“Welcome. Descendants of Hope takes an inspirational journey into the lives of First-Generation Immigrant Americanswho have reached heights their ancestors could never have imagined.”
“Welcome. Descendants of Hope takes an inspirational journey into the lives of First-Generation Immigrant Americanswho have reached heights their ancestors could never have imagined.”
OUR FOUNDER'S STORY
Daphne Leroy.
“For me, the launch of Descendants of Hope is an opportunity to pay homage to my parents who are my greatest inspiration. By emigrating from Haiti to New York City in the turbulent 1960's, their American dream became my American reality. I am a Descendant of Hope.”
Daphne Leroy launched the platform “Descendants of Hope” to create an inclusive community of belonging that exists as a meaningful source of multi-cultural pride and amplifies how diverse ancestry contributes to the colorful fabric of society.
Named one of the most influential multi-ethnic executives in the media industry and recognized among the top women in media, Daphne is a purpose-driven strategist with over 20 years of leadership experience at iconic global media companies and notable social impact organizations. Daphne’s career has spanned integrated marketing, communications, corporate social responsibility, strategy, and organizational culture transformation at Paramount Global, Viacom, MTV, Time Inc., National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC), and The Paley Center for Media.
As the eldest daughter of a proud Haitian immigrant family, Daphne has personal insight into the identity intersectionality of a “first-generation nation.” Daphne’s professional background is also rooted in social responsibility and philanthropic endeavors. Whether empowering students and mentoring young women through her volunteer work or serving on the Board of Directors of the Fiver Children’s Foundation, Daphne is devoted to giving back. She is also Co-Founder and Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Haitian Roundtable, a 501c3 not-for-profit organization founded in 2008 for professionals committed to civic engagement in the U.S. and strategic initiatives, partnerships, and programs. Daphne serves as Executive Producer of the Haitian Roundtable’s “My Haitian-American Journey” video series that features prominent change-makers in the U.S.
A native New Yorker, Daphne sits on the marketing advisory board of the department of marketing and international business in the Zicklin School of Business, at her alma mater, Baruch College. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing Management at Baruch College, which has been recognized as the most ethnically diverse campus in the U.S.
Daphne is a member of Chief, a private network for senior executive women to maximize leadership impact, as well as an executive member of She Runs It, a non-profit that paves the way for more women to lead in media, marketing, and tech. She completed the Executive Leadership Development Program sponsored by the National Association of Multi-ethnity in Communications (NAMIC) at the UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Management and the Executive Management Program sponsored by the Cable Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM) at Harvard Business School.
For a fifth consecutive year in 2023, Cablefax Magazine named Daphne among the most influential multi-ethnic executives in the industry. In 2023, Baruch College bestowed upon Daphne the Alumni Changemaker Award for leadership, innovation, and excellence. In 2021, Cynopsis Media honored Daphne with a Top Women In Media Award. She was honored in 2020 with a Black Women in Media Award. Daphne has also been recognized by the American Marketing Association of NY, Multichannel News and The Network Journal.
“Representation matters. Ancestry matters. Empowering future generations matters. It’s more important now than ever to elevate the voices of diverse communities and their lasting contributions in shaping culture and society.”
