Island Girls Rock Podcast

In this episode of Rooted, we are speaking with Anna Cadiz-Hadeed, Deputy Executive Director and Staff Partner of the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute – CANARI – a regional non-profit technical institute headquartered in Port of Spain, Trinidad, that has been working across the Caribbean for more than thirty years.This is a conversation about what it truly means to put people at the centre of conservation. What it looks like when communities are not consulted but genuinely empowered to steward the natural resources their lives and livelihoods depend on. And what happens when an organisation spends three decades holding that belief, even when the world makes it hard.From participatory natural resource management to regional grant-making, to advocating for small island developing states on the world stage, Anna brings twenty years of experience, extraordinary depth, and a quietly radical vision to this work. We hope this conversation leaves you feeling more connected to the Caribbean – to the land and sea that make us who we are, and to the people who have dedicated their lives to keeping it whole.This podcast is hosted by Chantal MillerProduced by BreAnna Holmes & Chantal MillerEdited by BreAnna HolmesSee more from CANARI here: https://canari.org/See more from the Clara Lionel Foundation here: https://www.claralionelfoundation.orgSee more from Island Girls Rock here: https://islandgirlsrock.com/

In this episode of Rooted, we are speaking with Carine Jocelyn, founder of the Haitian Women’s Collective and the Fund for Haitian Women, the first women’s fund in the entire Caribbean region.This is a conversation about legacy and the long game. What it means to spend more than 25 years building institutions rooted in the belief that Haitian women deserve to be seen, supported, and centred. And what it takes to create something so foundational that it outlives your own direct involvement.From establishing a community health centre in Port-au-Prince that continues to be locally run to this day, to making history at Profamil, to founding two landmark organisations, Carine brings both extraordinary depth and quiet conviction to this work. We really hope this conversation moves you as much as it moved us.This podcast is hosted by Chantal MillerProduced by BreAnna Holmes & Chantal MillerEdited by BreAnna HolmesSee more from the Haitian Women’s Collective here: https://thehwc.org/See more from the Clara Lionel Foundation here: https://www.claralionelfoundation.orgSee more from Island Girls Rock here: https://islandgirlsrock.com/

In the second episode of Rooted, we are speaking with Keithlin Caroo, founder of Helen’s Daughters, a regional organisation rooted in Saint Lucia that is transforming what is possible for Caribbean women in agriculture.This is a conversation about land and legacy. What it means to build an organisation around the realities women farmers actually face, and why investing in women’s access to training, markets, and each other is not just good development practice, it is a form of justice.From the early days of Helen’s Daughters to the launch of the Unconference on Agriculture and the HD Ag-cademy, Keithlin brings both rigor and deep care to this work. We really hope this conversation moves you as much as it moved us.This podcast is hosted by Chantal MillerProduced by BreAnna Holmes & Chantal MillerEdited by BreAnna HolmesSee more from Helen’s Daughters here: https://www.helensdaughters.org/See more from the Clara Lionel Foundation here: https://www.claralionelfoundation.orgSee more from Island Girls Rock here: https://islandgirlsrock.com/

In this special season finale of the Island Girls Rock Podcast, we flip the script. Youth Engagement Coordinators Vanel Bailey and Brianné Chapman step into the hosting seats, turning the mic on the podcast’s host, Chantal Miller, for a candid and celebratory conversation.With Island Girls Rock marking its 10th year, Vanel and Brianné take the opportunity to go back to the beginning — exploring the inspiration behind the organisation, and the woman at the heart of it. Chantal reflects on her childhood growing up between Nevis and the UK, how navigating two worlds shaped her identity, and how those experiences ultimately led to the creation of Island Girls Rock. It’s a warm, fun, and deeply insightful conversation that feels like a love letter to a decade of community, culture, and Caribbean girlhood.This podcast is produced by Island Girls Chantal Miller & BreAnna HolmesEdited by Island Girl BreAnna HolmesShow NotesChantiMedia at Afropunk ParisChantal's Interview with Huey SergeantChantal's Hair JourneyAdopt-A-Coastline Ocean Stewardship InformationVanel at CarifestaMore About Island Girls RockVisit our website: islandgirlsrock.comConnect with us on Instagram: @igr_love

