Leadership has been a passion for Serita Love since a young age, spurred by the loss of her mother at just nine years old. Her drive to become a leader only grew stronger with time. Her remarkable leadership skills earned her a Chicago Urban League award and the class notable of "Most Likely to Succeed" as Class President in high school in 2002.

Serita is now the proud founder of Success Junkie – an achievement lifestyle brand that offers tools and resources to boost upward social mobility. With over 17 years of experience in experiential and guerrilla marketing, she has been able to work alongside Fortune 500 companies including Starbucks, Proctor & Gamble, and Safeway, Inc.

Serita's goal is to help 1,000s of youth and high achieving professionals attain their personal and professional goals and she uses personal branding, marketing, and success strategies to help them push beyond their perceived barriers.
 

As a Success Matchmaker, Serita exclusively works with socially enterprising professionals to create powerful, impactful, and profitable brands and businesses. She is passionate about engaging with urban youth, and can be found facilitating leadership workshops for organizations like After School Matters and Future Founders, as well as fundraising for teens.

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During the pandemic, Serita presented her first TEDx talk with Rush Medical Center titled, "The Success of Trauma: How Challenges Make Champions."

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Serita has been honored with numerous accolades, including the 40 under 40 Young Women's Professional's League award, Chicago Scholars 35 under 35 award, and The Black Women's Expo Phenomenal Woman Award. She is a proud Rotarian, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and has served on the Chicago Board of The Gathering Spot and the Chicago Scholars Alumni Leadership Association Board. In 2022, she was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Volunteer Service Award by the United States White House.

Vic Mensa, Grammy Award-nominated, multi-platinum selling rapper and Chicago native has been making his mark by being unapologetically himself for the better part of the last decade. Over the years, the multihyphenate has used his platform to speak on issues both narrow and broad, unafraid to voice his opinion. As he nears his second album, he possesses the brash boldness of his youth albeit with a refined understanding of the world. 

Since he was young, music has served as a creative outlet and a vehicle for progressive ideals. As far back as a high school student, Mensa was acutely aware of two things: stages, studios and the intersection music and politics have in his hometown. He’s supported teachers’ unions, spoken out against police violence and led protests – his boots firmly on the ground from day one.

From front man of a high school band that broke through to the dance and electronic stylings of his early work, to the gritty, dark undertones of his releases from 2017 onward, Mensa has explored a wide array of sounds, genres and expressions that are packaged into the multidimensional artist he is today.
 

2020 and 2021 saw Mensa’s artistic side grow immensely as well with the release of his highly personal V Tape & I Tape. Following a whirlwind beginning to his career, including North American and European tours, signing to Roc Nation, performing alongside Sia and Kanye West on Saturday Night Live and more, Mensa found himself exploring music for a meaningful tone. He found that in the themes of redemption. 

The thesis of his upcoming project, VICTOR LP is centered on one of its songs, “Law of Karma”. It represents a belief that the only way for upward movement is inward reflection. Long his biggest critic, Mensa has grown up between projects, finding himself more of a homebody, more focused than before and aided by the 20/20 perspective that hindsight allows. The video for the lead single “Strawberry Louis Vuitton“ features a skydiving guitar solo that won’t soon be forgotten. The single was inspired by a fellow Chicago legend, Virgil Abloh. 

Following in Abloh’s footsteps, Mensa has similarly grown the reach from his hometown. Teaming up with close friend and fellow artist, Chance The Rapper, the pair produced the Black Star Line Festival in Accra, Ghana in the Fall of 2022. The free event featured the pair along with Erykah Badu, Tobe Nwigwe and more and attracted over 52,000 fans. The festival was a rousing success covered by the likes of BET, MTV and more. 

In 2017, he founded the SaveMoneySaveLife Foundation that has made advocating for the fellow man a central tenet of its operation. In the years since, SMSL has produced other programs like Street Medix that empowers young Chicagoans to learn basic EMT and triage skills. Mensa has also put his weight behind Books Before Bars, a nonprofit providing Illinois prisons so far with over 1000 books, reaching individuals in 57 facilities across the US.

