ZEL - Entrepreneur Development Program

Haiti is a nation of  11 million people. According to the World Bank over 60% of nation's population currently live below the poverty line. Two-thirds of the nation’s workforce are unemployed and have little to no access to capacity development initiatives. This challenge creates an urgency for many to start  businesses at a moments end, surviving day to day.  Most early-startup  businesses  are not sustainable, lack vision, business acumen, and long term focus. 

Through our intensive entrepreneurs development program, we are committed to accelerating wealth, job creation, and innovative solutions with early start-up innovators and entrepreneurs in Haiti. Through our integrated approach, we use the power of entrepreneurship to solve some of Haiti's most pressing challenges. We catalyze, equip and prepare our entrepreneurs for the market place through tested business practices, inclusive entrepreneurial training, mentorship, prioritizing holistic care practices and access to a dynamic co-working space.

The current socio-economic crisis within Haiti plagues the nation. In a country of 11 million, over 60% of the population is living in poverty with little to no access to jobs and income to meet their basics needs. Over two-thirds of the nation’s current workforce exist within the informal economy with little to no access to capacity development and business training opportunities. 

These vast inequities keep the majority of young innovative minds from access to effective training solutions. As Nicholas Kristof once noted '"A job is not only a source of income but above all, a source of dignity, it's a source of meaning.”  Through our entrepreneurship development program and ecosystem partners, we are creating an environment that ignite economic, technological, cultural, and educational development. We are ensuring sustainable socio-economic growth within the communities that need it most.

Among the urban population in Haiti, more than half of Haitians participate in the informal economy which includes jobs that are low-paying and ‘businesses’ that are haphazard and unsustainable. 

The major problem for entrepreneurs is that there are gaps in knowledge and 'the how' to grow and build existing small innovative businesses. Katalyst Konbit through the Zel program fuels and catalyzes early-stage entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers with a bias towards action who are:

1. Micro-entrepreneurs, has a working prototype and first traction in the market.

2. Early prototyping venture, are in early-stage in the development of their ideas, and at least have a prototype of their concept.

3. Early stage-entrepreneur, already has a startup that validated its business model and has managed to build a product with initial traction.

Together with our ecosystem partners provide them with the network, community, mentorship, curriculum, resources and mindset needed to co-craft the life and journey they so desperately want to unleash a lifetime of impact and be the catalyst.

Katalyst Konbit mission is to discover, catalyzed and equipped the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators toward building their journey, company, and innovation at scale. This means offering programs that ensure a network of specialized communities, mentors, and experts while collaborating closely with partners.

Our methods: After a comprehensive application process we hold a 3-day idea vetting and validating Bootcamp through rapid experimental cycles to select the next cohort of the 4-month intensive entrepreneur development program, called Zel. Our Zel program focuses on getting early-stage entrepreneurs ready for the marketplace and build sustainable businesses at scale. Our curriculum oscillates between in-classroom workshop time, in-market customer interaction time. We have four different tracks:

1. Entrepreneur Development

   1. Understand what their job description is as an early-stage entrepreneur

   2. Design and run experiments to validate or invalidate their foundation assumptions through customer discovery, validation, rapid prototyping.

   3. Build out their business operations, brand identity, financial function, storytelling aptitude and incorporating their venture. 

2. Entrepreneurial Hard Skills & Personal Development

   1. Learned from foremost leaders, entrepreneurs, thinkers, and practitioners through highly interactive

      1. Short Master Courses session covering topics from how to build powerful relationships to personal budgeting and planning. 

      2. Fireside Chat session covers topics ranging from what virtues are optimized and undermine success to how to informed self-efficacy and aspirations.  

      3. Short 1-on-1 mentorship sessions that challenge their assumptions, enhance their perspective and expand their network. 

3. Mental and Wellness 

   1. Engage, educate, and motivate participants to incorporate wellness into their lives both in and out of their personal and professional life. 

4. Demo Week and Summit

   1. The culminating event of the program in which fellows showcase and pitch their venture concepts to a live audience full of friends, family, supporters, partners, mentors, funders.

This entrepreneur development program called Zel (means wings in Haitian Creole) was co-founded by Impact Hub Port-au-Prince (Providing a reliable Co-working space), KayTita (Providing a supportive network) and Katalyst konbit (Providing an award-winning entrepreneurship curriculum). Together we provide early-stage entrepreneurs with the tools and resources needed to develop a successful business plan, develop a strong brand and get ready for the market place.

