GABRIEL ABED
Vanguard Award

Gabriel began exploring cryptocurrencies, and their underlying Distributed Ledger Technology, during his undergraduate study as early as 2010. An alumnus of the University of Ontario he received a Bachelor of Information Technology specialising in Cryptographics and Network Security. Enthralled by the potential of cryptocurrencies, and conscious of the revolution unfolding around him, he became an early adopter and lifetime evangelist. He capitalised on his 15 years of experience working in the software and technology field, founding BitEdge with its subsidiaries: Caridot (the largest and leading Caribbean domain name registrar) and websites.bb (a leader in custom website designs). Bitt, his latest and most groundbreaking journey, is a FinTech company built around the twin pillars of global connection and financial inclusion. Gabriel believes that Bitt offers unprecedented solutions to disruptive regional issues from remittance payments to providing much-needed access to e-commerce solutions.  Read More

DR. GERARD ALPHONSE
Marcus Garvey Lifetime Achievement Award

Dr. Alphonse obtained a BSEE (1958) and a MSEE (1959) from New York University, and a Ph. D in ElectroPhysics (1967) from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (now New York Polytechnic University) under a grant from the RCA Laboratories David Sarnoff Research Center (Sarnoff) in Princeton NJ, which he joined in June 1959 as a Member of the Technical Staff.

His career at Sarnoff involves pioneering work and major contributions in a broad range of technical areas.  These include the development of superconductive devices for data storage and microwaves and original contributions in the development of photochromic devices, broadband acousto-optic deflectors, holographic data storage, ultrasonic imaging for medical diagnostics, optical disc recording and media development, semiconductor laser diode arrays, optical amplifiers and superluminescent diodes, the psychophysics of large area displays, and vision modeling.  Read More

DR. GOULDA DOWNER
Outstanding Contributions to Public Health Award

Goulda Downer, PhD, RD, LN, CNS, FAND is an Assistant Professor, College of Medicine, at Howard University. She also currently serves as Project Director and Principal Investigator for Howard’s Capital Region AETC Telehealth Training Center (HU-CRTP).  Prior to her faculty appointment at Howard, Dr. Downer served as Assistant Clinical Professor and Director of Public Health Nutrition at Georgetown University Medical School; as the Director of Medical Education for the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome;  on the Nutrition Faculty in the School of Public Health and Health Services at George Washington University; as a nutrition expert to the U.S. Department of Justice, the United States Agency for International Development and the DC Superior Court.

To reduce stigma with respect to HIV/ADS in the clinical community, Dr. Downer worked with other institutional partners to develop and launch the National Clinicians HIV/AIDS Testing and Awareness Day (NCHATAD). With the support of Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) and her colleagues, NCHATAD was approved by Congress in 2007. Also, when reports showed that the District was the epicenter of HIV in the US, and that HIV care was not optimal, Dr. Downer appealed to District’s leaders - in her then role as Chair for the DC State Health Coordinating Council - to mandate that clinicians practicing in the District be required to take Continuing Medical Education courses annually. The DC City Council approved Bill B19-510 which requires three (3) hours of HIV/AIDS Continuing Education credits beginning in 2014. Read More

AMBASSADOR DR. EDWARD GREEN
Outstanding Public Service Award

Dr Edward Greene, currently UN Secretary General Special Envoy for HIV in the Caribbean was previously Assistant Secretary General, Human and Social Development, CARICOM Secretariat 2000-2010, and Senior Adviser, Health and Human Development, PAHO/WHO 1995-1999. He played pioneering roles in the establishment of the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) 2001, the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Medical and other Health Professionals 2004, and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) 2013.

He served on many prestigious Boards including Vice Chair of United Way Jamaica, Coordinator of the Inter American Foundation (outreach) for Jamaica that helped to develop small business opportunities and community projects, Director of the Board of the Canadian International Institute for Peace and Security, Member of the Commonwealth Secretariat High Level Panel for South-South Cooperation in Higher Education and observer on the UNAIDS/ Lancet Defeating AIDS- Achieving Sustainable Health. He was also a Director of the International Cricket Council for Caribbean World Cup Cricket 2007 and Chair of the CARICOM Steering Committee for Climate Change and Sustainable Development 2008-2010 and now serves as an Advisor to the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre. Read More

DAVID HOCHOY
Excellence in the Arts Award

David is now in his 25th season as Artistic Director of Dance Kaleidoscope in Indianapolis.  He was born in Trinidad, West Indies. After receiving a B. Sc. at McGill University in Montreal, where he began studying for a career as a doctor, he continued his graduate work in theatre working on an M.A. in directing from Penn State.

In New York, he studied at the Alvin Ailey and Martha Graham schools and danced with numerous national companies as well as the Toronto Dance Theater. In 1980, he was invited to join the Martha Graham Dance Company. Made a soloist in 1982 and rehearsal director in 1986, David toured the world with Graham until 1989. He has given master classes in Graham technique throughout the U.S. and Europe, and in 1990 was invited to Guangzhou, China, to teach the experimental troupe of the Guangdong Dance Academy for ten weeks.

David has been on the faculty of the Martha Graham School since 1982. In addition, he has taught at the American Dance Festival (ADF) held at Duke University, as well as ADF West in Salt Lake City and ADF Seoul in Korea. In 1991 he was invited to teach and choreograph at the Vienna International Dance Festival. He has given workshops in Quebec, Tokyo, Oslo, Dublin and Rio de Janeiro. Read More
 

MACHEL MONTANO
Luminary Award

Known as the King of Soca, Machel Montano’s long and decorated career began in 1982 at the age of seven. Since then Machel has gone on to dominate the genre, winning countless awards and pushing Soca music onto the international stage with growing velocity. Whether he’s selling out Madison Square Garden or rocking a 25,000 deep crowd at his namesake fete on home soil – Machel is an unmatched entertainer, an artist of growing global influence, and a man on a mission. 33 years in, most artists would be content with these pinnacles of achievement – but for Machel, this was only the first chapter.  Read More

VICTORIA ROWELL
Trailblazer Award

Victoria Rowell is an award-winning actress, international lecturer, holds two doctorates - a teacher, advocate, mother, and former foster youth. She has been recognized by 193 members of Congress for advocacy work on behalf of education, arts, foster and adoptive youth and parents as well as diversity issues.

Her New York Times bestseller, The Women Who Raised Me, published by HarperCollins Publishers, received literary acclaim. Rowell also enjoys a literary book deal with Simon & Schuster for her popular soap opera novel series.  Read More