The Caribbean Export Development Agency participated in the 2025 Social Entrepreneurship Symposium, with a delegation composed of Dr. Damie Sinanan, Executive Director; Wayne Elliott, Manager of Technical Programmes; Michelle Aybar, Technical Officer of EU-LAC Programmes; and Leo Naut, Deputy Executive Director, who represented the Agency during the opening of this important regional event.

The Symposium is organized by El Hueco Caribe, in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs (MICM) and the Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE). The event forms part of Global Entrepreneurship Week and gathers social entrepreneurs, public and private sector representatives, academia, and international cooperation agencies to strengthen the social innovation ecosystem across the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean.

Held under the theme “Linking the Impact Ecosystem,” the Symposium provides a regional platform to advance inclusive innovation, promote collaboration, and highlight initiatives that foster social and economic transformation.

EU-LAC Social Accelerator Presentation

As part of the launch of the National Registry of Social Entrepreneurs (RNES), Mr. Leo Naut delivered an institutional presentation on Caribbean Export’s mandate, outlining the Agency’s ongoing work to support innovation, competitiveness, and private sector development in the Caribbean.

During his remarks, Mr. Naut introduced the EU-LAC Social Accelerator, a flagship programme implemented by Caribbean Export and funded by the European Union under the Global Gateway    Investment Agenda.

The EU-LAC Social Accelerator seeks to foster social innovation across Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean by strengthening ecosystem capacities, promoting impactful projects, and supporting a fair, inclusive, and responsible green and digital transition.

The programme is led by CAINCO (Bolivia) and implemented by a consortium of international partners, including:

• Tecnalia Research and Innovation (Spain)
• The International Trade Centre (ITC)
• Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico)
• The Confederation of Commercial and Business Associations of Brazil (CACB)
• Caribbean Export Development Agency

Together, these partners collaborate to build and strengthen social innovation ecosystems through the provision of technical assistance and capacity building that supports the development of regional social labs. These labs will create spaces for cocreation and prototyping of solutions. Complementing these efforts will be the preparation of actionable roadmaps designed to address the needs and challenges of social innovators across the region as they work to  solve social and environmental issues affecting our citizens.

The initiative places strong emphasis on empowering women, youth, and vulnerable groups, and providing financial and technical support to organizations working on transformative, community-focused innovations.

“Innovation becomes powerful when it is inclusive. What we are building with the EU LAC Social Accelerator, with the European Union and our implementing partners, is a platform where women, youth and vulnerable communities can shape solutions, access opportunities and create the Caribbean of the future. ” stated Leo Naut, Deputy Executive Director of Caribbean Export.

Caribbean Export’s Commitment

Caribbean Export’s participation underscores its continued commitment to building a more innovative, inclusive and sustainable Caribbean private sector. Through the strategic direction set out in its 2025 to 2028 plan, the Agency is focused on positioning the Caribbean as a leader in smart growth, deepening partnerships that mobilise resources, and developing investment ready projects that create real opportunities for our firms. Supported by collaborative initiatives and EU funded programmes, Caribbean Export remains devoted to strengthening regional competitiveness and resilience while ensuring that development efforts translate into meaningful social impact for the people and communities of the Caribbean.