Move over Coen brothers and have all the seats, Kardashian clan. There’s a new sibling team to reckon with in pop culture. Kozi Kyles and Kyra Kyles are not only sisters, but a dynamic writing/producing/directing duo headquartered in Chicago with operations in New York City and Los Angeles. Under the umbrella of Myth Lab Entertainment, the ladies are keenly focused on producing top-notch digital, TV, film and branded advertising content aimed at an increasingly multicultural consumer base. In addition to serving clients, including a Chicago-based streaming platformer/content producer and ghostwriting books, speeches and co-strategizing for top-tier consumer brands, the Kyles sisters have captured attention and notoriety for their short-form storytelling. They went viral with a riff on Chief Keef’s “Don’t Like” and Future’s “Same Damn Time” remixed to address Facebook faux pas from poking to humble bragging. Kozi and Kyra also were featured in Comedy Central’s “Key & Peele” skit remix competition after re-imagining the famous fellas’ “Soul Food” street-cred boosting bit as a battle between two women trying to out-Black each other at a salon with throwback hairstyles including a Florida Evans ‘fro. (Damn, damn, damn!) They’ve also exhibited endurance with their most adventurous effort to date, an award-winning sci-fi comedy called “Human Resources,” which featured “Get Out,” “The Carmichael Show,” and “Friends of the People” star Lil Rel as well as an array of custom-built puppets onscreen. The project— a mash-up of “X Files” and “Office Space”— garnered acclaim as an official selection at the 2012 LAWEBFEST. The 2018 sequel to this smash success, “Cubicle Creepshow,” takes a slightly different angle, unleashing a mash-up of workplace horror stories and actual horror classics from “Carrie” to “The Ring.” Though Kozi and Kyra are known to Voltron up to create a formidable, funny force, they’ve certainly earned their share of individual accolades. Kyra is a media executive who has worked with popular, nationally known outlets including EBONY magazine, Tribune RedEye, Chicago Tribune, and WGN-TV. A pundit and speaker with expertise on increasing diversity in pop culture, she has graced the stages at venues include the first-annual Haiti Tech Conference, two invite-only Google corporate forums, Social Media Week, Digital Strategy Innovation and the A3C Music Conference. A former Tribune RedEye columnist/broadcast correspondent and previous Editor-in-Chief of EBONY magazine and its digital platform EBONY.com, she has earned awards including Folio Magazine’s Top 100 Media Executives, WVON and Ariel Capital’s “Top 40 Under 40 Game Changers,” and Ladies of Virtue: Ladies Who Lead. Shout out to her fellow purple and white, as Kyra holds both a bachelor’s and master’s in journalism from Northwestern University.

Move over Coen brothers and have all the seats, Kardashian clan. There’s a new sibling team to reckon with in pop culture. Kozi Kyles and Kyra Kyles are not only sisters, but a dynamic writing/producing/directing duo headquartered in Chicago with operations in New York City and Los Angeles. Under the umbrella of Myth Lab Entertainment, the ladies are keenly focused on producing top-notch digital, TV, film and branded advertising content aimed at an increasingly multicultural consumer base. In addition to serving clients, including a Chicago-based streaming platformer/content producer and ghostwriting books, speeches and co-strategizing for top-tier consumer brands, the Kyles sisters have captured attention and notoriety for their short-form storytelling. They went viral with a riff on Chief Keef’s “Don’t Like” and Future’s “Same Damn Time” remixed to address Facebook faux pas from poking to humble bragging. Kozi and Kyra also were featured in Comedy Central’s “Key & Peele” skit remix competition after re-imagining the famous fellas’ “Soul Food” street-cred boosting bit as a battle between two women trying to out-Black each other at a salon with throwback hairstyles including a Florida Evans ‘fro. (Damn, damn, damn!) They’ve also exhibited endurance with their most adventurous effort to date, an award-winning sci-fi comedy called “Human Resources,” which featured “Get Out,” “The Carmichael Show,” and “Friends of the People” star Lil Rel as well as an array of custom-built puppets onscreen. The project— a mash-up of “X Files” and “Office Space”— garnered acclaim as an official selection at the 2012 LAWEBFEST. The 2018 sequel to this smash success, “Cubicle Creepshow,” takes a slightly different angle, unleashing a mash-up of workplace horror stories and actual horror classics from “Carrie” to “The Ring.” Though Kozi and Kyra are known to Voltron up to create a formidable, funny force, they’ve certainly earned their share of individual accolades. Kozi, who has snared a coveted spot as a finalist in ABC Entertainment Television Group Associates Program, is also an alumna of Chicago’s famous iO writing program. She is the mind behind branded advertorials for top companies including P&G and Cadillac, producing both print and video pieces for verticals spanning health, beauty, the automotive sector and healthcare. She also worked with Namaste on developing television and online consumer campaigns. In addition to her corporate capabilities, this Duke University graduate also once earned the ear (and eye) of B-movie mogul Roger Corman for “Immaculate Obsession” --a schizophrenically shot piece about an OCD sufferer trapped in a filthy public bathroom.

Tony Wilkins is a relationship executive at BNY Mellon responsible for corporate, government and not for profit custody clients. Responsibilities range from providing strategic consultation and fee negotiation to resolving operational and compliance issues. Prior to joining BNY Mellon, Tony retired from Northern Trust in 2012 after 15 years, serving as Senior Vice President and Head of Consultant Relations and subsequently, Head of Defined Contribution Sales and Service for Northern Trust Global Investments. As Northern’s key contact to the asset management consulting industry during the Financial Crisis, he shaped the company’s response to firms advising institutional clients who had experienced unanticipated and unprecedented securities lending losses amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars within three months. Appointed to lead Northern’s entry into the crowded defined contribution industry, he ideated and executed the concept of entering the market by sub-advising active managers as its Target Date funds gained traction. In 2016, he was appointed as BNY Mellon’s Trustee Representative and Senior Investment Advisor to the W. K. Kellogg Foundation Trust serving as one of four Trustees on this $9B entity. Nationally recognized as an industry thought leader, Tony was an Executive Member of the Disciplinary Review Committee of the CFA Institute from 2006 - 2012, President of the Association of Investment Management Sales Executives in 2012 and Board Member of the National Association of Securities Professionals. Nationally active in the early stage innovation ecosystem, Tony mentors, connects and invests in Seed and Series A rounds of startup companies including SpotHero, SA Ignite and PageVault. In 2001, he funded ASAP Advisor Services, a database population firm for asset managers, which was sold to eVestment in 2011. In 2010, he was a founding board member of Brilliant, ceding his seat to their West Coast Series B investor in 2012. Tony has a proven track record of outstanding leadership and a broad background in commercial experience. Before arriving at Northern Trust, he was an institutional asset management salesperson at New York-based Weiss, Peck and Greer and a portfolio manager at Chicago-based Stein, Roe & Farnham starting in 1986. His finance career began after six years in the military electronics industry working for AT&T and Atlanta-based, Lockheed Loral. He began his work career in 1979 at Chrysler Corporation in Detroit. Tony is a 1979 graduate of Northwestern University. He received his Masters in Business Administration from the Booth School of the University of Chicago in 1986 and is a CFA Charterholder. He and his wife, Dorothy Tucker, have three children and live in Chicago, IL.

After a twenty-five year career as a labor attorney, utility executive with Exelon Corporation and lobbyist, Stephanie Hickman left Corporate America in 2006 to acquire the construction company her father and uncles had operated since 1967. Since the acquisition, she has led its transformation from a small residential construction company to an award winning, utility infrastructure and commercial concrete construction firm serving Fortune 500 corporations, top 100 general and infrastructure contractors and major public entities. Hickman combined her leadership skills with a team of seasoned operations professionals to position the company for continued significant growth and success. Hickman’s leadership acumen is illustrated by Trice’s accomplishments, including becoming the first African American woman-owned construction firm awarded prime contracts on Exelon/Commonwealth Edison projects, a multi-year contract with Peoples Gas as a prime restoration contractor and prime contracts for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Her company has earned numerous awards, including the 2015 Chicago MSDC Supplier of the Year and 2014 Outstanding Minority Contractor of the Year from the Chicago Department of Transportation. It also received the Jeffrey Butland Family Owned Business of the Year from the Small Business Administration. In 2012, the Construction and Transportation Group of the March of Dimes recognized Trice as its Subcontractor of the Year. Hickman also hosted Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel for a minority business roundtable where he announced the City’s Small Business Mentoring Program. In 2011, again under Hickman’s leadership, Trice became the first construction company in the country selected for the William Jefferson Clinton Foundation/ Inc. Magazine Entrepreneurship Mentor Program. Hickman holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Mississippi and a business administration degree from Eastern New Mexico University. She also completed the Management Program for Executives at the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh. Hickman is a member of Chicago’s Business Leadership Council and on the board of directors for the Teen Living Program, a non-profit organization that provides support to Chicago’s youth experiencing homelessness. In 2012 Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel appointed Hickman to serve on the Affirmative Action Advisory Board for the City’s Department of Procurement Services. She also sits on the national boards of directors of the American Association of Blacks in Energy and Women Construction Owners and Executives. Hickman, an active mentor and sought after speaker, is a 2006 Fellow of Leadership Greater Chicago and a Life Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Hickman enjoys working with other minority businesses in the early stages of their development. She has been very fortunate to have had advice and counsel from more seasoned business owners and believes it to be an ongoing responsibility to pay it forward.

With over 25 years of experience painting professionally, Andre Guichard is the visionary behind a diverse portfolio of work that can be found in over 2,500 corporate and private collections globally. This self-taught painter is the international curator and spokesperson for the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series, an international contest, with 8,000 artists’ submissions, created to provide a platform for artists to connect with collectors. For the years 2011 to 2016, the Chicago Urban League commissioned Andre to create paintings of the prestigious Bill Berry honorees - presented to Louis Gossett Jr., Jessie Jackson Sr., Rev. Willie Burrows, Phylicia Rashad, Patti LaBelle, Timuel Black and Isobel Wilkerson. Six of his original paintings were featured on canvas totes as part of Walgreens Community Corner program in 7,000 stores nationwide, while another two were used to design fine art totes for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Andre created a jazz-inspired installation in the Bronzeville Jazz McDonald’s restaurant. He was the official featured artist for the Chicago Jazz Festival in 2012 and 2014. In 2012, music legend Prince and Rebuild the Dream Village tapped Andre to create Thirty 8’ x 4’ abstract paintings for the “Share Your Story Booth” during their Welcome 2 Chicago concert. The concert provided a fun, interactive place to learn about how people can all rebuild vibrant and sustainable communities. In September 2016, Andre became the Mayor of Bronzeville. Under his leadership, the benefits of art will continue to be spread globally, with programs like the annual Bronzeville Mayors Ball (August 18, 2018) and First Lady Garden Party (June 23, 2018) to bring awareness to the pillars working to make a better Bronzeville and providing a donation each year to a worthy nonprofit making a difference in the lives of our youth.

