Innovators unveiled their groundbreaking web and app businesses on Thursday at the RTPark headquarters on St. Croix for the inaugural USVI Idea Incubator program.
The class of four entrepreneurs presented to a crowd of about 60 people about their future business ventures. Idea Incubator cohort members are: Dulcie Crowther the founder of “Spellable” a website that assists adults struggling with poor spelling; Zahra Jackson, the co-founder of “Vrenz” a dating app for lesbian, bisexual and bi-curious women; Amalie Krigger, founder of “Lentil,” a peer-to-peer car rental application; and Steve Lowe, founder of “Freedom Financial Advisors, LLC,” a website that assists with estate planning in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Caribbean.
Amanda Spann, the programs entrepreneurship manager, said that the idea came from her own experience creating her own app. “I wasted thousands of dollars just knowing what I didn’t know, being taken advantage of. Sometimes the person gave me what I asked for, but I didn’t know what to ask for,” Spann shared. She kept seeing people who wasted their savings on a dream, and it didn’t come and that was devastating and heartbreaking. She then wrote a book about working with developers and the program was developed around the book along with help from Eric Sonnier, the program’s director of entrepreneurship.
Some of the participants shared their challenges before the program. While Jackson said, “I think the biggest challenge was not knowing much about tech,” Crowther also had issues with the technical side as well. Lowe’s challenge was validation of his idea and Krigger said, “I was just really worried about the developing side of things, but when I started with the incubator, I began to worry about the business side of things.” All agreed that the program helped to launch their ideas.
The next step for the entrepreneurs is launching their applications and taking their business to the next level. They also have the opportunity to take part in the accelerator program that is now taking applications for the “Accelerator and Pre-Accelerator Program” until Dec. 15. For now, most of the applications and webpages are planned to launch by 2024 while Spellable is now available online.
Sonnier said, “I personally encourage all four of the founders here today to apply for the program, we will begin in Jan. 2024.”
The USVI Idea Incubator is not just an incubator, it’s a launchpad for aspiring tech entrepreneurs. This program has guided ambitious local innovators through the intricate journey of turning their tech ideas into scalable ventures. Entrepreneurs were provided with the knowledge, tools, and resources to succeed in the ever-evolving tech landscape.
The Product Showcase is the culmination of the entrepreneurs’ hard work, creativity, and dedication. Residents can celebrate their achievements and witness the exciting products they’ve brought to life, or learn more about the program, by visiting www.incubatevi.com.
