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05/142018

Roadshow to Miami- May 16, 2018

News

Haiti Tech Summit Team Heads to Miami!

It with great pleasure that we invite you to join 100 other stakeholders at Haiti Tech Summit’s 1st Miami Ecosystem Meeting.

This annual gathering will occur every year until 2030 to highlight Haiti and Latin America’s forward thinking influencers, policy makers and executives supporting business, tech and innovation within their ecosystem. Below we highlight the meeting detail.

May 16, 2018 Agenda Details

6:00 Registration & Photos
6:30 Opening Remarks by Christine Souffrant Ntim (Haiti Tech Summit Founder)
6:45 2017 Impact Report & Review + 13 year Timeline Presentation
7:00 Keynote Remarks TBA
7:15 Announcements: Headline Speaker Jack Dorsey- Founder of Twitter heads to Haiti alongside 100 Global Speakers
7:30 Networking & Group Photos (for post event media distribution)
9:00 Event close

Please confirm your participation by Wednesday at 12pm to be published on the website and media channels. The confirmation RSVP form is here. We look forward to seeing you!

Meeting Details:

May 16, 2018 @ @ 6pm-9pm Ecosystem Meeting. Location @ Cambridge Innovation Center- 1951 NW 7th Avenue, Suite 600, Miami, FL 33136 (Media & Invite List Only) Eventbrite wait list here.

Haiti Tech Summit, founded by Forbes 30 Under 30 Entrepreneur, Mother and Wife, Christine Souffrant Ntim, is a 13- year initiative of the Global Startup Ecosystem (GSE) which brings together hundreds of entrepreneurs, investors, digital marketers and creatives together in to Haiti to accelerate tech, innovation and economic development within the country.

In 2017, the first black republic hosted 100 global speakers from around the world. Companies represented included Silicon Valley giants such as Google, Facebook, Uber, Airbnb, Facebook, Headline speakers included the President of Haiti, His Excellency Jovenel Moise, Venture Capitalist investor of Airbnb and Facebook Ben Horowitz, and celebrity influencers such as Vicky Jeudy, Netflix Orange is the New Black, Michael Brun and J Perry.The summit will return on June 21-23, 2018 at Royal Decameron and will once again partner with media representatives from Forbes, Inc Magazine, Fast Company, Black Enterprise, and 40+ media outlets.

The summit organizers announced headline speaker Jack Dorsey at the 2018 Annual Haiti Tech Summit Ecosystem Meeting with the country’s top government officials, private sector executives, media influencers and summit sponsors.

Jack Dorsey co-founded Twitter, Inc. in 2006 and returned as Chief Executive Officer in September 2015. Jack also co-founded Square, where he serves as CEO and Chairman. Jack also serves on the Board of The Walt Disney Company. Jack Dorsey will be speaking at the summit to discuss his experiences launching and scaling two globally recognized tech startups that both aim to “simplify complexity’- Twitter via communication and Square via financial inclusion.

04/302018

Jack Dorsey- Founder of Twitter & Square To Speak At 2018 Haiti Tech Summit

News, Press Releases

Jack Dorsey- Founder of Twitter & Square To Speak At 2018 Haiti Tech Summit

[Port- au – Prince- April 30, 2018] Haiti Tech Summit, founded by Forbes 30 Under 30 Entrepreneur, Christine Souffrant Ntim, is a 13- year initiative of the Global Startup Ecosystem (GSE) which brings together hundreds of entrepreneurs, investors, digital marketers and creatives together in to Haiti to accelerate tech, innovation and economic development within the country. The summit organizers announced headline speaker Jack Dorsey at the 2018 Annual Haiti Tech Summit Ecosystem Meeting with the country’s top government officials, private sector executives, media influencers and summit sponsors.

Jack Dorsey will be speaking at the summit to discuss his experiences launching and scaling two globally recognized tech startups that both aim to “simplify complexity’- Twitter via communication and Square via financial inclusion. The summit will welcome hundreds of local and international entrepreneurs who will be hearing Jack Dorsey’s insights on leadership, entrepreneurship and business.

