Philanthropy on The Vineyard 2014 is dedicated to

Transcription

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Philanthropy on The Vineyard 2014 is dedicated to:
James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner
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“We are each other’s business; we are each other’s harvest...”
Gwendolyn Brooks
August 10, 2014
Greetings!
I am thrilled we have united together for our annual family reunion in the name of
Philanthropy. Each time we gather, my thoughts return to the day when Head and Heart
Philanthropy was an idea tucked away in my mind and heart, for nearly a decade, before I
could even speak it aloud.
“Pure beauty exists when the head and heart work together.”
Three years later, we have convened four cohorts of inspirational changemakers in our
communities, hosted a former President of the United States, helped launch a millennial
institute for philanthropists of color, created a network of more than 150 professionals and
funders, facilited more than a half a million dollars in support, and connected human capital
across the United States to Haiti. All of this, with a dedicated community of individuals who
believe we can move the needle on some tough issues facing communities of color.
I believe that we have the courage and blessing of those who have come before us. There are
many individuals who have shaped your personal narrative and for me, it is my family. Many
have transitioned but I feel like I am picking up where they left off. Philanthropy on The
Vineyard 2014 is dedicated to some young men who refused to accept their own hardships:
James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner. They are but a few that we are
indebted to from Freedom Summer 1964, a painful but pivotal moment in our history. Fifty
years later, we face many painful and complicated realities around immigration, mass
incarceration of black men, a struggling educational system and nation wrenching poverty.
However, because of the work you do, my hope is renewed!
We are honored to welcome the Co-Founders of the Kapor Institute: Mitch Kapor and Freada
Kapor Klein, both exemplary champions for communities of color. Also, please welcome
acclaimed sports psychiatrist, Keith Clarke; Valerie Mosley; and our friends from MSNBC,
hosts Joy Reid and Touré. Over the next few days, you will have the pleasure to hear from
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them and connect with your fellow cohort members. In what we hope is an environment that
supports diversity, is non-judgemental, affirming and respectful. While I’ve had the pleasure to
connect with each of you, I am looking forward to you making new friends and collaborating
for greater impact.
A big thank you to our new partner, Vanessa Cooksey with Wells Fargo Advisors, who has
already committed for 2015; and our beloved champion, Charisse Lillie. Last but not least, I
need to thank two people who have gone far and beyond the call of duty: Jade Floyd and
Leshelle Sargent.
Here’s to Philanthropy!
From my heart to yours,
Christal
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Head and Heart Philanthropy Summit
August 10-12, 2014
Martha’s Vineyard
Session Descriptions
Cohort Connections
Head and Heart has specific focus areas. Each cohort member will be assigned to a respective
committee related directly to their area of interest. Each committee will work collectively
around shared ideas.
*Influencers
This is a network of funders/investors who share a focus around issues impacting communities
of color. This network is a for-profit, non-profit, group of funders/investors.
Inside the World of Foundations-Communications and Grant making
Covers important components to receiving funding from a foundation or company, and the
intricacies of their work. Also explores the evolution of philanthropic journalism and coverage
of communities of color.
Brown vs. Board of Education 60 Years Later Education Reform in Communities of Color
Education leaders will speak candidly about the challenges and opportunities facing
communities of color. This interactive conversation will allow attendees to share in an open
exchange about issues and concerns while focusing on probable solutions.
Innovation, Impact and Kids of Color: How My Brother’s Keeper is Tapping Social Innovation
to Transform Lives
My Brother’s Keeper has catapulted the conversation about the plight of black men and boys in
this country to the forefront. Learn from those on the frontlines supporting this effort and
others working to lift up our nation’s black boys and men of color.
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Reciprocity Circle
There is an old saying, “what you put out, you get back“. The reciprocity circle is a time for
cohort members to share what they need to improve or continue their work. Fellow cohort
members will share wisdom, best practices and resources based on their level of comfort.
The Intersection of Faith and Philanthropy Social Justice and the “New” Black Church
What is the role of the new black church and social justice? Learn from two leading progressive
pastors making a difference in the lives of their members and community.
The Impact of Sports, Media, Arts and Entertainment on Philanthropy
We all know celebrities and athletes have great influence. What happens when they get involved
with philanthropy? Learn from those who know best about their collective work and personal
interests.
Global Philanthropy & Investment Opportunities Creating a Sustainable Economy in Haiti
So what’s next? Has Haiti recovered? What are some of the interventions in place to restore
this country after its devastating earthquake? You will receive answers to those questions and
much more.
American Promise-Film Screening & Panel Discussion
American Promise is an intimate and provocative account, recorded over 12 years, of the
experiences of two middle-class African-American boys who entered a very prestigious--and
historically white--private school on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The Dalton School had made
a commitment to recruit students of color, and five-year-old best friends Idris Brewster and
Oluwaseun (Seun) Summers of Brooklyn were two of the gifted children who were admitted.
The boys were placed in a demanding environment that provided new opportunities and
challenges, if little reflection of their cultural identities. To learn more, please visit,
www.americanpromise.org
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Schedule
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Head and Heart Philanthropy Summit
August 10-12, 2014
Martha’s Vineyard
Harbor View Hotel
131 N. Water St.
Edgartown, MA 02539
“Collaborating to Increase Sustainability for Greater Impact”
AGENDA
Sunday, August 10, 2014
“Personal Renewal and Reflection”
10:00 AM
Welcome
Summit Host Residence
The Blue Lobster Getaway
149 Causeway
Vineyard Haven, MA
*11:00 AM- 12:00 PM
Soulful Sunday-Telling your Story
Executive Coaching Session
*12:00 PM- 1:30 PM
Branding and Writer’s Workshop
Linda Roghaar, Veteran Literary Agent
White River Press
“Philanthropy on The Vineyard 2014”
3:00 PM- 6:00 PM
Lola’s-Oak Bluff
15 Island Inn Road, Oak Bluffs 02557
Opening Reception and Conversation
Then and Now-The Past 50 Years to the Present
Greetings
Christal M.Jackson, Founder
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Head and Heart Philanthropy
Introduction of Moderator
Introduction of Panelists
Tonya Griffith, Wealth Advisor
Wells Fargo Bank
Joy Reid, “The Reid Report”
MSNBC
Charisse Lillie, Vice President of Community
Investment and President of Comcast Foundation
Tonya Allen, President
Skillman Foundation
Moderator
Joy Reid, “The Reid Report“
MSNBC
*5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Cohort Connections-Lola’s
Influencers Connections-Home or Valerie Mosley
Monday, August 11, 2014
8:00 AM -9:00 AM
Harbor View Hotel
Registration and Continental Breakfast
*9:00 AM- 10:00 AM
Opening & Network Mapping Session
“Building the Ecosystem for Impact”
Christal M. Jackson, Founder
BREAK
*10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Inside the World of Foundations-Communications
and Grant making
Jade Floyd, Director of Communications
Case Foundation
Tanya Jones, Program Manager
Barr Foundation
Aleesha Taylor, Deputy Director
Open Society Foundation
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12:00 PM-1:30 PM
Second Annual Charisse Lillie Luncheon
The Intersection of Corporate America and Philanthropy
Greetings
Blessing of the Food
Rev. Angelique Walker-Smith, Associate for
National African American Church Engagement
History of Martha’s Vineyard
Alex Picou, Managing Director
J P Morgan
Introduction of Speaker
Charisse Lillie, President Comcast Foundation
Vice President, Community Investment
Keynote Speaker
Michelle Gadsden-Williams, Managing Director
Head of Diversity and Inclusion
Credit Suisse
*2:00 PM- 3:00 PM
Brown vs. Board of Education 60 Years Later
Education Reform in Communities of Color
Deborah McGriff, Managing Director
New Schools Venture Fund
Jacqueline Cooper, Chief of Staff
Black Alliance for Educational Options
*3:00 PM- 4:00 PM
Innovation, Impact and Kids of Color: How My
Brother’s Keeper is Tapping Social Innovation to
Transform Lives
Freada Kapor Klein, PhD- Co-Chair
Kapor Center for Social Impact
Mitch Kapor, Co-Chair
Kapor Center for Social Impact
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Michael Smith, Director Social Innovation
Fund Corporation for National and
Community Service
Trabian Shorters, Founder & CEO
BMe
5:00 PM-7:00 PM
Color of Change Reception
Edgartown Room
7:30 PM- 8:30 PM
Yoga with Anurag Gupta
54 Lake St. Vineyard Haven, MA
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
*9:00 AM- 10:00 AM
Harbor View Hotel
Continental Breakfast and Reciprocity Circle
*10:00 AM- 11:30 AM
The Influence of Faith and Philanthropy
Social Justice and the “New” Black Church
Michael A. Walrond, Jr., DMin, Senior Pastor
First Corinthian Baptist Church-Harlem
Timothy Sloan, DMin., Pastor
St. Luke Baptist Church-Humble, Texas
*12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
The Impact of Sports, Media, Arts and
Entertainment on Philanthropy
Arnie Fielkow, President & CEO
National Basketball Retired Players Association
Dwight Davis, Philanthropist & Community
Leader
National Basketball Retired Players Association
Horace Madison, President & CEO
Madison Financial Group/MSI
Keith Clarke, Sports Psychiatrist
Moderator
Touré, “The Cycle”
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MSNBC
*2:00 PM- 3:00 PM
Global Philanthropy & Investment Opportunities
Creating a Sustainable Economy in Haiti
Alix Cantave, Program Officer
W. K. Kellogg Foundation
Pierre-Andre Noel, Director
The Boston Foundation
The Haiti Relief Fund
Kysseline Jean-Mary Cherestal, Senior Policy
Analyst
Action Aid USA
3:30 PM
Closing Session and Reception
American Promise-Film Screening & Panel
Discussion
Joe Brewster, Producer & Director
American Promise Film
Michele Stephenson, Producer & Director
American Promise Film
Aurag Gupta, Founder
BE MORE
Ron Walker, Executive Director
Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color
Moderator
Sakiya Sandifer, President & CEO
The Think Movement
5:00 PM
Closing Remarks
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For nearly two decades, Christal M. Jackson has adopted a philosophy of servant
leadership deeply rooted in her Haitian family traditions and values.
