Too often, we talk about Caribbean tech in terms of infrastructure and code. But the real heartbeat of innovation is people. In this episode, with a leader in the region’s geospatial intelligence space, Nathaly Carolina of DataAxis, which is headquartered in Curaçao, we explore what it truly takes to build a human-centred digital ecosystem across the region. In addition to learning more about Nathaly, we discuss: why she made the jump from government to tech entrepreneurship; what she means by the “science of where”; why Caribbean governments are essentially leaving money on the table by not monetising the datasets they collect; and what motivated her to develop SHEilds of the Caribbean, which will be launched in January 2027.
This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music.
Technology in the Caribbean is often discussed through the lens of infrastructure, software, and connectivity. Yet, behind every fibre-optic cable, digital registry, and spatial map lies a more fundamental question: How can we harness our data without leaving citizens behind?
To explore how data can transform governance without losing its human soul, we sat down for a wide-ranging conversation on the region’s digital evolution. At the heart of this transformation is “the science of where”, which is when advanced geospatial intelligence is applied to land management and telecoms.
Further, across the region, governments are increasingly waking up to the vast, untapped potential of monetising their core datasets to drive sustainable economic development. However, unlocking this economic value comes with a major hurdle. There is a delicate and ongoing challenge in navigating trust between citizens and digital governments. Citizens are becoming increasingly wary of how intrusive governments are becoming and are concerned about the loss of their right to privacy.
Without transparency, digital governance risks alienating the very people it is meant to serve. Moreover, to succeed, technological innovation must always put humans at the centre, balancing efficiency with security, inclusion, and public confidence.
Introducing our guest
Nathaly Carolina is a Caribbean entrepreneur, technology executive and regional development advocate who believes in the power of technology and innovation to create meaningful change in people’s lives. As a member of the executive board of DataAxis, she works at the intersection of technology, public policy, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development, advancing initiatives that contribute to a more connected, resilient, and digitally empowered Caribbean.
With a strong commitment to the region’s development, Nathaly is passionate about leveraging technology not as an end in itself, but as a means to improve lives, strengthen institutions, expand opportunities and address real challenges facing Caribbean societies. Her guiding philosophy is simple: technology and innovation should always benefit the planet and the people, or they are worth nothing at all.
Her work spans land administration, geospatial intelligence, telecommunications, digital government, data infrastructure and emerging technologies. She is particularly committed to strengthening the digital foundations that enable better governance, smarter decision-making, economic development and more resilient communities across the Caribbean.
Beyond technological advancement, Nathaly is a strong believer in investing in people. Capacity building, knowledge transfer and the empowerment of the next generation are central to her vision. She is particularly passionate about creating opportunities for Caribbean youth to develop their skills, access emerging technologies, participate in the digital economy and take on leadership roles in shaping the region’s future. She believes the Caribbean’s greatest resource is its people, and that sustainable transformation must be built by empowering them with the knowledge, opportunities and tools to succeed.
Nathaly is also a champion of regional cooperation and collaboration. She drives the Geospatial Knowledge Infrastructure (GKI) Caribbean initiative, bringing together governments, policymakers, critical infrastructure authorities, technology providers and international partners to strengthen the region’s geospatial knowledge infrastructure and advance a shared vision for sustainable development. Through initiatives such as SHEields of the Caribbean, she also seeks to create greater visibility, connections and opportunities for women working in technology and critical infrastructure.
Insights into our conversation
Nathaly is vivacious, bright and engaging, with lots of different interests, so it was a joy to talk to her. Moreover, she comes across as a woman who loves a challenge: loves to solve problems and to create impact, and as she shares in our conversation, “Turn complexity into opportunity”.
With her highly specialised and in-demand skills in econometrics, actuarial science and technical mathematics, Nathaly could have had an accelerated and very lucrative trajectory in either the public or private sector; but she decided to leave government and start chart her own path as an entrepreneur.
Our discussion on geospatial intelligence highlighted the “science of the where”: that integrating location data with other datasets on a common platform allows us to ask more in-depth questions – and to get more detailed answers – which in turn allows us to make more informed decisions.
Below are key questions posed to Nathaly that drove our conversation.
- To start us off, share with us a bit of your backstory. Who is Nathaly Carolina?
- Drawing from your engagement with the CTU NoW and youth networks, what is the reality on the ground, and where are women making the most profound impacts?
- With the launch of SHEields of the Caribbean—highlighting female leaders protecting our critical infrastructure—tell us more about the vision behind this initiative. Why is framing women not just as tech users, but as defenders and guardians of digital/physical infrastructure, so vital right now?
- You started your career with a deep background in actuarial science and econometrics. How did those analytical and public sector foundations shape your entry into tech entrepreneurship and your approach as CFO and COO of DataAxis?
- Having spent over a decade as an entrepreneur in the Caribbean, what have been some of the unique hurdles of scaling a regional technology and data company from Curaçao, and how has the ecosystem evolved over that time?
- DataAxis places a heavy emphasis on geospatial intelligence and platforms. Can you share a real-world example of how this technology changes the operational reality for a Caribbean government or utility provider?
- You’ve highlighted that governments have a tremendous opportunity to monetise trapped data assets. How do you strike the right balance between opening up public data streams for economic growth and safeguarding citizen privacy and digital trust?
- DataAxis strongly advocates for never forgetting the “people aspect”. As automation, AI, and GIS scale up across the region, how do you operationalise that philosophy so technology empowers rather than alienates citizens?
- If you could wave a magic wand and see one major digital or data-driven transformation successfully implemented across the Caribbean within the next five years, what would it be?
- For young women across Curaçao and the wider Caribbean looking to break into STEM, data science, or tech entrepreneurship, what is one hard-earned lesson or piece of advice you wish you had known at the start of your journey?
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Select links
Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:
Images credit: N Carolina; Magnific (Magnific); DataAxis; Magnific (Magnific)
Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell
Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez
