In a landmark move aimed at unlocking Haiti’s economic potential through youth-led innovation, Haiti’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI) has joined forces with the Higher School of Infotronics of Haiti (ESIH) and the Avenir Foundation to officially launch AyitiLAB, a groundbreaking entrepreneurship initiative. The formal partnership was cemented earlier this week via the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, held at the Avenir Foundation’s headquarters in Delmas 83.
AyitiLAB was designed from the ground up to nurture creative, job-creating business concepts that deliver measurable, long-term benefits to Haiti’s national economy. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister of Commerce and Industry James Monazard framed the agreement as far more than a symbolic gesture: it is a collective pledge to address long-standing gaps in Haiti’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, a top strategic priority for his ministry.
“We firmly believe that lasting economic transformation for our country can only come from empowering our young people to design, launch, and grow value-creating businesses that meet local needs,” Monazard stated, adding that the MCI remains fully committed to supporting all partner organizations as they roll out the initiative across the country.
Patrick Atié, Director of ESIH, celebrated the partnership for creating a much-needed platform for Haitian young people to translate academic knowledge into real-world impact. The initiative will give emerging creators and entrepreneurs space to demonstrate their skills, refine innovative projects, and build ventures that drive inclusive national growth, he said.
For Etzer Émile, President of the Avenir Foundation, the signed memorandum represents a promise to Haiti’s next generation of leaders, not just a bureaucratic formality. Émile also highlighted the MCI’s consistent, multi-year efforts to expand support for youth entrepreneurship, noting that the institutional commitment has laid critical groundwork for initiatives like AyitiLAB.
During the launch event, Japhé Mercier, AyitiLAB’s representative, outlined the core mission and structure of the new program. Mercier emphasized a key observation that shapes AyitiLAB’s work: the greatest barrier to Haitian youth entrepreneurship is not a lack of talent among the country’s young population, but the absence of a supportive ecosystem that can nurture emerging ideas, turn raw innovations into actionable community solutions, and help early-stage concepts grow into sustainable, long-term businesses. AyitiLAB is built specifically to fill this gap, creating the infrastructure and support network young entrepreneurs need to thrive.