ICT Pulse Podcast

Technology alone will not transform the Caribbean region, and neither is it a silver bullet. What Caribbean countries must do is to think more strategically about their digital transformation: key inputs and strategies ought to be deployed, whilst also being intentional and managing the impact on society. With Dr Karen Abrams, the Co-Founder of STEMGuyana and newspaper columnist, we discuss, among...

Jamaica's push toward a robust digital economy is not happening by chance. It is being driven by decades of strategic advocacy. Many know the Jamaica Technology and Digital Alliance (JTDA) for flagship initiatives such as the annual BizTech Conference, but its roots run much deeper. Raquel Seville, the current President of the JTDA, joins us for a conversation on the organisation, including:    * ...

In our June 2026 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Innovation Strategist and Creative Economy Advocate, Bianca Welds, who is based in Jamaica , and Halle Johnson, a Systems Administrator and PhD candidate based in Antigua and Barbuda, the panel discusses:   *  Is AI reducing the job market for Caribbean school leavers?   *  Online banking in the Caribbean, why does...

Around the world, tech export associations have helped software firms access new markets, influence policy, share knowledge, and compete globally. We are joined by Clark Russel and Franco Diaz, from the Curaçao Tech Export Association, also known as SIMIA, to discuss the journey and impact to date. Some of the areas our conversation covered include:   *  what inspired the founding of SIMIA in 2020...

In the second instalment of our Expert Insights series on cyber threats and security for 2026, Lieutenant Colonel Godphey Sterling of the Cyber Incident Response Team (CIRT) Division in the Office of the Prime Minister in Jamaica, joins us once again. During this conversation, the Colonel shares his thoughts on, among other things:   *  the changes in the Jamaican threat landscape that have occurr...

Similar to most Small Island Developing States, Jamaica faces unique challenges, including climate change, natural disasters, economic vulnerability, and resource constraints. Science and technology can play a critical role in addressing these challenges. In this conversation with  Dr the Honourable Andrew Wheatley, Jamaica's Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with resp...

In our May 2026 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Tamira La Cruz, an Economic Development Advisor and Private Sector Specialist based in Cura ç ao , and Natalie Maharaj, a Digital Transformation Consultant and Responsible Technology Advocate based in Trinidad and Tobago, the panel discusses:     *  AI literacy in the Caribbean;   *  SIDS investing in tech developmen...

For our 400 th episode, we are joined by Development Journalist and award-winning Writer Gerard Best, who turns the tables and interviews the ICT Pulse Podcast Creator and Host, Michele Marius. During their conversation, and among other things,   *  they revisit earlier milestones of the Podcast,   *  discuss the current state of media and information platforms worldwide, along with   *  who might...

The Autonomous Motion Systems (AMoS) is the robotics research cluster of the Artificial Intelligence Innovation Centre , focused on developing the mathematical and engineering foundations needed to make unmanned aerial vehicles, such as multirotor drones, robotic arms, humanoids, quadrupeds and wheeled robots, behave reliably and safely in the real world. We are joined by Dr Afraz Subratti and Cad...

The digital nomad movement appears to have hit a tipping point, with professionals ditching the commute for the continent-hop. No longer just a trend for freelance backpackers, experienced professionals are prioritising experience and work-life balance over equity. Debbie-Ann Jollie, a Marketing Consultant and Business Coach originally from Trinidad and Tobago, who is also known as the Stammering...

In our April 2026 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Jennifer Potter, a Strategic Advisor based in the British Virgin Islands , and Rojane Rose, a Product Manager based in Jamaica, the panel discusses:     *  Is Jamaica finally building the rails for digital government — or just digitising bureaucracy?   *  Does digital transformation suffer from a poor return on inv...

We often talk about AI as a Silicon Valley phenomenon, but the economics of AI is a Caribbean story too. It's about more than just chatbots; it is about a general-purpose technology that is fundamentally shifting how we value labour, productivity, and even regional data sovereignty. International Economist, Dr Justin Ram, joins us once again and shares his thoughts on:   *  the factors he uses to...

Over the past five years or so, Guyana has been accelerating its digital development. We initially explored the state of the country's telecoms/ICT sector in 2019, and thought we needed an update. With longtime friend of the Podcast,  IT and Internet Governance Strategist, Lance Hinds, we discuss:   *  how the telecoms and ICT space in Guyana has evolved;   *  service affordability;   *  the degre...

For decades, exports in the Caribbean meant sugar, bauxite, or tourism. But as countries recognise the need for greater economic diversification and resilience, more substantial inroads must be made in the technology exports sector, which can also bolster countries' economic development. We revisit a conversation we had in 2024 with Vashti Maharaj, the Adviser, Digital Trade Policy, of the Commonw...

In the second instalment of our Expert Insights series on cyber threats and security for 2026, Obika Gellineau of Fujitsu Caribbean joins us once again. During this conversation, Obika shares his thoughts on, among other things:   *  the changes in the threat landscape that have occurred since our last conversation in 2025;   *  the changes in phishing attacks thanks to AI; how attacks during a na...

In our March 2026 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Max Larson Henry, Network Engineer and Founder of the tech company, Transversal, which is based in the United States and Haiti, and Liselle Yorke, a Communications Strategist based in the United States but originally from Trinidad and Tobago, the panel discusses:    *  What's the news? Caribbean media at digital cr...

As a cultural powerhouse, the Caribbean region has the potential to become a digital leader in leveraging AI and VR technologies to preserve the region's unique identity, modernise its education systems, and ensure that digital inclusion reaches every citizen. Amanda Zilla, the Principal Investigator of the dream LAB, within the Artificial Intelligence Innovation Centre (AIIC), joins us to discuss...

As organisations and societies become increasingly data-driven, data science has emerged as one of the most influential disciplines shaping decision-making, innovation and economic opportunity. With data scientists, Dr Letetia Addison, Educator, Statistician, and Researcher at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Labour Market Specialist, Tanisha Ash, and Entrepreneur and Agri-...

Consistent with the growing discussion of digital sovereignty in the Caribbean region and worldwide, greater attention is being placed on the establishment of data embassies. In response, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) published a study on the subject. We chat with Demetris Herakleous, an Associate Economic Affairs Officer at ECLAC, on the prospe...

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a central pillar of the global internet governance ecosystem. In the latter half of 2025, consultations were held with the Latin American and Caribbean region on the strategic plan ICANN hopes to implement in the region for the period 2026 to 2030. Rodrigo de la Parra, ICANN's Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean and...

  In our February 2026 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, an HR Consultant and Founder and CEO of Persolve Limited in Trinidad and Tobago, Joel-Ann Cook-Walcott, and a long-time friend of the Show, Steven Williams , the Executive Director of Sunisle Communications Inc., and the Principal Consultant of Data Privacy and Management Advisory Services in Barbados, the pan...

In late 2025, the United Nations concluded its 20-year review of the outcomes emanating from the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). Noting that the Caribbean region has been an active participant from WSIS's inception in 2003, we invited Nigel Cassimire, the Deputy Secretary General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union, to discuss the findings of the review and resulting resoluti...

We kick off our Expert insights series on cyber threats and security   for 2026, with Sean Slattery of Caribbean Solutions Lab in the Cayman Islands. In this episode, he discusses, among other things:   *  the changes in the threat landscape that occurred in 2025;   *  the potential impact of agentic AI and the emerging threat of quantum computing in the security space;   *  how we can prove who w...

In many recent global and regional assessments on artificial intelligence (AI), Caribbean countries have performed poorly, as the requisite systems and frameworks are still underdeveloped. The foundation of any country's work on AI is establishing national policies and a framework to facilitate the development of the enabling environment. With Dr Craig Ramlal, the Chair of the Caribbean AI Task Fo...

In an era of tighter funding, rising development costs, and increasing pressure to demonstrate real value, digital venture studios are proving to be an alternative to the more traditional incubator and accelerator startup models. Seasoned tech entrepreneur and innovator, Rodney Browne, launched the Innovation Factory in 2025 in Saint Kitts and Nevis, which is currently building four ventures with...