Fall 2026 Edition

Cohort 11 Steps Up at Acceler8

On Wednesday, September 9, our Cohort 11 entrepreneurs came together at the Rosebank Centre for Acceler8, an important milestone in their Ignite journey. Throughout the day, participants explored key concepts including Self-Management, Leadership and Personal Effectiveness, while putting their learning into practice, strengthening their pitches and connecting with members of Bermuda’s business community.

Congratulations to our Acceler8 pitch winners: Alison Murdoch-Smith, Arianna Hodgson, Shalleya Codrington and Davida Morris. Their pitches demonstrated the progress they have made throughout the programme and reflected the preparation and determination of Cohort 11.

We extend our sincere thanks to our morning pitch judges, Felicia Wilson, Holly Mazar-Fox, Kennette Burgess and Ian Nash, and our afternoon pitch judges, Nadia Fox, Wendy Hamilton and Kidist Emery.

We were also pleased to welcome Ignite alumni Alex Amat, Shannon Davis, Sydney West and Hannah Lampit from Cohort 10 for our Alumni Panel. By sharing their experiences and lessons from their own entrepreneurial journeys, they offered Cohort 11 practical insight into navigating the opportunities and challenges that come with building a business.

We are grateful to Butterfield Bank for hosting us and providing a space for our entrepreneurs and volunteers to come together.

Melissa Looby's Full-Circle Ignite Journey

Melissa Looby’s connection to Ignite began with Cohort 1, when she joined the programme as an entrepreneur. Years later, her journey came full circle when she returned to Ignite in January 2023, this time as a member of the team.

As Enabler, Melissa brought not only her professional experience, but also a first-hand understanding of the entrepreneurial journey and the challenges founders face.

During her time on the team, Melissa contributed to Ignite's programmes and initiatives, working closely with entrepreneurs and helping to strengthen the resources and support available to our community.

Most recently, she played an important role in the development of Spark AI, helping to guide the platform through its early testing and development as Ignite explores new ways to provide entrepreneurs with practical, accessible support.

We are grateful for Melissa's contribution to Ignite and the many entrepreneurs she has supported along the way. As she begins her next chapter, we wish her continued success and look forward to seeing where her entrepreneurial journey takes her.

KPMG Interns Help Bring Financial Literacy to Spark AI

This summer, KPMG Bermuda Summer Interns William Spriggs III, Alice Summerville and Bethany Cooze (pictured) worked with Ignite to explore how Spark could address financial literacy gaps among entrepreneurs. Research with Cohort 11 entrepreneurs and KPMG mentors identified pricing models, financial communication and regulatory requirements among the highest-priority areas for support.

The team translated their findings into an eight-module financial literacy curriculum designed for integration into Spark AI. Their review also found that approximately 45% of the financial literacy resources entrepreneurs need already exist within Ignite's curricula and frameworks, providing a strong foundation to build upon.

A special thank you to Melissa Looby, who worked closely with the KPMG interns, sharing her knowledge of Spark AI and Ignite's existing resources and helping guide how their recommendations could be incorporated into the platform.

Spark AI continues to evolve, with approximately 150 people having used or tested the initial build, including Ignite entrepreneurs and participants from BEDC, Athene, KPMG and the Solve Bermuda Think Tank. Their feedback is helping to shape the next phase of the platform, which will be deployed shortly and made available through the Ignite website.

Ignite Entrepreneurs in the News

Cohort 11

Help Me Speak Up Foundation

Former officer encourages public to speak up on crime

Teledo Breary plans to focus his energies on education with the launch of a non-profit organisation called Help Me Speak Up Foundation.

#IgniteBermuda

www.ignitebermuda.com