According to a study by the Kauffman Foundation, the average age of entrepreneurs is 45, and at 33, Tyrone Wilson is well ahead of the game. He has founded three companies to date; eZines Ltd (2008), the iCreate Institute (2012) and Vertical Creative (2018). All of these businesses operate within the creative and cultural industries (CCI), which is understood globally to be a key driver of overall economic development.
The concept of “creativity” has come a long way from being thought of as just artistic activities, and successful creative entrepreneurs understand that they are in a high-growth global industry — engaging in activities that generate valuable products with a heavy reliance on intellectual property. Wilson believes that five areas of the creative ecosystem need to be further developed — creative skills training, entrepreneurial/business training, mentorship, distribution, and funding.
“Creative industries are driving economic growth across the UK, growing twice as fast as other sectors, on track to create one million new creative industries jobs between 2013 and 2030.” (Nesta, 2018)
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNEY
Wilson was born in the community of Kintyre near Papine and then moved to Portmore at age 16. When asked about why he is a creative entrepreneur, he states “I have always been a creative person, but I have a balance of ‘left brain’ and ‘right brain’… I did visual arts and I used to draw and paint a lot, but I also love accounts.”
He attended Jamaica College and upon graduating from the University of the West Indies with a degree in banking and finance, he dived straight into entrepreneurship by launching eZines Ltd, now rebranded as e-Media Interactive.
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