Mensa also founded 93Boyz, the state’s first and, so far, only Black-owned cannabis brand. Mensa’s brand’s mission is to use a portion of profits to fund initiatives benefiting the communities that have traditionally been disproportionately affected by cannabis laws. 

At this point in life, Vic Mensa has circled the world several times over off the strength of his talent. The latest chapter he’s writing, however, is a more carefully nuanced understanding of life. Manifesting in daily actions, big stage performances and everything in between, there’s one thing Mensa will always be: unapologetically himself. 

The Black Bread Company proudly stands as the first black-owned sliced bread company, dedicated to delivering premium sliced bread and beyond. Founded by visionary Mark Edmond, who serves as the CEO, this groundbreaking venture was born out of a desire to support black-owned businesses. While in a grocery store, Mark realized that the first item on his list, sliced bread, lacked any black founders. Determined to make a change, he called his friend and Co-Founder (President), Jamel Lewis, and from there the Black Bread Company was born. 

Within just a month of its original launch in February 2021, The Black Bread Company gained significant recognition by being featured on the Ellen show. This early success propelled the company into the spotlight, and within its first year, it achieved a remarkable valuation of over $51 million.

The Black Bread Company's products can be found in select Target store locations in the Midwest and Mariano's (Kroger) in the Chicagoland area. As the company continues to grow, it remains committed to its core values of family, community, and strength.

With a passion for excellence and a mission to empower black entrepreneurs, The Black Bread Company is redefining the bread industry. Join us on this extraordinary journey as we strive to make a difference, one slice at a time.

Visit Blackbreadco.com to learn more. 

Leon began his career as a stand-up comedian in the mid-1990s. Also known  as "The Destined Legend," Leon is a comedian who has toured the country  and abroad. He has been featured on several popular comedy shows,  including: Showtime at the Apollo (4week winner), BET's Comic View, BET's  One Mic Stand, P. Diddy's Bad Boys of Comedy, Jamie Foxx's Laffapalooza,  Cedric the Entertainer's Starting Lineup, and Bill Bellamy's Who's Got Jokes. Leon is now the host of his own night time talk show “Later with Leon” on Fox Soul. In 2008, Leon was selected as a spokesperson for the EA Sports video game,  Madden NFL 2009. His sports fervor was also heard on the airwaves back in  2005 during his two-year stint as co-host of the sports talk radio show,  "Sports Unplugged," with ESPN writer Scoop Jackson and college basketball  analyst Steve Bardo. Leon is a steadfast mentor in the city of Chicago  speaking to numerous students, adults, and organizations and is firmly  entrenched in his community.

Joshua is an extraordinary entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience spanning multiple industries. With the power of positive influence, Joshua’s experiences have led him to generate community wealth and become the finest example of an illuminating energy that will continue shining for many generations. Joshua recognizes the importance of establishing durable relationships through his brand consulting company, Image Is Everything. Image is Everything represents the idea that once realized, images have a purpose behind the visual. An image may be “Everything” but it is the machine of dedication, discipline, and momentum that will complete “The Big Picture”.

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With the success of his branding company Joshua was approached by the tech industry with lucrative partnership deals. In 2014 he became Head of Strategic Partnerships for the tech company called Hang/W which was owned by 50 Cent and Timbaland. Before Instagram Live, there was Hang w/ – the first app to allow users to Hang w/ their favorite people in live real-time. During his tenure, Joshua grew the platform to over 5 million users.

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After the success of Hang/W Joshua became the CEO of “Hip Hop Emojis” which was the first in the market to offer celebrity stickers and emojis as text messages. Hip Hop Emojis was the #4 most downloaded app in the first 60 days of the app’s release. Joshua later developed the fin-tech app, MyPay Circle which was acknowledged by Pepperdine University as the Most Fundable Company.

