Digital Jam 3 Sets Stage for Economic Development

Joseph M. Matalon speaks at Digital Jam 3.0

The Digital Jam 3.0 "Caribbean Edition" tech conference kicked off on Saturday, March 1, 2014 with a collection of powerful speakers that reinforced the connection between technology employment and entrepreneurship with personal and national economic development.

Suitably staged at the University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters, the Get Up, Start Up Conference opened with presentations from Jamaica Development Bank Chairman, Joseph M. Matalon, Caribbean Development Bank Operations Officer, Lisa Harding, State Minister in the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, the Hon. Julian Robinson and keynote speaker The Hon. Dr. Peter Phillips, Minister of Finance.

The full and overflowing audience was populated with finalists in the app competition, developers, programmers, visionaries, entrepreneurs and investors in addition to media anxious to report on the insights being shared at the conference.  Notably, the audience was not limited to Jamaican nationals but rather reflected support from the region.  Participants from Haiti, Barbados, Dominica, St. Kitts, Trinidad and Tobago and Antigua were also in attendance.

During his exhaustive presentation, Minister Robinson clearly illustrated the relationship between developing technology and nation building.  Mr. Matalon encouraged developers, programmers and entrepreneurs to get ready for the funding options that will become available in the next few months while Ms. Harding highlighted that never has there been a better time to capitalize on business opportunities as technology levels the global playing field.

Digital Jam 3.0 "Caribbean Edition"

The conference continued with a number of panel discussions and breakout sessions designed to put potential tech luminaries with current tech leaders for knowledge sharing, insights and networking.

Interspersed between the speeches, talks, presentations, demonstrations, handouts and consistent unfolding of critical information was a lighter, energetic yet equally significant performance of singer/dub poet/entertainer Randy McLaren.

The two day conference continues on March 2, 2014.