By Vania Andre and Fabiola Jean
Haiti is known for many things; its art, its food, its music. But one group of social entrepreneurs are looking to add another category – tech.
Over 500 people came together at the Royal Decameron Indigo Beach Resort & Spa for a two-day technology summit with the hopes of adding another chapter to Haiti’s narrative.
Founded by Christine Souffrant Ntim, the Haiti Tech Summit featured nearly 100 speakers from Facebook, Google, Uber and Airbnb. The reps discussed topics like launching a startup, branding and marketing tips, and more. High-profile attendees included former Haitian Prime Minister Michèle Pierre-Louis, Silicon Valley venture capitalist Ben Horowitz, Vicky Jeudy from Orange is the New Black, and Haiti President Jovenel Moise.
“The goal of the summit is to transform the narrative around Haiti’s brand as a nation,” Ntim said. “Over the next 13 years, I want to catapult Haiti forward through innovation, tech and entrepreneurship.
“We know Haiti can actually transform itself, be a new global case study for what happens when you actually get the right influences in the room to transform a nation.”
Although Ntim was met with skepticism about the inaugural event and her ability to pull speakers from the tech space, she did not let that deter her. In the end she prevailed and her proved to her detractors that Haiti was indeed “open for disruption” and her team of millenials is leading the way.