Currently, Joshua is part of the senior leadership team at Space Continuum, the largest black-owned Interior design firm in the Midwest. As VP, of Operations, Joshua Johnson is responsible for digital marketing, strategic and new business development in the growing markets for MBE procurement. Since 2021, Joshua has garnered over $40M in multiple-year contracts in the public and private sectors. He also started his own production company and is working on two historical documentaries about Leaders 1354 and Coach Al Scott from Simeon High School.

Joshua holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. Joshua has also attended courses at Dartmouth University Tuck School of Business and Harvard Executive Business School. He currently teaches Entrepreneur Insight and Management to young adults as an adjunct teacher in the Chicago Public School system. He is a published author and contributor to many local small business entrepreneur organizations.

Darnell Johnson is the CEO and President of Urban Efficiency Group (UEG), Illinois’ first native, minority-owned utility implementation and sustainability design firm. Darnell served in the United States Army for nine years and began his formal education at Central Texas College majoring in Urban Planning, while on active duty. Darnell graduated from Moody Bible Institute with a Bachelors in Theology and a minor in counseling. 

His industry specific credentials include but are not limited to; BPI- Building Analyst, Building Envelope, Infiltration Duct Leakage, Energy Auditor, Quality Control Inspector, Healthy Home Evaluator, RESNET Rater, EcoDistrict Accredited Professional, and DEI Certified Professional (Cornell University). 

Darnell is a spirtitual and sustainability architect, with over two decades of entrepreneurial, social science, and sustainability experience. His commitment to engineering solutions that humanizes sustainability for BIPOC communities and advancing energy equity is fundamental to all of his work. Darnell and Urban Efficiency Group have assisted thousands of underserved residents across Northwest Indiana, the greater Chicagoland and Milwaukee Wisconsin reduce their energy burden by delivering energy efficiency and community sustainability services, while working toward carbon neutrality. 

He believes that diversity brings strength, inlusion is indicative of an acceptacne that is essential to growth, and equity is a human right that should be embraced as the standard and not an exception. By pragmatically implementing these beliefs systemic change would be the resolve and “Stronger Together” would become a reality. 

Steven Shaw is the Community Engagement Director at Verizon.  This Community Engagement role includes developing partnerships, funding programs and speaking at events on the issues of digital inclusion, particularly STEM education, and economic mobility, specifically tech workforce training, small business development and tech entrepreneurship.  A partnership that Steven co-founded with P33 and funds is call TechRise, which provides early-stage funding and other support for diverse tech entrepreneurs. 

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Prior to Verizon, Steven served as the Deputy Chief of Staff to Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle, focusing on Economic Development, Information Technology and External Engagement.  Before working for the County, Steven was an Associate Principal at Civic Consulting Alliance, where Cook County and the City Colleges of Chicago were his clients.  Steven has held additional government leadership roles as a Senior Advisor at the IL Dept of Human Services and managing an affordable housing development portfolio at the Chicago Housing Authority; he began his career as a Strategy & Operations Business Analyst at Deloitte Consulting.

Civically, Steven is currently on the boards of The People’s Music School and Social Responsibility Chicago, and is a Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.  Steven earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, in Economics from Morehouse College, and a Master in Public Administration degree, with a focus on nonprofits and social enterprise, from the Harvard Kennedy School.

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Ro'Shunda & Calvin Russell are a dynamic entrepreneurial duo with a journey that began as high school sweethearts at Michelle Clark Highschool in Chicago. Married for 13 years, they've transformed their youthful connection into a powerhouse partnership that has spanned over a decade of impactful entrepreneurship.

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Monetizing their influence has been their forte, as they've honed their skills as serial entrepreneurs. With a remarkable track record, they've taken the business world by storm with their dedication and innovation. Their journey started with their deep-rooted passion for real estate, leading to the establishment of Park Place Realty, a full-service independent real estate firm that has earned an impressive reputation. Garnering more than 100 five-star Google reviews, Park Place Realty stands as a testament to their commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction.

