Director of Trade, Investment Promotion and Consumer Affairs, Mrs. Karia Christopher recently participated as a judge in the 2016 Capital Championship Entrepreneurial Tournament in Los Angeles, United States of America.

According to the website, www.captialchampionship.com, the competition was a nationwide entrepreneurial tournament that rewards the ultimate victor $250,000. It strengthens the startup community by offering exceptional exposure, networking, mentorship, and cash to emerging entrepreneurs.

Mrs. Christopher said she was delighted to serve as a mentor and a judge, and provide the Territory’s expertise from its investment promotion activities with entrepreneurs in the British Virgin Islands.

The Director also served as host and presenter during the MWM Global Holdings Business Start Up 2016 and Entrepreneurial Forum in April, where the founder of Capital Championship, Mr. Kurt Richardson made a presentation to local entrepreneurs.

She explained, “Both Mr. Kurt Richardson and Executive Director, Capital Championship Mr. David Brey, were quite impressed with our Business of the Year and the Business of the Month campaign and what they heard. Following an exchange of ideas and discussions on ways to provide support for small businesses, they invited the Department of Trade, Investment Promotion and Consumer Affairs to serve as a part of their judging panel in the tournament.”

Mrs. Christopher’s participation was done in partnership with MWM Global Business Holding Limited. The Director and the Chief Executive Officer of MWM Business Network, Mr. Meade Malone participated in the Speed Mentoring session in their capacities as mentors. In this session, mentors spent ten minutes meeting and mentoring six different startup teams. Teams were rotated every ten minutes over the course of one hour.

Each team provided a short background on problems or issues for which they needed assistance, and mentors provided feedback and advice relevant to their area of expertise.

There were applications from over 500 businesses from various states and several competitions were held. The number of contestants was reduced to 125, then 20, then three and then the winner. The overall short-listing process took some nine months.

Capital Championship started in 2014 as the CSU Blue Ocean Enterprises Challenge and has grown into a national tournament offered to entrepreneurs around the United States. As an annual, national entrepreneurial tournament, Capital Championship rewards the ultimate victor $250,000, with no strings attached. The program is funded by Blue Ocean Enterprises, Inc. and is sponsored by OtterBox, Hewlett Packard, First Bank, EKS&H and Hogan Lovells.

The Department of Trade and Investment Promotion is responsible for facilitating the development and growth of the BVI business environment, by helping businesses to realise their full potential. This is done through the establishment and management of programmes and networks that provide information, education, training, finance and other assistance in order to foster sustained economic development in the BVI.