CATALYST FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP
& INNOVATION (CEI)
Caribbean & LATAM

The Caribbean and LATAM are among the fastest growing emerging market regions globally, with millions of small and medium enterprises driving employment, innovation, and economic resilience across Barbados, Jamaica, and Columbia.

Yet a significant share of these businesses sit in the missing middle. Too large for micro financing and not yet structured for institutional capital.

CEI is a Caribbean and LATAM led ecosystem platform that prepares enterprises for investment, enables cross border growth, and unlocks scalable regional impact.

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About Us

Nobellum offers a home-grown, globally informed approach to innovation. CEI Global is built on culturally grounded insight, regional relevance, and the strategic capacity to create new pathways for Caribbean and Latin American founders.

We equip Caribbean and LATAM founders with the tools, networks, and investment pathways to scale. Through small and mid sized investments, grants, and innovative funding mechanisms, we create actionable opportunities for growth and lasting impact across the Caribbean and LATAM.

Mission

Vision

A thriving Caribbean and LATAM innovation ecosystem where founders have seamless access to capital, networks, and resources, and where home grown solutions drive sustainable economic growth and regional leadership.

Led by Caribbean born women entrepreneurs the Catalyst for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Global is a regional ecosystem development platform designed to unlock scalable growth across the Caribbean and Latin America.

CEI Global exists to close the persistent funding and capability gap facing small and medium enterprises that are too large for micro financing and not yet structured for institutional capital. This missing middle represents one of the greatest untapped engines of inclusive economic growth in the region.

Through enterprise readiness investment preparedness and regional market connectivity CEI Global prepares founders and businesses to absorb capital scale responsibly and compete globally. The platform aligns diaspora expertise regional talent and global partners to build investable enterprises and resilient markets.

Our work focuses on outcomes. Stronger enterprises. Capital ready founders. Cross border growth. Sustainable regional prosperity.

A confident woman with curly hair and a bright smile, wearing a gray blazer over a black shirt, black pants, and a gold watch, standing against a plain background.

Rooted in the Caribbean.

Upskilled Abroad.

Returning to Rebuild

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Project Partners

Logo of the Development Bank of Jamaica Limited with a blue circle and gold and blue abstract design, along with the text 'Development Bank of Jamaica Limited' and the slogan 'Facilitating Economic Growth & Development'.
Jamaica Technology & Digital Alliance (JTDA) logo featuring a stylized hummingbird and digital pixels in yellow, green, and blue colors.
Logo of Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) with a stylized running figure holding a paint palette and a paintbrush, encircled by the organization's name.
The logo of JAMPRO Jamaica, featuring a crest with two figures and a shield, and the text 'JAMPRO Trade & Investment Jamaica'.
The logo and name of The University of the West Indies, including the university crest with a shield, palm tree, and a bird, along with the Latin motto 'Oriens Ex Occidente Lux'.
Logo of VM Wealth Management Limited with a stylized red 'WM' and black text.
Logo of The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, featuring a blue winged Pegasus and text indicating establishment in 1973.
Canadian government trade commissioner logo with parts in English and French.

Upcoming Projects

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2028 Summer Creative Intensive

Summer 2028 · Two-week program

The Summer Creative Intensive returns in 2028 for approximately 100 Jamaican youth aged 15 to 24, with priority access for young people from low-income and underserved communities. The two-week program keeps the interdisciplinary, creative character of the original SCI while preparing participants for the future of work. Through applied projects, mentorship and hands-on access to technology, participants build creative and critical-thinking skills, practical and responsible AI fluency, and a portfolio of their own work. They leave with a clearer view of their pathways into employment, freelance work, entrepreneurship or further education.

Apply Now to the 2026 SCI
Learn More about UCAP
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A group of diverse people standing and kneeling in front of a colorful mural with nature, animals, and abstract patterns, during the daytime.

2024 SCI Cohort

The 2024 Summer Creative Intensive cohort included 12 participating students from various high schools across Jamaica, representing different grades and creative interests. These students engaged in the week-long intensive to grow their artistic skills and professional readiness in creative industries.

Meet the 2024 SCI Cohort
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A young Black woman with a curly afro hairstyle, smiling and facing the camera, wearing a gray t-shirt against a plain white background.
A young woman with short, dark hair in a braided hairstyle, wearing a sleeveless red top, a thin black necklace, and small earrings, smiling against a white background.
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2023 SCI Cohort

The 2023 SCI served as a pilot version of the programme and featured 10 participating students along with 3 accompanying teachers. This inaugural intensive provided early participants with exposure to creative industry practice, teamwork, and foundational career development skills in the arts.