She is the founder of Head and Heart Philanthropy (HHP), a convening centered on
the best practices in philanthropy, domestic and global initiatives of utmost importance
to communities of color. A growing network of over 150 professionals of color, thought
leaders, funders and social entrepreneurs, HHP gathers annually in Martha’s Vineyard
with its cohorts to collaborate and exchange ideas. Since its inception three years ago,
this network has facilitated half a million dollars in resources that address critical issues
around health, poverty and education.
Christal is also the founder of Christal M. Jackson, LLC, a boutique fund development
and branding firm, focused on serving the philanthropic and socially conscious needs of
high net worth individuals, athletes, elected officials, celebrities, faith-based institutions
and community organizations. Her career in the non-profit/philanthropy sector first
began as a young intern with The Children’s Defense Fund, then UNCF-The College
Fund. Christal’s work has earned recognition in the March Magazine for Women as the
only African American female featured in their inaugural publication.
After obtaining a dual-degree in Psychology and Religion from Spelman College in
Atlanta, Georgia, Christal furthered her education at Duke University School of
Divinity where she obtained a Masters of Theological Studies. While at Duke, she was
invited to participate in the National Capitol Semester for Seminarians at Wesley
Theological Seminary as an intern on Capitol Hill.
EBONY magazine recognized Christal as one of their Future 30 Leaders of America, and
her work in the non-profit sector has obtained additional awards and recognition. She
is the author of Women of Color Pray Voices of Strength, Faith, Healing, Hope, and Courage,
and serves on numerous boards including Junior League of America, Woodhull,
National Alumnae Association Spelman College, Duke Alumni Association, ME & WE
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and the Association of Black Foundation Executives. Christal is an inaugural member of
CUP-The Council of Urban Professionals-Leadership Board and Urban Souls Dance
Ensemble.
In her spare time, Christal enjoys spending time with her family, collecting art, cooking,
reading, playing the piano and traveling.
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Speakers and Cohort IV
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Speakers & Cohort IV
Aaron Walker- Camelback Ventures
Aleesha Taylor- Open Society Foundation
Alex Picou- JP Morgan
Alice Walker Duff-Bread for the World
Alix Cantave- W K Kellogg Foundation
Angelique Walker Smith-Bread for the Word
Anurag Gupta- BE MORE
Arnie Fielkow- NBA-Retired Players
Carmen Perez- Organizing for Peace
Celeste Smith- JP Morgan Foundation
Charisse Lillie- Comcast Foundation
Christopher Hammond- The Parish Foundation
Deborah McGriff- New Schools Venture Fund
Deidra Jackson- Arts Emporium
dream hampton- Activist/Writer
Dwight Davis- Retired NBA Player/Philanthropist
Freada Kapor Klein- Kapor Institute
Gayle O'Bryne- JP Morgan Foundation
Helen Coy- Social Solutions
Horace Madison- Madison Financial Group/MSI
Jacqueline Cooper- Black-Alliance for Educational Options
Jade Floyd- Case Foundation
Jason Turner- Root Cause
Jeanne K. Wardford-Neighbor Works America
Jessica Jones- American Promise
Joe Brewster- American Promise
Joy Reid- MSNBC
Karen Alston- Alston Marketing Group
Keith Clarke-Sports Psychiatrist
Kysseline Jean-Mary Cherestal
Lakesha Walrond- First Corinthian Baptist Church
Lisa Jackson- Philanthropy Advisor
Michael Smith- Corporation for National Community Service
Michelle Gadsden- Williams-Credit Suisse
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Michelle Stephenson- American Promise
Mike Walrond- First Corinthian Baptist Church
Mitch Kapor- Kapor Institute
Nancy Rhodes-Bread for the World
Nicole Fulgham- The Expectations Project
Pierre Noel- Haiti Fund/The Boston Foundation
Rael Nelson James- Charter Board Partners
Rashad Robinson- Color of Change
Reagan Flowers- CSTEM
Ron Walker- Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color
Sakiya Sandifer-The Think Movement
Sid Smith- Bellwether Education Partners/SRS Strategies
Sonya Sloan- Me & We/St. Luke Baptist Church-The Luke
Sylvia Spivey-The Philadelphia Foundation
Stanley Smith- Head and Heart Intern
Stephen DeBerry- Bronze Investments
Tanya Jones- Barr Foundation
Timothy Sloan- St. Luke Baptist Church-The Luke
Tony Ross- OIC America
Tonya Allen- Skillman Foundation
Tonya Griffith-Wells Fargo Advisors
Touré- MSNBC
Trabian Shorters- BMe
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Aleesha Taylor
Aleesha Taylor is deputy director of the Open Society Foundations’ Education Support
Program. Prior to joining the Open Society Foundations in July 2007 as a senior
program manager, Aleesha was a lecturer in the Department of International and
Transcultural Studies at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she also
completed her doctoral studies. Aleesha also holds degrees in psychology from
Spelman College and the Graduate Faculty for Political and Social Sciences of the New
School for Social Research. Aleesha is the Co-Editor of the forthcoming, Partnership
Paradox: The Story of Liberia’s Post Conflict Educational Recovery (2006-2010). She is a Term
Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Alice Walker Duff
Dr. Alice Walker Duff is the Managing Director for Bread for the World and Bread for
the World Institute. Bread for the World is a collective Christian voice urging our
nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad. The Institute provides
policy analysis on hunger and strategies to end it. Working with national-level partners
in the nation’s capital and a grassroots network of 70,000 members throughout the
country, Bread is one of the world’s largest ecumenical organizations dedicated to
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building the political will to end hunger. Alice provides strategic direction for and
oversight of the organizations’ work including policy, advocacy, education, movement
building and organizational effectiveness.
Formerly Alice served as the Program Executive for The Atlantic Philanthropies’
Children & Youth Program responsible for the Elev8 initiative. Elev8 brings together
schools, families and community members in low-income neighborhoods to ensure that
students succeed in school and in life. Elev8 seeks transformative change in
underserved neighbourhoods and communities of colour. Elev8 integrates a community
school model with community organizing, and advocacy to move local, state, and
federal public policy toward the long‐term, systemic change that students and families
need to succeed in school and in life.
Alice has diverse and broad experience in advancing the interests of children from lowincome families and communities of color. For over three decades, Alice has applied her
skills in the fields of education, civil rights, arts, child care and public policy. She is CoFounder and former President of Crystal Stairs, Inc., a non-profit agency in California
that improves the lives of families through child care and development research, service
and advocacy. Initially serving South-central Los Angeles, Crystal Stairs grew to be the
17th largest non-profit in the United States founded after 1969.
Alice has served on numerous boards and committees that protect and expand
children’s services. Currently, she is a Board member of The Alliance for Early Success,
and is an Emeritus Trustee of Occidental College. Previously, she served as
Commissioner of the California First Five Commission and was an inaugural member
of the Los Angeles County Children and Family First – Proposition 10 Commission and
the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission. She also served on the Boards of the National
Center for the Child Care Work Force, the National Association of Child Care Resource
and Referral Agencies, and the National Black Child Development Institute. She is a life
member of the NAACP. Alice has received various honors, including the Rosa Parks
Award from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the Woman of the Year
Award from the Los Angeles County Commission for Women, and the Hunger Fighter
of the Year Award from the California Hunger Action Coalition.
Alice graduated from The Dalton School in NY, received her B.A. in Sociology from
Occidental College; her M.A. in Sociology of Education from the University of
California, Los Angeles (UCLA); and her Ph.D. in Urban Planning: Social Development
Policy, School of Architecture and Urban Planning from UCLA.
Alice grew up in Harlem where she worshiped at Grace Congregational Church of
Harlem, NY. She was elected moderator of the Congregational Church of Christian
Fellowship in Los Angeles, CA for many years and is currently a member of Lincoln
Temple Congregational Church in Washington, DC. She is married to Joseph H. Duff, a
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civil rights attorney, mother of two daughters, mother-in-law of two Jasons, and the
adoring grandmother of seven.
The Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith
The Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith is the Associate for National African American
Church Engagement Bread for the World and Bread for the World Institute. Bread for
the World is a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decision makers to end
hunger at home and abroad. The Institute provides policy analysis on hunger and
strategies to end it. Working with national-level partners in the nation’s capital and a
grassroots network of 70,000 members throughout the country, Bread is one of the
world’s largest ecumenical organizations dedicated to building the political will to end
hunger. Angelique leads the organizations’ engagement with historically black
denominations and national religious forums.
Formerly, Angelique was the Executive Director/Minister of The Church Federation of
Greater Indianapolis, one of the oldest Council of Churches in the world founded in
1912. She was the first African American and first woman to serve in that position. She
has lived in five African countries and has worked and traveled extensively throughout
Africa and the world.
She has made many national television appearances and received a number of awards
and national recognitions such as being received by former President William Clinton at
the White House, and most recently receiving the 2008 Indiana Governor’s Award for
Recognition in Religion. She has also received awards and recognitions from her alma
maters of Yale University and Kent State University as well as from Morehouse College,
the Historymakers, and World Council of Churches.
Angelique is a trained community organizer and has lived in and worked with
marginalized and impoverished communities. She has served as a volunteer prison
chaplain for more than two decades in the Indiana women’s prison system, where she
authored a training series on incarcerated women and church responsiveness in
support of The Church Federation of Greater Indianapolis/Lilly Endowment/Indiana
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Women’s Prison. Her ministry manual on women, the church and society for ordained
and lay church leaders, which focuses on ministry to those who are and have been
imprisoned and marginalized, was a pioneering work in the area of ministering to the
imprisoned returning to society
Angelique graduated from Kent State University with a degree in telecommunications,
Yale University Divinity School in 1983 with the Master of Divinity and Princeton
Theological Seminary with the Doctor of Ministry in 1995 where she was the first
African American woman to graduate from this program. She was ordained at Convent
Avenue Baptist Church in New York, New York.