Katalyst Konbit's Entreprenuer Development program offers an innovative approach to capacity building for early stage entrepreneurs. Our entrepreneur development program is the first holistic training ground for the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators in Haiti. There are four key elements to our programs master class, fireside chat, health & Wellness, and startup building. 

Through this intensive entrepreneurship development program, we are committed to accelerating wealth and job creation with early start-up innovators and entrepreneurs. Our program participants will have the option to complete the program at our on site offices, access to a dynamic co-working space equipped with access to electricity wifi, and additional amenities, or virtually via zoom and/or a private youtube page.

Our community members come from extremely resource-scarce environments, however, they are passionate, determined, hopeful and resilient. Our clients, the underdogs are the ones who are the most capable to solve their own problems given the right resources, opportunity and tools. We believe that innovation can also come from those that are less fortunate. We believe in the strength of community through partnerships with successful individuals, organization and programs that have proven tract records towards creating positive sustainable impacts in underserved communities. 

According to a Transform Finance report, Haiti requires a host of ecosystem investments in order for entrepreneurs to develop their ideas. There is an opportunity beyond direct investment into enterprises, to invest more generally in the economic support ecosystem. The entrepreneurs on the ground have already shown the drive to change the narrative and alleviate the challenge of poverty. And we have the tools to fill in the void to strengthen the ecosystem and accelerate job creation and wealth generation. We will work with the entrepreneurs towards developing sustainable innovative business ideas that solve the most pressing challenges facing Haiti today.

1. The current number of people being served within this solution is 47. 35 women and 12 men entrepreneurs. Next year, 2021, we plan to serve 30 more early stage entrepreneurs within our zel program.

2. In 2021, we plan to run two cohorts of 15 entrepreneurs. If we operate under the impression that the two cohort of the 15 (30 entrepreneurs a year) will provide or create at least 1-2 jobs (60/120 jobs) a year. We are directly impacting 30 entrepreneur and more than indirectly 60/120 a year.

3. Next 5 years we aims to serve a minimum of 150 participants directly and more than 600 indirectly through our programming.

In order to maximize our impact for the year 2021, our goals will be to

1. Ensuring the launch of our flagship program, Zel 2.0. This program will consist of two cohorts of 15 early-stage entrepreneurs in a 4-month intensive entrepreneur development program harnessing and cultivating business acumen and entrepreneurial skills and network. 
2. Run three Catalyst Bootcamp that are 3 to 5 day long designed to help idea stage entrepreneurs to rapidly and systematically validate or invalidate their startup idea. Through this Bootcamp they will understand their job description as an idea-stage entrepreneurs and identify the foundational assumptions that underpin their ventures.

We will double our impact annually until we run, at least, one Bootcamp in each of Haiti's 10 department while partnering with ecosystem partners.

Our North Star for the next five years is catalyzing a generation of entrepreneurs working towards developing sustainable innovative business ideas that solve the most pressing challenges facing Haiti. In hope by 2025 we can start phase two of organization, launch our investment fund to invest in the top 5 startup in each cohort. As well as, began our residency program for entrepreneurs all over the country to convene in port-au-prince for our Zel program. 

Together we will catalyze and back aspiring entrepreneurs toward developing their entrepreneurial ability and skill sets necessary to jumpstart their entrepreneurial journey, successful careers and co-launch ventures at scale.

The barriers that currently exist to successfully accomplish Katalyst Konbit's programming next year is a lack of capital and funding to

1.  Hire qualified staff,
2. Obtain the technical resources and materials to effectively run the workshops and program,
3.  Provide reliable energy to conduct our program without disruption
4.  Give access to tools and technology (Entrepreneurial lab/ Makers space) as some lack access to laptops and/or computers and makers space to conduct research and build out their product.

Also, the political climate in Haiti makes it tough for some of our program participants to regularly attend workshops.

1. In order to obtain qualified staff to run and facilitate these workshops our goal is to provide a stipend/ honorarium to the program participants through funding raised for this program and via the participants contributions toward this course. 

