Sharing knowledge for resilient,
sustainable and prosperous
islands worldwide.
September 26th — October 2nd, 2022
Follow on social media #VIS2022
What is the Virtual Island Summit?
Join islanders from around the world to share ideas, good practices and solutions.
10,000
500
160
100
10,000 attendees including policymakers, entrepreneurs, academics and NGO leaders share their expertise on island communities bringing examples of good practices from around the world.
Meet our Sponsors
Get in touch with us today and find out how you can support the Virtual Island Summit.
Edge is the independent education charity dedicated to making education relevant. We believe a coherent, unified and holistic education system can support social equity and enable all young people to fulfil their potential.
Edge’s research shows that a broad and balanced curriculum, including creative and technical subjects, rich employer engagement, teacher autonomy and interactive pedagogy, can help to bring learning alive and prepare students for more than just a set of exams.
Edge runs the Island Education Network, which brings together islands around the British Isles and British Overseas Territories to discuss issues relating to education policy in an island setting.
The Island Institute works alongside Maine’s island and coastal leaders to catalyze community sustainability in the state’s 120 island and coastal communities and share what works among these diverse communities and beyond.
Established in 2012, the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF) is the realization of a bold vision to create reliable, long-term funding for conservation and sustainable development in the Caribbean region. The CBF and a group of National Conservation Trust Fund form the Caribbean Sustainable Finance Architecture, which, among other objectives, supports and incentivizes targeted Caribbean nations to meet the goals of the Caribbean Challenge Initiative (CCI), national conservation priorities, and targets under other international and regional commitments.
The Waitt Foundation takes a hands-on, partnership-oriented approach to achieve Ocean Protection. We fund projects and campaigns aimed at ending overfishing, the creation and expansion of Marine Protected Areas, facilitate Marine Spatial Planning, and raising public awareness about the rapid decline in ocean health. With a particular focus on enduring public private partnerships and conservation finance, our principal goal is to support governments in achieving their own sustainable fisheries, “Blue Prosperity,” and ocean conservation goals. We make direct grants to Nongovernmental Organizations, and work closely with our global network of Public and Strategic Partners to leverage grant funds and key relationships wherever possible. In doing so, we work closely with our government partners and grantees to learn, to build and manage programs, and to offer strategic advice and technical assistance.
Edenway group is a Paris and Barcelona consulting firm that has been created on the following beliefs:
- Sustainable development is a frame of mind of our economy but also a major tool of value creation.
- Social and environmental innovations are ways to accelerate our development.
- Active experimentations are essential to the development of new models.
Our mission: give our customers the means of a sustainable development by turning concepts into realities at each level: economic, social, environmental.
On the one hand, Edenway offers public authorities and private companies to set up and lead concrete solutions for their transformation. On the other hand, Edenway helps small and medium-sized businesses to grow locally and internationally.
Edenway is therefore a privileged go-between within the global sustainable development ecosystem, connecting SMB, public authorities and large companies.
Register now!
Register now to attend the various online events taking place September 26th — October 2nd, 2022.
Registration is FREE, but spaces are limited, so reserve your spot now!
Can’t make the live event dates? No worries! Register for the event, and we’ll send you the replay link after the event. If you can attend live, you will be given the opportunity to ask questions to speakers and interact with other guests.
Please complete your registration today to ensure you get the latest updates, access to the live sessions and copies of the recordings!
Meet our Speakers
Senator Mike Gabbard currently serves as chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Environment. He is also a member of the Committee on Judiciary and Committee on Government Operations.
Senator Gabbard represents Hawai‘i’s 20th Senatorial District and has served in the Hawai‘i State Senate since 2006. Gabbard served on the Honolulu City Council from 2003-2005.
Born on January 15, 1948 in American Samoa, Senator Gabbard and his wife, Carol, have five children: Bhakti, Jai, Ryan, Tulsi, and Vrindavan. Senator Gabbard is a graduate from Choctawhatchee High School and received a B.A. in English from California State University, Sonoma in 1971. He continued his education, receiving an M.A. in Adult Education with emphasis on community college administration from Oregon State University in 1980.
Dana completed her PhD at the University of Edinburgh in the field of refugee education. Dana
joined the Edge Research and Policy team in 2019 as a Researcher. At Edge Dana’s main areas of
interest are in further education, vocational education and training, education technology,
understanding good practice across all levels of education and labour skills shortages across the UK.
