In our April 2025 Community Chat, and with a member of the Caribbean tech community, Nigel Cassimire of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union in Trinidad and Tobago, and Steven Williams of Data Privacy and Management Advisory Services in Barbados, we discuss just one topic: Fostering Caribbean digital resilience and transformation in an era of glo…

As the internet becomes more integral to economic development, cultural diplomacy, and public governance, there may be strategic value in having custom generic top-level domains (gTLDs). Active participants in the global Internet Governance space, Lance Hinds and Carlton Samuels, are back to discuss ICANN’s New gTLD Program: Next Round, which is cu…

Decentralised autonomous organisations or DAOs are one of the fastest-growing segments of the blockchain space. In this episode we are revisiting an oldie but goodie: our 2022 conversation with Donald O’Brian Porter, the Founder of CaribDAO, who explains, among other things, * how DAOs work; * the parallels between DAOs and the informal cooperative…

Following up on a 2022 conversation we had about digital currencies in the Caribbean region, Dr. Jan Schröder of CaribCoin, and Rodney Taylor of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union are back to provide an update on CaribCoin, a regional stablecoin backed by Caribbean assets that will provide a faster and more cost-effective alternative for region…

Digital sovereignty has been a hot topic over the past several weeks, with data sovereignty and AI sovereignty being the subjects of such conversations. However, how does digital agency fit into the mix? With IT Specialist, Researcher and Digital Analyst, Matthew Cowen, we discuss digital sovereignty and digital agency, including: * Could digital s…

Successful organ transplants depend on quickly getting donor organs to their recipients. MediGO, now part of CareDx, pioneered logistics technologies that help make these life-saving procedures more successful than ever. In Episode #39 of the MedTech Speed to Data podcast, Key Tech’s Andy Rogers and Lauren Eskew speak with MediGO co-founder Dr. Jos…

In our March 2025 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Tariq Mohammed, a PhD candidate and the Chair of the Caribbean ICT Youth Network who is based in Trinidad and Tobago, and Chad Fraser, the Founder and CEO of Sonover, headquartered in Grenada, the panel discusses the following three topics: * how Caribbean businesse…

In the first instalment in our Expert Insights series on cyber threats and security for 2025, and one again with Sean Slattery of Caribbean Solutions Lab, he discusses, among other things: * the changes in the threat landscape that occurred in 2024; * the changing threat and impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation in the security spac…

In February 2025, the Government of Jamaica made publicly available the National Artificial Intelligence Policy Recommendations prepared by the National Artificial Intelligence Task Force. We are joined by the Chairman of the Task Force, Christopher Reckord, to discuss the policy recommendations made, including: * the unique, Jamaica-specific consi…

Without a doubt, Caribbean farming is fraught with a broad range of challenges. Chief among them is that most of the farms are smallholdings, often in difficult locations and with relatively poor soil, which can affect yield, quality, sustainability and profitability. In our conversation with Dr Yvane Agard-Abbot, the Founder of HydroFluidics, a De…

In our February 2025 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Kira Mohammed, an e-Commerce Strategist based in Trinidad and Tobago, and Mark Codling, a PhD Candidate in GeoInformatics from Jamaica, the panel discusses the following three topics: * ways AI is transforming e-commerce; * AI and real-time weather; and * cashles…

Ohio-based Avation Medical has developed a bioelectric wearable device for at-home treatment of overactive bladder, promising improved quality of life for patients suffering from the most common cause of incontinence and urinary urgency. In Episode #38 of the MedTech Speed to Data Podcast, Andy Rogers discusses the Vivally System, entrepreneurship,…

The Caribbean region ranks lowest in statistical performance compared to other regions, and studies have estimated the value of Open Data alone could contribute between 1% and 2% to the national GDP of Caribbean countries. The ‘Data Queen’ herself, Raquel Seville, is back to discuss her new start-up, Dataffluent, which is offering financial and inv…

In response to the goal of doubling the ICT sector’s contribution to Trinidad and Tobago’s GDP, the Developers Hub, more commonly known as D’Hub, offers training, access to tools, as well as income and networking opportunities to local developers and citizens interested in ICT. With Devindra Ramnarine, a Digital Transformation Adviser at the Minist…

In our January 2025 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Esmeralda Levens-Wijngaarde of Blyce in Curaçao, and Niko Kluyver also of Curaçao and CyberVade, the panel discusses: * the impact of social media on mental health in the Caribbean; * data residency in the Caribbean; and * big tech and developing countries: can th…

The Trinidad and Tobago Internet Governance Forum (TTIGF) is just around the corner worldwide, and it is among the first Internet Governance events of the year. With Jaqueline Morris, a longstanding player in the global Internet Governance space and the current Chair of the Trinidad and Tobago Multistakeholder Advisory Group Board, which is the org…

In our first episode for 2025, we are starting a new series in which we showcase Caribbean tech entrepreneurs and startups that are doing incredible things in or for the region. Our first guest is Jarryon Paul, the Founder of Sunshine, a stablecoin exchange based in Trinidad and Tobago. In this conversation, we learn more about Jarryon and his entr…

Transforming Chronic Pain Treatment with a Lean, Data-focused Development Strategy Based in Washington, DC, AlgometRx has developed a technology platform that will let clinicians perform objective pain assessments to improve treatments for chronic pain. In Episode 37 of the MedTech Speed to Data Podcast, Key Tech’s Andy Rogers and AlgometRx Chief O…

In this our final Community Chat and final episode for 2024, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Financial and Impact Innovator, Digital Economist and Digital Transformation Expert, Telly Valerie Onu, and International Consultant, Carlton Samuels, the panel discusses the ICT/technology trends and developments that were evident across …

Data drives MedTech growth, from the leanest startup to the world’s most valuable pharmaceutical company. In Episode #36 of the MedTech Speed to Data Podcast, Key Tech’s Andy Rogers discusses data-driven trends in medical technology with Anand Subramony, Eli Lilly’s Vice President of Drug Delivery, Device, Connected Solutions & Innovation. Need to …

Innovation continues to be a big buzzword in the digital age, with organisations, and even countries, aspiring to be ‘more innovative’. But what does that mean, and what can Caribbean countries and organisations do to better nurture and, ultimately, leverage innovation? We circle back to one of our earliest interviews and the interview that launche…

In our last instalment of the year in our series, The Internet we should want in 2024 and beyond, we are joined by Rodney Taylor, the Secretary-General (SG) of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU). In a candid conversation, the SG provides a regional perspective on the role the internet should be playing in the Caribbean region. He also sha…

In our November 2024 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Gerry George, an ICT professional and policy expert who is based in Saint Lucia, and IT Specialist, Researcher and Digital Analyst Matthew Cowen, who is based in Martinique, the panel discusses: * Are Caribbean businesses really benefitting from online advertisin…

What are important ethical principles that should be implemented to protect users in the metaverse and other digital spaces? Jamaican social enterprise, Youth Can Do IT (YCDI), in collaboration with Jesus College (Oxford), developed some ethical guidelines for the metaverse. In this episode, we chat with members of YCDI Joel Lawson, one of the yout…

https://bit.ly/4fnDxaKTo the outsider, the internet-related issues that the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is addressing can seem intimidating. But individuals, micro or small businesses, among others, are part of the end-user constituency and are critical players in ICANN’s policy development process. In our latest con…

Cell therapy research and manufacturing are driving demand for automated high-throughput equipment to improve quality, reduce costs, and shorten the development cycles of innovative treatments that save lives. But what factors shape a startup’s journey from the lab to commercialization? In Episode #35 of the Speed to Data podcast, Key Tech Business…

In this podcast episode, our host, Michele Marius, is alone – no guests – and sharing her thoughts on a recent article published in the New York Times in which the writer allowed AI to make all of her decisions for a week. The article sent Michele down a rabbit hole (of sorts) and had her ponder whether, in the context of AI, we could have too much…

In our October 2024 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Debbie Jollie, the Stammering Communicator who is based in Trinidad and Tobago, and Technology Architect and Digital Transformation Consultant, Garfield Gordon, of Jamaica, the panel discusses: * our continuing vulnerability to cyberattacks; * ESG versus CSR and t…

Globally, offshore outsourcing is a huge market and growing. By 2030, it is expected to be valued at half a trillion dollars! It is thus highly dynamic and competitive with Caribbean countries trying to maintain and even increase their size of pie. Wayne Sinclair, the current President of the Global Services Association of Jamaica, formerly the Bus…

Although we have all played video games, video games developed by Caribbean developers appear to have little or no visibility. Moreover, there is no video game development industry in the region to speak of, and the underpinning ecosystem remains underdeveloped. However, by 2023, the size of the global video games industry is expected by valued at …

Almost without exception, all Caribbean countries are net importers of technology, especially ICT. In other words, we import considerably more of the ICT goods and services we use than we export. With Vashti Maharaj, the Adviser, Digital Trade Policy, of the Commonwealth Secretariat, we discuss technology as an export and how Caribbean countries ca…

According to the research and advisory firm, Forrester, the global digital economy will reach USD 16.5 trillion and capture 17 per cent of global GDP by 2028, but how is the Caribbean region’s digital economy developing? Management Consultant and International Trade Policy Specialist, Chelceé Brathwaite, returns to the Podcast to provide an update.…

In our September 2024 Community Chat, and with a member of the Caribbean tech community, Steven Williams of Data Privacy and Management Advisory Services in Barbados, we discuss: * Can effective cybercrime laws not encroach on freedom of expression? * Job displacement: has AI already begun reshaping the Caribbean economy? * Is increased digitisatio…

