Toni-Ann Williams, owner and founder of the organic farm Mosa Estate, emerged third place in the 2023 Flow Business InKnowvation challenge held recently in Kingston, Jamaica.

A component of the InKnowvation Pitch Competition and Virtual Conference held under the theme ‘Small Business…Big Impact’, the competition saw entrepreneurs from the Caribbean vie for cash and technology prizes valued over US$20,000.

Participants in the pitch contest were required to submit a two-minute video sharing how they would use the funds and prizes to improve their operations, profitability, and competitiveness as it relates to digital technology. Thereafter, the top five contestants were invited to pitch live, with the top three being rewarded for their efforts in cash and kind.

For Williams, she submitted her video pitch for the 2023 Flow Business InKnowvation challenge with some measure of caution though still hopeful.

“I had entered the year before; however, I was unsuccessful and that really dampened my spirit,” she explained.

Notwithstanding the disappointment of not placing in the top five in 2022, the entrepreneur took some time to recalibrate, channelling all her energy into preparing a phenomenal pitch that would win the heart of the judging panel in the 2023 competition.

“This year I took a bit more time to prepare my pitch and meticulously outline how I would use the funding and tools to grow my business,” she stated.

Williams’ efforts were not in vain as the St James native was rewarded with third place out of over 200 applicants from more than 18 countries. For her prize, Williams received one year of high-speed Internet, the production and airing of a 30-second television commercial, the development and hosting of a website, and US$3,000 in cash.

Williams and Mosa Estate finished behind winner Terri Henry, founder of Bee Natural, a personal care production company in Dominica, and Dr Jose Davy, founder of the Better Health Centre in St Vincent and the Grenadines, who placed second.

“Winning to me was a great accomplishment and experience. I am so grateful to have been a part of the competition. This opportunity gave my company, Mosa Estate, the push it needed in terms of capital to help implement automation software in the agri-tech arm of the business as well as remote access for real-time data through Flow Business’ fast internet,” Williams outlined.

The InKnowvation Pitch Competition forms part of the telecoms provider’s support of the wider ecosystem of small business operators in the Caribbean.

“We recognise that small businesses are the driving force behind our economy and, in fact, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises [MSMEs] provide more than 70 per cent of employment in Jamaica. As a true partner to operators within the MSME sector, we therefore take pride in providing such opportunities for entrepreneurs to expand their knowledge and improve their operations and efficiency,” senior manager for Flow Business Dwayne Walters noted.

The Flow Business InKnowvation Pitch Competition headlined by keynote speaker and entrepreneur Grace “Spice” Hamilton with 5,000 attendees registered. Hamilton was also part of the judging panel that assessed the top five Pitch Challenge entrants and expressed how impressed she was with the pitches by the top three entrants who detailed their companies’ road maps for growth.

“I’m looking forward to seeing them put the prizes they have received to good use,” the entertainer and businesswoman said.