We’re leaning all the way in: SiliconCaribe.com is focused on covering the Caribbean Tech Startup Scene

I am excited about where things are now and where things are headed for tech entrepreneurship and startups in the Caribbean this year, we’ve come along way and we have a long way to go. Since launching my Caribbean Tech Blog in 2005, when it was called TechWatchCaribbean, I tried to cover all things tech happening in the Caribbean, then went through the stops and starts, rash of guest bloggers, iterations of editorial focus,  – and along the way landing 3 national blog awards for what we were doing right.

I gave you an idea of where things were going to be headed early 2012 with Where is Silicon Caribe and how do you get there?  then What to expect from SiliconCaribe.com in 2012, then in November asked you to pardon our progress while I regrouped. And through it all you stayed and kept reading and wow has Google Search been good to us and the 1, 075 blog posts we have on here.

We also declared last year that we can now dub SiliconCaribe a place – a region, home to our Caribbean Tech Startups and established Tech Companies – our Caribbean Tech Community.  It’s a name we’ve precociously given to our blossoming Caribbean Tech industry, a blossoming culture of entrepreneurship and innovation. This media blog, its namesake, is dedicated to covering the people, companies, events and culture that’s making things happen. Breaking News. Interviews. Insight. Reviews.

Through that journey, it always came back to what got me blogging in the first place and thankfully, what people were interested in reading and sharing -which was – what are Caribbean people doing online and with technology. Then it went further, what are Caribbean tech entrepreneurs doing online and with technology and how were were going to start doing big and small great things like they’ve been doing in Silicon Valley.

It was  seeking and then finding out -Who launch this online coffee selling shop, when are we going to see more online magazines, who just launched a Jamaican ebay, they are charging subscriptions for listening to live reggae and soca radio stations online? and it just kept going and growing. I kept seeking the information and people kept sending me information too. And after analysing the site stats, what always seemed to get the most views are stories on who is doing what online and with technology in the Caribbean.

What we’re focusing on now and why ?

So we’ve explored some of the many aspects of the Caribbean Tech industry…I’ve decided that SiliconCaribe.com is going to meet the Caribbean Tech Startup community right where it is now and speak to the people behind the ideas, products, organisations, initiatives that are working to taking it further. I know I’ve probably said this before in a drive by fashion and it showed on the blog too, so I want to make it very clear what SiliconCaribe.com will be totally focused on going forward and that we’re leaning all the way in.

SiliconCaribe.com is the blog that covers the Caribbean Tech Startup Scene – The Entrepreneurs, Developers, Designers, Investors, Advocates, Culture and Events. We going to be sharing the stories of where tech entrepreneurship and innovation is happening and who’s behind it. And we’re going to be focused on stories, facts, ideas, the success, failures and lessons learned, our journey to putting the Caribbean on the global map.

While I know that we’re in the business of ideas, information and inspiration – there will be zero hype!

We will feature more tech entrepreneurs in the Caribbean and Caribbean Diaspora who are on a mission of bringing their ideas to life. We will showcase more of the tech culture as it grows and will flavour our blog posts with our opinions of what’s great and not so great about this blossoming culture of tech entrepreneurship, innovation and startups.

We also interview more of the people who are helping Caribbean Tech Entrepreneurs to succeed –  the investors and who we call, the advocates- the community leaders, training organisations, government agencies, aid organisations, businesses, accelerators and incubators.

We will continue to co-produce the following events – Kingston BETA and Caribbean BETA. We continue to co-promote events such as Slashroots Developing the Caribbean, and get on board with Startup Weekend Martinique, Startup Weekend Trinidad and Startup Weekend Jamaica. Yep, as I said, we’re leaning all the way in.

If you want to join me, us on this journey of taking the Caribbean Tech Ideas to the World – as an on staff blogger, guest blogger, advertiser, investor let me know. If you have an idea of a competition or another event, I am open. Want me to know about what you are doing with your tech  ideas, startup, app, initiative, event etc Email me ingrid @ connectimass.com. Let’s make it happen.