Being part of the global marketplace has many benefits. Though we, in the Caribbean region, are innovative and culturally rich, doing business successfully with international customers is still challenging – especially for micro, small and medium enterprises. Kadion Preston, the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Caribshopper, an e-commerce platform that allows Caribbean merchants to sell their products to consumers globally, shares the Caribshopper story. In this episode, Kadion discusses, among other things: how Caribshopper has been able to navigate the challenges many Caribbean MSMEs face regarding electronic payments; how Caribshopper has been able to manage cross-border logistics and fulfilment; the requirements that would need to be satisfied for other Caribbean countries to be added to Caribshopper; and where Kadion would like to see Caribshopper in the next 3 to 5 years.
This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music!!
Almost every Caribbean person who has visited with friends or relatives living outside the region, and especially in more temperate climes, has had this experience: “Since you’re coming, can you bring [these]?” “These” are usually food items that are either difficult or expensive to source, or home-cooked dishes that just don’t taste the same when prepared outside the region. For the lucky recipients of such requests, effort may be needed to secure the items requested and pay for extra luggage!
Increasingly, online options are emerging, the most prominent of which is Caribshopper, an e-commerce marketplace connecting Caribbean-made products with customers in North America with more countries to come. However, several systemic problems have hindered trade in goods both within the region and internationally, so learning how one company has been able to navigate the challenges is what we explore in this podcast episode!
Introducing our guests
Kadion Preston is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Caribshopper, an e-commerce platform that allows Caribbean merchants to sell their products to consumers globally. Before devoting his work full-time to Caribshopper, Kadion served as co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at tech company Sonicloop Networks, a full-service technology development firm serving medium to large-scale corporations, where he developed applications to unify client end-to-end processes.
Kadion enjoys volunteering at Code Fever Miami, a program that fosters innovation and growth in Black Communities. When he’s not busy being a pioneer in the Caribbean E-commerce Industry, Kadion is a dedicated father of three beautiful children and a hardcore cyclist. He also claims to have perfected fall-off-the-bone BBQ ribs.
In addition to being a Techstars Graduate of the Atlanta program in 2018, Kadion also holds a degree in Computer Engineering from Hunter College. Kadion’ s technology tenure also spans decades of providing solutions for various industries from Wall Street to Healthcare including, Spectrum Capital Partner, TD Waterhouse, Plaza Health Network, and Yahoo. Kadion also sits as chair of the Miami Dade Trade & Logistic Committee.
Insights into our conversation
Anyone who has emigrated may identify with the desire to occasionally have a taste of home or to be able to share parts of their culture with their family and friends. And as Kadion, who is originally from Jamaica, shared during our conversation, his desire to maintain and even strengthen his connection with his home country became more pronounced after having children. Food and culture are such significant parts of our Caribbean heritage, which to varying degrees goes to the heart of our self-identity, and it may become even more critical to protect and validate it when we live overseas.
Although Caribshopper is registered and headquartered in the United States, it has experienced many of the same challenges that Caribbean businesses have experienced when engaging in cross-border transactions. Also, as an online marketplace for Caribbean businesses, logistics and fulfilment – to get the purchased goods from the supplier to the customer in a timely manner – is a known challenge that has thwarted many a business. However, Caribshopper has been able to put systems in place and forge strategic relationships, some of which were discussed during our conversation.
Below are key questions posed to Kadion.
- Tell us more about Caribshopper and what drove you to set it up.
- How many vendors or shops do you have on the platform and how many customers has Caribshopper served?
- As an e-commerce platform, how has Caribshopper been able to navigate the challenges that many MSMEs in the region face regarding moving money to and from the region?
- How has Caribshopper been able to manage logistics and fulfilment, managing inventory and being able to supply the goods in a timely fashion?
- What do Caribbean businesses need to provide, or what are the requirements for them to be added to Caribshopper?
- What has been the biggest lesson you have had to learn in running Caribshopper?
- What is the best piece of advice you would give a young tech start-up?
- Where would you like to see Caribshopper in the next 3 to 5 years?
- And what’s next for Kadion?
We would love to hear your thoughts!
Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.
Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.
Let’s make it happen!
Select links
Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:
Images credit: Caribshopper; Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association
Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell
Podcast editing Support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez
