KINGSTON, Jamaica—Cordell Williams, president of the Youth Entrepreneurs Association of Jamaica (YEA), has received a Global Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership from the Pan African Leadership Institute (PALI) based in Accra, Ghana, in recognition of her work advancing entrepreneurship and strengthening economic collaboration between the Caribbean and Africa.

Williams also serves as Caribbean Ambassador for PALI, where she has been instrumental in mobilising micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) and entrepreneurial leaders across Jamaica and the wider Caribbean to access leadership scholarships, training programmes and business development opportunities through the institute.

During her recent visit to Accra, Williams used the opportunity to meet with investors, business associations and entrepreneurial networks to advance partnerships aimed at strengthening investment, financing and trade opportunities for MSMEs across Jamaica and the Caribbean.

The discussions form part of an ongoing effort to build stronger economic bridges between Africa and the Caribbean through entrepreneurship and private-sector collaboration. The engagements are expected to lead to several memoranda of understanding (MOUs) designed to expand access to finance, cross-border investment and trade opportunities for MSMEs, while deepening economic ties across the African diaspora.

Williams noted that the work remains ongoing and reflects a growing movement to position entrepreneurship as a key vehicle for strengthening economic cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean.

Since 2020, the partnership between YEA and PALI has facilitated the exchange of knowledge and experience between entrepreneurial leaders in both regions, enabling Caribbean entrepreneurs to engage with African counterparts while also sharing insights and expertise on entrepreneurship and enterprise development.