Luke Browne partners with Invest SVG, Chamber of Commerce to launch new book

A local publication may just be one of the first texts to be used for a new course introduced by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC).

Senator Luke Browne, in his capacity as the director of not-for-profit organisation, Light Hill Foundation, recently partnered with the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and Invest SVG to launch his new book{{more}} on entrepreneurs of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The book, which is slated to be launched on December 16 at the Frenches House, is a compilation of features on Vincentian entrepreneurs which were sponsored by National Properties Inc and published in SEARCHLIGHT newspaper during the first five months of 2014.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Browne revealed that he had spoken with former registrar of CXC and current secretary general of the OECS, Didacus Jules, who made the suggestion that the book be used as a text.

“We’ve been in touch with the former registrar of CXC who is now at the OECS secretary general, Didacus Jules and we are currently exploring the possibility of using this book as a text for the new course which was introduced for the CAPE level on entrepreneurship. So this is going to go far and wide,” the writer said.

Browne noted that the book had the potential of being a good product for St Vincent and the Grenadines and spoke of the possibility of penning a second volume, to include more entrepreneurs in the Vincentian society.

“We considered it important to do something about entrepreneurs because first of all, they are often unheralded and they have made a meaningful contribution to our economic development and this has come through the creation of jobs, through innovation, finding new ways of doing things, through the stimulation of economic growth by their own business exploits,” he said.

“In this series, we were able to focus on 20 entrepreneurs. There are many other entrepreneurs out there who should be recognised. Some of them might be even floating below the radar. I think that a second volume is certainly on the cards. We’ve given it some thought, so we’re hoping to come with that soon.”

Executive director of Invest SVG, Bernadette Ambrose-Black described the book as an excellent initiative and said that it was much needed in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“Senator Browne is a prolific speaker but he’s also an excellent writer,” said Ambrose-Black.

“As far as I know, there is no such compilation and I think it will provide an informative source of information, not just for local Vincentians but persons living overseas. It will provide a great source of information for schools, for community college and I would like to take this opportunity to commend him for his excellent work.”

Director of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce Anthony Regisford declared that Browne’s book comes at a very important time, considering the global economic challenges.

Regisford noted that “entrepreneurship is where businesses begin” and opined that this book will serve as inspiration for upcoming entrepreneurs in society today.

“When you look at entrepreneurs, they are the ones … who would have overcome very challenging circumstances and made a success of what they did. Success, not just defined as a business that allowed them to bank a lot of money, but …as how it made a social contribution to the lives of the people in the community in which they were doing business,” he said.

“So, entrepreneurship is where businesses begin. They don’t just fall out of the sky. People get ideas. People have visions. And only a few of them are actually able to turn that into something that materialises into a business and a successful business.

“This book will encourage them. They will see people who have blazed the trail before and the challenges that they may have had to undergo and I’m sure it will act as an inspiration to up and coming entrepreneurs and business people. It is an important, very important intervention, in this part of our history.” (BK)