In 2017, Haiti hosted 100 global speakers from around the world. Companies represented included Silicon Valley giants such as Google, Facebook, Uber, Airbnb, Facebook, Headline speakers included the President of Haiti, His Excellency Jovenel Moise, Venture Capitalist investor of Airbnb and Facebook Ben Horowitz, and celebrity influencers such as Vicky Jeudy, Netflix Orange is the New Black, Michael Brun and J Perry. The summit will return on June 21-23, 2018 at Royal Decameron and will once again partner with media representatives from Forbes, Inc Magazine, Fast Company, Black Enterprise, and 40+ media outlets.

Tickets are live via www.HaitiTechSummit.com. For sponsors and partner inquiries please email interest to info@haititechsummit.com.

Download Impact Report

About Twitter: Twitter is an online news and social networking service on which users post and interact with messages known as “tweets”.

About Square: Square, Inc. is a financial services, merchant services aggregator, and mobile payment company based in San Francisco, California.

About Haiti Tech Summit: Haiti Tech Summit brings together thousands of entrepreneurs, investors, digital marketers and creatives under one roof together to address humanity’s greatest challenges via entrepreneurship. It is a part of a 13-year initiative of GSE, which aims to bring centralize top local and global influencers in Haiti on an annual basis to accelerate industry development and ecosystem scaling in Haiti.

About Global Startup Ecosystem: Global Startup Ecosystem (GSE): is a central hub designed to educate, inspire and prepare tech communities for the digital age. GSE summits are annual conferences held around the world to connect, inform, and inspire stakeholders within an ecosystem to leverage technology that ensures impact. Summits are a major focal point for bringing together government officials, business leaders, startup innovators, celebrities and key influencers in one place.

04/292018

Haiti Tech Summit Announces 2017 Impact Report At Pre Summit Meeting W/ Haiti’s Top 100 Influencers

News, Press Releases

Haiti Tech Summit Announces 2017 Impact Report At Pre Summit Meeting W/ Haiti’s Top 100 Influencers

[Port- au – Prince- April 24, 2018] Haiti Tech Summit, founded by Forbes 30 Under 30 Entrepreneur, Mother and Wife, Christine Souffrant Ntim, is a 13- year initiative of the Global Startup Ecosystem (GSE) which brings together hundreds of entrepreneurs, investors, digital marketers and creatives together in to Haiti to accelerate tech, innovation and economic development within the country. The summit organizers will host an invite only annual gathering on April 26, 2018 to share the 2017 Haiti Tech Summit impact results with the country’s top government officials, private sector executives, media influencers and summit sponsors.

In 2017, the first black republic hosted 100 global speakers from around the world. Companies represented included Silicon Valley giants such as Google, Facebook, Uber, Airbnb, Facebook, Headline speakers included the President of Haiti, His Excellency Jovenel Moise, Venture Capitalist investor of Airbnb and Facebook Ben Horowitz, and celebrity influencers such as Vicky Jeudy, Netflix Orange is the New Black, Michael Brun and J Perry. The summit will return on June 21-23, 2018 at Royal Decameron and will once again partner with media representatives from Forbes, Inc Magazine, Fast Company, Black Enterprise, and 40+ media outlets.

Download Impact Report

The invite list will consist of 2017 sponsors, speakers and associates as well as 2018 partners. The summit team will also leverage the gathering to accomplish the following:

Thank major local 2017 partners such as the Office of the Presidency and Ministry of Tourism; 2017 sponsors such as Royal Decameron, Centre for Facilitation of Investments (CFI), Conatel, Central Bank, French Chamber of Commerce, Fotokonbit, and 2017 local media partners Chokarella, Trace Media, Loop Haiti, Le Nouvelliste, Ayibo Post, Metropol, Radio Caribe, etc and 2017 vendors such as Haiti Print and Sign (HPS) and Konfetti decor.
Announce the first set of 2018 headline sponsors such as the US State Department and the role of the Office of the Presidency who will be launching the country’s first national incubator for entrepreneurs this year.
Provide the insights from the 2017 Haiti Tech Summit Impact report which covers the local and global impact made by the inaugural launch of the summit for Haiti’s business-tech ecosystem.
Twitter). Announce the first set of 2018 headline speakers, celebrities and government officials such as Jack Dorsey (Founder of Twitter)

