#165 Breaking Barriers: From Mechanical Engineer to Caribbean Business Champion with Dr. Nicole Grimes

What does it take to build bridges between Caribbean entrepreneurs and the American market? 

From Cornell engineering graduate to Caribbean business hub founder, Dr. Nicole Grimes is creating spaces for Caribbean entrepreneurs to learn, interact, and flourish. Her goal? Remember your roots and give back.
Dr. Nicole Grimes, a proud Trinidadian and founder of Carib Biz Network, is redefining what it means to be a Caribbean entrepreneur in America. 

Her journey from mechanical engineer to educational leader to business network founder offers powerful insights into breaking barriers and building bridges for Caribbean professionals. Dr. Nicole Grimes shares how excellence cannot be ignored and why paying it forward is essential to success.

Carib Biz Network provides vital resources to Caribbean entrepreneurs through free "Lunch and Learn" sessions and signature events. Learn more at CBN https://www.caribbiznetwork.com/.

Listen, share with someone who needs it, and if the episode resonates, subscribe and leave a review to help others find the show.

For the Pulse of the Caribbean underwriting, advertising, and marketplace feature opportunities, email biz@pulseofthecaribbean.com. Like and follow us on Facebook. Visit our website https://pulseofthecaribbean.com/ 

Transcript

Why Build Our Own Platforms

SPEAKER_01 0:00

There is this incessant like desire to be to be valued and seen on the other side of the fence. When I say the other side of the fence, meaning like mainstream US, mainstream black American platforms, which is fine. The BTs of the world and the essence of the world, like those are incredibly important platforms for all of the diaspora. That's a whole other conversation. But why can't we have our own?

Meet Dr. Nicole Grimes

SPEAKER_00 0:32

From mechanical engineer to Caribbean business champion, Dr. Nicole Grimes, attorney engineer who became a school principal, has created a thriving business network connecting Caribbean entrepreneurs. Her story illustrates how cool school flies and consistent communities in the life professional success and creates activities to other businesses. Dr. Nicole provides more. Today is the Pulse of the Caribbean podcast. I'm Keisha Blyden, Dr. Nicole Grimes, engineer, educator, author, one of the distinguished honorees for the 2025 Caribbean-American Cultural Arts Foundation, captain of the Industry Awards and founder of Cara Biz Network is our guest on this episode of the Pulse of the Caribbean Podcast. And with that, we say welcome to Dr. Nicole Grimes. Welcome. Hi, Keisha. Thank you so much. It's incredibly humbling to be here. I'm excited to talk to you. Wonderful. Now we are the Pulse of the Caribbean. So tell us about your Caribbean connection and what makes you Caribbean.

Trinidad Roots And Pride

SPEAKER_01 1:54

Well, I am born and raised in the beautiful Toredad in Tobago. And I actually just made 30 years of moving to the US. I know it's it feels like it was yesterday, and it also feels the same time like it was such a long time. I moved to the tri-state area when I was just shy of turning 15 years old. So I was educated in the Caribbean and I'm here in the US. And it's funny, so many people, when they see my face, but then they hear me speak, they're like, wait, you you have an accent. And I'm like, they're like, you still have an accent? And I'm like, yeah, this is who I am. I can't not like I can't untrini just because I live I live here in the US. But I also live in Brooklyn, which makes it easier to kind of maintain because I do have regular contact with people from the Caribbean here.

SPEAKER_00 2:45

Wonderful. And tell us about your Trinidadian heritage and what it means to be a Caribbean national.

SPEAKER_01 2:54

Man, um, I think everyone who knows me knows that I'm a fierce, very, very proud Trinity. I mean, what person from the islands isn't, right? Like, you know, you you just get someone from the island to say where they are, and it's like they're they're screaming, the flag is waving, they're like super, super proud. We're like, I think that's one of the the cool and unique things about us, like our immense sense of pride, despite how tiny, tiny, tiny you are. Because I think Caribbean people never walk in smallness, right? They they basically kind of like emulate, like, like almost like we're carrying the entire Caribbean with us, so we're that big, so to speak. Man, I love being Trinity, I love Trinity culture. You know, I've I've been blessed to be able to travel, of course, to a lot of other islands, have colleagues and friends from other islands, but there's just no place to like Chernada and Tobago, just none. Like we are the land of Calypso, Catalumbo, Cardi Mecca, Carnival. Nobody can touch Trini food. I don't argue with any Kirby person right down to my grave. No one can touch Trini food, right? My big weakness, I'm I'm still a fierce cook. Like I cook Trini food all of the time. And of course, as I mentioned before, I live in Brooklyn, so I have access to all the things that I need to make sure, right? The pot's still bubbling the way it's supposed to bubble, like the way my grandmother made food. Yeah, I think it's just such a unique place. It's such a a cool novel representation of what it means to literally live in diversity, to be surrounded and be influenced by so much. Because we are far from homogenous, right? In any sense of the word. And so many people who are not familiar, like when they meet Trini people, they're like, they're so confused sometimes. They're like, I don't even know what I am, I don't even know what ethnicity you are, right? Like they can't even distinguish from the features, right? And they're like, oh, I thought all Trinity people looked this way or or otherwise. And of course, Carnival, right? The largest convening for Carnival in the Caribbean, and so many people, you know, get the chance to just be fully immersive in all the freeness that Carnival brings to the road to be pumping for like a month straight with Pottian and just all the all the visitors, those like me who who miss home and get to go back home and still feel that connection, and those who we bring along to experience a taste of Kuriban culture.

