Junai P. Felix - Innovator
AI engineer and entrepreneur Junai P. Felix is putting Saint Lucia on the global tech map with the development of EFIER, a mobile-first event engagement platform, and Yukari, a 0.7-billion parameter small reasoning AI model designed for efficient, high-performance computing.
Entirely self-taught in artificial intelligence, Felix’s journey blends academic training with hands on experimentation. His work signals a breakthrough in accessible AI innovation, especially from a small island developing state.
“Yukari shows that powerful AI doesn’t have to come from Silicon Valley. It can come from a laptop in the Caribbean.” Junai P. Felix EFIER aims to simplify how communities stay informed, blending intuitive design with real-time updates. Meanwhile, Yukari stands at the forefront of a movement toward
smaller, faster, self-hosted AI models balancing performance with affordability, privacy, and local control.
These projects are part of Felix’s broader mission to show how global-grade innovation can emerge from the Global South. His journey is documented in the YouTube series “Building in The Tropics.”