Hosting the event in Haiti not only aims to revitalize economic activity in the country but to also provide a new narrative for Haiti and emerging markets. “Haiti is not open for business. Haiti is open for disruption” Christine Ntim (Founder).

Tickets are now live via www.HaitiTechSummit.com. For sponsors interested in being invited to the event or included in the next press announcement, please email interest toinfo@haititechsummit.com.

Haiti Tech Summit Annonce Le 2017 Rapport D’Impact Durant le Pre-Summit En Compagnie Du Top 100 Des Influenceurs d’Haïti.

[Port- au – Prince- April 20, 2018] Le Haïti Tech Summit fondé par Christine Souffrant Ntim, une entrepreneur nommée dans la liste des Forbes 30 Under 30, épouse et mère d’une petite fille, est une initiative de 13 ans du Global Startup Ecosytem (GSE) qui a pour but de rassembler de nombreux entrepreneurs, investisseurs, distributeurs digitals et créateurs en Haïti afin d’accélérer la technologie, l’innovation et le développement économique du pays. Les organisateurs du sommet tiendront un événement accessible seulement sur invitation le 26 Avril 2018 afin de partager l’impact et les résultats du Haïti Tech Summit 2017 avec les membres officielles du gouvernement, les cadres du secteur privé, les responsables médiatiques et les sponsors du sommet.

En 2017, la première république noire a accueilli 100 internationales intervenants qui provenaient du monde entier. Les entreprises représentées comprenaient des géants de Silicon Valley comme Google, Facebook, Uber et Airbnb, les intervenants de calibre inclurent le President d’Haiti Son Excellence Jovenel Moise, l’investisseur de Airbnb et Facebook Ben Horowitz, et des célébrités influentes comme Vicky Jeudy, star de Orange Is The New Black, Michael Brun et J Perry. Le sommet retournera entre le 21 Juin et le 23 Juin 2018 au Royal Decameron et s’associera encore une fois avec les représentants médiatiques venant de Forbes, Inc Magazine, Fast Company, Black Entreprise et plein d’autres.

La liste d’invités sera constituée des sponsors du sommet en 2017, des intervenants, des associés et aussi des partenaires des initiatives de 2018.

L’equipe du sommet utilisera aussi ce moment afin d’accomplir les objectifs suivants:

Remercier les majeurs partenaires locaux comme le cabinet du Président et du Ministère du Tourism; les sponsors de 2017 comme Royal Decameron, Centre for Facilitation of Investments (CFI), Conatel, Central Bank, French Chamber of Commerce, Fotokonbit; les partenaires médiatiques 2017 tels que Chokarella, Trace Media, Loop Haiti, Le Nouvelliste, Ayibo Post, Metropol, Radio Caribe, etc; et les marchands associés 2017 comme Haïti Print and Sign (HPS) etKonfetti decor.
Annoncer la première série de sponsors tels que le Département d’Etat des Etats Unis d’Amérique et discuter le rôle du cabinet du Président dans le lancement en Haïti du premier incubateur national pour entrepreneurs cette année.
Fournir des informations provenant du rapport du 2017 Haiti Tech Summit qui couvrent l’impact local et international fait par l’inaugural lancement du sommet pour les industries de business et technologie en Haïti.
Annoncer la première série en 2018 de gros titre intervenants, célébrités, et membres officiels du gouvernement tel que Jack Dorsey (Fondateur de Twitter).