The daughter of an Ohio Baptist minister, Angelique gave her life to Christ at the age of
9 while growing up in Cedarville and Springfield, Ohio during the racial struggles of
the sixties. She is married to Rev. Dr. R. Drew Smith, a professor of Urban Ministry at
Pittsburgh Theological Society, and mother of one daughter, Asha, a student at
American University.
Anurag Gupta
Anurag Gupta is the Founder & CEO of be more (www.bemoreamerica.org). be more’s
mission is not to end racism – it is to end the delusion of race altogether. A social
entrepreneur, a human rights lawyer, and an academic researcher, Anurag founded be
more in January 2014 to inform, inspire, and activate change agents to catalyze bold
systemic changes needed for our nation to work for its people, particularly the
emerging majority of us who are racialized as nonwhite or of color. be more is rooted
in the truth of our common humanity and its need emerged after Anurag spoke with
over 1,000 activists, entrepreneurs, academics, media makers, philanthropists, and
spiritual leaders from across the nation (and across the color spectrum).
Before launching be more, Anurag worked as an attorney at the Vera Institute of Justice
and a legal scholar at the Law and Business Program at NYU School of Law. During his
two year tenure at Vera, Anurag worked with the Pipeline Crisis Initiative/Winning
Strategies for Young Black Men to design and complete a pilot study that identified four
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root causes of social, economic, and political inequalities in America, using the construct
of "race" and the lived experiences of black men as the lens of analysis. At NYU Law,
Anurag researched and wrote about triple bottom line corporate structures that have
inbuilt incentives for environmental sustainability and social responsibility. He has
presented his work at NYU School of Law, UW – Madison, Centre for Social Innovation,
ThoughtWorks, among other places.
Before attending law school, Anurag founded and ran Opening Possibilities Asia
(OPA), a nonprofit that fostered ethnic reconciliation inside Burma through education
and teacher training. Anurag is a 500-hr Certified Yoga Teacher (CYT) and teaches
mindfulness meditation and yoga in his free time. Anurag has a JD from NYU School
of Law, an MPhil in Development Studies from Cambridge, and a bachelor’s in Middle
Eastern & Islamic Studies and International Relations from NYU.
Anurag sits on the advisory boards of the Moral Courage Project, the Minneapolisbased New Native Theater, and New York Insight Meditation Center. Find him on
Twitter @AnuragNYC.
Arnie Fielkow
With an all-time high in membership, tremendous support from both the National
Basketball Association (NBA) and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), a
full menu of member programs and new youth-based national community service
initiatives, the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) has
experienced unprecedented success under the corporate leadership of President & CEO
Arnie D. Fielkow.
After six years spent in public service helping rebuild his adopted hometown in the
wake of Hurricane Katrina, former New Orleans City Council President Fielkow
returned to the sports industry as NBRPA Chief Executive Officer in 2011. Fielkow was
additionally named President of the official alumni association for professional
basketball (comprised of former NBA, ABA, Harlem Globetrotters and WNBA players)
in 2013.
Under Fielkow’s leadership, the NBRPA has grown its membership by over 70 percent
to an all-time record of former NBA, ABA, Harlem Globetrotters and WNBA players.
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Fielkow has helped strengthen the mutually-beneficial partnerships enjoyed with the
NBA and NBPA, including a four-year extension to its historic 20-year partnership with
the NBA in 2012 and a renewal of its long-time relationship with the union. In addition,
Fielkow opened a new membership category to the NBRPA when former WNBA
players were welcomed into the official alumni association for professional basketball in
2013.
With Fielkow at the helm, the NBRPA expanded its charitable focus into a two-pronged
mission to assist former professional basketball players in their transition from the
playing court into life after the game, while also positively impacting communities and
youth through basketball. This new community mission directly led to the creation of
the NBRPA’s touring youth basketball and life skills program – FULL COURT
PRESS: Prep for Success – which impacts more than 2000 at-risk youth annually in
partnership with the National Police Athletic/Activities League and National Urban
League.
The NBRPA has also expanded its annual events under Fielkow’s leadership, including
NBA All-Star Weekend. This star-studded basketball celebration now includes
additional community service initiatives alongside traditional events celebrating
NBRPA Members’ place in the history of the game, such as the nationally-televised
NBA Legends Brunch. The Legends World Sports Conference has also grown as the
preeminent annual learning and networking event for former NBA, ABA, Harlem
Globetrotters and WNBA players during Fielkow’s time in office and spotlights key
former player issues each summer. In addition, Fielkow oversaw the launch of a new
third signature event in 2014 – the Legends Fantasy Weekend – which raised more than
$130,000 for the NBRPA’s Dave DeBusschere Scholarship Fund and other charities as a
philanthropic fundraiser that includes a fantasy camp, gaming tournament and blacktie honors gala.
Fielkow, twice elected as New Orleans Councilman-at-Large post-Katrina, possesses an
extensive background in government, professional and intercollegiate athletics, as well
as in law. He helped rebuild the hurricane-ravaged City of New Orleans and
introduced legislation to improve education, economic development, public safety and
youth recreation in New Orleans. From 2007-2011 citizens named Council President
Fielkow “Best New Orleans City Councilmember” according to Gambit Weekly.
Fielkow also was identified as one of New Orleans Magazine’s 2006 “People to Watch”
and “Favorite Local Politician” in 2008. In 2009, Council President Fielkow was branded
“New Orleanian of the Year” and “Second Most-Admired (Male) New Orleanian” by
readers of New Orleans Magazine.
Prior to running for public office, Fielkow served as Executive Vice President of the
NFL’s New Orleans Saints from 2000 to 2005. In this capacity, he served as the top
senior management official presiding over all administrative/business departments,
including marketing, sales, regional development, governmental affairs, community
relations, business media relations and youth programs.
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Fielkow was instrumental in enhancing the team’s influence – internationally,
nationally and locally – throughout Louisiana and the entire Gulf South. Upon joining
the Saints, Fielkow immediately restructured the Saints business and marketing efforts,
with an emphasis on increasing the club’s ticket, suite, sponsorship and special event
sales.
Under his leadership, the Saints sold out 36 consecutive games and established thenclub records in both season ticket sales, as well as total attendance. The Saints were also
successful in reaching a virtual sellout of the 137 Superdome box suites and tripled
corporate sponsorship revenues through the Patron Saints Partners program that
Fielkow established. He also created and implemented one of the most comprehensive
regional sales operations in all of professional sports, with a sales and customer service
presence that spanned over a four-state area. Since beginning this effort in 2000,
regional sales jumped from 8 percent to 30 percent of the club’s overall business
revenues.
In addition to his administrative duties, Fielkow also led the club’s efforts in facility
negotiations with the State of Louisiana. A landmark 10-year agreement was reached
with the State in 2002, which helped solidify the club’s finances and also provided for
the construction of a state-of-the-art indoor practice facility at the Saints’ headquarters.
This agreement, which provided for $187 million in total inducements for the Saints
over a decade, was overwhelmingly approved by the Louisiana legislature and signed
into law by former Louisiana Governor Mike Foster in April of 2002.
Fielkow initiated a number of innovative business/marketing/community projects,
including the NFL’s first Fan and Community Advisory Boards, Saints-led international
trade missions to Central America, marketing partnerships with the Harlem
Globetrotters and the PGA’s HP Classic of New Orleans, Football 101 mini-camps for
the team’s female fan base and the Hispanic community, a Business Breakfast series
with the top 200 business leaders in New Orleans and the Gulf South, Draft Day and
Monday Night Football cruises, and a Saints ticket sales Radio-thon.
Fielkow also oversaw tremendous growth in the Saints youth programming,
highlighted by its involvement in the NFL’s Junior Player Development program and
the administration of summer youth clinics throughout greater New Orleans. Teaming
with the NFL and the Orleans Parish School Board, the Saints were instrumental in
returning tackle football to the city’s public middle schools.
Prior to joining the Saints, Fielkow was involved in Major League Baseball’s player
development system and served as President and General Counsel for the historic
Southern League of Professional Baseball Clubs. During his six-year tenure as President
of the Southern League and the AA Association, Fielkow helped oversee the
construction and renovation of six new ballparks and introduced marketing and
business programs that catapulted the Southern League into the upper echelon of
Minor League Baseball.
Previously, Fielkow served as Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel of the
Continental Basketball Association, then the official developmental league of the NBA.
During his tenure with the CBA, Fielkow negotiated new player and referee
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development agreements with the NBA and helped the Association reach record
attendance levels. He also introduced and administered several new programs,
including a national television agreement with ESPN2, a CBA national radio contract,
and a multi-game exhibition series involving former Los Angeles Lakers’ great Magic
Johnson. Fielkow was also elected to the Board of Directors for USA Basketball.
During his career, Fielkow has won a host of awards and honors. In 2007 he won the
Anti-Defamation League’s A.I. Botnick Torch of Liberty Award, was selected to receive
the prestigious 2004 TOP Award (“Ten Outstanding Person”) by the Family Service of
Greater New Orleans and in 2003 was awarded the Sanchez to Sanchez to Smith Award
by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Fielkow began his professional career as a practicing attorney in Chicago, and cofounded the law firm of Grossman, Solomon, & Fielkow, P.C. As part of this practice,
Fielkow was elected Commissioner of the NCAA Division I North Star Conference
(later renamed the Mid-Continent Conference), the last all-female Conference at the
Division I level, and was successful in securing the conference’s first-ever automatic bid
to the NCAA Division I basketball tournament. A member of the Illinois and Wisconsin
Bar Associations, Fielkow has authored several legal and sports-related
articles/publications, including “Civil Rico: The Insurers Fight Back” and “CBA: A
World of Opportunity”, and is a frequent public speaker at national and local sports
industry events.
