Speakers
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Prime Minister of Grenada
The Honorable Dickon Mitchell
The Connected Caribbean Summit 2024 is proud to announce The Hon. Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada and the Chair of CARICOM, as the keynote speaker for this year’s event, set to take place between December 9 and 12 in Miami. Under the theme, “Collaborating for Caribbean Solutions,” Prime Minister Mitchell will address the gathering on the subject: “Action Time – Accelerating Caribbean Integration and Development.”
The Honorable Dickon Amiss Thomas Mitchell is the ninth Prime Minister of Grenada, serving since June 24, 2022. He rose from a humble background to become a prominent figure in Grenadian law and politics. He earned his law degree from the University of the West Indies. After completing his studies at Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad, Mitchell returned to Grenada and established himself as a successful lawyer.
In 2017, he founded his own firm, Mitchell & Co., driven by a vision to create more opportunities for young legal professionals. Known for his strategic thinking, negotiation skills, and strong commitment to community service, Mitchell entered politics as the leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in 2021. Under his leadership, the NDC won the 2022 general elections.
As Prime Minister, Mitchell is focused on national unity, economic growth, youth empowerment, and regional development. He tenure as Prime Minister has been characterized with his trademark integrity, dedication, and a commitment to transforming the socio-economic landscape for the benefit of Grenada and citizens of the Caribbean.
In July 2024, Prime Minister Mitchell took over as the rotating Chairman of CARICOM during the 47th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, hosted in Grenada. His chairmanship comes at a critical time as Caribbean nations continue to address the challenges of climate change and economic recovery.
As Chair, he emphasizes tackling climate justice, reducing gun violence, and advancing digital technology initiatives within the region. He also committed to promoting the free movement of people across CARICOM, highlighting his focus on regional integration and development.
Our speakers
We have an amazing line-up of speakers who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience across the private, public and justice sectors.
Bevil Wooding
Summit Host
Bevil Wooding has been one of the leading voices out of the Caribbean promoting the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) in regional development
Rodney Taylor
Secretary General, Caribbean Telecommunications Union
Rodney Taylor has been the Secretary General of the CTU, an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the development of the telecommunications sector in the Caribbean since March 2021.
Petipha Lewis
Chair, Network of Caribbean Chambers of Commerce
Petipha Lewis is a dynamic and seasoned business leaders, who is deeply invested in fostering economic collaboration and growth within the Caribbean business sector. She currently chairs the Network of Caribbean Chambers of Commerce and is the Executive Director of the Grenada Chamber of Industry and Commerce
John Curran
President/Chief Executive Officer, American Registry for Internet Numbers
John Curran is an early Internet executive and one of the founders of the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), currently providing leadership of this organization dedicated to supporting the operation of the Internet by the management of Internet number resources throughout its service region, which includes the United States, Canada, and parts of the Caribbean.
Bernadette Lewis
Secretary General, Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization
Bernadette Lewis is a highly respected leader in the global ICT sector, who created history in August 2020 when she was appointed as the first female Secretary General of the over 120-year-old Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO).
Sir Dennis Byron
Retired Justice
Sir Dennis Byron was President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (2011-2018), former Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (1999-2009) and has been Chairman of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute in Halifax, Canada since 2000.
Leslie Noble
Senior Director, Public Safety, ARIN
Leslie Nobile currently serves as ARIN’s Senior Director, Trust and Public Safety where she leads ARIN’s global engagement program with criminal and civil law enforcement, public safety communities, and related governmental and non-governmental organizations.
Kevin Khelawan
Chief Executive Officer, Advent AI
Kevin Khelawan is a co-founder and CEO of US-based Advent AI, an AI software engineering and research firm and a cofounder of and Director at Teleios Systems an enterprise application development firm based in Trinidad and Tobago.