Whether we realise it or not, data centres are the backbone of our online experience. All the digital services we enjoy use data centres to store, manage and process all of the data, interactions and transactions generated. Giovanni King, the CEO of Blue NAP Americas and the Chairman of the Caribbean Datacenter Association discusses, among other th…

In the fourth instalment in our Expert Insights series on cyber threats and security for 2024, cybersecurity expert, David Gittens, discusses, among other things: * the latest developments in the security space; * why there ought to be a greater emphasis on cybersecurity guidelines in the Caribbean; * why ransomware is the most pressing threat; and…

Do you have what it takes to be a digital nomad? We revisit a 2022 conversation we had with the following intrepid travellers: Juleen Gentles, who is from Jamaica, but spoke with us from Ghana; Marsiya Issah who is from Ghana, but had been living in Barbados; and Andres Phillips, who is from Barbados, but had recently ended a 10-month stint in Colo…

In our rapidly changing world, the classroom is critical in preparing upcoming generations for the life and work environment they will face in the future. Academic, former Minister for Education and international Consultant, Dr Gale Rigobert, shares her thoughts on, among other things: * the education system in the English-speaking Caribbean and ho…

In our August 2024 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Nima Anvar, Hotelier and Chief Executive Officer of conversational AI platform GuestChat in Grenada, and Max Larson Henry, Network Engineer and Founder of the tech company, Transversal, which is based in the United States and Haiti, the panel discusses: * Community…

Starting on 21 August 2024, we are just days away from the 20th Caribbean Internet Governance Forum, the longest-running Internet Governance Forum in the world! With Nigel Cassimire, the Deputy Secretary General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union and Coordinator of the Caribbean Internet Governance Forum (CIGF), we get an update on the Inter…

Agriculture is the bedrock of our societies and our ability to feed ourselves. However, with difficult terrain, climate change and more resilient pests to name just a few of the challenges that plague that sector, having ready access to accurate and relevant crop-related information could be a game changer for farmers everywhere. In this episode, D…

Across the Caribbean region, most countries are embarking on projects to implement a digital ID system. Although there are considerable national benefits to doing so, improving and increasing citizens’ access such as a broad range of services, digital IDs is a complex exercise. We revisit a 2022 interview with Trevor Forrest, of 876 Solutions on th…

In our July 2024 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Tessa Drayton, a Brand Communication and Reputation Management Specialist based in Trinidad and Tobago, and Rodney Browne, the Founder of eCaribbean Limited in Saint Kitts and Nevis, the panel discusses: * With increasing tech-related regulation, how can organisation…

Regulatory technology (or regtech) is expected to be worth over USD 87 billion by 2028, but it is an underdeveloped fintech segment in the Caribbean region. However, as regulatory oversight increases in areas such as cybersecurity and data protection, increasingly, regtech will not be limited to the banking and fintech sectors. Circling back to a 2…

In our third instalment of the series, The internet we should want in 2024 and beyond, Matthew Cowen of dgtlfutures, shares his thoughts on the subject. Though the topic is broad, our conversation touches on, among other things: * social media; * the state of advertising on the Internet; * major trends or technological advancements that are shaping…

In the third instalment in our Expert Insights series on cyber threats and security for 2024, and with Edward Millington of CariSec Global, he discusses, among other things: * the latest developments in the security space; * the relationship between the data protection and cybercrime frameworks; * some of the reasons why the Barbados House of Assem…

The readiness of businesses to operate with a ‘digital-first’ posture has become critical as we all strive to compete and remain relevant in an increasingly global marketplace. With Nadeen Matthews Blair, of Crescent Advisory Group, we discuss the results of the latest Caribbean Digital Readiness Survey conducted by PwC, including: * what it means …

In the Caribbean region, small-scale farming is the backbone of our agriculture sector, but often, it is difficult for farmers to access funding that would be open to ventures in other sectors. FarmCredibly has been working on addressing such challenges by providing simplified financial services to underbanked farmers in Jamaica. In a follow-up con…

In our June 2024 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Aldin Crosdale, an IT Internal Auditor in Jamaica and the Community Manager for the Jamaican Developers Community/Caribbean Tech Connect, and Halle Johnson (Mr.), a Systems Administrator at the University of The West Indies Five Islands Campus in Antigua and Barbuda,…

Whether we realise it or not, the decisions C-suite executives are making are shaping our digital experiences: the way we live, work, and interact online and with technology. With Lisa-Maria Alexander, a Certified Chartered Director, and the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Strategist of The Leadership Xperience, and focusing on Caribbean organisa…

Thanks to technology, especially generative artificial intelligence (AI), getting into the hands of consumers, the business landscape and our societies have been evolving faster than ever. Lorenzo Hodges of Plain White Table is back again to continue the conversation we started in 2019 on innovation in organisations. Now five years later, Lorenzo s…