Jamaica’s push toward a robust digital economy is not happening by chance. It is being driven by decades of strategic advocacy. Many know the Jamaica Technology and Digital Alliance (JTDA) for flagship initiatives such as the annual BizTech Conference, but its roots run much deeper. Raquel Seville, the current President of the JTDA, joins us for a conversation on the organisation, including: What it means to “Empower Locally, Lead Globally”; The biggest hurdle local founders face when trying to scale their products for international markets; The JTDA’s role in shaping the AI policies that are being developed locally and regionally; and What she would like to achieve before she demits the role of President.

 

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music.

Jamaica’s push toward a robust digital economy is not happening by accident. Although policymakers tend to be prominent when launching new programmes and initiatives, it is often thanks to organisations, such as the Jamaica Technology and Digital Alliance—that are in the background advocating, removing roadblocks and volunteering their domain expertise—which has resulted in much of the progress that has been realised.

The roots of the Jamaica Technology and Digital Alliance stretch back over five decades. In 1973, a group of visionary computer programmers united to form the Jamaica Computer Society (JCS), which was formally incorporated in 1975. For decades, the JCS operated as the definitive society for ICT professionals in Jamaica, earning the prestigious Musgrave Medal for its outstanding contributions to national technology merit. 

As the tech landscape evolved from localised computing to globalised digital ecosystems, the organisation recognised it needed a broader mandate. Following a highly strategic merger with the Jamaica Information Technology and Services Alliance (JITSA), the organisation officially rebranded in early 2023 to become the Jamaica Technology and Digital Alliance. This rebrand marked a shift from a traditional professional “society” to a dynamic, forward-facing alliance geared toward national digital transformation.

In this podcast episode, we will be exploring the JTDA: its current mission and how it is positioning itself to better serve its members, Jamaica and the wider Caribbean region.

 

Introducing our guest

Raquel Seville

Raquel Seville has a passion for pulling insights from data and has worked with fast-paced global companies, leading big data and analytics teams, designing and implementing data models, predictive analytics and executive dashboards. She is a published author of the book, SAP OpenUI5 for Mobile BI and Analytics, which is also available as an online course on LinkedIn Learning. Raquel is also a contributor to the recently published book Intelligent Economies: Developments in the Caribbean.

Raquel is an international speaker and has spoken at conferences in South Africa, the US, Spain, Australia, and Jamaica. Raquel is a keen advocate of BI user adoption and having the right tools, talent and processes to ensure maximum return on investment. She currently serves as CEO, BI Brainz Caribbean, Adjunct Lecturer for Applied Data Science at UWI, Mona. She was formerly the Vice President for Membership of the Jamaica Computer Society and Board Member of the University of Technology Computer and Information Systems Advisory Board. Similar to her passion for data is a love for food, music, and globetrotting.

 

Insights into our conversation

Although JCS and not JTDA have been fixtures in Jamaica’s tech landscape, their work and support to the country’s tech sector may not be readily evident – perhaps save and except the BizTech conference, their annual flagship event. However, for an organisation that is over 50 years old and still considered relevant, and even necessary, it speaks to the strategic thought of its leadership over the years to read the tea leaves and figure out how best to have the organisation evolve.

One of the biggest developments in recent years at the JTDA is its membership becoming more export-focused, and the organisation’s effort to support and facilitate that posture. This emphasis demonstrates how the JTDA is evolving to not only remain a force in Jamaica’s digital landscape but also ensure its continued relevance for years, or even decades, to come.

Below are some of the questions that drove our conversation with Raquel.

  1. For those who might not be aware, what is the JTDA, and what role is it trying to play in the Jamaican tech and business landscape?
  2. How would you assess the state of Jamaica’s tech business landscape?
  3. Your agenda for the 2026–2028 term is “Empower Locally, Lead Globally”. What does it mean for a Caribbean tech startup to ‘lead globally’ while staying rooted in the region?
  4. How do you see Jamaica collaborating with, rather than competing against, other tech hubs in the region, such as Barbados, Guyana or Trinidad and Tobago?
  5. How can Caribbean businesses protect themselves when North American and European firms so heavily recruit the talent pool?
  6. What is the biggest hurdle local founders face when trying to scale their products for international markets?
  7. What is one thing the Caribbean tech ecosystem can offer young developers that Silicon Valley or London cannot?”
  8. What would you like to achieve before you demit the role of President?

 

We would love to hear your thoughts!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

 

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

 

 

Images credit:  R Seville;  JTDA;  pch.vector (Magnific);  Nattanan Kanchanaprat (Pixabay)

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez