PETNA News

By Nicholas Earle Brathwaite When I moved to Silicon Valley in 1986 to work at Intel, I was the only Black person in my unit. Today, the valley looks very different. Last year, I had the honor of receiving a Culture Shift Labs Award and spoke on my personal journey. As we recognize Black History Month, I’ve been revisiting lessons that still feel urgently relevant today and wanted to share a few reflections. As I mentioned, Silicon Valley was not a flourishing place for Black

February 3, 2026 – The PETNA Foundation is pleased to announce that the recipient of the 2026 Nicholas and Janice Brathwaite Award is Kaeleigh Lewis. Hailing from Jamaica, where she resides with her mother and grandmother, Kaeleigh studied at Immaculate Conception High School in Kingston and has an impressive record of volunteerism and community service. Passionate about environmental justice and education, Kaeleigh will be studying electrical engineering at McMaster Universi

The PETNA Foundation congratulates Solange Thomas Dowden, a past Brathwaite Scholar at McMaster University, on being granted a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering degree from Manhattan University in December 2025. Congratulations, Solange! More details here: https://manhattan.edu/news/archive/2026/02/solange-thomas-dowden-jasper-engineers-journey.php

Nicholas Brathwaite, who chose McMaster University based on the design of its brochure 43 years ago, is returning as its 20th Chancellor. The PETNA Foundation founder's journey from Applied Chemistry graduate to Silicon Valley tech leader exemplifies innovation, equity, and giving back.

We are proud to celebrate Keziah Gibbs , one of our supported students, whose leadership and passion for inclusive STEM education is already making a remarkable impact in the Hamilton community. Read the full McMaster University feature here: https://news.mcmaster.ca/keziah-gibbs-brings-science-to-life-for-kids-and-teens/

The PETNA Foundation is pleased to announce that applications are now open for: The 2026 Nicholas and Janice Brathwaite Award Award Deadline (PETNA Application): 1 November 2025 McMaster University Application Deadline: 15 January 2026 Application Portal is now closed.

Application Portal is now closed.

PETNA Foundation scholarship changes student’s life By Lincoln DePradine Keziah Gibbs For more than four decades, technology entrepreneur...

The PETNA Foundation proudly congratulates Brathwaite Scholars Keziah Gibbs  and Timara Bubb , who graduated from McMaster University in...

In June 2025, Nicholas and Janice Brathwaite visited Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, where they were hosted by Nancy...

The PETNA Foundation is proud to celebrate another outstanding achievement by Dr. Nicholas Brathwaite and the Celesta team. Their...

In a heartfelt tribute that has touched many in the Grenadian community, Hon Delma Thomas recently took to social media to acknowledge...

Start Year 2022 Expected Graduation Date 2027 Degree Bachelor's of Engineering Biomedical Engineering (BEng BME) Programme Aspiring...

Start Year 2024 Expected Graduation Date 2029 Degree Bachelor of Technology Programme  Biotechnology Intended career path Research in the...

Start Year 2020 Expected Graduation Date 2024 Degree Bachelors of Science Programme Honors Mathematics and Statistics Intended career...

Start Year 2014 Graduation Date 2019 Degree Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) Program Honours Computer Science (Co-op) Current...

Start Year 2020 Expected Graduation Date 2025 Degree Bachelors of Science Programme Medical and Biological Physics Experience at McMaster...

I have made several big bets on India over the past 25 years of my career as a technology executive and investor.  When we set up our...