Practical Applications of Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies for Sustainable Development on Islands

Stefen is a Bahamian economist and an authority on blockchain and fintech in the Caribbean. He is President/CEO of the Caribbean Blockchain Alliance (CBA), which is a regional NGO formed to advocate for blockchain technology and to foster its adoption through awareness and education. CBA is supported by major Caribbean blockchain companies. Stefen has led the blockchain education of software developers and has facilitated various hackathons. He continues to push to build cohorts of blockchain developers in the region.
Stefen has worked in multi-lateral financial institutions and in grantmaking foundations. He is also a co-founder of the Shift the Culture startup advocacy group, and the Arrowlynk Ventures business incubator, both based in The Bahamas.

Ms Sharmyn Powell has been employed at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank for the past 24 years and currently holds the position of Chief Risk Officer. She leads the Office of Corporate Strategy and Risk Management with responsibility for Enterprise Risk Management, Compliance, Strategic Plan development and monitoring and Business Continuity Management. Prior to assuming this role, she served in various capacities at the Bank including, Deputy Director, Accounting Department, Director, Currency Management Department and Director, Support Services Management Department. She is the Chairperson of the Bank’s internal Fintech Working Group, which is leading the implementation of the pilot project for the issuance of a block-chain based digital version of the EC Currency.

Ms Powell is a Certified Accountant (ACCA), and also carries the designations of Chartered Director (C. Dir) and Audit Committee Certified (A.C.C).

Sandra is Rwandan-American and has 10+ of experience in natural disaster response and humanitarian work across the Caribbean, Pacific Islands, West Africa and Southeast Asia, including in microfinance, the UN and INGOs. She is currently the creator and lead of Oxfam’s award-winning UnBlocked Cash Project, the world’s first crypto-enabled digital cash assistance programme, involving and 19 organisations serving over 16,000 people across 3 countries. Sandra is also a panel expert for the EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum and a Regional Ambassador to the Pacific for the Global Blockchain Business Council. She is also the co-founder of Emerging Impact, a blockchain for social impact advisory firm.

George Siosi Samuels is the Managing Director of Faia, a consultancy for high-growth startups and communities. He helps entrepreneurs and professionals get back on path by building productive communities. Having been named one of Australia's Top Community Builders by Pause Fast, and featured by the likes of Adobe, Slack, and Foundr, he constantly looks for ways to build communities that last.
Thanks to his diverse career, unique upbringing, and Polynesian roots, George understands the concept of community as a part of his culture. With time, he extended his understanding into a strong concept-driven approach to community building for various startups including Draper Startup House (previously Tribe Theory Startup Hostels), co-working spaces such as Dimension⁵ and Hub Australia, and legal tech firms such as LawAdvisor.
With more than 7 years of experience across SEA and Australia as a community builder, George is a true expert at building communities for ventures and loves motivating people into action.

Simon has a background in nuclear commissioning engineering, and discovered Bitcoin in 2012. Simon co-founded Bitt in 2013, and has been working within the digital currency space for over 8 years. He sits on the OECD Blockchain Expert Policy Advisory Board, and the WEFs Digital Currency Governance Consortium.