Welcome to Rooted: Stories of Community-Driven Change, a special partnership between Island Girls Rock and the Clara Lionel Foundation. This season, we're sitting down with women leaders across the U.S. South and Caribbean who are leading organizations rooted in culture, community, and purpose. These are the voices reshaping local power structures, uplifting traditions, and proving that the most powerful innovations emerge from deep community roots.

In our first episode of this very special series we are speaking with Amina Doherty, the head of programs and impact at he Clara Lionel Foundation. This is a conversation about identity and belonging. What it means to lead with both strategy and heart and why trusting communities to shape their own futures is not just an approach, it’s a conviction. 

From her Nigerian and Antiguan roots to the global work she carries. Amina brings a rare clarity and warm everything she touches. We really hope this conversation moves as much as it moved us.

This podcast is hosted by Chantal Miller

Produced by BreAnna Holmes & Chantal Miller

Edited by BreAnna Holmes

See more from the Clara Lionel Foundation here: https://www.claralionelfoundation./

See more from Island Girls Rock here: https://islandgirlsrock.com/

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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 Holmes

Edited by Island Girl BreAnna Holmes

ChantiMedia at Afropunk Paris

Chantal's Interview with Huey Sergeant

Chantal's Hair Journey

Adopt-A-Coastline Ocean Stewardship Information

Vanel at Carifesta

Visit our website: islandgirlsrock.com

Connect with us on Instagram: @igr_love

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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 Holmes

Edited by Island Girl BreAnna Holmes

Connect with Brittany:

Instagram: @striketwicecreative

See Brittany's Projects & More Here

Visit our website: islandgirlsrock.com

Connect with us on Instagram: @igr_love

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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 Holmes

Edited by Island Girl BreAnna Holmes

Connect with Sharon:

Instagram: @sharonfeanny

Join Sharon's 10-Day Longevity Reset

More from Sharon Here

Visit our website: islandgirlsrock.com

Connect with us on Instagram: @igr_love

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Holmes

Edited by Island Girl BreAnna Holmes

Connect with Nikeva:

Instagram: @kevakevs

The Intuit Body: https://www.theintuitbody.com/

More From Nikeva

Visit our website: islandgirlsrock.com

Connect with us on Instagram: @igr_love

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Holmes

Edited by Island Girl BreAnna Holmes

Connect with Simone:

Instagram: @everytingsimsimma

TikTok: @everytingsimsimma

Twitter/X: @icegreenandgold

Visit our website: islandgirlsrock.com

Connect with us on Instagram: @igr_love

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, our very special guest Sherween Gonzales, brings her familiar warmth, wit, and grounded wisdom. An educator, entrepreneur, co-host of The *(Relate)able Podcast, and the vibrant spirit behind High Times with Sherween, she is well known for her blend of laughter, honesty, and those unmistakable Sherweenisms her audiences adore.

In this conversation, Sherween opens up about the threads that run through her life’s work. Education, wellness, spirituality, food sovereignty, and the courage it takes to keep evolving. We talk about her years in the classroom, her commitment to community entrepreneurship, her creative journey with Know Your Caribbean’s “Trying a Ting,” and the deep personal practices that guide her healing work.

You’ll hear moments of vulnerability, plenty of joy, and a few surprises as she reflects on where she has been and where she is headed. Including her vision for regenerative farming, community empowerment, and spiritual offerings rooted in her island heritage.

It’s a rich, uplifting episode filled with insight, humour, and heart.

This podcast is produced by Island Girls Chantal Miller & BreAnna Holmes

Edited by Island Girl BreAnna Holmes

Connect with Sherween:

Instagram: @sherween_gonzales

Visit our website: islandgirlsrock.com

Connect with us on Instagram: @igr_love

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode arrives a little later than usual because we chose to pause, to organise ourselves for relief efforts, and to honour and share the work that communities and organisations across the Caribbean and diaspora are doing to support those affected by the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

In this conversation, recorded on September 16, 2025, we speak with Senator Janelle K. Sarauw of the U.S. Virgin Islands. During our discussion, she reflects on her first term which began after two Category 5 hurricanes devastated the islands. After much consideration, we decided to keep this part of the conversation in as it naturally occurred because it shows the resilience of our people and reminds us of how we continue to rebuild with hope.

Senator Sarauw shares her journey from the classroom to the Legislature, her experiences showing up authentically in leadership spaces, and her work advocating for youth, culture, and the environment. Her story is a reminder that strength and leadership take many forms, and that showing up as yourself can be a powerful act of service.

If you are looking for ways to support Caribbean communities at this time, these are the organisations we are aligning with in our relief efforts: Girls Care JA and White Ribbon UK for Jamaica, and in Haiti - Hope for Haiti and Haiti Air Ambulance, all doing vital work to support those most affected.

If this episode resonates with you, we would love for you to rate, review, and share it with a friend, so others can be inspired by Senator Sarauw’s story of leadership, resilience, and authenticity.

This podcast is produced by Island Girls Chantal Miller & BreAnna Holmes

Edited by Island Girl BreAnna Holmes

Connect with Senator Janelle K. Sarauw:

Website: www.janelleksarauw.com

Instagram: @jksarauw

Visit our website: islandgirlsrock.com

Connect with us on Instagram: @igr_love

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In this vibrant conversation, Chantal sits down with media powerhouse, storyteller and voice over artist Vanessa James,the dynamic voice behind global brands, beloved Caribbean festivals, and empowering creative spaces. From lending her bilingual voice to campaigns for Netflix and JetBlue, to founding Food, Wine & Fete and Women of Impact, Vanessa shares how she’s used her platform to celebrate culture, amplify others, and stay rooted in her Trinidadian heritage. It’s a joyful, inspiring exchange about purpose, passion, and the power of showing up for your community.

Join us at "Food, Wine & Fete" 2026! Details Here

Connect with Vanessa James:

Website: vanessajamesmedia.com

Instagram: @vanessajamesmedia

Visit our website: islandgirlsrock.com

Connect with us on Instagram: @igr_love

This podcast is produced by Island Girls Chantal Miller & BreAnna Holmes

Edited by Island Girl BreAnna Holmes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we’re joined by writer Cleyvis Natera, author of Neruda on the Park and The Grand Paloma Resort. Together, we explore her journey as a storyteller shaped by her Dominican roots and her experiences living between two cultures. Cleyvis reflects on belonging, identity, and history (including the complex ties between Haiti and the Dominican Republic), in a conversation filled with warmth, honesty, and insight.

The Grand Paloma Resort is available now at all major bookstores.

Connect with Clevis Natera:

Website: https://cleyvisnatera.com/

Instagram: @cleyvisnatera

Visit our website: islandgirlsrock.com

Connect with us on Instagram: @igr_love

This podcast is produced by Island Girls Chantal Miller & BreAnna Holmes

Edited by Island Girl BreAnna Holmes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.