1851

As a young girl growing up in Haiti, Katleen Jeanty could never imagine living in a more beautiful country. But the reality of living in Haiti in the late &lsquo;80s was drastically different from how Jeanty saw her beloved island country. In 1986, there was an uprising of the people of Haiti, and president Jean-Claude Duvalier fled the country. As a result, Haiti had become economically ravaged and bereft of functional political institutions. Many families made the decision to flee the tumultuous situation&mdash;including Jeanty&rsquo;s family. At just eight-years-old, Jeanty and her family moved to the United States with her family in search of a more secure life.

As Jeanty grew accustomed to life in the U.S., she never gave up hope that she would one day return to her homeland. For 25 years, Jeanty waited for the right time to come back to support her country. That time came after 2010&rsquo;s devastating earthquake. While working in the Mayor&rsquo;s Office for the City of Boston, Jeanty was the only Creole speaker, and she rapidly became a member of the local earthquake task force. Ultimately, though, she wanted to return home to help. So she began searching for employment opportunities in Haiti that could benefit from her years of experience in communications and public relations. She found a post as the communications and outreach manager with an international non-profit social enterprise that trains people in developing countries how to design and build earthquake-resistant houses.

It was while working at this organization that the idea of starting BelFwi was born. Jeanty was in Haiti, and found herself craving cold and refreshing cut up fruit that was served in hygienically safe conditions. The problem was, something so simple was incredibly difficult to find. Hundreds of pounds of fruit go to waste every year due to poor cultivation, transportation, storage and commercialization. But in a country filled with a beautiful and abundant natural fruit and vegetable supply, Jeanty knew there was a chance to make a difference.

&ldquo;What if I could turn this into an opportunity to create employment opportunities for the country&rsquo;s unemployed and improve the health of the population?&rdquo; Jeanty asked herself.

With that, she started BelFwi in 2013. Meaning beautiful fruit in Haitian Creole, BelFwi would be Haiti&rsquo;s first all-natural fruit and smoothie bar&mdash;a novel concept in fruit transformation in Haiti&mdash;and sell everything from juices and fruit salad platters to fruit-filled crepes.

That same year, Jeanty&rsquo;s hard work had already paid off. BelFwi was recognized when she was selected as one of 10 finalists of Technoserve&rsquo;s Mon Entreprise, Mon Avenir Business Plan, where she won $10,000 for her idea. Then, in February 2014, Belfwi was unanimously voted the winner of the Investor&rsquo;s Tank Business Plan Competition at the Haiti Renewal Alliance Business Investment Expo. And most recently, Jeanty was recognized by the International Franchise Association&rsquo;s NextGen in Franchising Competition, where she&nbsp;received the honor of being a 2016 Grand Prize Winner.

Today, Jeanty&rsquo;s social enterprise has grown to three locations, a central processing center and is currently in the midst of launching a micro-franchise initiative to create even more employment opportunities in the impoverished Caribbean island.

Jeanty always knew the moment my family left Haiti that she would find a way to return. But never in her wildest dreams did she think she&rsquo;d have the opportunity to give back to a country that she loved so much.

&ldquo;A passion for helping others and a love for Haiti brought me to where I am today. Now, I want to continue creating jobs and leave my mark in life,&rdquo; Jeanty told the PADF after winning the Entrepreneur of the Year Award earlier this year. &ldquo;One day, I hope to create job opportunities for as many as 1,000 Haitians while developing a global brand that will help to sell a better image for my beloved home,&rdquo; Jeanty said.

Katleen Jeanty Brings Fresh Fruit and Hundreds of Jobs to Her Impoverished Homeland of Haiti

1851 Franchise

BelFwi was founded to create employment opportunities for the country’s unemployed and improve the health of the population


katleen-jeanty-brings-fresh-fruit-and-hundreds-of-jobs-to-her-impoverished-homeland-of-haiti

Senior Care Authority

How This Senior Care Authority Franchisee Turned Love for His Grandparents Into a Lifelong Calling

how-this-senior-care-authority-franchisee-turned-love-for-his-grandparents-into-a-lifelong-calling

HomeTeam Inspection Service

Hometown News: Like Father, Like Son — Family-Run Inspection Business Blends Generations of Expertise and a Keen Eye for Detail

father-son-home-inspection-franchise-florida

KLA Schools

KLA Schools of Beachwalk Hosts Admissions Kick-Off Celebration

kla-schools-of-beachwalk-hosts-admissions-kick-off-celebration

Good Day Columbus: Home Insurance Expert Reveals Why Central Ohio Premiums Are Rising and How to Combat Costs

rising-home-insurance-costs-ohio

CapitalSpring

Primetime Fitness Expands Crunch Portfolio With CapitalSpring’s Backing

primetime-fitness-expands-crunch-portfolio-with-capitalsprings-backing

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Potbelly to be Acquired by RaceTrac in $566 Million Deal 

racetrac-acquires-potbelly-in-566-million-deal

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities - 1851 Franchise Agg

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities 

health-care-hiring-slowdown-in-home-care-franchise-opportunities

Caribou Coffee Names Scott Kennedy CEO, Eyes Continued Growth

caribou-coffee-names-scott-kennedy-ceo-eyes-continued-growth

McDonald’s Launches New Extra Value Meals as Consumer Demand for Value Continues to Climb

mcdonalds-launches-extra-value-meals

Power Eats: Smoothie King Rolls Out Food Nationwide To Fuel Franchise Growth

smoothie-king-food-menu-power-eats

DevHub - Meet the Supplier - 1851 Franchise

DevHub: Scalable Digital Marketing for Franchises and Multi-Location Brands

devhub-meet-the-supplier

Mike Revak - Chief Business Officer - Sky Zone - Franchise Marketing Leaders - 1851 Franchise

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Mike Revak — President and Chief Business Officer, Sky Zone

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-mike-revak-chief-business-officer-sky-zone

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Cathy Chavenet — Chief Marketing Officer, Paris Baguette

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-cathy-chavenet-chief-marketing-officer-paris-baguette

What It Really Feels Like To Franchise Your Business

what-it-really-feels-like-to-franchise-your-business

1851 Keyword - The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

part-time-franchises-picking-the-right-model

Hely and Hiral Patel Bring Their Longtime Dream to Life With The Brass Tap

brass-tap-franchise-pasadena-maryland-hely-hiral-patel

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Ricki Oberoi and Layne's Chicken Fingers logo

Multi-Unit Wendy’s Operator Signs 12-Unit Deal With Layne’s Chicken Fingers

ricki-oberoi-laynes-chicken-fingers-growth

1851 Franchise Deep Dive graphic with Sparkle Squad logo

Sparkle Squad Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

franchise-deep-dive-sparkle-squad-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

Design with school-aged child standing on pencil with text "Education Franchises" and "<$500K"

Top Education Franchises Under $500K To Explore in 2025

top-education-franchises-under-500k

Katleen Jeanty Brings Fresh Fruit and Hundreds of Jobs to Her Impoverished Homeland of Haiti

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS