CubaTrade-April2017-FLIPBOOK

RISE OF THE PROGRAMMERS
Since the 1980s, Cuba has been producing
skilled programmers who ultimately
seek opportunities with leading companies
overseas. Now, some of Cuba’s young entrepreneurs
are choosing to stay and develop
onshore startups. Will economic reforms
and a government-controlled internet keep
pace with the rising global demand for tech
talent?
By Victoria Mckenzie
It has been a mixed year for Cuba’s tech scene. “At this point,
it’s not something that is a boom,” says John Caulfield,
former Chief of Mission of the U.S. Interests Section in
Havana, and co-founder of the Innovadores Foundation, “but it is
something that’s happening.”
Thanks in part to the coordinated efforts of international
foundations and tech accelerators, a number of Cuban entrepreneurs
are getting their tech businesses off the ground, the
majority of them designed to serve the needs of Cuba’s emerging
private sector. Developers of apps for everything from restaurant
reviews to Cuba’s version of Craigslist have taken the lead, with
more heavy-duty programing for U.S. corporations in the wings.
But the substantial cost of a “cuentapropista” license, limited
internet connectivity, and a lack of banking services still makes
going into a private IT business a risky venture for Cubans.
The Innovadores Foundation (IF) began working in Cuba
two years ago with the goal of creating an incubator for young
entrepreneurs in the areas of programming and design. “Our
goal is to help create an ecosystem in Cuba where intelligent,
hardworking Cubans have a reason to stay, and don’t go to work
abroad, or make money for people abroad,” explained Jono Matusky,
who oversees the foundation’s operations in Havana.
“You know—actually work in Cuba and solve problems in
Jono Matusky of the Innovadores Foundation uses
the internet connection of the Habana Libre hotel
which is conveniently located near his home in
Vedado, Havana
Photo by Jon Braeley
50 CUBATRADE APRIL 2017