Rob Wallace is CEO of Ecademy. Mr. Wallace has worked as an Energy Engineer/project manager and business consultant with over 10 years experience in program management, renewable energy systems design and development, systems implementation, training and technology management. Mr. Wallace is responsible for the engineering, design, and development of all renewable energy projects that supports clients in the educational, financial, and healthcare sectors. Some noteworthy clients include University of Maryland Medical Systems, Johns Hopkins University, the City of Baltimore, University of Maryland Medical Systems and CHIMES International. Daniel sits on the board for the Maryland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and serves as President of the Baltimore Chapter of AABE (American Association of Blacks in Energy). Recent projects include more than 25MW portfolio of solar installations throughout the Northeastern United States. This includes 3.4MW of solar for Chimes, Inc., a Baltimore-based nonprofit; a 24MW mixed resource (solar and biomass facility for a major medical system in Maryland, and a 2.6 MW HRES™ integrated system for Tubman University in Liberia, West Africa, two capped land fills in Massachusetts, and two 10MW facilities in Howard and Carroll Counties. Mr. Wallace has over 100MW of projects in various stages of development/construction.
Mr. Wallace pursued his Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Lab, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic and State University. He is an SMA Solar Academy graduate, a certified Wind System Design Specialist, and a certified EVSE installer for GE’s. He is currently pursuing his CEM, OSHA10, and LEED certifications to further broaden his Energy knowledge base.
Lynne Rogers is a Reader in Education at IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society and Co-Director for the Centre for Post-14 Education and Work. She has long-standing interests in teacher/lecturer training and learning in further and higher education and other professional settings. Currently she is the Academic Head of Research Engagement and Impact. She was the Faculty Director of Teaching and Learning throughout 2011–14 in addition to leading the MA in Teaching and Learning in Higher and Professional Education. During 2008–2010 she was the Director of the London Centre for Excellence in Teacher Training. She has extensive experience of education as a teacher and in a range of management positions prior to becoming an academic. She has undertaken research and published in relation to behaviour in school; disengagement from education including the role of alternative curricula; learning, studying and homework in adolescents, educational trajectories of young people and issues relating to music education. Her book, Disengagement from Education, focused on the experiences of young people aged 11 to 19 across a range of contexts including secondary, FE, young offender institutions and alternative provision.
My background is in Tourism Management (BA, IMC University of Sciences Krems and MSc, Skema Business School France). After a work experience at UNEP’s Global Partnership for Sustainable Tourism, I joined mascontour GmbH, a Berlin-based international sustainable tourism consultancy. Since then I have been involved in projects on tourism policy (10 Year Framework of Programmes), marketing and PR (National Tourism Organisation of Serbia, Danube Competence Centre), certification (KAZA area) and capacity building (nature conservation, agrobiodiversity and tourism in Albania, Georgia), among others.
I speak four languages and am a passionate sustainable tourism and ecotourism advocate, looking to connect with colleagues from around the world to exchange project experiences and find opportunities for collaboration.
I was based in Seychelles for several years where I co-founded the Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Foundation (SSTF), a platform that works toward a structured and holistic approach for sustainable tourism in Seychelles, connecting relevant stakeholders.
Working in small island destinations, I am seeing first-hand the benefits ecotourism can bring to local livelihoods, conservation and environmental education. Currently, I am supporting the LT&C-Example Chumbe Island Coral Park in Zanzibar.
Yasmine Encelade leads business development for SMO Solar Process, a modular, solar-powered, bioenergy with carbon capture and utilization technology, that turns carbon-based waste into affordable green hydrogen. The system also recycles the carbon into valuable industrial feedstock and can be used in low-infrastructure locations. With an M.B.A. background, she has worked on innovating multimillion-dollar early-stage projects and felt a strong calling to promote island leadership on climate issues with SMO Solar Process, the first recipient of the Solar Impulse label in the Caribbean, and recent laureate of the UN-sponsored Ocean Innovation Prize.
Masaō recently completed a Lectureship at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica where he was the research lead for the Alternative Energy Group at the Department of Physics. He has now joined the OeRC team, working with Professor David Wallom as a Postdoctoral Researcher for Project LEO (project-leo.co.uk). Masaō is the Co-Founder of the Journal of Caribbean Environmental Sciences and Renewable Energy (CESaR
- Property Manager for Anse Chastanet & Jade Mountain Resorts St Lucia
- One of UNEP / TraveLife’s main implementation partners for the TTVC (Transforming Tourism Value Chains) program.
- Past Chairman of the St Lucian Hospitality and Tourism Environmental Committee.
