Florida Congresswoman Recognizes Caribbean-American Business Leader With 2025 Women In Leadership Award

News Americas, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Mon. March 31, 2025: Florida’s Caribbean-American Congresswoman, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, (D-20th District), presented the 2025 Women in Leadership Achievement Award to Felicia J. Persaud, an award-winning, Guyana-born, U.S.-based Caribbean immigrant and trailblazing multi-media journalist, news editor, immigration columnist, advocate, and entrepreneur, during the prestigious second EmpowHER Awards to mark Women’s History Month, on Saturday, March 29th.

Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, (D-20th District), with this year’s Women in Leadership Achievement Award winner, Guyanese-born, Caribbean immigrant entrepreneur and advocate, Felicia J. Persaud. (Pamela DeFreitas image)

The ceremony took place at the Sonesta Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, located at 999 N Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd, as part of Women’s History Month celebrations. Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick said over many people in the district voted to choose this year’s honorees in leadership, STEM, sports and human rights.

Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, (D-20th District), presents the award to this year’s Women in Leadership Achievement Award winner, Guyanese-born, Caribbean immigrant entrepreneur and advocate, Felicia J. Persaud. (PHOTO: House Photographer Phi Nguyen)

“Receiving the Women in Leadership Achievement Award at the EmpowHER Awards is a humbling reminder of the importance of using our voices to drive equity and inclusion,” said Persaud. “I share this honor with every immigrant, including the undocumented, who are breaking barriers and making space for others to thrive, especially in this challenging period of our history in these United States.”

Florida’s Caribbean-American Congresswoman, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, (D-20th District), c., with 2025 EmpowHER award winners and panelists at the second event presented in Fort Lauderdale on March 29, 2025. (PHOTO: House Photographer Phi Nguyen)

As the dynamic CEO of ICN Group, she leads a portfolio of influential brands – CaribPR Wire, Invest Caribbean, Hard Beat Communications and News Americas Now – platforms positioned at the nexus of media and finance for the Caribbean and its global Diaspora.
A fearless voice for Caribbean immigrants, Felicia pens a widely read weekly immigration column for the historic New York Amsterdam News and serves as editor of Caribbean Today, a leading publication serving the Caribbean-American community in South Florida.

She is also the visionary founder of CARIB ID, the groundbreaking movement launched in 2008 that successfully lobbied for the inclusion of a Caribbean ancestry identifier on U.S. Census forms – a historic milestone achieved in 2020 after 12 years of unwavering advocacy.
Felicia remains a bold and tireless advocate for visibility, investment, and equitable representation of Caribbean and Black immigrant communities across the U.S. and around the world.

Her expertise on the Caribbean has led to esteemed recognition through interviews on major media platforms such as AP, CNN, BBC, and The New York Times, alongside a listing in the US State Department Speakers Database as an expert on the Caribbean.

Stay connected with Felicia J. Persaud on Instagram and Facebook at @iamfeliciapersaud or visit icngroup.vip to learn more about her brands.