SPEAKER_00 5:22

And you say a taste. So I know you talk about the pot bubbling. What's your favorite dish that you love to eat and prepare?

Food, Culture, And Identity

SPEAKER_01 5:29

I have two, and all of my friends and my partner knows like this this is my specialty Pelau, right? Trini Pelau, classic trini palau, and you have to have your little koslo and your little zabuk on the side, and also I am tremendously good. Like a big enough moan cell, right? That's okay. That's good bake and saltfish, or as we say in trini buljoil. So those are my two favorite things to make, two of my favorite things to eat. Yeah, love it.

SPEAKER_00 6:00

All right, wonderful. So that's a taste of the culture and the trinity, trini to the bone, still with you, of course, all day.

Choosing Engineering Without A Map

SPEAKER_00 6:09

And we know from your background that you are a woman in that you started off professionally in engineering. And in this day and age, we know that of course you've emerged and moved on from the field of engineering. But in this day and age, it's still about breaking through traditional gender barriers. And you were trained as a mechanical engineer. Tell us about your decision earlier on to enter the field of engineering and what it meant to be a woman in engineering.

SPEAKER_01 6:40

You know, a little girl from the Caribbean migrating here right before like the college process starts in the US. I really had no sense of that significance whatsoever, to be honest. Like it wasn't, I was not making a decisive, you know, point of decision and statement at 16, 17 years old about what I wanted to study and where I wanted to go to school. Because the evaluating the importance of education is entrenched in all of us growing up home. So the focus was very simple. I had a really strong science background, like, well, I guess academic record. And we all know what every Caribbean parent is like doctor, lawyer, this, right? Like the list is very short. And so I kind of like was naturally stared into the science world because I had good grades, but the decision to do engineering actually came happensly. Like I was the first in my family to enroll in university, so I didn't have anyone to talk to about the process or to help me figure out what the application process looked like or felt like. I got some advice from a guidance counselor here in the US because I did two years of high school, secondary school here in the US. And she said, Well, you know, you're you like art, you're really good at math and science. You know, I think you should consider civil engineering. I had no clue what that was. None. Couldn't write like we weren't even at that time, it wasn't even like go Google it or watch YouTube, like none of that existed. But I just trusted her, and that's what I checked off. Like, that's the box I checked on my handwritten college applications. And I applied to just three schools. No kids today apply into like 45, 60, like it's insane. I applied to three schools for all for engineering, civil engineering specifically, and I was accepted. And that kind of began my journey where like I was learning what it was, like learning what the feel was as I was experiencing it. Even at that tender age, I really did not have a sense of numbers in terms of like few women are in the sciences, right?

Finding Community In NSBE

SPEAKER_01 8:44

Few people of color in sciences. I just knew it was good as science. I'm I have a science major. And what shifted or changed for me was in undergrad, I became connected to now, I think, the second or third largest student-run organization in the United States. It's called Nesby, short for the National Society of Black Engineers. And that Nesby really opened up my eyes to the larger world, like the climate, right? The climate that is the ecosystem of science, how how we represent or rather don't represent in the in the space. And that was one of the one of part of the mission of the organization, right? To amplify and encourage people and try to create a pipeline for kids of color into STEM fields. So that's when it really started to be implanted in me how significant it was to be able to be attending the school I was attending, to be pursuing this degree that very few women pursued.

From STEM To The Classroom

SPEAKER_01 9:39

Um, actually, when I graduated, I was the only Black woman who graduated with a degree that year from Cornell University in mechanical and aerospace engineering. And it really implanted something in me because while I was finishing up my engineering degree, like I really started feeling more of a connection to like wanting to teach and wanting to understand the feel of education. So even in undergrad, I started taking education courses and it kind of planted a seed that never went away. And that kind of led to my transition into pursuing a degree in education and then ultimately becoming a science teacher and high school principal.

