Building the Future of Creative Social Enterprise in the Caribbean

 

The AMPLIFY Connect Fellowship & Accelerator is East Yard’s flagship training initiative, designed to support creative entrepreneurs and nonprofits in developing socially impactful ventures that use creativity to drive sustainable development. The program bridges cultural expression with strategic business practices—empowering participants to build campaigns, products, and experiences that make a difference.

 

Note: Applications for the 2025 cohort are currently closed.

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What is Creative Social Enterprise?

Creative Social Enterprise sits at the intersection of creativity, commerce, and community impact. It uses tools from the cultural and creative industries—fashion, media, art, music, food—to address urgent social issues like unemployment, gender-based violence, environmental harm, and community resilience. Globally, the creative economy contributes over $2.25 trillion to GDP and employs millions. Yet in the Caribbean, creatives often lack access to systems that help them scale impact and ensure financial sustainability. AMPLIFY Connect responds to this gap with structured learning, mentorship, and real-world application.

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Fellowship Overview (Cohort 2 - 2025)

Running from March 10 to November 9, 2025, the AMPLIFY Connect: Creative Social Enterprise Fellowship & Accelerator 2025 is funded by the JB Fernandes Memorial Trust I. The 8-month hybrid program is structured into three modules:

1. CULTIVATION

Capacity building in social business modeling, branding, financial planning, and community-based design.

2. CO-CREATION

Fellows prototype social impact products or services, develop advocacy or behavior-change campaigns, and design public activations.

3. CONNECTION

Exposure to regional and international networks, mentorship, retail partnerships, and public engagement through events like the AMPLIFY Connect Summit.

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