Answering the Call: UpMobility's Sister Org Entrepreneurs Across Borders Supports Jamaica’s Recovery

On October 28, 2025, Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica and became the strongest storm the island has ever seen, damaging a third of the country and devastating its agricultural “bread basket.” Months later, recovery is ongoing. UpMobility’s sister organization, Entrepreneurs Across Borders (EAB), has a long history in Jamaica. In fact, just a few weeks before the storm hit, EAB’s Executive Director, Chris Cochran, was scheduled to head to Jamaica for the first public event for Zion, a planned entrepreneurial village in Trelawny, Jamaica, also supported by UpMobility Foundation. Unfortunately, the site—located squarely in the storm’s path—was decimated, throwing the project into an indefinite pause.

But rather than stall their work, the disruption sparked a new direction for EAB. When Chris arrived in Jamaica post-Melissa, he found hundreds of nonprofit teams in Kingston with little coordination, leaving some communities overlooked and others receiving duplicated aid. One elderly woman had been given dozens of care packages—far more than she could use. Seeing the gap, Chris began organizing a humanitarian coalition to streamline relief and recovery. He built a playbook informed by Zion’s entrepreneur training model, focused on rapid, scalable support that moves communities toward sustainable livelihoods.

The coalition now includes nine, mostly Jamaican members. They include William Massias, former Acting Executive Director of Food for the Poor Jamaica; Michelle Chong, co-founder of Honey Bun Limited; Nashauna Lalah, General Manager of the Honey Bun Foundation; Susan James-Casserly of Food for the Poor; Dr. Henley Morgan of the Agency of Inner-City Renewal; Pastor Al Miller; Carrington Peter Morgan, project lead and strategic planning consultant, and Alex Ihama, Global Support Group. EAB contributes business-oriented expertise and a commitment to a “ground-up” approach—partnering with local leaders rather than imposing top-down solutions. This groundwork is already shaping what comes next for one of Entrepreneurs Across Borders and UpMobility’s biggest projects.

Because of relationships established through EAB—and the support of longtime partner Food for the Poor—Zion will officially serve as one of the pilot sites for the coalition’s rapid training program. This is a significant step forward: participants in Zion will be among the first to access this accelerated skills training, while also benefiting from the strength of an existing, deeply rooted network of local partnerships. Chris is actively seeking additional partners who also believe that entrepreneurship offers the fastest route to broad economic recovery. He’s especially interested in connecting with organizations that provide rapid skills training to help communities transition from emergency relief to long-term rebuilding.

Chris was quick to emphasize that while Kingston has largely rebounded, many rural areas remain devastated; roof repairs and permanent housing are still ongoing. As Chris notes, relief isn’t finished—now is the moment to convert immediate aid into lasting opportunity. Jamaicans consistently ask for “hand-ups” over “hand-outs,” and coalition work is built around that principle.

UpMobility Foundation is a strong proponent of  EAB’s focus on collaboration. If you’re a nonprofit or business leader interested in connecting resources, expertise, or rapid skills programs to support Jamaica’s recovery—or would simply like to learn more about EAB—click here to learn more.