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The VIEDA Insider
The monthly newsletter
of the Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority
*Special Year-End Issue
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Volume 1 | Issue No. 6 November/December 2022 | |
"Made in the USVI" Pop Up Shop: St. Thomas Opens for the USVI Holiday Season | Checking it once, checking it twice. Amandla Williams of LaVela, (left), gets a "thumbs up" on her product line’s readiness for sale at the "Made in the USVI" Pop Up Shop: St. Thomas from VIEDA Enterprise Zone Commission Managing Director Nadine T. Marchena Kean on 12/2/2022. If you missed this "Made in the USVI" Pop Up Shop, take a listen to this broadcast interview with "The Morning Show" host Peter Ottley & Tasida Kelch, executive director of the VI Council on Arts, on WSTA 1340AM here. -Photo by Semele George/VIEDA | |
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
- "Made in the USVI" Pop Up Shop: St. Thomas, USVI
- V.I. Slice Moderate-Income Homeownership Program
- VIEDA Client Highlight
- Community Focus
- Business Tip: Entrepreneurship Education
- Featured Resources
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The Business of Shopping Local for Holiday Season:
The "Made in the USVI" Pop Up Shop
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Hidden Treasures Discovered:
"Made in the USVI" Pop Up Shop:
St. Thomas reopens its door
to prospective wholesale buyers
One-of-a-kind merchandise topped
the minds of potential wholesale buyers during the first week of the "Made in the USVI" Pop Up: St. Thomas, USVI on December 14, 2022 as they search for quality, locally-made products that were a best match for their store.
Prospective buyers inspected the "lay of the land" of the pop-up store aligned with merchandise that were made in the U.S. Virgin Islands by small manufacturers, artists and artisans.
"We have had Business-to-Business opportunities, such as this, at the store," said Nadine T. Marchena Kean, managing director, VIEDA's Enterprise Zone Commission.
"Also, in addition to locals coming into the store, we have tourists as well. And within this group of purchasers, opportunities also exist for our vendors," added Mrs. Marchena Kean.
"One example is a true story about a vendor of the pop up shop who made every effort to ensure her product was represented at the store and about one month after the store was closed, she received a call from California from an individual who said they were in the store and that they wanted to make arrangements for a major order of her products," said Mrs. Marchena Kean.
Take a look at this virtual tour of this holiday season's "Made in the USVI" Pop Up Shop here as received from the VI Council on the Arts.
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"Made in the USVI" Pop Up Shop
Celebrates Its 5th Anniversary
It all began with a conversation about art.
And then a decision to collaborate on a project was made followed by a surprise offer to use an available space at the I. Levin Bldg. on Main Street on St. Thomas to bring the idea to life. A week-long, accelerated preparation for small manufacturers to become vendors in a pilot project for a pop-up shop with merchandise made in the U.S. Virgin Islands began and ended with the first "Made in the USVI" Pop Up Shop in December 2018.
According to Nadine T. Marchena Kean, managing director, Enterprise Zone Commission, the first “Made in the USVI” Pop Up Shop, which was intended to be open only for the holiday season in 2018, was so successful that it lasted five months after its opening date.
Enamored by the quality and aesthetically-detailed merchandise that arrived at the store, Mrs. Marchena Kean and Tasida Kelch, executive director, VI Council on the Arts, learned two key things: “Made in the USVI” products are the best and that they are loved by the USVI community and visitors. Since then, this shop has also 'popped up' on St. Croix and St. John, USVI.
The "Made in the USVI " Pop-Up Shop is funded historically by federal grants such as the State Trade Expansion Program or from the budgets of the VIEDA's EZC and VICA.
Take a listen to this interview about the "Made in the USVI' Pop Up Shop on "Analyze This with Neville James" on WTJX 93.1FM NPR.
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Homeownership Investment:
VI Slice Moderate Income Homeownership Program
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"In Conversation
with AARP-USVI":
VI Slice Moderate Income Homeownership Program
VIEDA CEO Wayne L. Biggs, Jr. (far right), joins Troy de Chabert Schuster, State Director of AARP-VVI, and host of "In Conversation with AARP Virgin Islands" on November 29, 2022 for an interview to provide information about the V.I. Slice Moderate Income Homeownership Program in the USVI. See interview here.
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. -Photo by Semele George/VIEDA | |
VI Economic
Development Commission
VIEDC Beneficiary:
Alpine Group, USVI, LLC
In addition to job creation, capital investments and tax revenue generation, beneficiaries of the VI Economic Development Commission's Economic Development Tax Incentive Program also contribute to the USVI community through philanthropic activities.
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In this special year-end issue of the VIEDA Insider, we highlight "Alpine Philanthropy USVI: Alpine in the Community" from their December 2022 newsletter. Alpine Group, USVI, LLC, is a designated services business (Category IV under the VIEDC Program) that provides investment management, advisory and equity trading services. See newsletter here. | |
VIEDA sponsors, participates in USVI Charter Yacht Show
With the USVI yacht charter industry continuing on its upward trend for growth following recent devastating hurricanes and during a global pandemic, the 2022 USVI Charter Yacht Show attracted charter brokers and crew allowing them to "make, renew and build relationships
local cruising grounds and Virgin Islands chartering compliance at a host of daily seminars and presentations."