In this episode of the Island Girls Rock Podcast, we sit with Brittany Suzanne Kelly (they/them), award winning Caymanian writer, producer, director, and the first Film Commissioner of the Cayman Islands, for a thoughtful conversation on Caribbean cinema, storytelling, and cultural leadership.Rooted in a deep family legacy in film, with their great grandfather owning the first cinema in the Cayman Islands, Brittany reflects on what it means to support and create stories shaped by lived Caribbean experience. We speak about creative autonomy, co production in the region, moving through film spaces in London and Los Angeles, and how identity, belonging, and place are understood and felt across different contexts. This episode is especially resonant for film lovers, filmmakers, and anyone invested in the future of Caribbean storytelling.This podcast is produced by Island Girls Chantal Miller & BreAnna HolmesEdited by Island Girl BreAnna HolmesShow NotesConnect with Brittany:Instagram: @striketwicecreativeSee Brittany's Projects & More HereMore About Island Girls RockVisit our website: islandgirlsrock.comConnect with us on Instagram: @igr_love

In this episode of the Island Girls Rock Podcast, we sit with Jamaican wellness pioneer, yoga teacher, and community guide Sharon Feanny for a generous and steady conversation on midlife, recovery, and what it means to care for ourselves while holding space for others.Rooted in ancestral Caribbean wellness practices and more than three decades of lived experience, Sharon reflects on aging with vitality, strength, and self trust, particularly in seasons of upheaval. Drawing from her deep connection to Treasure Beach, where she hosts retreats and remains closely embedded in community care following Hurricane Melissa, she shares insights on resilience, collective recovery, and the quiet, necessary practices that help women continue to thrive as they age.This conversation is an offering for women in midlife, and for any woman, at any stage of her life, who is navigating change while remaining deeply connected to her body, her community, and her sense of purpose.This podcast is produced by Island Girls Chantal Miller & BreAnna HolmesEdited by Island Girl BreAnna HolmesShow NotesConnect with Sharon:Instagram: @sharonfeannyJoin Sharon's 10-Day Longevity ResetMore from Sharon HereMore About Island Girls RockVisit our website: islandgirlsrock.comConnect with us on Instagram: @igr_love

In this episode of the Island Girls Rock Podcast, we sit with actor, dancer, wellness instructor, and teaching artist Nikeva Stapleton for a grounded and generous conversation on presence, purpose, and possibility.Nikeva reflects on Nevis as her place to simply be, shares what it means to fully claim life as a multi-hyphenate, and speaks openly about manifestation and the power of naming what you’re calling in.From global stages and screens to movement, wellness, and community work across the Caribbean, this conversation is an invitation to listen closely to yourself, your path, and what you’re ready to speak into existence.This podcast is produced by Island Girls Chantal Miller & BreAnna HolmesEdited by Island Girl BreAnna HolmesShow NotesConnect with Nikeva:Instagram: @kevakevsThe Intuit Body: https://www.theintuitbody.com/More From NikevaMore About Island Girls RockVisit our website: islandgirlsrock.comConnect with us on Instagram: @igr_love

In this episode we sit with creator, scholar and proud Nevisian, Simone Mills, known online as @everytingsimsimma, for a rich and grounded conversation on culture, Carnival, identity and the quiet ways we continue to resist.Simone shares how she tells our stories through two essential lenses: the creative and the academic. She speaks openly about “nerding out” over history, constantly tracing threads between our present day traditions and their deeper roots. Her research into Carnival as resistance has shaped not just her work but the way she moves through the world.We talk about showing up in spaces that were not made with us in mind, and how disruption does not always need to be loud to be powerful. Simone also offers a beautiful reflection on growing up between worlds, feeling too West Indian for American folks and too American for her Caribbean family, and how that in between space helped her anchor herself in her identity.For her, the islands are not just heritage. They are home.This is a thoughtful and heart full conversation with a woman who studies, celebrates and lives her Caribbean identity with clarity and joy!This podcast is produced by Island Girls Chantal Miller & BreAnna HolmesEdited by Island Girl BreAnna HolmesShow NotesConnect with Simone:Instagram: @everytingsimsimmaTikTok: @everytingsimsimmaTwitter/X: @icegreenandgoldMore About Island Girls RockVisit our website: islandgirlsrock.comConnect with us on Instagram: @igr_love