Evie Kanhai-Gurchuran is the Managing Director of Girls in Tech Guyana, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Java Coffee Bar, EMTEC, a marketing and graphic design firm, SITES Builders, and Co-Grow, which is currently in development. She is a 2018 Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Alumna and 2018 Presidential Precinct Alumna. At just 34 years old, Kanhai-Gurchuran, mother and business analyst, has proven that hard work, perseverance and innovation can be rewarding.
Born in Newtown, Kitty, Georgetown, Kanhai-Gurchuran was raised in a religious family. Her parents were missionaries. Her early education occurred at St. Gabriel’s Primary School, then North Georgetown Secondary before moving to Mae’s Schools and then Queen’s College to study CAPE.
Developing business concepts with a focus on technology, marketing, and graphic design, were not initially the dreams of Kanhai-Gurchuran. So, though today she spends most of her working hours analyzing business ideas, working on business concepts, developing and taking them digital, it was a Degree in English that she was pursuing when she first went to the University of Guyana.
Though her family was entrepreneurs, Kanhai-Gurchuran was determined to walk her own path by working outside the family business. She started in the Hire Purchase Department of Larparkan. The idea to venture into technology was planted when one day, while using Microsoft Word, she quickly made a flyer to encourage customers to shop. Her flyer generated sales and the CEO decided that he needed her in the Marketing Department because she showed initiative. Immediately she was promoted and worked with the Marketing Director and was taught graphic design and how to run a media center.
Eventually, she was encouraged to start her own business, and Envisage Marketing was registered when she 20. However, it was challenging because of her inexperience. Eventually, she was discouraged and quit pursuing the business for a while.
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When an opportunity was presented by her father for her and her sister to get mission exposure, she was grateful. They traveled to North Africa where they spent four months visiting different countries. That led to her falling in love with the culture, which included the love for coffee and tea. That planted the idea for Java Coffee Bar even though she would not launch it until 2013. When she returned to Guyana in 2007, she began dating her husband and they got married in 2008. He encouraged her to restart Envisage Marketing since he would often seek her advice on designs and would always receive positive results. Envisage Marketing and Technology (EMTEC) emerged and she focused on marketing while her husband focused on the technology. EMTEC will be relaunching in a few months with a new venture called Co-Grow. They will be creating an incubator style co-working office with virtual offices and EMTEC being the business center to help entrepreneurs. Clients will have virtual office subscriptions, premiere Georgetown addresses, receptionist services, mail sorting services, and mentorship. Kanhai-Gurchuran wants to change the perception that entrepreneurship is an island experience by providing business support services, training and access to network. The tagline is ‘Replanting the Idea of Entrepreneurship’. When her father passed away some eight years ago, Kanhai-Gurchuran gained control of his hostel that housed missionaries. She began renting and finally, with the additional income, her dream Java Coffee Bar was born. Java has had its challenges for the business evolved from Kanhai-Gurchuran and her husband employing people based on contracts to managing a staff of between 13 to 20 people. While securing herself as an entrepreneur, Kanhai-Gurchuran has also been educating herself. She pursued a Diploma in Business Administration through Cambridge University, has completed a number of online courses, and has done marketing with IPED, edX courses and professional workshops. Last year, Kanhai-Gurchuran was one of three Guyanese selected to participate in the Young Leaders of the Americas (YLAI) Professional Fellowship Program. She was given the opportunity to build her capacity as a leader in community and business. She joined a reverse exchange project and someone from the United States will join her to execute programs in Guyana. The project she is working on is through SITES Builders, which is a platform for building websites and mobile apps. The work that she does with SITES now is developing training modules and creating digital opportunities for companies where she helps take businesses to a digital platform. The project is titled is ‘Girls and technology can change Guyana’ and is in the survey stage. It will be capturing data to show what the gaps and opportunities are for women and girls to be exposed to formal training in ICT disciplines. They will be building confidence in women to enter those fields. She is working with a female technology group from the University of Guyana and they will be launching on May 15. Her counterpart from the US is coming also to work with non-profit organizations. Kanhai-Gurchuran says business has been rewarding especially since having children. Her two daughters are her biggest inspiration. Being able to work a schedule around their needs is a blessing. If she were to do it all over again, Kanhai-Gurchuran would be more confident in her technical approach. She was told that there was no place in Guyana for the work she was pursuing. If she was more self-assured, she could have achieved much more sooner. Nevertheless, she is grateful for the journey because she learned valuable lessons and has much to be proud of. Her advice to young people is to research your area of interest and to find innovative approaches while examining needs and strengths. Kanhai-Gurchuran finds her work satisfying. She did not have to be a woman tech with a computer science degree, but her passion and wanting to see change in Guyana have been rewarding. Her leadership ability has been tested and she has proven that you can do anything no matter your background. Kanhai-Gurchuran advises that as an entrepreneur if you are ignorant about something, you must be prepared to admit it and get the help needed. “People can shake your confidence when you’re a young entrepreneur and make you second guess yourself, but passion brings success, which is not only measured by monetary value, but by peace of mind and the difference you make in a community.”
Questions
How did you arrive at the idea for your business?
My first business, I started when people would ask me to type documents and design letterheads. One day one of those persons put money in my hand for doing it. And that started a lifelong career in marketing, design, and branding. Having this skill helps me direct and develop any business concept, it has led to successfully creating Java Coffee Bar and SITES Builders among others.
What was your key driving force to become an entrepreneur?
Independence and self-actualization. One of the things I struggled with for a long time was people’s ‘approval’… as an entrepreneur, I am who I want to be, and not what an employer expects me to be.
Currently, the unnecessary pressure of our government policies and systems for doing business in Guyana.
What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
Our first 1M Cheque, we wanted to frame it 😀 but, bills had to be paid
What piece of advice would you give to other young people who want to become entrepreneurs?
Learn what you don’t know. Even if you hire someone who knows what you don’t know, it is important to have a basic knowledge to prevent yourself from losing in the long run.
How do you define success?
Designing the life you are comfortable living, and having the confidence to own your wins and failures.
Who has been your greatest inspiration?
My husband and two daughters.
