Continuing our look at coworking around the world, today we are on the island of Hispaniola; more specifically Port-au-Prince, Haiti. This Caribbean nation is home to rolling hills, verdant forests, and rich with culture. Aside from the natural beauty of Haiti, Port-au-Prince is also home to many thriving businesses, start-ups, and budding entrepreneurs. It is no wonder then that coworking plays a key role as the hub for collective creation, innovation, and inspiration.
Impact Hub: Port-au-Prince, a coworking space in the heart of Haiti’s capital was founded over 5 years ago. Originally founded by Pierre Stanley Baptiste, David Pierre-Louis, and Nzingah Oniwosan in a large single story building, complete with a media room, and event room not to mention plenty of space for meetings and members. Impact Hub: Port-au-Prince aims to provide not just a supportive coworking space, but also a sustainable one. By supporting entrepreneurs and innovators, the community seeks to elevate and grow Haitian businesses domestically and internationally.
The main goals of Impact Hub: Port-au-Prince are to inspire, connect, and enable. How they achieve that is through a broad range of events and programs, but most importantly these are not purely internal. Instead, the focus on community involvement gives entrepreneurs and locals a platform from which to thrive.
The ZEL entrepreneur development program is one way that Impact Hub: Port-au-Prince provides valuable support to people who are hoping to succeed. What the program can offer to people is valuable support networks, that offer advice and feedback, alongside a 34-week training program. Additionally, the space also offers 20 early-stage businesses with workspaces within the community, allowing them to gain an early footing in their future endeavors.
Street Labs assists the professionals of Haiti by providing the resources and tools that people need to turn their creativity into business opportunities. Be it machinery, advice, or just supplies for their business, the program is ideal for those who want to get creating!
Impact Hub: Port-au-Prince also provides a platform for women in business, via their Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE). This program seeks to nurture creativity and develop women entrepreneurs worldwide. How it achieves this is through inclusive, holistic learning within the community, alongside peer-to-peer mentorship.
Talks with leading women entrepreneurs add further inspiration to those looking to succeed in the world of business. The list of alumni includes people from the sectors of agriculture, education, food, tech, and retail. With such a rich and broad range of professions being nurtured, AWE is a fantastic opportunity for any future Haitian businesswoman!
Alongside the wide array of programs offered by Impact Hub: Port-au-Prince, there are also signature events. One such event is the PAP-Startup Week, which this year is being held between the 15th and 19th of August. Start-up week offers five days of immersive experiences with passionate and talented innovators, who help people explore start-up culture. There is lots to learn here, and for those that are interested, one can explore what it takes to initiate, run and manage various ventures within the start-up world.
With over 100 community leaders, entrepreneurs, and volunteers across 30 events, the PAP-Startup Week, is the ideal opportunity for those seeking to gain or expand their knowledge and proficiencies of start-ups.
Impact Hub: Port-au-Prince not only offers opportunities for those looking to start a business, but they also offer platforms for local businesses looking to expand their customer base. Achte Lokal is a monthly market hosted by Impact Hub which provides locals with a space and a platform from which to sell their handmade local products. Be it clothes, jewelry, or various foods, the market is the ideal location for people to share their inspired creations, not to mention an ideal place to find delicious food.
Supporting the local community by providing a platform for entrepreneurs and businesses alike exemplifies all that coworking can do for not just communities but the world. A focus on internal and external communities means that pioneering spaces throughout the world help influence other businesses and companies for the better, by leading the way in sustainability, morality, and corporate responsibility.
If you aren’t already using Cobot as your coworking management software, give it a go! You’ll find that our features can help you run your coworking space more effectively and grow your community. Just sign up for a free trial or a live demo session. And if you have questions, our support team is all ears!
Happy Coworking!