Hosted by the U.S. Haitian Chamber of Commerce, Inc.

★ The 25 Finalists Have Been Announced! ★

7^th Annual Haitian American
Young Professional Awards Gala

Name: Haitian American Business Summit
Start: 2026-10-31T09:00
End: 2026-10-31T18:00
Location: Blue Hills Ballroom

A Celebration of Excellence, Leadership, and Impact in the Haitian-American Community

Sunday, November 1, 2026 Blue Hills Ballroom (formerly Lombardo's), 21 Scanlon Drive, Randolph, MA 02368

Following the Second Annual Haitian American Business Summit on Saturday, October 31, 2026

Meet the 25 Finalists Red Carpet Memories

The Main Event

An Evening of Recognition, Culture & Celebration

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The U.S. Haitian Chamber of Commerce is proud to present the 7th Annual Haitian American Young Professional Awards Gala, a prestigious national celebration honoring Haitian-American professionals under the age of 45 who demonstrate exceptional leadership, innovation, professional achievement, and commitment to community advancement.

This signature event brings together business leaders, entrepreneurs, professionals, elected officials, community advocates, partners, and supporters from across the Haitian-American diaspora for an inspiring evening of recognition, networking, culture, and celebration.

Taking place the day after the Second Annual Haitian American Business Summit, the Gala will serve as a powerful celebration of the next generation of Haitian-American leaders who are making an impact in business, civic life, entrepreneurship, education, media, culture, public service, and beyond.

The Countdown Is On

One Unforgettable Night. Five Prestigious Awards.

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Get ready for an extraordinary evening of elegance, inspiration, recognition and entertainment as the U.S. Haitian Chamber of Commerce proudly presents the 7th Annual Haitian American Young Professional Awards Gala.

For seven years we have celebrated the dreamers, innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders making a difference in our community. On November 1 we continue that tradition — and you are invited to be part of it.

From the glamour of the red carpet to inspiring award presentations, distinguished guests, exquisite dining and live entertainment, this is an evening you will not want to miss.

See the Photos

And the Award Goes To

2026 Award Recipients

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Congratulations to this year’s honorees, celebrated at the 7th Annual Haitian American Young Professional Awards & Gala Night.

Haitian American Young Professional of the Year

Recipient

Rebecca Beliard

Founder and Managing Partner

RPB Law Firm

Recipient

Wide M. Thomas

Attorney

Wide Thomas Law Firm

Haitian American Young Entrepreneur of the Year

Recipient

Eva Bryant

LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR

THERAPY WITH A PURPOSE

Recipient

Jonathan Lafleur

Co-founder & Culinary Director

Rogers Burgers

Haitian American Young Citizen of the Year

Recipient

Tachana Joseph

Senior Policy Analyst

Florida Policy Institute

Recipient

JUVANIE Piquant

CHIEF OF STAFF OF COUNCILMEMBER RITA JOSEPH

New YORK CITY COUNCIL

Haitian American Young Leader of the Year

Recipient

Jeff Charnel

City Councilor At-Large

City of Brockton

Recipient

Cawens Fleurilus

Technical Training Specialist

Southeast Toyota Distributors

Haitian American Young Influencer of the Year

Recipient

Julie Dastine

Citryne Rose New York

Owner

Recipient

Melody Edward

Singer/Songwriter

Professional Singer/Songwriter

The Envelope, Please

Meet the 25 Finalists

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The U.S. Haitian Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the finalists for the 7th Annual Haitian American Young Professional Awards & Gala Night.

Selected from nominations submitted across the country, these are the Haitian-American professionals recognized for exceptional leadership, innovation and community impact. Honorees will be revealed live at the Gala on Sunday, November 1, 2026.

Haitian American Young Professional of the Year

Haitian American Young Entrepreneur of the Year

Haitian American Young Citizen of the Year

Achievements & Contributions

Tachana Joseph is a Haitian-American public policy leader whose work has focused on advancing criminal justice reform, economic mobility, and equity while creating meaningful impact in both Florida and Haiti. As a Senior Criminal Justice Policy Analyst at the Florida Policy Institute, she has spent nearly a decade translating research, fiscal analysis, and lived experience into policy strategies that create meaningful change. She has led statewide and national coalition efforts, trained advocates and elected officials, and served as the **lead author and strategist behind major criminal justice reform efforts in Florida**, including SB 472, legislation eliminating occupational licensing barriers for people with criminal records, which was signed into law, and SB 762, legislation seeking to repeal lifetime bans on SNAP and TANF for people with past drug convictions. She has also helped shape statewide campaigns to end the prosecution of children as adults and advance broader youth justice reforms.

