41 Youth Businesses Shine at Expo
Forty-one youth entrepreneurs showcased their products and services at the 3rd Annual Youth Business Expo on November 15, 2025, at the Multi-purpose Sports Complex in Road Town. Organised by the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports under the theme 'Empowering Entrepreneurs, Strengthening Communities', the event featured speeches from department leaders and Minister Sharie B. de Castro and included seven awards.
The Department of Youth Affairs and Sports hosted the 3rd Annual Youth Business Expo on Saturday, November 15, 2025, bringing 41 registered youth entrepreneurs together under the theme 'Empowering Entrepreneurs, Strengthening Communities'. The event took place at the Multi-purpose Sports Complex in Road Town and aimed to give young business owners exposure, networking opportunities and practical feedback from the public.
Leonard praised the participants, saying, "Each of them has brought forward ideas, passion and their determination to build something meaningful." Organisers also recognised outstanding participants with seven awards presented during the expo. Education, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Hon.
Sharie B. de Castro addressed those gathered and framed government support in agricultural terms: "My own work, the ministry’s work, the government’s work, is to water the seeds of your ambition, young people. It is to clear the stones from your path and make sure that when you reach upward, you find sunlight, not ceilings." She reiterated that two priority areas for government scholarships and grants are the creative industries and entrepreneurship, and encouraged attendees: "Your ideas are not too wild, your timing is absolutely not too early, and your dreams are not too much." For BVI residents, the expo highlighted the growing role of homegrown entrepreneurship in economic diversification and community resilience.
Young founders displayed businesses spanning creative arts, food and beverage, services and technology — sectors that can complement the territory’s tourism economy while creating year-round employment and opportunity. Beyond sales and promotion, the expo provided hands-on benefits: direct customer feedback, potential supplier and partner connections, and visibility for grant and scholarship tracks announced by the ministry.
Organisers said events like this are intended to bridge the gap between start-up ideas and sustainable businesses by linking youth with mentorship, training and public-sector support. The Department of Youth Affairs and Sports urged residents to support local youth businesses and to watch for future workshops, funding calls and mentorship programmes aimed at helping next-stage businesses grow.
The success of the third annual expo underlined a broader push to make entrepreneurship a viable career path for young people across the Virgin Islands.
Primary source: VINO