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This Week We Feature Young Professional Chad A. Lettsome

Chad A. Lettsome is a young entrepreneur from Red Bay, East End, Tortola. He is the owner and founder of Ching and Salt Shaker BVI. Photo: Facebook
In 2018, Chad A. Lettsome’s startup Ching was named the best start-up at Present Your Startup Caribbean and went on to compete at Present Your Startup the Netherlands. Photo: Internet Source
In 2018, Chad A. Lettsome’s startup Ching was named the best start-up at Present Your Startup Caribbean and went on to compete at Present Your Startup the Netherlands. Photo: Internet Source
Through Salt Shaker BVI, Chad A. Lettsome is helping his clients create memories on the water. Photo: Instagram/Salt Shaker BVI
Through Salt Shaker BVI, Chad A. Lettsome is helping his clients create memories on the water. Photo: Instagram/Salt Shaker BVI
One of two boats owned by Chad A. Lettsome and his company Salt Shaker. Photo: Instagram/Salt Shaker BVI
One of two boats owned by Chad A. Lettsome and his company Salt Shaker. Photo: Instagram/Salt Shaker BVI
Chad. A. Lettsome and Salt Shaker BVI provides water taxi services, island hopping and fishing excursions. Photo: Instagram/Salt Shaker BVI
Chad. A. Lettsome and Salt Shaker BVI provides water taxi services, island hopping and fishing excursions. Photo: Instagram/Salt Shaker BVI
By Kirshena J. Joseph

A brilliant but humble mind, Chad A. Lettsome has come from humble beginnings in a fishing village to share a story of persistence, hope, passion, success and inspiration.

“I was born and raised in the Virgin Islands, I grew up in Eastern Tortola, in Red Bay to be specific, which is kind of up by the Alphonso gas station area in Tortola,” he told Virgin Islands News Online (VINO).

After being educated on the island, he departed these shores to attend college at Seattle State in Washington State. He spent a decade pursuing a career in Aerospace Engineering before returning home to Tortola.

Started Ching- a Financial Technology Company

“[I] came back home, started a family, started doing stuff in the tech space, financial technology space,” he said.

Lettsome began a financial technology company called Ching. The company presents a FinTech solution for the Caribbean that helps small entrepreneurs with an app that scans credit cards and allows users to pay with a signature.

In August 2018, Ching, then a start-up company, was named the best start-up in the second edition of Present Your Startup Caribbean. This win also secured him a spot in the finals of the Present Your Startup the Netherlands where he competed against 4 other startups before a slate of investors, judges, and hundreds of spectators with the aim of attracting investment to scale up the company.

According to Mr Lettsome today, Ching is “not doing so well right now”, however, the company still exists “chugging away”.

He said he is looking for new opportunities for Ching.

Fishing background led to Salt Shaker

While he explored the tech space with Ching, Lettsome also began captaining vessels and fishing as it was a part of him.

“My father's a fisherman, my brothers are all fishermen, my uncles are fishermen, [I] come from a multi-generational fishing family, and in a fishing village,” he said.

Red Bay, he told us, is a traditional fishing and boat-building village.

Lettsome told VINO that getting into the business was an easy decision. “My father brought me up on the water, you know, he's a mechanic and a captain and he had me on the water from the day I was born. So it's kind of a very natural thing for me to do because it's not like I have to really think about what I'm doing, it's just natural.”

His background in captaining and fishing, together with his business experience and knowledge, Chad branched off into the “tourism side” of the industry and founded Salt Shaker Charters.

The business is described as an owner-operated charter boat with a passion for being out on the water.

“It's going extremely well. We've got two boats, we're hopefully going to have another boat soon,” Lettsome said.

Making memories on the water

With his business, Salt Shaker, patrons are taken out on the water for memory-making experiences.

“We're creating memories with people on boats, things that they will remember for the rest of their lives, having fun in these waters and I think that's what we really offer to the rest of the world.”

The services offered include water taxi tours, island hopping tours, and fishing excursions.

“If we're going out on the water fishing, we're typically taking guests out to go deep sea fishing and catch big game fish, the fish are like the size of you,” he said explaining a typical fishing excursion experience.

“When you reel in or even see one of these fish in the sea, it kind of changes your perspective on things, it's something you won't forget. The colours you can't describe, if you take a camera you can't capture the colours with the camera, it's only really something you can really see and experience [in-person],” he continued.

The experience is further enhanced when finally getting that fish you have been fighting with in the water onto the boat.

“And he's the size that you when you pull him in, you know that's gotta get your heart pumping, you gotta get your heart pumping, you gotta really remember these moments you're with,” Chad added.

These excursions are usually with families and friends in a small private setting.

The experience, he added, “Doesn’t happen every day, something you don't have every year for people and it's very memorable.”

‘Work hard’- Chad A. Lettsome to the youth

Before concluding our conversation with Chad, we asked him to give the youth some advice and he simply answered that they should “work hard”.  

“Don't worry about the work, just worry about your goals and work hard to achieve those things that you want to achieve in life,” he continued saying, “You’ll be hopefully happy with the rewards of your work, the fruits of your effort, so just go for what you need to go for, don't be lazy in the matter, don't put off the matter, just walk towards it and you'll always find a way if you're walking towards it.”

Chad’s business can be found at the link below

Salt Shaker BVI Fishing Charters | British Virgin Islands | Sport Fishing Boat Rentals

9 Responses to “This Week We Feature Young Professional Chad A. Lettsome ”

  • School mate (17/01/2025, 09:47) Like (14) Dislike (0) Reply
    This is so interesting and inspirational you go boy!
  • Real Macoy (17/01/2025, 10:00) Like (19) Dislike (0) Reply
    So proud of this young and great entrepreneur.
    Keep up the good work my brother.
  • LoveAlone (17/01/2025, 10:02) Like (15) Dislike (0) Reply
    This dude is very humble and smart. I wish you all the best bro.
  • Bree (17/01/2025, 10:10) Like (15) Dislike (1) Reply
    Congratulations on your success. Wishing you all the best in your endeavors.
  • Chris P Bacon (17/01/2025, 10:21) Like (16) Dislike (0) Reply
    What a talented and lovely young man. I wish Chad all the very best. We need more like him in the VI.
  • Fam (17/01/2025, 10:25) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    Vino thanks for always promoting positive things about our people, Chad you are winner
  • Awesome (17/01/2025, 12:01) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    First I must say, thank you VINO for the wonderful ard inspiring article. Please continue to showcase the young professionals from the VI sans there are many. This young man is a wonderful, humble tenacious young man. Continue to showcase the young professionals in the VI. It may inspire a lot of other young people that no matter who you are, where you came from, your parents humble back ground you can be a young professional success. Humility, hard work and Tenacity is the key to success. Kudos to you young man. He is also a very handsome young man as well.
  • asura (17/01/2025, 16:11) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    This is great stuff a positive young Virgin Islands male today I am very hopeful


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