Photo Caption: Young Entrepreneur, Mr. Shane Browne

By: Staff Writer

Young Kittitian businessmen Janeel Boon and Shane Browne have been selected as Professional Fellows for this year’s 2018 Young Leaders of The Americas, (YLAI) Cohort. This year’s opening ceremony will be held in Detroit, Michgan in September and thereafter fellows would fly to their respective city hubs for their 4 week instensive fellowship.

Having been apart of the inaugural Under 30 OECS Cohort that received an Award for their innovative business ventures, both Shane and Janeel are excited about the opportunity before them. They will be paired with a US business similar to theirs to get first hand insight about their respective business interests.

Shane Browne is the Owner of SKN VILLAGE, a clothing outlet that operates in the Rose Building, on Rosemary Lane, Basseterre while Janeel Boon is the Owner of Boon’s Computer Repairs located in Verchilds.

In an exclusive interview with Mr. Browne, this medium learnt that SKN Village is geared towards creating a virtual, hands on shopping experience that is targeted towards millennials who crave instant gratification. Browne stated, “we cater to the social media enthusiasts who love staying current with trending products and keeping up with their favourite celebrity fashions.’

When asked about the impact his selection is having on the business, he responded by saying, “the impact is already a positive one, different persons have already been contacting me and showing interest in the concept and the way I do business. He further stated, “I am already seeing a franchise opportunity developing.”

Browne indicated that he learnt about YLAI through a personal friend last year but it was very last minute, so he never applied and decided to give it a try this year.

According to Browne, he was attending to customers when he got a notification. He said, “when I decided to glance, all I saw was YLAI and congratulations.” “Instantly, I started jumping for joy, probably looking crazy; without reading through the email thoroughly, Browne indicated that his customers celebrated with him so his awkward moment was short lived.

“Diversity is very important in life… being creative and networking with the right persons that can elevate you or guide you closer to where you would like to be, is something I hope to Achieve.” He further stated, “I think we can all learn from each other seeing that most of us are entrepreneurs or in a managerial position at our job. From is experience Browne hopes to learn as much as possible, share his knowledge, interact with peers and become an ambassador for small business.

Photo Caption: Young Entrepreneur, Mr. Janeel Boon of Boon Computer Repairs

Ideally located in Verchilds Boon’s Computer Repairs caters to rural homes, said Boon in an exclusive interview with Andre Huie of SKN-NEWS Line.

During the interview, he revealed that, he learnt about YLAI while visiting the United States Embassy in Barbados. Boon said, “I saw a poster at the Embassy.” Having completed various stages Boon was confident of a final spot.

Boon offered advice to young entrepreneurs by encouraging them to stay persistent, be disciplined and consider every small move a big move.

Boon like his counterpart is looking forward to networking.

At the completion of their fellowship, fellows would journey to Washington DC, for the closing ceremony in October.

This year’s process saw Meridian receiving 2,000 applications spread across the Caribbean and Latin America.

Previous Alumni fellows from St. Kitts are Necola Charles, Tishon Thomas, Akila S. Phillip and the lone fellow from Nevis, Tito Chapman.