eleuthera, particularly since COVID-19, and we are doing what we can to strengthen entrepreneurship and financial inclusion in our community.

“We started Seed To Succeed to assist our own staff to become entrepreneurs, as well as the many graduates from our Learn to Earn programs. We hope to roll it out to the rest of Eleuthera soon. Finally, thank you to the Cotton Bay Foundation for program funding.”

According to a statement, the program envisions another cohort in the coming year.