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In addition to their real estate venture, Ro'Shunda & Calvin are the visionary minds behind 850 Club Credit, a nationwide credit education company that has garnered a substantial online following. With 76,000 subscribers on their YouTube channel, they've empowered countless individuals with the knowledge needed to navigate the complex world of credit. Their dedication to education has not only improved financial literacy but has also positively impacted lives.

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Their entrepreneurial spirit doesn't stop there. As the founders of Russell Development, Ro'Shunda & Calvin have ventured into the realm of investment properties. Their portfolio of properties stands as a testament to their keen understanding of the real estate landscape and their ability to identify lucrative opportunities.

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Their achievements haven't gone unnoticed. Ro'Shunda & Calvin were recently featured in Black Enterprise, a testament to their prowess in making home buying and selling an effortless experience. Their success story isn't just about financial gains; it's about their unwavering commitment to helping individuals achieve their dreams. Their ability to connect with people, understand their aspirations, and guide them toward success has been the cornerstone of their achievements.

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Ro'Shunda & Calvin Russell's journey is one of inspiration, empowerment, and transformation. With a shared history that began in their teens, they've evolved into influential entrepreneurs who are reshaping industries and changing lives. Their story serves as a reminder that passion, dedication, and a genuine desire to uplift others can lead to remarkable success.

 As a 15+ year owner and operator of Kilwins Chocolates, Fudge & Ice Cream with several iconic locations including Hyde Park, Michigan Avenue, Navy Pier, Geneva, Andersonville, River North and Evanston, Jackie Jackson has become a Chicago-area legend serving up chocolates and ice cream treats to guests from all walks of life. A former Chicago Public School educator, she is passionate about serving our youth and loves to see their faces light up when they come to one of the stores and enjoy the “Kilwins Experience”. Finding a way to channel her passion for bringing joy to others in the form of a business, was when she understood her life’s purpose. Having walked into her first Kilwins, all 5 senses were aroused and immediately generated thoughts of her late mother. Seeing people happy, and to keep the spirit of her late mother, Jesse Pearl Moore alive is the reason she chose to own a Kilwins franchise. 

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Jackson is an avid learner and enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience with others especially youth. She is a graduate of Western Michigan University, and achieved a Masters degree from Loyola University. She is extremely proud of her achievement of becoming certified as a John Maxwell Leadership graduate, which confirms her to professionally perform training, coaching, and motivational speaking in the area of leadership. She plans to use these skills as an instrument to develop employees working for her, and as a way to connect with youth and others aspiring to become entrepreneurs. 

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As a graduate of the Warren Buffet 10,000 Small Business Program and the PIPE Program, Jackson has transitioned from a single Kilwins location to now seven (7) locations. During the Covid pandemic, Jackson chose to pivot and turn her attention to another business that could serve the community even during difficult times. She applied and was awarded a $1.3 million NOF grant by the City of Chicago for the renovation of the old Seaway National Bank on 87th and Cottage Grove to transform it into a Fatburger restaurant, of which she was responsible for injecting 50% of the project development costs to bring it to fruition. After many unexpected construction obstacles, this Fatburger restaurant is slated to open Fall 2023. As a result of this venture, Jackson was invited to expand the Fatburger concept in the Midwest. She would then hookup with her friend Toi Salter along with 3 superstar NBA players (and Chicago natives) Anthony Davis, Derrick Rose, and Tim Hardaway who make up ADTJ Development, which will have the master franchise license agreement to develop Fatburger restaurants throughout the entire State of Illinois. Their first store opened in Orland Park, March 2023. 

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Jackson credits the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Counsel and the SBA as being instrumental in assisting her with increasing her business revenue and expanding to other locations. Through unrelenting hard work, Jackson has been able to work with some of the most highly respected organizations in the City of Chicago including Coca-Cola, the University of Chicago, Aerial Investments, JLL, Hyatt, and Marriott. All have been major supporters with corporate accounts which provides revenue that allows her seasonal business to make it through their slow seasons. 