Dr. Ademola J. Adekola Jr., received his Doctor of Dental Surgery from University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry. He also obtained his Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from Illinois Institute of Technology, Magna Cum Laude. Dr. Adekola pursued extensive postgraduate training in bone grafting and implants receiving recognition from the International Dental Implant Association. Additionally, his challenging and exceptional work with implants as a missionary in the Dominican Republic was also recognized. Dr. Adekola has special interest in cosmetic dentistry and enjoys collaborating with other dentists to provide optimal results. Dr. Adekola utilizes the most current techniques and innovative technology. Clinical training and research focused on advances in bone grafting and implant placements sets him apart as an expert. He currently maintains active memberships with the American Dental Association, Illinois State Dental Society, International Dental Implant Association, Chicago Dental Society and Academy of General Dentistry.

Jeff Badu is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the state of Illinois. He is the Owner & Practitioner of Badu Tax Services, LLC and his firm specializes in tax preparation, tax planning, and tax representation for individuals and businesses. He truly has a passion for helping people save money and his firm’s mission is to help you maximize your financial security. He also has a passion for personal finance and his goal is to help as many individuals become as financially literate as possible. He achieves this goal in several ways: hosting financial literacy sessions on WGHC 98.3FM in Chicago every Thursday from 7:15-7:45pm CST on various financial topics such as budgeting, distributing various financial resources (newsletters, articles, market updates, scholarships, etc.) to the community through his firm, publishing financial literacy articles periodically on his website (www.jeffbadu.com), and hosting seminars/workshops to different groups of people such as millennials. He is a public speaker and he has spoken in various capacities. He was the Master of Ceremony of the 2014 NABA Central Region Conference (Scholarship Luncheon) and he spoke to hundreds of students and professionals. In addition, he spoke at the 2016 NABA National Convention (Scholarship Luncheon) in front of thousands of students and professionals on the topic of making an investment in college students. He was originally born in Ghana and moved to the U.S. when he was 8 years old. He is a University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign alumnus and he graduated with both a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accountancy and a Master of Science Degree in Accountancy. Furthermore, he is a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor. His overall mission in life is very simple: to help people. He wants to make a positive impact in people’s lives each and every day. If you would like to get in touch with him, please feel free to contact him at anytime at (773) 679-7198 or jeffbadu@gmail.com.

Jeffery Beckham is a community leader known for helping organizations achieve business goals using digital marketing strategies and technology. Over the course of his career he’s developed expertise in healthcare, sales, community development, and digital strategy. After working in the healthcare sales and technology for Quest Diagnostics, LabCorp and Atlas Medical Corporation, Jeffery founded Black Box Creative Incorporated in 2009. Black Box Creative is a digital marketing company that helps clients grow revenue while increasing audience engagement. Jeffery has led projects for everyone from Oscar Winner Common to Tuskegee University and has worked with numerous charitable organizations all over the country. WVON and Ariel Investments named Jeffery one of Chicago’s Top 40 Game Changers Under 40 years old in 2015 and he was a finalist for the Chicago Inno 50 on Fire Award in 2016. In 2017 Jeffery took on a new challenge, he became Director of Digital Marketing for New Teacher Center, a global non-profit who’s mission is to improve student learning by accelerating the effectiveness of new teachers, experienced teachers and school leaders. Jeffery lives by the quote, “to whom much is given, much is required” and constantly finds opportunities to help people while working to build community and develop our country’s youth. He serves as a mentor for many young people through his work with The 100 Black Men of Chicago where he runs the organizations’ Pathways to Success program which prepares high school and college students for corporate careers and trains them to be innovative entrepreneurs. He also has served as the elected community representative on the Local School Council at King College Prep High School and currently serves on the board at Foundation’s College Prep in the Roseland community.

A serial entrepreneur in marketing, publishing and event production and one of the few African American coffee roasters, Kris D. Christian has made it her life’s work to solve challenges and meet needs. It all started with a knack for market research. Kris began her career on Wall Street as an financial analyst at Barclay’s Capital and William Blair & Company. Tracking trends, building models and assessing performance, she realized her passion was stronger for people than profits. In 2011, she left the world of investment banking and became a full-time entrepreneur. Sticking to her strengths of analysis and pitching, in 2011 she founded FAME Enterprises and began offering innovative integrated marketing campaigns. Six years later, Kris’ first business has grown into a national multimedia conglomerate. There are four companies under the FAME umbrella: FAME Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), FAME Media ( MADE Magazine TM ), FAME Events, and FAME Studios . FAME IMC’s core is strategic brand development and content marketing. The company has earned clients ranging from global brands such as BMW of North America and Time, Inc., and rising national startups like Mielle Organics and The Vanity Group, to personal brands including Actress Adrienne Bailon of The Real and Grammy-Winning Artist NE-YO. FAME Event’s niche is activating multicultural campaigns in metropolitan markets. Offering a comprehensive suite of marketing services and specialty advertising, the company has produced premier cultural and lifestyle events in key markets, such as BMW’s National Women Who Pay It 4Ward Honors Brunch Series, The Road to ESSENCE Festival, and Howard University’s Alumni Homecoming Event. And, FAME Studios, a contemporary creative studio, is leading the way in print and digital media, producing millennial-driven content including its hallmark print and digital magazine, MADE Magazine TM . MADE Magazine TM has garnered attention from a flourishing community of millennials of color featuring entertainers including Gladys Knight, Spike lee, Sanaa Lathan, Brandy, Charlamagne Tha God, Keke Palmer, and Meagan Good to name a few. From the ill and discriminated to the silenced and underserved, Kris is passionate about empowerment through personal connections and stories. Her personal story is what led to founding her most recent venture, Chicago French Press (CFP). A coffee enthusiast, Kris has always wondered why she couldn’t have strong and flavorful coffee. Day in and day out, she diluted her strong roasts with sugar and creamers. Until finally, the entrepreneurial light bulb went off to make the change herself. In 2016, she found the solution: custom-roasted organic coffee flavored with natural fruits, nuts and chocolate. Beyond robust brews, CFP is “grinding for a cause.” O ffering nine flavors, each brew directly impacts: Gun Violence, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s Disease, Arts Education, Cancer, World Hunger, Veterans, Homelessness, and Mental Illnesses. From combating urban crime in her current city, Chicago, to finding a cure the Alzheimer's Disease that her maternal and paternal grandparents battled, CFP is a continuation of her work of meeting needs. When she’s not at work, you can find Kris at board Associate meetings for iMentor Chicago or teaching Entrepreneurship 101 at Fellowship Bible Academy. A member of Alpha Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and graduate of Howard University, her foundation for community involvement was laid early.

Rachel Bernier-Green is the o wner and head baker at ‘Laine’s Bake Shop, LLC. Rachel’s professional background is in the field of accounting and finance. She holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Finance and Accounting and a Master of Science degree in Taxation from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Rachel grew up creating delicious treats in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother and always dreamed of turning her passion into a business. She was a serial teenpreneur but one of her first businesses was selling her baked goods at a stand in her grandmother’s yard. Over the years, Rachel continued to hone her craft even as she pursued a career in the intense field of public accounting. In April, 201 3 Rachel decided to finally pursue her dream by creating ‘Laine’s Bake Shop, an online bakery catering company. ‘Laine’s Bake Shop was founded to create delicious, scratch made treats with a focus on creativity, honest ingredients, and unparalleled customer service. In the 5 years that ‘Laine’s has been in operation, they have had the pleasure to ship their creations nationwide and supply corporate clients including the Obama Foundation, Google, and McDonalds. 'Laine's now supplies products to Whole Food Market stores throughout the midwest and select Chicago Starbucks stores. ‘Laine’s is opening a retail location in Pullman in the fall of 2018 and is building out a production facility in the Woodlawn neighborhood. Rachel is an alumni of the prestigious Good Food Business Accelerator at 1871 and served as Director of Resource Development for the Chicago chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants.

Cate Costa is an entrepreneurship development professional with expertise in serving minority and female business owners. She is the Founder of Venture Catalyst Consulting and runs the award-winning New Venture Mentor and Startup Nomad blogs. She previously served as the Director of Entrepreneurship at the Chicago Urban League, where she oversaw the strategic direction, operations, and management of the Entrepreneurship Center, which serves more than 500 clients per year in the Chicagoland area. Cate has a decade of experience working both as an entrepreneur herself and with other entrepreneurs to help them build successful businesses. In addition to her work as an economic development professional serving entrepreneurs in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, she has experience in venture capital, startup consulting, and capital raising in the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. Previously, she spent 2 years exploring entrepreneurial ecosystems in Latin America and Spain, served as a business consultant at the Washington, D.C. Minority Business Center, and headed day to day operations at the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Howard University School of Business. Cate was appointed by the Governor of Illinois to the State of Illinois Business Enterprise Council for Minorities, Females, and Persons with Disabilities appointed by the Mayor of Chicago to the Chicago Task Force on Removing Barriers to Employment and Entrepreneurship; named one of the Chicago Heroes Project’s Heroes of Chicago; and named one of the Power 30 Under 30 by Porsche and the Apex Society. She serves on the WiSTEM Advisory Council at 1871 and on the Illinois SBDC Advisory Board. She is a coach/mentor for entrepreneurs in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program, at 1871, at Startup Weekend, and in the Points of Light Civic Accelerator and a visiting expert for the National League of Cities’ Equitable Economic Development Program. She has also spoken internationally about entrepreneurship development and startup strategy. Cate holds a Master’s of Business Administration from Howard University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Mount Holyoke College. She also received an Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Training Certificate through the Tuck Executive Education Program at Dartmouth. She is a lifetime member of the Beta Gamma Sigma honors society and the National Society of Hispanic MBAs

Sade Diké is the Principal Consultant at Proxy Global Source, a business development firm that specializes in risk mitigation and project management for small to mid-size companies seeking to scale domestically and/or globally into developing nations. She’s constructed deals for clients with JP Morgan Chase, Google, Toyota, Marriot and Hyatt Corporate, Major Education and Medical Institutions, and more. Ms. Dike is also the author of The Rubric: Motivating Strategies from High School through College. Since her books release she has aligned herself with The Princeton Review, BP America, My Brothers Keeper, Mr. Robbins Neighborhood, and more. Sade is a proud alumnus of Howard University, where she finished at the top of her class, graduating summa cum laude. During her undergraduate tenure, she studied in Egypt, China and Spain. Working with entities like the CIA, Goldman Sachs, the US House of Representatives, and Sidley Austin LLP where both of the Obamas worked. She then went on to attend the University of California San Diego as a distinctive Fellow of the Robertson Foundation for Government, with a focus in international business and Mandarin Chinese. Beyond business and books, Ms. Dike’s passion is to create art that uplifts through spoken word and public speaking.

