In celebration of International Women’s Month, Cloud Carib, the region’s leading cybersecurity firm, hosted an impactful empowerment event for senior girls at R.M. Bailey Senior High School in Nassau, Bahamas. The event was centered on this year’s theme, “Give to Gain.”
Moving beyond traditional corporate celebrations, the initiative reflected Cloud Carib’s commitment to giving back to the community by sharing knowledge, experience, and encouragement with the next generation of girls. It also served as a celebration of the women across the tech organization who continue to lead and thrive in a sector dominated by their counterparts, an industry where women are still often underrepresented and where bias continues to exist.
The highlight of the event was a panel discussion titled “The Power to Pivot,” moderated by Olivia Dorsett, Marketing & Communications Director at Cloud Carib. Through personal stories and candid advice, the panel encouraged students to embrace change, trust their transferable skills, and understand that careers can evolve over time. With panelists whose backgrounds span accounting, healthcare, wellness, education, compliance, marketing, finance, human resources, and entrepreneurship, Cloud Carib demonstrated that there is no single path to success.
Featured panelists included Alana Wheaton, Co-Founder and VP of Administration; Sakina Sands, Senior Manager, Business Services; Christian Albury, Compliance Officer; Nikita Taylor, Compensation & Benefits Manager; M’khel Ferguson, Marketing Operations Manager; Anya Beneby, Sales Operations Manager; Tavette Hepburn, Systems Administrator; and Brittany Cartwright, Senior Director of Human Resources.
Cartwright emphasized that non-traditional backgrounds are often a secret weapon. “At Cloud Carib, we don’t see a career change as a weakness; we see it as a superpower. Whether you started in education or healthcare, the resilience and problem-solving skills you gain are exactly what the tech industry needs. We want these young women to know that they are not ‘starting over’ when they pivot; they are simply leveling up.”
The raw and honest conversation resonated strongly with the students. Sakina Sands spoke to 11th and 12th-graders about her transition from a 28-year nursing career into managing facilities, assets, and global data center logistics. At the same time, other panelists, including co-founder of Cloud Carib, Alana Wheaton shared her experience overcoming fear, embracing uncertainty, and remaining agile in a rapidly changing digital economy.
Tamara Bethel, Head of Department for Guidance Counselling at R. M. Bailey Senior High School, noted the importance of this exposure for the students: “Seeing professional women who have successfully navigated multiple paths is eye-opening for our girls. It relieves the pressure to feel like they must have their entire lives figured out at their age. The ladies at Cloud Carib have shown them that with the right mindset, the possibilities are endless.”
To extend the impact of the event beyond the panel, Cloud Carib also launched a Career Vision Video Competition, inviting the girls to submit a video that encourages them to think intentionally about their future, explore the role technology plays across industries, and express their creativity and ambition in their own voice. The winning student will receive a brand-new laptop along with mentorship to assist with their studies and future career planning.