GLOBAL Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) kicked off on the 14th of this month and runs to the 22nd with the aim of exposing young people all over the world to entrepreneurship. The theme this year is ‘Take a step forward’, and I think that is very fitting for Jamaican entrepreneurs who are looking to grow or start their ventures.

It is probably a coincidence that I was able to attend the IPO briefing for Exponential Holdings, an investment firm somewhat similar to Keystone Augusta, that was started by Justin Nam, because it is the perfect example of what GEW represents: Young people moving forward despite the odds and taking that initiative that all countries need from the next generation.

I have repeatedly said in this column that the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange is critical to the future growth of the country because the start-ups and young companies in Jamaica will be able to use it to access a cheaper source of capital than bank loans and other options. Small businesses create jobs and start-ups are clearly needed for Jamaica to show real growth.

The status quo of companies has got us to where we are today with atrocious GDP over a 20-year period and little hope for growth above two per cent in any one year for the foreseeable future.

This clearly means that the future of Jamaica depends on doing something very different from what has come before, and I firmly believe that part of the solution is in supporting innovative start-ups in different industries un the same way developed countries like the US support start-ups via the capital markets.

This is what impressed me about Exponential — the innovative approach to allowing retail investors to no longer only depend on extremely low savings rates to generate investment returns from private companies and publicly traded stock of foreign companies.

As an investor, you can either pick stocks on your own, doing the research and analysis on your own, or trust someone with more experience. I usually prefer to trust the more experienced with such things, and that is where one must also consider the past experience of the person to whom you are giving money.

The Junior Market has mainly seen listings of existing businesses, but more start-ups that are well thought out, have good management and are innovative need to feel confident that the market will accept them. If start-ups do not see the Junior Market as viable, then Jamaica will miss out on potential job creation because of lack of funding.

I wish Justin the best with his IPO because, if it is successful and the company does well, it will serve as a local example of benefits of ‘sticktuitiveness’ — that perseverance despite the odds, that willingness to take a big step forward.

Full Disclosure: I know Justin Nam personally but I do not own any stock in Exponential, nor will I benefit from the IPO. His journey is simply an inspiration for entrepreneurs like me who know what that path is like.

David Mullings is the CEO of Keystone Augusta, a private investment firm based in Orlando, Florida. He was the first Future Leaders representative on the Jamaica Diaspora Advisory Board. He can be found at Twitter.com/Davidmullings and Facebook.com/InteractiveDialogue