SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The Islands Innovation Institute (I-3) is pleased to announce a unique opportunity for young professionals to participate in a high-impact leadership experience aimed at reimagining island development through social innovation.
The Future-Ready Leadership Masterclass: Transforming + Elevating Small Island Communities through Social Innovation will be held May 14 and 15, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in Guana Bay.
This dynamic, in-person dinner event will bring together emerging leaders to explore creative, sustainable, and community-driven solutions for the Caribbean. The masterclass will be led virtually by Dela Wilson, JD, MPA, a Harvard-educated cultural producer and founder of Axle Impact Studio.
With experience across the U.S., Caribbean, and Africa, Wilson bridges art, policy, and innovation to support impactful social change. Participants will engage with topics such as social innovation, design thinking, sustainability, and cultural leadership through a curriculum grounded in the African diaspora.
A locally sourced dinner will be provided each evening by Sint Maarten chef Tracy Blijden of Flamboyant Spoon Studio. All participants will receive a certificate of completion. A limited number of sponsorships, each valued at USD 300, are available for eligible young professionals.
Sponsorship covers course materials and the full in-person culinary experience. Interested applicants must submit a brief motivation letter of no more than 300 words by April 10, 2025, to be considered.
Applicants should explain why they want to attend the masterclass, what leadership means to them, and how they plan to use this experience to benefit Sint Maarten or the wider Caribbean.
Letters should be sent to innovation.institute.sxm@gmail.com. Businesses, foundations, and individuals interested in sponsoring one or more participants are also invited to get in touch.
A sponsorship of USD 300 directly supports a young professional’s participation and positions the sponsor as a champion of youth development, leadership, and sustainable innovation on the island.
The Islands Innovation Institute is a reactivated nonprofit foundation based in Sint Maarten, serving as a knowledge hub and convener of homegrown talent, global expertise, and community voices.
I-3 brings together creatives, students, anti-conformists, thought leaders, and community members of all ages to explore innovative, locally grounded solutions to the unique challenges faced by Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
The masterclass is part of I-3’s Bustling Island Communities (BIC) initiative, which champions the creative economy as a pathway to resilient infrastructure, economic diversification, and improved quality of life across the region.
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