2.  In order to obtain the technical resources, electricity and reliable wifi we have fundraised for a generator but need access to increased capital to purchase fuel and additional resources to run these programs

3. Due to the unpredictable political climate we aim to make our workshops available through zoom, thinkific, and/or a private youtube page. We have createed a Facebook group, an online community that participants can engage in.

Despite all of the challenges and the constant political crisis causing our program huge delay and pivoting. There's a lot to reminisce for the year of 2019. We have recently graduated 88% of our 2019 inaugural fellows. Second, In a survey created by our partners from the Facebook community leadership program 92% entrepreneurs reported our program have "very positively affected" their journey. and; Lastly, 83.33% report an increase in business ACUMEN, development and network growth. 

Due to the intense challenge we faced in the year 2019, we want to continue supporting our current fellows. So, we have committed to continue support our cohort of 2019 into the year of 2020 to ensure they are successful integrating into the marketplace.  

N/A

4 part-time staff, will turn to full time once we have the funding.

1. Director of Operations
   1. Leads program operations, including event planning, program logistics, and community partnership.
2. Director of Search & Marketing
   1. Leads the search and selection process. Also, this person bridges Katalyst Konbit’s internal work with the outside world.
3. Director of Programs
   1. Leads and facilitate up all of the elements of our program, including curriculum design and ideation, guest speakers and facilitators and mentor network.
4. Founder and CEO

   
   

   1. Responsible for the organisation’s overall strategy and long-term direction, as well as, fundraising - including philanthropic and impact investment.

Together, we have been working within business development in Haiti, the greater Port-au-Prince region and around the world for over 30 years and have collectively served over 5,000 members of this community . 

Our interdisciplinary background allows to effectively build out a holistic program that meets our various clients needs and expectation. Our team was also part of the founding members who initiated the first accelerator and incubator program in Haiti over 20 years ago. We are committed to constant innovation, disrupting the status quo and accelerating the businesses of those who need it most. 

We employ a participatory approach to our programs constantly bringing cutting edge intel and resources completely informed by the challenges and needs of our clientele.

Kay Tita, Impact Hub, and Yes baby I like it Raw is the founding members of the Zel program. 

Watson Institute, is our 501-c-3 fiscal sponsor. 

Ayiti X, helping with the online platform.

She Builds Initiative, help us reach a broader audience and women entrepreneurs.

Tony Tuch, create social media and marketing content.

At Kataylst Konbit we currently employ a Hybrid Model. 

Our target audience are currently low-income entrepreneurs. Our approach focuses on providing access to those who couldn't otherwise afford it.  Our mission ensures our clients have a stake in this program, reinforces exclusivity, accountability and ownership, and strays away from an aid mentality. This is why we charges a small affordable fee and work to make scholarships available for those who need it most. We also incorporate a market -based approach that uses the sale of service to generate income. The end goal is being funding program expenses, and generating revenue to provide seed funding and capital to our entrepreneurs

For the next 2 years we are creating a successful program that allows local stakeholders, entrepreneurs and the Haitian diaspora community to contribute financially and or intellectually to the future of ZEL program. 

We  are leveraging an existing community space, bringing in key SMEs to empower entrepreneurs, creating a pipeline where we can build from a mix of funding sources to support the future of not only this program, but the overall evolution of our country’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

We also plans to run paid Bootcamps, and other entrepreneurial events to generate income. Upon completion of our program, we takes 5% revenue share from each of our alumni, and 5% equity, hoping in the next 3-4 years we can start to cover our initial cost.

The TPrize will help us overcome a number of challenges which keeps us from changing the face and practices of leadership and business in Haiti. We are requesting that TPrize support us with $40,000 USD to continue to bring our year long entrepreneur development program to over 2 dozen small early stage entrepreneurs working who need it most. We are currently in the pilot phase of this venture.

Seed funding Support for our entrepreneurs, program support, mentorship program; access to the world's foremost entrepreneurial experts, leaders leading practitioners and; 

1. Acumen
2. Microsoft
3. Google
4. Facebook
5. USAID
6. 500 Startups
7. Global Accelerator Programs
8. Ashoka: Innovators for the public
9. Echoing Green
10. Ycombinator
11. MIT Solution
12. Clinton Foundation
13. Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship
14. Skoll Foundation
15. Bill gate foundation
16. Techstar Foundation
17. Ford Foundation
18. The Rockefeller Foundation
19. W.K. Kellogg Foundation
20. Walton Family Foundation