Kingston Creative today announced that 114 applicants applied to be a part of the second Creative Hub Incubator Cohort . Since 2021, Kingston Creative has partnered with the InterAmerican Development Bank’s IDB Lab and the Development Bank of Jamaica’s BIGEE programme, to help early-stage Orange Economy startups drive business growth. The incubator provides this through mentoring, provision of working space and scaling activities.
Kingston Creative helps startups in the Cultural and Creative Industries to connect and network, with a focus on generating internal traction. Over the past two years, the Creative Hub has incubated a total of 12 startups and facilitated coworking space, pitch nights, meetups, hackathons, B2B meetings and technology adoption for many creative entrepreneurs.
For the second cohort, twelve (12) new Creative Startups were selected by a panel of creatives and entrepreneurs on August 2, 2022. The selection panel consisted of Joshua Chamberlain (Manager, March for Music Education Jamaica),Maria Hitchins (Lecturer and Founder of Dancers of Jamaica), Kerrie Richards (Kingston Creative Entrepreneur Development Specialist) and Karen Hutchinson (CREATECH Programme Manager).
The participants in the 2022 Creative Hub Incubator are Tamika Nelson, Lilieth Case, Jordanne Alveranga, Jenelle Samuels, Lesli-Ann Belnavis-Elliott, Shavaun Reid, Alexandra Stultz, Jonathan Roberts, Kay Smith and Debra McKessey.
During the course of the program, the incubatees will receive mentorship, attend workshops designed to enrich business skills and gain membership at the Kingston Creative Hub (located at 107 Harbour Street in Downtown Kingston) which gives them access to a hot desk, meeting rooms, and a shared office.
They will also have the opportunity to apply for travel grants, pitch for startup funding and be paired with potential investors through JAMPRO supported B2B meetings. Finally, they have the chance to network with other creative entrepreneurs and grow with a community of like-minded individuals.
Kerrie Richards, Kingston Creative Entrepreneur Development Specialist commented, “What we will do over the next few months will be life changing. The creatives will be given the tools, training and environment that will create a solid structure for growth. It will be an exciting time and I look forward to supporting them.“
Christopher Brown, Project Manager, DBJ’s Boosting Innovation Growth and Entrepreneurship Ecosystems (BIGEE) stated, “The DBJ, through BIGEE, is delighted to partner with Kingston Creative in facilitating the growth and development of Jamaica’s Creatives. We are committed to unlocking the entrepreneurship side of our creatives to maximise the value and sustainability of their talent.”—
Kingston Creative is investing in “People and Place”; developing strong Jamaican creative entrepreneurs and building a vibrant Art District in Downtown Kingston.
