L-R- Mr. Howard Hylton representative from the Vincent HoSang Family Foundation poses with first Place winners of the competition, Team Artel - Tracy-Ann Hyman, Sharon Nelson and Tony HoSang who shared a celebratory moment at the end of the awards ceremony held on Friday, January 24th 2025.
Student innovators with ground-breaking solutions took center stage at the finals of the 2024/25 Vincent HoSang UWI Venture Competition, held at the Mona School of Business and Management on Friday, January 24, 2025. The competition, which began in September 2024 with over 100 students from all faculties across The UWI, Mona campus showcased visionary thinking aimed at transforming regional challenges into opportunities for growth.
Tracy-Ann Hyman and Maurice Mason of Artel, representing the Faculty of Social Sciences, claimed the top spot with their revolutionary disaster management system. Their cutting-edge platform integrates flood impact analysis, evacuation protocols, and early warning systems, offering a powerful defense against natural disasters. They won J$400,000 and a fully-funded summer journey to New York, including mentorship from Jamaican business leaders and a tour of Caribbean Food Delight's operations with the HoSang family.
The team behind Fresh JA – Somesh Sharma, Roshae Sinclair, Christian Douglas, and Josiah John Green from the Faculty of Science and Technology – secured second place with their innovative e-commerce platform for agricultural distribution featuring a patentable food-grade freshness testing tool, their platform connects local farmers and consumers. They also won the Best Undergraduate Team award and the JMMB Joan Duncan Corporate Social Responsibility Award. Chad Campbell, a solopreneur from the Faculty of Social Sciences, took third place with CNC Hydroponics, a solution for sustainable, year-round agriculture in Jamaica.
The JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation, a gold sponsor, continues to champion entrepreneurial excellence. CEO Kim Mair expressed pride in their long-standing partnership, highlighting the competition's role in developing future business leaders. "Our sponsorship reflects our broader Corporate Social Responsibility goals," Mair explained, emphasizing their commitment to fostering a culture of giving back.
Ramon McLaren, MSBM Lecturer and Vincent HoSang Entrepreneurship Board Member, emphasized the competition's legacy: "That seed that was sowed two decades ago flourished into what we have here today where participants have now become mentors."
An elite panel of judges, including Wayne Sutherland (Jamaica Venture Fund Limited), Callia Smith-Harriott (Jamaica Junior Achievers Jamaica), Wayne Beecher (AltCatalyst), and Bernadette Salmon (Cusco International), evaluated the ventures. Students from various faculties including Law, Medical Sciences, Social Sciences, Science and Technology, and Humanities and Education participated.
The competition was powered by visionary partners: the Vincent HoSang Family Foundation, JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation, Development Bank of Jamaica, Mona Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Centre, Jamaica Business Development Corporation, and Phoenix Fressen Ltd.
The 2024/25 Vincent HoSang UWI Venture Competition has redefined Caribbean entrepreneurship. These young innovators are creating solutions that will propel the region towards a brighter future.