Her commitment to service extends beyond her professional work. In 2019, Tachana founded the Marc Rejoice Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to improving Haiti’s criminal justice system and advancing human rights. Through the foundation, she built partnerships with Haitian lawyers and grassroots activists to expand pro bono legal services for incarcerated people, coordinated culturally appropriate meals for approximately 500 incarcerated individuals in Port-de-Paix, and led a sanitation campaign that distributed essential hygiene supplies to prisons across northern Haiti during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tachana’s leadership and contributions have been recognized through numerous honors and professional opportunities. She was recognized by the Florida Haitian American Chamber of Commerce as a “20 Under 40 Young Haitian American Professional,” selected as one of only 22 recipients of the Urban Institute’s WorkRise grant to lead research on criminal justice and workforce mobility, and received the Rackham Merit Fellowship and Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship. She has also served as a keynote speaker, panelist, trainer, and public commentator on criminal justice, economic mobility, and equity issues.

Across her career, Tachana has demonstrated a commitment to using her expertise, leadership, and voice to expand opportunity, dignity, and justice for others, while remaining deeply connected to and invested in the Haitian community.

Haitian American Young Leader of the Year

Achievements & Contributions

Jodel Jeremie is an accomplished Haitian-American healthcare leader whose career reflects a remarkable combination of professional excellence, academic achievement, innovation, mentorship, and resilience.

He currently serves as Senior Manager of Clinical Innovation at CVS Health, where he works at the intersection of healthcare strategy, clinical innovation, transformation, and population health. His professional journey has included leadership and consulting roles with CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Booz Allen Hamilton, Aledade, Kaiser Permanente, the Federal Reserve Board, and other organizations. Through these experiences, he has developed a multidisciplinary perspective on healthcare delivery, clinical operations, systems improvement, data-driven decision-making, and organizational transformation.

Jodel’s commitment to education and continuous growth is equally impressive. He pursued an Executive Master of Public Health at Yale School of Public Health, earned a Master of Science in Health Care Management from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, completed a professional certificate in Finance through Georgetown University, and earned his bachelor’s degree from John Jay College. He has also served as a Graduate Teaching Fellow at Yale School of Public Health in Evidence-Based Decision Making and Biostatistics, helping support the development of future public health professionals.

Beyond his own professional advancement, Jodel is passionate about education, mentorship, workforce development, and helping students and early-career professionals navigate their own paths. His commitment to developing others reflects a leadership philosophy centered not only on personal success, but on creating opportunities for the next generation.

What makes Jodel’s accomplishments even more extraordinary is that he achieved many of these milestones while fighting cancer. Throughout an incredibly difficult personal journey, he continued to pursue advanced education, teach, lead, mentor, and advance professionally. His perseverance demonstrates exceptional discipline, courage, resilience, and commitment to purpose.

Jodel represents the excellence, leadership, perseverance, and potential of the Haitian-American professional community. His career demonstrates what is possible when knowledge, service, innovation, and determination are brought together to improve systems and create lasting impact.

Haitian American Young Influencer of the Year

Achievements & Contributions

Karm Syndia is a multidimensional, multitalented young cultural personality and art leader engaged on multiple fronts to preserve the legacy of Haitian culture and history in New England and beyond. Since her high school years, she has become an established filmmaker, actress, producer, director, and choreographer using movie-making, television, and song and dance performance to initiate conversations and build bridges across communities. Among her achievements:
-Her feature film A Heart on the Mend (2022) was a finalist at the Charlotte Black Film Festival,
-Honorary Mention for her short film Steps to Your Heart (2019),
-Her directing credits include the poetic short Her Magic (2016)

One notable achievement of Karm Syndia was the completion of the epic stage production Genesis: The Journey from Hispaniola to Haiti, offered in multiple venues and involving some forty performers in elaborate historical attire and costumes, – showcasing talents in choreography, historical storytelling, and theatrical performance.

On the television front, she is the creator and executive producer of the talk show Off Limits, currently in development for Season 3.

Her most recent notable processional achievement was assuming a significant leadership role as the Program Director at the Toussaint Louverture Cultural Center. In this capacity, she interacts with philanthropic organizations, city and state public officials, youth, and constituents from other communities in the downtown Boston area.
Through her leadership, she helps expand TLCC’s programming and strengthen its role as a cultural bridge within the Greater Boston community. Her work reflects her passion for the arts, cultural preservation, and empowering communities through creative experiences.

