Fall 2025 Edition

Cohort 10 Bootcamp Sparks Bold Beginnings

On October 9th and 10th, Cohort 10 officially kicked off with Bootcamp in the Discovery Room at the Rosebank Centre, marking the start of an exciting new journey for Bermuda’s next wave of entrepreneurial leaders. Participants immersed themselves in workshops on mindset and behaviours, customer discovery, pitching, business modeling, and value proposition.

Day one concluded with a special chat with Resident Advisors (RAs) Lornette Furbert, Rachel Simons, Alandra Swan, and Michelle Jackson who shared candid advice, answered questions, and reminded the new cohort that while the journey is demanding, it is also deeply rewarding. Day two built on that momentum with more informative sessions as well as an engaging expert panel discussion, followed by an informal networking session over wine, giving participants the chance to relax, reflect, and connect.

On day two, the entrepreneurs also took part in a pitch competition that challenged them to put their learning into action, with four finalists stepping into the spotlight: Kylah and Richard Martin, Hannah Lampit, Angela Fubler and Alexandra Amat.

A tribute was paid to Cohort 10 entrepreneur Janae Minors, who sadly passed away. The moment honored her spirit and the example she set embracing challenges, stepping beyond her comfort zone, and going all in to achieve her business goals. Her legacy is a powerful reminder to the cohort that life is precious, and each day is a chance to give their very best.

In addition, Fuel Your Ambition series began on October 8th with the first online session, uniting more than 30 entrepreneurs. Across five virtual sessions, participants will explore entrepreneurial content closely aligned with the Core Programme, while breakout rooms creating opportunities to connect and learn from one another. In addition, the group will gather in person each month to reinforce key concepts and put them into practice.

We are thankful for our volunteer Ambassadors, Expert Panelists and Guest Pitch Judges who helped make the event extra special. Thank you to Jane Burt, Tallent Clark, Ian Nash, Robin Mayor, Joe Mahoney, Jen Ward, Ann Spencer Arscott from the Ignite Board and Mentor Network. Thanks also to Erica Krukowski, Kamesh Signh, Rhiannon Nanette, Kimberly Haywood, Tejal Kapadia, Am Takhar, Felicia Wilsen from KPMG, as well as Lesley-Jane Smith from ASK and Giles Belfrage from Tamer. We are also thankful to Butterfield Bank for letting use their impressive space.

The Expert Panel takes the stage at Bootcamp

Cohort 10 Working through an activity

Bootcamp took place in he Rosebank Centre

Fueling the Future: Laura Lyons Named Deputy Director

Laura Lyons, one of our founding team members, was recently promoted to Deputy Director of Ignite Bermuda. Laura has been with us since the very beginning in 2019. As Enablement Manager, she’s played a key role in shaping our accelerator programmes, mentoring hundreds of entrepreneurs, and building the collaborative ecosystem that defines Ignite today. Her leadership, passion, and deep commitment to our mission have made a lasting impact and now, she’s stepping into a role that will allow her to make an even bigger difference.

In this new position, Laura will be supporting our Executive Director and our Board of Directors as we roll out the next phase of our Strategic Plan. That includes expanding our work with alumni and young adults, growing our mentor network, and strengthening the partnerships that help make our work sustainable. She’ll also continue to lead our programme delivery and help develop new initiatives that tackle critical skill gaps in Bermuda’s entrepreneurial community.

“Laura has consistently demonstrated the vision, empathy, and leadership that embody Ignite’s values. Her promotion reflects not only her own growth but also her deep commitment to helping others grow,” said Sean Reel, our Executive Director.

We wish Laura well in her new role!



The Co-Lab Advantage

The Co-Lab is more than just a workspace! 
A recent review by KPMG interns underscored its impact, combining tenant feedback, market research, and financial analysis to map both current strengths and future opportunities.

What members value most is the community itself. Relationships, peer learning, and natural collaborations are the Co-Lab’s greatest assets, alongside reliable amenities such as Wi-Fi and boardroom access. As one member put it, “The community of entrepreneurs here - that’s the best part.” At the same time, tenants highlighted opportunities for improvement, from enhancing privacy and better use of the digital studio, to clearer onboarding processes and stronger event coordination.

Despite these refinements, demand for the Co-Lab remains high, with full office occupancy and strong interest in other spaces. Its unique blend of affordability, central location, and supportive network makes it an essential resource for Bermuda’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

As one KPMG intern reflected, “The beauty of Ignite lives within these four walls, but its true impact is felt in every corner of the Bermudian community.”

Spark Augmented Innoversity (Spark AI)

Spark Innoversity is a smart, AI-powered support tool developed by Ignite Bermuda to make entrepreneurial resources more accessible, intuitive, and impactful for local founders and innovators.

The tool was designed to:

• Introduce support for the general user, expanding Ignite Bermuda’s reach through our signature enablement-style question and response approach
• Increase access to Bermuda-specific entrepreneurial guidance and
• resources
• Help entrepreneurs quickly find relevant information through natural, human-like conversation.
• Extend the reach of Ignite’s resources beyond programmes, serving the wider entrepreneurial community.

Spark AI combines real-time support with intelligent search to make entrepreneurial guidance instantly accessible. Using Natural Language Processing (NLP), the AI chatbot simulates a conversation with a business coach, allowing users to ask questions in plain language and receive immediate, tailored responses. Behind the scenes, it pulls from a secure, centralized database of Ignite-specific documents, programme materials, FAQs, and even external sources, including legal and news content. The system is designed for multi-platform use, with WhatsApp, web-based and ChatGPT options currently in beta testing.

To check it out and learn more, visit www.ignitebermuda.com/sparkaibeta and let us know what you think by emailing, hello@ignitebermuda.com.

Ignite Entrepreneurs in the News

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