La tenue de l’événement en Haïti non seulement a pour but de revitaliser l’activité économique du pays, mais aussi fournir un nouveau récit d’Haïti et des marchés émergents. “Haïti n’est pas ouvert pour du business. Haiti est ouvert à la perturbation et l’innovation” Christine Ntim (Fondateur). Les tickets sont maintenant accessibles sur www.HaitiTechSummit.com. Pour les sponsors intéressés par une invitation à l’événement ou par une inclusion dans le prochain communique de presse, envoyez nous un email à info@haititechsummit.com.

Contact:

Haiti Tech Summit,

(E) info@haititechsummit.com

(W) www.haititechsummit.com

A Propos D’Haiti Tech Summit: Le Haiti Tech Summit rassemble de nombreux entrepreneurs, investisseurs, distributeurs digitals et créateurs sous un toit afin d’adresser les plus importants défis de l’humanité à travers l’entrepreneuriat. Cela fait partie d’une initiative de 13 ans de GSE, qui a pour but d’unir les locaux et internationaux influenceurs en Haïti chaque année de sorte à accélérer l’industrie de développement en Haïti.

A Propos Du Global Startup Ecosystem: Global Startup Ecosystem (GSE) est un centre conçu afin d’éduquer, inspirer et préparer les communautés technologiques à l’âge digital. Les sommets organisés par GSE sont des conférences annuelles tenues dans le monde entier de sorte à connecter, informer et inspirer les différents partis dans un écosystème afin d’utiliser la technologie pour provoquer un impact. Les sommets sont des initiatives clés afin de rassembler des membres officiels du gouvernement, des chefs d’entreprise, des innovateurs et des célébrités au même endroit.

04/052018

Call for Applications: Haiti Tech Summit’s Startup Lab Brings Top Experts from Twitter, Google, Linkedin, Amazon, Uber and More To Mentor Startups at the Event.

Press Releases

[San Francisco, USA- March 15, 2018] Haiti Tech Summit, a 13-year initiative of GSE, which brings together hundreds of entrepreneurs, investors, digital marketers and creatives to Haiti to accelerate tech, innovation and economic development within the country, have just opened applications for the event’s first Startup Lab – a 1:1 mentorship opportunity with global experts.

Building on the first annual Pitch Competition of the 2017 Haiti Tech Summit, which engaged entrepreneurs from across the Caribbean for a chance to win a top prize of full coverage to Singularity University’s GSP program at NASA Ames in Silicon Valley, the event is expanding its scope to support the growth of entrepreneurs during the Summit itself. The first annual Startup Lab will feature a comprehensive 2-hour speed mentorship session that allows entrepreneurs to leverage the wisdom in the room and build relationships that will continue beyond the Summit.

Spearheaded by the Summit’s Executive Director, Naisha Silva, in partnership with their Head of Experience & Branding, Shaina Silva, the Startup Lab will feature an intensive 2-hour speed mentorship session with global experts hailing from Twitter, Google, Linkedin, Amazon, Uber, Slack, mPesa, and more. Topics of mentorship include, but are not limited to, go-to-market strategy, exponential technology, hiring and performance management, product management, UX design and finance/VC fundraising.

Entrepreneurs from across the 10 departments in Haiti are invited to apply by April 29th. Only a select few entrepreneurs will be selected, and the selection criteria is as follows: startup based in 1 of the 10 departments in Haiti, less than 5 years old, have a valid MVP and proven traction. Selected Startups will be announced prior to the Haiti Tech Summit and featured across Haiti Tech Summit media communication channels during and after the event. Of those selected for the Startup Lab, a select group will be invited to participate in this year’s Pitch Competition for a chance at the Grand Prize.

Haiti Tech Summit will return for its 2nd year on June 21-23, 2018 at Royal Decameron with 100 global speakers and top partners from around the world. Tickets can be purchased online and inquiries for partnership can be directed to the managing team at info@haititechsummit.com.

