CAF Innovation Series | Accelerating Innovation-Based Economies in the Caribbean

Dr. Stacy Richards-Kennedy

Regional Manager for the Caribbean of CAF - Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean- 

Leads CAF’s institutional relationship and engagement with governments and private sector clients in the Caribbean. She has close to 25 years’ experience in multilateral negotiations, development management and international finance, having formerly served as Pro Vice-Chancellor for Global Affairs at The University of the West Indies, Assistant Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curaçao and St Maarten; Chief Technical Advisor, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB); Consultant, The World Bank, Washington DC and Programme Specialist, UNESCO Headquarters, Paris.

Dr. Camille Wardrop-Alleyne

Aerospace Engineer, founder and CEO of Arusha Space, LLC

Dr Camille Wardrop Alleyne is an American aerospace executive, rocket engineer, space scientist, internationally acclaimed speaker, writer, educational leader and science ambassador whose accomplishments in the field of space exploration have been extraordinary.

In the highly technical fields of science and engineering, where women are underrepresented, she is one of the most recognised in aerospace engineering and one of the few women of colour to have served in senior leadership at NASA. Dr Alleyne is the Founder and CEO of Arusha Space, a global space solutions and consulting firm that uses space to enable sustainable and socioeconomic development.

Prior to this, she had a 28-year career advancing the areas of aerospace and space technology development at NASA. She was a leading architect for several of NASA’s commercialisation strategies, enabling billion-dollar space economies in low earth orbit and on the moon. She was the first African American to lead a major human space flight program at NASA. 

Dr. Curtis Charles

Director of Academic Affairs , The UWI Five Islands Campus

Curtis B. Charles is a distinguished academic leader who currently serves as the Dean and Director of Academic Affairs at The UWI Five Islands Campus in Antigua and Barbuda. His career spans education, administration, and community engagement, leaving a lasting impact on higher education in the Caribbean.

Having earned a Doctorate in Education, his expertise extends beyond academia, encompassing areas such as curriculum development, student support, and faculty development. Dr. Charles’s qualifications uniquely position him to shape the academic landscape at the Five Islands Campus. As the Dean and Director of Academic Affairs, Dr. Charles plays a pivotal role in fostering a vibrant learning environment.

His leadership focuses on enhancing teaching quality, promoting research, and ensuring student success to create a dynamic campus experience. His vision aligns with UWI’s mission of advancing knowledge, fostering critical thinking, and empowering future leaders. Dr. Charles actively engages with the local community and understands the importance of connecting academic pursuits with real-world impact.

Mr. Alexander Figueroa

Chief Operating Officer, Trust of the Americas

 joined The Trust at the end of February 2018 where he is serving as the Chief Operating Officer.  In that capacity, he is responsible for the management and operation of an internal team which supports the areas of finance, business planning, budgeting, human resources, administration and IT.

Prior to joining The Trust, Alex had worked at the General Secretariat of the OAS. Starting as a field accountant, he worked his way through the ranks and culminated a 17-year career as the Chief, Financial Operations for the OAS where he supervised a staff of 40 and had overall responsibility for the OAS’ financial operations In Washington and at the 29 offices away from Headquarters.

After leaving the OAS in December 2011, he started a company providing services in accounting, advisory, and taxes. The company’s portfolio included six non-profits among its clients. Alex holds a B.A. in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Towson University and is a Certified Governmental Financial Manager (CGFM). The CGFM is a professional certification awarded by the Association of Government Accountants.

Alex is fluent in both English and Spanish. Dr. Mark Moyou is a Senior Data Scientist at NVIDIA, developing scalable machine learning solutions for top North American retailers. With previous roles at Lucidworks and Alstom Transportation, he brings a wealth of experience in machine learning applications. Dr. Moyou, who holds advanced degrees in Systems Engineering, also actively contributes to the tech community as the host of the Caribbean Tech Pioneers Podcast and the Southern Data Science Conference in Atlanta.