Hello, I’m Nikita Shiel-Rolle (ኪዳን), and my life’s work is driven by one clear purpose:
To spread Ocean Love
At the heart of all I do is a belief that we are not only shaped by the places we live, but that we are also stewards of their future. As a licensed Estate Agent with H.G. Christie and Christie’s International Real Estate, I specialise in helping individuals and families discover homes that nurture the soul, honour the land, and connect them to something larger than themselves.
My portfolio spans luxurious coastal homes and resorts, biodiversity-rich private islands, and single-family properties, each rooted in a sense of place, purpose, and possibility.
I am a builder of regenerative communities, a convenor of climate dialogue, and a co-creator of futures grounded in justice, heritage, and innovation. For more than 18 years, I’ve led YME Bahamas and the more recent Cat Island Conservation Institute, an organisation dedicated to empowering local communities, particularly in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and, more recently, in continental Africa, to thrive through climate resilience, environmental education, cultural revitalization, and science-based solutions.
Where Science, Justice, and the Sea Meet
My journey begins with saltwater. I’m a proud island girl from The Bahamas, with ancestry that ties me to both Africa and Ireland. My early love for the ocean led me to the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, where I trained as a marine scientist and founded Young Marine Explorers, a nonprofit designed to equip local communities with the tools to understand and protect their natural environment.
With a MSc in Biodiveristy, Wildlife and Ecosystem Health from the Univeristy of Edinburgh, my love for the ocean continues to guide everything I do, from launching Da Grouper School, a mobile STEAM academy blending ocean & climate science, indigenous knowledge, and entrepreneurship, to working with teams of engineers to design and integrate technology for community-driven climate solutions.
These efforts reflect a larger mission: to democratize access to the knowledge economy and build bridges between local wisdom and global innovation.
Reparatory Justice and Planetary Equity
At the centre of my leadership is an unshakable commitment to reparatory justice. I believe that healing our planet and healing historical injustices are part of the same work.
My efforts in East Africa, particularly in Ethiopia, are guided by cultural and climate diplomacy for climate solutions. I advocate for policies that align with the African Union’s reparations agenda and CARICOM’s justice frameworks.
Through my role with PlanetWerx, I collaborate with scientists, engineers, policy makers and community members to ensure that emerging technologies are accessible to communities to support their sustainable development. From community carbon markets to ocean-based climate finance, I bring science and storytelling together to develop actionable strategies that uplift vulnerable populations while protecting ecosystems.
Creativity, Culture, and Co-Creation
My professional world is one of contrast, flowers and coral reefs, real estate and policy briefs, paintbrushes and policy summits. I often paint while listening to lectures on sustainable development or deep-sea exploration.
I find beauty in complexity. Art, for me, is a way of translating the unseen emotional and cultural layers that underlie all meaningful development. This love for beauty, place, and people fuels everything I do, whether guiding a high-net-worth client to their perfect sanctuary in The Bahamas or mentoring youth in science diving. I believe that when culture leads innovation, we birth solutions that are not only effective but soulful and enduring.