Publications:
- Best Practice Handbook on for the St. Lucian Hospitality Sector
- Recommendations to the Saint Lucian Hospitality Sector for alternatives to Single Use Plastic
- Leveraging sustainable procurement practices to transform tourism value chains SHLTA Virtual Agricultural Clearing House
A strong proponent of the Caribbean Centric approach to engineering and managing projects that are regionally appropriate and sustainable.
Passion for training and information sharing with a special focus in overcoming cultural barriers to change.
In the period 1994-1995, I worked as a sales executive at the company Sarelas Ltd, responsible for the company’s largest customer, the Public Electricity Company (PPC). During the period 1995-1999 as a sales executive in the company SDC S.A I was responsible for the integration of proposals and solutions in ERP systems (SAP), CRM (Siebel and SAP), Business Intelligence (SAP and BO), Systems Integration, E-security. From 1999 to 2004 as a senior sales executive at the French multinational company BULL S.A., with the role of Developing the Strategy for Creating and Completing sales opportunities for Large Public and Private clients, and completing Public Tenders. From the year 2005 to 2011 as a senior sales executive at Exodus Company I had the role of overseeing Public Sector and Local Government clients. During the period 2011-2012, I took over as Special Associate of the Mayor of Leros. From 2012 to 2015, I was the director of sales at Reposition Strategy. From 2015 to 2020 Ι worked as a Special Associate of the Mayor of Tilos.From 2020 until today I am the General Secretary of the Municipality of Tilos.
In the period 2003-2012 he was the Elected Member of the Municipal Council of the 1st Municipal Apartment of the Municipality of Athens. In the two years 2007-2008 Ι was the President of the Municipal Council of the 1st Municipal District, while in the two years 2009-2010 Ι was the President of the Municipal Committee of Education of the 1st Municipal District and an Executive member of the Board of Directors of the “National Garden” Organization.
He’s honorary ambassador to Island Innovation and an advisor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation to the Province of Hainan China. Currently an adjunct instructor teaching Corporate Innovation, Social Responsibility and Sustainability at the prestigious Fudan University’s Fanhai International School of Finance (FISF) in Shanghai.
Previously the Chief Marketing Officer at Rocket Space China and partner at Garage Cafe, the first coffee themed Nationally recognized privately operated TMT incubator and co-working space on China’s most famous startup hub called Innoway In Zhongguancun, Beijing.
He’s lived in China for 25 years and is a pioneer in digital marketing and online consumer research.
Before coming to China he worked in California State Government in the California State Senate and as the Chief Assistant Secretary of State.
He joined Leclanché in June 2021 and oversees, operations, sales and the development of the long-term strategy for the e-Marine business group. He is based in the company’s Oslo office from where he serves the global marine community leveraging the full breadth of the company’s battery storage technology and solutions.
Prior to joining Leclanché, Clement had a 15-year career with Schneider Electric. He worked in many capacities, beginning as an international project manager and working through a variety of roles culminating as segment director for the company’s Marine business group.
He has a master’s degree in business administration, legal and financial engineering from L’IGR-IAE Rennes, in Rennes, France, and an engineering diploma from Centrale Supélec École Supérieure d’Électricité near Paris.
Clement and his partner have two sons, ages five and six. He is an outdoor sports enthusiast with a special affinity for soccer, mountain biking and running.
- Physicist and Space engineer by training
- 24 years with Airbus in aircraft and space system sales and strategy
- Passionate of the electrification of aviation, Regional Air Mobility markets, sustainability and hydrogen
- Founded and developed an aviation start-up in the hydrogen electric space back in 2020
- With ZeroAvia since beginning 2022 developing the company in France and new market opportunities
- Excited to see the advent of commuter zero emissions flightsin 2025 based on the ZeroAvia powertrain and the right hydrogen refuel infrastructure
Nick Grief is Emeritus Professor of Law at the University of Kent and a barrister practising from Doughty Street Chambers, London where he is an Associate Tenant. He specialises in public international law and human rights and has a particular interest in air and space law. A Kent graduate with a PhD on public international law in the airspace of the high seas, he taught at the University of Exeter and Bournemouth University before returning to Kent in 2010. In 2016 he was a member of the legal team which represented the Marshall Islands in the International Court of Justice in cases against India, Pakistan and the UK concerning the obligation to negotiate in good faith towards nuclear disarmament.
