The competition was launched in April by Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP) and Cartagena Convention Secretariat through the Global Environment Facility-funded (GEF) CReW+ Project, the Caribbean Climate Innovation Center (CCIC) and DIA (Democratizing Innovation in the Americas), which is a regional initiative of The Trust for the Americas and the Organization of American States (OAS).
The Finals take place on Friday, October 14th, 2022 with seven (7) candidates/teams from the Caribbean between the ages of 18 to 34 years, pitching their water or wastewater-related projects/ideas.
Two (2) seed funding awards of US$4,000 will be awarded in the competition. The first for the best water-related project pitch (Category 1) under the following themes:
- Water and Agriculture
- Water and Climate
- Water and Health
- Water and Energy
- Water and Tourism
The other (Category 2) for the best project pitch under the theme “Integrated Water and Wastewater Management (IWWM).”
The IWWM award has been made possible due to GWP-C’s partnership with the GEF CReW+ project through the UNEP Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP) and Cartagena Convention Secretariat to build awareness and capacity in the area of IWWM in the Caribbean region.
Apart from the two (2) seed funding awards of US$4,000 each, participants in the competition will benefit from:
- Participating in CCIC’s entrepreneurial boot camps if hosted/available in a participant’s home country.
- Participating in DIA’s Caribbean Labs if hosted/available in a participant’s home country.
Meet the Finalists
We are pleased to spotlight the finalists in the 2022 Young Caribbean Water Entrepreneurs Shark Tank Competition, as well as briefly highlight the water and wastewater-related projects they will pitch!
Name of Finalist: Gabriel Barinas
Country: Dominican Republic | Age: 33
Gabriel is a 33-year old Water Resources Engineer from the Dominican Republic, with a passion for water. He has taught, consulted and researched about water availability and its risks. His goal is to build a platform for consulting, research and training for the mitigation of the imminent increase in frequency and intensity of droughts and floods due to the effects of climate change. After graduating from Civil Engineering and a Master's Degree in Construction Management, he pivoted to a Master's Degree in Water Resources Engineering and Management in Spain. He is now in his second year of a Water Resources Engineering PhD at Oregon State University in the United States of America (USA) with a Fulbright Scholarship.
Project Teaser:
Name of Project: Datagua – Water Resources Data Analysis Platform
About Project: The biggest obstacle in the research and technical analysis of water resources issues in the Dominican Republic is the availability of data. Datagua is a platform that will address the challenge of data access for water resources research and decision-making.
Name of Finalist: Shomar Lindsay
Country: Jamaica | Age: 26
Shomar is a 26-year oldfrom the Bohemia district in southwest St. Ann, Jamaica; a small farming community on the dry harbour mountain that is highly dependent on water from rainfall and nearby streams to sustain farms. Shomar is trained in occupational health and safety and environmental management from The University of Technology, Jamaica. His start-up “Synergy Solutions” intends to explore and proliferate climate-smart agriculture and circular economic strategies, in order to limit pollution and conserve resources.
Project Teaser:
Name of Project: Synergy Solutions
About Project: Synergy Solutions aims to reduce the barriers for entry to climate smart agro-technologies, making it easier for average Jamaicans to own and operate sustainable food production systems to feed their families and their communities.
Team: Joshua Prentice and Christianne Zakour
Name of Finalist: Joshua Prentice
Country: Trinidad and Tobago | Age: 23
Joshua is a 23-year old graduate student from Trinidad and Tobago. His passion lies in environmental management and law. Freshwater issues are some of the most important environmental problems for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), combined with the effects of climate change, which is why this project is important to him.
Name of Finalist: Christianne Zakour
Country: Trinidad and Tobago | Age: 25
Christianne is a young environmental advocate from Trinidad and Tobago with a passion for environmental governance and climate justice. She is the proud holder of a Master's Degree in Biodiversity, Conservation and Sustainable Development. She is also the co-lead of the T&T Climate Network, the administrative lead for Yugen Stories, a member of UNEP MGCY and SOA Caribbean, a 2022 Ambassador for Island Innovation, and a project officer and tree planting ambassador for the Caribbean Philanthropic Alliance.
