ST JAMES, Jamaica — Networking, starting small, managing risk, embracing a growth mindset, and relentlessly pursuing excellence were among the core pieces of advice delivered by renowned motivational speaker and hotelier Christopher Issa to student entrepreneurs from Hanover.

Over the past three months, 30 students representing four Hanover high schools, namely Rusea’s High, Green Island High, Merlene Ottey High, and Knockalva Technical High, operated 23 businesses.

They were competing for a grand prize valued at $90,000 in the pilot phase of the Youth Entrepreneur Programme, a joint initiative by the Social Development Commission (SDC) Hanover and the Infiniti Cooperative Credit Union.