I was introduced to Island Innovation in 2019 by LinkedIn contact Paul Kreutzer, someone I have never met, but with whom I maintain a running correspondence. Paul thought I might be interested in joining the group and attending the free, annual, virtual, global conference. I researched the group and, from their website, found that they are "a social enterprise and digital media platform at the intersection of sustainable development and communications, offering specialised services across various sectors. We bring together the private sector, government, utilities, NGOs and universities to advance innovation for sustainability and prosperity in islands worldwide."
I was able to attend some of the many presentations in 2019 and found them interesting and the concept fascinating. This was pre-pandemic. Now, of course, virtual conferences are commonplace.
Following Island Innovation on LinkedIn and Facebook introduced me to a wealth of information from professionals all over the world, working on a variety of issues affecting islands big and small.
During the 2020 conference I listened to the experiences of some of the then current Ambassadors, and in late 2020 when I saw the call for Ambassadors for 2021, I wondered if I had the requisite skills, background, and time available to even consider applying.
I felt that these were items within my capabilities. Additionally, the application stated that Ambassadors needed to be “passionate about island issues, innovation and sustainable development, of any age, who reside or have resided on an island, with a commitment to represent their island/country, who are able to participate in our activities and meetings, and who are strongly committed to building more sustainable islands.” I submitted my application, crossed my fingers, and was delighted to receive an email stating that I had been accepted – with a reminder that “Island Innovation Ambassadors are considered the face of Island Innovation and will work closely with key stakeholders in the Virtual Island Summit. They will represent their community and network with policy-makers, entrepreneurs and NGO leaders while gaining industry experience and exposure. There will also be a network for future scholarship opportunities.” It was a good way to end 2020 and begin 2021.
I was born and raised on an island, specifically, the UK. My life journey blew me ‘across the pond’ to the USA and planted me in Metro Detroit (Michigan) for a couple of decades, then Florida and Kentucky, and back to Florida. During that journey I raised two sons while earning my bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, became a Certified Floodplain Manager, became a dance teacher, weathered the great recession, became a CRS coordinator for the City of Venice, moved on to the Florida Division of Emergency Management Bureau of Mitigation - Floodplain Management and, most recently, returned to the City of Venice to open my own company, Dancing Waters Consulting, LLC - appropriately named for a dance teaching water resources professional.
The City is a reasonably affluent and very picturesque community. The City has an approximate population of 23,000 – sixty-two percent (62%) of which are retirees. We rely heavily on our ‘snowbirds’ – residents who only reside here during our hospitable winters. Resiliency - climate, economic, and social - and sustainability are important to us.
The Ambassadorship program kicked off 2021 in high gear. An initial meeting provided a platform for us to introduce ourselves, virtually. It is exciting meeting professionals from as far afield as the Orkneys, the Falklands, and closer to home in the Caribbean., All participants engaged, happily sharing projects, and asking questions. Like all good conferences and training programs, each conversation leaving participants energized. It is exciting exploring new software, like Remo, enhancing the Zoom experience, and reading introductions on WhatsApp - although that has the potential to either overwhelm or force you to refine time management skills! I have not yet signed up and joined the Slack channel, but I understand there are numerous thought-provoking conversations happening there. It is easy to see the networking in action and potential collaborations forming.
I was introduced to a podcast on Sargassum, the issues concerning this seaweed – and projects utilizing it in unique ways. I participated in a training offered by The Strategy Innovation Group (SIG) and was subsequently accepted into the SIG Discovery Process Program. I am looking forward to this program and the opportunities it offers to learn and hone strategies for teams and stakeholder engagement.
The February calendar has some interesting items – all but the Ambassador trainings are publicly available. Information and registration can be found on the Island Innovation website. Check it out, perhaps it will pique your interest to be an Ambassador in 2022!
For more information about Island Innovation, please check the following resources:
#IslandInnovation #SDG2021 #IslandAmbassador