Project Teaser:
Name of Project: Algal Bloom Buster
About Project: “Algal Bloom Buster” will create a database/model for the identification of periods of time where algal blooms can occur, as well as preventative measures that can then be marketed to the wider Caribbean region, as well as international markets in riverine or coastal areas where appropriate.
Team: Roubech Frantz Ady Ilan and Kenia Jean-Baptiste
Name of Finalist: Roubech Frantz Ady Ilan
Country: Haiti | Age: 32
Roubech is a 32-year old civil engineer and entrepreneur from Port-de-Paix of the north-west department of Haiti. He owns his own company and seeks to provide solutions to different problems in the municipality of Turtle Island, mainly related to the consumption of non-potable water.
Name of Finalist: Kenia Jean-Baptiste
Country: Haiti | Age: 31
Kenia is a 31-year old civil engineer and entrepreneur from Port-de-Paix of the north-west department of Haiti. She owns her own business, which is an Agricultural Input Shop and seeks to provide solutions to the various problems of the municipality of Turtle Island, mainly related to the consumption of non-potable water.
Project Teaser:
Name of Project: Kiosk and Hypochlorinator System in Turtle Island – To reduce the number of cases of disease related to non-drinking water
About Project: The project targets disadvantaged families living in the second section of the municipality of Turtle Island (about 15,000 inhabitants). It aims to offer these residents, clean and drinkable water by installing two (2) kiosks and a hypochlorinator chamber, which will be a point of sale and water treatment.
Team: Nicholas Kee and Dean Morris
Name of Finalist: Nicholas Kee
Country: Jamaica | Age: 27
Nicholas is the co-founder and CEO of Kee Farms. Before Kee Farms, he spent most of his time as a technologist and serial entrepreneur. He established Next Gen Creators – a tech non-profit focused on teaching youth in the Caribbean how to code and acquire job roles in the global tech space. The 27-year old multi-hyphenate from Jamaica, spends his time developing frameworks for climate change mitigation that can be adopted for the Caribbean. He is also a winner of the 2017 Prime Minister Youth Awards.
Name of Finalist: Dean Morris
Country: Jamaica | Age: 31
Dean is the co-founder and COO of Kee Farms. The 31-year old is also a Product Manager from Spanish Town, Jamaica. Since 2014, Dean has been working with environmental and farming-focused start-ups. His current focus is on developing sustainable mariculture methodologies for fisherfolk communities and sensitising the wider Jamaica and the Caribbean on ocean farming strategies.
Project Teaser:
Name of Project: Kee Farms: Ocean Farming
About Project: Kee Farms is a regenerative ocean farm network, focused on climate change mitigation. Kee Farms’ premise is that artisanal fisherfolks can use the same skills they have harnessed over the years to actively participate in climate action, while still being able to feed their families and acquire sustainable income while doing so. This is especially true in the Caribbean region, where conditions are ripe for cultivating and harvesting seaweed, oysters, seagrass, and sea cucumbers.
Name of Finalist: Keston Singh
Country: Trinidad and Tobago | Age: 20
Keston is a 20-year old from Trinidad and Tobago, who is currently a second year Medical Student that is interested in the field of neurosurgery. He also enjoys all things water and looks for opportunities to help people or make the world a better place.
Project Teaser:
Name of Project: Aqua Clean
About Project: Aqua Clean is an intended device, that would take dirty water, whether it be from domestic use or flooding, and purify it into clean water. The project aims to address the challenge of the availability of clean water, the availability of water and aftermath of flooding.
Name of Finalist: Dareem Jeffrey
Country: Trinidad and Tobago | Age: 26
Dareem is a26-year old entrepreneur and water enthusiast from rural Trinidad. He builds his water conservation business “EcoWash” full-time. He is excited to expand his efforts to reduce the nation’s water deficit by empowering youth in the area of entrepreneurship.
Project Teaser:
Name of Project: EcoWash
About Project: An eco-friendly mobile car wash business that aims to position itself, as a progressive leader in the car wash industry by applying eco-friendly methods and products.
Connect with GWP-C
If you are a young person in the Caribbean with a passion or interest in being involved or learning more about water governance and management, get in touch with GWP-C. Through our work, we aim to build partnerships and empower young persons to be agents of change in contributing to and advancing water security in the Caribbean.
E-mail us at: info@gwp-caribbean.org