Guyana’s youth entrepreneurs now have a chamber

A new organisation aimed at empowering young Guyanese entrepreneurs was officially launched on Thursday at the Guyana Energy Conference Youth Forum.
The Guyana Youth Entrepreneurship Chamber (GYEC) was founded by Dr Rosh Khan, President of ACE Consulting Group, and a founding cohort of 12 members to give young entrepreneurs, primarily between the ages of 18 and 40, access to the resources they need to build and grow their businesses.
In a release it was stated that the Chamber’s programming will include executive roundtable discussions, entrepreneurial workshops, networking events, and a competitive Youth SME Incubator. An annual showcase will recognise outstanding youth-led enterprises. GYEC has also invited representatives from several business support bodies, including the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association, the Private Sector Commission, AmCham Guyana, and the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry Guyana, to sit on a formal Advisory Council. Other organisations will also be approached for support in the coming weeks.

Public Service and Government Efficiency Minister Zulfikar Ally offered support on behalf of the Government, telling the audience that the organisation has its full backing. He encouraged the founding members to hit the ground running and challenged them to expand the Chamber’s membership and make good on its mandate.
Meanwhile, President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Kathy Smith, and Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Captain Gerry Gouveia Jnr, both offered congratulatory remarks, advising the young entrepreneurs to lean on one another and work in alignment with the existing business support organisations.
The Chamber was launched with a founding membership of 12 drawn from sectors as varied as marine logistics, digital media, graphic design, finance, and the creative industries. Among the founders are University of Guyana students, a CARICOM Youth Ambassador, and experienced business operators, a mix that reflects the breadth of talent the GYEC hopes to serve.