As Managing Partner of Capaha Partners, LLC (“Capaha”), Eanes provides a focused and personalized approach to best practices, strategic business consulting, coaching and mentoring services to small and middle market companies. Capaha provides financial partners, investors and banks with loan origination, loan structuring, underwriting and credit presentation for investment consideration. For each Client, Capaha delivers success by developing and leading a hands-on approach with a lower cost delivery system to assist clients in telling “their” story in a language which is best suited for financing and capital growth. He has helped high growth Minority Business Enterprises with $1,000,000 and greater annual revenues as well as middle market companies with revenues as much as $100 Million achieve financing and operational goals. Eanes consistently matches financial institutions and other strategic financing sources, an effort to provide access where in some cases, none existed or barriers to financing were strong or impenetrable for minority businesses. This includes scaling financial resources and access to capital necessary for growth including: debt, equity, alternative resources, bonding and leases. In addition, he provides technical assistance in entering or further developing relationships in the capital markets. Eanes is a former manufacturing company owner, commercial banker and corporate finance professional. For more than 20 years, Eanes has cultivated numerous relationships primarily through his banking and business networks. Known to many through his determination to make a difference, he has helped many business owners, corporations and non-profits attain their goals. Eanes is a dynamic, results-oriented leader with a strong track record of performance in high-paced organizations, commercial banking, manufacturing, and turnaround situations. Eanes has been a clear voice for progress in financing and access to true capital. He has been instrumental in many volunteer and civic groups in southeastern Wisconsin and Chicagoland as a Board Member for organizations such as Inroads, the former Legacy Bank (now Seaway Bank), located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Make A Wish Foundation – Illinois

Fabian Elliott is a ‘Hybrid Entrepreneur’ as Co-Founder & CEO of Black Tech Mecca Inc. and an Advertising Technology Consultant at Google. In his ad-tech consulting capacity, he has worked with top tier clients like Amazon, Target, Best Buy, and others to better leverage their consumer data to drive their digital advertising strategies. Fabian’s bold vision for leveraging technology as a catalyst for black empowerment stirred him to play a key role in the revamp, revitalization, and rebrand of Google's black employee group in which he completed his term as inaugural appointed Global Co-Chair back in 2015. In this role, Fabian co-chaired the 10-person leadership team responsible for the 700+ membership across the company and the 14 chapters spanning the globe including London, Dublin, and Sao Paulo. The experience inspired Fabian to find a way to help build thriving black tech ecosystems in cities around the world, starting with Chicago. His organization, Black Tech Mecca, is the world’s only data driven think tank focused on the black tech community. They leverage data to help cities elevate the black community’s participation in local tech ecosystems through research, education and advocacy. BTM has developed a proprietary BTE City Assessment Framework and recently completed a report on the city of Chicago sponsored by Google, NBC-Comcast, and CompTIA. Fabian is recognized by Builtin Chicago as one of the Top 50 Tech Influencers to follow, 2016 Porsche Power 30 Under 30 in Technology, and serves as Co-Chair of Congressman Danny Davis Technology Advisory Committee. Outside of the tech world, Fabian is a member of the 100 Black Men of Chicago Inc.,, Economic Club of Chicago, and Governor appointed Illinois Bicentennial Commissioner.

Quentella Enty, MBA - Supplier Diversity Program Manager for the Chicago Urban League’s Center of Entrepreneurship & Innovation (CULCEI) Quentella, facilitates and instructs CULCEI Spring nextDeal Teaming and Procurement Program for Professional Service Firms and their Fall nextDeal Teaming and Procurement Program for Construction/Contracting Firms. She offers free business consultation and technical assistance to entrepreneurs. Also, she develops and facilitates the center’s Business Development workshops, which educate businesses on certification, procurement, green construction innovations, pitch coaching and access to capital. Last fall, CULCEI partnered with the Quad County Urban League (QCUL), in Aurora, IL to offer Entrepreneurship Workshops and Business Coaching Hours on Wednesdays. Quentella facilitates this initiative and most recently has served as a 2018 QCUL Women Empowerment Summit Committee Member and Co-Facilitated the event’s Pitch Perfect Competition with the Women Business Development Center.

Kyle E. Gardner started off his career working at Namasté Laboratories learning the consumer packaged goods sector from the inside out. Kyle started as an Operations Analyst before ending his six-year tenure as the Associate Director of Business Operations. While at Namasté, Kyle sourced packaging and contract manufacturing services for new items, worked to help establish the company’s satellite office and warehousing operation in South Africa and assisted with the due diligence and review process during the company’s eventual sale. After focusing on business operations and logistics for the first part of his career, Kyle branched out into Industrial Real Estate Brokerage with SVN Chicago in order to learn and practice entrepreneurial selling and marketing. Kyle won the Chicago Association of Realtors’ Silver Award for Industrial leasing units during his first full year and represented a local investor in the purchase of a $5.2 million investment property. Since having gained a broad array of both operations and sales experience, Kyle has been working with the PFG Group in helping the team find, manage and evaluate new investment opportunities. Kyle received his Bachelor’s of Science in Finance from Pepperdine University and is currently taking graduate courses at the University of Chicago.

Ashley Gates, known to friends as “AG” is passionate about people and small business. Ashley was a serial entrepreneur with more than 12 years of experience in small businesses. With businesses in the health and wellness industry, Ashley was able to align her passions to get people fit! A Middle Tennessee State University Alum, Ashley holds a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. Ashley also holds an MBA with a focus in Management and Entrepreneurship. Ashley loves the culinary arts, she is also a self-proclaimed Cinephile that loves to travel.

Amiel Harper is CEO and Founder of Morpheus Consulting and Assistant Director of the State of Illinois Central Management Services.

Frances Guichard Co-owner Gallery Guichard After 20 years of experience in government, Frances Guichard ventured into the art business with her husband and currently operates as Gallery Guichard’s business manager. With a keen attention to detail, Frances provides artful experiences to future visionaries and collectors. She specializes in aligning artists’ works with collectors looking for a specific piece. As a curator and moderator for the Bombay Sapphire’s Artisan Series, she is responsible for coordinating and judging over 3,000 submissions. Frances’s vast knowledge of art has drawn the attention of dignitaries worldwide. She’s the international bridge that inspires global talent and exposes local patrons to art from Senegal, South Africa, and the Caribbean Islands. Influenced by her travels and husband, Frances began painting in 2004 under the pseudonym Marlene Campbell.

: A graduate of the John Marshall Law School, Florence has been a successful business consultant for over 10 years. She has a Masters in Business Administration with a focus on Entrepreneurship from DePaul University and received a Bachelors in Business Administration from Howard University. She worked for the City of Chicago, DePaul University, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and had her own law practice before becoming the Chief Executive Officer for truCrowd Illinois, the first intrastate equity crowdfunding platform in Illinois. She is a partner in Swag-Savvy, a runners and race accessories company and The Tee Shirt Store, an entrepreneurship training and ecommerce platform. Florence is also the Senior Director for Business Services at the Far South Community Development Corporation where she helps provide new and existing entrepreneurs with the resources they need to start and grow their businesses. Florence has lived and studied in Chicago, Illinois, Washington, DC and Berlin, Germany. Business Information: truCrowd Illinois, Inc – il.trucrowd.com Located in the heart of the financial district of downtown Chicago, truCrowd Illinois is an equity crowdfunding portal operating under Intrastate Equity Crowdfunding Law and connects startups and emerging businesses with non-accredited and accredited investors. Built on the belief that not all businesses and investors are alike, we pride ourselves on delivering a personalized and professional funding experience through industry-leading technology. Our truCrowd team consists of ordinary people with extraordinary passion and experience. We have all dedicated ourselves to making truCrowd the most user-friendly equity crowdfunding portal for funding your startup or investing in startups. Our collective talent in finance, marketing, content and design form a powerful team committed to achieving and maintaining the #1 equity crowdfunding portal in America.

Kebreab Henry is the President and owner of Molior Inc., a project management consulting firm based in Chicago, IL. Kebreab has a B.B.A. in Management Information Systems, an M.B.A. with a focus in Global Management, and a M.S.P. in Urban and Regional Planning. He also holds the designation of a Project Management Professional (PMP) which is administered by the Project Management Institute. Kebreab has managed multiple projects for the major Tier 1 carriers throughout United States. He has managed new cell site development, construction and integration projects for Verizon Wireless, AT&T and Sprint while driving short lead times, reducing costs and maintaining and exceeding gross margin exepectations. Molior launched in May of 2015, and its first client was Central States Tower, a cell tower developer that constructs towers in partnerships with Verizon Wireless and AT&T throughout the United States. Molior continues to manage Central States Towers’ portfolios in the Midwestern and Southwestern markets. Molior’s most recent venture is signing an agreement with Nokia to manage a new cell site development program for Sprint in the Chicago and Central Illinois markets. Since launching in 2015, Molior has grown exponentially and projects to increase gross profits by 30% in 2018. Kebreab is a first-generation Jamaican-American and resides in Oak Park, IL with his lovely wife, daughter and son.

