Specialist Unpacks AI Strategies to Accelerate Local Brand Visibility

By Shenecka Paul | HGP Nightly News |

GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — A vibrant convergence of commercial innovation, female entrepreneurship, and grassroots community empowerment took center stage at the Pegasus Hotel over the weekend, as the Women in Business Expo celebrated its landmark 10th anniversary.

The two-day exposition featured thirty emerging and established female entrepreneurs showcasing a diverse portfolio spanning haute couture fashion, natural skincare, artisanal body care, catering, and corporate professional services.

Held under the banner theme “Thirty Years of Style, Purpose and Impact”—which also commemorated three decades of creative leadership by founder Dr. Sonia Noel—the milestone edition combined commercial retail with technological education, headlined by the re-launch of the Love Revolution Initiative and a specialized Masterclass on leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) for micro-enterprise scaling.

Demystifying AI: Building Digital Prompts That Drive Sales

To equip small business owners with tools to navigate digital market disruption, organizers brought in international technology specialist Dr. Anthony Q. Bowen to conduct practical sessions on demystifying generative AI:

• Treating AI Like an Investor Pitch: Dr. Bowen explained that algorithmic search engines and Large Language Models (LLMs) operate fundamentally like human business pitches—they require precise, structured queries and clear context to retrieve and surface commercial data.
• Prompt Engineering for Small Business: The specialist guided vendors through prompt engineering principles, demonstrating how small businesses can train AI models on their unique product catalogs to automate social media campaigns, streamline customer service, and rank higher on digital search surfaces.

“AI is no different than if I’m pitching you. AI needs to go and extract the answers and the questions, cause it’s a form of engineering as well. It needs to still understand those questions to surface it. So that was the first foundational aspect of AI.”

Proven Launchpad: Chemistry, Skincare, and Product Diversification

For returning exhibitors, the annual trade show has evolved from a simple weekend market into an essential commercial launchpad for sustained brand equity:

• Sunshine Creations: Owned by chemist-turned-entrepreneur Angela Solomon, the brand demonstrated how scientific training translated into natural haircare, skincare, and body wellness lines. Solomon credited the Expo with building her loyal Guyanese customer base—anchored by her signature charcoal soap—before expanding her catalog.
• Exponential Product Expansion: Solomon highlighted that her enterprise has scaled rapidly from a single soap batch to an extensive beauty line distributed nationwide.
• Balance Tea & Coffee Service: Established vendor Donella, who originally launched her events business at the Expo eight years ago, used the 10th anniversary platform to launch a brand-new corporate service line: Balance Tea and Coffee Service, offering specialty teas, instant roasts, chai blends, and event hospitality rentals.

“My name is Hermini and I’m from Flamboyant Grill. I am purchasing this from my fellow entrepreneur. Support each other’s business and we will rise.”

“But since that expo we’ve grown exponentially to a lot of other products.” — Angela Solomon, Sunshine Creations

“We’re offering a variety of tea, instant coffee, chai. And we also do rentals.” — Donella, Balance Tea and Coffee Service

Sisterhood as an Economic Engine

Beyond financial transactions, the weekend was defined by vendor-to-vendor solidarity, with participants buying from neighboring stalls and establishing collaborative supply chains.

The Women in Business Expo concluded on Sunday evening, providing thirty local women-owned businesses with direct sales, expanded customer databases, and the digital tools required to leverage AI and modern branding for long-term commercial sustainability.