+ with McKinsey & Company, advised corporations and governments on strategy, organizational design, and operational performance enhancement. Served blue chip firms in power, oil & gas and mining sectors globally on corporate & growth strategy, including expansion into Africa and Asia
+ with the World Bank, developed and delivered energy sector and private sector development initiatives, interfacing closely with ministerial-, senior multi-lateral and business counterparts
+ lead the Climate Resilience Execution Agency for Dominica, tasked with helping the country—ravaged by Hurricane Maria in 2017 (90% of homes damaged or destroyed, 90% of agriculture decimated, total impact was 226% of GDP) achieve its bold vision of becoming the world’s first climate resilient nation
+ with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), pushed the envelope on scaling up commercially-viable, off-grid energy access business models in Africa and Asia. Currently focusing on developing replicable approaches and an investment pipeline to enhance resilience across all infrastructure categories in small islands and small states.
I am trained Scientist, a Development Communication practitioner, a former journalist with Citizen TV and a current board member of Health and Environment Research Institute (HERI).
Quote:
‘Waste is a resource in the wrong place. I believe in human ingenuity; it got us in this crisis. We have the brains and technology to help us imagine and achieve a circular world without waste.’
He has served as International Executive Director of Greenpeace International (from 2009 to 2016) and Secretary General of Amnesty International (from 2018 to 2020). Kumi has lectured at Fossil Free University and was a Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy until early 2022. Kumi is currently a Senior Advisor for the Community Arts Network (CAN) and a special Advisor to the Green Economy Coalition. He is Professor of Practice, Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University and continues to serve as a Global mbassador, Africans Rising for Justice, Peace and Dignity. Kumi is a Visiting Fellow, Oxford University and Honorary Fellow, Magdalen College
Joe is a member of the ORION Clean Energy Project team focussed on hydrogen, marine, and port applications of future energy solutions on Shetland. He has worked for the Council’s Ports and Harbours Department for three years and is involved with wider organisations such as North Sea HyMap and Horizon 2020’s Robinson Islands project. Joe has also been involved in a recent Scottish wide study to explore hydrogen exporting technologies, and the NEPTUNE Project which explored the marine industry’s transition to Net-Zero.
Elize Rostant is a creative professional with a background in design, management and arts administration. Over the past several years, Elize has delved more deeply into sustainable development initiatives in the Caribbean integrating eco-tourism, the arts and regenerative environmental practices as a means of achieving positive cultural transformation. Currently, she is the Program Manager at the Walkers Institute for Regenerative Research Education and Design (WIRRED), which is stewarding the largest regeneration project in the Caribbean where 277 acres of mined lands in Barbados have been transformed into Walkers Reserve, a living laboratory and model for climate resilience. Elize believes in the power of harnessing the region’s potential through the development of our people and strives to be a catalyst for positive change by applying her skills and talents to building communities nationally, regionally and internationally.
Event Agenda
The Virtual Island Summit collectively covers all aspects of sustainable development using the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework. Core themes this year will include:
Climate Action & Adaptation
Renewable Energy & Clean Energy Transition
Blue Economy, Conservation & the Ocean
Agriculture & Food Security
Health, Education, Diversity & Inclusion
Circular Economy
Sustainable Tourism
Blockchain & Cryptocurrency
Sessions will follow a variety of interactive formats including panels, roundtables, quickfire presentations, special sessions and storytelling.
Full Agenda Coming Soon!
Meet our Partners
@SriEvent specializes in creating, searching and aggregating, valorizing and promoting Twitter-based contents for events on sustainable finance. #SriAgenda, #Livetweeting, #TwitterChat, #TwitterInterview are the main services provided by @SriEvent in the framework of a modular and customizable offer.
In May 2019 @SriEvent launched its first local chapter @SriEvent_It focused on the Italian landscape. @SriEvent is also present on Linkedin (since 2020) and Instagram (since 2021).
@SriEvent is part of a network of Twitter handles launched by @andytuit, a story-tweeter, blogger, journalist, writer, adjunct professor and guest lecturer on sustainable finance, member of Managers For Future Pioneer Team, with 20+ years of experience in the field.
The Journal of Caribbean Environmental Sciences and Renewable Energy (CESaRE) was developed in 2016 out of a recognized need to modernize and revolutionize the Caribbean’s scientific research publishing. With the global shift towards renewables over traditional energy sources, together with a collective rise in environmental consciousness, CESaRE is the perfect opportunity for highlighting such research conducted in the Caribbean. CESaRE will provide a suitable forum to encourage research dissemination in the region and promises to be more than just a collection of academic articles. Our innovative media and growing audience will provide a nexus for Caribbean leaders, key industry partners, and authorities to catalyze more effective decision making processes within our increasingly vulnerable region.
