A trailblazing leader whose career has blended business achievement, cultural preservation, and youth empowerment will receive top honors from the St. Philip Benevolent Society (SPBS) this September. Kylla Herbert, a Bronx-based financial services executive and cultural organizer, has been selected as the 2026 recipient of SPBS’ Professional Excellence and Community Leadership award, in recognition of more than 20 years of impact across business, cultural advocacy, and youth development work.
Herbert’s foundational values of discipline and commitment to excellence took root during her undergraduate years at Ursinus College, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics. That rigorous academic training shaped the analytical thinking and resilience that would define her later leadership across professional and community spaces.
For over two decades, Herbert has built and led a successful financial services firm that serves a diverse client base: from individual households and families to small business owners and growing enterprises. Her mission goes far beyond standard client service: she centers her work on expanding access to financial literacy, resources, and confidence, helping people from all backgrounds build stable, long-term financial futures that benefit both their families and their broader communities.
Her impact reaches far beyond the boardroom, rooted in a family legacy of community service. Herbert serves as Executive Director of the South Jersey Caribbean Cultural & Development Organization (SJCCDO), an institution founded by her late father Nkem Tshombe. Carrying forward her father’s mission, Herbert leads the organization in advancing Caribbean cultural pride and public service through arts programming, educational initiatives, community outreach, and cross-cultural engagement.
One of SJCCDO’s most visible and beloved contributions is the annual South Jersey Caribbean Festival, a decades-long celebration that highlights the depth, diversity, and vibrancy of Caribbean heritage to audiences across the region. Under Herbert’s direction, the organization has expanded its work to prioritize four core pillars: cultural preservation, youth development, inclusive community engagement, and cross-cultural connection between Caribbean communities and their neighbors.
Herbert’s longstanding commitment to investing in young people also extends to athletic development and diaspora connection. She serves as Coordinator and Chairperson of the St. Kitts and Nevis Penn Relays Committee, which organizes logistics and support for the CEMSS Eagles track and field team when they travel to Pennsylvania to compete in the iconic Penn Relays competition. In this role, she creates tangible opportunities for young Caribbean athletes to showcase their skills, while strengthening ties between the Caribbean islands and the global Caribbean diaspora in the United States. Her work is guided by a core belief: investing in the next generation is the most impactful investment a community can make in its future.
Off the clock, Herbert carries forward the love of exploration and connection nurtured by her mother, who introduced her to travel and diverse cultural perspectives during childhood family trips. Today, she continues to prioritize travel, lifelong learning, and photography, and cherishes time spent with her son and extended family.
Across every sphere of her work, Herbert has embodied a simple, powerful truth: that true leadership is measured not just by personal professional success, but by how many lives are lifted up, how many new opportunities are created, how many cultural traditions are preserved for future generations, and how much stronger communities become as a result of that work.
The honor will be bestowed at the SPBS Dr Stewart O. Williams Annual Awards Gala, scheduled for September 5, 2026, at Maestros Catering Hall located at 1703 Bronxdale Ave in the Bronx, New York. This year’s gala, held under the patronage of Dr. Irvin Sweeney and Mrs. Vernice “Debbie” Williams, carries the theme “Rooted in Service, Grounded in Giving Back”. The event’s keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Maurice Duggins, a prominent Kittitian family practice physician based in Kansas. Community members are invited to attend the gala to support the awards program and celebrate Herbert’s contributions.