Miami Caribbean Code, the tech conference that bridges Miami to the rest of the Caribbean, is taking place on June 24th in Miami. Check out this interview with techie Henry Beaucejour, who will be one of the speakers at the event. Beaucejour is the editor of Haiti Tech News, and the Chairman of Haitian Caribbean Information Tech Council (Hacarabtech). Get a first-person handle on the conference through his eyes!

Kreyolicious: Tell us about yourself and what drew you to tech?
Henry Beaucejour is a dreamer, a visionary. I fall in love with anything related to technology. Understanding that technology is the backbone of organizations and companies around the world, especially developing countries. A couple of years ago, as I emigrated from Haiti to the United States, I found myself in a situation to bring [about] some changes. What drew me [to tech] was the passion to innovate and look at a better future for the youth. Our young people represent the future of this generation.

Kreyolicious: How did you get involved with Miami Caribbean Code?
I got involved after a briefing with Firmin Backer, one of the co-founders of the Haiti Renewal Alliance, a non-profit that promotes business development and investment in Haiti. Once Firmin Backer was in it…with his expertise in technical innovation, strategy development, along with his history in investment management, I thought it was something special.

Kreyolicious: Why do you think attending an event like this is important?
An event like this will allow the attendees to have a better exposure [to] and better understanding [of] how technology can bring people together…How technology can change the world to make it a better place to live as human beings, and also how new technology is being used to save lives.

Kreyolicious: What do you think attendees will learn from your session?
I am certain [that] after those attendees leave the session, they will change their minds, be more awakened to the vision that I have been sharing to the world for years in newspapers, different articles and social media. And they can also learn about the experiences of Haitian radio hosts Carel Pedre and JUNO7 who used Twitter and [other] social media [platforms] to inform the world about the earthquake and the cholera outbreak which ravaged their country, Haiti.

Henry Beaucejour being interviewed on his favorite subject…tech!

Kreyolicious: From what you can observe, why is tech so important in the Caribbean and Latin America?
As I said in the beginning, this is a vision. I hope other leaders in the Caribbean and Latin America share that vision to make those places a reference where Microsoft, Google, and others to come and recruit the best programmers and developers.
The Caribbean—and especially my homeland Haiti—needs foreign and local tech investment and technological knowledge diffusion. Creating the requisite infrastructure—from [a] techno park to better interne—would be significant steps. Jacmel, for example, with [its] arts community, walkable architecture and beautiful beaches, might be an attractive place for concentrated technology hub and a tech incubator. Haiti can create a special economic zone to attract foreign companies, with the aforementioned conditions. In return for any incentives, tech giants companies can open doors in Jacmel or Cap Haitian and employ or train local Haitians. I wish the same for beautiful islands Aruba, Jamaica and Trinidad and so on.

CLICK HERE to go on the Miami Caribbean Code website to keep up with the movement and to purchase tickets to this year’s edition of Miami Caribbean Code.

Motivational speaker and author Kara Ferrier immigrated to the United States in her late teens. Having completed most of her secondary education in Haiti at an all-girl Catholic school, she finished school at a high school in New York before embarking to Adelphi University. Her book 28,000 Days…Make Yours Count Book is out. In the tome, she serves up a great deal of motivational advice. And here’s a bit more of that in Part II of the interview with author Kara Ferrier!

Kreyolicious: What advice would you give to a new college grad?
Kara V. Ferrier: Graduating college is an awesome achievement and you should be extremely proud of yourself. However, don’t think this is the end of your education. I am not talking about grad school or getting a doctorate. I’m talking about self education. As Jim Rohn said so well: “A college education will make you a living. Self-education will make you a fortune”. Use your college degree as tool in your arsenal, as you move forward in your life. Do not let the words written on your diploma put a cap on the possibilities available to you. You can truly, be, do and have anything you want as long as you can allow your imagination to see it and as long as you are willing to work and persist until you have it, whatever “it” happens to be. I graduated with a B.A. in Political Science and Business Administration. Since then, I have been an Executive Administrative Assistant to the CEO of an Investment Bank, I’ve been a Mary Kay Consultant then a Mary Kay Director, I have been a lawyer, a recruiter and entrepreneur and now an author and motivational speaker. You are full of gifts and talents beyond your college degree. Always be on the lookout for what else you are good at. Lastly, hold on to that winning feeling you just felt as you walked across that stage to pick up your diploma. When the going gets rough in the pursuit of your dreams, you will want to hold on to and leverage that feeling to remind yourself that you have triumphantly overcome obstacles before and you can do it again, straight to the finish line.

Kreyolicious: What’s next for you?
Kara V. Ferrier: I am definitely going to continue to develop myself as a motivational speaker and coach, while growing my Personal Injury law practice, being a mom to my awesome kids, Luc and Lia and being a wife to my wonderful husband, Rich. I intend to translate the book into kreyol and start my workshops in Haiti as intended at the outset. I am also getting ready to release a phone application I’ve been working on that will add great value to this work I have been called to do.

Kreyolicious: You visit Haiti often?
Karen Ferrier: I visit pretty often now. There was a period of time about 8 years preceding the earthquake that I wanted nothing to do with Haiti. However, I’m over myself today and I’m just focused on being a positive contribution to my country.

Kreyolicious: Have you given any thought to perhaps teaching at a local law school there?
Kara V. Ferrier: Nope! My true passion and gift is empowerment. I love practicing law and I’ve gotten pretty good at it now 8 years into practice. However, inspiring, motivating and supporting people in the process of creating their best life really get my juices flowing. I discovered this gift when I was a Mary Kay Director some years ago. People would come up to me after the trainings to tell me how much I had just inspired them. In my mind, I was only training them but somehow, the inspiration part happened, unintentionally but naturally. So over time, I realized It was an undiscovered gift I had that I didn’t even know about before and of course, to who much is given, much is required. I don’t want to die with any of my talents left in me.

Kreyolicious: Life’s events has a way of preparing us for the future. What factors have led you to become the woman of strength and courage that you are today?
Kara Ferrier: No doubt the tragedies of my father’s death and my grandmother’s demise shortly thereafter when our house caught on fire in New York are at the top of the list of the factors that have led me to become the woman of strength and courage I am today. When I was in the midst of the smack down I was being handed by life, I did not think about how those experiences were going to serve me in the future. But now I know that the hurts, struggles and hard work were all part of the preparation for the work God has now called me to do.

CLICK HERE if you missed Part I of the interview with author Kara Ferrier.

CLICK HERE to learn more about author Kara Ferrier and to purchase her book.