SPEAKER_00 10:16

All right. So that was certainly going to be our follow-up in terms of how did you transition from engineering into urban education? Because certainly we understand that you went from engineering then into education, because that was something that you said that was that was there, and you already started the process in your undergraduate studies with education. So tell us the why. Why education? What led you to pursue education, to go into teaching, to educating others. We know, of course, you were a principal. Tell us about that decision to share knowledge and to teach.

Making Science Accessible For Kids

SPEAKER_01 11:03

I alluded to it a little bit with the effect that the mission of Nesby had on me, helping me realize like so many kids in high school. And I was like, wait, yeah, I went to high school, and most kids were not thinking about pursuing science in college. And I came from a school in the Caribbean where like lots of kids followed science. Like we knew, like, yes, go into science. So that was really surprising and startling for me. And then visiting high schools as an undergrad major and like doing little projects, little activities with the work that we did as an organization on campus, realized like there's like the the natural, there almost say a natural interest was there. But I think once science was presented in a way, I realized that there were kids who perked up, right? And I realized, like, wow, I could be a part of helping kids realize that science was cool, it was fun, it was accessible. They probably just never had the right teachers in front of them, teachers who looked like them to write to explain concepts in a way that was that was you know easy to like retain or understand. And I was like, I think, I think this is something that I could be a part of, right? Helping to shift the mindset about the possibilities of pursuing a career in STEM.

SPEAKER_00 12:16

So it was about opening the eyes of young people to see people of color in positions such as yours and also mentoring, encouraging them to proceed forward into the STEM area. Like you said, coming from the Caribbean, our experience is very different from those of others in, you know, the diaspora in terms of the United States, African Americans, and their experiences. So I think certainly ours from the Caribbean is very different in terms of what we have experienced with seeing persons like us. And we were not timid about pursuing whether it was science or music or whatever it was, because we saw the we saw the the leaders, we saw the figureheads in all of these various capacities serving. So it's quite interesting that you stated as well that when you graduated from Cornell University, you were the only female and the only person of color to graduate at that time with your field in engineering.

DEI Realities And Resilience

SPEAKER_00 13:27

We know that you have also been a champion for DEI, diversity, equity, and inclusion on the national stage. What is your message in the area of DEI given the current environment and shift on the national level with the removal of DEI offices from both federal and commercial enterprise across the country?

SPEAKER_01 13:50

I think that my story of um coming out of an Ivy League institution, obviously being one of very few faces of color on campus, having that experience, which was not all rosy, following that up with an additional experience in Ivy League setting, working in the sciences, landing in schools that were primarily whites, where I was a science teacher for many, many years, ultimately becoming a high school principal, the first woman of color in 120 years at a high school in New York City. I would say I've had lots of experience with being the other, right? Being the overlooked in spaces. And it just naturally became my life's work. Not even intentionally. I think my first my first foray into the space of making a statement was my presence. My presence has continued to make a statement just because I've existed in spaces, right? That people are not used to seeing me. And that was my first, first primary real understanding of just the value of showing up and being intentional about being in spaces where you're not welcomed, right? And you're not expected to be. I think that with a transition over to entrepreneurship and experiencing that in a very different way, right? Being a business owner affected by the challenges of the economic and the so-political climate of what is the United States in tough times, right? That's that's an easy, simplistic way to say tough times. But what I've realized throughout my entire journey and my my my current stance on this is if you are doing and following your North Star and doing what you are called to do and doing what you're passionate about, and that is especially work that is mission community driven, you cannot be denied. If you are really good at what you do, you will not be denied, right? That door, like you will be doing the work where you will you push the door, you put your foot in the space in the door, right? Or you're doing amazing work and somebody else, maybe even on the other side, makes space for you to get into that room. And I feel like that's the way I have tried to continue to lead. If you are excellent, your excellence cannot be ignored.

SPEAKER_00 16:17

So it's about showing up and being there, being present and putting your best foot forward.

