On Wednesday, April 7th, 2021 the University of Miami hosted a virtual symposium that explored lessons garnered from the Caribbean and South Florida realities and their applicability across the region and beyond. It brought together social and physical scientists, economists, scholars, and leaders from around the region, the symposium explored the interconnected and salient climate-induced or climate-aggravated aspects directly affecting people in the region. The goal being to better appreciate the associations between climate stressors, such as physical, societal, and economic vulnerabilities, and climate shocks, such as extreme weather events, as well as the correlated challenges and opportunities each presents.