GCCI hosts inaugural Youth Entrepreneur Conference to inspire Guyana’s next generation

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has launched its inaugural Youth Entrepreneur Conference, a new chamber initiative designed to introduce young Guyanese to entrepreneurship, innovation and emerging business opportunities from an early age.
The conference, themed “Igniting Guyana’s Next Generation of Entrepreneurs”, will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, and is expected to bring together approximately 100 to 150 young persons from ages 10 to 17.
Conceived by GCCI President Kathy Smith as a flagship youth entrepreneurship initiative, this initiative responds to the Chamber’s recognition that as Guyana’s economy grows and diversifies, deliberate attention must also be paid to developing the next generation of entrepreneurs, innovators, and business leaders. The initiative complements the wider national focus on youth development, entrepreneurship, innovation, and preparing young Guyanese to participate meaningfully in the country’s economic transformation.

Smith said the initiative reflects the Chamber’s belief that preparing Guyana’s future business leaders must begin long before they enter the workforce.
“Somewhere in a classroom in Guyana today is a 10-year-old with an idea. That idea may one day become a business, employ people, solve a problem in a community or even become one of the companies that helps to shape Guyana’s economy twenty years from now,” Smith added.
She further stated, “But ideas need opportunity. If we want Guyana to have more entrepreneurs, innovators, creators and business leaders tomorrow, we have to begin exposing our young people to those possibilities today.”
The programme has been designed as an interactive experience rather than a traditional conference where young people simply sit and listen to presentations. Participants will engage in workshops covering the Orange Economy, Tourism and Hospitality, Agro-processing, AI-Augmented Entrepreneurship, and Marketing and Public Relations.
The GCCI President further added that the areas were deliberately selected to expose young people to both traditional and emerging opportunities and to broaden their understanding of what entrepreneurship can look like.
“The entrepreneur of tomorrow will operate in a very different environment from the entrepreneur of yesterday. Technology is changing business, creativity is creating new industries, and opportunities are emerging across sectors. We want our young people to begin seeing themselves as part of that future.”
The conference seeks to build confidence, creativity, financial literacy and problem-solving skills.
while exposing participants to the fundamentals of identifying opportunities, developing ideas and creating value. These objectives form part of the original GCCI concept. To broaden access to the inaugural Conference, the GCCI is using a two-pronged approach to participation.
A public registration form will allow interested young people between the ages of 10 and 17 to register to attend, with parents, guardians and schools also being encouraged to share the opportunity with eligible students.
Additionally, the Tourism Industry and Commerce Ministry and the Education Ministry are supporting the initiative. The partnership will help the GCCI extend the reach of the programme and provide opportunities for young people from a wider cross-section of the country.
Smith stressed that the initiative is particularly relevant at a time when Guyana is undergoing significant economic transformation.
“Our young people must know that their future is not limited to finding employment. They can create employment. They can build businesses. They can innovate. They can export. They can become employers and industry leaders,” she said.
The inaugural Conference is also being supported by sponsors, businesses and other partners that have contributed through financial sponsorship, donations, services and other forms of in-kind support.
She thanked the organisations for responding to the chamber’s call to invest in the development of young people, noting that the private sector has an important role to play in helping to build Guyana’s future entrepreneurial pipeline.
“The business community of tomorrow is sitting in our classrooms today. While the chamber advocates for and supports the businesses of today, we also have a responsibility to help create the business community of the future,” Smith said.
This programme is not intended to be a one-off activity. The GCCI’s concept envisages the conference becoming a recurring and recognisable flagship youth entrepreneurship initiative that can grow and evolve in the years ahead.
“Among these young people may be a future manufacturer, agro-processor, technology entrepreneur, tourism innovator, designer, content creator, marketer, exporter, or CEO. We do not know which one it will be, but we can give them the exposure, encouragement and opportunity to discover what they are capable of,” Smith said. the GCCI hopes to help develop a generation of young Guyanese who see themselves not only as participants in Guyana’s economic transformation but also as entrepreneurs, innovators, employers, and business leaders capable of helping to shape it.
Students are encouraged to attend in their school uniforms, helping to create a unified and welcoming environment for participants. Eligible students can register through https://forms.gle/YUYvbM6K4DLVi5vm6, with parents and guardians encouraged to complete the registration on their behalf.