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01 / October 3, 2026LEAP26 · BARBADOS

Today's schedule

  1. 8:00–8:45

    The Arrival Experience

    Registration, Networking & Content Moments

  2. 8:45–8:55

    Call to Room

    Countdown

  3. 8:55–9:00

    Safety Briefing & Housekeeping

  4. 9:00–9:08

    Opening Experience

    Welcome & Opening Energy

  5. 9:10–9:30

    Keynote

    Sasha Sanchez

    “The Posture to Reimagine”

  6. 9:33–9:48

    Tamara Gibson

    From Barbados to Beyond: Building Something that Can Travel

  7. 9:50–9:54

    Audience Engagement

  8. 9:55–10:25

    Keynote

    Luke Quamina

    “Are You Worth Following?”

  9. 10:30–10:45

    Coffee, Connection & Engagement

  10. 10:45–11:05

    Leadership Unfiltered

    60-Second Quick-Fire with Alison Browne-Ellis, Claire Jordan & Dr. Eric Peters; interviewer Sasha Sanchez

  11. 11:05–11:10

    LEAP Exemplary Leadership Award

    Honouring The Honourable Mia Amor Mottley, S.C., M.P., Prime Minister of Barbados

  12. 11:15–11:45

    Fireside Chat

    Beyond the 166 Square Miles: What Are We Capable Of? Featuring The Hon. Chad Blackman, Minister of Education Transformation, in conversation with Dario Richards & Lyndon Balkran

  13. 12:00–12:30

    Keynote

    Dario Richards

    “Making the Leap!”

  14. 12:30–1:15

    Lunch & Connection

  15. 1:15–1:20

    Energy Activation

  16. 1:20–1:40

    Keynote

    Lyndon Balkran

    “Escape Velocity”

  17. 1:45–2:15

    LEAP Mentorship Tables

  18. 2:15–2:30

    The LEAP Commitment & Closing Experience

    Sasha & Lyndon

  19. 2:30 onward

    Networking, Photos & Community

02 / LEAP26 BARBADOSLEAP26 · BARBADOS

MEET YOUR HOST

Portrait of Joel Manning

Your host

Joel Manning

Host · Event host, TV presenter, speaker and author

03 / The voices in the roomLEAP26 · BARBADOS

Meet your speakers & mentors

Portrait of Luke Quamina

01 / Speaker

Luke Quamina

Leadership coach & speaker

Portrait of Dr. Eric Peters

02 / Speaker

Dr. Eric Peters

Leader, educator & advocate

Portrait of Dario Richards

03 / Speaker

Dario Richards

Managing Director, Inspire Leadership Solutions Group

Portrait of Lyndon Balkran

04 / Speaker

Lyndon Balkran

Pioneer, Regional LEAP movement

Portrait of Sasha Sanchez

05 / Speaker

Sasha Sanchez

HR Leader | Corporate Trainer | LEAP Barbados Director

Portrait of Alison Browne-Ellis

06 / Mentor

Alison Browne-Ellis

CEO, Cave Shepherd Card (Barbados) Inc.

Portrait of Tamara Gibson

07 / Mentor

Tamara Gibson

Founder, Native Caribbean Scents Company Ltd.

Portrait of Claire Jordan

08 / Mentor

Claire Jordan

Corporate executive, board director & mentor

Portrait of Cheryl-Ann La Roche

09 / Mentor

Cheryl-Ann La Roche

Financial services leader & mentor

Portrait of Akeem Bourne

10 / Mentor

Akeem Bourne

Coach, speaker & business consultant

Portrait of Khai Lashley

11 / Mentor

Khai Lashley

Co-Founder, The Profit Arena

Portrait of Christa Soleyn

12 / Mentor

Christa Soleyn

Clinical Psychologist, Soleyn Wellness

Portrait of Walwyn Williams

13 / Mentor

Walwyn Williams

Banking & operations executive

Portrait of Kellianne Burrowes

14 / Mentor

Kellianne Burrowes

Founder, Transformational Clarity Coaching

Portrait of Rhonda Sanchez

15 / Mentor

Rhonda Sanchez

Operations leader & self-mastery coach

Portrait of Jane Wight

16 / Mentor

Jane Wight

Founder & Principal Consultant, Ten Seven Strategic Group

04 / 1:45 PM – 2:15 PMLEAP26 · BARBADOS

Mentorship tables

01

CEO TABLE

Cheryl Ann La Roche

02

BUILDING A BUSINESS

Dario Richards & Tamara Gibson

03

WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP

Jane Wight & Claire Jordan

04

FINANCE & WEALTH

Akeem Bourne & Khai Lashley

05

LEADERSHIP: INFLUENCE & IMPACT

Luke Quamina

06

CORPORATE LEADERSHIP

Walwyn Williams

07

EMERGING LEADERS

Lyndon Balkran

08

FAITH & PURPOSE

Dr. Eric Peters & Kellianne Burrowes

09

MENTAL SHIFT & RESILIENCE

Rhonda & Sasha Sanchez

10

MANAGING STRESS & BURNOUT

Christa Soleyn

05 / Our special guestLEAP26 · BARBADOS

The Hon. Chad Blackman, J.P., M.P.

Official portrait of The Hon. Chad Blackman, J.P., M.P.Special guest

Minister of Education Transformation · Government of Barbados

The Hon. Chad Blackman is the Minister of Education Transformation, and served previously as the Minister in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Investment. With over twenty years of experience in international development, he possesses tremendous insight to the myriad of challenges and opportunities faced by countries in the Global South.

Minister Blackman previously served as a Consultant in Youth Development at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, as well as a Partner in St. Lucia-based law firm with a specialization in international trade and data protection law.

He served as Barbados' Ambassador to the United Nations at Geneva, Vienna and Rome, as well as Ambassador to Switzerland, Austria, Hungary and Serbia. During his tenure, he served in various committees in the WTO, UNCTAD, the President of the G77 and China in Geneva, as well as on the Global Board of the UN International Gender Champions.

He later joined the International Labour Organization (ILO) as Senior Advisor to the Director-General with responsibility in Cabinet for Latin America & The Caribbean, Africa and Arab States; External Relations; Legal Affairs, the ILO's Tribunal and Corporate Services.

Minister Blackman has both the LLB Law and LLM International Trade Law from the University of Essex in the United Kingdom and is fluent in French.

Catch him live

Fireside chat: Beyond the 166 Square Miles

11:15 AM – 11:45 AM, in conversation with Dario Richards & Lyndon Balkran

06 / Fireside chat · 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM

Beyond the 166 square miles

What are we capable of?

Featuring

The Hon. Chad Blackman

Minister of Education Transformation

In conversation with

Dario Richards & Lyndon Balkran

07 / Our partnersLEAP26 · BARBADOS

Sponsors

SILVER SPONSOR

  • CIBC FirstCaribbean logo

BRONZE SPONSORS

  • Sagicor School of Business logo
  • Risen Designs logo
  • Hit Refresh logo
  • Success Profiling Inc. logo

CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS

  • Emerald Living Interiors
  • Acado
  • Transformational Clarity Coaching
  • Soleyn Wellness
  • Café 195
  • The HR Edit

It takes a community to make the leap.

To our speakers, mentors, sponsors, partners and everyone who helped bring LEAP26 Barbados to life, thank you for sharing your time, expertise, resources and belief in this experience.

Stay connected

Keep the momentum after the leap

This isn't the end.
It's your next leap.

Brought to you by Hit Refresh.

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