Fielkow currently serves on the Board of Directors for USA Basketball and the Naismith
Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. While in New Orleans, Fielkow immersed himself in
the community, serving on the Board of Directors for Greater New Orleans, Inc., United
Way, Each One, Save One, the World Trade Center, Audubon Commission, The Greater
New Orleans Sports Foundation, Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, Touro
Synagogue and the National Conference for Community and Justice. He also co-chaired
the Sports Cluster for GNO, Inc. and was an executive committee member of the Super
Bowl XXXVI Host Committee and the 2012 NCAA Men’s Basketball Local Organizing
Committee. A native of Appleton, Wisconsin, Fielkow is a 1981 graduate of the
University of Wisconsin – School of Law and earned his B.A. degree with honors (Phi
Beta Kappa) from Northwestern University.
An avid sports fan, Fielkow played tennis on the collegiate level and was selected to the
silver-medal winning United States men’s basketball team at the 15th Maccabiah Games
in Israel. He and his wife, Dr. Susan Fielkow, have three sons, Justin, Michael and
Steven, and two daughters, Yana and Svetlana.
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Charisse Lillie
Charisse R. Lillie is Vice President of Community Investment of Comcast Corporation
and President of the Comcast Foundation. She joined Comcast in 2005 as Vice
President, Human Resources-Comcast Corporation, and Senior Vice-President, Human
Resources-Comcast Cable. She was a partner in the law firm of Ballard Spahr Andrews
& Ingersoll, LLP, in Philadelphia from January, 1992 to February, 2005. She was Chair
of the Litigation Department from 2002 to 2005, and was a member of the Employment
and Labor Law Group of the firm. Ms. Lillie’s law practice included the representation
of employers and management in a wide variety of labor and employment matters,
primarily in federal court. She served as an advisor to clients on diversity and
anti-discrimination issues. She is a frequent lecturer and panelist regarding talent
management, recruitment and retention strategies, and diversity.
Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Lillie’s legal experience included positions as Trial
Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Deputy Director,
Community Legal Services, Inc., Professor at Villanova Law School, Assistant United
States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, General Counsel to the
Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia and City Solicitor of the City of
Philadelphia. In addition, Ms. Lillie has been a member of many civic commissions,
including the Independent Charter Commission, the Philadelphia Criminal Justice Task
Force, the MOVE Commission and the Philadelphia Election Reform Task Force. She is
a member of the Forum of Executive Women, and is the former president of the Board
of the Juvenile Law Center. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Howard
University, NBCUniversal Foundation, The Franklin Institute, the Board of Directors of
the American Arbitration Association, the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and
Industry, and the Board of Governors of the Pyramid Club. She served as a Trustee of
Friends Select School from 1994 to 2002, and 2003 to 2006, serving as President of the
Board of Trustees for two years. She was elected to membership in The Executive
Leadership Council in 2008.
Ms. Lillie is the recipient of numerous honors. A partial listing is attached. Ms. Lillie
has been recognized as a trailblazer because of the many firsts in her career. She was
the first African American female to serve as City Solicitor (City Attorney) of the City of
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Philadelphia, the first African American to serve as the Chair of the Litigation
Department at Ballard, Spahr, LLP, the first African American female to serve as
Chairman of the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, the first African
American female to chair the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association
and the first African American female to serve as Chair of the American Bar Association
Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity.
Ms. Lillie is a former President of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Federal Bar
Association. She served on the Board of the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental
Cooperation Authority (PICA) from 1993 to 1998. She served as chair of the Board of
Governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association in 1995. She served as Chair of the
American Bar Association Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession
(formerly the Commission on Minorities) from 1999 to 2002 and is a former member of
the ABA Standing Committee on Federal Judiciary. She is Former Chair of the Racial
Bias in the Justice System Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association. She also
served on the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Committee on Racial and Gender Bias in
the Justice System. She currently serves as the Chair of the City of Philadelphia Board
of Ethics. She was elected to the American Law Institute in 1995. Ms. Lillie was
included in both editions of Philadelphia Magazine’s “Best Lawyers in Philadelphia” in
1999 and 1994, The Legal Intelligencer’s “Fifty Most Influential Women in the Legal
Profession in Pennsylvania” in 2001, The Philadelphia Tribune’s Philadelphia’s Most
Influential African Americans (from 2002 to 2012), in the Philadelphia Magazine’s “2004,
2005 and 2006 Super Lawyer” editions and the 2006 editions of Who’s Who of American
Women and Who’s Who in the World. She was inducted as a Fellow of the College of
Labor and Employment Lawyers in 2003. She is listed in the 2004 Chambers USA
America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. In 2004, she was inducted by Governor Edward
Rendell and Honorable Marjorie O. Rendell into The Distinguished Daughters of
Pennsylvania. In 2006, she was listed as one of Philadelphia’s 101 Connectors by
Leadership Inc., and was named by CableWORLD as one of the Top 50 Minorities in the
Cable Industry as well as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Women in Cable. She
served as Co-Chair of the 2007, 2008 and 2009 NAMIC Annual Leadership Conference.
In 2011, she was selected for the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent
Women Lawyers.
Ms. Lillie served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of
Philadelphia and Vice-Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Conference of
Chairmen of the Federal Reserve System from January 2001 until December 2002, and
she served as a Board member for seven years. She is a member of the Board of
Directors of The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company. She is also a member of the
Advisory Board of The PNC Financial Services Group, Philadelphia/Southern New
Jersey. She serves as a board member of Philadelphia Electric Company, an Exelon
Company.
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The Houston, Texas native received her B.A. in 1973 from Wesleyan University - cum
laude; her J.D. in 1976 from Temple Law School - Dean’s Honor List; and her LL.M. in
1982 from Yale Law School. She was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from
Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA, in 2005. In 2011, she was awarded an honorary
Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Peirce College in Philadelphia, PA. She worked
as a research assistant to the Honorable A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr. from 1975 to 1976 on
his first book, In The Matter of Color. Ms. Lillie was law clerk to the Honorable Clifford
Scott Green, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1976-1978.
Ms. Lillie is the recipient of numerous honors, including the 2012 Temple University
Law Alumni Association Inaugural Diversity Leadership Award, a 2012 honor by
CableFAX: The Magazine as one of the top minorities and top women in cable, the 2011
Outstanding Recognition Award from the Philadelphia Multicultural Affairs Congress,
a division of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, the 2011 United Way
Women’s Initiative Award, the 2010 League of Women Voters Civic Leadership
award, 2009 Wiley A. Branton Award for the National Bar Association, 2008
Philadelphia Tribune Top Philadelphia Leaders, 2007 Philadelphia Magazine
Trailblazer Award, the 2007 Community Women’s Education Project Woman of
Distinction Award, the 2007 Operation Understanding Distinguished Community
Leadership Award, the 2007 WICT Greater Philadelphia Liberty Award, the 2007
NAMIC Philadelphia Paragon Award, the 2005 Learned Hand Award from the
Philadelphia Chapter of the American Jewish Committee, the 2005 PWR Award from
the Professional Women’s Roundtable, the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Anne X.
Alpern Award in the Spring of 2003 for her excellence in the legal profession and her
significant professional impact on women in the law, the Thurgood Marshall
Scholarship Fund Awards of Excellence Honoree, 2002 Women of Distinction Award
from the Philadelphia Business Journal, the J. Michael Brown Award from the DuPont
Minority Counsel Conference, the Penn Towne Links Service Award, the 2002 Image
Award from the Black Women in Sport Foundation, the Take the Lead Award from the
Girl Scouts of Southeastern Pennsylvania, the Women of Achievement Award from The
Barristers’ Association and the Teenshop Board of Directors Hall of Fame Award. She
was named Mother of the Year by the Mary Mason Community Foundation in
2002. She has been selected as one of the Philadelphia NAACP 2013 -104 Influential
Black in Philadelphia. She also received The Shero Award celebrating the
accomplishments of the Five Women of Distinction from the African American
Museum in Philadelphia. She also received the Legal Intelligencer’s Lifetime
Achievement Award in 2012.
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Deborah McGriff
Deborah McGriff is a Managing Director at NewSchools Venture Fund.
Deborah has been committed to transforming the lives of underserved urban school
students for more than four decades. In 1993, Deborah became the first public school
superintendent to join EdisonLearning (formerly Edison Schools). There, she held
numerous positions at the company, including President of Edison Teachers College,
Executive Vice President of Charter Schools, and Executive Vice President of several
external relations functions.
Prior to joining EdisonLearning, Deborah served as the first female General
Superintendent of Detroit Public Schools. Crain’s Detroit Business named her
Newsmaker of the Year for 1992. Before that, she was the first female Assistant
Superintendent in Cambridge, Massachusetts and the first female Deputy
Superintendent in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She was a teacher and administrator in the
New York City Public Schools for more than a decade.
Deborah is former President of the Education Industry Association. In addition to
serving on the boards of several high-performing charter management organizations,
she is the Chair of the board of the National Alliance for Public Charter
Schools and Beyond 12. She serves on the executive committee of the Policy Innovators
in Education Network, and is a founder and national board member of the Black
Alliance for Educational Options. She also serves on the advisory board of the Program
on Education Policy and Governanceat Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of
Government and is a member of the Review Board for the Broad Prize in Urban
Education.
Deborah holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Norfolk State University, a
master’s degree in education with a specialization in reading pedagogy from Queens
College of the City University of New York, and a doctorate in Administration, Policy
and Urban Education from Fordham University.
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Dwight Davis
Dwight E. Davis (born October 11, 1949 in Houston, TX) is a retired American
professional basketball player. After playing college basketball at the University of
Houston from 1969–72, Davis was selected as the 3rd overall pick of 1972 NBA Draft by
the Cleveland Cavaliers. Nicknamed "Double D," Davis played for five seasons in the
NBA with two teams: the Cleveland Cavaliers (1972–75) and Golden State Warriors
(1975–77). Davis suffered a career ending injury in 1977. The 6 ft. 8 in. forward averaged
8.6 points and 5.9 rebounds in 340 career regular season games; voted NBA All-Rookie
Team in 1972. Dwight was inducted into the "Hall of Honor" at the University of
Houston in November 2006, some 34 years after leaving. He still holds many records for
his rebounding, blocked shots and scoring. Mr. Davis has a BS degree from the
University of Houston and is a member of the Bauer Business School Circle of Honor.
