The Community of Practice for Caribbean Immigrant Entrepreneurs (CoP), is Not a STARTUP COMMUNITY

CoP not a Startup Com with Logo

By Meegan Scott

The CoP is not a startup community!

It is that safe place where trust is built, collaborations, cooperation, friendships, and partnerships are forged― in a market place and research hub for delivering dynamic and inclusive entrepreneurship for and by Caribbeans.  It is where Caribbean entrepreneurs and their businesses will draw on connections, knowledge, opportunities, and support to help them thrive and grow.

The same is true for members of the African community, immigrant entrepreneurs who are not native speakers of the English language, African-Americans, and Canadian entrepreneurs with no history of entrepreneurship in their families.

The CoP is that space were tacit and formal knowledge blends, and is transferred within the community among retired entrepreneurs, more seasoned, not so seasoned entrepreneurs, youth entrepreneurs (over 18 years old), young entrepreneurs (those over forty who are embarking on their first business), individuals who have or are approaching retirement and are starting their retirement business, as well as startup entrepreneurs over the age of eighteen years old.

Many who still do not quite understand technology as a method, tools, or equipment for executing strategy and tactics during operations, view the CoP as another Facebook group.

Let us take our governance related responsibilities seriously, and engage in needed research when steering organizations or seeking to influence public opinion. Let us make it a habit to step outside of the domain of our core areas of expertise and engage in research that will enable us to understand and to twin both risk intelligence and risk management for delivering real and lasting solutions. Leaders and entrepreneurs must engage in research that will inform decision making and put them and the organizations they serve in the position of innovators and first movers.

With its day-to-day work, connection, research, and market place housed on the Facebook social media platform the CoP is positioned to deliver relevant solutions that are inclusive in terms of access to information, markets, and networks as well as financial accessibility.

It is where families, friends, fellow alumni, social workers, politicians, members of the diaspora in different continents and others can stumble upon the CoP opportunity and bring it to the attention of one of our entrepreneurs, or a community member sitting on the fence of becoming an entrepreneur. It is where the real entrepreneur who constantly seek out knowledge will come across its existence and seize the opportunity to give and to receive.

The CoP is therefore in a perfect space as a solution that is relevant, effective, and inclusive as it relates to access, as well as for facilitating formal and informal learning on how-to do business for entrepreneurs at all stages of their journey ―from the retired to the startup.

Moreover, where social media and the CoP hub intersects is fertile ground for the kind of shared knowledge that is equivalent to social capital―a concept advanced by Harold Jarche’s framework for Personal Knowledge Mastery (PKM). The planned and desired unintended results of the CoP cannot be delivered by a regular Facebook Group (The ties of a regular Facebook group are too weak to deliver the objectives of the CoP.).

In keeping with the PKM model (And its’ seek, sense, and share approach), we say with confidence that the CoP provides a safe environment for testing innovative ideas, market research, and building trust (a challenge in our community, and a barrier to doing business).

Furthermore, the CoP is supported by a backbone for conducting virtual face-to-face meetings, market connections, team work, and conversations. This was demonstrated in the form of training events, its virtual launch, and the panel discussion “Born Global & Born-Again Global Businesses: Pathways to Internationalization (Caribbean Immigrant Entrepreneurs & Peer Entrepreneurs), held during Global Entrepreneurship Week 2018. Additionally, the CoP will be supported by face-to-face meetups in various cities in OECD countries and wherever members of the diaspora reside. We invite community members who share the vision of the CoP to put themselves forward to lead a hub in their city.

At the next level the rich ecosystem of the CoP―intersects with work teams in individual businesses, core working committees of the CoP, supporting entities and partners such as JAMPRO, Jamaica National, The Centre for Entrepreneurship Thinking and Practice (UWI), and prospective host cities for delivering innovation and co-creation of value. It is at that intersection that knowledge is translated and put to work by individual businesses, partners, and the CoP.  At that intersection we will also see solutions to social problems, scaling-up of Caribbean businesses to mainstream businesses with that ethnic or local Caribbean flavor, job, intellectual property, and wealth creation. It is also where the job of Caribbean and host country trade and business support agencies will become easier and can focus resources at a higher level on the value chain, and on the results chain.

That intersection is also where shared practice and reputation flows back from work teams, individual businesses, and entrepreneurs into the Community of Practice for the benefit of all. The CoP and its stakeholders will be able to assess how well shared practice is working and delivering impact, or to make suggestions for improvement by interrogating the CoP’s theory of change and performance results, in addition to member and partner testimony over time.

