Yekini Wallen-Bryan is the winner of the first-ever Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) Young Caribbean Water Entrepreneurs Shark Tank Competition. The 25-year-old Jamaican national was among seven (7) finalists in the regional competition and delivered the winning pitch, securing 4,000 Euros.
GWP-C has for many years, recognised the critical importance of creating avenues for young people to become involved in water governance and management ventures. Development challenges in the Caribbean will ultimately be inherited by the region’s youth. Young people are providers of solutions and have ideas and energy to act for sustainable development.
Through GWP-C’s work and interaction with its youth Partners and young people within water and related sectors, they often do not have access to funding or resources to easily advance their project ideas. Additionally, they do not always have easy access to technical support to turn their ideas into fully workable projects.
The GWP-C Young Caribbean Water Entrepreneurs Shark Tank Competition therefore aimed to provide a unique opportunity for young persons from the Caribbean between the ages of 18 to 34 years, to pitch innovative and impactful water project ideas to support better water resources management in their community, country or the Caribbean region under the themes:
- Water and Climate
- Water and Agriculture
- Water and Health
- Water and Energy
- Water and Tourism
Entrants in the competition were required to submit a project proposal and a short 2 – 3-minute video describing their project (new or ongoing). GWP-C received several submissions from remarkable young people throughout the Caribbean. The competition’s “Review Sharks” through a meticulous assessment process, narrowed these submissions down to seven (7) finalists. All applicants (including the finalists) received feedback from the “Review Sharks” on how to enhance their project proposals.
Finalists then had the opportunity to pitch their projects directly to “Sharks” on December 7th, 2019 for a chance to secure funding of 4,000 Euros to advance their innovative water-related project ideas. Watch the Finals of the GWP-C Shark Tank Competition.
Yekini Wallen-Bryan’s winning pitch was based on his project “PreeLabs” which fell under the competition’s “Water and Energy” theme. The project’s Pree line of devices are centred around remote monitoring, control and automation of the assets and environments of homeowners, business places and other public and private entities.
The first commercially available line of the products is the PowerPree – A device and app/ website that gives customers the ability to monitor and control their electrical appliances from anywhere in the world from their smartphone or computer. It also allows people to get their energy in figures, so that they can understand: Dollars (Based on local utility provider rates).
Yekini’s pitch focused on the water equivalent (WaterPree) which is in the development stage. WaterPree being a device that would allow people to monitor and control their water usage from their smart phone. A version of this product is already in the works, which can allow the viewing of water tank levels remotely.
When asked about the challenge the project is addressing and why it is important to him, Yekini explained that “Jamaica has a very high cost of energy, as well as a serious water distribution problem, with droughts plaguing most of the island at increased rates and with more severity in recent years. As a result, we experience very high utility bills with an intermittent, unreliable grid that has regular power outages. In addition, we experience frequent water outages despite the amount of rainfall we experience locally.”
According to him “I’ve always had a passion for finding more efficient ways of solving problems. The solutions that we’ve developed are our means for addressing the most widespread problems impacting our economy and lifestyle.”
The system is the first internet-of-things solution for utilities that has been developed and manufactured in the Caribbean region. What will set the project apart from alternative solutions, is the platform it creates and the data analytics, reporting and forecasting that it can provide for the water sector in Jamaica and the Caribbean region.