SPEAKER_01 16:24

Best foot forward despite the odds. I know that some people may be like, well, well, there are lots of people who put their best foot best feet forward, they're not afforded opportunity. Of course, we know that there is systemic injustice, right? We know that there's nebotism, we know that there's racism, there's all the isms, right? There's sexism. We know all the isms that we fight and push back against. And I think that that's but that's that's part of this fight, right? The part of the fight that I'm committed to, which is I fight against the isms, I'll I'll shove experience or whatever I need to in your face for you to be convinced and feel like, okay, let's give her this a shot. And then when I get in the room, now have a responsibility to kind of like kick that door or like crack that door and let some other people get in there. So it's the paying it forward part two, right? That it is our all of our inherent responsibility. I wish more people felt that way and embraced that perspective on when work is hard. Sometimes, you know, some people get they get tired, like they work so hard to be in a space and they're like, I don't have the time or the care to try to get somebody else in here. I made it, I work so hard. You know what I mean? You you need to work hard too to get where I am, right? Sometimes like it's it's a really sad and frustrating perspective, and the reality of a lot of us who who work in a space and you know the collaboration is not there, right? People are using words like collaborative, community, etc. They're using language, but they're not embodying it, right? They don't walk in that spirit. Of course, like later terms, we all use the term like the crabs in a barrel mentality. It's like there's only room for one in the

Founding Carib Biz Network

SPEAKER_01 18:04

room. One of the things that I also want to share, perspective I have on this, I always think about Tyler Perry when this comes up. He's made so many incredible moving speeches where he talked about, you know, you denied me the space in this room. I went and built my own damn building, right? Kind of vibe. Inviting people into my whole building. Forget the room. And there are a lot of people who obviously, I mean, would agree, support, and right strongly that perspective. I think in this, in the in this kind of work, all approaches matter. I think we need to, we I still, I think we need to fight to be in the rooms. So there are people who need to be committed to that fight, right? Still. I think there are people who need to be committed to helping get other people in the room once they do. And I think that there are people who need to be committed to building rooms for us, right? And for our voices to be heard. I think all of that work collectively is important and will drive impact. I don't think that there's a singular way to move forward. You're thinking about community work, community-driven work. There is no singular approach. I think all hands on deck, all approaches matter, right? Let's just all keep doing the work and showing up in the ways that our talents and our strengths and our interests align as we move towards the common good, this common goal.

SPEAKER_00 19:22

And with that being said, you are breaking barriers, helping businesses. As you said, it's about paying it forward. And with that, we move to your being the founder and CEO of Cara Biz Network, a certified minority and women-owned business enterprise platform that supports entrepreneurs. So tell us, of course, it sounds, I mean, based on our conversation, it sounds like, yes, it's about paying it forward. It's about helping others get in that room, helping others show up, helping others build. So tell us about the Cara Biz Network. What led you to start it and the services that you provide? Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 20:23

As these things happen, I had left my post as a full-time school leader for private school here in New York and just referred to that. And I was pretty tired, to be honest. Like I was in my 19th, approaching my 20th year of being in schools, and it is not an easy job. I will tell you that yes, there are so many struggles and challenges of being a classroom teacher. It's a whole other ball game being in leadership and running a building and being responsible for so many decisions. But after a number of years doing that, I was just really, really tired. And I decided that I wanted to, I needed to take a break. I did not want to become burnt out and bitter and the principal that nobody wants to talk to because they're scared to come down the hall. I don't want the kids to start seeing the frustration and the stress of the job starting to take front and center and see it on my face and on my being. And I was like, you know, you need you need to leave on a high. Things are great. You did, you did what you were supposed to do, full service for these almost 20 years. Take a break, re-establish and re-realign with what you want to do in this next 20 years of your life. And it was when I was on my little life sabbatical, late at home, Netflix, Netflix and chilling for a few months. I realized that I knew a lot of people of Caribbean heritage right here in New York who were starting their little jewelry business, who had our event going on. They were just doing lots of cool things. And I just thought it was very inspiring. And it was, I mean, to sound cheesy was. It was really cool, right? Because my thinking was I got all the degrees in the world, but I've been completely trained to serve another somebody else's purpose, somebody else's mission, which is get a nine to five job. That's the training that I was brought through. And I'm like, here are people that I know, just everyday people, just you know, doing their thing. And they're like just being brave, being courageous, and being like, I want to build something for myself on my own. And I was really, really inspired by that. And I realized, like, man, all these damn degrees, and I don't know anything about starting a damn business. And

