Branson Entrepreneurs
Selected for the Young Leaders
of the Americas Initiative
By Leandra Grant
On April 9th, 2015, President Barack
Obama stood before an adoring crowd in
the Assembly Hall of the University of the
West Indies’ Mona Campus in Kingston.
There were cheers and applause, and the
anticipation was palpable. This wasn’t just
a presidential visit—this was the beginning
of something that would surely change
lives.
Help us congratulate
this group of inspiring
Branson Centre Official
Entrepreneurs!
That day, President Obama announced
the launch of the Young Leaders of
the Americas Initiative (YLAI) in the
Caribbean, Latin America and the United
States. Similar programmes are already
underway in Africa and Southeast Asia,
but for this region—where 58% of the
population is under the age of 35—this
is an opportunity for young people to
harness their potential and channel it to
greatness.
Four of the eight Jamaicans selected to
participate in YLAI are Branson Centre
Official Entrepreneurs, a momentous
achievement for the Branson Centre of
Entrepreneurship-Caribbean (BCoEC).
These entrepreneurs will now take the
skills and knowledge they honed and
developed during the BCoEC training, and
liaise with other participants from across
hemispheres in a five-week programme
meant to foster leadership, innovation and
entrepreneurial skills.
20
Patria-Kaye Aarons
Patria is the founder and CEO of Sweetie, a
confectionary company that distributes candy in
uniquely Jamaican flavours such as mango, guava
and jackfruit.
“This year has been riddled with challenges,
particularly in trying to penetrate export markets.
These are lessons I think best learned in America,
so I step into this journey with an open mind. Plus,
there’s the prospect of meeting President Obama!”