Unlocking an Untapped $30 Billion Economy: CSS and Miami Ad School Punta Cana Partner to Build the Caribbean’s First Creative Education Infrastructure
The Caribbean has long been a global cultural powerhouse, punching way above its size in cultural output. Yet it has often lacked the formal institutional infrastructure to translate its immense creative talent into recognized global currency. Today, Caribbean Social Studies (CSS) and Miami Ad School Punta Cana (MAS PC) are proud to announce a historic partnership designed to change that.
The Problem: Talent Without Infrastructure
The Caribbean is one of the world’s densest per capita cultural economies. Despite representing less than 1% of the global population, the region generates a staggering level of global influence. We see this in the meteoric rise of icons like Rihanna, Bad Bunny, and Kai Cenat, whose global dominance is rooted in a distinct Caribbean "cultural precision" that is globally influential. The Caribbean’s creative potential has frequently been undervalued as peripheral or merely leisure-based. For too long, the region has contributed greatly to the global creative economy while lacking the infrastructure to scale its own brilliance.
Caribbean Social Studies estimates that over $30 billion goes untapped annually due to these infrastructure gaps.
The region faces a systemic challenge: a wealth of innate, world-shaping imagination without the specialized institutional pathways required to have that talent recognized and valued on a global scale.
The Partnership: Creativity as Currency
The alliance between Miami Ad School (MAS) Punta Cana and Caribbean Social Studies (CSS) represents a historic convergence of global creative excellence and deep regional intelligence.
Miami Ad School: A Global Powerhouse Recognized as the most awarded creative school in the world, Miami Ad School is a global institution that has redefined the standard for creative education. Recently named the 2025 Advertising & Design School of the Year and the Cannes Future Lions School of the Year for a record-setting seventh time, MAS is an undisputed authority in the industry. Its influence is systemic: approximately 20% of the world’s most creative leaders are MAS alumni, filling the ranks of top advertising agencies and titans like Google, Nike, and Apple. With over 15 locations worldwide, Miami Ad School Punta Cana is strategically positioned as a vital multicultural hub, designed to bridge the gap between global industry standards and the untapped creative ingenuity of the Caribbean.
Building First of its Kind Creative Infrastructure in the Caribbean
By merging Miami Ad School Punta Cana’s world-renowned creative education model with Caribbean Social Studies’ strategic expertise in cultural research and systems-level change, this alliance is building first of its kind creative education infrastructure in the region. This partnership seeks to shape how regional talent is seen, valued and recognized on the global stage. By certifying participants through the industry recognized MAS framework, the partnership effectively translates regional excellence into a global currency, opening doors to international networks and market competitiveness.
This partnership is a full-circle moment for the leaders involved. Naadiya Mills, founder of Caribbean Social Studies, and Amaya De Vleeschauwer, Director of Experience at Miami Ad School Punta Cana, are not only MAS Alumni and former classmates but are now strategic partners in this history-in-the-making initiative. Together, they are leveraging the school's global legacy to ensure that Caribbean creativity is no longer just a source of inspiration for the world, but a recognized leader in global creative infrastructure.
Why This Matters Now
In a global industry struggling with fragmentation, the Caribbean offers a model of "cultural precision" and lived dexterity. This partnership is not just about launching courses; it is a cultural intervention designed to make Caribbean creativity a global standard for human-centered, culturally fluent innovation.
Join us as we explore how creative education can unlock a new kind of growth, one built on imagination, collaboration, and purpose.
The Conversation: The Future is Creative: Education as Infrastructure for Regional Growth
To launch this collaboration, we invite you to a virtual panel discussion that reimagines the role of the Caribbean diaspora in regional growth.
- Topic: Diaspora as Ecosystem Builders: Education as Infrastructure for Regional Growth.
- Date: April 23rd, 2026.
- Time: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST.
- Registration:https://luma.com/qwwmn8ud.
