(upbeat accordion music)
The purpose of my trip was to highlight
the positive attributes of Haiti and its people,
but it's impossible to ignore Haiti's ongoing crises.
As the poorest country in the western hemisphere,
over 50% of Haitians live on less than two dollars a day
and the country is plagued by a stagnant economy,
government corruption and a lack of healthcare,
clean water and education.
Add to that the many misconceptions about Haiti
that are perpetuated by the media.
Take crime, for example.
Haiti actually has one of the lowest violent crime rates
of any island in the Caribbean.
Yet in spite of all these challenges,
resilient Haitians are determined to lead their country
into a better future.
I met with a collective
of extraordinary expat business women
who have decided to return to their homeland
to kickstart the economic recovery of Haiti.
I'm standing here with Paula and Margaret
and they're part of something
that's really incredible here in Haiti, you call it DOT.
This is an initiative, a collective.
It's all women.
Yes.
And women are a huge part of the economic resurgence
for Haiti, isn't that right?
Absolutely.
Haitians like to say that women carry the country.
Yeah, I have a 14-year-old daughter
and every day she tells me women are the future
and I think actually the future is now.
Hi, what's your name?
[Regine] Regine.
Hi, Regine, how are you, where are you from?
I'm originally, well, from Haiti,
but I was born and raised in Boston.
I moved back to Haiti when I was 25.
And what is it that you're making here?
Please tell me alcohol's involved.
Alcohol is definitely involved.
We produce cocktails, hot sauces,
iced teas and cooking sauces.
Okay, I'm gonna zero right in on the cocktail.
On the cocktail.
Just because time is of the essence.
So this is a (speaking Haitian Creole).
Haitian blackberries with the grapefruit.
Okay, a little more.
A little more, all right.
There's still a little room at the top.
Thank you, now we're talking, okay.
Here we go.
That is really good.
I don't wanna stop drinking this.
I can give you more.
You can have that
or you can try the other ones. Now you know what
you're doing?
You're enabling my disease.
This tea is (speaking Haitian Creole)
and there's herbs and what it does, it helps men.
It helps men?
Yeah.
In what way does it help men,
this tea that you make? It's aphrodisiac.
Oh, this is an aphrodisiac?
(laughs)
I want that tea now.
Guel, tell me
about yourself, where are you from?
I am originally from Haiti, I was born here.
I actually moved to the states.
I went to Villanova University,
a Wildcat. Oh, good for you.
Worked at Goldman Sachs, worked at Vanguard,
graduated from Harvard Business School.
Oh my god.
Started a couple of businesses in the states
and always knew I wanted to come home.
So basically we're the first single-serving
prepackaged corn flakes in Haiti.
Well, what do you think?
These are better than the corn flakes we have in the US.
Everyone tells me that.
That's actually true.
That's where we're gonna be exporting.
I would eat this cereal every night in my boxer shorts
when I'm watching TV after my wife's gone to sleep.
That's a description of our marriage in a nutshell.
First, some body oils.
Some of them are aphrodisiac.
Oh, you have an aphrodisiac oil?
'Cause they just had an aphrodisiac tea.
I don't know if it's a coincidence
but you are an all-female business
and yet I see a theme for aphrodisiacs for men,
like you're trying to tell us
(laughing)
we're not measuring up.
Well...
(laughing)
[Daphnee] What we made is jewelry for women.
I would wear that.
Your work is beautiful.
Thank you.
And I'm gonna walk out wearing this.
Nice.
And I won't pay for it because I'm a very bad man.
I look fantastic in this hat.
Yeah.
This is a hat made--
In Haiti. In Haiti by Haitians
for a woman worn by a man who's kind of womanish.
So I can show you how somehow we work in the hub
to finish the product to get it to the market.
I can't believe you're keeping a straight face
while I wear this hat and talk to you.
(laughs)
I wanna thank you both very much.
It's been an honor meeting you
and I just love the work you do and the product's great,
so I gotta go.
Thank you for coming.
Thank you, it was an-- Oh, thank you,
it's been an honor
to be here today. Honor to host you today.
You want some help? No worries,
no, I have this.
I have it, oh, okay, just put that back up there.
That was more your fault than mine.
Okay.
I'm just gonna get this frog.
I get the frog, put the booze in the frog.
No, I'm good.
For more information about DOT,
go to facebook.com/DOT-Haiti.
In addition to exporting new products,
Haiti may soon unlock its potential
as a tourist destination thanks to its natural beauty,
including mountains, waterfalls,
stunning beaches, historic forts,
museums, artist colonies, and a thriving music scene,
and I too decided to do my part
to promote the Haitian economy.
Whenever I visit a new country,
it's a little tradition I have,
I like to promote the local beer.
It's kind of a selfless act.
Actually it's not 'cause I'm trying to get free beer
and the beer here is Prestige.
Regine-- Yes.
[Conan] You work with Prestige.
Yes.
This is important to the Haitian economy, is it not?
Absolutely, largest foreign direct investment
here in Haiti.
I wanna help Haiti as much as I can,
so I thought, if you don't mind,
I would shoot a quick improvised commercial for Prestige.
Oh, we would love that.
We're all set and we start by toasting.
(bottles clink) (laughing)
Oh, man.
Hey, Conan O'Brien here.
When I'm in Haiti and I'm hanging out
with an attractive woman who's pretending to find me funny,
I drink Prestige beer.
It's the beer to have in Haiti.
If it's not Prestige, then shut up.
I just made up that slogan, you guys can have it.
I like that.
Prestige. Thank you.
Okay, and then we drink.
Yes.
And then, if you don't mind,
just turn to the camera and say he's hot.
He's hot, sexy and funny as hell.
That was fantastic.
(laughs)
Did that work for you?
That was fantastic.
All right, another toast?
Incredible, how many of these did you have?
Not enough, not enough. You've had way too many
of these.