Christyn S. Henson is a creative economic and community development professional. Ms. Henson’s extensive experience includes work with community development organizations like Community Development Corporations and Chambers of Commerce to offer placed based consulting, Business Improvement District/Special Service Area management, commercial corridor management, technical assistance and capacity building for micro entrepreneurs and public space activation with special events. Her work has influenced multiple scales of growth, helping to spur entrepreneurial spirit, and community development. Her skills set is unmatched, as there are very few practitioners who do what she does: she creates the linkages between the business owners and the commercial corridors and communities the businesses reside in, even for digital or home-based businesses. Prior to launching her consultancy, she’s worked for Chicago Community Ventures, Chicago Urban League and Quad Communities Development Corporation (covering the areas of North Kenwood, Oakland, Grand Boulevard and Douglas) and created award winning, innovative initiatives (International Downtown Association Award, City of Chicago’s Make Way for People – People Spots on 47th Street; creator of Bronzeville Summer Nights, hosted by Quad Communities Development Corporation) Ms. Henson is active in community education and has conducted multiple trainings, workshops, seminars, and panels on business development, access to capital and social media for clients running single person operations to national organizations. Speaking engagements and appearances have included Opportunity Finance Network Conference, Chicago Urban League, WVON, LISC Chicago, LISC Milwaukee, Community Indicator Conference, National Main Street Conference, City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development. Currently, she is focused on building products within her consultancy for micro entrepreneurship development. This includes the Shop Forward initiative, a virtual and physical market place for vendors; Pop Forward is the training that these vendors need to receive to grow their businesses and make them sustainable; Procurie, a service for vendors seeking untraditional contract opportunities under $500,000. Additionally, clients seek her out for assistance in securing financing, both traditional and untraditional. She has secured over $10M in financing for small organizations (budgets under $1M) and leveraged additional capital to enhance the impact. Ms. Henson is a graduate of Northwestern University, receiving her bachelor degree in Sociology with a minor in African American Studies. Additional training includes LISC’s Business District Leadership Program, a customized training for commercial district managers based on the award winning CORO program. Ms. Henson has 2.5 children, Taurean, Imani and a bischon poodle named Wesley; she’s the marketing and communications co-chair for Northwestern University’s Black Alumni Association, a member of the Dearborn Realtist Board, member of Women in Planning and Development, has a Receivership Institute designation and aspires to become a real estate developer when she grows up. She also loves chocolate and Moving on Up Love Cork Screw Wine.

A passionate advocate for entrepreneurship, Hadassah Hickman founded Sitar Group to ensure startups reach and move beyond their fifth year anniversary. Hadassah leads the business consulting team, helping clients align their financial goals with their profit model and their core business values. She has helped to build profitable companies in a wide range of industries and has secured more than $50 million dollars in financing on behalf of clients.

Jamal is a businessman that just so happens to be an attorney. His love for business and entrepreneurship stems from his childhood years of watching his Mom open and operate a wedding planning business. This passion followed him throughout high school and college, prompting him to attend business school as an undergrad and enroll in a dual JD/MBA program. Flowing from his past employment in management consulting and industrial engineering, Jamal enjoys working with clients to help them fine-tune their business model and create operational efficiencies. In addition to practicing law, Jamal is an advocate of teaching others. As an Adjunct Professor at Creighton University’s School of Law, Jamal teaches an MBA-style legal course to third year law students entitled, “The Business of Law.” Through this course he teaches law students about the practical business side of the legal industry. Outside of the legal industry, Jamal loves giving back to the community and mentoring youth. One of his favorite quotes is by Ralph Waldo Emerson, which states, “To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” As a mentor and motivational speaker, Jamal has engaged in community service through his fraternity (Kappa Alpha Psi), the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, BuildOn, YearUp, GoodCity Chicago, and other community-based organizations

Jason William Johnson is the Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Chicago Urban League. In his role, he develops programming and provides strategic direction for an award-winning program that serves over 500 businesses annually. In FY 2017 the Center’s clients obtained 121 contracts worth $55,991,000 and created 80 new jobs. The Center also provided clients with over 750 hours of one on one counseling and 3943 hours of entrepreneurship training. Jason is a doctoral candidate in Organizational Leadership and holds a Masters in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. He is a subject matter expert in personality psychology and the CEO and Co-Founder of Konveau, an app that uses personality type and personal interests to help people connect at social gatherings. Publications such as Chicago Tribune Blue Sky Innovation, Chicago Inno, Technori and South Florida Business Journal have featured Konveau. Jason is also an alum of PowerMoves, the country’s largest accelerator for technology startup founders of color. Before Konveau, Jason founded Identity Engineers, a boutique branding and business strategy firm that operated in the Chicago Loop from 2010-2013. Jason is a Forbes.com contributor, was selected as one of Chicago Inno’s 50 on Fire for 2017, and a presenter at 2017 New Orleans Entrepreneurship Week. He also served as Educational Advisory Board Secretary for IAEOU, an online entrepreneurship incubator for small business owners in Chicago and Amman, Jordan. Jason was Central Regional Vice President for National Urban League Young Professionals’ (NULYP) from 2015 to 2017 and President of the Metropolitan Board of the Chicago Urban League from 2013 to 2015. In his spare time, Jason meditates twice a day, is an avid reader, and a YouTube junkie. He also enjoys dining, arts and culture, and travel.

As a Chicago-based entrepreneur, Technori CEO, and host of The Startup Showcase on WGN Radio; Scott Kitun has built a reputation as an industry leader in the areas of media and technology. Having led innovation efforts for dozens of companies, from enterprise to startup, Scott is focused on building Chicago into the most inclusive and diverse tech hub in the world. He is a graduate of Marquette University and holds two master's degrees from Northwestern University.

Larvetta believes, ‘Your personal energy feeds into your business.’ She lives by that as the CEO and Founder of the L3 Agency (formerly L3 Eventeurs), a full service marketing and communications agency focused on influencer marketing and delivering authentic content for brand engagement. For over 16 years, she and her company have been responsible for executing award winning marketing and branding campaigns for Verizon, Bacardi, Toyota, McDonald’s, CVS Pharmacy and The Chicago Community Trust, to name a few. While growing her agency, Larvetta has also built an incredible career as a content creator, brand marketing strategist, authentic speaker, media personality, master networker, community advocate, author and social entrepreneur. As a successful industry leader for over 20 years, she saw an opportunity to pivot her agency as a thought leader for women and millennials. She recently launched her own web series, We Rise. We Grind on Youtube for women of color in Chicago to pitch for capital. She serves on the board of directors of Brand Chicago and on the Chicago Leadership Team for Upward Women. Although she has received numerous awards for her personal achievements, she believes in a collaborative, relationship-based approach in her work. She also attended The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth on performing a High Performing Enterprise and participated in the Google Digital Business Cohort. In her free time, she mentors and empowers young women and girls on creating scalable businesses- Her motto ‘doing what you love with kindness, grace and excellence.’ For more info on her company, visit www.theL3agency.com and follow her socially at @larvettaspeaks.com Youtube@LarvettaSpeaksTV

Hector Martinez has over 15 years’ experience in small business lending/banking, business consulting and supplier diversity. Hector has held various leadership positions in the Twin Cities. Hector is the Vice President of Supplier Diversity at U.S. Bank where he and his team support the banks efforts in building a sustainable diverse procurement program. Previous to him joining U.S. Bank Hector worked at Xcel Energy the fourth largest public utility for 8 years. His unique role in Supply Chain and Supplier Diversity led to substantial gains in dollar spend and contracts awarded to diverse suppliers in the companies footprint. Hector also worked in the nonprofit sector where he was a Business Consultant at the Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA) and Loan Officer at Neighborhood Development Center/Western Initiatives for Neighborhood Development. Hector and U.S. Bank were recently recognized by the Women’s Business Development Center in Chicago and the NCMSDC in Minneapolis for developing Best In Class Supplier Diversity programs in the region. Hector was also recognized by the Minneapolis & St. Paul’s Business Journal as the Minority Business Advocate of the Year 2009 and in 2016 Hector earned the Circle Of Service Excellence award (COSE) an honor that celebrates the top 1% of bankers at U.S. Bank for their outstanding contributions to the organization. Hector has a Marketing and Business Administration under graduate degrees from Winona State University and he earned his MBA in 2014 from Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota where he currently resides.

Danielle Mitchell is an International Marketing Strategist and founder of Average Black Girl. At Average Black Girl, the mission is to create more black millionaires through marketing, web design, product management and securing partnerships. Connected with Average Black Girl is her partner brand called Melanin Business. Melanin Business is a free global business directory that is free to sign up, add a business and leave a review. Danielle is also a lifestyle and fashion blogger at www.DanielleAMitchell.com Danielle has previous experience with working with big box brands such as L’Oreal, Mizani, and Coca Cola working in sales and marketing departments. Her expertise lies in marketing strategies as well as vlogging, traveling, and seizing the moment to find partnerships in every opportunity

James Parker is currently the Program Manager in the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Chicago Urban League where he manages and oversees multiple programs centered on helping small business get started and grow. He is also what you would call a “Serial Entrepreneur.” He is an expert in starting and launching online businesses as well as helping others grow their businesses. He’s been featured in the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Fox News, NBC 5 News, Black Enterprise Magazine, Black MBA Magazine, New Vision Business Magazine, The Network Journal, and many others. He is a Who’s Who in Black Chicago Alum and was award the 25th Anniversary Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority award for Business. He’s also been invited to speak on talk radio and has often spoken at many different functions across the country including at Morehouse University on the future development of Black-owned businesses. He is the Founder of the Taking Your Business To the Next Level series and Co-Founder of the Chicago Woman Entrepreneur Conference Series which hosted training events for women entrepreneurs and anyone who wanted to start a business. The event would host hundreds of women and men in Chicago and would feature guest speakers such as Millionaire business woman Nadine Thompson, CEO/Founder of Soul Purpose, Maria Pinto, fashion designer to Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey, popular Radio Personality and WGN News host, Bioncee Fox, Entrepreneur, author, and Shark Tank Finalist, Nicole Jones-Wheatly, to name a few. James has often spoken on the importance of women-owned businesses throughout every community. He is the Founder and CEO of the next evolution in dating called BestDateNight.com. It is the first dating app for couples that creates fun, individual and interactive group dates for couples to have the best Date Night ever and strengthen their relationships. During his spare time, he develops apps for small business owners and consults small business owners on getting their idea to concept to completion. James was a military brat while growing up and traveled and lived throughout Europe where he embraced different cultures and at one point was fluent in German. He was born in Fairbanks, Alaska, lived in suburban Eagan, MN, and graduated from high school in Wiesbaden, Germany. He attended DeVry University where he studied Business Operations and also attended DePaul University where he studied Communications. James is married with a daughter in graduate school studying Psychology and two young sons who love math and technology. Between homework and WWE, his sons Cameron and Connor are in the process of developing their own gaming app set to launch next Summer. Two of his favorite quotes are: “Dream no small dreams, for they have no power to move the hearts of men.” “Your desire must be greater than your fear.

