Felicia J. Persaud, Founder & CEO, AI Capital Exchange | ICN Group

CARIBPR WIRE, NEW YORK, NY, May 1, 2026: Guyana-born Caribbean immigrant entrepreneur Felicia J. Persaud, founder of the newly launched AI Capital Exchange, has graduated with honors from the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center’s Milestone Circles program – a prestigious 12-week initiative designed to help U.S.-based founders build, scale, and lead with purpose.

Persaud was among 28 entrepreneurs in Cohort Group 32: Circles 513, 514 & 515, which ran from January through April 30, 2026. The program, now in its fifth year, has supported over 6,300 entrepreneurs through curated cohorts, expert mentorship, and milestone-driven growth. Since 2015, the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center has led the acceleration of resilient growth for under-resourced founders worldwide.

During the program, Persaud focused on refining her investor pitch deck for AI Capital Exchange- a platform she built over four months using artificial intelligence as a non-technical founder to solve the critical problem of global pre-qualification for debt financing and loans.

“This program pushed me into answering my why and my why remains solving the problem of lack of access to capital in emerging markets like the Caribbean and Latin America,” said Persaud. “I am now paying it forward by offering a free list of Caribbean accelerators now open for Caribbean entrepreneurs. Get the list at investcaribbeannow.com/caribbean-accelerators.”

About AI Capital Exchange

AI Capital Exchange is the world’s first AI-powered debt capital platform connecting institutional investors, lenders, investment agencies, and qualified borrowers globally. The platform is live and currently open to pre-qualifying deals, with whale filtering of over $200 million in deals to date. It serves as a bridge to the U.S. $5.7 trillion capital market.

Persaud is currently seeking to raise a pre-seed round of a minimum USD $500,000 as the next step in the platform’s growth. The platform has also been accepted into the prestigious HICool competition following the India AI Challenge in January 2026.

About Felicia J. Persaud

Guyana-born and U.S.-based, Persaud is an award-winning journalist, columnist, entrepreneur, and advocate with more than two decades of experience building media, communications, and investment platforms at the intersection of the Caribbean diaspora and global markets. She immigrated to the United States from Guyana in 1996.

She is the founder and CEO of ICN Group – a portfolio of five specialized brands spanning media, PR, investment, and technology. Her portfolio includes NewsAmericasNow.com, CaribPR Wire, Hard Beat Communications, and Invest Caribbean.

Persaud is listed in the U.S. State Department Speakers Database as an expert on the Caribbean. Her expertise, especially her 12-year-old campaign for Caribbean American recognition by the US Census, has led to her being sought and quoted by AP, CNN, BBC, CBS, FOX News, the New York Times, Reuters, the Washington Post, CNBC, the Guardian, Forbes, ABC 7, Crain’s New York, Yahoo Finance, and the Brian Lehrer Show, among many others.

She holds a weekly immigration column in the New York Amsterdam News – one of America’s oldest African American newspapers – and is the founder of the Hard to Beat podcast.

AI Capital Exchange, the world’s first AI-powered debt lending platform connecting institutional investors, lenders, agencies and borrowers globally.

The platform – AI Capital Exchange - was conceptualized, built, and developed entirely by Persaud over four months, using artificial intelligence to power a first-of-its-kind cross-border capital-matching system. In a global financing environment where emerging markets, including the Caribbean, often struggle to access affordable debt capital, the platform aims to level the playing field for entrepreneurs and governments alike.

“AI Capital Exchange is proof that we can build solutions that reshape the global financial landscape – starting from our community,” said Persaud.

The platform pre-qualifies borrowers and matches them with lenders for:
• Commercial real estate
• Renewable energy
• Equipment financing
• Business expansion
• Tech financing
• Government-linked projects
• Infrastructure capital

Investors and lenders gain access to AI-organized, pre-screened deal flow, while investment agencies can showcase national investment programs to attract new foreign capital. What makes the achievement unprecedented is not only the technology — but the builder behind it.

Persaud, a Caribbean immigrant with no formal tech background, developed the entire platform herself using artificial intelligence, strategic automation, and unrelenting determination.

“This platform was built in silence – through long nights and hundreds of hours of work,” Persaud said. “It is a testament to what immigrants, women, and non-tech founders can create when given the tools and the opportunity.”

AI Capital Exchange has also been formally submitted to the India AI Global Impact Challenge 2026, signaling its potential as a global-impact innovation.

