Above: The Smart Kids Educational Club which helps children develop an interest in STEM, will host 4 ‘Kids Can Code’ sessions during bmobile Innovation Week. Photo courtesy bmobile.

bmobile will be hosting its Innovation Week from January 28th to February 1st as part of the highly anticipated, bmobile Connect Technology Conference 2019. 

Innovation week; a new addition to the week-long tech event, will unite innovators who create or utilize technology solutions that contribute to a more robust local technological environment. 

Innovation week is open to the public and will provide a platform for over 20 entrepreneurs, startup companies and organizations to showcase their ideas, services and products through interactive events.  Innovators, including the Smart Kids Educational Club, D’Junction; the entertainment and carnival app, TEDx, top animators from Animae Caribe, Sun Tixx, an online ticketing platform, and Webgold will host informative workshops, seminars, pop-up talks and networking events. 

Innovation Week will be held at several venues nationwide including the Queen’s Park Oval, St James Street, San Fernando, Ariapita Avenue, Woodbrook, DSM Plaza, Chaguanas, and Woodford Café.

Excited about the inaugural Innovation Week and the positive response to the new element, TSTT Executive, Rakesh Goswami stated, “Innovation Week was developed to support new and established entities that have pushed boundaries by bringing innovative and even disruptive business ideas to the market.

Organizations of every size, from small startups to our larger corporate partners, will come together for one week to share their technology-driven ideas, products and services with the public.  We are pleased that this event will provide an opportunity for attendees to gain vital information on the trends and career possibilities in the dynamic technology industry.

As the national communications provider, our aim is to help establish Trinidad and Tobago as a robust environment for world-class technology, one that fosters the creation of new and innovative products and services that contribute to our economic diversity, competitiveness and national development.”

Lisa McCarthy, Coordinator of the Innovation Week of activities, noted, “This is an excellent initiative championed by bmobile as it allows new and existing innovators to highlight their products and services. Our partners welcome the opportunity to be a part of a vibrant cluster which shows how technology can be used to our national advantage.”

“We need more entrepreneurs and this type of support will help to drive the emergence of more technology innovators and entrepreneurs.”

McCarthy added that since the bmobile Innovation Week is a business-to-consumer initiative, it will allow the participants to connect on a one-to-one basis with the general public.  

“This one-to-one intimate environment is what companies really need and want.  Innovation Week attendees will be able to see up-close and first-hand how technology is used to develop innovative apps and solutions to solve the real needs of the business and consumer market.”

Sarah Bernard, Founder and CEO of Smart Kids Educational Club is an Innovation Week participant.  Smart Kids Club teaches children aged 2 1/2 years to 17 years to code using the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) approach and will host 4 sessions titled ‘Kids Can Code’ at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain. 

“We teach children how to solve problems using technology including coding; developing apps; and creating stories using motion animation and story boarding.  I am really excited to be a part of the bmobile Innovation Week because many people struggle to innovate but this is a skill that can be taught.”

“Smart Kids Educational Club and larger initiatives such as Innovation Week will teach our nationals how to innovate.  My vision is to help to create a Silicon Valley type environment in Trinidad and Tobago.”

“If we can impact 1,000 children, then 10,000 children, for instance, this will all add to the pool of local resources who possess the core skills that we need to become an innovative society.”

Persons or organizations interested in becoming an Innovation Week Partner can sign up at bmobileconnect.com/innovation-week/.