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While Jackson has engaged in numerous activities over the years, some of her notable business endeavors include: 

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▪ Ambassador for Oprah Winfrey 

▪ Former Member – SSA #61 Commissioner 

▪ Panel discussions – various organizations 

▪ Participation in the Mayor’s Summer Youth Jobs Programs 

▪ Participation in AON’s Scholars Program – Summer Internships 

▪ Participation in Chicago Public School Culinary ProStart Program 

▪ Graduate of the BPeace (Business for Peace) program 

Jackie Jackson, 2023 

▪ Completed the PIPE (Progress, Insight & Performance Education) Program 

And because of her passion for making people happy, she has also participated in many of the most popular festivals/events in Chicago over the years including: 

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▪ Lollapalooza 

▪ Taste of Chicago 

▪ Illinois Restaurant Association Chef’s Table 

▪ Hyde Park Block Party & Festival 

▪ Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce Dinner Crawl 

▪ Black Creativity Gala 

Jackson in extremely proud of her accomplishments and the lives she has been able to inspire. She enthusiastically embraces the next chapter in her life and is confident that her best is yet to come. 

Ashton Clark is a Data and Analytics leader/intrapreneur and nationally award-winning entrepreneur who started his first successful business at the age of 13. He is the Co-founder and CEO of Ticket Falcon, an online event registration and management platform with direct payouts for general admission and reserved seating events.

Ashton is an alumnus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Business and Engineering and Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. At Kellogg, Ashton earned The Dean’s Distinguished Service award for his tenacity, commitment to scholastic excellence and most importantly, community impact for recruiting over 40 African American students to Northwestern’s evening and weekend MBA program. He was President of Kellogg’s Evening and Weekend Black Management Association.

Ashton firmly believes that service is the rent we pay for living and exemplifies this by giving back. He most recently served on the Board of Directors for the National Black MBA Association (Atlanta) as Vice Chair of Advancement and Development.

Ashton is a member of the 100 Black Men of Chicago and lifetime member of the illustrious Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. where he recently served as President of Mu Mu Lambda Chapter.

Ryan believes that success means nothing unless you bring others along the way. That’s part of the reason why he has and continues to mentor and give back as often as possible.

Ryan is the Chief Solutions Architect at Mr. SharePoint, a consulting firm he founded that's responsible for building some of the world's most beautiful and effective corporate intranet portals, leveraging SharePoint and Microsoft 365. Ryan also is the co-founder of Equity Twins, a residential real estate company he started with his twin brother in Chicago and Ticket Falcon, a black-owned event management and ticketing platform with instant payouts for in-person, virtual, and hybrid events.

Ryan earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accountancy with a Minor in Technology and Management from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also earned an MBA from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University. Ryan is a lifetime member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and a member of the 100 Black Men of Chicago where he helps improve the quality of life and enhance the educational opportunities of African-American males throughout the Greater Chicago area.

Authenticity. Ingenuity. Off-the-charts
engagement. Those are just 3 of Larvetta L.
Loftin’s superpowers as an award-winning
marketing expert, business brand coach, thought leader, and founder and CEO of The L3 Agency.

Known as the “Brand Maven,” Larvetta
transforms organizations’ visions of a more
culturally competent and impact-driven
presence into tangible realities through her
storytelling prowess.

As a master of storytelling, Larvetta’s mantra is simple – lead with impact and your brand
relevancy will follow.

Birthing room-shaking marketing strategies rooted in proven audience insights, she builds “love connections” between global brands like Bacardi, General Motors and Verizon, and the diverse women who love them.

It’s no wonder her marketing and communications agency is the ONLY one in the Midwest catering to energy and utility companies – key industry players
powering the country’s most tech-savvy and
innovation-focused brands.

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Her legendary communication skills don’t stop
there – she is the producer and host of Black
Businesses Matter, a weekly podcast with over
3500 listeners.

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With certificates from the business schools at
Northwestern and Dartmouth (which she was
awarded prestigious scholarships to attend) and 20+ years of business experience, Larvetta is, simply put, an innovative business mind well ahead of her time.