Featured Panelists
This discussion brings together a powerhouse lineup of educators, entrepreneurs, and global creative leaders who are already reshaping the industry:
Jose-Guillermo "JG" Díaz 🇩🇴🇵🇷
Co-Founder & Director, Miami Ad School Punta Cana
JG Díaz has spent more than three decades exploring the power of ideas. Born in Puerto Rico, raised in Santo Domingo, and Dominican by conviction, he has built his career at the intersection of creativity, strategy, and education. His philosophy is simple: utility and beauty do not compete, they complement each other. He believes in active listening as a strategic tool and in curiosity as a professional driver. JG has led agencies, served as President of AAF Miami, and founded projects that have shaped the region. As co-founder and director of Miami Ad School Punta Cana, he has created a space where creativity is not a decorative talent, but a discipline that transforms lives. Educated at CHAVÓN and Parsons School of Design (BFA in Visual Communication), and with an MS in Digital Marketing from Full Sail University, his work is not driven by quick applause, but by lasting impact.
Willie Díaz 🇩🇴
CCO & Founder, WD/D INC. | CCO & Co-Founder, Miami Ad School Punta Cana
Willie Díaz is CCO & Founder of WD/D INC. and Executive Creative Director, Brand at Ruca. Born in the Dominican Republic, raised in Miami, and shaped by time in New York and Chicago, his career spans major markets and a wide range of industries. He has led brand and creative work for global clients including Converse, Motorola, Harley-Davidson, Cole Haan, Fidelity Investments, Xerox, and IBM. His work has been featured in Graphis, Communication Arts, and Print, and recognized with honors including Cannes Lions, One Show Gold and Silver, and multiple ADDY Awards including Best in Show. As co-founder of Miami Ad School Punta Cana, he has helped place graduates in top agencies around the world, elevating Latin American creative talent on a global stage.
Tuere Kareem 🇹🇹
Creative Director, Lonsdale Saatchi & Saatchi Trinidad & Tobago
Tuere Kareem is an award-winning Trinidadian creative industry expert with 18 years of experience. A graduate of The George Washington University and the University of Leicester, she has lived and worked in the United States, the UK, and Trinidad and Tobago. Having started as a writer, Tuere has worked on some of the top brands in the world including McDonald's, Pepsi, Scotiabank, Microsoft, and Toyota. She has been instrumental in developing strategy for pitches that won millions of dollars in new business and has risen to Creative Director. Throughout her career, Tuere has championed diverse narratives and pushed the envelope on what it means to be Caribbean — passionate about showing the excellence Caribbean people are capable of on the world stage.
Jamillah Lodge 🇧🇲
Director of Communication & Development, Bermuda Economic Development Corporation
Jamillah Lodge is the Director of Communication & Development for the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation. She is responsible for managing the marketing and communications plan on behalf of the Corporation and for providing and analyzing business and entrepreneurial market data. Jamillah develops, promotes, and implements entrepreneurship and educational programs, events, and initiatives. She graduated from Clark Atlanta University with a B.A. in Business Administration with a focus on Marketing, and holds an AA in Merchandising Marketing from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Los Angeles. Jamillah has also pursued MBA studies in entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University, Florida.
Naadiya Mills
Founder, Caribbean Social Studies
Naadiya Mills is a global creative leader and strategist working at the intersection of culture, business, and innovation. With more than a decade of experience across brands, agencies, consulting firms, and governments, she applies creativity as a catalyst for growth, connection, and transformation. A futurist and innovator at heart, she has launched platforms connecting emerging creatives with industry leaders, pioneered technology enabling meaningful exchanges between recruiters and talent, and produced community-driven events including at Cannes Lions — where she made history with Caribbean Social Studies. Her independent research on collective intelligence earned her an invitation to the Santa Fe Institute's inaugural symposium. Her work has gained the support of leaders from 72andSunny, VMLY&R, Digitas, and TBWA/Media Arts Lab.