Contact:

Haiti Tech Summit,

(E) press@haititechsummit.com

(W) www.haititechsummit.com

03/202018

HAITI TECH SUMMIT PARTNERS WITH BLACK ENTERPRISE MAGAZINE

Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Haiti Tech Summit Partners with Black Enterprise Magazine

[New York, USA- March 20, 2018] Haiti is to host 100 global speakers and become the largest tech event in the Caribbean on June 21-23, 2018. The summit closed a media partnership with Black Enterprise Magazine to reach a global audience of African Americans and influencers of the African Diaspora who are pioneers, entrepreneurs and innovators in their respective fields. Tickets to attend the summit are now live via www.haititechsummit.com.

About Haiti Tech Summit: Haiti Tech Summit brings together hundreds of entrepreneurs, investors, digital marketers and creatives under one roof together to address humanity’s grandest challenges via technology and entrepreneurship. It is a part of a 13-year initiative of the Global Startup Ecosystem-the first and largest digital accelerator that accelerates 1000 companies to market annually across 190+ countries entirely online.

About Global Startup Ecosystem: Global Startup Ecosystem (GSE): is a central hub designed to educate, inspire and prepare startup communities for the digital age. GSE primarily provides online digital accelerator programs for startup ecosystems in different geographic regions, industry verticals, and impactful topic areas. Regions of focus are: Africa,Asia,America,Caribbean, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East .

About Black Enterprise: Founded in 1970, BLACK ENTERPRISE is the ultimate source to build Wealth for Life and is the premier business, investing, and wealth-building resource for African Americans. BE provides essential business information and advice to professionals, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and decision makers.

Contact:

Haiti Tech Summit Team

(E) info@HaitiTechSummit.com

(W) www.HaitiTechSummit.com

(F) www.facebook.com/Ghanatechsummit/

(T) www.twitter.com/haititsummit

03/152018

HAITI TECH SUMMIT PARTNERS WITH FAST COMPANY AND INC MAGAZINE

Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Haiti Tech Summit Partners with Fast Company and Inc Magazine

[New York, USA- March 15, 2018] Haiti is to host 100 global speakers and become the largest tech event in the Caribbean on June 21-23, 2018. The summit closed a media partnership with Fast Company and Inc Magazine- two global media platforms to reach a global network of pioneers, entrepreneurs and innovators. The partnership was powered by Mansueto Ventures. Tickets to attend the summit are now live via www.haititechsummit.com.

About Inc Magazine: Inc. is an American weekly magazine which publishes about small businesses and startups. The magazine publishes annual lists of the 500 and 5000 fastest-growing privately held small companies in the U.S., called the “Inc. 500” and “Inc. 5000”. It was founded in 1979 and is based in New York City.

About Fast Company: Fast Company is a monthly American business magazine published in print and online that focuses on technology, business, and design. It publishes 10 print issues per year. Fast Company is owned by Mansueto Ventures and is headquartered in New York, New York.

About Mansueto Ventures: Owner of Inc and Fast Company.

Contact:

Haiti Tech Summit Team

(E) info@HaitiTechSummit.com

(W) www.HaitiTechSummit.com

(F) www.facebook.com/Ghanatechsummit/

(T) www.twitter.com/haititsummit

09/292017

L’Equipe d’Haiti Tech Summit Evolue Afin de Renforcer l’écosystème « Startup » en Croissance en Haiti

News

New York City. 29 September 2017

Après le succès du premier sommet annuel « Haiti Tech Summit » qui a eu lieu en juin 2017, le comité du sommet planifie déjà la deuxième édition du plus grand rassemblement d’entrepreneurs, d’innovateurs et de personnes influentes dans la Caraïbe qui se tiendra du 21 au 23 juin 2018 au Royal Decameron Resort.

Ce prochain Sommet offrira une plus grande variété d’ateliers, de tables rondes et de partages d’expériences. Ce qui inclut un « Laboratoire d’Entrepreneuriat », les points forts des “Femmes d’influence” mondiales, des idées approfondies sur les technologies de pointe telles que l’intelligence artificielle, la réalité virtuelle et d’importantes discussions sur les tendances futures de diverses industries telles que l’agriculture, les transports et les soins de santé.

