SHANI DUNCAN-FALCONER, SENIOR CORPORATE MANAGER, JMMB GROUP SME RESOURCE CENTRE

SHANI Duncan-Falconer is the senior corporate manager at JMMB Group SME Resource Centre, which seeks to help SMEs grow and scale their businesses by providing the necessary resources, network and support services. She effectively balances her role at JMMB with being a dynamic entrepreneur, mentor, lecturer, and business development expert with a multifaceted background that spans various industries including finance, energy and distribution.

Q: What strategies do you employ to #InspireInclusion within your own sphere of influence? How are you investing in yourself, and in other women/girls, to accelerate progress and empowerment?

A: Leading by example is at the core of my leadership philosophy, as such I seek to model inclusion in my leadership style. I therefore prioritise empowering each team member to grow personally and professionally by creating opportunities for development through training and coaching.

Additionally, understanding the importance of work-life integration, I am committed to fostering a workplace culture that values and acknowledges the unique challenges we navigate in our personal lives, while managing our professional lives, by fostering open communication and providing the resources and other necessary support to allow my team to thrive.

My commitment to investing in the development of others, particularly women entrepreneurs, is a part of my purpose as an entrepreneur at heart. In my role as senior corporate manager at JMMB Group SME Resource Centre, I have had the privilege to bring this passion and purpose to life by conceptualising and championing the PowHerful Women in Business programme, to meet the unique needs of female entrepreneurs. This six-month initiative is one of the many programmes developed by the centre, and is specifically designed to empower the first cohort of 35 female entrepreneurs, drawn from Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago, through capacity building, mentorship, and providing other resources to bolster their business growth. Having experienced the entrepreneurial journey first-hand and seeing my maternal grandmother and mother run their own business from an early age, it gives me great joy to serve as a mentor to this cohort, as I am able to connect with them and share my expertise and experience, and help to guide them to achieve specific business goals and offer support in their professional journeys.

Taking my influence outside of the walls of JMMB, in line with my commitment to leveraging mentorship as a tool for social change and the upliftment of marginalised groups, I am actively involved in programmes and events aimed at empowering women. These involvements include AWE (The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs) where I serve as a mentor; and the STEM Di Violence programe, where I have shared as a speaker. These engagements allow me to share insights and advice, as I aim to create a ripple effect that uplifts and inspires others to embrace their potential and pursue their aspirations, thereby living true to this year’s UN theme, Invest in Women: Accelerate progress.