Even in its early days the CoP is backed by decades of experience in corporate strategy, organizational performance management and measurement, marketing, research, education, social and economic development, entrepreneur and private sector development, business incubation, ethnic media, finance, FDI and trade promotion. The core actors and shapers of the CoP are themselves serial entrepreneurs with experience establishing businesses in the diaspora. The door is open for others to join and contribute to leading the CoP.

The CoP aims to deliver shared visions, acts from a position of inclusiveness, efficiency, effectiveness, transparency, and accountability.  It values and is grounded in the principles and practices applied by performance driven, learning organizations, that are designed to facilitate improvement, and acting together. Our work will be informed by rigorous research, and evidence. We are entrepreneurial in thinking, and we value and collect dissenting perspectives for driving the delivery of innovative solutions, innovation, and for putting forward a best solution that continuously gets better.

It is therefore clear that we are equipped with a rich talent pool, tools, different perspectives, and mindsets for growing a CoP that will manipulate the “foreign” or “local but unsuitable” entrepreneurial ecosystem to deliver our objectives (that of member businesses, entrepreneurs, partners, and the CoP) while adding value to society and customers. It is where we will develop greater mastery of entrepreneurship.

(Meegan Scott, B.Sc. Hons, MBA, ATM-B, CL, PMP., is a Jamaican-born Strategic Management Consultant, at Magate Wildhorse Ltd in Toronto, and the CoP Secretariat).

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Workshop focus — How to Use Tokens for Liquidity & Growth

A few weeks ago we share an article “Getting a grip on your financials” — today, Telly Onu will deliver a webinar on how digital coins or tokens could help you with related challenges.

Join us to learn about token economics and how to ensure your business model is ready to let you take advantage of the opportunities presented.

Find out how to leverage tokens for:

  • boosting operations
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Good to have Telly back for GEW 2018!

Telly Onu

Time: 2:00 PM
Where: Magate Wildhorse Facebook Page
Magate Wildhorse

More about Telly Onu at: https://goo.gl/khqnXU

Be with us at 2:00 PM.
Saturday, November 17, 2018
A GEW2018 Special!

For questions and inquiries send a message via contact us: https://www.facebook.com/MagateWildhorse/

All partner including Telly

 

OUR HEART FELT THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO CAME TO CELEBRATE WITH US – Launch of CoP for Caribbean Immigrant Entrepreneurs

CoP lAUNCH held
On behalf of the members of the Community of Practice for Caribbean Immigrant (CoP), Magate Wildhorse Ltd, and I thank each of you who joined us online in support for the CoP earlier this evening.
 
We were honoured to share your company, thank you for your comments and encouragement.
 
We now ask you to join and benefit from the “CoP opportunity” as well as to spread the word about the CoP like wild fire. When you help us to bring more people to benefit and share in the CoP, we can act to create a better social and economic future for our people at home and aboard.
 
We will also be able to demonstrate the value that we bring for making our adopted homes better places.
 
Meegan Scott (for)
The Secretariat of the CoP &
Magate Wildhorse Ltd
All partner including South Florida

OUR HEART FELT THANK YOU TO Dr. K’Nife & THE CENTRE FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP THINKING AND PRACTICE, UWI, MONA – Launch of CoP for Caribbean Immigrant Entrepreneurs

Source: Humela on Sound cloud

Source: Humela on Sound cloud

uwi-web-logo

On behalf of the members of the Community of Practice for Caribbean Immigrant Entrepreneurs (CoP), Magate Wildhorse Ltd, and I thank Dr. Kadamawe K’Nife and the Centre, for sharing the vision of the CoP and for committing to its vision from the start. While a technology issue prevented Dr. K’Nife from delivering his message this evening he was online and ready to share with our audience.

We know that you are committed and that we will hear from you in the coming days.

We are delighted to have UWI the number one producer of Caribbean leaders on board to help with building entrepreneur capacity in the Diaspora as well as for helping with the research for growing the pool of literature and informing the development of curriculum and solutions that are relevant to Jamaica and the Caribbean entrepreneur at home and in all our Diasporic markets.

Dr. K’Nife we look forward to your message and for having you join us at the helm in delivering the vision of the CoP.

I am indeed a proud graduate of the University of the West Indies and Taylorite.

Meegan Scott (for)
The Secretariat of the CoP &
Magate Wildhorse Ltd

All partner including South Florida

OUR HEART FELT THANK YOU TO Messrs. CARLTON & ANTHONY JOSEPH of THE CARIBBEAN CAMERA – Launch of CoP for Caribbean Immigrant Entrepreneurs

Carlton Joseph
caribbean-camera-new-logo-copy

On behalf of the members of the Community of Practice for Caribbean Immigrant Entrepreneurs (CoP), Magate Wildhorse Ltd, and I thank Messrs. Carlton and Anthony Joseph and the Editor of The Caribbean Camera for being steadfast supporters of the CoP and our local businesses.  This evening we extend our special thanks to Carlton for a powerful rally call to Caribbean immigrants to start and grow their own businesses.