Education, Events, And Marketing Pillars

SPEAKER_01 22:38

I was like, I want to learn. And I'm like, I'm sure there are other people who might want to learn as well in efforts to just support the people that I knew. I just literally laid on the couch one day. I'm like watching the couch layout one day, opened my phone, made a little cheesy quick logo CBN, created an Instagram page, and just started posting the stuff that my friends were doing. And I, it was, there was no intention, there was no like, I'm gonna be doing this, I'll do that. There was no clear vision, there was no business model. It was just casually, randomly every other week, whenever I might post something. And one day a really good friend of mine said to me, Hey Nick, I think you're onto something. I don't know what this looks like monetizable. I don't know what the business model is here, but I think you need to figure that out and keep going. And he gave me the he gave me money. He was like, Here, go do something. And that gave me the incredible push to be like, I'm gonna do an event. I'm gonna do an event, I'm gonna find a business that needs support. And that's what I did. I I found a newly opened restaurant here in Brooklyn, New York. They needed to get the word out, right? Marketing. And I got a cast of wonderful Caribbean business owners with like five to ten years experience. So it was like a panel, it was a brunch panel, and it sold out. And I was like, holy crap, I think I am, I think I am onto something. And over time, CBN has developed lots and lots of tentacles in terms of what we do. So I will I can say today we are like all of the work that we do is informed by three key pillars, right? So education, surprise, surprise, education, events, and marketing. So the first pillar, again, we do lots of educational programming free, paid. They're virtual, they're in-person sessions, workshops, webinars, panel events, et cetera, et cetera. So the idea is I recognized there was a huge deficit in people understanding how to move into space, how to thrive, how to like do stuff legit, how to really lead into digital marketing. There was just a lot of knowledge gaps. And I realized, wow, I could create space where people can learn. And that's what I do, right? That was my whole life creating space where people learn. More and more events obviously bubbled up from that. So we, aside from educational events, we also do fun events. We have

Island Icons Honors

SPEAKER_01 25:05

our mixers and dinners and brunches. We just kicked off our first ever awards last year. We're gearing up for the second year of our award scala and pop-up markets, which is probably the most popular event that we do. All Caribbean pop-up markets, where we always have an international presence as well. So we're flying in and bringing up brands and makers from the islands to showcase their goods. And they're always excited because it's like, wow, I get to have my stuff being sold in New York City and getting, you know, bigger and more eyes on my products. And then the marketing and branding arm, which is the bulk of our revenue comes from, in order, when we get in the rooms, we said we gotta look the park. We gotta be knowledgeable, right? Because then we're not gonna be able to stay in the rooms. We're gonna get kicked out of the rooms if it doesn't look like we're we we're knowledgeable or worthy enough of being there. So in the midst of the pandemic, when everyone was scrambling to get online, who didn't have a website, who didn't have a this, who didn't have a that, we just saw I saw a natural opportunity to provide some of that support to micro brands. And luckily enough, I had a super, because of my super techie background in undergrad, I was a web developer. That's what I did. That was one of my five campus jobs, right? I did web design for a department in the university, and I was like, I know how to do this stuff, I can help people in this particular way, and I could hire other people to do this kind of work and build a team of people providing marketing and branding services for Caribbean makers and brands. And yeah, it's all just evolved significantly in the last approaching five years.

SPEAKER_00 26:45

So that is wonderful. And it started off where an idea, a light came on, an idea came on, and it was about helping others, seeing what others were doing, where they stepped out on their own to create something for themselves, a business

Designing Island Fest

SPEAKER_00 27:04

to be free, to be built, to build enterprise. And all in that mix is education, helping people to understand and navigate the business world and branding. So that's about growth as well. So it's about helping businesses to understand, to develop, and then marketing so that they can grow, as you said, and be present, be a presence that stays in the room and commands attention. So certainly we know with the pop-up markets, the panel discussions, you also mentioned about signature events that you now have, and that includes the island icon honors and the island fest. Tell us about them.

