After an intense and inspiring competition, SLUDTERA Inc. are thrilled to announce the winners of the EWC St. Lucia National Finals! The competition was held via Zoom webinar on Monday August 12th, 2024 from 10 am AST.

Country Director Michelle N. Samuel, selected the theme for this year’s competition – “Building a Sustainable & Green Economy Through Innovation & Social Entrepreneurship“. Ten Entrepreneurs made it to the Top 10 to compete on the National stage, and after an hour of professional pitching, the judges’ scores revealed the following results. Public voting over a period of three weeks determined the special award of People’s Choice Champion.

“I am very pleased with the outcome of the competition,” said Michelle Samuel, EWC St. Lucia Country Director. “The goal this year was to shine a light on specific industries that are the backbone of all nations but are constantly overlooked. This competition brought into the light the amazing startups that are championing in those industries.” 

“Thank you to our partners and sponsors who made this possible; Kraf-T by Satra, Advanced Intellectual Methods Inc., Evolution Public Relations Management, Blu Media Marketing, MNS Consultancy, The Global Green Growth Institute Caribbean, The Caribbean Centre for Excellence & Sustainable Livelihoods, TechTronknights and T&D Marketing & Sales Management.”

Overall Winners:

2nd Runner-Up: Regal Farms
1st Runner-Up: Ecofood Training & Certification Agency
National Winner: Rifbid

Idea Stage:

3rd Place: Young Visionary Ventures
2nd Place: Fany Coco
1st Place Winner: Rifbid

Young Visionary Ventures from Castries, a startup on a mission to tackle the common issue of canteen congestion in schools across Saint Lucia. They’ve developed an innovative website where students can pre-order their meals online, reducing long wait times and streamlining the process.

Fany Coco from Castries, a startup dedicated to manufacturing high-quality products made from coconut. Their product line includes -- Coconut Oil for cooking, Body Creams and Oils, Soaps, Shampoos, and Conditioners, Compost made with coconut coir (fibers)

Rifbid bridges the gap between visionary suppliers and government agencies, offering a streamlined platform for discovering and bidding on government contracts. 

Early Stage:

3rd Place: A Touch of Good Hair
2nd Place: Regal Farms
1st Place Winner: EcoFood Training and Certification Agency

A Touch of Gould Haircare from Vieux Fort, a startup dedicated to giving clients the best hair care journey of their lives. Specializing in growing healthy, happy hair, solving hair and scalp issues, and providing top-notch hair care experiences, tips, and techniques.

Regal Farms from Gros Islet, a startup on a mission to mitigate and adapt to economic and environmental risks, Regal Farms is committed to feeding the nation’s families one chemical-free, healthy meal at a time.

EcoFood Training & Certification Agency from Micoud, a pioneering social enterprise dedicated to providing sustainable food solutions. Specializing in reducing food waste and promoting responsible practices within the food and hospitality industry, EcoFood offers comprehensive training programs, consultancy services, and certifications tailored to businesses embracing sustainability.

Other semi finalists included:

Tea Garden 758 from Castries, a small-scale, diversified farm specializing in growing herbs and mushrooms, with future plans to incorporate beekeeping. Co-owned by Paula Watson Popo and Horace Popo, our farm operates on the principles of sustainability and innovation.

Nassa’s Tasty Delights Seafood Emporium from Vieux Fort, a startup on a mission to deliver the highest quality seafood products. Their focus is on -- Innovating new ideas and recipes, providing a wide range of frozen and cooked fresh seafood, expanding our seafood patty offerings into frozen packages, and ensuring sustainability and promoting healthy protein seafood products for future generations

M&M Fish from Gros Islet, an innovative Agro-tourism establishment located on Calvary Road, Gros Islet, Saint Lucia. Owned by husband-and-wife team Heman and Mishowler Moses, M&M Fish offers customers a unique blend of fresh-caught seafood and serene sea tour experiences.

Songtry from Castries, an organization dedicated to giving youth a voice in the arts and culture, providing them with platforms to express themselves.

A big congratulations to all the winners and a heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated, supported, and attended the event. Your passion and dedication continue to drive innovation and entrepreneurship in St. Lucia. The award ceremony will be held at a later date, with all semifinalists, judges, special invited guests and VIP ticket holders.

Rifbid will advance to the “EWC 250” – the next round of the global competition against applicants from 200 countries. All founders advancing to the next round will participate in a Bootcamp which features virtual training and mentoring sessions targeted to their company’s current stage and growth trajectory. This is a key step to qualify for the EWC Global Finals.

If successful, Rifbid will advance to the top 100 finalists and compete globally, to pitch live for a share of USD 1 million in cash prizes. This will take place at the EWC Global Finals held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in Fall 2024. Global finalists also gain automatic entry into the GEN Starters Club, an invitation-only community of talented founders from around the world.  

Judges for the national competition were: 

• Hanna Fitz, International Brand Strategist, Author, The Cultured Life
• Dave Headley, Economic Development Professional, Invest Saint Lucia
• Arleta Rate-Mitchel, Senior Bank Manager, Bank of Saint Lucia Limited

Entrepreneurship World Cup in St. Lucia is organized by SLUDTERA Inc., a leading business development & social impact consulting firm based in St. Lucia. Promotional partner was Kraf-T by Satra, and Public Relations partner was Evolution Public Relations Management.