An entrepreneur-themed documentary, “Generation Start-up” was screened to students at the Antigua State College (ASC) courtesy of the US Embassy, which has set out to empower young entrepreneurs.
One of the film’s stars, Dextina Booker, a young mechanical engineer with Guyanese and Jamaican parentage, was invited by the embassy, and spoke to first and second year entrepreneurship students at ASC.
“Most of the successful entrepreneurs, one thing that they have in common is that they are serial entrepreneurs, so they started three or four companies before. So, even if the first one fails, they close it down and start up another one,” Booker said.
She also said it gives young audiences “extra energy” and encourages them to make an effort and examine everyday problems that one can “take on as your own and see what you can do to fix it”.
“Whatever it is I wanted to do and whatever dragon I needed to slay, I can really do that. Plenty of start-ups fail but it doesn’t mean that you can’t give it a shot,” Booker said.
Take a look at the trailer for “Generation Start-up“, the award-winning documentary shown to students at Antigua State College (ASC); the twin-island’s future entrepreneurs!
Jeff Barrus, Deputy Public Affairs Officer at US Embassy in Barbados said the 90-minute award-winning documentary captured the lives of six young entrepreneurs in Detroit, USA.
It explored the obstacles and successes of recent college-graduates and follows the young men and women for 17 months.
Barrus said the feedback from the ASC students demonstrated their enthusiasm towards the programme especially when, “their interests really align well with what Dextina’s experience is.”
“It’s not just about the technical aspects of starting a business but the emotional aspect of being a young person undertaking something so risky,” he said.
Antigua was the first stop on the duo’s list as they are expected to make entrepreneur-themed presentations in Grenada and Barbados later this week.
This is an effort of the US Embassy to host programmes in the Eastern Caribbean which place a greater emphasis on sustainable economic growth leading to prosperous, stable, democratic states.