Good morning.

We start this morning by looking out to see what happens in Tobago. Hopefully, the early indications are that all is generally well, and we hope it stays that way while we think of our brothers and sisters up in the Caribbean islands. 

Six years ago, we started this thing called t.h.i.s.(Tech Hub Islands Summit). We chose the name because we see "we" being AMCHAM T&T and those of us who've joined us on this journey, we see the potential for the islands of the Caribbean, and the archipelagic state of Trinidad and Tobago to be a center of excellence and growth of a technology node that is global in nature and therefore important in the global ecosystem. 

We haven't gotten there in six years but that's what we see. 

So, it starts for us with that little vision. Specifically, the conference as a showpiece was meant to bring together early-stage and established companies so that they could learn from each other. They can find each other to engage in digital transformation on technology-related projects. 

We wanted to bring together the government within this grouping so that we can find ways to integrate all of that because we know that for this to happen, (for t.h.i.s. to happen), we must have an interconnected and effective ecosystem. That's why we're so happy for the continued support from the Ministry of Digital Transformation. We also have the Minister of Planning and Development who will be speaking tomorrow. We've also had the Minister of Public Administration here at other forums. 

And so, as we seek to build these Tech Hub Islands we ask ourselves how do we get to that big Breakthrough? Well, right now, we are punching little holes. We're not doing nothing. Sometimes it does feel like that and I think we all could understand.. and Minister I wouldn't presume to speak for you, but I assume that some people whom you know might feel like that, but we know it's not nothing. 

We know that things are happening. Are they happening to scale or at the scale that we want? Probably not. 

Are they happening as fast as we want? Probably not. 

But our hope and intention as we continue to work on this vision is to ensure that, at some point, hopefully in the near future those little holes lead us to this big breakthrough. 

And so, what's the point? We want to have a Tech Hub in Trinidad and Tobago. So, what's the point? The point has to be that we set some key goals for ourselves as a country to which this broader goal is connected.

At the very, very first Summit, and I spoke about it at several others before, we're all worried to some extent about the impact of technology on work as it is today. Instead of seeing that as a concern though, we have to think of the thousands of people who are employed in things that may not be fulfilling work. I don't want to single anything out but to say, can we use technology to transition to higher-value, more meaningful work? And we think that at AMCHAM Trinidad and Tobago, the answer is yes. Yes, we can do that.
 
And so, we say connect that to a value that we have as a country. Therefore, if someone is working a full-time job, 40 hours a week, give or take, they should not be struggling to make ends meet. They should not be stuck in the poverty trap. Intergenerational poverty should not be a thing. 

Anyone who is getting up and getting to work and doing work because if they're doing work and they're being paid for it, somebody finds it valuable, so it should be valuable to them and their families as well. 

So, we need to create the conditions in which going to work, doing work, and getting compensated for that work gives you a better chance at social mobility, a better chance at changing the trajectory of your life and your family's life. And that's why we are doing what we are doing. 

If we want greater democratic engagement, technology can help with that. The EU and others have put out papers on how you can crowd-source policy to bridge the democratic deficit. So, it's not that the people will write every law per se but there are some key policies that matter to people that we can crowdsource to get better outcomes. 

Yes, we still rely on experts, and we do a matrix of opinions, but we can use technology to get to better outcomes and therefore greater social cohesion so that we are working toward and rowing in the same direction that we want. And by doing this, we are creating more and more hope for the future because, without hope, societies are in danger. 

So, let's go after those big ideas, and let's believe in ourselves. We are not jellyfish in the current. Last year, I spoke about us being nodes in the system. We each can make a difference and we each can do it. 

Honestly, when people ask me, well, how come you all not speaking out and making these statements? We are not loud to be loud. That doesn't change anything. Yes, you might get a headline. When there's something to say, we say it. But it's about doing the work, keeping your heads down, doing the work, consistently, and building the coalitions to be effective. 

And so today, our main message really is, let's identify our big goals and determine what we need to do to get there. What are the steps involved specifically and then work toward that? 
The one thing that I would say though that is a potential danger in this is that we cannot move at the speed of molasses going uphill. We have to act faster, right? We have to act faster and whether it is agile principles or whatever you want to call it, we have to get things done faster and we look forward to some of that. 

So, let's do this, let's do t.h.i.s. Let's get to those breakthroughs so that T&T is itself a breakthrough economy for now and for many, many years to come. And with that, I thank you for your time and attention. 

You've been a wonderful audience. 

END.