Creative Tech Lab 2.0 Births Innovative Business Ideas from Jamaica

The Creative Technology Lab (CTL) 2023, an innovative initiative uniting creative minds and tech enthusiasts, has concluded its journey, marking the culmination of weeks filled with collaborative energy, hard work and creativity. Spanning across Jamaica and Honduras, and funded by the Inter American Development Bank (IDB), this event was a testament to the extraordinary potential of combining creativity and technology in the region and how nations can collaborate beyond the boundaries of borders and language.

Participants in Jamaica worked with the Kingston Creative team and in Honduras with the team at the Universidad Tecnologica de Honduras, while the overall programme was guided by Banj, a Haiti-based Tech Hub. Throughout the journey, the participants embarked on an enriching experience, delving deep into intensive learning sessions, gaining invaluable expertise, and engaging with regional industry experts. This immersive exploration not only honed their skills but also developed new business ideas.

The event closed with a Pitch Day hosted by the Kingston Creative Hub in Downtown Kingston. The participants unveiled their visionary projects before a panel of investors, industry experts and 500 online viewers on Facebook Live.

A distinctive feature of CTL 2023 was its hybrid approach, utilising cutting-edge technology to transcend geographical barriers between Jamaica, Haiti and Honduras. Through virtual collaboration tools and live streaming, participants and audiences were seamlessly linked, fostering collaboration and innovation despite the physical distance.

Two standout projects emerged from this talented cohort from Jamaica:

Eventide™: This cutting-edge software revolutionises event graphic design and marketing. Eventide™ offers intelligent templates, AI-driven design insights, cost estimation, collaboration tools, automated marketing, and performance analytics. By streamlining design processes, Eventide™ not only saves time and enhances creativity but also maximises budget efficiency, transforming event planning and marketing strategies.

Innersight: A Web Portal meticulously gathering qualitative text and voice data for creative arts program testimonials. Powered by transcriptors, this data fuels a dashboard showcasing social impact metrics. Innersight’s vision bridges the gap between creativity and social impact, providing a holistic view of the transformative power of the arts.

The conclusion of CTL 2023 marks not just the end of a regional hackathon event but the emergence of promising business ventures which can be incubated through Kingston Creatives Incubator, Accelerator, Best Pitch Forward, Business Registration and other programmes designed to empower creative entrepreneurs and drive growth in the Cultural and Creative Industries. Hackathons are essential features of the ecosystem, nurturing future innovators and fostering a culture of collaboration in the creative economies of Central America and the Caribbean. All the participants have received an exclusive invitation to use business services at the Hub and join the Kingston Creative Incubator Programme, which will further guide their projects and entrepreneurial pursuits.