The Tribune

By FELICITY DARVILLE

Regina Smith and Kentisha Ward have a vision. They see a future where Bahamians become more self-sufficient and create a nation of producers. They have a dream of reducing hunger by transforming food waste into value added products. They envision reducing the national debt by increasing national exports. Most importantly, they have a vision of food sustainability through entrepreneurship.

These are lofty goals, but absolutely necessary for our survival. Both of these ladies are currently entrepreneurs with their own amazing products. They both faced the same issue – they needed to meet the standards necessary to become exporters. That need is one faced by entrepreneurs all over the country who want to take their business to the next level. Regina and Kentisha decided they not only needed to fill this gap for themselves, but for their fellow Bahamians. With that, Grow: the Food Lab was born.

Grow: The Food Lab will be The Bahamas’ first ever FDA certified processing plant. It is a one-stop shop for creatives, processors, farmers, bakers and chefs, connecting a community and providing services to help Bahamians start or accelerate their business. By being a part of a community, business owners can save on various aspects of producing a food product that is FDA approved. They can save on the extensive process required for testing their product, the FDA registration fees, the costly aspect of capital investment for production and manufacturing, as well as saving on packaging and labelling. The processing plant will offer industrial packaging services as well as cold and dry storage facilities to meet the growing needs of Bahamian manufacturers and food processors.

The vision is now within reach. These ladies have officially formulated the business concept, researched the market, they have a business plan and they are ready to put it into action. They are actively creating programmes with the public and private sectors, academia and international agencies to enhance the products and services that Grow will offer. Most importantly, they are raising funds through the Arawak X Platform. Grow: The Food Lab joined the initial wave of companies to launch on the Arawak X crowdfunding platform on October 25.

“This allows us to reach our funding goal in addition to giving Bahamians and others the opportunity to invest for only $16 per share,” said Regina.

“Can you imagine… the average cost of a meal today, can secure food security in the future.

“Our campaign goal is set at $1.8 million for this first phase. Once funding is achieved, we intend to break ground immediately. Our goal is very ambitious but we understand the urgency of a project like this and accepted the challenge and have been preparing for this opportunity.”

Regina and Kentisha are combining years of experience that they both have as processors and manufacturers to launch a business to help local businesses and with the capacity to scale up and expand to international markets.

“Investing in Grow is an investment in all Bahamian businesses,” Kentisha said.

“We will open our doors to local companies who need access to a world class facility in order to take their businesses to the next level. We can process jams, sauces, flours, ice creams and more – basically, any kind of local produce can be processed in our facility.

“As food processors ourselves, we understand firsthand the challenges in bringing our products such as my pepper sauces and Kentisha’s popsicles to market.

“With no FDA certified processing plants in The Bahamas, we both encountered similar obstacles with getting our products up to international standards, therefore opening new markets, allowing for export and potentially new revenues. Currently, there are markets asking for Caribbean products but currently, we are unable to meet this demand. We’ve developed the solutions that led us to starting this facility that will make life a lot easier for businesses within our industry and provide them with opportunities to grow.”

Regina is currently the owner of Firehouse Spice Co, which manufactures seasonings, sauces and condiments from locally sourced produce. Regina’s experience and skill set lies in project management, research and development. She is passionate about sustainable and environmental practices, especially in a local application to help the Bahamian economy and its people.

Firehouse Spices has been operating for six years as a wholesaler and a retailer. Distributing locally to restaurants and stores. Recently, Firehouse Spices obtained placement in the United States distribution market, with products being sold as far north as New York. Her products have also been featured on the US Embassy, Washington DC portal representing The Bahamas.

Regina is a facilitator of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs programme hosted by the US Embassy and the Small Business Development Centre (SBDC). She shares her networking and business development tools needed for aspiring women entrepreneurs to succeed. She is a 2004 graduate of St Augustine’s College and went on to attain a degree in Tourism Management from the College of the Bahamas, where she graduated in 2010. She went on to become a 2018 alumna of the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative program. Her network with the University of Virginia and Cornell University provides direct contact with their food science departments and innovation centres. Regina is also a Project Officer at the Bahamas Development Bank.

