Jean-Claude Cournand

Jean-Claude's mission in life is to find what is undervalued and develop it. He is a Chevening Scholar and an emerging innovation and social enterprise specialist from Trinidad and Tobago. His development work has led to him being featured on University of Edinburgh Business School's Alumni 100 list (2020) and receiving the Queen's Young Leader Award at Buckingham from Queen Elizabeth II (2018). He graduated with distinction from University of Edinburgh (2019) where he pursued an MSc in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. His dissertation research engaged social entrepreneurs across Pacific and Caribbean islands and focused on "contextualizing social enterprise for small island developing states.” Prior to this he obtained a BSc in Behavioral Science at the University of the Southern Caribbean while working part time at KFC.

Jean-Claude has provided consulting services for organizations regionally and in the UK, including co-developing an open innovation process for the Scottish local government. At home he has advanced the growth of a sustainable arts sector for the last 10 years through his roles with 2 Cents Movement, Bocas Lit Fest and his spearheading of the National Poetry Slam along with other performance platforms.

In 2019 he participated in the Unleash SDG innovation lab in Shenzhen, China. He is an alumni of the US State Department’s International Visitors Leadership Programme for NGO management and a member of UK’s Cumberland Lodge emerging leaders network.

He has backpacked to 34 countries to date and is a happy Pokemon go player, currently at level 35 (out of 40 levels). Above all he aims to grow as a human being and one day be a good father.

How Do We Dream Beyond Boundaries? | Jean Claude Cournand | TEDxPortofSpain 2020 Talks