L’équipe dynamique derrière cet événement très attendu a modifié son organisation afin de mieux embrasser les principaux aspects de l’expérience du Sommet. L’un des principaux changements dans l’équipe est Christine Souffrant Ntim, fondatrice du Sommet, qui nomme Naisha Silva en tant que directrice générale de l’événement.

Actuellement, Naisha occupe le poste de gestionnaire de projet à Google et supervise les initiatives qui stimulent les pratiques novatrices d’embauche de Google. « Je suis reconnaissant de travailler avec une équipe aussi talentueuse et passionnée et je suis ravie de montrer au monde ce que nous avons en réserve pour 2018 », explique Silva.

La direction de l’équipe comprend également:

Einstein Ntim : Chef des Finances
Mildred Louis : Chef des Medias et Communications
Shaina Silva : Chef de la Marque et de l’Expérience
Marc Alain Boucicault : Responsable des Partenariats Locaux
Christian Roy Fombrun : Responsable des Partenariats Internationaux
Daphnée Charles : Responsable de l’Engagement
Vanessa Cerf: Responsable de Social Media

En outre, l’équipe a dévoilé un nouveau logo pour le sommet qui symbolise le progrès constant que cet événement espère inspirer en Haiti et dans la région des Caraïbes.

En plus de construire un pont entre la communauté internationale et les entrepreneurs haïtiens, le Sommet a également ouvert la voie au lancement d’un écosystème d’initiatives telles que le Facebook «Developers Circle » – un réseau de communautés locales créé par les développeurs et pour les développeurs avec le soutien de Facebook.

Pour commémorer le lancement du Facebook Developers Circle de Port-au-Prince, l’équipe d’Haiti Tech Summit rendra public des billets Early Bird / anticipés pour l’événement de l’année prochaine le 29 septembre 2017.
Les billets Early Bird seront disponibles jusqu’au 12 janvier 2018, date de l’anniversaire du tremblement de terre de 2010 en Haiti. Ensuite, les billets seront vendus au prix régulier.

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Pour les billets, visitez le site www.haititechsummit.com. Suivez l’équipe sur Facebook, Instragram et Twitter pour des mises à jour régulières.

Contact:
Mildred Louis
Haiti Tech Summit, Responsable des Medias et des Communications press@haititechsummit.com

09/292017

The Haiti Tech Summit Team Evolves to Impact Haiti’s Growing Startup Ecosystem

News

New York City. September 29th – Building on the success of the first annual Haiti Tech Summit that took place in June 2017, the Summit’s steering committee is already planning the second edition of the largest gathering of entrepreneurs, innovators, and influencers in the Caribbean set to take place June 21-23, 2018 at The Royal Decameron Resort. This next Summit will offer a greater variety of workshops, roundtables and experiences that include an “Entrepreneurship Lab”, highlights from global “Women of Influence”, deep insights on frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality, and impactful discussions on future trends across industries such as agriculture, transport and healthcare.

The dynamic team behind this highly anticipated event has evolved its organization to lead key aspects of the Summit experience. One of the major shifts for the team has been Christine Souffrant Ntim, founder of the Summit, appointing Naisha Silva as the Executive Director of the event. Currently a Project Manager at Google, Naisha oversees initiatives that drive Google’s innovative hiring practices. “I’m humbled to be working alongside such a talented and passionate team, and am excited to show the world what we have in store for 2018,” says Silva.

