Tramore/Caribbean entrepreneur Jennylynd James
A Tramore based businesswoman who originally hails from the Caribbean, featured on RTE’s ‘Dragons’ Den’ recently, receiving backing from two ‘Dragons’ to invest in her business.
Jennylynd James from Trinidad, and now of Tramore, described the Dragons’ Den experience as ‘surreal’.
She said it took weeks of preparation for her two-minute pitch and questions. The experience was nerve-wrecking getting all the facts and figures together and preparing answers to possible questions. In the end, the preparation was well worth it, she reckoned.
Formerly based in Dublin, she moved to Tramore two years ago with her daughter Tiffany who goes to school in Stella Maris.
Jennylynd travels around the country promoting her ‘Taste of Caribbean’ brand which the Dragons tasted and liked.
Jennylynd has lived and worked in the USA, Canada and now Ireland. She holds a PhD in food science from MacGill University in Montreal. Prior to moving to Tramore she worked with a food company in Dublin.
On TV, when entering the Den, she was forced to dust off an old business plan and give it a complete ‘makeover’. She said it was a good opportunity to get feedback on her brand sauces from successful entrepreneurs.
On sale in shops and markets around the country, the products had been sourced abroad but now were made in Ireland in Wicklow and, if the business made increased turnover, more locally based sales people in Waterford could be employed, she revealed.
See The Munster Express newspaper for full story and interview.
