This week, Saint Lucian-born Lance Growth partnered with American actor, entrepreneur, and global real estate developer Malik Yoba for the third instalment of Connect Saint Lucia, held at Sandals Grande Beach Resort.
According to organisers, the event aims to foster a culture of collaboration that drives innovation, strengthens local enterprises and supports national development.
Growth, the founder of Connect Saint Lucia, is also the founder of Growth 1031 Inc., a US-based tax real estate company specialising in capital sheltering for commercial real estate investments.
St Lucia Times sat down with Lance Growth this week to discuss Connect Saint Lucia and his journey back home in 2024.
“I left Saint Lucia when I was just seven; I came back when I was 42. And I read this book on the history of Saint Lucia, where they talked about the importance of men who go away, get educated and come back and bring what they learn back home,” Growth said.
“It reminded me of Sir John (Compton), who went away, got educated, came back, and just tried to change things. So I came back and felt a little divided here. This is what we have been doing, just trying to get people connected, trying to promote, especially young businesses, trying to make the country a little more visible and telling stories.”
When asked what inspires him, Growth pointed to two key figures in his life.
“One is my mom, who always inspires me to take care of the community. She says, ‘If you’re gonna do a business where you take in money, you’ve got to give some back’.
“My partner is also another source of inspiration.
Most of this is actually her. We came to Saint Lucia with a goal to have a positive impact, and this is what we came up with.”
Growth, who travels to New York every two weeks for work, recalled a conversation with a fellow Saint Lucian passenger that reinforced his mission.
“I was sitting next to this passenger who was Saint Lucian, and I asked, ‘Why won’t you come home?’ and she said because of accessibility; it’s too easy in the States to get things, and Saint Lucia lacks that. So a lot of what we are trying to do is get companies to be a little more developed, be a little more on social media, be a little more visible, be a little more efficient, because one of my favourite quotes is ‘all business is shortening the points between desire and satisfaction’. So, all we’re trying to do is get people to be a little more efficient, more driven and a little more kind of digital at this point.”
Reflecting on his return, Growth shared what surprised him most about Saint Lucia.
“I was surprised that there were lines outside the banks, because I worked in finance and money moves way faster than that,” he said without hesitation.
“I was also surprised by how divided people are over politics. I thought that was an American thing, I’m like we are only 25 miles long, how can we even choose a side other than one country?”
On a brighter note, he added, “I was pleasantly surprised by how authentic and grounded people are.”
Growth expressed gratitude for Connect Saint Lucia’s evolution, noting that the first event drew just four attendees.
“We met one company and partnered with another company to introduce a whole new service because both of them have different pieces of the puzzle that they needed,” he said.
Today, the initiative has gained recognition and support, with the latest event earning endorsements from corporate Saint Lucia, Invest Saint Lucia and the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority.
As for the future? Growth sees it as an opportunity to inspire and build a lasting brand.
“Who knows? Maybe we can be a big marketing company to tell all these stories and really make a difference in the lives of people and the country.”
