Founder

The biggest opportunities aren’t created inside siloed industries.

They’re created where people, ideas, and industries intersect – often at the edges, before the rest of the world sees what’s coming.

For nearly two decades, that’s been my work. Largely unpaid, lol, but driven by one part chip on my shoulder and one part mission: to show ourselves – and the world – that Caribbean entrepreneurship, innovation, and excellence are real, growing, and increasingly impossible to ignore.

Long before “ecosystems” became sext, I was bringing together founders, investors, creators, executives, governments, and innovators across the Caribbean and its global diaspora – creating and amplifying those intersections.

Through SiliconCaribe and Kingston BETA, I’ve produced 380+ technology and innovation events impacting 35+ countries and cities, connected more than 150,000 people to information, ideas, and opportunities, and helped facilitate access to more than US$10M in capital.

Along the way, that work has helped shape conversations around entrepreneurship, technology, innovation, digital culture and the future of the Caribbean and shifted culture and strategy.

Now the work is evolving. I am very grateful that my name has become synonymous with Caribbean tech. It’s time now to add a serious commercial layer to it.

That’s the thinking behind GridNet ( which will of course include SiliconCaribe, Kingston BETA, and Caribbean Tech Week)

I’m building a company focused on the global Caribbean innovator – people operating at the intersections of technology, wellness, culture, business, and new ways of living, working, and building.

We create the experiences, media, intelligence, platforms, and communities that bring these people, ideas, brands, and businesses together – creating new opportunities for connection, collaboration, investment, and growth.

We’re building some ourselves. Others we’ll build with partners, founders, and investors.

Through GridNet, we’re developing category-defining businesses at the intersection of technology, culture and wellness.

We’re not just watching where the world is going. We’re building the infrastructure, brands, communities and spaces that help shape what comes next – created from the Caribbean, for ourselves and the world.

I’m particularly interested in what happens next at the intersection of:

• Technology, entrepreneurship & AI
• Culture & the creator economy
• Cities, destinations & digital nomadism
• Wellness, longevity & the future of living
• The Caribbean & its global diaspora
• Community as competitive advantage

My mission is simple:

Bring remarkable people together before everyone else realises they should know each other. Because the future isn’t found. It’s built at the intersections – where the right people, ideas, industries, and opportunities collide.

 Featured Recognition

• “Queen of Caribbean Tech” – Caribbean Media (2012)

• “Caribbean Future Proofer” – Pitch Magazine, UK ( 2019)

• Private Sector of Jamaica Game Changer Award

• TechLinks Caribbean Innovator Award ( 2013)

• Caribbean Tech Collective — Top Caribbean Tech Stars 2026

• Business Suite Mag — Women Power 100, 2026

Ingrid Riley is one of the Caribbean’s original disruptors, an award-winning ecosystem builder, super connector, events producer and host, and the visionary behind Silicon Caribe®

WHAT I BELIEVE

I like the kind of level playing field it presents to us here in the Caribbean and the Diaspora. It’s a fantastic opportunity for stunning innovations we can create when paired with what we do best in the world. It can create significant and lasting success in individual Caribbean countries and our Region and position us better in the Global Digital Economy.“ 

– Ingrid Riley, Founder – SiliconCaribe