She has initiated a partnership through the City of Boston to recruit and train several young interns at the Toussaint Louverture Cultural Center, providing them with opportunities to acquire professional skills and expertise in various domains.

The Ayiti Twoubadou Festival, now entering its second year, is one of the original programs conceived and developed by Karm-Syndia. Through this program, she has created economic opportunities for musical bands and various food vendors while expanding the base of TLCC.

Karm-Syndia also collaborated with students from Boston University and MIT to bring a kidney health screening initiative to the Toussaint Louverture Cultural Center. By helping facilitate the partnership and bringing the program into the community, she created an opportunity for community members to access important health education.

Ultimately, Karm’s greatest asset has been her demonstrated leadership abilities, tenacity, and grace under pressure, in an environment impacted by reduced funding for the arts and the humanities, and anti-immigrant sentiments that could have affected many.
It is to be anticipated that her role is crucial for the sustainability of the Haitian Center, and by ricochet, the promotion of Haitian culture and Heritage in Massachusetts and beyond.

Karm Augustin has been quoted in numerous newspapers

Such qualities make her a strong candidate for this leadership award, which will validate both her commitment and the Committee's commitment to preserving the Haitian legacy in the US, and serve as a powerful example for younger generations to emulate.

And the Award Goes To…

Award Categories

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Five finalists have been selected in each of the following categories:

Haitian American Young Professional of the Year

Haitian American Young Entrepreneur of the Year

Haitian American Young Citizen of the Year

Haitian American Young Leader of the Year

Haitian American Young Influencer of the Year

An Evening of Excellence

Leading the Celebration

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2026 Keynote Speaker

Lise Charlier

Head of School · The Cambridge School of Weston

Born and raised in Haiti, Ms. Charlier is an accomplished educational leader whose journey reflects the power of determination, education and service.

As Head of School at The Cambridge School of Weston she has championed educational innovation, inclusive learning and student empowerment. She also serves as President of the Board of the Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE).

A graduate of Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University, she brings a global perspective shaped by her Haitian roots and a commitment to developing the next generation of leaders.

Master of Ceremonies

The Honorable Marie St. Fleur

Former Massachusetts State Representative

A trailblazer, respected public servant, and the first Haitian American woman elected to a state legislature in the United States.

The Honorable Marie St. Fleur will serve as Master of Ceremonies for both the Second Annual Haitian American Business Summit on October 31 and the 7th Annual Awards Gala on November 1.

Her historic achievements and commitment to public service make her an exceptional voice to lead two days of celebration, empowerment and Haitian excellence.

Meet Our 2026

Award Presenters

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Greatness deserves to be celebrated by those who understand the journey.

This year, distinguished community leaders and previous award recipients will take the stage to recognize the next generation of Haitian American excellence.

Young Professional of the Year

Dr. Sophia Bellegarde

2025 Young Professional of the Year Award Recipient

Young Citizen of the Year

Councilor Tamisha Civil

Elected Official and Community Leader

Young Influencer of the Year

Royale L'radin

2025 Young Influencer of the Year Award Recipient

Young Leader of the Year

Rachelle Antoine

President, U.S. Haitian Chamber of Commerce New York Chapter and Past Award Recipient

Young Entrepreneur of the Year

Joanna Edwards

2025 Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Recipient

Five prestigious categories. Extraordinary finalists. One unforgettable celebration of achievement.

Coast to Coast

A National Tribute to Haitian-American Excellence

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The Haitian American Young Professional Awards Gala is more than an awards ceremony. It is a national tribute to excellence, leadership, service, and representation within the Haitian-American community.

Each year, the U.S. Haitian Chamber of Commerce proudly recognizes outstanding individuals from across the diaspora, including honorees and nominees from:

Massachusetts New York Florida Georgia New Jersey Washington, D.C. Pennsylvania Rhode Island Connecticut And More

The tradition continues in 2026 as we highlight the exceptional talent, achievements, and leadership that exist within our vibrant national network.

Save the Date

Sunday, November 1, 2026

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Blue Hills Ballroom

21 Scanlon Drive, Randolph, MA 02368

Join us for an unforgettable evening as we celebrate excellence, leadership, and achievement within the Haitian-American community. Together, we will honor remarkable young professionals, elevate inspiring stories, and recognize the future leaders shaping the next chapter of our community.

Nominate Someone Today

Red Carpet Memories