Leadership on the team also includes:

Einstein Ntim: Head of Finance
Mildred Louis: Head of Media & Communications
Shaina Silva: Head of Branding & Experience
Marc Alain Boucicault: Head of Local Partnerships & Tours
Christian Roy Fombrun: Head of International Partnerships
Daphnee Charles: Head of Community Engagement
Vanessa Cerf: Social Media Lead
Davidson Toussaint: Multimedia Strategist

Furthermore, the team has unveiled a new Summit logo which symbolizes the forward progressive movement that this event hopes to inspire in Haiti and the Caribbean region.
In addition to building the bridge between the international comunity and Haitian entrepreneurs, the Summit has also paved the way for the launch of ecosystem building with three key initiatives such as Haiti’s first National Digital Accelerator — set to launch December 2017 powered by the Global Startup Ecosystem, Startup Grind Port-au-Prince — monthly fireside chats with Haiti’s leading entrepreneurs and influencers, and Facebook Developers Circle Port-au-Prince — a network of local communities created by developers and for developers with support from Facebook.

In commemoration of the launch of Facebook’s Port-au-Prince Developers Circle, the Haiti Tech Summit team will release Early Bird Tickets for next year’s event on September 29th, 2017. The Early Bird tickets will be available through January 12th, the anniversary of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, after which access to the event will be available at regular price.

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For tickets, visit www.haititechsummit.com. Follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for regular updates.

Contact:
Mildred Louis
Haiti Tech Summit, Head of Media & Communications
(T) 1-917-226-5400
(E) press@haititechsummit.com (W) www.haititechsummit.com

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06/142017

Haiti Tech Summit 2017 Full Event Recap

News, Press Releases

On June 6th & 7th, 2017, with a backdrop of the Caribbean sun rising over a white-sandy beach, the Global Startup Ecosystems (GSE) team, founded by Christine Souffrant Ntim, hosted the first annual Haiti Tech Summit in partnership with the Minister of Tourism, at the all-inclusive Royal Decameron Beach Resort in Haiti. Yes, Haiti.

After touring the world attending global conferences spanning Dubai, Russia, Nigeria and San Francisco, Souffrant-Ntim, a Haitian-American, noticed that ecosystems across industries were developing and drawing investments as a result of these events and gatherings. “If these conferences are serving as a catalyst for development and innovation in these communities,” she thought to herself, “why not do this in Haiti?”. With that came the vision to launch the Haiti Tech Summit with a 13-year commitment to gather the world’s most influential investors, entrepreneurs and industry leaders in Haiti – a country often characterized by economic poverty and political instability. The 10-member Haiti Tech Summit team, composed of both local and diaspora Haitians, were driven by the mission to rebrand Haiti and shift the narrative towards its potential to serve as a hub for innovation in the Caribbean.

The team humbly expected an audience of 200 local and international attendees, and instead ended up hosting over 500 entrepreneurs, influencers and speakers all gathered to discuss how technology and innovation could accelerate sectors such as education, government, health, sports, media, culture, agriculture and tourism in Haiti.

On Day 1, the Summit kicked-off with an inspiring and powerful keynote from Ben Horowitz, (Partner and Co-Founder of renown VC firm Andreessen Horowitz,) entitled “To Create Culture, Start a Revolution.” In his keynote, Horowitz, a fan of Haitian liberator, Toussaint L’Overture, paid homage and called for Haitians to change their mindset in order to fuel collaboration and ultimately change the country’s narrative. After a standing ovation, attendees then listened to keynotes and panels from 100+ influencers and speakers from over 18 countries, representing top companies such as Google, Facebook, Airbnb, Linkedin, Uber, Mastercard, Paypal, Github, Singularity, Draper University, Access Haiti, Center for Financial Investments, Hertz and many more.

The end of Day 1 was concluded by Haiti’s President, Jovenel Moise, who addressed the crowd in a moving speech calling for unity and innovation, as well as his administration’s commitment to supporting the Haiti Tech Summit team in helping to advance the nation. Other notable guests over the 2-day Summit included Roy Glasberg from Google’s Launchpad Accelerator, Matt Terrell from Facebook’s Developers Circle, and Vicky Jeudy from Netflix’s Original Series “Orange is the New Black”. Over 40 media outlets attended including representatives from Tech Crunch, NY Times, Essence, Ebony, Black Enterprise, Inc., Forbes, Huffington Post, LoopHaiti, L’Union Suite, Chokarella, Trace Media, Le Nouvelliste and more.