AI Capital Exchange is also inviting interest from strategic investors and capital partners seeking to support the platform’s early expansion.
Connect via the investor portal: https://www.investcaribbeannow.com/ai-capital-exchange/investors

About Felicia J. Persaud
Felicia J. Persaud is the founder of ICN Group, the parent company of Invest Caribbean, CaribPR Wire, Hard Beat Communications, and the News Americas News Network. A Guyana-born, US-based Caribbean immigrant journalist turned media and investment entrepreneur, Persaud is widely recognized for her pioneering contributions to Caribbean diaspora media, her advocacy for the creation of a U.S. Census category for Caribbean nationals, her longstanding immigration reform work, and her commitment to driving investment and economic empowerment across the Caribbean region.

Persaud, the founder of CaribPR Wire, Invest Caribbean, News Americas and Hard Beat Communications, is one of only four Guyanese nominated for this year’s awards and the only one in the category of Entrepreneurship and Business Excellence.

The Inaugural Caribbean Posh Icon Awards, founded by Caribbean Posh Magazine, is a new yet significant part of the Caribbean Posh Weekend Event and is designed to celebrate and empower Caribbean women.

“Our aim is to build a space that amplifies the way Caribbean women are celebrated and recognized for their achievements,” commented founder Janette Brin.

“It’s truly an honor to be among the many amazing Caribbean women who have made the list of top nominees for the inaugural, Caribbean POSH ICON WOMAN Awards, set for Caribbean American Heritage Month in the U.S. Virgin Islands as part of the Caribbean Posh Weekend,” said Persaud. “Being recognized by your own community and especially fellow Caribbean women entrepreneurs as amazing as Janette, makes it incredibly more special.

To vote for Persaud Click HERE and scroll down to the Entrepreneurship and Business Excellence section.

Persaud is also an award-winning Caribbean immigrant journalist, news editor, columnist and advocate, renowned for her impactful contributions across multiple industries. A staunch advocate for the Caribbean Diaspora, she spearheaded the Carib ID movement in 2008, leading the charge of ensure Caribbean nationals were able to count in the US Census. Her relentless advocacy over 12 years resulted in Caribbean nationals and immigrants being able to register their ancestry on the 2020 census forms. She continues her passionate advocacy for immigration reform, contributing a weekly column to the historic Amsterdam News.

Her expertise on the Caribbean has led to esteemed recognition through interviews on major media platforms such as AP, CNN, BBC, and The New York Times, alongside a listing in the US State Department Speakers Database as an expert on the Caribbean.

The Caribbean Posh Weekend is one of the most empowering event for Caribbean and Caribbean American women that has been held since 2017 in St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands. This year’s weekend is set for June 28-30, 2024. This highly anticipated event will bring together women in business from across the region to foster sisterhood, collaboration, and celebration. The Caribbean Posh Icon Woman Awards will also honour the esteemed Dr. Yvette Noel-Schure of Schure Media Group, as the inaugural award recipient of the Pioneering ICON.

In addition to the Icon Woman Awards, Caribbean Posh Weekend features many other exciting highlights. The event offers vendor and partnership opportunities, allowing businesses and organizations to showcase their products and services to a diverse audience. This is a chance for entrepreneurs to connect with potential customers and collaborators, expanding their reach within the Caribbean community. See more at caribbeanposh.com/wkd.

EDITOR’S NOTE: An image for use with this story is available HERE

The Guyana-born founder of ICN, which owns the brands, CaribPR Wire, News Americas, Hard Beat Communications and Invest Caribbean, is now in the run for the semi-finals of the contest which focuses on women over 40.

Voting for the semi-final round begins today, Mon. Nov. 21st at 10 AM PST and the semi-finalists will be announced on Dec. 1st.

Vote to keep Felicia in the contest now at https://votefab40.com/2022/felicia-persaud and make her this year’s winner.

The top competitors from each Quarter-finals group will be divided into Semi-finals groups. Votes will be reset, and public voting will determine the top Semifinalist from each group who will then advance to the Finals. Finals begin December 9th and end December 15th. Votes will be reset, and public voting will determine which Finalist will be the winner of the 2022 Fab Over 40 Competition and the “Grand Prize Winner” on December 15, 2022.

Persaud says she is incredibly grateful for all those who have voted for her this far and look forward to their support now, which is critical to helping her stay in and win the contest for all of the Caribbean and Guyana.

Asked how she stays FabOver40, Persaud said she “works out, eats clean and is on a path of mindfulness and positivity. Her advice to her younger self? “Focus more on loving you and less on looking for love in all the wrong places.”

The winner of this year’s FabOver40 competition will receive a 2-page feature in NewBeauty Magazine, an unforgettable spa-cation in Scottsdale, Arizona, and $40,000.

Persaud says should she win, she will use some of the winnings to name a scholarship in honor of late friend and colleague, News Americas Now photographer Hayden Roger Celestin, who passed away after a stroke on Dec. 14, 2019.

EDITOR’S NOTE: See image for use with this story HERE