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- About
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- Speakers
- Agenda
- Day 1: Conference
- Opening Speaker
- 1st Panel: 9:00 a.m-9:40a.m | When Technology Meets Government
- International Keynote-9:50 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Mike Johns
- 2nd Panel: 11:00 a.m. – 11:40 a.m. | Mobile
- 3rd Panel: 11:50 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Tech meets Creative Industries
- 4th Panel: 12:40 p.m. – 1:20 p.m. |Funding ENTREPRENEURSHIP & Innovation
- PitchFest Competition
- Day 2-3: About Startup BootCamp
- Day 1: Conference
- Sponsors
- PitchFest
- Caribbean BETA 2011
REPORT: ConnectiMass + CIDA+InfoDev = Caribbean BETA 2012 Startup BootCamp (Jamaica)
Nov 19th
Without question, Jamaica and the Caribbean tech entrepreneurs are on their way to making their mark in their own nations, region and the world and tech conferences like Caribbean BETA and its Pitchfest competition is geared towards helping them become more successful. This year we added the Startup Bootcamp to the attendees sharpen their game after competing in the Pitchfest and for what we know is a busy 2013 season.
Sponsored by CIDA, InfoDev & JAMPRO – The Objectives were to help any aspiring and current entrepreneur with a tech-driven idea to move further, faster from where they currently are along their startup journey. Their ideas could be ones that leveraged the internet, mobile or social platforms for example- a website, web app, mobile service, mobile app and gaming. It was open to anyone, any Caribbean country, any age.
There were 35 attendees from 3 Caribbean Countries ( Jamaica, Trinidad, Bahamas).
More >
Caribbean BETA PitchFest 2012 1st Place winner is TRIVIAL Mobile Training App by Team Hybrid
Nov 17th
Trivial
Team
Wayne Jones
Ricardo McPherson
Michael Farquharson
2nd Place – Wapcreate
Team
Rushio Billings
Rojay Robinson
Keyvoy Reynolds
Nicholas Brown
Here is their presentation on SlideShare.
3rd Place – PikSum 3D
Team
Warren Robinson
Nicolas Brown
Alvin Fowler
Kevog Reynolds
Here is their presentation on slide share
The Competition LineUp
There were 18 teams who entered the Caribbean BETA PitchFest this year.
They are:
Team #1: PPS Jamaica
Team #2:ClajaCom
Team #3:Ingenuity Limited
Team #4: JustKat
Team #5: Byte Solutions
Team#6: New World Designs
Team #7: Point Global Marketing
Team #8: Exceed DX
Team #9: Niugna
Team #10: Ticketr
Team #11: Hybrid
Team #12: Ajure
Team #13: Unite
Team #14: Jam Commute
Team #15: PPS2
Team #16: Wapcreate
Team#17: Inventive Learner
Team#18: PortalOrbits
ConnectiMass, Keystone Augusta, Connectid, JAMPRO, C.I.D.A, InfoDev, Digicel Jamaica congratulates all who competed this year and to those who won. We expect great things from everyone of you. For those of you who missed it this year. Get ready for 2013. The best is yet to come!
We’re live blogging/live tweeting Caribbean BETA: Here are 3 ways to be a part of it all.
Nov 15th
We’re live blogging and live Tweeting Caribbean BETA: Here’s how to follow
1. Follow Caribbean BETA on Twitter @caribbeanbeta and follow and use our hashtag #cbeta2012. We’re live tweeting for the Caribbean and world. Photos and the essence. Check out the Agenda here so you don’t miss a think.
2. You can follow BahamaLive as they blog for the Caribbean as well. Follow their live feed here
3. Follow @Digicel_Jamaica as they will be live tweeting as well.
18 Teams now confirmed to compete in the Caribbean BETA PitchFest!
Nov 15th
At the close of our submission date and after vetting entries, we can now confirm that there are 18 teams now ready to pitch their Caribbean Tech Idea in this second annual Caribbean BETA Pitchfest. We are excited!
The Caribbean BETA PitchFest is where the smartest minds and most passionate people come to pitch their big ideas that can solve problems and create opportunities. They do it for connections, mentorship, development support and the braggable of having the Top Caribbean Tech Idea of 2012.
At the end of the contest we will select the top 3 winners.
The Pitchfest takes place at 2:30pm sharp on the day long agenda, this Friday November 16th, Blue Mountain Suite, Knutsford Court Hotel, Kingston Jamaica.