In 2007, Davis was appointed by New Hampshire Governor John Lynch to the N.H.
Workforce Youth Council, and in 2008 he became the chair. He has served as a board
member of the Greater Seacoast United Way, as the Community Chair, and a member
of the United Way Mass Bay board. Dwight spends much of his free time working with
at risk teens with lessons on and off the court. He is a member of the Seacoast Board of
Realtors and has been among the Seacoast Top Producers since 2007. In 2009 Dwight
received the National Workforce Leadership award from JAG (Jobs for America’s
Graduates) for his extensive work with the youth of New Hampshire and leadership of
the New Hampshire Workforce Youth Council.. Davis was recognized in 2013 by
Rotary International by being awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship award. This is
bestowed upon the Rotarians and members of the community that exhibit a better
understanding and friendly relations for peoples around the world; past recipients of
this award include Mother Theresa and Nelson Mandela.
Dwight is the Career Pathways Facilitator for Southern New Hampshire Services; he is
responsible for promoting advanced manufacturing educational and job opportunities
within the state.
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Davis lives in New Hampshire with his wife Gayle Davis, and he is the father of four
children.
Freada Kapor Klein
Mitch Kapor and Freada Kapor Klein are co-chairs of the Kapor Center for Social Impact in
Oakland, CA, which pursues creative strategies to leverage tech for positive, progressive
change. Through the organization's Kapor Capital Impact Fund, they are active investors in
double bottom line, seed-stage tech companies with positive social impact. Examples include
edtech companies that close gaps of access and opportunity, as well as disruptive technology
that democratizes access to tech, such as 3d printers.
Mitch and Freada are also board members of the Level Playing Field Institute (founded by
Freada in 2001), which works to increase fairness in education and the workplace by closing the
opportunity gap and removing barriers to success. The Institute's Summer Math & Science
Honors Academy (SMASH) prepares students from under-represented communities to be
competitive in science, technology, engineering, and math-related studies at top universities.
The research team at LPFI examines inequity in access and opportunity in K-12, higher
education, and workplace contexts.
Mitch is a pioneer of the personal computing industry. He is the founder of Lotus Development
Corporation and the designer of the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet. He is the co-founder of the
Electronic Frontier Foundation, which protects freedom and privacy on the Internet; and
founding chair of the Mozilla Foundation, maker of the open source web browser Firefox.
Freada is a recognized authority on issues of bias, harassment, and diversity, having cofounded the first organization in the United States to focus on sexual harassment in 1976. She
launched Klein Associates, a boutique firm that offers consultation, research, and training on
issues related to fairness in the workplace. She is also a trustee of the UC Berkeley Foundation.
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Gayle O’Bryne
Gayle Jennings-O’Byrne Vice President – Northeast (NY, NJ, CT) Workforce Readiness
JPMorgan Chase Foundation
Gayle Jennings-O’Byrne, vice president, JPMorgan Chase Foundation helps implement
the firm’s philanthropic vision to build vibrant communities. She is responsible for
investing in not-for-profit organizations, programs and solutions that address issues of
workforce readiness, small business, affordable housing and financial capabilities. She
is responsible for developing and managing a portfolio of partner and program
investments, which includes conducting due diligence, community development
services, technical assistance, consulting, referrals and grants.
Previously, Mrs. Jennings-O’Byrne was vice president, International Government
Relations, managing global issues related to corporate finance and investment banking
with respect to the firm's legislative and regulatory affairs.
Mrs. Jennings-O’Byrne began her career at JPMorgan Chase as an associate in the
Mergers and Acquisitions group. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., Ms.
Jennings-O’Byrne was a senior press relations manager for Sun Microsystems
Computer Co. where her responsibilities included developing and implementing global
publicity and marketing programs.
She is committed to the development of New York City and the potential of
communities. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from The Wharton School of
Business and masters in business administration (MBA) from The University of
Michigan Business School. As part of her degree programs she studied at the National
University of Singapore, the City of London Polytechnic and traveled throughout Israel
on a research project
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Helen Coy
Sam Coy is the Northeast Regional Sales Executive for Social Solutions Global Inc.
Social Solutions Global, Inc., and Sam help non-profit, social Service/Human service
agencies track the impact and outcomes of the work they do with the communities and
individuals they serve on a daily basis. The ETO software tool allows organizations the
ability to scale their impact and demonstrate to funders and stakeholders the powerful
work that has changed lives, saved lives and transformed communities in a measurable
way. Sam Coy and Social Solutions Global Inc, are thought leaders in the world of
performance management.
Prior to joining Social Solutions, Sam has worked in the non-profit world for over 14
years and shares a wide understanding of measuring outcomes and demonstrating
impact through the use and functionality of the ETO Software in the non-profit and
human service sector.
Sam Coy is a native of Worcester, MA graduating High School with a full academic
scholarship to any college or university within the United States. Sam attended
Northeastern University and graduated with a B.S. in Criminal Justice. She attended
Massachusetts School of Law (Andover) and attained her Juris Doctorate (J.D.) degree
and served as an Assistant District Attorney for the Middlesex County District
Attorney's Office in the State of Massachusetts. Additionally, Sam attended Harvard
University Extension School for two years and recently obtained her MBA from Nichols
College. Currently, she is working on her Ph.D. in Law and Public Policy at Walden
University.
Sam has been locally and nationally recognized for her dedication and commitment to
serving her community. In 2011, Sam was featured in Fairbridge Magazine. In 2006, she
was featured in PEOPLE Magazine and awarded the prestigious "Hero Among Us"
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Award. The Boston Globe, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, CBS News Early Show and
WBZ Talk Radio have also featured the work Sam has done to improve the quality of
life of the young people she served in the community.
Horace Madison
More than just a Business Manager, Horace Madison is an ally to his clients. For
today’s entertainers and athletes, the world of professional notoriety is a dangerous
one—and the accompanying riches can be fleeting. All too often these stories end in
financial hardship and ruin. But as only a visionary business leader can, in this dilemma
Horace Madison saw an opportunity. Today, his companies—Madison Financial Group
and Madison Strategic Integration—offered former clients like Lil Wayne and Meek
Mill a comprehensive system for transforming short-term success into long-term
financial security.
Horace Madison is the founding Principal/Managing Member of Madison Financial
Group ("MFG") and Madison Strategic Integration (“MSI”). As the Chief Executive
Officer he supervises new client prospecting, business development, overall risk
management and company-client relations. Although no longer personally handling
any specific clients or accounts, he remains focused on providing unrivalled client
service. Horace has over eighteen years of Business Management experience. This was
preceded by training and experience in financial planning. This includes specific
attention in the areas of insurance and investments.
He began his financial career at IDS/American Express as a Financial Planner/Advisor,
obtaining his insurance and Series 7 (“stockbroker”) licenses. After three years in
financial planning, the desire to focus on stocks and bonds led to his arrival on “Wall
Street”, at Bear Stearns & Co. As a member of their Private Client Services division
Horace excelled as an equities and simple fixed-income broker. He was one of only a
few, from this new program to earn “his desk”. This eventually attracted the attention
of a Senior Managing Director from Oppenheimer, who recruited him to join his new
Money Management firm he was spinning off, as a quasi-subsidiary. This move
allowed Horace the time and opportunity to segue into the financial side of the
entertainment industry.
After helping a “subway-musician” obtain a million dollar recording and publishing
deal, Horace accepted a position at Burton Goldstein and Company. One of the top
boutique entertainment Business Management firms, the client list included the bands
Aerosmith, Phish and others, as well as, rising star Sean "Puffy" Combs. Combs had just
signed his deal with Arista, officially launching Bad Boy Records/Entertainment.
Working for and with Mr. Goldstein, Horace developed expertise in accounting for the
music and entertainment industry, while also being exposed to the deal side of Business
Management. As a beneficiary of the rapid rise and success of Bad Boy, Horace
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garnered clients such as Ma$e, and a contingent of Puff’s producers called the "Hit
Men". Horace's growing client base created a need for growth and expansion. He was
recruited by and ultimately accepted an offer from Provident Financial Management.
Provident was recognized as one of the largest, and most prestigious Business
Management firms in the country.
Horace’s client roster continued to grow, but now even more rapidly. As his
burgeoning reputation grew it led to his being heavily recruited by other firms.
Eventually, after Provident was acquired by American Express Tax and Business
Services Horace chose V. Brown & Co. In 1999 and joined the firm as a Senior Managing
Director of the New York office. A year later Horace partnered with colleague Solomon
Smallwood, former Managing Director of the Atlanta office of V. Brown & Co. They cofounded MadisonSmallwood Financial Group (MSFG) in 2000.
Over the next 5-6 years MSFG was one of the most recognizable and fastest growing
Business Management firms in the industry. But MSFG’s natural market and client base
was almost exclusively urban music clients. The advent of internet piracy and illegal
file-sharing crippled the record industry and created the need for a different business
model. Horace and Solomon went their separate ways. In 2007 Horace founded
Madison Financial Group. Horace built and continues to guide MFG intent on
maintaining a more diversified client base, stretching widely across music, sports and
entertainment. Additionally, small businesses have now become clients.
As an identifier of new opportunities, well ahead of the proverbial curve, a few years
later, Horace launched MSI. Taking an innovative approach, Horace and his MSI team
are horizontally integrating corporations’ needs with the interests of his celebrity
clients. Unlike traditional approaches MSI looks to these needs and interests to create
mutually beneficial, ideally long-standing relationships, as opposed to just affecting
transactions. Horace’s ability to find and work with bright, long-term thinking
celebrities (athletes and artists), be they established or up and coming is a niche MSI
prides itself on mastering.