SPEAKER_01 27:53

Absolutely. I'll start with the first. So Island Icons Honors was a seed that was planted, and I was kind of an experiment actually. About two or three years ago, I felt that I wanted to see people who looked like me from the Caribbean be spotlighted, be praised, be thanked for their contributions in whatever ways. What I had noticed was, and I mean, it's still true, there is this incessant like desire to be to be valued and seen on the other side of the fence. When I say the other side of the fence, meaning like mainstream US, mainstream black American platforms, which is fine. The BTs of the world and the essence of the world, like those are incredibly important platforms for all of the diaspora. That's a whole other conversation. But why can't we have our own? I I hadn't seen it here, and I was just like, I'm gonna start off a series where we're like recognizing movers and shakers, and I want to do this dinner series where I'm getting business owners together and just making them feel really good and really special. They're the guest of honor, beautiful dinner experience. So I did the first one of those, I think two years ago, and then I did it again, and then I did it again, and then I'm like, okay, I think I'm ready to take it to the next level. And it was a little scary, obviously. There's always fear in putting something out there in the world for the first time, and it was New York City focused. We focus on business owners in New York City again, award ceremony, an experiment to see is there real interest for this before this can grow and be even more. And it was incredible. It was so it was so stressful. It was so stressful, but people left so alive, their eyes so bright and gleaming, and everybody looked so good because you know we know how to pull up. And people were like, I cannot. People talked about the event and posted content from the event for about a month after the event. It filled my heart so much. So, anyway, long story short, we know we did a good thing where the scope is a little bit more expanded. So we're gonna be recognizing and honoring people across the US. The second event you mentioned, Island Fest, Ey E, Island Fest, was an idea that that took seed five years ago. I always knew I live in New York, I get access to all the coolest events, I go to all the cool things. I'm going to Essence Fest, I'm going to this conference, this thing, this. I'm like, why is there nothing like this with Caribbean people? Like it would be so cool if this it was like all Caribbean, so co-blasting all of our food, incredible people on the stage, sharing wisdom. It's like it would be so great to have something like that for us. And I'm like, who the heck are you to think that you could build that and create that? You don't have money. And I just said, you know what? I'm just gonna try. Maybe that's the scientist in me that always wants to experiment to see if something will take footing. So that idea, like I said, was born many years ago, but I did not put it into bring it to life until 2022. It had a different name at that time. And then since 2022, it's evolved and got renamed to Island Fest. Kind of wanted to attract more people for people to be like to put to pique their curiosity a little bit more over the name. And yeah, the idea is just that we're celebrating our food, our culture, our business owners, our thought leaders, right? Across industries, we're pulling all of that together on the one space. There's a little bit of something for everyone. But what we did in the last two years is actually a little different, and that was strategic for a lot of different reasons. Instead of just having like a one or two-day experience, we had lots of events that together that's what we coined as Island Fest. So some so there were pop-up markets in Manhattan, and there was like there was a dinner in in Brooklyn, and right, so there were like the smaller events. If you think about these big

Virtual Reach Across The Diaspora

SPEAKER_01 31:49

conferences and they have all these things happening on the schedule, but we just spread it out across a couple of days. But again, it was still called Island Fest. And the reason we did that was to be strategic with community partners so that we could try to reach different audiences, people from Jersey coming to New York, that's easier, or people from Harlem coming to the city versus having to come to Brooklyn for everything, which is where I live. And we also wanted to be strategic about the cost, like renting a large venue for one, two days in New York City. I hope you're ready to give up a leg. I hope you're ready to give up a leg because astronomical, astronomical to say the least. And I ran into that the first two years, and I was like, oh gosh, oh Jesus, no, I cannot keep doing this, not without insane funding, right? Sponsorships. I was like, I gotta figure out a way to sustain this and keep going, but be smarter about it. So that's the format that it is right now. But the goal is ultimately to be to create our version of like what an essence vest, right? Or blabody, um, blabilies afrotech or something like that is, where people are like, I'm going to New York for Island Vest. That's what it is. You know what I mean? I'm going to party, I'm going to shop, I'm going to go listen to people speak. I'm going to make a trip out of it. And this is something that I do every year. So that's the goal we're gunning for. And yeah, full steam ahead.

SPEAKER_00 33:11

Full steam ahead. So certainly you have been inclusive, been networking. I know that you mentioned, of course, branching out and bringing people into New York to show their show their wares to be a part of the Caribbean biz events. So I know that you also mentioned having virtual events. You, of course, are in New York. So that is your primary audience now with the pop-ups and the mixers, but you also have virtuals. So are you expanding? Are the virtuals open to others across the diaspora? I mean, what what what what are the possibilities with that as it relates to being a part of the Caribbean biz network?

SPEAKER_01 33:59

Absolutely. Great question. That's precisely one of the reasons why we do our virtual programming. You know, there is this sense of like, oh, we're like past COVID and people want to be outside again. So we're not really doing virtual programming. But of course, virtual programming like opened the floodgates of the possibilities for connection, right? Across geographic location. So yeah, with our monthly lunch and learns, our free business development sessions for our creatives and founders of the community, and people are not part of the community because it's totally free. You just register, get the link, and you pull up. A growing chunk of people are not in New York. Like even yesterday, we had our session yesterday, or first,

How To Join And Get Involved

SPEAKER_01 34:39

a first for the new year, like our new year, meaning like we just finished one year from since our session started, like official lunch and learn session started. Took a little break in July, regrouped, and we just started programming again. And a bulk of the people were on island. And we could see that from the registration. And they're like, they're tapped in and they're like so thrilled and excited to not just be gleaning information and wisdom, but also kind of like getting insights into like the landscape here. What does it take to be competitive in the US? As I talked about before, building those bridges. So that's really, really exciting, right? And our goal is to get those numbers up so that we can make a strong case to on island brands, to brands here, like look at the reach we have. Look, right, look at the the wide scope of people that we're having impact in through our free services.