Entrepreneur, leader, motivator, radio personality and style icon are all words used to describe businessman Curtis R. Monday. He is refreshingly down-to-earth, yet undeniably set apart. From humble beginnings, Curtis has made millions - creating financial success for himself and members of his community. At 24, Curtis opened his first business, the Curtis R. Monday Insurance Agency, in Hazel Crest, Illinois. In September of 2015, Curtis expanded the business and opened a second location in Schererville, IN. The Curtis R. Monday Insurance Agency has consistently been among the Nation’s top performing State Farm Insurance agencies. Partnering with his wife and life partner (Myla-Ana) Curtis launched the Monday Investment Group in 2017. This residential redevelopment company acquires, renovates, sells and holds real estate across the country. Curtis’ work and investments are labors of love and commitment to promoting wealth creation and eradicating financial inequality within the African American community. Curtis is a giver who uses humor, humility and personal disclosure to inspire diverse audiences to embrace financial education and discipline. Curtis empowers people from all walks of life to develop wealth building strategies, through a holistic approach that embraces social consciousness and spiritual health. He created and hosted Dollars and Sense, an informative, weekly radio talk show that aired on Chicago’s WVON for over a decade. Curtis is true believer in “To those much is given, much is expected.” He gives back regularly by sharing insight and information through a variety of publicly accessible platforms including Empower Magazine, N’Digo, TBT News Service, and his personal blog The Monday Morning Perspective. Curtis has received numerous awards for his service, leadership, and business excellence including the Black Enterprise/Ariel Investment 40 Game-Changers Under 40, the Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Leader Under 40, and the Woodstock Institute’s Community Investment Award for his commitment to eradicating financial inequality within the minority community and promoting wealth creation. The Chicago Defender featured Curtis as one of their “50 Men of Excellence” in 2014. Monday’s relatable personal stories, intermixed with urban pop culture themes, images and elements create a fresh approach to conversations about personal finance, and have made him a modern-day pied piper for all things financial. He is particularly effective at teaching young adults how to get their financial houses in order. Curtis is a sought after speaker on entrepreneurship, financial freedom, and Christian leadership. His messages are universally relevant and his style resonates with audiences of all ages. Curtis holds a Bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University and an MBA from Illinois State University. He lives and works in Chicago and is married to Myla-Ana Monday. Follow him Facebook and Twitter @curtisrmonday.

Born and raised on Chicago's South Side, Jimmy Odom is a Chicago serial entrepreneur who also aids the region's non-profits in their pursit of constructive inclusive economic growth programs. Currently serving as the Director of Inclusive Entrpernueship with ChicagoNEXT, a unit within World Business Chicago, with the support of the Blackstone Charitable Foundation, Jimmy helps funds local non-profits developing programs to spur entrepreneurship across all areas of the city.

n 2010, Patrice founded Creative Genius Law®-- a business, new media and intellectual property law firm. CGL helps creative entrepreneurs and businesses protect their creative capital in order to expand their impact on communities and industries, preserve the legacy of their creations, and create generational wealth. Her clients include television personalities, best-selling authors, entrepreneurs, creative agencies, and corporate organizations. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Business Economics at Florida A&M University, she went on to obtain a Juris Doctor at DePaul University. She has been a guest instructor at DePaul College of Law; conducted legal clinics; and presented at numerous seminars and panels under the auspices of organizations such as the Chicago Urban League, Social Media Week, American Bar Association “TechShow”, School of the Art Institute, and Expo Chicago. She writes extensively about legal issues on her Creative Genius Law blog and is often called upon for expert commentary by media outlets such as NBC-TV5, Fortune magazine, Bloomberg TV, and WBEZ radio. Patrice is a member of the American Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Board of Directors for the Chicago Artists Coalition, as well as the Education Advisory Group.

With more than thirteen of experience leading entrepreneurs in supplier diversity and inclusion markets, Gerardo has championed tasks to instill sound teaming ventures, develop strategic business alliances, and ensure small diverse businesses benefit from diversity programs within corporations and government agencies. Gerardo currently leads the development of companywide strategies to increase U.S. Cellular’s economic impact on the communities it serves and represents through spend and use of diverse suppliers. Gerardo’s job functions include developing the infrastructure for the supplier diversity program through collaboration and partnership with key stakeholders and executive leadership teams. He is also tasked with creating and managing policies that ensure effective implementation, setting targets to track progress, creating systems for outreach and developing new sourcing avenues. Gerardo started his career in supplier diversity through the non-profit sector assisting small and diverse businesses by providing one-on-one technical assistance to businesses on marketing and business plan development, access to capital education, strategic positioning, government contracting, and diverse certification assistance. During his tenure as a business coach, Gerardo successfully assisted small and diverse businesses in obtaining more than $150 million in contracts awarded, creating more than 150 jobs and retaining 300 positions and secured more than $100 million in access to capital. This represents an increased number of successful and sustainable suppliers for government agencies and private corporations, resulting in greater competition, higher quality goods and a more diverse supply chain for our ever growing economy. Gerardo was most recently recognized as one of Chicago Scholars’ 2017 Top 35 Under 35 young leaders, he was also acknowledged as a Top 40 Under 40 awardee for Negocios Now Newspaper and has been named one of the Top Ten Lideres in the nation by Hispanic Executive Magazine. He is also a fellow with the U.S. Department of State’s Professional Fellows Program which allowed him to travel the world working with young entrepreneurs from all backgrounds. When he’s not empowering diverse communities through economic development and entrepreneurship, you can find him channeling his inner qi, one acupuncture needle at a time, challenging his eleven year old daughter to a dance battle or teaching her the importance of what “real” music is. He completed his M.S. degree in Oriental Medicine with a focus in Nutrition and holds degrees in English – Creative Writing and Philosophy from Southern Illinois University. He currently resides in Chicago’s ‘Cultural Capital’ neighborhood, Pilsen, with his daughter Mia Selene.

Monique K. Shelton is an Innovative Workforce Development Professional with over 8 years of experience serving The Chicagoland, Northwest Indiana, and DMV Metropolitan Area. Monique has served her community in various capacities including but not limited to Job Placement, Career/Life Skills Coaching, Post-Secondary Advising, Case Management, Recruitment, and Employer Engagement. Her specialties include in youth employment, re-entry, and special needs population programming and employment practices. She currently holds a Master’s Degree in Adult Education Leadership for Student Success from Walden University, and a Bachelor’s in Organizational Corporate Communication from Northern Illinois University. She is currently a Spring 2018 MBA Candidate for Concordia University, and a current member of The National Association of Workforce Development Professionals. Monique serves as The Senior Program Manager for The Chicago Urban League Workforce Development Center. She has been recognized for her volunteerism by being inducted into The Emerging Leadership Academy through Workforce Professionals Training Institute in New York, as well as Chicago’s 40 Under 40 Young Women’s Professional League. She has also received recognition for her efforts towards youth employment through the Chicago Jobs Council as a recipient of The Betty Willhoite Award. In addition, Ms. Shelton has been selected as an Ambassador for The Frontline Focus Training Institute in which Workforce Development Leaders are called to help shape and inform Workforce Development and Training Programs.

Marne graduated with a double major of marketing and journalism and understands what “top of the page” back when it was “top of the fold”. She has covered the gamut in marketing from doing marketing strategy for start-ups in incubators to operations at Groupon (pre- and post-IPO) to guerilla advertising for Fortune 500s. She loves helping people and company become better version of themselves especially if it involves SEO and Digital marketing and very much enjoys the high-energy of start-up and tech space. On the weekends she can be found ice climbing up a mountain, racing sailboats on Lake Michigan, running all year so she can eat her way through the city.

Damon Rawls is the Founder of DRC Business Consulting. Damon advises, educates, and brainstorms with his clients to produce practical results in the digital marketing space. Damon Rawls launched his first successful company in 1997. In the last decade he has started and served as partner in 2 other companies. One of his life principles is “those with blessed lives must give back”. He embodies the spirit of giving through the numerous civic organizations in which he is involved.

For over two decades, Jamie L. Rhee has championed good governance and accountability for the City of Chicago. As the Chief Procurement Officer, she is responsible for the management of the contracting of goods and services for dozens of user departments of the City of Chicago, and the certification of thousands of minority, women-owned, and disadvantaged business enterprises. Under her leadership, Rhee has transformed City procurement through increased transparency and innovation to ensure that vendors who earn City contracts are as diverse as Chicago itself. For instance, more than 20 programs and incentives have been developed to strengthen and streamline opportunities for Chicago's small, minority and women-owned businesses. Rhee received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University and a Juris Doctorate degree from the DePaul University School of Law.

After witnessing the struggle, and inconvenience he and many of his friends had to go through to get “African” foods, Boyede embarked on a journey to remedy this problem. This journey led to the creation of OjaExpress. Boyede and co-founder Fola Dada, seek to enhance the lives of African and Caribbean food lovers by making cultural foods easily accessible through the OjaExpress app/website. Boyede utilizes system thinking, a skill honed as an intensive care nurse, to address the issue of food access in many immigrant communities. Boyede Sobitan is the Co-founder and CEO of OjaExpress, an ondemand marketplace for cultural specific ethnic groceries. A Bronzeville resident, raised on the Northside, Boyede’s route to tech and entrepreneurship is very unlikely given his background. Boyede is a healthcare administrator. He graduated from the University of Illinois-Chicago’s College of Nursing with his BSN and School of Public Health with his Masters in Healthcare Administration (MHA). Boyede has a passion for mentoring, community development, and social responsibility. In addition to serving as the advisor and immediate past president for Nigerian American Professionals Association (NAPA), Boyede serves as a board member for the University of Illinois-Chicago MHA Advisory Board. Boyede is a member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. Boyede is a board certified Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Rendel is a Principal with Muller & Monroe Asset Management(M2),a Chicago-based private equity firm that has advised on over$1 billion of assets since inception. Prior to joining M²in 2008, Rendel worked as an entrepreneur in the media and entertainment industry in New Yorkand as an engineer at P&G in Cincinnati. Rendel obtained his BS in Electrical Engineering from Tulane University and his MBAfrom Columbia Business School. In June 2016, Rendelfounded the non-profit One Stock One FutureNFP to expand access and opportunity to one million underserved youth throughout Chicago and across the country by turning them into public company shareholders.He does this by teaching basic classes about stock then donating shares to each studentto give them a sense of Hope, Inspiration, Empowerment, and Opportunity.In July 2017, Rendelcreated League of Superwomen, a networking and panel series designed to showcase women entrepreneurs and to engage in a powerful discussion about entrepreneurship. These Superwomenshare their motivation, along with practical feedback, guidance, and advice for current and aspiring entrepreneurs. They also discuss how to address various entrepreneurial challenges including fear, risk, business planning, access to capital, sales, operations, customer acquisition, human resources, marketing, and succession planning.

