A groundbreaking ‘Impact Room’ will demonstrate how millions of dollars invested are transforming lives and businesses across the Caribbean region at the 56th Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB/the Bank).

The results of five major CDB initiatives will be highlighted during the private sector showcase which takes place June 3 and 4 and will anchor discussions among stakeholders attending the Bank’s flagship meeting from June 1-5, 2026 at the Baha Mar Convention Centre in Nassau, The Bahamas.

Spearheaded by the Bank’s Private Sector Development Division, The Impact Room aims to translate the Bank’s private sector mandate into a dynamic, visible, engagement-driven experience for Governors, investors, development partners, and regional stakeholders under the theme Strategic Investment. Enduring Transformation. Over two days, it will showcase results of five key private sector initiatives that illustrate impact, resilience, inclusive growth, and sustainable development across the Caribbean: the Bank’s Lending and Investment, the Cultural and Creative Industries Innovation Fund, SheTrades Caribbean, the EU Standby Facility, and the Caribbean Technological Consultancy Services.

“The Caribbean stands at a pivotal juncture,” said Lisa Harding, Division Chief, Private Sector at the Bank. “We must harness our collective strengths to build resilient economies and societies that can withstand climate volatility, geopolitical shifts, and technological disruption. At CDB, we are committed to delivering transformative solutions that improve lives, expand opportunities for all and unlock private capital for sustainable development.”

The Annual Meeting serves as the Bank’s premier governance forum, bringing together shareholder authority, regional leadership, and capital influence. While formal sessions effectively communicate strategy and performance, they often offer limited opportunities to demonstrate how financing instruments work in practice, how enterprises access support, and how policy priorities translate into tangible, measurable outcomes on the ground. The Impact Room has been specifically designed to bridge this gap.

The Impact Room represents a significant step forward in how CDB engages with its shareholders and partners, said Harding. “We are creating a meaningful, interactive space where stakeholders and investors can directly see the impact of our work, understand our priorities, and identify clear pathways for collaboration. The Impact Room will deliver immediate insight into what we finance, how our support mechanisms operate, the enterprises we have helped advance, and the exciting pipeline of opportunities that exist.”

The initiative emphasises bold action on climate resilience, infrastructure development, education, technology, housing, renewable energy, agriculture, cultural and creative industries, private sector mobilisation, the empowerment of vulnerable groups including women and youth, and regional integration to position Caribbean economies for a more secure and prosperous future.

By creating this dedicated platform, CDB aims to strengthen partnerships, mobilise private capital, and accelerate the region’s private sector-led growth and resilience agenda.

Impact stories will highlight level of investment, business growth, technology adoption, statistics on member states impacted, the number of businesses, and groups including women-led businesses, youth initiatives, as well as industry-specific outcomes, and funds mobilized for continuity.

Complementing the Bank’s private sector initiatives, The Impact Room will feature five partners whose work aligns with private sector development, capital mobilisation, infrastructure financing, enterprise growth, or ecosystem strengthening, namely: Compete Caribbean, Small Business Development Centre Bahamas, Bahamas Development Bank, the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation and the Bahamas Trade Commission.

The Impact Room also features a B2B zone to facilitate networking amongst scores of registered attendees. A stellar line-up of expert speakers is expected to ignite the stage in talks on key developmental issues including financing, trade, market access, climate resilience, and monetisation of the creative economy over the two-day period.

Stakeholders are invited to register at https://cvent.me/2zKb8G