The Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) – Startup Training & Investor Forum brought together thirty participants from Fiji, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Palau at the Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay in Nadi.
Additionally, eighteen participants joined the Investors Forum from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Samoa, and Soloman Island.
This forum, organized by VentureWell, aimed to empower young science and technology innovators and entrepreneurs through hands-on training and mentoring provided by U.S. experts.
Business Assistance Fiji (BAF) was the in-country partner for the training.
The first day of the forum took place on Tuesday, 31 October 2023.
During this day, participants in the Startup Training learned about the importance of startups, creating a business model canvas, and understanding the value of customer feedback. Meanwhile, participants in the Investor Forum went through topics such as cultural considerations in capital conversations, the fundamentals of angel investing, designing investment theses, and developing an investment ecosystem.
