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.... It only "tek too long" -- in an environment of educated dummies -- like the thought process of most Jamaicans 
'Start a fyah' — Igniting Jamaica's venture capital industry the Paul Ahlstrom way
BY KEITH COLLISTER
Friday, June 21, 2019
Referencing reggae singer Chronixx song “Start a Fyah”, Utah entrepreneur and serial venture capital fund manager Paul Ahlstrom, in his presentation at the Development Bank of Jamaica's Private Equity, Infrastructure, SME's Entrepreneurship and Innovation conference, noted his reference was not to burn anything down, but one of “igniting” the venture capital industry and entrepreneurial spirit in Jamaica.
Six years ago, he had challenged young Jamaicans to enter the Business Model Competition (founded in Utah) by putting up his own money (matched by that of then DBJ Chairman Joe Matalon) to help finance the effort.
The results are now in. Last year in 2018 Jamaica placed first and second, competing with 5,000 teams from across the United States. Interestingly, also in 2013 at the same conference, he had been interviewed on his book, “Nail it, then scale it,” by a Dr Nigel Clarke, now our minister of finance, an interview further covered in my 2013 article 'Venture capital without friendly climate to entrepreneurs like pouring water into sand'.
Now Ahlstrom is back with a bigger challenge for Jamaica.
As in 2013, he started his presentation by observing that “Everyone wants to be the next Silicon Valley”.
Over 100 groups/areas/countries have tried but only a few have succeeded, notable amongst them Israel, the so called “Start-Up Nation” and Singapore.
Now tiny Utah has become one of these contenders, and is now called “Silicon Slopes”, coming from nothing in the mid-1996 (a paltry US$14 million dollars in venture capital raised) to billions per year now, making it the number three state in the US in terms of venture dollars raised per capita
'Start a fyah' — Igniting Jamaica's venture capital industry the Paul Ahlstrom way
BY KEITH COLLISTER
Friday, June 21, 2019
Referencing reggae singer Chronixx song “Start a Fyah”, Utah entrepreneur and serial venture capital fund manager Paul Ahlstrom, in his presentation at the Development Bank of Jamaica's Private Equity, Infrastructure, SME's Entrepreneurship and Innovation conference, noted his reference was not to burn anything down, but one of “igniting” the venture capital industry and entrepreneurial spirit in Jamaica.
Six years ago, he had challenged young Jamaicans to enter the Business Model Competition (founded in Utah) by putting up his own money (matched by that of then DBJ Chairman Joe Matalon) to help finance the effort.
The results are now in. Last year in 2018 Jamaica placed first and second, competing with 5,000 teams from across the United States. Interestingly, also in 2013 at the same conference, he had been interviewed on his book, “Nail it, then scale it,” by a Dr Nigel Clarke, now our minister of finance, an interview further covered in my 2013 article 'Venture capital without friendly climate to entrepreneurs like pouring water into sand'.
Now Ahlstrom is back with a bigger challenge for Jamaica.
As in 2013, he started his presentation by observing that “Everyone wants to be the next Silicon Valley”.
Over 100 groups/areas/countries have tried but only a few have succeeded, notable amongst them Israel, the so called “Start-Up Nation” and Singapore.
Now tiny Utah has become one of these contenders, and is now called “Silicon Slopes”, coming from nothing in the mid-1996 (a paltry US$14 million dollars in venture capital raised) to billions per year now, making it the number three state in the US in terms of venture dollars raised per capita
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