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Q&A: Creating Investment Bridges Teaching English

Q&A: Creating Investment Bridges Teaching English

Sometimes it takes venturing far away from home for entrepreneurial inspiration to strike.

Take the case of Michigan-bred Jacob Cullen, who first came to Cape Verde as a Peace Corps volunteer and educator. His stint spanned 2004 to 2006, and during this period he met a Cape Verdean-born woman, Vanda, who would eventually become his wife and business partner.

Their business venture, Language Link, teaches business English to Cape Verdean professionals. It was founded in 2008 by Jacob, Vanda — a lawyer — and Derek Moon.

Moon, who has since returned to the U.S., is the company´s online program manager. Mareika McLaughlin, who hails from Dover, Mass., is Language Link´s chief instructional designer.

Teaching wasn’t new for Cullen — he had taught at Western Michigan University and in the Michigan State Public School system. He also taught English at the Institute for Superior Education (now Universidade de Cabo Verde) in the capital city of Praia.

An archipelago of 10 islands, Cape Verde, has become a fast-growing country with increased foreign investment. The Cullens saw a need for English courses to help create investment bridges.

There are other schools teaching English in Praia but Language Link claims to be the only one with instructors who are all native English speakers.

Recently, Language Link teamed up with the U.S. Embassy in Cape Verde to exhibit at the 17th Annual International Fair of Cape Verde (FIC), a trade show that annually attracts international exhibitors spanning various sectors from education to construction.

AFKInsider: Why did you think it was a good idea to open a company that provides English language lessons for professionals in Cape Verde?

Jacob Cullen: Given that English is the most widely spoken and taught language in the world it can said that opening a business to teach the professionals of the world this key language is a good idea due to the staggering numbers. So, Language Link hopes to be the leading professional English teaching firm in the world.

AFKInsider: What were some obstacles you faced in opening a business in Cape Verde?

Jacob Cullen: Some of the main obstacles would be a weak private sector and a heavy dependence on working with the government, which can be very difficult due to the bureaucratic nature of governments. Also, the government depends on international aid to fund most of its projects, so when there is trouble in Europe and other regions it makes it difficult to generate revenue in a poor developing countries with a huge trade deficit and a extremely small GDP.

AFKInsider: Vanda, as a female, small-business owner in Cape Verde what are some of the obstacles you personally have faced?

Vanda Cullen: The biggest obstacle I have faced is knocking down the cultural stereotype that woman can be business leaders and that we bring much more stability and sound decision making to any negotiation table.

AFKInsider: Cape Verde has a limited market, how have you continued to grow?

Jacob Cullen: In 2008 when we started the company, we saw that the only way for us to grow the business would be to develop products and services that could be provided online. Cape Verde is a small market with a population of around half a million people and what makes it even smaller is the fact it is an island nation, so going online not only makes sense to try and reach everyone in this country, but also try to enter markets like Brazil, Angola and Mozambique — potentially 240 million more clients.

AFKInsider: You recently participated in FIC 2013. Why is your participation important to your company?

Jacob Cullen: First and foremost it is extremely important to get media coverage about the company and our services. Secondly, it is important for Language Link to continue to foment the relationship between the U.S. Embassy and Bridgewater State University, which are the two entities that sponsor the stand at the fair. Language Link is invited every year by the U.S. Embassy and Bridgewater State to act as the bridge for students that want to study in the States.

AFKInsider: Do you feel it is important for Cape Verdean entrepreneurs to be open to partnering with American businesses?

Vanda Cullen: Yes, but only if they can provide strategic know-how and enough capital to dominate the market.

AFKInsider: What advice would you give Americans looking to open a business in Cape Verde?

Jacob Cullen: Be prepared to wait at every turn, in meetings, call backs and for payments. Learn the local and official languages. Study the political and cultural history of the country and give something back to the community through social responsibility.

AFKInsider: What are some of your plans for the company in 2014?

Jacob Cullen: Develop and interactive online service to prepare students and professionals to take the Internet-based TOEFL test offered here several times monthly. Also, continue to offer customized personal training to the top executives at the major corporations and group training for government entities. Finally, our general business English program that mixes online and face-to-face training to individuals all over the country gives us our biggest earning potential and we hope to have at least 1,000 users. With a more affordable price point we definitely think we can hit our marks.

AFKInsider: Jacob, when you told friends in the States you were going to remain in Cape Verde and open a business what were some of their reactions?

Jacob Cullen: Well, I come from Detroit, so most of my friends were excited at the fact that I could leave the economic turmoil of our hometown and try to realize the American dream in Africa. After five years of doing business with low startup costs, the power of word-of-mouth advertising and the creation of our online services have made that dream possible.

AFKInsider: In your opinion, what are the most attractive aspects of the Cape Verdean market?

Vanda Cullen: The ability to live a slower-paced life without the stress of Western society.