SPEAKER_00 35:35

And with that being said, how do we go about connecting? Where can we go to connect to be a part of that? Please provide that information to connect with Carabiz Network and the online events.

SPEAKER_01 35:55

Sure, absolutely. I mean, it's it's pretty simple. If you go to our website, right, it's like carabiznetwork.com slash get involved, like become a member. Like we have links to for people to understand like how do I get involved? I'm not a business owner, I am a business owner, I am a woman founder, right? Are there special ways to kind of like get in there? First and foremost, free 99 to just put your email right in a listserv and just get in the flow and in the know of all the things that we're doing, whether it's virtual events, whether in-person events, whatever that is, that's easy. It's the easiest way for to be connected with us. And of course, on our socials, Carib Biz Network on all handles, all platforms. So that's one level. We do have other ways to be connected to the community, right? So we have like what's a member portal, we call our Biz Member Lounge. And what it really is, it's people have a membership where they have access to a lot of content. They have access to discounts for events, specialties, access to financial opportunities, partnerships, etc., that are that that right that that's what they pay for. They pay for that access. So that's part of our more official membership. These are the people who would get first access to things, get special invites to things, whether it's to vend at events that we're doing or other people are doing, because we do a lot of referrals too. So a lot of our work in terms of part being a member involves putting people on, right? Putting people in places, recommending them for things that are corporate and other really, really cool opportunities. So those are there's the freeway, there's the paid way. It really depends on, you know, if you're a founder or not. But again, just to be clear, if you are just someone who loves Caribbean culture, you want to be able to support Caribbean brands, learn about Caribbean brands, like follow Subionola platforms, join our mail lists. And that's the that's the easy way to say no. If you're a founder and you want to be connected to a community of people, of like-minded people, like you're trying to learn, you're trying to grow, um, you're trying to level up, you're trying to integrate systems, right? You're stuck in a rut. This is the place to be, right? So join us. You can do the same thing. Join our listserv, come to a couple of free lunch and learns, check us out, see if you feel like, yep, this feels like it's a place for me. And then you can decide to convert to becoming a paid member and getting a little bit more connected and have more access to our work.

SPEAKER_00 38:28

So there are two parts

Pride, Impact, And Recognition

SPEAKER_00 38:30

to your website. One, if you are a founder, a business owner, that you can enter and be a part of that growing network. And the other part, of course, is for those that want to support Caribbean enterprise or small businesses. So there's also that portal where you can stay connected, learn about the upcoming events to support as well. So you don't necessarily have to be a business owner to connect with the Cara Biz Network. It's about business, yes, enterprise, growing enterprises, and recognizing the brands as well. And that is on your website, carabiz.com.

SPEAKER_01 39:12

Carabiznetwork.com. Yep. Um, like I said before, when I first introduced myself, we're business and culture hub. So you it does you do not have to be a founder to find great value and to be entertained and to learn, etc., within our community. And like, yeah, thanks for pointing that out. Like, we develop a special arm of the website for people who just want to find Caribbean owned brands, right? So if you're just a shopper, right, and you just want to like learn about brands across different categories, you can go to shopcaribbean.co, which will take you to our website. Um, and you can like literally browse our full directory of Caribbean brands.

SPEAKER_00 39:49

Wonderful. And as you reflect on your personal and professional life, some of your impactful accomplishments, what makes you most proud?

SPEAKER_01 40:00

I think what makes me most proud is that I've leaned really firmly into knowing that I have a responsibility to pay it forward. That it's not, it's it was never enough for me to be like, great, you got into this country and you got to go to some good schools and you got a good job, and right, like you're you're traveled and you're educated, and all that you could go live a great life for yourself. Great clap it up for the immigrant girl who made it. I never felt that that was my story. I never felt that that was enough, and I never felt it was fair to actually even think that way. I've I've always been very in tune and attuned to people around me, what I have, what I've been afforded, ways that I was lucky, I was in the right place at the right time. And I know that I have to, all the people who helped me get into rooms and saw something in me, this little shy introverted girl from since I was in secondary school here, all those people who saw something, I could not even imagine this life. I I couldn't even dream that big. I came from such a sheltered home, right? Home environment. I feel so lucky that in my spirit, like that that it was implanted in me to make sure that I keep moving in a way that I'm leaving something behind that's bigger than me and building something that that extends beyond me.

SPEAKER_00 41:27

And you've had several accolades over the years, accomplishments. But tell us what does it mean to be honored by the Caribbean American Cultural Arts Foundation

Philosophy: Do Good, Be Good

SPEAKER_00 41:38

at their Captain of the Industry Award Scala?