The Conference starts at 9:00 am sharp and ends at 5:30pm.
If you signed up online for prepaid tickets, please pay for them at the door and collect your arm band. If you missed the prepaid ticket prices, please bring your cash, company/organisation cheques with you. For the EZ Pass ( at the door) it is $1,500jmd, this ticket gives you entry & coffee break and for the Networker ( at the door)it’s $3,250jmd, this gives you entry, coffee break and lunch.
Caribbean BETA PitchFest is a testimony that the tech entrepreneurship is growing.
Last year winners of the Caribbean BETA PitchFest 2011 were
1. Dmitri Dawkins
2. TUMP
3. Socialite
Read here
Caribbean BETA 2012 Competing Teams are
Team #1: PPS Jamaica
Team #2:ClajaCom
Team #3:Ingenuity Limited
Team #4: JustKat
Team #5: Byte Solutions
Team#6: New World Designs
Team #7: Point Global Marketing
Team #8: Exceed DX
Team #9: Niugna
Team #10: Ticketr
Team #11: Hybrid
Team #12: Pack-A-Barrel
Team #13: Unite
Team #14: Jam Commute
Team #15: PPS2
Team #16: Wapcreate
team#17: Inventive Learner
Team#18: PortalOrbits
We’re looking forward to the battle of Caribbean Tech Ideaas
Want to launch a Successful Tech Business- We’ll show you how. Sign up for the Startup Bootcamp
Nov 13th
Are you an aspiring or current tech entrepreneur ? Do you have a great tech-driven business idea or existing prototype that uses the internet, mobile or social platforms? Do you want to know if the idea is viable, how to create a business model for it ?
How to select the best strategy for taking your product/service to market? How to reach your customers? How to become Investment ready and how to raise funding for your venture?
As Day 2 and 3 of Caribbean BETA this year, we’re staging a Startup Bootcamp comprised of 4 killer workshops in partnership with WOrld Bank’s InfoDev and Jampro and you don’t want to miss this!
Where: JAMPRO Training Room. 18 Trafalgar Road, Kingston 18, Jamaica, W.I
When: Saturday November 17th & Sunday November 18th, 2012
Times: Saturday: 10am-5pm | Sunday: 9 am-5pm
How much: $1,000 jmd | US$15 usd in total ( lunch and materials included)
Criteria: Passionate individuals with a tech-driven idea who want to be successful. Sign up
Presenters: Angelique Mannella, Janice Dacres-Jones and Toni Eliasz.
Objective | Meet, Listen, Work, Learn and set yourself up to launch your successful tech-driven business.
More >
JAMAICANS.COM – A Conversation with Mike Johns Founder and President of Digital Mind State
Nov 12th
Mike Johns
This week we interview Mike Johns, the Founder and President of Digital Mind State, the Los Angeles based company that bridged wireless technology and hip-hop culture. A true liaison between urban youth culture and the mobile industry, Johns has been successful at building and maintaining profitable business relationship with some of the biggest company names in mobile industry including T-Mobile, Zed, Fun Mobility, Nokia, Microsoft, amongst others. Motivated by leveling the playing field of the “Digital Divide,” he’s been dubbed “ambassador” of the urban/hip-hop lifestyle segment as well he’s achieved numerous “first” in the mobile entertainment space. He has provided digital marketing and consulting services to some of hip hop’s & reggae’s biggest names, including Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Beastie Boys, Souljah Boy, comedian Katt Williams, Dave Chappelle as well as Elephant Man & Beenie Man; is a pioneer in the field of mobile media. He is the Opening Keynote Presenter/Speaker at Caribbean Beta 2012 in Jamaica. He will be speaking on “Reggae Music 2.0: How will it succeed in the Digital Age of Music, Brand, Culture. at 9:50 am on Friday November 16th at the Knutsford Court Hotel. Here is our conversation with Mike Johns.
Q. What is your connection to Jamaica?
Jamaica is me, I am Jamaica. Mother & Father both Jamaican. I grew up sending most of my summers in the country, Jackson Town, Falmouth, Clarks Town, Ochie. Dad side is from Spanish Town/Kingston. Maroon at that!
Q. How did you get involved in the Entertainment industry and technology?
Entertainment was always a passion I started as a consumer of technology to a developer filling the needs of Hollywood’s entertainment industry when the mobile revolution just began.
