Vineyard Icon will return to Martha’s Vineyard on Saturday, August 15, for its second annual awards celebration, honoring four leaders whose careers have shaped public service, medicine, music, business, and culture. Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and women’s health advocate Dr. Sharon Malone will receive the Trailblazer Couple Award; music industry executive Sylvia Rhone will receive the Cultural Vanguard Award; and entrepreneur and investor Tarrus Richardson will receive the Business Impact Award.
Vineyard Icon is a cultural and community platform celebrating extraordinary leaders, storytellers, entrepreneurs, and artists who share a meaningful connection to Martha’s Vineyard and whose impact extends far beyond the Island. Through the Vineyard Icon Awards, the Vineyard Icon Foundation, storytelling, curated experiences, and strategic consulting, Vineyard Icon honors leadership, preserves the Island’s cultural legacy, strengthens the local community, and invests in the next generation of changemakers.
In its second year, the organization is expanding that mission beyond its flagship awards through scholarships, philanthropy, community partnerships, and cultural programming.
“Martha’s Vineyard has been part of my family’s story for five generations,” said Goldson. “It is where my parents met and married, where my father is buried, where my grandmother lives year round, and where I have spent every summer of my life. I wanted to create something that honored the people who call Martha’s Vineyard their happy place and whose impact extends far beyond it.”
This year’s celebration builds on that foundation with an expanded focus on the next generation. Through a partnership with Color Vision, Vineyard Icon will recognize eight Inaugural Scholarship recipients this year, selected from more than 150 applications and representing more than 85 colleges and universities across the country.
The week will include an intimate dinner in partnership with Slauson & Co., bringing together founders, investors, and cultural leaders for a conversation about the future of venture capital and the pathways helping the next generation of companies and institutions emerge.