Amanda Spann is a publicist turned app founder. She works with aspiring and emerging entrepreneurs daily through her consultancy Spann & Company where she provides brand building resources and programming. She previously was a co-founder of tiphub, an accelerator and innovation community for entrepreneurs in Africa and the African Diaspora. The Florida State and Georgetown grad has been honored as one of Business Insider’s 30 Most Important Women In Tech Under 30, BET’s Blacks on the Brink of Greatness, and as one of 5 future leaders in technology by Black Enterprise Magazine.

Your Relationship Manager is Lovetta Spencer based in Chicago. She joined US Bank in 2014, as senior relationship manager specializing within the not for profit sector. Lovetta has over 20 years of relationship manager experience assisting clients with new business services, client management services, and credit underwriting. Lovetta currently serves on the boards of Louis L. Valentin Boys & Girls Club of Chicago, Metro Achievement Center Advisory Board, and Chicago Urban League Impact Leadership Development Alumni Association Board. Lovetta graduated from Howard University in Washington D.C. with a degree in Business Administration Finance. She has completed the Chicago Urban League Impact Leadership Development Program sponsored by the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and the Menttium Momentum Leadership Program.

Thomas K.R. Stovall started his 1st business, www.KRucialCustomizing.com, in 2001 out of his college dorm room while attending Tennessee State University (TSU). He sold custom wheels and performance tires to students on campus and shipped product nationwide to online customers from California to New York. Thomas earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering with a Concentration in Computers from TSU in 2003. In early 2005, Thomas moved to Los Angeles to work with SCAH Investments, a real estate private equity investment firm. SCAH purchased, renovated and sold foreclosure and bank owned properties in San Bernardino, Riverside and LA counties. While working with SCAH, Thomas gained invaluable first-hand education about real estate and how decisions and money are made at the “monopoly board” level. He performed property research and valuation, executed pre-foreclosure deals, helped prepare presentations for multi-billion dollar investment firms SCAH approached for capital, purchased millions of dollars in properties on the foreclosure auction floor, watched how contractors renovating the homes were managed on the construction floor, and ultimately observed the process for completing the transactions at the closing table, upon sale to first-time homebuyers and investors. Thomas returned to Chicago and started Equity Enterprise Partners LLC (EEP) in October of 2006 with his savings of $3000. EEP focused on creating equity and rebuilding blue collar communities one home at a time, by purchasing and renovating undervalued properties in the Chicagoland area. EEP purchased a number of single and multi-family residential properties, and within 18 months, the new firm had generated seven figures of revenue. Thomas ran EEP until 2010, at which time he closed the doors of the business, and transitioned into technology. In 2013, Thomas was featured as an author expert in the area of Business Amplification in two best-selling books by best-selling authors Joel Comm (So, What Do You Do? – Discovering the Genius Next Door with One Simple Question), Nick Nanton, and internationally recognized marketing and business guru, Dan Kennedy (Stand Apart). Using business amplification and design thinking principles, Thomas facilitates 1 hour “Think Tanks” and “Own Your Narrative” trainings for large enterprises, educational institutions, impact organizations and associations under his “Think Like A Startup” (TLAS) brand. Thomas is currently the Founder and President of CANDID, the Leader in Microfeedback. Global organizations use CANDID’s microfeedback platform to integrate thousands of context specific, 1 question microsurveys into their physical brick and mortar locations on print collateral and digital screens, as well as into their online presence in video, ads and social media. CANDID's OmniGlance™ platform lets key stakeholders and executives on the local, regional and corporate levels crowd-source and monitor this microfeedback specific to any location, department, employee, event, initiative, etc, both internal and external, down to the second. In addition to being 1 of 7 Entrepreneurs in Residence leading the Google for Entrepreneurs / Code2040 tech diversity initiative in seven cities across the United States, Thomas is also the creator and leader of Chicago-based ImBlackInTech Membership Network, the Midwest’s largest membership organization for Black and Latinx Founders of emerging technology start-ups. ImBlackInTech hosts The Founders Series, which is the Midwest's largest quarterly technology panel for Founders of color. TFS panelists, who make up some of the top Black and Latinx Founders from all across the country, have raised and generated close to $200MM to date. When Thomas is not traveling or spending time with friends and family, he loves reading, and invests his time in mentoring and speaking to kids and young adults about passion, the importance of an intentional mindset, and simple, practical ways to shift their view about what’s possible for them in their lives, their families and their communities.

Chika Umeadi is the co-founder of tiphub, a firm specialized in supporting African and African Diaspora focused startups at the intersection of technology and impact. Since its inception in 2014, tiphub has engaged over 100 companies through programs, funding, mentorship, and technology assistance yielding to top partnerships with companies like the NBA, Uber, Google, and State Farm and $10 million USD raised by companies to date. While he’s not working with start-ups through tiphub, Chika heads project and product development at kohactive, a mobile and web development agency based in Chicago, Illinois. He also advises and supports Cornell Pharma, a pharmaceutical company based in New Jersey with operations in Nigeria and Kenya. Cornell Pharma’s mission is to bring cost-effective oncology and anti-infective therapeutics to underserved markets leveraging innovative manufacturing and delivery mechanisms. Chika received his MBA from the Kogod School of Business at American University and his Bachelor’s degree from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His personal interests include artificial intelligence, behavioral economics, data science, film, farming, music, and Arsenal.

Ben is the founder and CEO of Branded World, the author of GroundWork: The Foundation for an Unshakable Brand (available on Amazon) and host of The Brand Experience Podcast (available on Apple Podcasts). He is also a co-host of #LinkedInLocal Chicago.

Visionary, determined and fervent community advocate are just a few of the words often used to describe Jemar T. Ward. As a foster child, born in Peoria IL, and raised in Queens New York, Jemar defied the odds of succumbing to his environment or circumstances and has proven that determination; passion; mentorship and belief in oneself can result in transformative change and can be integral to an individual’s success. The aforementioned personal attributes coupled with the guidance and mentorship that he received, changed the trajectory of his life and remains integral to his continued personal and professional success. A firm believer in being the change that he wants to see in the world, Jemar leverages the knowledge and lessons of his personal experiences to making a meaningful difference in underserved communities and positively impacting the lives of young men through mentorship. Mr. Ward is the Director of Human Resources & Human Capital for the NYC Department of Education where he consults on strategic staffing methods, benefits, compensation, leave and training for the Special Education Office. Additionally, he has a couple entrepreneurial endeavors in ecommerce and hotel services. Prior to his current endeavors, Jemar served thousands of NYC residents through his contribution in Workforce Development; specifically helping disadvantaged populations (welfare recipients, opportunity youths, etc.) find employment and attain relevant career training. His love for his community and his desire to respond to the fierce urgency of now is evident in the level of passion, dedication and commitment that he exemplifies through varied volunteer community initiatives while being a strong voice through his work and leadership in various capacities. Jemar is an appointee to Community Board 11 in Manhattan (Public Safety & Transportation and Land Use & Landmark Preservation Committees), currently serving his second term as President of his Cooperative's Board of Directors, One Hundred Black Men of New York member, and Executive Vice President of the National Urban League Young Professionals. He has also been the recipient of numerous service awards and continuously challenges himself to embody the spirit of the NUL of “Empowering communities and changing lives.” Mr. Ward holds both a B.A. in Political Science, a Master’s in Public Administration from Binghamton University and globally certified as a Senior Human Resources Professional through the Society of Human Resources Management.

Shelley L. Whitehead is the Owner and Founder of LegalBee, LLC, a legal recruiting company that specializes in both contract and permanent attorney placements with law firms of all sizes, with an emphasis on making diverse and minority attorney placements. Shelley began her legal career at a mid-sized firm in New Orleans representing corporate clients in premises liability, employment law and insurance defense matters. While at the firm, she was also responsible for interviewing students at local area law schools for summer associate positions, piquing her interest in legal recruiting. She realized there was a need in the legal industry for law firms to have access to quality, cost-effective legal services that can be performed on an as-needed basis by an experienced attorney and started her first freelance practice in 2012. After moving back to her hometown of Chicago, the concept of her freelance practice was formed into LegalBee and subsequently expanded to include a network or "hive" of experienced freelance attorneys. To accommodate the demand for law firms wanting more permanent support, LegalBee's services expanded to include direct-hire attorney placements. Shelley received her law degree from Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and her B.S. in Marketing and Management from Iowa State University. She frequently speaks and writes on career, management, and diversity-related topics, as well as topics on entrepreneurship. She currently serves as co-host of the Black Esquire Podcast, the Young Lawyers Section Chair for the Cook County Bar Association and as Director of the BLOOM Ministry at Victory Apostolic Church, a mentoring ministry for girls ages 11-18 teaching charm, etiquette and how to blossom into well-rounded young ladies.

Daphne Williams is the founder and Executive Director of Smarty Pants Early Learning Center, an early learning and development center that provides innovative and exceptional early education to children and families throughout metro Chicago. Prior to founding Smarty Pants Early Learning Center, Daphne taught elementary school for seven years and served as school administrator for The Cambridge School of Chicago for two years. She studied Early Childhood Education, obtaining her Bachelor of Science of Tennessee State University with honors in 1999. She also has a Master of Science in Educational Administration from Governors State University. Daphne holds a valid teaching license for Pre-K-9 and school administration licensure for Illinois. Always embracing lifetime learning and professional development, she is a member of many professional organizations pertaining to child development. Daphne utilizes her diverse abilities, strong beliefs, and personal and professional experiences with children of all ages have allowed to ensure the positive well-being of today’s youth. She has expertise in Teacher Mentoring, Strategic Planning, Curriculum Development, and Team Building. Her expertise has led to 90% of Smarty Pants graduates acceptance into the selective enrollment schools in Chicago. Daphne has appeared as a subject matter expert on WVON radio, won many awards for her dedication to educating our youth and is hired to do several speaking engagements annually. In her spare time, she is an avid reader and does yoga three times a week. She is a educational trailblazer and someone you should know!