Q. Describe your company Digital Mind State? How did you come up with the name?
Digital Mind State was created as result Hollywood and the world must think in a Digital State of Mind in everything we do. Literally everything is or will be going digital in the next five years from birth certificate to death certificate and everything in between! Having worked in the Telecom Industry aggregating and creating content with various celebs the need for establishing is one ‘digital real estate’ assets for celebs and brands came into fruition.
ConnectiMass and InfoDev hosts Jamaica Startup Bootcamp as part of Caribbean BETA
Nov 8th
In order to help Jamaican mobile startups leap from great prototypes to profitable companies, infoDev and Caribbean BETA will launch Jamaica Startup BootCamp—a two-month-long pitching challenge with virtual business coaching—on November 17-18, 2012.
The challenge will launch over a weekend-long event at the New Kingston Headquarters of Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) as part of the second annual Caribbean BETA—a premier conference for the tech entrepreneurship community in Kingston, Jamaica, and the region, staged by Connectimass, an organization driving tech entrepreneurship and innovation in the Caribbean.
To register for the Startup BootCamp launch weekend and for more information on the program, visit here.
The Startup BootCamp will bring intensive, interactive mentoring by industry experts to the region’s mobile app innovators, aspiring and new entrepreneurs, and tech enthusiasts.
More >
What’s the real message behind this Caribbean BETA -Tech Entrepreneurship Conference?
Nov 7th
The real message behind why we do Caribbean BETA is that we want more people to come to know, understand and take action because of these two things things:
- that because we are now all living in the Digital Age, the playing field has become more level, the opportunities are greater and there are now many, many more routes to creating and finding jobs, owning a business and achieving personal success.
-that, while building a reciprocal and meaningful network of business relationships will always be essential, having access to utilities of the internet and mobile phone and their ability to connect you to people, ideas and opportunity – means you are now more in charge of what you know, who you know and how far you go- than ever before. So being connected online, is not just about entertainment anymore…but also about education and entrepreneurship.
So Caribbean BETA, is yes the annual tech entrepreneurship conference and Pitchfest competition, but it’s also the hub – that meeting place for people who aspire to meet with the others who are already building and doing things; to meet with people who are eager to share what they know and who they know, with others who are motivated and want that help.
Caribbean BETA is about connecting you to the people, ideas and technologies, that are shaping the way we live and do business in the Caribbean and with the world!
Our reason for Caribbean BETA and everything ConnectiMass the mothership organisation does, is to help aspiring and current tech entrepreneurs become more successful. Period. We want to see more Caribbean Tech Success stories and Tech Startups.
Join us on Friday November 16th, Knutsford Court Hotel, Kingston, Jamaica. 9am-6pm.
Ingrid Riley, Founder of ConnectiMass, Host of Caribbean BETA
Who is a Tech Entrepreneur? Alex Morrissey is.
Nov 6th
A tech entrepreneur is a woman or man who applies their ideas using technology. Over the years the technologies being used have primarily been the Internet and the mobile phone/device. So if you surf online or use a mobile phone chances are you are using a product or service – such as an app, a website, a game, a social network that was created by a tech entrepreneur. Inspired?! You can be one too. #CBeta2012. Nov 16th. Knutsford Court Hotel. Kingston, Jamaica.
We have 10 confirmed contestants for Caribbean BETA Pitchfest. Entered as yet?
Nov 4th
We have 10 confirmed contestants for Caribbean BETA Pitchfest 2012. Have you entered as yet? The deadline for entering is Friday November 9th, 2012. Enter here . Last year we had 17 finalists, a top 5 and then 3 winners. Where will you be? Who were last year’s winners? Check them out here.
Are you an aspiring or current tech entrepreneur ? Do you have a great tech-driven business idea or existing prototype that uses the internet, mobile or social platforms ? Want to win cash, connections, development support and bragging rights from angel/venture investors, founders of tech accelerators and tech incubators?
Enter Caribbean BETA’s 2012 BETA PitchFest Contest. The Caribbean BETA PitchFest is where the smartest minds and most passionate people come to pitch their big ideas that can solve problems and create opportunities. They do it for cash, connections and the braggable of having the Top Caribbean Tech Idea for 2012.
Caribbean BETA Startup Bootcamp.
ConnectiMass which stages Caribbean BETA in association with InfoDev will be staging a 2 day Startup Bootcamp on Saturday November 17th and Sunday November 18th at JAMPRO Training Room in Kingston, Jamaica. You don’t want to miss this. It’s an entire Bootcamp, mentoring, competition and prizes process you will want to be apart of. It’s only $1,000jmd in total includes refreshments. Get more details here
