Page 12 AUDREY RICHARDS (NEE SMITH): Trailblazer in financial innovation and market development. Audrey has designed and led pioneering programmes that expand access to capital for Jamaican businesses, including the Development Bank of Jamaica’s Credit Enhancement Fund and Venture Capital Programme. She was the first President of the Primary Dealers Association established by the Bank of Jamaica and a founding member of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Best Practices Committee. She has served on multiple financial sector boards, the SAHS Board, is a Founding Director of the SAHS Foundation and a past President of the Old Girls’ Association. MARSHA-GAYE KNIGHT: Trailblazer in sports marketing and equity advocacy. Marsha is the brains and face of Black-in-Sports Business (BSB) based in Toronto, Canada. This is a diversity network mentoring and showcasing black talent in the sporting arena. She also is a Partnership Marketing Manager with Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) Sports and Olympics, and is the host and producer of the BSB Podcast, which, in 2024, hosted a live experience at ESPNW Summit Canada, featuring interviews with black women who are trailblazers in the Canadian sports business industry. ROXANNE WANLISS: Trailblazer in technology and entrepreneurship. Initially working on international development projects and community leadership, Roxanne is the founder and Senior DNA consultant at Polygenics Consulting, the leading DNA testing service in the Caribbean. She has contributed to national and regional development initiatives and has held key roles with organisations including the World Bank EPIC Programme (a strategic framework to manage hydro-climatic risks) where she facilitated islandwide workshops in technology, climate resilience and youth empowerment. A model of service excellence, Roxanne’s involvement in volunteerism and national service led her to being named an Ambassador of the I Believe Initiative of the Governor General of Jamaica. ELAINE COMMISSIONG (nee King), OD, JP: Trailblazer in Public Relations and Education. From classroom teacher to Education Officer in the Educational Broadcasting Services, Elaine has had a multifaceted career as a marketing communications consultant, lecturer, author, life coach, and mentor. She excelled in media production and communications, opening her own very successful public relations company CARA Communications Ltd., where she brought her expertise and innovation to numerous corporate campaigns. Elaine is the recipient of several awards including the national award of Order of Distinction for excellence in public relations in 2013. DIANA MCCAULAY, OD: Trailblazer in environmental advocacy. Diana is the Founder of the Jamaican Environmental Trust (JET) and was its Chief Executive until her retirement in 2017. A leading environmental activist, Diana is a regular newspaper columnist, and has won awards for environmental leadership including the Norman Manley Foundation Award for Excellence. She is also a writer, the author of Dog Heart for which she won the Jamaican National Literature Award. Diana is a recipient of the national award of the Order of Distinction and a Gold Musgrave Medal for literature from the Institute of Jamaica. TREYA PICKING: Trailblazer wildlife conservation. Treya is a wildlife conservation biologist who has led national efforts in research, conservation and wildlife management. The herpetologist has done critical work with the American crocodile in the swamps, mangroves and artificial habitats around Jamaica and spearheaded the first ever island-wide population assessment of the American crocodile in collaboration with National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), the University of the West Indies and the University of Florida. Treya is the founder of JamCROC Initiative (Jamaica Crocodile Research, Outreach and Conservation), spearheading crocodile conservation work. In 2025, Treya was awarded the Prime Minister’s National Youth Award for Excellence in Environmental Protection. Entrepreneurship, Tourism & Environment
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