Thalia Lyn

Her name is synonymous with the famed Island Grill fast-food chain. Being business savvy seemed fused in her DNA, having earned her B.Sc. (behind shop counter) degree very early in life. As an entrepreneur, she has overcome gender discrimination to succeed with now over a dozen Island Grill branches and over 500 employees.

She is involved in charities involving children and HIV/AIDS, the NCB Foundation, Mustard Seed Communities, and has played an integral role in the restoration of the Holy Trinity Cathedral at North Street, Kingston. She is also honorary consul to the Kingdom of Thailand.

Dr Carolyn Gomes

Dr Carolyn Gomes

From PaEdiATrician to human rights activist, Dr Carolyn Gomes was one of seven persons to cop the 2008 top United Nations (UN) award in the field of human rights.

Executive director and co-founder of human rights lobby group Jamaicans For Justice, she left a successful medical practice to help the given human rights of her fellow Jamaicans.

Zein Issa-Nakash and Muna Issa

Zein Issa-Nakash (left) and Muna Issa

The daughters of hotelier John Issa are painting their own masterpieces.

Zein Issa-Nakash has been vice-president of marketing and environmental affairs at SuperClubs since 1998. She oversees SuperClubs' advertising and public relations efforts worldwide. She is also a member of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association and Industry Advisory Council (Tourism Cluster).

Meanwhile, though Muna Issa's career path is within the hotel industry as treasurer of SuperClubs, she has had a heavy dose of the financial sector. She has been a director of the Bank of Nova Scotia Jamaica Limited since 1999 and chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Scotia Jamaica Life Insurance Company Limited.

The two are also handy shutterbugs and regular entrants in the National Photography competition organised by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission.

Jean Lowrie-Chin

Jean Lowrie-Chin

The founder and managing director of PRO Communications, Jean Lowrie-Chin has made the organisation one of the leaders in the field of public relations. The client list is impressive (including Digicel, the National Commercial Bank Foundation and Kingston Wharves). Lowrie-Chin started out in journalism before taking on the corporate world from a different (and very successful) angle. She is also quite the poet and recently published her book, Souldance, a collection of poems.

Barbara Gloudon

Barbara Gloudon

Turn on your radio at any time of the day on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday and you'll hear somebody say "Good morning, is that Mrs Gloudon?"

Known for her sharp tongue and wicked wit, she is arguably Jamaica's most popular radio talk-show host.

In the arts, she is a playwright par excellence and has penned numerous Little Theatre Movement National Pantomimes (including the current one, Runner Boy) and has created the lyrics for hundreds of songs, many with the equally brilliant Grub Cooper.

Mrs Gloudon is also a communications consultant.