Despite the many changes in his career, one thing remains the same: Horace continues
to put clients’ needs first. MSI offers various forms of "capital" to help identify, structure
and manage relationships that will generate revenue streams in the future. This is not
limited to just income, but also potential secondary-career opportunities for clients
whose primary careers are traditionally short. This is due to the 3-4 year primary-career
span of artists and professional athletes.
Horace is a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA, where he
obtained a degree in English.
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Jacqueline Cooper
As BAEO's Chief of Staff, Jacqueline Cooper is responsible for the central coordination
of staff activities (operations and planning), while ensuring alignment with the strategic
priorities of the board. As a key member of BAEO's executive leadership team, she
ensures follow-through on goals and objectives and eliminates barriers to coordination,
cooperation, and collaboration. Cooper brings to her role more than 20 years of
experience in finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, business administration and
management.
Cooper previously served as BAEO's Director of Strategic Initiatives since 2008. In this
position, she designed and implemented a management system that clarified strategy,
optimized data, achieved vertical and horizontal alignment and linked strategy to
operations. Most notably, Cooper has flawlessly directed BAEO's Annual Symposium,
the largest gathering of Black education reform supporters in the nation.
Before joining BAEO, Cooper owned and operated four elite "Shining Star" Curves
franchises in Jersey City, New Jersey, specially designated clubs that provided the
optimal experience for members of the world's largest fitness franchise. Previously, she
had a rewarding eleven-year career at JP Morgan Chase. In her last position as Vice
President and Business Manager in Global Syndicated Finance at JP Morgan Securities,
Inc., Cooper managed the staffing, logistical needs and performance review process for
the investment bank's largest department. She was responsible for a staff of more than
100 administrative assistants, analysts and associates.
Cooper holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Bryn Mawr College and a M.B.A.
in Finance and Accounting from New York University's Stern School of Business. She is
a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Cooper
resides in New Jersey with her husband and daughter.
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Jeanne K. Wardford
Jeanne K. Wardford has dedicated her life to working for the betterment of individuals
in her personal and professional environments. Her interest has always been working
to develop and build sustainable, healthy communities. Throughout her career, she has
been recognized for her ability to get to the root of the problem and recommend fair,
equitable, and often times innovative solutions to age old problems. She is known for
her vigorous policy work and advocacy for youth and families.
Jeanne’s professional career includes over 20 years of progressive leadership in both the
public and private sector with experience in comprehensive strategic planning in
distressed communities across the country, focusing on community and economic
development, health, education and housing development. She has authored federal,
state and foundation grants resulting in awards in excess of $70 million which was used
to leverage over $500 million in new investments and support the creation of hundreds
of jobs.
Jeanne has been recognized for her work and accomplishments on a national level and
was named one of Detroit’s Most Influential and Powerful Women in 2005. Prior to
joining NeighborWorks America, Jeanne worked as a consultant to Success Measures
for over 10 years and was instrumental in the development of the original Success
Measures Evaluation Program, a nationally recognized research based outcome
evaluation program. This community driven participatory evaluation process has
increased resident and key stakeholder participation in the development and rebuilding
across the country in over 3000 communities nationwide.
Originally a native Detroiter, Jeanne relocated to Washington, DC to become a member
of the NeighborWorks America Family as the Director of National Partnerships. Her
ability to forge new and innovative partnerships, build collaborative efforts, and sustain
community involvement has been the key to her many successes at NeighborWorks
America. Just recently, under her leadership, a grant in the amount of $10 million has
been secured to help leverage support to the organizations core work with over 240
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organizations in 4000 communities nationwide. Many of the organizations supported
will match these funds with leveraged dollars on an average of 5:1.
Mrs. Wardford’s leadership in support of positive youth development, education, and
community and economic development is reflected not only in her day to day activities,
but also in her membership on a variety of boards. In addition, she is a licensed health
and property / casualty insurance broker, Certified Manager, Certified Trainer for
Leadership Effectiveness, Situational Leadership, and Professional Selling Skills.
Ms. Wardford received her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Michigan State
University, she went on to receive her Masters Degree in Education from Marygrove
College and has completed post-graduate work at the University of Michigan.
Jessica Jones
About
Jessica Jones is an independent media maker specializing in documentary style
productions. She has worked on feature films, shorts, museum installations and film
impact measurement. With a background in nonprofit advocacy, Jessica views visual
storytelling as a unique leverage for social change, and intends to use filmmaking as an
opportunity to shed light on community based issues.
Background
Originally from Texas, she grew up printing photographs in her father’s garage
darkroom, documenting the world around her. In high school, she, alongside a few
friends, created a short film – it was here that Jessica first developed a taste for the art of
filmmaking and storytelling.
Upon graduation from Northwestern University, a double major in psychology and
international studies, Jessica moved to Washington, DC to pursue her interest in social
justice. Mainly focused on employment discrimination and labor rights, Jessica worked
in a programmatic capacity in a nonprofit setting. Throughout this period, she
remained interested in visual storytelling, mainly through photography.
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She then attended the George Washington University’s Institute for Documentary
Filmmaking, and discovered that through storytelling, she could creatively foster
awareness for certain social issues. Through documentary filmmaking she intends to
bridge storytelling and activism. She is interested in all forms of storytelling:
documentary-photography, radio, and film. Jessica most enjoys documenting and
piecing together the subtleties of the human experience and believes that there is a story
in the smallest moments. She is fueled by her advocacy work to use these stories to
enliven debate and ask questions about how we relate to each other and why we make
some of the choices we make.
When she isn’t producing videos or taking a picture, she can be found drumming in
two local Brazilian bands or experimenting with a new recipe.
Currently
Jessica is based out of Oakland, California (but somewhat bicoastal). She is currently the
Impact Producer for AMERICAN PROMISE (Dir: Joe Brewster and Michèle
Stephenson). She is the Associate Producer and Assistant Editor for A FRAGILE TRUST
(ITVS Open Call/Dir: Samantha Grant), which examines ethics and diversity in
journalism (Premiere: Sheffield Documentary Festival), and the Assistant Editor for A
NEW COLOR (Dir: Mo Morris), which explores what it means to be an aging artist and
activist. She was an editor for the short A CAPITAL BUZZ (Premiere: Colorado Film
Festival, Golden Pineapple Award: DC Shorts Film Festival) and has worked on short
pieces for a variety of nonprofits, organizations and companies including the New York
Times, the International Labor Rights Forum, the International Museum for Women,
and public access station, KQED. She is a 2013 BAVC MediaMaker Fellow, and was the
2011 George Stoney Fellow at Working Films.
Joe Brewster
Joe Brewster is a Harvard and Stanford educated psychiatrist who specialized in
organizational analysis, the use of psychoanalytic principles to understand and improve
organizations. In 1992, Brewster sold his first screenplay to the Jackson/McHenry
group under the Warner Bros. imprint. In 1996, he wrote and directed The Keeper, which
was an official selection in the dramatic narrative competition section of the Sundance
Film Festival and garnered numerous national and international awards, including an
Independent Spirit Award nomination. His documentary and feature film projects have
received broadcast on PBS, Showtime, the Sundance Channel and the Starz
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Network. Brewster is a recipient of Sundance, Tribeca-All Access, Tribeca New Media
and BAVC fellowships. His recent documentary film, American Promise, is the winner of
the 2013 African-American Critics Association Award for Best Documentary, The
Sundance Film Festival’s Special Jury Prize and the Full Frame Film Festival Grand Jury
Prize. His transmedia work has also been supported by The Kellogg Foundation, The
Open Society, Heinz and Blank Foundations.
Joy Reid
Joy Reid is host of “The Reid Report” on weekdays at 2 p.m. on MSNBC. Reid was the
former Managing Editor of theGrio.com, a daily online news and opinion platform
devoted to delivering stories and perspectives that reflect and affect African-American
audiences.
Reid joined theGrio.com with experience as a freelance columnist for the Miami Herald
and as editor of the political blog The Reid Report. She is a former talk radio producer
and host for Radio One, and previously served as an online news editor for the NBC
affiliate WTVJ in Miramar, FL.
During the 2004 presidential campaign, Reid served as the Florida deputy
communications director for the 527 "America Coming Together" initiative, and was a
press aide in the final stretch of President Barack Obama's Florida campaign in 2008.
Joy's columns and articles have appeared in the Miami Herald, the South Florida SunSentinel, South Florida Times and Salon.com. She is currently producing a
documentary, "The Fight Years"—which takes a look into the sport of boxing during the
1950s and 1960s in Miami.
Reid graduated from Harvard University in 1991 with a concentration in film, and is a
2003 Knight Center for Specialized Journalism fellow. She currently resides in Brooklyn
with her husband and family. Follow her on Twitter @JoyAnnReid and “The Reid
Report” @TheReidReport.
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Karen Alston
A leader in the marketing industry; Karen Maria Alston has proven to be one of many
top innovative and visionary thinkers in the business. Karen began her career working
for Fortune 100 companies such as JP Morgan Chase, MBNA America Bank (now Bank
of America) and America Online. While climbing the corporate ladder, she developed
her skills working alongside the best marketing executives in the industry.
Born as a 3rd generation entrepreneur with the desire to contribute to the industry,
Karen developed and launched her own boutique marketing communications firm. In
2002, Alston Marketing Group now d/b/a, AM+G Marketing Communications was
established.
In 2008, Karen added to her business by acquiring Edge Advertising, Inc., of
Washington,DC. In the midst of AM+G’s development and growth, Karen wanted her
AM+G clients to be nurtured within three tiers: 1) profitability with an emphasis on
return on investment, 2) branding and 3) positioning of products. With AM+G’s
inception, Karen has experienced 10 years of success. She has accumulated an extensive
list of clients including: National Wildlife Federation, LISC, National Trust for Historic
Preservation, DC Government, Prince Georges County Government, DC Public Charter
School Board, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, DCTV, DC Public Schools,
Baltimore County, Capital Bikeshare, Capital Area Food Bank, The DuPont Hotel, Eagle
Academy Public Charter School and many others.
