MIAMI — Jan. 14, 2015 — The Cuba Entrepreneurial Exchange Program, an initiative that connects private entrepreneurs in Cuba and Miami to share knowledge and build networks, is back for its second year. Organized and led by the Cuba Study Group, a nonprofit comprised of business and professional leaders of Cuban descent, the program is supported by $58,500 from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
The program pairs Cuban entrepreneurs with their counterparts in Miami to encourage collaboration and develop skills through internships, conferences and exchanges. It aims to reduce barriers between Cuban and locally based entrepreneurs and educate Miami entrepreneurs about the realities of private entrepreneurship in Cuba, highlighting both challenges and opportunities. The initiative will include two entrepreneurial exchanges, bringing up to ten Cuban innovators to Miami in 2015. Programming includes:
· A makers exchange (Spring): Cuba-based entrepreneurs who are producing and selling physical products with success in Cuba will work with Miami-based makers to exchange ideas and help discover solutions to some of the challenges faced by Cuban entrepreneurs. The group will present results at a public event in Miami.
· A culinary exchange (Summer): Up to five of Cuba’s most successful private culinary entrepreneurs will team up with prominent Miami chefs to cook multi-course meals at select restaurants. Participants will also meet with journalists, academics and members of the local Cuban community to discuss the challenges and opportunities faced by Cuba’s emerging independent entrepreneurs.
“We are helping connect Cuba’s nascent entrepreneurs with their counterparts in Miami, one of the most vibrant entrepreneurial communities in the country,” said Tomas Bilbao, Executive Director of the Cuba Study Group. “These exchanges will highlight the successes and challenges faced by entrepreneurs in Cuba and the benefits of greater contact with U.S. civil society,” added Bilbao.
“Miami’s success as a global innovation hub depends on sharing knowledge, establishing new relationships and building bridges with entrepreneurs from all over the world,” said Matt Haggman, Knight Foundation program director for Miami. “These initiatives will work to position our city as a shining example of how to build a successful entrepreneurial ecosystem, while allowing us to learn from the experiences of those who face challenges different from ours.”
A series of economic reforms in Cuba over the past few years has resulted in the growth of Cuba’s small entrepreneurial market to over half a million entrepreneurs. These individuals face a number of challenges in addition to those typically encountered by U.S.-based startups. The Cuba Entrepreneurial Exchange seeks to help these entrepreneurs develop new skills and build useful relationships while sharing their unique skills and experiences.
In August 2014, the Cuba Study Group hosted its first Entrepreneurial Exchange, which brought five female Cuban entrepreneurs to Miami. The weeklong exchange placed the women in relevant local businesses, leading to the development of new skills and relationships. In addition, the entrepreneurs met with representatives from a series of local nonprofit organizations, including Venture Hive, Endeavor and Ashoka. They also participated in public events at the annual conference of the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy and the Idea Center at Miami Dade College.
Support for the Cuba Study Group forms one part of Knight Foundation’s efforts to invest in Miami’s emerging innovators and entrepreneurs as a tool to build community, while fostering talent and expanding opportunity. Over the past two years Knight has made more than 90 investments in entrepreneurship in South Florida.
For more information on the Cuba Entrepreneurial Exchange visit www.CubaEntrepreneurialExhange.org.
About the Cuba Study Group
The Exchange is an initiative of the Cuba Study Group (CSG), a not-for-profit organization made up of business and professional individuals with a deeply rooted love for Cuba and the Cuban people. The Group aims to put its member’s collective experience in leadership skills, problem solving and wealth creation at the service of the Cuban people to facilitate change, help empower individuals and promote civil society development. For more information, please visit CubaStudyGroup.org.
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more information, please visit KnightFoundation.org.
CONTACTS:
Tomas Bilbao, Executive Director, Cuba Study Group, 202-714-1153, [email protected]
Anusha Alikhan, Director of Communications, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, 305-908-2677, [email protected]