Island Icons Honors 2025
Celebrating Caribbean Excellence in Business, Culture & Innovation
This November 2025 — during National Entrepreneurship Month — join us in New York City for the second annual Island Icons Honors, a powerful celebration of the Caribbean-American trailblazers making an undeniable impact across the United States.
It all began with an idea — a spark of courage that led to something extraordinary. Some turned a passion into a thriving business. Others transformed creativity into legacy. Each found a way to solve problems, build community, and elevate culture.
At Island Icons Honors, we recognize their brilliance, resilience, and contribution to the global narrative. Together, we honor the innovators, dreamers, and change-makers whose excellence continues to shape industries and inspire the next generation of Caribbean Americans.
Date: Nov 6th 2025
Time: 6:30 - 10:30 PM ET
Location: NEW YORK, NY
MEET OUR 2025 HONOREES
Dr. Judith Joseph
2025 Wellness & Resilience Vanguard Award
Dr. Judith Joseph MD MBA is a board-certified psychiatrist, researcher and award-winning content creator who specializes in mental health for children and adults. She is chair of the women in medicine initiative at Columbia University and professor of psychiatry at NYU where she teaches doctors how to use media to educate the public. She is also an official Masterclass and Linkedin learning course instructor. She gave the first congressional recording studios talk on Caribbean-American mental health alongside Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick in June 2024.
Dr. Judith is the Principal Investigator at her own research lab in Manhattan which conducted the first peer-reviewed clinical research study in high functioning depression in the world. Her lab has conducted over 100 clinical research studies in psychiatry and neurology. Her National Bestselling Book “High Functioning” published in April 2025 is based on her original research and is now published in over 20 countries and over 17 languages. The United Nations selected Dr. Judith to teach a workplace mental health course to their employees for World Mental Health in 2025, due to the global appeal of her work.
Dr. Judith’s social media advocacy and research earned her a Congressional Proclamation award from the US House of Representatives in 2023 and she has taught workplace mental health courses at prestigious institutions including at the White House at The Executive Office of The President of the United States as recently as May 2024 under the Biden-Harris Administration. She is a NAACP top 6 Mental health champion and a 2025 CNN Gamechanger. Her focus is how to reclaim joy as a form of resilience and resistance no matter what your setting is. She has over 1 million followers across all platforms and her evidence-based mental health content has over 15 million views monthly across the world.
Marlon Nichols
2025 2025 Founders of the Future AWARD
Marlon Nichols is the co-founder and Managing General Partner of MaC Venture Capital, a leading seed-stage firm renowned for backing visionary founders who redefine industries. Under his leadership, MaC has grown into one of North America’s largest seed-stage venture firms, surpassing $600 million in assets under management (AUM). In October 2024, the firm announced the closing of its third fund ($150 million), further solidifying its influence in the early-stage investment landscape.
Marlon’s portfolio includes industry-defining companies such as Airspace, Blavity, FINESSE, Gimlet Media, MongoDB, Pipe, Purestream, Thrive Market, and Shekel Mobility, among others. His keen eye for transformative opportunities has earned him widespread recognition, including consecutive placements on Los Angeles Business Journal’s LA500 (2022–2025) and Business Insider’s Seed 100 (Top Early-Stage Investors) for four years. Additionally, he ranks 25th on the Kauffman Fellows Fund Returners Index and has been featured in PitchBook’s 25 Black Founders and VCs to Watch for six years.
His expertise is frequently sought by top media outlets such as Axios, CNBC, Fortune, and more.A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, Marlon serves on the board of Kauffman Fellows, working to expand representation for underrepresented minorities in venture capital. With a unique blend of technology acumen and leadership principles shaped by his athletic background, he actively mentors CEOs, fosters strategic partnerships, and helps founders scale their businesses into market leaders.
Marc Kwesi Farrell
2025 Diaspora Trailblazer of the Year
Marc Kwesi Farrell is a Trinidadian entrepreneur, beverage innovator, and founder & CEO of Ten To One Rum.
Born and raised in Port of Spain, Trinidad, Farrell moved to the U.S. to attend MIT at age 16, where he studied chemical engineering. He went on to earn a Master’s in Philosophy at Cambridge and an MBA at Harvard Business School.
Before venturing into spirits, Farrell held leadership roles at Starbucks, becoming the company’s youngest vice president, overseeing eCommerce, beverage innovation, and U.S. retail operations. He also has experience in management consulting and private equity.
Under his leadership, Ten To One has rapidly grown into one of the most awarded rum brands in the U.S., distributed across dozens of states. Farrell is passionate about elevating Caribbean spirits on the global stage, reshaping narratives around rum, and harnessing authentic cultural storytelling to drive consumer connection.
OUR 2025 AWARD CATEGORIES
Digital Story-telling Excellence Award
Podcasting Excellence - North America (Music, History, Entrepreneurship, Culture)
Podcasting Excellence in the Caribbean Region (Music, History, Entrepreneurship, Culture)
The People’s Choice: Comic Creator of the Year (North America)
Female Trailblazer Of the Year (North America)
Male Entrepreneur Trailblazer of the Year (North America)
Health + Wellness Brand of the Year (North America)
NYC Beauty Industry Trailblazer
Fashion Industry Ambassador of the Year (North America)
Culinary Educational Excellence - U.S.
Music & Culture Vanguard for Global Impact in Caribbean Music
Diaspora Digital Art Titan of the Year
Arts Excellence Icon (North America)
NYC Activist + Social Enterprise of the Year
Diaspora Cultural Preservationist + of the Year
Digital Innovation & Leadership in Tech (North America)
Emerging e-commerce SME Brand of the Year (For Innovation & Story-telling)
THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Best Digital Comedy Creative of the Year
VOTING WILL OPEN SOON!!! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR PARTICIPATING!
We want you the people to pick the choice for the Best Digital Comic Creator of the Year (U.S.) ! Use the poll to vote for your choice! Rules:
Voting is open to all individuals aged 18 and above.
Each voter is limited to one vote per day.
DEADLINE: Voting ends on Friday 24th October at 11:59 PM ET.
Any attempt to manipulate the voting process will result in disqualification of the votes involved.
The Winner will be announced via our official website and social media channels.
By voting, you agree to our Privacy Policy.
Terms and Conditions: By participating, you agree to abide by these voting rules. We reserve the right to modify the rules if necessary and will notify voters of any changes.
For any questions or concerns, please contact us at info@caribbiznetwork.com