Karen’s career includes leadership roles and affiliations with many prominent
organizations. Due to her extensive experience and stellar reputation, she was recruited
to serve on many community-based boards including the Prince Georges County
Technology Incubator and the Edgewood/Brookland Community Collaborative. She
also works with industry organizations like the AMADC (American Marketing
Association – DC Chapter) where she currently serves as Vice President of Finance.
Karen is also the former publisher/founder of Urban Lifestyle Report (circa 1998) which
was an online urban B2B research publication focusing on the lifestyle of the urban
consumer. Because of her illustrious profession and business acumen, she has been
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featured in several publications such as the Baltimore Sun, Black Enterprise, The
Washington Business Journal, Black MBA, Essence Magazine, Washington Examiner,
DC Modern Luxury and the Baltimore Daily Record. She is also a sought after speaker
for many marketing industry conferences on a range of topics such as digital media,
traditional marketing, government marketing and her favorite topic the “burdens of the
superwoman.”
Karen Maria Alston received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance
from Howard University and an Executive Education Certificate in Branding and
Design from Harvard University.
Linda Roghaar
Owner Linda L. Roghaar is a publishing professional, in the book business continuously since
her days working in a bookstore in the 1970s. An agent since 1996, she started White River Press
in 2006 to help published authors who – for whatever reason – could not find a home in
traditional publishing.
Lisa Jackson
Lisa began her career as an educator. Following graduate school, she came to Boston
College as an assistant professor at the Lynch School of Education. There she
developed her talent in teaching and facilitation, working with undergraduate and
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graduate students. She also honed her research and evaluation skills conducting
research on academic achievement in the Boston public schools.
Upon leaving Boston College Lisa was recruited to serve as the Project Director for
GEAR UP Boston (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs). In this role she managed partnerships between colleges and universities
and Boston Public middle schools to increase access for middle school students to afterschool programs focused on college preparation. In addition to providing technical
assistance to the individual partnerships, Lisa also developed systems that fostered
collaborations across partnerships in a variety of areas including curriculum
development, staff training, and evaluation.
Leveraging her analysis and evaluation expertise Lisa became the Vice President for
Performance and Outcomes at The Home for Little Wanderers. There she had the
unique opportunity to build a department dedicated to measurement and risk
management from the ground up, integrating the value of data for the purpose of
program improvement. Continuing on this path, Lisa joined the Center for Effective
Philanthropy as the Vice President for Research. There she worked closely with a
variety of foundation leadership teams to use comparative data for the purpose of
assessing their effectiveness.
Lisa joined New Profit Inc. in 2011 to lead the Pathways Fund – an effort supported by
the Social Innovation Fund at the Corporation for Community and National
Service. The Pathways Fund is a community of social entrepreneurs and funders who
come together to learn and partner on the issue of college access, success, and livingwage employment. Lisa built a high-performing team that delivered outstanding results
and received continued Social Innovation Fund support year to year. In 2013 Lisa was
promoted to Managing Partner for Portfolio Investments at New Profit. Lisa was
responsible for the portfolio of 32 investments, investment management (including
investment selection and support), and investment monitoring and performance.
Lisa is on the national boards of several organizations including Year Up, College
Advising Corp, Single Stop, and The Reset Foundation. She is also a School Committee
member for the Town of Brookline, MA where she and her family live.
Lisa received her B.S. from Howard University in Psychology and her M.S. and Ph.D. in
Education from Stanford University.
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Michael Smith
Michael is director of the Social Innovation Fund (SIF), a key White House initiative and
program of the Corporation for National and Community Service that combines federal
and private investment to help scale and replicate evidence-based solutions to complex
social challenges. To date, the SIF has invested approximately $177 million in more than
200 pioneering organizations, and secured more than $420 million in non-federal match
commitments.
Before joining the Obama Administration Michael served as Senior Vice President of
Social Innovation at the Case Foundation, where he oversaw the Foundation's giving
and program strategy. In this role Michael guided numerous sector-building initiatives,
such as America’s Giving Challenge, Be Fearless and the Make It Your Own Awards,
which the New York Times called “the first time a major foundation is offering the
public a direct role in deciding who should receive some of its money.” He also played
a key leadership role in the design and support of several highly regarded publicprivate partnerships including the U.S.-Palestinian Partnership, A Billion + Change, and
most recently the Startup America Partnership, a private-sector call to action which has
led to more than 30 state affiliates, 13,000 member firms and billions of dollars in
resources aimed at making it easier for entrepreneurs to scale companies and
strengthen communities.
Before joining the Case Foundation, Michael helped build national initiatives aimed at
bridging the “digital divide” at the Beaumont Foundation of America and PowerUP.
Michael has also served as a senior program and communications staff member at a
Massachusetts Boys & Girls Club, was an aide to U.S. Congressman Richard E. Neal
and has a B.A. in Communications from Marymount University.
Prior to his appointment, Michael served for many years on the boards of Philanthropy
for Active Civic Engagement (PACE), Idealist.org and Public Allies.
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Michelle Gadsden-Williams
Michelle Gadsden-Williams is Managing Director and Global Head of Diversity &
Inclusion and New Markets Segment Leader at Credit Suisse. In this role, she provides
strategic direction, thought leadership and champions the development of an inclusive
environment by integrating diversity practice into all aspects of the business on a global
scale. Michelle is a member of the Human Resource Management Committee at Credit
Suisse.
Michelle is a seasoned Diversity Practitioner with more than 20 years of experience
working in the pharmaceutical industry before transitioning to Financial Services. She
has held positions of increasing responsibility in the Diversity Management and
Staffing functions at Merck & Co., Inc. in Whitehouse Station, NJ. Prior to her tenure at
Merck, Michelle has also held positions in Human Resources and Product Management
at Philips-Van Heusen Corporation and Wakefern Food Corporation in NJ.
An exemplary role model and advocate for equality and social justice, Michelle works
tirelessly at refining processes, policies and programs that support an inclusive work
environment. Examples include the design and deployment of global diversity
strategies, the re-constitution of global diversity councils and diversity training
curriculums and her role in the start-up of over 50 Employee Resource Groups around
the world. Michelle has acquired a number of community service awards and accolades
for her work as a diversity practitioner. She has been profiled in Black Enterprise
Magazine, DiversityInc, Diversity Executive, Ebony, Essence, Fortune, Heart & Soul, Jet,
New Vision, Science Magazine, Sister to Sister, The New York Times, The Wall Street
Journal, Target Market News and was recognized as one of 40 Outstanding Executives
Under 40 in America by the Network Journal early on in her executive career. In 2010,
Michelle was ranked (#6 as one of the Top 25 Women of Substance in Healthcare by
Heart & Soul Magazine and more recently ranked (#48) in 2011 and (#31) in 2012 as one
of the Top 100 Executives in America by Uptown Magazine. Her most notable accolade
to date is being named the 2010 recipient of the Maya Way Award for Diversity
Leadership by the incomparable Dr. Maya Angelou, the 2008 recipient of the Harvard
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Black Men’s Forum Businesswoman of the Year Award, the recipient of Rainbow Push
Coalition’s Bridge Builder Award by the honorable Rev Jesse L. Jackson and she also
received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters Degree from Kean University for
her outstanding personal and professional accomplishments in the field of Diversity
and Inclusion. More recently, Michelle has been appointed as a member of the Global
Advisory Council on Values for the World Economic Forum.
Michelle has a B.S. in Marketing, a B.A. in Communications from Kean College and an
M.S. in Organizational Dynamics (with honors) from the University of Pennsylvania.
Michelle is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, a Board
Member of the Jackie Robinson Foundation and the SLE Lupus Foundation in New
York City and an Executive Committee Member of the Women’s Leadership Board of
the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Michelle and her
husband, David, live in New York City.
Michele Stephenson
Michèle Stephenson is a graduate of McGill University and Columbia University School
of Law. After serving as law clerk for the Honorable Judge Jack B. Weinstein in the
Eastern District of New York, and following a previous career in international
development in West Africa, Stephenson’s legal work brought her to human rights and
racial justice advocacy at Peter Gabriel’s organization, WITNESS. Her eclectic
background and experiences ultimately led to her true passion: non-fiction storytelling.
An early pioneer in the Web 2.0 revolution, Stephenson used video storytelling to
structure advocacy campaigns and train advocates from around the globe. Stephenson’s
work has been broadcast on PBS, Showtime, the Sundance Channel and the Starz
Network. She is also a recipient of the Sundance Institute, Tribeca All Access, Tribeca
New Media Fund, Magnum Foundation and BAVC fellowships. Her recent
documentary film, American Promise, is the winner of The Sundance Film Festival’s
Special Jury Prize, the 2013 African-American Critics Association Award for Best
Documentary, the Full Frame Film Festival Grand Jury Prize, and was part of the Main
Slate Official Selection of the 2013 New York Film Festival.
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Mitch Kapor
Mitch Kapor and Freada Kapor Klein are co-chairs of the Kapor Center for Social Impact in
Oakland, CA, which pursues creative strategies to leverage tech for positive, progressive
change. Through the organization's Kapor Capital Impact Fund, they are active investors in
double bottom line, seed-stage tech companies with positive social impact. Examples include
edtech companies that close gaps of access and opportunity, as well as disruptive technology
that democratizes access to tech, such as 3d printers.
Mitch and Freada are also board members of the Level Playing Field Institute (founded by
Freada in 2001), which works to increase fairness in education and the workplace by closing the
opportunity gap and removing barriers to success. The Institute's Summer Math & Science
Honors Academy (SMASH) prepares students from under-represented communities to be
competitive in science, technology, engineering, and math-related studies at top universities.
The research team at LPFI examines inequity in access and opportunity in K-12, higher
education, and workplace contexts.
Mitch is a pioneer of the personal computing industry. He is the founder of Lotus Development
Corporation and the designer of the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet. He is the co-founder of the
Electronic Frontier Foundation, which protects freedom and privacy on the Internet; and
founding chair of the Mozilla Foundation, maker of the open source web browser Firefox.