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If you’re a marketing leader or senior executive
within the energy, retail, automotive, or nonprofit sector with a deep desire to turn your vision of a more culturally sensitive and profitable company into reality, the only person to get the job done is Larvetta.

Dion Harding, “The Closer”, is an engaging keynote speaker, trainer and author whose inspiring messages are tailored to meet the needs of his audience.  Dion places his own spin on the latest in sales intelligence and real-world experience to develop a unique blend of customer focused sales training. Sales professionals learn to focus their message to meet the style of their customers.  Clients rave over his motinars (motivating/seminars.)

Dion earned a B. S.  Degree and MBA from Florida A & M University.  Dion has thirty years of sales experience in a plethora of roles including sales representative, training, account management, and sales leadership.  He is a national award winner including “Representative of the Year”, and a three-time winner of the coveted “Vice President’s Cabinet Award,”   the highest achievable award a sales representative can receive.   He did so while he launched the most recognizable and best-selling brands in the world.  Dion takes pride in being a consistent achiever and uses his humor, contagious energy, and compelling stories to help propel his listeners to new heights.  He serves as a consultant and quarterly news columnist.                        

Dion further shares his pearls in his  book, “Leadership the Book: Lessons Learned Through the Eyes of a Child.”

Carole Harris is the Lead Economic Development Specialist for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Illinois District Office.  Carole is a project manager for SBA’s funded resource partners including 5 SCORE Chapters in Illinois and leads the Economic Development Team in Illinois.  Previously Carole worked in the Banking industry as a auditor and as underwritten SBA loans.  Carole graduated with honors from University of Illinois at Chicago with a degree in accounting, is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM), Licensed FAA Drone Pilot, Chicago CERT volunteer, Chicago REAP graduate, master gardener, and beekeeper. 

Bruce Montgomery is a widely recognized and active contributor to Chicago’s Business, Technology and Cultural communities. He is the Founder and President of Montgomery & Company, a digital media, information and communications technology company. Bruce is also the Founder, executive producer and host of Technology Access Television and Bruce on Business, Chicago’s long running TV news and radio shows covering Business, Technology and Innovation.

In 2016 Bruce opened The Entrepreneurship Training Program (ETP) in Chicago’s Englewood community. This nationally recognized and innovative program provides Small Business Counseling, Business Development Workshops, Entrepreneurial Education, Access to Capital and Personal Credit & Money Management services free of charge to constituents on Chicago’s South Side and Citywide. The program is now known as The Entrepreneur Success Program (ESP) using an updated curriculum that graduated over 300+ program participants empowering many to live their dreams.

Bruce has built a strong knowledge base in business development within the service industries through practical experience in the public and private sectors of education, government, economic development, construction, health care, professional services, broadband infrastructure, software development and digital media enterprises.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker appointed Bruce to the Commission on Equity & Inclusion to implement a new vision for diversity, equity and inclusion in the state.

Mr. Montgomery majored in marketing at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL and attended Amos Tuck Graduate School of Business at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH.

​Patrice Neely is a second-generation serial entrepreneur, a Techstars alumna, and an economic architect with over ten years of experience creating innovative solutions for the small business ecosystem. She is the founder and CEO of GoLogic, where she invented GoTackle, the first automated consulting and data analytics platform for economic development organizations and their small business clients.

With GoTackle, Patrice and her team are helping businesses overcome the most significant barriers to success, such as technology, data, strategy, and access to capital, while transforming how their advisors and consultants support them in delivering economic impact for future generations. Patrice is also a small business advocate, a Small Business Advocacy Council board member of IL, and an entrepreneur in residence at Northwestern University. She has won multiple awards and recognitions for her innovation and leadership, including being backed by Google and Techstars. Patrice is passionate about changing the world and empowering businesses to thrive in the digital economy.

Matt Simpson is a father and Community Development Strategist based in Rockford, Illinois. He has 13 years of experience working in economic development, neighborhood level community development and public administration. His passion for entrepreneurship and business development lead him to the role he occupies today – African American Business Development Manager with the IL Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.