Winners Announced at the 3rd Phillip Nassief Entrepreneurship Challenge
The GEMS Foundation is proud to announce the winners of the 3rd Phillip Nassief Entrepreneurship Challenge (PNEC), a premier platform designed to stimulate innovation and sustainable enterprise development within Dominica’s hospitality and tourism supply chain.
Following a highly competitive pitch event, hosted on February 19 featuring six dynamic entrepreneurs, the 2026 winners are: 1st Place – ShopDM (Founder: Davidson Edwards), 2nd Place – Bonnit Enterprise (Founder: Naomi Bannis-Sampson, and 3rd Place – Frying Pan Productions (Founder: Nadja Thomas).
The remaining finalists — CQ’s Pepper Sauce (Quentin Gregoire), Filtr Aesthetics (Sade Samuel), and Outsource Development (Natasha Yeeloy Labad) — delivered compelling presentations that demonstrated innovation, resilience, and commitment to strengthening Dominica’s tourism ecosystem.
The PNEC focuses specifically on entrepreneurs operating within the hospitality and tourism supply chain including businesses that provide goods, services, creative solutions, and local value-added products that enhance visitor experience while generating sustainable economic impact for Dominica. Through structured evaluation and public pitching, participants showcased scalable business models aligned with sustainability, local sourcing, service excellence, and innovation. The Challenge continues to reinforce the importance of integrating local entrepreneurs into Dominica’s growing tourism economy.
Director of Entrepreneurship, Lizra Fabien shared, “This third edition of the Phillip Nassief Entrepreneurship Challenge was intensely competitive, and that is exactly what we want to see. The level of preparation, clarity of vision, refinement of business ideas, and market readiness demonstrated by the finalists shows that Dominican entrepreneurs are stepping up with confidence and substance. Each pitch reflected real work behind the scenes, thoughtful positioning, and an understanding of how their businesses fit into and strengthen our tourism supply chain. We strongly encourage entrepreneurs across Dominica to take these platforms seriously, to apply, to prepare, and to show up. Opportunities like this Challenge sharpens businesses, expands networks, and positions our entrepreneurs to compete at a higher level which ultimately strengthens our economy.”
The GEMS Foundation extends appreciation to GEMS Holdings, whose leadership and vision continue to champion entrepreneurship and private-sector development. We also thank our valued donors and strategic partner, the Dominica Association of Industry and Commerce (DAIC), for their collaboration and support in empowering entrepreneurs and advancing enterprise growth across Dominica.
Through initiatives like PNEC, the GEMS Foundation reaffirms its commitment to nurturing resilient entrepreneurs who are driving innovation, strengthening the hospitality and tourism supply chain, and contributing meaningfully to national development. For more information on the GEMS Foundation, visit www.gems.dm/foundation or follow @gemsfoundation on social media.