ICTP 173: Leveraging people, process and technology to grow a business and to start a new one, with Melarka Williams

Launching or growing a business is challenging at the best of times, but during a pandemic, it may be unfathomable. Melarka Williams, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ingenuity Technologies and TheHive Freelancing, discusses his entrepreneurial journey to date, including: how Ingenuity Technologies has fared over the past 18 months; why he decided to launch a new venture in the middle of the pandemic; and how he is able to manage two very distinct tech businesses.

ICT Pulse Podcast · ICTP 173: Leveraging people, process and technology to grow a business and to start a new one, with Melarka Williams

This episode is also available in Apple iTunes, Google Play Music, Spotify and on Stitcher!

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a difficult time for many businesses worldwide, not just in the Caribbean. In addition to the mandated lockdowns, office closures, work from home arrangements, various industries have experienced a marked decline sales, which has resulted in some businesses permanently shutting their doors, and many others downsizing or tweaking their operations in order to stay alive. However, there are always exceptions, with businesses in certain industries that have been able to thrive, even in these adverse conditions.

At first glance, it might appear that tech businesses would have been among those that thrived, but that is not necessarily the case. Many found themselves having several tense months at the start of the pandemic, and may only just recently be feeling a certain degree of comfort about the future, although their prospects might not yet be near pre-pandemic levels.

One of the exceptions has been Ingenuity Technologies Limited, a software engineering, quality assurance and testing company, based in Jamaica. We first spoke to company Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Melarka Williams, in 2018, and similar to the conversations we had with Khalil Bryan, of Caribbean Transit Limited, and Larren Peart of BlueDot Intelligence, we sought to touch base with Melarka, to get an update on his entrepreneurial journey.

Unlike many entrepreneurs who are juggling one business, Melarka is leading two. In addition to Ingenuity Technologies, he founded TheHive Freelancing in June 2020, which is a freelance market space connecting Caribbean and global businesses to Caribbean professionals.

Introducing our guest

Melarka Williams is an Engineer and Digital Transformation Expert with over two decades’ experience in Business Transformation and Engineering in the technology, financial services, utilities sector across three continents with some of the largest and most respected companies in the world, such as Nestle, Ericsson and Digicel. A graduate of the University of Technology, Jamaica, achieving a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Communications and Electronics graduating in the top 1% of my engineering class.

Melarka is innovative, a proven leader and a good problem solver who is recognized across the Caribbean as a thought leader. Passionate about the development of the Caribbean people, he envisages a world where we will be creators of technology, in lieu of being merely consumers of technology. He advocates that the brilliant minds in the region, if given the proper ecosystem to succeed, can firmly position the Caribbean as the ultimate information technology outsourcing destination. A world where we are providing higher valued Information Technology services, and not just be known for our sun, sand and sea.

Insights into our conversation

One’s initial impression of Melarka is that he is an introvert, who is perhaps happier focusing on his businesses and on things that he is passionate about. Luckily, since our conversation was about Ingenuity Technologies, and to a greater degree, TheHive Freelancing, he became more animated and excited the longer we spoke.

The freelancing space and gig work are important contributors to Caribbean economies, but it has not been studies extensively. Moreover, many of the online freelancing platforms that Caribbean talent access are not only based outside the region, but the popular ones are exceedingly competitive, so securing projects can be a challenge. In the same vein, Caribbean organisations that have the need for certain expertise may find those global online platforms intimidating, and are likely to opt not to use them altogether. TheHive appears to be able to foster greater confidence among purchasers of services, whilst freelancers – at least so far – may find it easier to be visible and to distinguish themselves from their competitors.

Below are a few of the questions posed to Melarka during the course of our conversation.

Since we last spoke in July 2018, give us a sense of what happened at Ingenuity Technologies between then and now
Did you and/or Ingenuity Technologies, experience any challenges last year?
What were some of the adjustments that you had to make personally over the past year?
Last year, in the middle of the pandemic, you launched TheHive Freelancing. What drove you set up that venture, and especially at that time?
How does TheHive work?
In the year since TheHive has launched, how has business been?
So far, which countries have freelancing projects been coming from, versus the freelancers?
Are there any challenges or even benefits that you are seeing in the region’s freelancing space.
What aspects of TheHive are you most excited about? Are there any specific trends you seeing?
How are you able to manage two businesses?
What advice might you give a young tech entrepreneur?

We would love to hear from you!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.