Vision to Velocity: Building the Caribbean’s next generation of women leaders

As the Caribbean joins the global observance of International Day of the Girl on Oct. 11, the Vision to Velocity Next Generation Initiative is highlighting the importance of giving young Caribbean women early access to entrepreneurship, leadership, mentorship and the networks that can help shape their futures.

Created by business strategist, author and leadership expert Shelly-Ann Aqui Solomon, the initiative focuses on young women ages 17 to 25, a critical period when many are making important decisions about education, careers, entrepreneurship and the direction of their lives.

At the recent From Vision to Velocity Conference, a selected group of young women was invited to participate alongside established entrepreneurs and business leaders. They were exposed to conversations about business, leadership, financial empowerment, visibility and personal development, while gaining access to people and networks that could help expand their vision of what is possible.

The goal was not simply to inspire them, but to give them access.

“We cannot only tell young Caribbean women that they can become entrepreneurs, leaders and wealth creators. We have to give them access to the rooms, knowledge, networks and people that can help them see how it is possible,” Solomon said.

The initiative was developed around the belief that young women should have opportunities to see entrepreneurship and leadership firsthand, ask questions, build relationships and develop the confidence to imagine themselves in those roles.

It also carries an important message for the next generation: Global opportunity does not have to mean leaving the Caribbean behind.

“Our girls need to know that being from the Caribbean does not limit what they can achieve,” Solomon added. “They can build businesses, create wealth, become leaders and take Caribbean ideas to the world. Our islands can be launchpads, not limitations.”

The long-term vision is to expand opportunities for more young women across the Caribbean to gain mentorship, business knowledge, professional networks and meaningful exposure to successful women and entrepreneurs who can help guide their next steps.

The initiative also encourages established Caribbean women to play a greater role in opening doors for the generation coming behind them by sharing their knowledge, experiences, networks and opportunities.

For Solomon, this represents an important part of her own evolution as an entrepreneur. With nearly three decades of business experience and work that has impacted women and entrepreneurs across more than 30 countries, she believes success should also create opportunities for others.

As International Day of the Girl focuses global attention on the potential of girls and young women, the Vision to Velocity Next Generation Initiative is advancing a distinctly Caribbean vision: young women who are confident in where they come from, equipped to build successful futures and prepared to become the entrepreneurs, leaders, wealth creators and decision-makers who will help shape the region.