Hamilton, Bermuda 27 July 2021 – On Friday, July 22nd, the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) hosted a Meet & Greet on the City Hall Lawn from 11am – 2pm for the participants of its Summer Student Entrepreneur Program. This was an opportunity for the participants to introduce their businesses to the community and gain valuable experience selling and promoting their goods and services. The Honorable Minister, Jason Hayward, JP, MP, joined the students on the lawn to impart words of encouragement and inspired our young people to learn and succeed through enterprise.
This year’s seven successful participants have demonstrated that they are eager to work and grow their businesses. Participants include:
- Aaron Lugo: Lugo’s Mighty Mower – Lugo’s Mighty Mower Lawn Service is a lawn mowing company that provides affordable, high-quality lawn care.
- Antoine Jones: Capsule – Capsule is an inclusive one-stop shop for designer, vintage and local brands. The days of blending in are over!
- Isaiah Fraser: Digi Portal – Digi Portal is a game service company that provides customers with entertainment outside their homes.
- Ry-Aidin Evans-Waldron: Snkrs Joint – Snkrs joint is a quick and easy way to get the newest on-trend sneakers in Bermuda.
- Salay Dyer-Raynor: Captive Cards – Captive Cards ensures that you will have the perfect card every time. Their cards are affordable, high quality, and completely customizable!
- Taquira Simmons: Lumineux – Lumineux is a Self-Care Brand that provides affordable, high-quality Self-Care products. They aim to highlight and promote the importance of self-care, self-love, and bettering your mental health.
- Zen Mello: Zenimations – Zenimations provides exciting, animated videos for his customers for whatever they need. Whether a commercial, a music video, or a short gif, they can create anything for anyone.
Following the success of the last four years of the program, with participating students gaining valuable insights and earning money, the program is continuing again this year. The Summer Student Entrepreneur Program (SSEP) is an eight-week program designed to develop young Bermudians into the Island’s next wave of entrepreneurs. The program, which started July 4th, allows participants ages 13-21 to learn practical business skills such as earning revenue, creating a business plan, conducting SWOT analyses, and much more!
The Hon. Jason Hayward, JP, MP, said, “The BEDC’s Summer Student Entrepreneur Program provides young Bermudians with invaluable experience and training required to start and maintain their businesses. The program targets the next generation of business owners and encourages young people to consider entrepreneurship as a viable career path. This summer learning initiative is in direct alignment with the Youth Employment Strategy, and I am pleased with the young entrepreneurs’ creativity and ambitions. “
“As we enter week four of the eight-week program, we begin to see how the students’ businesses take shape and with this event aim to increase awareness of the program and add an additional area of learning for the students by strengthening their pitching skills,” says Deshun Simmons, Program Coordinator. He continues, “We’ve been able to give the students the necessary exposure due to the generous sponsorship of a Washington Mall location from the Washington Properties as well as the City of Hamilton waiving vending fees for the Meet & Greet. The students have also been able to participate in Harbour Nights with the Chamber of Commerce, generously waiving fees for the students as they continue to support our budding, young entrepreneurs.”
For more information on the Summer Student Entrepreneur Program and the 2022 Participants, please visit www.bedc.bm, contact info@bedc.bm or call 292-5570.
About BEDC
The Bermuda Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) is Bermuda’s source of free, confidential business advice. The mission is to actively assist the development of a strong, well-managed and prosperous local business sector in Bermuda. The key objective of the BEDC remains providing a broad range of business advice, counsel and financial assistance to local businesses in Bermuda.
