By Meegan Scott                                                                                                                May 16, 2020

Held over by popular demand!     

The Outride COVID 19 Business Threat Seminar series which was scheduled to break from May 7 to August 2020 before resuming to support planning and execution has been extended.

Attendees at the season finale — “Outride COVID 19: Diaspora Supply Chain― Who’s Who”, indicated that they had come “to look forward” to the sessions and felt any break would disrupt the rhythm, strides, and future impact of the programme.  Members of the gathering therefore decided to play more active roles for ensuring the series continue uninterrupted.

The proposed break was intended to facilitate analysis of research conducted and the application of learning from the five seminars and its exit COVID 19 assignment for participants. However, participants are willing to take on the challenge without meeting holidays.

Governance

 During last Thursday’s event Meegan Scott proposed and presented a hybrid of the core-peripheral network governance model with integrated market mode— for governing and coordinating the initiative.

The core-periphery structure is often used for driving resilience because it allows for connectivity,  idea generation, and information flow including in emergencies or shocks.  The flow can be intensified or scaled down as required to for drawing in the public and private sectors and civil society as needed.

However, significant changes in culture, practice, and the need to develop key industry market sectors, entrepreneurship in diasporic markets along with other social and economic challenges (to be addressed by our organizational leaders in partnership with key stakeholders and duty bearers in the third, public and higher education sectors in host and home countries) required a market mode input for delivering effective coordination and the development of efficient markets.

Outriding COVID Together

The series commenced on April 16^th with the theme  “Embracing risk for driving vision and growth”.  Value creation and preservation;  and risk intelligence as a “new normal” in doing business and driving growth among both mission and profit driven organizations were major sub themes. Inclusiveness, contribution to host and home country economic recovery by twinning purpose and profit was another major sub theme.

Accordingly, the gathering explored opportunities for advancing the shared and different development objectives of host and home countries as well as the profit and purpose objectives of the participating organizations as a key focus of multiple sessions.

Holding Each Other Accountable

The series were designed to better understand the COVID 19 impact and responses of Caribbean diaspora organizations as well as to support organizational leaders and provide them with information for ensuring they could act to make their entire strategy house and businesses more risk intelligent competent, agile and adapted to survive or thrive during COVID 19.

In recognition of the need to bring the entire Caribbean community on the journey of change and transformation, we focused on civil society or community organizations and how they could be strengthened and involved for accessing and distributing needed development resources available to Caribbean diasporans, but which currently sit on the table while communities at home and in host countries fail to be benefit.

We also found it important to ensure Caribbean is not lost in BAME hence our reference to BCAME (Black, Caribbean, Asia, and Minority Ethnic Groups) during the series.

Many Caribbeans are not of African descent, the cultural treasures and accomplishments of the Caribbean, its music, its cuisine, it art and entertainment forms reflects the contribution, investment, melting and blending of indigenous peoples, Africans and Europeans, Asians (Chinese, Indians, Javanese and others), Jews, Mediterraneans, North Africans and other groups. While loaded with African retention the culture of the Caribbean is boldly distinct; and the contribution of diasporans to host markets is significant.

The development of many art forms was supported by Caribbean governments, taxpayers, and entrepreneurs and the returns on those investments should go to Caribbeans and be branded Caribbean it should not be submerged in African culture or a single diaspora brand. Moreover, the complexities of problems faced by the both diasporic groups comprise of similar and different challenges, which require different and relevant eyeball attention and surgical interventions as well as collaborative measures.

Participants in the series are determined to the take the necessary steps that will enable them to deliver their vision and missions in the face of COVID 19.  Among the areas covered were:

• Risk intelligence
• Strategy Planning for Outriding COVID 19
• Agribusiness Sector —Market Intelligence Planning & Response
• Customer Service, Value & Sales
• Social Media Marketing
• Nonprofit Governance and Response
• Risk Intelligence for Outriding COVID 19 —Key Questions, Practical Responses for SMEs
• Outride COVID 19: Diaspora Supply Chain― Who’s Who
• Disaster Risk Financing: CCRIF, Climate Risks and COVID-19
• Digital Transformation – Process Pivots for COVID 19 and Beyond
• COVID 19 Risk Intelligence: Are Your Legal Rights Protected in This Time of Uncertainty?
• Supply Chain― Diaspora Who’s Who for Outriding COVID 19 as well as a network governance model for cooperation and leveraging intelligence for improving diaspora and home country outcomes.

The series also featured global participation, a Joy Spot motivational speech and activity segment, Mouth and Mind panel discussions, COVID 19 business community experiences (open mic―diaspora, in Caribbean, other representatives of BAME or mainstream peers), Elevator pitches  and networking sessions.

The pivot of one technology company was facilitated at the very start of the series.  Others will follow during the planning and execution phase.

Our Speakers

Among the speakers who gifted our participants with their messages and knowledge were Mark Brown, 1995 World Champion of Public Speaking; Professor Amit Kapoor, President & CEO of India Council on Competitiveness, Honorary Chairman at Institute for Competitiveness;

Leo M. Tilman, President and CEO of Tilman & Company;

LaShanda Henry, Web Business Strategist and Digital Content Creator & Founder of SistaSense;

Albert Ramsay, Financial Advisor at APSOL;

Dr. Mythili Kolluru, Assistant Professor-College of Banking and Financial Studies, Oman & Magate Wildhorse Consulting;

Shariful Islam, Market Systems Development Specialist, PHAMA Plus and Country Manager PNG, Market Development Facility;

Theo Chambers, Motivational Speaker and Business Coach Consultant, at CaribAcademy and Co-founder of Positive Tourism News;

Gina Sanguinetti-Phillips, Program Manager at Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF SPC);

Jennifer Clémence Graham, Managing Director and Senior Consultant at JG&G Consulting Services Inc.;

Philip Bedward of Pathways;

Andrew Sharpe of  Authentic Caribbean Foundation; Rudi Page of Making Connections Work;

Tannisha Scarlett, Life Media Productions Ltd (F.I.L.M. Productions Ltd.) and Agri Views; Loretta N. Green Williams of Caribeme Magazine; and Meegan Scott of Magate Wildhorse Consulting.  Rapporteurs included Lester de Souza, Counsel, Barrister & Solicitor and Manager, Impact Galaxy; and Tonny Ng’uni, Principal Consultant at Magton Ltd (Zambia).

Roy Page of Asterix Tourism Services Ltd and Dr. Roy Davidson of UNI Healthcare Inc were significant contributors to the discussions. Henry Madnani, Assistant Manager, Client Servicing at 10 Times shared the vision, timeline, and work in-progress for their pivot to a trade show and exhibition platform during the premiere edition.  The premiere edition was sponsored by Magate Wildhorse and 10 Times, in a pivot partnership facilitated by Magate Wildhorse.

The Caribbean Camera was our ethnic media attendee who helped us to share with audiences beyond the gathering. The  Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH) at Ryerson University also held us to get the word out.

To our dedicated speakers, participants, and media partner we say a Big Thank You!

In the video we leave you a few reminders and points for consideration as you commence your exit COVID gallop.

If you would like to join us for this free programme please register at: https://forms.gle/PtpZAT8czWYExWpZ7

For ensuring you are included in the supply chain and factored in for support interventions please complete questionnaire below if you will not be participating in the series.

Career and Professional Development Opportunities— Caribbean & Latin American Immigrants, Afro-Caribbeans & CoP Members without Caribbean roots
https://forms.gle/A5vZPxdFKtGwDfhcA

Meegan Scott (for),                                                                                                          Magate Wildhorse Consulting and The Community of Practice for Caribbean Immigrant Entrepreneurs