Venetta Smithen: Preserving St. Kitts’ Stories Through the Power of Technology

Every island has its stories.

Stories that explain who we are. Stories that preserve our traditions. Stories that remind us where we come from and inspire where we are going.

For Venetta Smithen, ensuring those stories continue to be told has become more than a business—it has become her life’s purpose.

Hailing from the beautiful island of St. Kitts, Smithen is the founder of Caribbean Scribbles Publishing, an independent boutique publishing company dedicated to bringing Caribbean folklore, regional history, and island traditions to life through beautifully illustrated books, interactive literary experiences, educational resources, and heritage-focused story maps.

Although the company is only a year old, its mission is ambitious: to ensure Caribbean children grow up seeing their own culture celebrated with the same quality, creativity, and imagination found in the world’s leading children’s books.

Reclaiming the Caribbean Narrative

The inspiration behind Caribbean Scribbles Publishing began with a simple but powerful realization.

Across bookstores and digital platforms, stories rooted in Caribbean folklore, local history, and island life were becoming increasingly difficult to find. While children around the world could easily access books reflecting their own cultures, authentic Caribbean stories were often overlooked.

Rather than accepting that reality, Smithen chose to change it.

Drawing on her background in information technology and her deep love for Caribbean culture, she built an independent publishing company from the ground up—creating a digital storefront, developing cultural publishing projects, and producing beautifully crafted books that celebrate the richness of the Caribbean.

“I wanted to bridge that gap,” she explains. “Our children deserve to see their heritage, landscapes, traditions, and folklore celebrated with the highest quality publishing standards.”

Today, Caribbean Scribbles Publishing is helping ensure those stories remain alive—not only for today’s children but for generations yet to come.

Where Technology Meets Tradition

What makes Caribbean Scribbles Publishing unique is the way it blends modern technology with cultural preservation.

Smithen believes innovation should never replace tradition. Instead, it should amplify it.

Her publishing company produces interactive literary works, educational resources, and heritage-focused story maps that combine compelling storytelling with striking original illustrations, making Caribbean history engaging, visually captivating, and accessible for young readers.

Every project is designed with one goal in mind: preserving the authentic spirit of the Caribbean while embracing the possibilities of the digital age.

For Smithen, technology has become one of the region’s greatest opportunities.

It allows Caribbean creators to build globally, publish independently, and share authentic stories without waiting for traditional gatekeepers.

“Technology is the ultimate equalizer for Caribbean creators,” she says. “We no longer have to wait for someone else to tell our stories. We can build our own platforms.”

A Business Built on Passion

Caribbean Scribbles Publishing reflects everything Smithen loves most—technology, storytelling, creativity, and community empowerment.

Those passions come together in every aspect of the business.

Behind the scenes, modern digital tools streamline the publishing process, while every story remains deeply rooted in authentic Caribbean culture.

Perhaps most meaningful is the family element.

Smithen collaborates closely with her daughter, who serves as one of the company’s illustrators, transforming stories into vibrant works of art.

Together, they have built a business that is both technologically innovative and deeply personal—a beautiful example of how entrepreneurship can become a multi-generational legacy.

“It has taught me that combining structured business thinking with passionate creativity creates something truly authentic and resilient,” she reflects.

Stories That Feel Like Home

Among the company’s growing catalogue is The Jingle of the Sugar Mas Bells, a beautifully illustrated children’s book celebrating one of St. Kitts and Nevis’ most treasured cultural traditions.

The book introduces young readers to the sights, sounds, colours, and excitement of Sugar Mas, ensuring the festival’s cultural significance continues to be appreciated by future generations.

The response has been deeply encouraging.

Readers throughout the Caribbean diaspora have praised the book for reconnecting families with their roots.

One reviewer described it as a book every Caribbean family living abroad should own because it beautifully showcases the culture of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Another shared that every page transported her back to childhood—the sounds, the colours, the community, and the unmistakable magic of Sugar Mas.

For Smithen, those reactions affirm why preserving Caribbean stories matters.

The Jingle of the Sugar Mas Bells

Turning Challenges Into Innovation

Building an independent publishing company from St. Kitts has required creativity well beyond writing books.

Creating a technology-driven publishing infrastructure while navigating international printing, digital storefronts, and supply chains has presented significant challenges.

Yet Smithen has consistently found innovative solutions.

When digital platforms experience outages, she leverages her IT expertise to keep her business online by hosting content independently. Through Amazon KDP’s print-on-demand services and carefully coordinated international suppliers, she has built a flexible publishing model capable of serving readers around the world.

Her ability to adapt has become one of the company’s greatest strengths.

Rather than allowing obstacles to slow her progress, she uses technology to solve them.

Caribbean Innovation on the Global Stage

While preserving Caribbean culture remains central to her mission, Smithen is equally passionate about advancing technology.

She recently earned second place globally in the Build Club Women in AI Accelerator for her innovative project Island Tales, demonstrating that Caribbean entrepreneurs can compete alongside some of the world’s brightest technology innovators.

She also deployed the ReliantFlow Agentic Contract Compliance Auditor during the Microsoft AI Skills Fest 2026, showcasing expertise that extends well beyond publishing.

Combined with successfully self-publishing My Kindergarten Handbook and other titles under her own imprint, these accomplishments demonstrate that Caribbean women can simultaneously lead in artificial intelligence, digital entrepreneurship, and cultural preservation.

My Kindergarten Handbook

Empowering the Next Generation

Looking ahead, Smithen sees enormous potential for Caribbean women in technology.

She believes the future belongs to women who are not simply participating in the digital economy—but building it.

That belief has inspired her newest initiative.

This September, she plans to launch a dedicated Girls in IT programme designed to introduce young girls to technology, coding, and digital innovation while building the confidence to become future entrepreneurs.

She hopes to create stronger mentorship opportunities, expand technical education, and inspire more young Caribbean women to pursue careers in technology, artificial intelligence, and digital media.

Growing Together

Smithen also believes entrepreneurship flourishes through collaboration.

She actively mentors aspiring authors, helping them understand independent publishing, contracts, and digital publishing strategies so they can successfully bring their own stories to life.

She regularly collaborates with fellow Caribbean women entrepreneurs, cross-promoting literary works, sharing publishing insights, and encouraging the use of global print-on-demand technologies to expand regional reach.

For Smithen, strengthening Caribbean entrepreneurship is never about growing one business.

It is about growing an entire creative ecosystem.

Caribbean POSH Perspective

Venetta Smithen represents a new generation of Caribbean entrepreneurs who refuse to choose between innovation and identity.

From her home in St. Kitts, she is demonstrating that technology can become one of the region’s most powerful tools for preserving culture, inspiring literacy, and creating economic opportunity.

Through Caribbean Scribbles Publishing, she is ensuring Caribbean children see themselves reflected in the stories they read, while encouraging women across the region to embrace entrepreneurship, innovation, and collaboration.

Her journey reminds us that our stories are among our greatest treasures.

By combining technology with tradition, Venetta Smithen isn’t simply publishing books.

She is helping preserve the soul of the Caribbean—one story at a time.