In reflecting on the impact of the Summit, one of the most noteworthy accomplishments was putting Haiti back on the map as one of the most dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystems in the world. This Summit not only helped to galvanize local entrepreneurs, small businesses and government entities but, most importantly, connected them to the international community. One momentus outcome in particular was a young Haitian artificial intelligence researcher named Ben Toussaint who was invited by Roy Glasberg, Head of Google’s Lauchpad Accelerator Program, to Silicon Valley for two weeks in July. During his two-week visit, Toussaint will have the opportunity to mentor startups in Google’s Accelerator program on artificial intelligence. In addition, Luigi Voltaire a local Haitian entrepreneur, was also invited by one of our speakers to Silicon Valley to attend an event focused on investments in emerging markets.

The Haiti Tech Summit sets out to build a community of creators and policy makers determined to reshape the narrative for Haiti not only as a hub for innovation but also an international tourist destination.

The organizers of the Summit are currently laying the groundwork for the next year’s Summit scheduled for June 21-23, 2018. To learn more information, visit www.haititechsummit.com and join the Facebook group.

Contact:

Haiti Tech Summit Team

(E) info@haititechsummit.com

(W) www.haititechsummit.com

05/222017

Silicon Valley Travels to Haiti – Join 100 Global Speakers for the Largest Tech Event in its History

News, Press Releases

Silicon Valley Travels to Haiti –

Join 100 Global Speakers for the Largest Tech Event in its History

May 22, 2017: Port-au-Prince, Haiti – In an effort to accelerate startups and close the digital divide in emerging markets, the Global Startup Ecosystem will be hosting major Summits in developing countries across the globe over the next 13 years. On June 6th & 7th, Haiti will be the first, hosting its largest gathering of entrepreneurs and creatives sharing experiences and insights to tackle humanity’s grandest challenges via technology. The event announcement was made on the eve of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake anniversary on January 12th, and was shared by over 423,000 supporters within 24 hours. The Haiti Tech Summit will be taking place at Decameron Beach Resort in partnership with Haiti’s Minister of Tourism.

To kick-off the Summit, Ben Horowitz (Partner and Co-Founder of renown VC firm Andreessen Horowitz) will lead with a Keynote titled “To Create Culture, Start a Revolution”. His talk will be followed by a series of keynotes and panels from 100+ influencers and speakers from over 18 countries representing top companies such as Google, Airbnb, Linkedin, Microsoft, HP, Tech Stars, Mastercard, Paypal, Github, Drop Box, Galvanize, Pivotal Labs, Send Grid, Singularity, Draper University, the Forbes 30 Under 30 List, Dubai Economy, Puerto Rico’s Parallel 18, Startup Chile, Access Haiti, Center for Financial Investments, Natcom, and more. Over 40 media outlets will be in attendance including representatives from Tech Crunch, NY Times, Essence, Ebony, Black Enterprise, Inc., Fast Company, Forbes, Huffington Post, Atlantic Black Star, Loop, L’Union Suite, Chokarella, and more. Other special guests include Vicky Jeudy from Netflix’s Original Series “Orange is the New Black” and the President of Haiti, Jovenel Moise.

“Haiti is not open for business. Haiti is open for disruption.” says Christine, the founding host of the Haiti Tech Summit. “I plan to not only transform the narrative around Haiti’s brand as a nation but also that of other emerging markets around the world by showcasing their startup ecosystems through annual Tech Summits. If you can equip entrepreneurs to launch their startup and scale it across a population of 11 million people on an island, then you can be confident they’ll be prepared to scale it globally. The current line of participants for our first Summit are true pioneers of startup ecosystems and will definitely inspire startup movements in the future.”- Christine Souffrant Ntim.

Contact:
Haiti Tech Summit Team

(T) 1-347-470-7669
(E) info@haititechsummit.com
(W)www.haititechsummit.com