최신자료
Case Study. Seeking a Recipe to Support Entrepreneurs in a Fragile Country: Banj‘s Approach through the Mobilization of the Innovation Ecosystem in Haiti
Haiti is a fragile country, with an economy that is largely informal and historically dependent on agriculture. With the majority of the population under 24 years old, an illiteracy rate of around 40% (complicated by multilingualism in French, English and Haitian Creole), and a youth unemployment rate of 37%, the country must innovate to find ways to drive economic development and growth, while inspiring its youth amidst a backdrop of massive emigration. For young people, even those who graduate from college, finding stable employment in Haiti‘s highly competitive market is a challenge. As in many economies around the world, becoming an entrepreneur and creating your own business can also be the fastest and safest way to generate income and secure employment. In this context, seizing the opportunities offered by the emerging digital economy sector is highly relevant. This is exactly what the Banj organization has been doing for the past six years in Delmas, a suburb of Port-au-Prince. Banj, which means ＂genius＂ in Haitian Creole, was born under this auspicious name. This entrepreneurial initiative has combined the concept of a shared workspace with the role of a catalyst for the innovation ecosystem, while embedding a strong social mission into its DNA. It supports young people with their projects by providing them with tools and resources, from idea conception to final project delivery, including funding and launching start-ups. From an economic perspective, Banj is a business that commercializes shared workspaces, organizes events, and acts as a service provider to coordinate innovation programs, including training, mentorship, incubation, and acceleration, with a strong focus on digital technology. This case study explores the strategies that have helped young businesses emerge and enabled hundreds of entrepreneurs to create their own ventures by leveraging digital technology and the strength and richness of a community united under the same roof. Is there a ＂Banj recipe＂? Can it be replicated in other countries? Can it be applied to other sectors? The story began modestly under the leadership of founder Marc Alain Boucicault, a social entrepreneur who considers himself an ecosystem builder. His experience in the international development sector catalyzed the energy of a group of motivated young people driven by the desire to make a difference and provide tools and resources to Haiti‘s enterprising youth. They started with limited resources, but gradually established a brand, created a space, developed partnerships and built an entire community of members and service providers to deliver multiple programs. Today, Banj boasts modern and connected infrastructure and rents workspaces tailored to project leaders and young entrepreneurs, with a particular focus on digital economy activities. In addition to providing services to these businesses, a series of events, collaboration opportunities, and networking activities are part of what the organization offers to help projects grow under its roof. Most importantly, among partnerships and programs funded by private companies, local and international institutions, and international donors, Banj plays a key role in attracting, supporting, and incubating innovative projects, helping young decision-makers grow their teams. Banj‘s activities are made possible by partnerships from entities including, but not limited to: Sogebank for its premises, Digicel/Access Haiti for internet access, the Inter- American Development Bank (IDB) for the Creative Tech Lab program, the International Organization of La Francophonie for the D-CLIC program; Google for the Haiti Start initiative; International Republican Institute (IRI) for the Ideathon Community Program (PIC); and, Facebook for training focused on developers and programmers. Nevertheless, the journey has not always been simple, and the young enterprise has faced challenges, including the socio-economic, political, and environmental upheavals of the country. Most notably, in 2019, Banj experienced a partial fire, vandalism, and looting, which shook the organization. It took all the energy and determination of the team to demonstrate resilience and move forward. Furthermore, the COVID-19 crisis also impacted Banjs operational model, and in response to this challenge, new offerings were developed, relying on online services. Banj is now recognized as a central focal point in the country for matters related to entrepreneurship, networking, training, and digital economy events. The organization also has presence in the Caribbean through its programs in Honduras, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago, among others. However, this position was not built overnight, and the concept has evolved since its creation in 2018, always maintaining its DNA focused on young people, ambition, and pragmatism in the service of local energies. Additionally, the pursuit of strong partnerships with powerful and recognized actors (tech giants, development banks, etc.) has helped develop a high-quality, attractive, and impactful service offering for the “Banj community”. Since 2018, Banj has hosted thousands of participants at its activities, organized more than 500 events, trained nearly 3,000 people through over 100 training sessions, attracted more than 36,000 applications for its programs, incubated 122 projects, and managed an innovation fund of nearly half a million dollars to incubate or accelerate initiatives supported by its structure. These are significant numbers for Haiti, having impacted both the development of businesses and the men and women eager to take control of their destinies and achieve their life goals. Banj‘s events, services, and programs are delivered by mobilizing an ecosystem and partnerships in various ways. For example, the Inter-American Development Bank entrusted the incubator with the execution of entrepreneurial support programs. With operational expenses exceeding 3 million U.S. dollars over the past six years, Banj‘s activities extend well beyond Port-au-Prince, with programs implemented in other regions of Haiti, as well as online activities accessible through the internet and promoted on social media. These programs are also open to other countries, particularly in the Caribbean.
많이 본 자료
![[팀튜링의 디지털 오디세이] 제1화 UAM의 미래](/userdata/main/incContent/sideLink/19/aaaGHKBjsPPI5g31szc-y20240605110816byhta.png)
![[2024.04] 물가상승](/userdata/main/incContent/sideLink/20/aaaGHKBjsPPI5g31szc-y20240605111046bpogp.jpg)