We also thank him for sharing his personal journey of successes and failures to growing a company with revenue of $2M and 200 employees.  His is a powerful story that I am sure have sent some of us in high gear saddle up to ride to thenext level of success as entrepreneurs.

We are fired up by your passion and message! Thank you also for putting some powerAnthony-Joseph-Excellence-in-Media-683x1024behind our message Carlton.  To Anthony, we thank you for being there with us for Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) 2017 and again in 2018; and for being one of the first members of the CoP.

Let our businesses remember the power of global in accurately conveying their messages and in reaching our audiences.  We look forward to strengthening our relationship with the Caribbean Camera for both the CoP and our GEW celebrations.  In partnership with the Caribbean Camera the CoP has already hosted two events for GEW in its infancy.

One thing is clear Carlton, has a wealth of knowledge to be shared with the members of the CoP. While We look forward to having Carlton join the CoP or at least join us from time to time for sharing other messages, tips, and guide.

Both Anthony and Carlton bring entrepreneurial DNA from Trinidad and Tobago to the CoP and our entrepreneurs.

Thank you, Trinidad―I am proud to be Caribbean and serve Canada, Jamaica, and the rest of the Caribbean from the richness that it poured into me in preparation to serve at home and abroad.

Listen to Carlton’s story here.

We look forward to seeing more entrepreneurs from Trinidad in the CoP.

Thank you again Carlton, Anthony, and the rest of the Caribbean Camera.

Meegan Scott (for)
The Secretariat of the CoP &
Magate Wildhorse Ltd

All partner including South Florida

 

OUR HEART FELT THANK YOU TO Mr. VIVION SCULLY & JAMPRO – Launch of CoP for Caribbean Immigrant Entrepreneurs

View Mr. Scully and JAMPRO’s endorsement and Committment to the CoP here

Vivion Scully JAMPRO

jampro-logo

On behalf of the members of the Community of Practice for Caribbean Immigrant (CoP), Magate Wildhorse Ltd, and I thank Mr. Vivion Scully and the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), for sharing the vision of the Community of Practice for Caribbean Immigrant Entrepreneurs.

We are heartened by the demonstration of forward thinking that you have shown by recognizing how we can work together for advancing our mutual and different objectives and visions while creating greater impact. Greater impact for Jamaicans and the peoples of the Caribbean in the Diaspora and at home.  In addition, your action also says to your host countries that you are committed to helping their cities and people who struggle to attain economic and financial freedom.

As the CoP will serve our brothers and sisters in Africa, the USA, other immigrant entrepreneurs who are not native speakers of English, and Canadians who have no history of entrepreneurship in their families and face barriers related to sparse networks, “foreignness when it comes to talent”, as well as lack of access to capital, and entrepreneurial experience.

The gift of your message, endorsement, and commitment to support the CoP was well received by our members and appreciated by or audiences.

Thank you again Jamaica! “I’m a born Jamaican” means even more when agencies of our Government reach out to support us in the Diaspora.  We look forward to building mainstream Jamaican and Caribbean businesses with an ethnic flavor that will make your job easier.

Thank you again JAMPRO.

Meegan Scott (for)

The Secretariat of the CoP &

Magate Wildhorse Ltd

All partner including South Florida

Upcoming Events : Oct. 20 to GEW 2018

Join us for CoP Strategy Planning  and Global Entrepreneurship Week 2018

Community of Practice for Caribbean Immigrant Entrepreneurs (CoP) Strategy Planning

  • Saturday, October 20, 2018 or
  • Sunday, October 21, 2018

Global Entrepreneurship Week Canada, 2018
Celebrating, supporting, and promoting entrepreneurs.

One click to access details for each event available at link to PDF below flyer.

#GEW2018 #GEWCanada2018 CoP Strategy Planning Magate Wildhorse GEW Events 2018 join us for Global Entrepreneurship Week Canada Celebrations 2018 Upcoming events

Get quick links to the events in the image above, click the link to view PDF document below.
CoP and GEW 2018 Upcoming Events.v.2.0

Looking forward to sharing your company, partnering, or collaborating with you for the events above.

Meegan Scott for Magate Wildhorse Ltd., and Magate Wildhorse for CoP Secretariat.