The “Diaspora and Returnee Business Success Stories” session at the 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference spotlighted the powerful journeys of entrepreneurs who have turned cultural heritage, resilience, and innovation into globally recognized brands while maintaining strong ties to Jamaica.
Carib News was on hand to witness two diaspora entrepreneurs share their success stories alongside attendees in Montego Bay on June 16.
- Advertisement -
Among the featured success stories was Levi Roots, whose journey from Clarendon to international acclaim exemplifies the fusion of creativity and enterprise. Roots shared how his grandmother’s traditional seasoning inspired what would become his globally successful Reggae Reggae Sauce brand, a venture that grew from grassroots market testing to a multi-million-pound enterprise in the United Kingdom.
Raised in Jamaica and moving to the UK at the age of 11 to join his parents, music became his first passion, and he spent years performing and recording, building a name on the reggae circuit and earning a MOBO nomination in the late 1990s. With that being the culmination of his music career, he spent the rest of his time cooking, developing a BBQ jerk sauce that he used at home with his family. He built an early brand by selling directly at events, including Notting Hill Carnival. He would sing and sell his jerk sauce.
A chance opportunity led to Dragon’s Den. One of the show’s producers spotted him at a food trade show and invited him onto the BBC program. Everyone told him not to go. His Mom’s wisdom came encouraged him to stay true to himself, and he got a deal, one that would move demand from 65 bottles a day to needing 250,000 bottles immediately for supermarket supply.
His story resonated strongly with delegates as a testament to authenticity, perseverance, and the commercial value of Jamaican culture.
See a recap of his shared story on Youtube.
Also highlighted was Jewel Daniels Radford, whose returnee journey underscored the transformative impact of diaspora expertise reinvested into Jamaica’s development landscape.
She reflected on the challenges she encountered upon returning to Jamaica, including adapting to cultural differences and bridging communication gaps between herself as a diaspora returnee and those living on the island. She also spoke about the opportunities that emerged during her transition and the importance of translating business concepts and expectations in ways that create value and understanding for all stakeholders.
Radford is an internationally recognized leadership development expert, executive coach, keynote speaker, and humanitarian leader with more than 25 years of experience helping organizations develop exceptional leaders, navigate change, and build high-performing teams.
As Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Daniels Communications Global, Jewel partners with corporate, nonprofit, and public sector organizations to strengthen leadership capacity, cultivate resilient workplace cultures, and translate strategy into measurable results. Her practical, engaging, and people-centered approach has empowered leaders from the frontline to the C-suite to lead with confidence in an increasingly complex world.
Catch a snippet of what she shared below:
Together, both speakers emphasized that success is not only measured in profit, but in legacy-building, knowledge transfer, and the creation of opportunities for future generations of Jamaicans at home and abroad.
