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There are a wide range of opportunities for sustainable development projects in the Caribbean region – but for them to be successful there needs to be greater access to finance. What projects are being unveiled in the region, and where can they source funding to support their vision? The Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator seeks to unlock financing for sustainable solutions in a bid to create the world’s first climate-smart zone. With climate adaptation and mitigation funding for island and developing nations set to be a core topic at COP26, now is the time to move towards action for the region.
Speakers
Racquel has enabled leadership and organizations around the world to go beyond their current vision and stay on the cusp of what’s next.
As the newest UN Global Ambassador in the Race to Zero, Racquel has become a critical advisor for: driving the shift to digital; process automation and implementing key turnaround projects that heighten customer engagement and strengthen organizational performance.
Known for her ability to build coalitions, Racquel’s success in the public and private sectors has allowed her to drive important advancements on world-changing topics that require regional consensus, such as climate change, sustainability and building resilience.
Ray is the Group Head of the Investment Banking for Republic Bank, the leading capital markets advisory in the Caribbean. In his role, Ray is responsible for mergers, acquisitions, and debt capital markets and structured finance. Previously, he was a Vice President at Citigroup’s Private Bank, where he structured alternative investment products for professional family offices. Before Citi, Ray worked at Morgan Stanley, where he ran a $13 billion alternative investment platform for high net worth clients to invest in private equity and real estate opportunities. Ray holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia University of New York.
Ray serves on the Board of Literacy Incorporated, a non-profit organization based in New York that promotes reading for children in low-income communities throughout New York City. He is also the current President of the Columbia Business School Alumni Club of the Caribbean.
Ms Charlin Bodley is the Sustainable Energy Project Development and Gender Expert with the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE), where she is primarily responsible for the establishment and operation of the CCREEE Project Preparation Facility (PPF).
As the gender expert, she is also engaged in mainstreaming gender into all the Centre’s work, ensuring that gender and youth responsive programmes and initiatives are implemented, as a critical contribution to the centre’s operations. For more than seven years prior, Charlin worked as an Energy Specialist with the Government of Saint Lucia as a consultant in the area of sustainable energy. A certified project manager, she engaged in energy planning, policy development and the management of public sector renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.
Further, Charlin is the founder of the Women in Geothermal Energy (WING) Caribbean Chapter, with a goal to influence, diversify and accelerate the development of the resource in the region. She has also served as programme manager for the Women in Renewable Energy Network (WIRE), managed by a collaboration between the Clinton Climate Initiative and Caribbean Electric Utility Services (CARILEC).
Charlin holds a Masters of Engineering (MEng) degree in Energy and Environmental Management from the University of Flensburg, Germany; a post-graduate diploma in Geothermal Project Management and Financing from the United Nations Geothermal Training Programme in Iceland, and a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Environmental Engineering from Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana, Mexico.
Justine Lucas is the Executive Director of Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation which focuses on climate resilience and climate justice. Additionally, she is currently a term member on the Council on Foreign Relations. Previously, she was the Global Director of Programs for Global Citizen where she oversaw the Global Citizen Festival, events, programs and strategic partnerships and was a Producer of the 2012 – 2015 Global Citizen Festivals in Central Park and the 2015 Global Citizen Earth Day event on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. She is an expert in campaign mobilization, strategic partnerships & developing and leveraging creative campaigns around complex policy issues. Additionally, she has consulted for both international and domestic nonprofits and worked extensively on grassroots program development around human rights and access to justice issues in Cameroon. She has a B.A. in History and Anthropology and an M.A. in Global Affairs and Nonprofit Management, both from New York University. Justine resides in New York City, is an avid traveler, runner, writer and connector of people.
David Gumbs is a Director for the Africa, Islands, and Southeast Asia Program at RMI where he works closely with governments and utilities to achieve their renewable energy targets. David specializes in building resilience and reducing energy costs through renewable energy microgrids.
Before joining Rocky Mountain Institute, David founded Daavi Business Solutions (DBS) where, as CEO, he provided business advisory and renewable energy solutions to clients in the US, Africa, and the Caribbean. David is the former Chief Executive Officer of the Anguilla Electricity Company, Ltd. (ANGLEC). He received several awards for his leadership and contributions to the energy space including both an individual and team awards for the Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum’s (CREF) – Island Resiliency Action Challenge and the iChange Nations Regional Statesman Award for his outstanding leadership to rebuild Anguilla’s electricity grid to 100% in 100 days post Hurricane Irma.
As the Chief Executive Officer of the Anguilla Electricity Company, Ltd (ANGLEC), he successfully implemented renewable energy technologies – achieving one of the region’s highest renewable energy penetration levels in 2016. David developed and implemented ANGLEC’s aggressive public relations and marketing strategy, incorporated several industry leading solutions such as advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), grid automation, work order automation, vehicle fleet management and an aggressive undergrounding initiative into ANGLEC’s operations.
David is a graduate of the University of Hartford with a Master of Science in Accounting, and a graduate of Connecticut College with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Africana Studies and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
In Partnership with:
The Accelerator is an entrepreneurial engine that catalyzes and accelerates priority initiatives toward a Climate-Smart Zone, delivering resilience, social development, and broad-based economic growth for the Caribbean.
Our central objective is to help transform the region’s economy by fast-tracking sound public and private investment opportunities that support climate action and economic growth through sustainable development.
Drawing on the deep experience of our nations and institutions, a group of twenty-seven visionary Caribbean Governments, alongside some of the largest global companies, financial institutions, and foundations have joined The Accelerator to make the Caribbean a beacon of climate-smart development.