The Pacific Islands Development Forum Le Forum (PIDF), headquartered in Suva, is a regional organization created by the Fijian Government in 2013, following its exclusion from the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in 2009.
The PIDF’s main objective is to support sustainable development in Pacific Islands by facilitating:
- The integration of sustainable development’s three pillars (Environmental, Social and Economic) to combine sustained economic growth and the needs of society with environmental resilience.
- The use of tools and innovations associated with the green economy, leadership, adaptation, and the implementation of sustainable partnerships.
The PIDF seeks to act as a multipartite platform for government leaders, the private sector and civil society, to create dynamic partnerships in which leaders and representatives of Pacific countries take ownership of the decisions and actions implemented to meet their specific development needs.
EcoVybz Environmental Creatives is a creative changency focused on building powerful environmental content through storytelling initiatives and developing innovative tools to mobilise youth as strategic agents of change. Specialised in topics such as climate change, water management and ocean conservation EcoVybz also offers consultancy services in the field of environmental research and youth capacity building workshops.
Loop News is the number one source for Caribbean-wide, local and global content. We provide the best coverage of news, sports, entertainment, lifestyle, business, community and events.
With our dedicated team of journalists working locally in each market, we strive to bring all the breaking and most up-to-date coverage from a team you can trust.
Loop News launched in April 2014 and quickly grew to have teams in six markets across the Caribbean: Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Haiti, Cayman and St Lucia. And in 2020 we launched the newest website in the Loop family – Loop Caribbean!
We became the Caribbean’s number one news app in the Google Play store and Apple App store within two months of launch, and with more than 1 million downloads, Loop News is still the number 1 today!
Pacific Venture was created in early 2015. Our mission is to help organizations (and individuals) understand today’s world and tomorrow’s human challenges. We thus support organizations in change by helping them to understand the complexity of our world and of the human being and, on this basis, to develop intentional, open and impactful leadership. Our services are available internationally but mainly focused on Asia and the Pacific. We are able to provide services in both English and French and always operate with awareness of your organization’s cultural environment.
Future Islands is a product of the Sustainable Dutch Caribbean Foundation. We are supported by partners and experts who are passionate about sustainability and innovation.
From the 6 islands and the Netherlands content creators are writing and publishing articles on the platform. Furthermore, several business developers are recruiting partners on the islands and in the Netherlands and manage the relations of those partners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I attend the Virtual Island Summit?
The summit is a unique and totally free experience! You can learn from world-leading experts from diverse backgrounds about the latest projects being deployed in island communities, with applications far beyond. Each session will be interactive with opportunities to ask questions and make connections. This year we are expanding to have even more features and especially networking opportunities with representatives of over 500 islands!
What's new in 2022?
We are continuing to build out our program to include new virtual features, and especially networking opportunities. We are continuing to expand program the Hubs and Ambassador programs, which allows our global virtual evennt to directly connect with local communities.
How much does the Summit cost? Do I need anything to participate?
The summit is totally free!! You can sign up here and all you need to take part is and an internet connection and the Zoom webinar software. The networking sessions will be held on Remo, which is accessed directly in your browser.
How do I participate?
All are welcome to participate in the summit – feel free to invite friends and colleagues. Participants can take part in every session, or simply chose the sessions most relevant to them and are all encouraged to join the social media conversation.
Will the Summit be recorded?
The summit will be broadcast LIVE, taking place over multiple days in various timezones. Ideally, guests should join live for opportunities to ask questions and interact with fellow attendees. However, all sessions will be recorded and made available online a few weeks after the event.
What is Island Innovation?
Island Innovation is a consultancy and advisory firm offering specialized services across various economic sectors. We bring together the private sector, government, NGOs and academia to advance innovation for sustainability in island communities worldwide. The organization works with diverse rural and island communities around the world to develop solutions for sustainable development. Island Innovation uses its global network to find innovative solutions with cutting-edge technology.
Can I speak or recommend a speaker or topic?
We are continually adding more speakers and sessions! If you would like to nominate a speaker, click here.
Can I sponsor the Summit?
We have limited opportunities for sponsors of specific sessions or the event as a whole. If you are interested in sponsoring the event click here and we will be in touch.
Can we organize a local screening of the summit?
We are exploring opportunities to screen parts of the summits on islands around the world to ensure local communities can take part. If you would like to organize a screening on your island please get in touch.
How can I get involved with Island Innovation
Thanks for your support! You can explore the Island Ambassadors program for opportunities to be involved.
Can I give feedback or make a suggestion?
We always welcome ideas! Please get in touch.