Senior International trade Specialist for Africa and the Middle East Office of International Trade and Investment (OTI), DCEO Initiate, plan and facilitate activities to help Illinois small and medium sized companies to export their products to Africa and the Middle East and promote FDI to Illinois from these regions. Give advice and information to the Illinois business community about foreign trade opportunities, financing arrangements, export-import regulations and a resource on the economic, political, cultural and business climate in these regions. Coordinate with trade organizations and associations, and chambers of commerce to promote trade. Plan, coordinate and manage trade missions and similar activities to promote exports and foreign direct investment to Illinois. Auditor Illinois Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services: Planned, coordinated, reviewed and evaluated the operation of a statewide desk and self audit program. Developed and conducted management studies on the efficiency and effectiveness of desk and self audit programs, applying state and federal policies, rules and regulations. Conducted self-audits, desk audits, field audits and re-audits of physicians, home health agencies and transportation companies. Met in formal and informal conferences with providers to resolve audit discrepancy findings. Conferred with Department lawyers to prepare for administrative hearings, resolve or explain audit discrepancies. Other positions held: Stock Broker, Chatfield Dean and Corporate Securities. Assistant Manager, Osco Drugs High School Teacher, Cameroon Master of Business Administration – Governors State University, Illinois Bachelor of Arts – University of Yaoundé, Cameroon & University of Avignon, France

Sherell Fuller offers 15 + years of corporate experience strategically growing business and achieving revenue objectives. Sherell does that by really understanding the customer needs, their market, and what it takes for them to stay relevant and exceed in their industry. Sherell has helped Fortune 500 companies achieve revenue and profitable growth by building cooperative working relationships, and removing barriers to accelerate the revenue objectives. Sherell has spent the last two years as the Director of Strategic Alliances with ChicagoMSDC. As the Strategic Alliances Director she continues to help major buying organizations realize the value of supplier diversity and sourcing minority business enterprises (MBE’s).

Greg Bush, Jr. is President and CEO of Kristine Fallon Associates, Inc., which specializes in information systems project management for the architecture, engineering, and construction (A/E/C) industry. Greg has more than 20 years of experience in computer software and support services. In addition to Web-Based Project Management (WBPM) system implementations for large A/E/C capital improvement programs and project management expertise, Greg has hands-on experience managing large scale IT systems. He was previously Manager of Information Systems for a national real estate relocation network where he developed online relocation management technologies. He also designed, implemented, and managed data center redundant web technologies for two internet-based companies. As CEO, Greg seeks to pursue innovative uses of information systems for the A/E/C industry, which is the core of KFA’s business. Additionally, Greg thrives on being an information technologist and has a passion for the power of data. According to Greg, data and its delivery by way of computer-generated visuals (virtual reality and augmented reality), automation, analytics and artificial intelligence/cognitive computing is the future. Greg plans to raise KFA to the next level by being an innovator of new uses and delivery methods of data for A/E/C and other types of industries around the globe. The Federal Highway Administration cited KFA’s work at the Chicago Transit Authority as an innovation that should be adopted by state Departments of Transportation. Greg likes to say that KFA “wrote the book” on how to properly implement WBPM systems. Since the CTA success in 2001, KFA has successfully implemented WBPM systems across the United States and has completed several projects in Ontario, Canada. Greg is most proud to have been part of the General Services Administration’s “ePM Rapid Deployment Team” which rolled out an electronic project management (ePM) system to manage and track funding for their Capital Program which utilized President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funding. Greg has a Bachelor’s of Science in Computer Science from Chicago State University, and a Master’s of Science in Information Technology from Kaplan University. Greg is a technology trainer and innovator, and has had the privilege of speaking at many industry conferences over the course of his career. Greg resides in the Chicago Southland with his wife and four children

Sheila Brown developed a desire for professional success early in life. She obtained her first job at age 15. Seven years later, Sheila began her career in broadcast television where she was fortunate enough to work alongside the Chicago Bulls during their six championship seasons. At age 26, she became the youngest person appointed to the broadcast advisory board for a professional sporting league – the NBA. A year later, Sheila founded Freedom Entertainment, Inc. where she continued to exceed expectations and follow an unwavering path to excellence for 20 years. Sheila has enjoyed a diverse career in broadcast television, event management, and marketing/public relations, working with some of the country’s most recognizable companies and brands, including the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Baseball (MLB), TNT, ESPN, Proctor and Gamble/Gillette and Motown Records. After spending several years traveling the country producing live television broadcasts, Sheila began consulting with Chicago area healthcare clients such as Northwestern Memorial Hospital (along with several of their community fundraising organizations), The University of Chicago Medicine, and Advocate Health Care. Through this work, Sheila expanded her reach by working on healthcare related news stories and broadcast programming with People Magazine, ABC News, MSNBC, Lifetime Television, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Sheila’s current role as Executive Director of the CineCares Foundation at Cinespace Chicago Film Studios allows her to combine her many years of working in entertainment with her years of working with charitable foundations to now lead CineCares’ organizational strategy and vision, fundraising, external relations, and board engagement. Sheila is a focused and disciplined communicator whose commitment to excellence ensures maximum results. In her spare time, she enjoys working on causes that focus on achieving better health outcomes in the African American community and empowering young women to achieve both personal and professional success. Sheila is an alumna of Columbia College in Chicago, where she studied Marketing Communications.

Allyson Scrutchens is a trailblazer for economic development and empowering others by providing access to information, resources and opportunities. Growing up on the south side of Chicago, the need and dedication to making a difference in society became extremely pertinent. She received a Masters of Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Illinois at Chicago and holds a Bachelor’s degree in SocialWork (BSW) from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. She is currently the Founder and CEO of Forward Planning, Creator of the Everyday Entrepreneur Brand, Executive Producer of #WhereIsBeauty Film, and Author of How to Be an Entrepreneur 101.

Khristopher Shavers is the owner of Unbeatable Eatables and a proud father of 3 beautiful daughters. At the time he purchased Unbeatable Eatables it was a staple of the community for over 30 years. Khris worked in his first restaurant at age 15 and continued in this field well into his 20’s. Around that time is when he fell in love with the restaurant industry. As a child Khris had the entrepreneur spirit when him and his best friend started a lawn mowing business together. That spirit took him into several other businesses over the years, like a wholesale auto dealership, trucking company, and real-estate to name a few. But none were as close to his heart as the food industry. Not long after the purchase of Unbeatable Eatables is when he began taking the steps to grow the business. The route he chose was growth through franchising. So after over 3 decades of success Khris made Unbeatable Eatables available through franchising. His plan is to make it a national brand like the other sandwich shops of the world but much better! But when Khris isn't selling his sandwiches or speaking with franchise prospects he is spending time with his children, riding his bicycle, and taking walks on the lake. If you would like to contact him he can be reached at khris@unbeatableeatables.net.

Known as the “maximizer,” Monika Black is sought after for her ability to help people and organizations reach their absolute fullest brilliance. She is a psychologist and certified coach with a masterful skill for illuminating strategies and building systems that have very real and transformative impacts. At DyMynd, a boutique financial empowerment firm, she has fueled the development of the DyMynd Financial Identity Profile, alignment of DyMynd's programs, and co-created the DyMynd Angels initiative. DyMynd Angels is the only female-led and focused angel investing initiative in Chicago, creating a world in which all women can invest. Monika is also the Strategic Catalyst at TandemSpring, an Executive Leadership Development firm that she runs with her better half, Tomer Yogev. Together, they co-authored Unlock The Corporate Mindset and coach leading entrepreneurs and innovative businesses to reach their next level. Working with Monika is about going in, finding your individual truth, distilling it, and ensuring that everything you do, every day, in all things is imbued with your truest essence. When working with Monika nothing but the very pinnacle of performance, accountability, and truth is achieved and maintained. Previously, Monika was a top-rated high jumper for which she was a Medal of Honor recipient, four-time All-American, and three-time captain of the University of Michigan women’s track team. Monika Black has earned master’s degrees in clinical psychology and health administration at Ohio State University, and a doctorate in community psychology at DePaul University. Monika

Stephen Mitchell was born in Atlanta, Georgia on July 23, 1972. After graduating from High School, Mr. Mitchell went on to Florida A&M University. Mr. Mitchell graduated from Florida A&M University in 1994 with his B.S. in Business Economics (magna cum laude) and received his M.A.S.S. in 1995 Stephen is president of The Stephen Mitchell Law Group, PC, which is one of Chicago’s Premier Personal Injury Law Firms. The firm represents individuals and their families in personal injury and wrongful death cases. Mr. Mitchell has handled cases in federal and state court and has obtained very successful results for his clients. In 2013, Mr. Mitchell became the founding President of the Bronzeville Neighborhood Collaborative (BNC). The BNC is a community based organization whose mission is to work together and harness the power of ALL to build the quality of life in Bronzeville. In the spring of 2017, Mr. Mitchell was appointed as the Father’s Auxiliary Chair of the Chicago Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. He was also recently recognized as a Pillar of the Bronzeville Community by Andre and Frances Guichard, the Mayor and First Lady of Bronzeville. Stephen is also a prominent collector of African American Fine Art with hundreds of pieces in his personal collection and is co-owner of Gallery Guichard, one of the nation’s most prominent art galleries.

Antwoine Flowers PhD is a Data Scientist in the Asset Management industry leveraging machine learning tools to create data driven strategies. He earned his Doctorate in Neuroscience from the University of South Florida where he leveraged the latest in Big Data methods to uncover the relationship between brain aging and diseases like Alzheimer’s disease. He’s active in his community supporting organizations that aim to bring stem exposure to underprivileged youth. He currently serves as Research Lead for the Sleeping Giants Initiative a multi-year study investigating ways to leverage cultural influences in stem education.