SPEAKER_01 41:42

To be honest, it feels a little crazy. I mean, I put in serious work in my former life as an educator. I've published, I've taught for a long time. I led schools, I've done so many workshops across the Department of Ed and New York. Accolades that came there, yeah, I put in the time. I have a record of work to back that up. And then to switch over and start building over building something from scratch, I feel like I'm still like such in the early stages of what I want to accomplish. Sometimes I'm like, is I don't know. I don't feel like I deserve this yet. I feel like it's coming. The point in time is coming where maybe the praise is deserved, but right now I feel like I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do. And more than anything, I'm grateful that people see value in what I'm doing, even if it's on a small scale. Like this basically, it's like this this type of stuff, this type of recognition to me says, we see the vision, we see where you're going, and we are along for the journey. That's what that signals to me, and that makes me feel really, really good. And I'm just really, really excited to be with like real superstars, not a fake superstar like me, but real superstars.

SPEAKER_00 42:56

So we have everyday superheroes, the person next door, the person like Dr. Nicole Grimes. Certainly, you have break barriers, you have open doors, you are assisting people. So certainly the recognition, it is due, it is about encouragement, just as you encourage others. This award certainly is yes, you are doing the right thing. Yes, we support you, yes, you deserve it. Yes, let the world know. And that is that is the vision because as you said before, with the eyes event, it is about letting the world know about the Caribbean, about the Caribbean people. Yes, we can too, and we are doing it. And we have been.

SPEAKER_01 43:52

We have since we've been doing it, shaping politics, media, film, music. We have we are inherently part of the Of this country, and I've always been, um, and can you continue to do so. There's so many movie stars and CEOs and founders and all these people who have Kribian heritage. We we know we here, right? So I just see it as like the part of the work of CBN is just to scream that really loudly to make sure everybody knows. We hear.

SPEAKER_00 44:21

And you're among some of the superstars, as you mentioned, they're honoring Shirley Ralph with a lifetime achievement award. So certainly and what is your life philosophy?

SPEAKER_01 44:37

Do good, be good. Figure out what you have to do to be better, right? To be a good person, like to have good character, right? Try to make the right decisions, try not to disappoint people, try to leave with integrity, you know, try to make sure that you're you've got your north store and like you're making decisions that align with that. Yeah, just any opportunity to actually do something that actually will help someone be better, feel better, survive, thrive. Like you should do it. Because not because you're gonna get a reward from it, but you should just do it, period. You know, I I firmly believe in karma. I think my life is just full of so much happiness and joy and love and travel and all the things because it just comes back to me. Because I try to make sure every single time a moment is presented in front of me to do good, that's what I do.

SPEAKER_00 45:38

And what is your message to the Caribbean community, both individually and collectively?

Message To The Caribbean Community

SPEAKER_01 45:44

Remember where you're from, remember the sacrifices made for you, not just by our people, right, but about people across the diaspora, for you to be afforded the freedoms. Because people made sacrifices for you, you have a responsibility to pay it forward in recognition of that. You have a responsibility to continue to shine brightly, to speak loudly when it's the right thing to do, and just make space for more beyond you, always.

SPEAKER_00 46:20

Any favorite Caribbean sayings and what does it mean?

A Trini Saying To Live By

SPEAKER_01 46:24

I immediately thought of all the bad ones that I'm feeling, you know, like all those sayings that parents would like yell at you when you're in trouble. Um, this one is not it's not it's not nice and fluffy, but I say it a lot when I talk to people, and I feel like I'm always explaining this one. So this one is monkey no a tree to climb. The importance of being discerning around others, watching how others move, how they may treat you, when you're being you may be being used, right, or not, or people just being opportunistic and leaning into that, just to be discerning and recognizing that, you know, sometimes and everybody comes your way smiling. Sometimes that's that smile is not always genuine. Sometimes they come to take, right? The takers and the takers know how to take very, very, very well. And, you know, because of that, you know, it's it's important to understand that no is a complete sentence sometimes.

Closing And Where To Connect

SPEAKER_00 47:25

Dr. Nigir Grimes, I would like to thank you for being our guest on the Pulse of the Caribbean podcast. And I would like to say congratulations to you on being an honoree for the Caribbean American Cultural Arts Foundation Captain of the Industry Awards. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 47:44

Thank you so much for having me. My name is Dr. Nicole Grimes. I'm the CEO founder of Caribiz Network, and I am the Pulse of the Caribbean.

SPEAKER_00 47:53

Thank you for joining us on today's Pulse of the Caribbean podcast. If you enjoyed listening to our podcast, be sure to share it with your family and friends. Visit us online at pulsofthecaribbean.com and follow us on social media. I'm Keisha Blood, and until next time, God bless you. One Caribbean, one love.