Kentisha is the owner of Pop Stop, a gourmet popsicle company. In addition, this Barry University graduate is the lead consultant for the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture organization’s Agribusiness Incubator in Grand Bahama and Abaco. Her expertise range includes operations management, marketing branding and packaging, research and development, start-ups and agriculture. She is passionate about entrepreneurship and education. Kentisha also spends her spare time teaching entrepreneurship at BTVI.

Pop Stop Gourmet Popsicles has been in operation since October 2015. These delicious popsicles are sourced from local fruits and vegetables to process into final products. She started with just $10 and today, her company is wholesaling and retailing to local markets. Pop Stop has expanded to restaurants, resorts and local food store chains, creating valuable distribution networks. Kentisha has also taught entrepreneurship at the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute. A 2005 Queen’s College graduate, she also assists her alma mater through the QC Centre for Furthering Education, where she has served for five years, assisting many local start-up entrepreneurs.

The concept of Grow: the Food Lab came about when both partners came across the same roadblocks to scaling up and exporting their products. After years of exploring the markets individually, they decided that building a space for all was more beneficial than building a facility for each manufacturer. They will create a facility that will foresee the challenges that small local farmers, processors and food entrepreneurs face, thereby addressing the national problem of food security and sustainability.

There were so many steps or learning lessons on the way. Whether it was Regina potentially having all of her products seized by US Customs due to non-FDA compliance but, successfully navigating that process, or Kentisha standing in her kitchen hearing an international buyer request 121,000 cases of soursop pops and having no capital to scale up from a home kitchen producer to commercial manufacturer.

“I remember when I first started Firehouse,” Regina said. “My goal was to export to the US. At that time, I didn’t know how or when it would happen, but I knew one day it would. Year after year, trade shows to markets, I kept pushing. Even when there were power outages and equipment that got damaged, I made the sacrifice to repurchase, regroup and start again. Through the OWN Bahamas Foundation and the SBDC Program, I did receive funding and opportunities that were able to catapult me to where Firehouse is today. I have secured an international distributor and Firehouse is being featured in Dubai at the 2021 Expo!

“For me, it’s time to share the knowledge and experience with the wider community and create a network of Bahamians that will empower each other, and will work together to achieve our national goals of food sustainability and security. As long as you can think of it, you can achieve it!”

The two co-founders envision a future where a local jam maker will be able to use their facility to process and package their uniquely Bahamian products for export to the US. Local chefs will be able to use GROW’s prep kitchen to serve their clients without having to rent an entire restaurant space.

“We envision a food campus where every sector of the supply chain is served,” Kentisha explained.

“Our vision is to ensure that the entire ecosystem is serviced in some form by our operations. Five years from now, we want to have a model that can be duplicated at varying sizes throughout the country. Grow: The Food Lab will serve as a hub for young entrepreneurs to put their culinary interest to the test and allow them a place to connect and create amazing products.”

Grow’s honorary advisory board includes: Janet Johnson, a tourism veteran with more than 40 years’ experience; Vanessa Benjamin, an executive leader in conservation and non-profits; Janet Bullard, a veteran banker-turned-attorney; Sumayyah Cargill, an educated industrial engineer; and Zeleka Knowles, an international civil servant and non-profit specialist. Farmers like Whitlyn Miller, producers like Moses Taylor and chefs like Simeon Hall and Keshla Smith-Clarke are already giving Grow: the Food Lab high marks and are excited to be a part of a community set to shape the way of the future for Bahamian manufacturing.

Whitlyn Miller says farmers could get into creating all sorts of by-products if they have a place to go to produce them. Celebrity Chef Hall says such a concept is “long overdue”.

“To the farmer that grows, the producer that processes and the chef that cooks, we are here to help you grow,” Kentisha said.

Grow: the Food Lab can be found on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and LinkedIn. Arawak X still has the funding platform available for Bahamians to invest in this business, but the window is closing. Visit www.growbahamas.com, or email info@growbahamas.com for details.