Meet the 2023 SCI Cohort

Past Projects

Past Trade Missions
Startupfest 2026 BIZ Pitch Competition

Black Innovation Zone Pitch Competition — Startupfest 2026

Domestic | Montréal, Québec | 2026

Black Innovation Zone activated at Startupfest 2026 through a live, on-site grant pitch competition for Black founders, run across all three days of the festival alongside dedicated networking and booth programming. Founders registered on the spot and pitched live across three prize tiers, competing for a share of over $1 million in festival-wide investment prizes.

Key Participants

Nobellum, Foundation for Black Communities (FBC), Black Founders Network (BFN), DMZ

100+

Pitch Applications

12

Finalists Selected

4

Grants Awarded

$60K

Non-Dilutive Funding Distributed

SCI 2024 Cohort
Meet the 2024 SCI Cohort

Summer Creative Intensive — SCI 2024

Inbound | Kingston, Jamaica | 2024

The 2024 SCI cohort featured 12 students selected from across Jamaica, building on the foundation set by the pilot. This immersive week-long programme focused on expanding student portfolios, branding skills, mentorship, and readiness for creative industry opportunities.

Key Participants

The Ubuntu Creative Arts Project, Local Mentors, Partner Schools

12

Total Participants

24

Brand Guides & Portfolios Created

10

Mentorship Partners

1

National Cohort Activation

SCI 2023 Cohort
Meet the 2023 SCI Cohort

Summer Creative Intensive — SCI 2023

Inbound | Kingston, Jamaica | 2023

The 2023 SCI served as a pilot version of the programme and featured 10 participating students along with 3 accompanying teachers. This inaugural intensive provided early participants with exposure to creative industry practice, teamwork, and foundational career development skills in the arts.

Key Participants

The Ubuntu Creative Arts Project, JBDC Incubation Centre, GraceKennedy, Local Industry Mentors

13

Total Participants

26

Brand Guides & Portfolios Created

14

Workshops Delivered

4

Funding & Awards Distributed

BDC Roundtable Meeting

Policy, Capital & Market Access Roundtable — BDC

Inbound | Caribbean → Canada | Toronto | 2025

A strategic policy and investor roundtable aligning Caribbean and Canadian senior leaders around export pathways, capital access, and cross-border trade collaboration.

Key Participants

Development Bank of Jamaica, Jamaica Technology & Digital Alliance, The Consulate General, BDC

20

International & Canadian Senior Executives

3

Regions Represented

4

Participating Institutions

2

Trade Policy Pathways Discussed

Collision Conference

International Business Development — Collision Conference

Inbound | Caribbean → Canada | Toronto | 2024

Connected Caribbean buyers and investors with Canadian technology companies to enable export-driven collaborations and cross-border commercial pathways.

Key Participants

Jamaica Technology & Digital Alliance, Caribbean distribution partners

18

Foreign Buyers Introduced

40,000

Global Conference Participants

80

International Investors Engaged

5

Cross-Border Collaborations Initiated

Elevate Festival

Women-Led Innovation & Cross-Border Market Delegation — Elevate Festival (Toronto)

Inbound | Caribbean → Canada | Toronto | 2024

Caribbean women-led founders and market partners engaged in targeted matchmaking and export readiness activities with Canadian companies.

Key Participants

Development Bank of Jamaica, Jamaica Technology & Digital Alliance, Women in STEM Canada

15,000

Global Conference Participants

5

Foreign Market Partners Engaged

2

International Pitch Awards

5

International Readiness Certifications

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Pilot - CEI Jamaica (2025)

CEI Jamaica was an Innovation Exchange program connecting founders and investors across Canada and international markets. Delivered in partnership with the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) and the Jamaica Technology and Digital Alliance (JTDA), the pilot focuses on investment readiness, market exposure, and cross border collaboration to support globally competitive enterprises.

Visit the CEI Jamaica Pilot Page
Read the Recap

Explore Our CEI Global

The Trade Missions serve as direct, executional validation of CEI Global's capabilities. They yield critical data, including real-world market intelligence, partner insights, and concrete export signals. To gain a wider, more comprehensive understanding of our initiatives, we invite you to explore CEI Global.

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Go to CEI Global