From T&T Guardian

Kevan Sinanan walked onto the set of Planting Seeds anxiously clenching an invention he had engineered in his garage, a gadget made to match keys to their respective locks faster.

He stood in position, took a breath, and calmly made his pitch. Not only was he bravely sharing his vision with a panel of investors, but he also knew in the back of his mind that very soon the entire Caribbean region would be watching his pitch on television.

Even so, fear of failure didn’t hold him back as he confidently explained his product and its functionalities.

During Sinanan’s pitch, Joseph Rahael, director of Amera Caribbean Development Limited, sat on the Planting Seeds panel of investors, watching and listening intently.

Given Rahael’s background in real estate and land development, the gadget did not instantly pique his interest.

However, as Sinanan continued to speak, Rahael began thinking about the potential of the young engineer, and wondered to himself: “If he can create such a product, what else is he capable of?”

After the pitch, the investors on the panel grilled Sinanan, and as each question was served, Sinanan was able to return a solid answer with ease and confidence, signalling to the investors that he knew exactly was he was talking about.

Then it was crunch time, and Rahael, inspired by the young engineer’s passion and drive, made an offer.

Sinanan was interested but wanted to wait and see if any other offers were on the table.

However, being the shrewd businessman that he is, Rahael indicated that he was making a one-time offer only, warning Sinanan that if he went elsewhere there would be no deal.

Sinanan took a minute to think, looked up, smiled, and said, “I accept.”

Right here in T&T, two people with two completely different backgrounds were able to cross paths and discover overlapping business interests—all thanks to the platform provided by the Planting Seeds TV programme.

Rahael’s enthusiasm for “passionate people” and Sinanan’s passion for inventing came together to create a new business partnership, with each person feeding on the other’s drive and potential.

Was it by chance? Or was it fate that brought these two together? And what’s next for this newly- founded business relationship?

Sinanan explained that after the show, he realised securing financing for his dream was not the most valuable thing he received from his experience on Planting Seeds.

The UWI graduate said having Rahael as a mentor and business partner taught him more than he could ever imagine about business and strategy.

“Learning happens everyday, everywhere and from everyone,” Sinanan said.

The two have moved full-speed ahead and are now finalising the prototype of Sinanan’s invention in order to mass-produce and export it to the US market.

They are also looking into multiple applications for the product, so that the venture can diversify and evolve, as there are still a plethora of opportunities yet to be explored. Planting Seeds was made possible thanks to the collaborative effort of Planting Seeds producers Ernst & Young, and JD Sellier, as well as sponsors JMMB, Caribbeanjobs.com, Beacon Insurance, Blink l Bmobile, and Very Exciting Things.

Be sure to tune in every Tuesday at 8 pm on CNC3, and watch as T&T’s very own up-and-coming entrepreneurs vie to turn their business dreams into reality.

IMAGE: Joseph Rahael, left, director of Amera Caribbean Development Limited, has joined forces with engineer Kevan Sinanan, right, to produce a gadget made to match keys to their locks faster.

For more on this story go to: http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2016-09-04/trini-inventor-finds-success-planting-seeds