Robert Blackwell Jr. is a father and entrepreneur that lives in Chicago, IL who enjoys history, economics and helping people realize their dreams through entrepreneurial endeavors. Starting at IBM in 1981, Blackwell began his long career in building innovative systems that improve business operations. With a passion for entrepreneurship, he went on to found several Chicago-based companies, including Urban Fishing Development, Bytewise International and Blackwell Consulting Services. For several years Robert was a trader specializing in creating and executing trading strategies. Robert currently runs two companies: EKI-Digital, a digital strategy and application platform management company that helps organizations turn IT into $ by implementing Lean Digital Experience Ecosystems that create compelling customer experiences and efficient modernized work. The result is usually faster time to market at 10-25% lower operating costs. Killerspin is the world's only company that creates physical ecosystems of connectivity through play as a service. Killerspin connects people to their families/friends/customers/employees through highly designed table tennis equipment and experiences. Killerspin create the media and luxury category for table tennis. The Killerspin Revolution SVR is the #1 selling high end table tennis series in the world and Killerspin table tennis content has been view by over 30M people. Robert has and continues to serve on several boards.

John is a business development professional with over 25 years of diverse business experience in growing start-ups and mature companies in the telecommunications, technology, wireless, app and apparel industries. He has excelled in a variety of roles from sales and marketing to operations and finance. He is an outstanding communicator adapt at building and developing powerful relationships with stakeholders to advance objectives and accomplish goals. Over the last 25 years, John has worked with senior management teams to grow companies and execute exit plans that ranged from IPO’s to private sells. John is experienced with developing and empowering talent to drive successful company cultures and results that exceed expectations, while giving-back to the communities that he serves. Currently, John is a Management & Marketing Consultant. John collaborates with founders and senior management professionals to evaluate, define and implement strategies to grow topline and bottom line results. The methodology is focused on three key areas of focus-People, Process and Product. Engagements range from re-engineering business models, building marketing and sales plans to right-sizing talent as well as implementing systems and technologies to streamline processes and accelerate results. Finally, John served his community by participating as an Auxiliary and Governing Board Member of UCAN Chicago over the last 10 years. The organization serves 13,000+ disenfranchised youth in the Chicagoland area with a belief that “Children that have suffered trauma can be our future leaders.” He has also served as a governing board member of the Chicago Christian Industrial League (CCIL) and successfully assisted in managing the merger of CCIL and The Safe Haven organization. John graduated from the University of Illinois in 1992 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Communications. John lives in Northwest Indiana with his wife Tracy and their four sons, Maxwell, Grayson, Walker and Landon.

CARL WEST is the Chairman and CEO of MG Media, a global marketing and publishing firm founded in 1998. As publisher, MG Media is parent company to The TRUTH magazine, and producer of The TRUTH Awards, both created in 2000 to identify, profile and showcase the innovative, prolific trailblazers in Chicago’s entertainment and business communities. For more than 15 years, Carl has been recognized by numerous organizations for his committed work in the hip hop culture, and educating aspiring artists to the relevance of being community advocates, voter registration and entrepreneurship. Developing a rigorous curriculum, he taught ‘The Business of Hip Hop Culture’ at Olive Harvey and Malcolm X Colleges – and furthers his mission to harvest the next generation of thinkers, teaching leadership classes at Chicago State University. A distinguished journalist and successful entrepreneur, Carl’s unique voice was enlisted by Citizen Newspaper publisher, Bill Garth, to contribute articles on hip hop culture and climate – with a goal of introducing the daily publication to a younger audience. Within five years, his feature stories helped the newspaper increase market share and circulation by more than 20%, expanding its audience and advertising base. Mr. West sits on the board of various organizations, including the Negro Baseball Academy, South Side Federal Credit Union and TRUTH 4 Literacy Foundation. In 2009, he was inducted into Chicago Vocational High School Hall of Fame, and has been recognized by Chicago’s Who’s Who for two consecutive years (’10& ‘12). In addition to regularly participating in Real Men Read and “Principal for a Day initiatives”, Carl volunteers for several non-profit organizations, including YMCA Black, Hispanic Achievers Program, and South Central Community Services. Carl founded TRUTH 4 Literacy, an after school mentoring program for at-risk youth that partners with public schools and community groups to teach reading, writing, communications skills and leadership development. A thoughtful writer, Carl has interviewed countless local and national personalities, including: R. Kelly, Kanye West, Common, Desiree Rogers, Andrea Zopp, Jennifer Hudson, plus Chicago city council Aldermen Lyle, Burnett, Brookins, Jackson, and Pat Dowell. He’s also profiled Congressmen Jackson, Rush and former county board president, Todd Stroger. An authentic reporter, Carl believes in human interest stories – those that dig deep, allowing readers to understand and better know the person and subject matter, not just the image. He understands that everyone has a story, and those stories need to be told to inspire, motivate and educate readers. Carl believes readers must connect with the reporter’s perspective, and works to include the essential ingredients of hope and faith in every article. After publishing The TRUTH magazine for nearly ten years, Carl has entered the online media space, developing a digital footprint and platform. In April 2010, TRUTH B Told News Service (TBTNewsService.com) was launched to engage the next generation of leaders. The online media venture has been received with overwhelming support and accolades. Today, the news service has over 50,000 subscribers, who continue to ask for more.

Lashonda Crockett holds a Master Degree in Health, A Colon Therapist and went to school to become an expert in Tea. She is an entrepreneur who doesn’t mind sharing the secrets of better health and vitality. Her message of tasty tea overflowing with health benefits has been well received by her audience that spans across the country. Lashonda's expertise stems from her childhood upbringing. From a young age, she witnessed relatives deal with various illnesses and conditions. This ignited a curiosity in the human body, leading her to pursue a career in health. Following much success as a medical professional. She was a victim of Domestic Violence. She had begun to have Stomach pain, Diarrhea, Nausea, with occasional vomiting. This was stressed induced and made her extremely ill. Later to be diagnosed with IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome). She was tired of medications and wanted a more natural solution. Her researches yield multiple tea concoctions that began by custom blending teas and her first tea was the Instant Colonic Detox Tea that rid her of all IBS symptoms. She began to sell to her family members and friends and Pennie’s Tea was born. Pennie’s Tea works directly with the Crisis Center for Women in Domestic Violence. She want to continue to help other women find their passion and strength like she did through her teas. She’s helping and healing one sip at a time. Lashonda launched Pennie’s Tea to continue her story and legacy of helping others to live well and with no limits. "My message is in my tea. It encourages people to explore and embrace a delicious holistic approach to health and wellness … healing and repairing from the inside out.”

Shandra Richardson is the Managing Director of Development and Communications for Sunshine Enterprises, a non-profit organization focused on spurring economic development through supporting locally based entrepreneurs throughout Chicago. Her role includes directing fundraising initiatives, grant writing, and strategically developing partnerships between Sunshine’s entrepreneurs and anchor institutions and organizations for the purpose of cultivating an inclusive economy. Prior to joining Sunshine, Shandra served as a Reporting Analyst for Chicago Housing Authority’s Section 8 program. She has also served as an Account Manager for Cook Ross, a diversity and organizational development firm based in the DC region. During her time at the firm, she managed accounts of several corporations and helped the team implement training around unconscious bias, cultural competency and inclusive leadership. She has a background in urban development with a specific focus in housing. Shandra serves as a committee member for Elevated Chicago and also serves as the Director of Mentor Training and Development for Ladies of Virtue, a citywide based mentoring program. Richardson has earned a M.A in Urban Affairs from Boston University and a B.A in Political Science from Northeastern University.

Gerard Mitchell is the President of Bridge Street Foods (BSF), and is a subject matter expert in retail distribution as well. With over 25 years in the industry, Gerard has the experience, network and quality focus to be your primary conduit between manufacturers and customers. BSF is a Nationally Certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) within the Bakery Goods Category. Most items are “clean” label. The firm is nationally certified by the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council (Chicago MSDC). BSF specializes in the Biscuits, Breads - Buns, Breakfast Bowls, Croutons, English Muffins, Frozen Pasta, Oyster Crackers, Pizza, etc., segments. Our production facilities have the highest GMP standards.

As a sought-after veteran marketing strategist and consultant, Raquel Graham Crayton has a successful track record in marketing strategy, branding, partnerships and sponsorships and event management. Her enterprising business acumen, in combination with her dynamic and engaging communication skills, has made her the go-to person in the industry. Raquel is well respected by her colleagues as a tenacious player with action-oriented leadership style. Raquel had a successful track record with helping corporate companies build their brands, but her biggest accomplishment was in creating her own - as an entrepreneur. In 2014, she started her own business, ROQ Innovation, a product innovation company that develops problems-solving solutions that aim to make life a little easier. That year, she developed and launched NEKZ™, a scarf alternative that she created for her children since they refused to wear scarves. The NEKZ™ line quickly expanded to include men and women. NEKZ™ launched on HSN (Home Shopping Network) in November 2016, selling out in under an hour of airtime. NEKZ™ was also selected as one of the top launches on The Grommet's product launch platform and can be found at 40 Top NCAA colleges in team colors. Raquel was also a featured nominee on Martha Stewart's "American Made" for the product, which spotlights the next generation of entrepreneurs. Raquel's second invention, HEADLIGHTZ™, had a very successful debut in November 2017, selling out on HSN during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. HEADLIGHTZ™ is a rechargeable LED winter beanie that is perfect for outdoor running, walking the dog and many practical and safety uses for hands-free lighting. Raquel has big plans for the future by creating many more innovative products that span consumer categories. Prior to ROQ Innovation, Raquel to start her own marketing company, ROQ Marketing Group in 2009. The company offered strategic marketing solutions to corporations looking to develop their reach and brand awareness. She served as one of the executive producers of the 2010 McDonald’s 365Black Awards and aired on the TVOne network. Raquel was an integral player in winning the business and secured the initial media partnership to air the event nationwide. She also led all strategy - including media planning, digital strategy, creative development and event execution. Occasionally she will offer her services to companies with unique marketing needs. In 2016, she produced 150 marketing videos for Honey Can Do - an international company that manufactures organization and storage solutions. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, she moved to Chicago and joined Johnson Publishing Company where she served as vice president, national marketing director for seven years. In this role, she also facilitated multiple strategic partnerships that made a tremendous impact on advertising revenue. One of her most significant achievements was spearheading and negotiating EBONY’s first media partnership to expand the publication’s reach. Known for creating strategic alliances - she also forged partnerships for the publication with the NFL, Anheuser-Busch, Procter & Gamble, Chrysler and Clorox during her tenure. In 2009, Raquel earned her MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management while working full-time and having her second baby. She also holds a B.A. in history with an economics minor from Wesleyan University.