Making History Again!

Last year Entrepreneurs across borders made history as we brought together US based investors, Jamaican Leaders, and Entrepreneurs that resulted in some pretty astounding results. We called this historic event, Beyond the Beach.

We are going to make history again March 21, 22, & 23 at the luxurious Half Moon resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Beyond the Beach 2 promises to be even more impactful.

This intimate, invitation only event will explore the ways that Caribbean Emerging Tech can be accelerated through cross border partnerships. You will find out how your network and experiences can give the Jamaican startup ecosystem the kind of boost it needs to become a world-class innovation leader.

You will learn about how the Caribbean Seed Fund is changing the way that Jamaica invests in seed stage companies. You will meet investible startup entrepreneurs. You will find out how your network and relationships can play a key role in developing nations like Jamaica.  

We call it Beyond the Beach because as our partner Ingrid Riley put it:

“Beyond The Beach is both an event as well as an intention. 
 We seek to support the repositioning of Jamaica and the Caribbean, beyond the typical perception of being solely a place where you come to get your groove back and your tan on, towards a Caribbean that is known as a place where Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Excellence lives, Beyond the Beach.    It’s also about how we carry out our mission in connecting Caribbean Entrepreneurs and Tech Talent to the opportunities of this Digital Age and to help them take full advantage of it.”       

     - Ingrid Riley, Founder SiliconCaribe, Kingston Beta & Co-founder Caribbean Seed Fund

Highlight video from 2023

Event Agenda:
(subject to change)

>THURSDAY MARCH 21
Theme for the day: Who's in the Room and Why

6:00 pm - 9:00 pm | Reception Cocktails & Welcome Dinner
Location: Eclipse, Royal Pavilion
Who’s in the Room & What’s our reason to be at Beyond the Beach

Beyond the Beach Origin Story & Guiding Philosophy

Chris Cochran, Founder of Entrepreneurs Across Borders
Ingrid Riley, Founder Silicon Caribe
Martin Babinec, Founder of Entrepreneurs Across Borders and TriNet (NYSE: TNET)

>FRIDAY MARCH 22
Theme for the day: Ecosystem Support to Grow Scalable Businesses

8:00 am - 9:00 am | Networking Welcome Breakfast
Location: Founders Cove, Arcadia 2

9:00 am - 9:45 am | Planters of Seeds
Location: Founders Cove, Arcadia 1
Current Status of Jamaican Startup Ecosystem & a Caribbean Snapshot
A Fireside Chat with Ecosystem builder Ingrid Riley, Founder of SiliconCaribe
    Hosted by Melissa Powell, POCMI

9:45 am - 10:30 am | The Need for Seed
Location: Founders Cove, Arcadia 1
The Need for Seed: How a fund of active angels is the highest impact capital source for seed stage funding
Ed Reitler: Reitler Kailas & Rosenblatt and Founder of ARC Angle Fund NYC
Progress update on launching the Caribbean Seed Fund
Caribbean Seed Fund Leadership
    Hosted by Chris Cochran, Ingrid Riley, Sharon Roper

10:30 am - 11:00 am | Networking Coffee Break
Location: Founders Cove, Arcadia 2

11:00 am - 12:00 pm | A Different Lense
Location: Founders Cove, Arcadia 1
What Techstars Saw in Caribbean Entrepreneurs
    Melissa Pegus - Managing Director Techstars Atlanta & New Orleans

12:00 pm | Lunch
Location: Founders Cove, Il Giardino ( behind the Founders Cove lobby, adjacent Seagrape Terrace)

1:00 pm - 1:30 pm | Ecosystem Growth Powered by Partnerships
Location: Founders Cove, Arcadia 1
A Fireside Chat discussing how key partnerships can create opportunities in developing economies crossing both institutional and geographic boundaries.
Tastey Blackman, Head of Jampro's Technology Innovation District
Chris Brown, Head of DBJ's Boosting Innovation Growth & Entrepreneurial Ecosystem (BIGEE) Programme
    Hosted by Nasir Ali

1:30 pm - 2:00 pm | Done Deal: Stories of Success and Challenges of Venture-Backed Entrepreneurs Panel
Location: Founders Cove, Arcadia 1
A Discussion with Jamaican Tech Entrepreneurs about there Startup and Fundraising Journey
Jermaine Morgan & Rory Richards, Founders of Grocery List Jamaica
Monique Powell, Founder QuickCart
    Hosted by Ingrid Riley

2:00 pm - 2:30 pm | Winning Strategies To Grow Revenue Beyond Borders
Location: Founders Cove, Arcadia 1
Peter Dean, Founder of Rendertribe and host of The Founder's Journey Podcast

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm: Break
Location: Founders Cove, Arcadia 2

3:00 pm - 3:30 pm | Where Are They Now?
Location: Founders Cove, Arcadia 1
A Conversation with the Caribbean tech entrepreneurs who pitched at last year's event
Melissa Powell, CEO of POCMI
Khary Sharpe, CEO of HeadOffice
Yekini Wallen-Bryan, CEO of PreeLabs
    Hosted By Chris Cochran

3:30 pm - 5:00 pm | Pitch Platform: A sampling of investable startups selected from EAB’s growing network
Location: Founders Cove, Arcadia 2
    Hosted by Ingrid Riley

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm | Break

6:00 pm | Reflection & Networking Dinner
Location: Eclipse, Event Lawn (In front of Eclipse Rooms)

==============================================

>Saturday March 23
Theme for the day: Enabling Economic Self Sufficiency Through Entrepreneurship

8:00 am - 9:00 am | Networking Breakfast by the Beach
Location: Founders Cove, Arcadia 2

9:00 am - 9:45 am | Navigating the Path to Economic Self-Sufficiency: Embracing Challenges and Opportunities
Location: Founders Cove, Arcadia 1
Overview of what’s behind the high rates of poverty, unemployment and societal issues in underdeveloped economies - and initiatives targeted to enable economic self sufficiency.
Susan James-Casserly
    Hosted By Chris Cochran

9:45 am - 10:30 am | Introducing EAB Connect: Platforms and Process to Build an Entrepreneur Pipeline
Location: Founders Cove, Arcadia 1
A community platform to identify, curate and connect emerging entrepreneurs with the resources they need
    Hosted By Nedra Daugherty

10:30 am - 10:45 am | Break
Location: Founders Cove, Arcadia 2

10:45 am - 11:15 am |  Introducing EAB’s  Global Impact Network + Plans for Zion Entrepreneurial Village
Location: Founders Cove, Arcadia 1
Martin Babinec -  Founder of Entrepreneurs Across Borders, Upstate Venture Connect and TriNet (NYSE: TNET)

11:15 am - 12:00 pm | Needs and Leads
Location: Founders Cove, Arcadia 1
 An opportunity for attendees  to make an ask to the group + offer to help others by giving first!
    Hosted by Chris Cochran

12:00 pm  - 1:30 pm | Closing Luncheon & Keynote speaker
Location: Founders Cove, Il Giardino (behind the Founders Cove lobby, adjacent Seagrape Terrace)
Closing Keynote - Ed Raine, President & CEO, Food For The Poor

1:30 pm -  6:00 pm | Free time/Beach Time

6:00 pm | Closing Dinner for participants staying at Half Moon
Location: Arcadia 2 (Founders Cove, upstairs lobby)

Request an invite below!