The U.S. Embassy Kingston’s Public Affairs Section and Branson Centre Caribbean have inked an agreement to host specialized fireside chats throughout the year under the theme “Journeys to Scale”.

The memorandum of understanding was signed at the Robeson American Center between Branson Centre’s CEO Lisandra Rickards and U.S. Embassy Kingston’s Counselor for Public Affairs, Jeremiah Knight, last Friday. The partnership formalizes a commitment to complement each other’s mission for the development of Jamaica’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The fireside chats, which commence this June, are designed to bring together business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and other specialists to discuss important issues affecting entrepreneurship in the region. It will also support the continuous effort to expand the growth pipeline for entrepreneurs across the island through knowledge sharing.

“Promoting a robust Jamaican economy is a common area of interest for both organizations,” said Knight. “Our goal is to assist local entrepreneurs in scaling up their businesses by promoting the exchange of ideas and information with key business leaders in Jamaica and the U.S. The building of knowledge capital will allow local entrepreneurs to position themselves to maximize bilateral trade relations with the U.S.”

“Branson Centre and the U.S. Embassy Kingston want to highlight the impact and importance of entrepreneurship, exponential thinking, and partnerships on building a dynamic Caribbean economy,” Rickards added. “These fireside chats will bring a fresh perspective to the entrepreneurial and investment community through a meeting of the minds with experts in scaling small and growing businesses.”