As the yacht charter industry continues to contribute to our local economy, the VIEDA was once again a proud sponsor of this show and harnessed the opportunity to share information about VIEDA economic development programs and services.
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VIEDA ACEO Rosa Thomas gets ready to share information about the VIEDA programs and services and engage with yacht attendees at the USVI Charter Yacht Show on November 12, 2022. -Submitted Photo | See article in Sail Magazine here about the USVI Charter Yacht Show. | |
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Rotary Club of St. Croix members get information on
VIEDA programs and services
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On November 3, 2022, VIEDA CEO Wayne L. Biggs, Jr., delivered a presentation on VIEDA programs and services to members of The Rotary Club of St. Croix.
-Photo by Semele George/VIEDA
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Business After Hours
on St. Croix
VIEDA hosts Business After Hours in partnership with St. Croix Chamber of Commerce on November 17, 2022. Tatiana Bertrand, VIEDA budget analyst, (left) gives away promotional items to BAH attendees at the VIEDA Office on St. Croix, USVI in the Fleming Building.
-Image source: Facebook Page of St. Croix Chamber of Commerce
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2022 Paradise Jam
Basketball Tournament
Paradise Jam from Basketball Travelers, Inc. returns with another line-up of strong, competitive college basketball teams from across the U.S. for games during men and women's tournament.
And once again, the VIEDA supported this event as a Silver Sponsor joining the record-setting number of 42 PJ sponsors this year.
Thank you, Basketball Travelers, Inc.,
for hosting these games in the U.S. Virgin Islands for our community.
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Sponsor logos span across the balcony of Paradise Point facing a gorgeous afternoon sunset on St. Thomas, USVI, during the 2022 Paradise Jam Sponsor and VIP Reception on November 11, 2022. See story here.
-Image retrieved from Paradise Jam Facebook page
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Small Business Saturday:
Shopping Small for this Holiday season and in the New Year
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Semele A. C. George, VIEDA marketing and pr specialist (left); and K'Nisha Gumbs, VIEDA Economic Development Bank loan/collections officer, get ready to distribute AMEX Small Business Saturday promotional items to small businesses on St. Thomas, USVI, for the 2022 holiday season.
-Photo by Maritza E. Hernandez/VIEDA
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Judith Edwin (left) of E's Garden Teahouse and Things in the enterprise zone of Garden Street on St. Thomas, USVI, welcomes customers from the USVI and tourists alike with refreshing teas, and enjoyable food. Dr. Edwin also uses her shop to allow other businesses to showcase their merchandise. E'S Garden Teahouse & Things, in business since 2013, is also a client of the VIEDA's Economic Development Bank. See her story here. -Photo by Semele A. C. George/VIEDA | |
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Kaeani Berry of Scoops & Brew located in Crown Bay Marina on St. Thomas, USVI. As Scoops and Brew describes on its website, has been serving rich ice cream in high quality flavors since 2013.
-Photo by Semele George/VIEDA
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Nancy Torres of Glass 2000 at the Virgin Islands Industrial Park in Subbase on St. Thomas, USVI. Serving the USVI since 1998, Glass 2000, Inc., located on St. Thomas and St. Croix, provides services in window, glass and door installation. See Ms. Torres story here (page 17).
-Photo by Semele George/VIEDA
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Karen Congero, owner and operator of
Style A Dog - a pet-grooming salon and retail store in Crown Bay Marina on St. Thomas, USVI since 2006 - takes a moment before opening her store to join the VIEDA in celebrating the season of shopping small beginning with AMEX Small Business Saturday. See her story here.
*See list of other small businesses visited by the VIEDA for the AMEX Small Business Saturday initiative here.
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Embarking on Business Ownership:
Should You Take Business Courses?
For many entrepreneurs, starting a business began with a dream and a passion for a product or service they desire to share with the world and make a profit.
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Others began with a desire to become their own boss or transform from a loss of a job into an opportunity to step into the world of entrepreneurship. However your dream started, you decided to moved forward with that dream.
To make the dreams of aspiring entrepreneurs become a reality, preparation to be in business is inevitable.
This month, take a look at how the path to becoming a business owner can begin with learning the reason why you should also study business.
See blog here on the "6 Reasons Why You Should Study Business" on your journey to become an entrepreneur.
Also see courses here at UVI Center for Excellence in Leadership & Learning (UVICELL) workshops at the VI Small Business Development Center.
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About the Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority: The Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority (VIEDA) is a semi-autonomous governmental instrumentality. It promotes economic growth, job creation, and wealth generation in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The VIEDA assumes, integrates and unifies the functions of these four entities: Economic Development Commission, Virgin Islands Economic Development Park Corporation, Economic Development Bank and the Enterprise Zone Commission. The VIEDA accomplishes its mission by attracting investors to the Territory to establish or relocate their business in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It also provides financial assistance for new and existing small to medium-sized businesses in the Territory and assists V.I. residents and business owners with rehabilitating their properties located in distressed areas that were once vibrant economic centers of activity in the Territory. Learn more about the VIEDA at www.usvieda.org or send an email to info@usvieda.org. | | | | |