Freada is a recognized authority on issues of bias, harassment, and diversity, having cofounded the first organization in the United States to focus on sexual harassment in 1976. She
launched Klein Associates, a boutique firm that offers consultation, research, and training on
issues related to fairness in the workplace. She is also a trustee of the UC Berkeley Foundation.
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Nancy Rhodes
Nancy Maguire Rhodes is the Vice President for Finance and Administration for Bread for the
World and Bread for the World Institute. Bread for the World is a collective Christian voice
urging our nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad. The Institute provides
policy analysis on hunger and strategies to end it. Working with national-level partners in the
nation’s capital and a grassroots network of 70,000 members throughout the country, Bread is
one of the world’s largest ecumenical organizations dedicated to building the political will to
end hunger. Nancy provides leadership for the organizations’ infrastructure, including facilities
management, finance, human resources, information systems and technology, and internal
communications.
Formerly Nancy served as an associate dean at Duke University School of Medicine. She has
over twenty years of experience as a senior administrative leader in major academic medical
centers. Nancy led teams at Washington University-St. Louis that received top national prizes
from the Medical Group Management Association in 2003, 2004 and 2005. In 2007, her
leadership was affirmed by her team receiving the Duke University and Health System Blue
Ribbon Team Award (Health System Team Award).
Nancy was elected a director of the Presbyterian Church (USA) denomination’s Board of
Pensions in 2004. She served on the Healthcare Committee for eight years and on the Audit and
Risk Management Committee for four years, including two years as its Vice Chair.
Ordained in 1983 as a deacon in the Presbyterian Church (USA), Nancy has served local
congregations in diaconal ministry, including serving as moderator of the board of deacons at
Newton Presbyterian Church in Newton, MA. For over three decades, she has volunteered
extensively in adult and youth Christian education. Nancy enjoys partnering with her husband
in Christian clowning and hospitality as a way of sharing God’s messages of grace, caring and
compassion. She currently serves as an anti-hunger advocate and missionary-at-large for Bethel
Presbyterian Church, McLeansville, NC.
Nancy received her B.A. in German Language and Literature from Bowdoin College, including
completing coursework at Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She
then earned a master of public health (M.P.H.) degree from Yale University.
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Nancy gave her life to Christ at age 9 while growing up in rural Pennsylvania. She is married to
Rev. Paul L. Rhodes who serves a Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation in rural North
Carolina. Nancy is the mother of two sons, Peter who is a high school senior and Mikhail who is
a high school sophomore.
Nicole Fulgham
Nicole Baker Fulgham is the founder and president of The Expectations Project, a nonprofit organization that develops & mobilizes faith-motivated advocates who help close
the academic achievement gap in public schools. She is the author of Educating All
God’s Children: What Christians Can do to Improve Low-income Public Schools for Kids
(Brazos Press, April 2013).
A native of Detroit, Nicole graduated from the University of Michigan and joined Teach
For America where she taught fifth grade in Compton, California. Nicole received her
doctorate in education from UCLA with a focus on urban education policy and teacher
preparation. She joined the national staff of Teach For America, where she held several
key leadership roles, including Vice President of New Site Development, Vice President
of Teacher Training and Support and Vice President of Faith Community Relations.
Nicole is a MindTrust Education Entrepreneur Fellow and an Aspen Institute Education
Fellow. She speaks at national faith-based and education conferences, has appeared on
CNN and ABC News and authored several articles about educational equity.
Christianity Today Magazine featured Nicole as One to Watch and also named her one
of the 50 Women Leaders Influencing the Church and Culture. Nicole serves on the board
of several non-profit organizations and lives in the Washington, DC area with her
husband and their three children.
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Rael Nelson James
Raël Nelson James, Director of Board Recruiting, comes to Charter Board Partners with
over 10 years experience working at DC nonprofits. Most recently she was the Interim
Director of Development at The Fishing School, an out-of-school time program for
underserved DC public school students in Wards 6, 7, and 8. Prior to that she was the
first-ever Executive Director of LIFT-DC, where she expanded the antipoverty
organization into the District's bilingual communities and east of the Anacostia River.
Raël is thrilled to be returning to the education field, having previously managed KIPP
DC's foundation and corporate relations and served as the Program Director at
Operation Understanding DC, a leadership development and dialogue program for
Black and Jewish high school students. Raël is a native Washingtonian and holds a
bachelor's degree in political science from Tufts University. She serves on the board at
Capital City Public Charter School in the Manor Park neighborhood of the District.
Sid Smith
Sid Smith is the founder and President of SRS Counsel PLLC, a solo law practice that
provides virtual general counsel services on a range of corporate and transactional
matters. He serves as general counsel to Syncom Venture Partners, a leading media and
communications venture firm, and the National Association of Investment Companies,
the leading trade association for investors in ethnically diverse companies. Sid is also a
co-founder of Discourse Analytics, Inc., a data analytics company launched in 2011 that
enhances audience messaging and activation by building issue-weighted profiles on
individuals and providing micro-segmenting of groups, audiences and communities
based upon common activation points.
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Prior to founding SRS Counsel, Sid practiced for nearly 14 years at the law firms of K&L
Gates LLP and Cooley LLP. Most recently, he was a partner in the corporate and
securities group at K&L Gates. Before becoming an attorney, Sid was Assistant for
External Affairs for New Jersey Governor James J. Florio and prior to that he was
Special Assistant for Intergovernmental Affairs for New Jersey Congressman Robert G.
Torricelli.
Sid is active in many organizations dedicated to service in the areas of education and
economic development. He currently serves as a Senior Advisor (and is former Board
Chair) to Bellwether Education Partners, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to
accelerating the achievement of under-served students. He also serves as a member of
the Board of Directors and a Fellow of Pahara-Aspen Institute, a national nonprofit
organization whose mission is to identify, strengthen, and sustain diverse highpotential leaders who are transforming public education. Sid is also a member of the
Board of the University of the District of Columbia, David A. Clarke School of Law
Foundation. Sid was involved with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship
(NFTE) for over a decade, including serving as outside general counsel, as DC Division
Advisory Board Chair and as a classroom volunteer. His past education focused
activities also include serving as Chair of the Multicultural Affairs Committee on the
Phillips Academy, Andover Alumni Council, and as pro bono counsel for The Seed
School of Washington, D.C. Sid's economic focused activities include being a Charter
Member of The Marathon Foundation, an organization focused on increasing
investment of capital into businesses with significant minority ownership or
management; serving as past Chair of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce
Incubator Advisory Board; and serving as a former Commissioner on the Virginia
Governor’s Commission on Minority Business Enterprise.
Sid graduated from Yale with a B.A. in English, where he was a member of the varsity
basketball team, and received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. He
is also a graduate of Phillips Academy, Andover.
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Sylvia Spivey
Sylvia T. Spivey joined The Philadelphia Foundation (TPF) in 2001 and currently serves as the
Development & Scholarship Manager. Sylvia’s role at TPF—a community foundation and
Southeastern Pennsylvania’s leading center for community philanthropic engagement—
provides her with the opportunity to oversee the distribution of over $1.5 million in
scholarships annually while maintaining relationships with the donors associated with TPF’s
scholarship funds.
Sylvia’s passion for philanthropy and community service was ignited while pursuing her
bachelor’s degree in communication at the largest private nonprofit university in the country,
Liberty University. Her commitment lies in connecting individuals to the resources that will
allow them to follow their dreams. She does this by supporting students of all ages in their
pursuit of higher education, inspiring women to find fulfillment in their careers, and assisting
nonprofits in their efforts to maximize their capacity.
A native Philadelphian who resides there with her husband of 15 years and her nine-year-old
son, Sylvia has served as a member of the Board of Trustees for Northern Children Services in
Philadelphia. She is the current vice president of the Philadelphia Chapter of Executive Women
International; a founding member of the Philadelphia chapter of Emerging Practitioners in
Philanthropy (EPIP); and a charter member of The Philadelphia College Prep Roundtable.
Sylvia’s scholarship expertise, however, extends beyond the Philadelphia area as she lends her
prowess to students and several nonprofits across the country. Currently, she is the co-chair of
the International Review Committee for Executive Women International’s EWISP scholarship.
She has also served on the application review committee for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund’s
Gates Millennium Scholarship Program for several years, and was recently selected as a review
committee member for the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund. Sylvia also serves on the
membership and conference planning committees of the National Scholarship Providers
Association (NSPA).
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Stephen DeBerry
Stephen DeBerry makes and manages investments that align strong financial returns with
positive social impact. He is the founder and Chief Investment Officer at Bronze Investments
and formerly worked as a partner at Kapor Capital and a Director at Omidyar Network. As a
former Trustee and Member of the Investment Committee at The California Endowment he and
his peers were fiduciaries for the organization’s $4 billion endowment. He is an active investor,
board member and advisor to high growth startup companies and serves the boards of several
national and local nonprofits. He has a Bachelor’s in Anthropology with highest honors from
UCLA as well as Master’s in Social Anthropology and MBA degrees from Oxford University.
He is a Marshall Scholar and a Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute and was named to Ebony
magazine’s list of 100 most powerful African-Americans. He lives in Mill Valley, California with
his wife and two daughters.
Tanya Jones
For the last 15 years, Tanya Jones has worked to improve the health of women and
children in rural communities of sub-Saharan Africa as an implementer, fundraiser and
funder. Currently, Ms. Jones serves as Portfolio Manager at the Barr Foundation. Barr’s
Global Programs team is building a portfolio of innovative projects that target multiple
priority impact areas in Health, Environment and Livelihoods. Barr Foundation’s global
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philanthropic investments span the geographies of sub-Saharan Africa, Haiti and India.
Ms. Jones leads the health portfolio, which maintains a strong focus on improving
community health care and ensuring the availability of essential medicines in the
developing world. Additionally, Ms. Jones is developing a portfolio in Women’s and
Girls’ Empowerment, focused on Reproductive Health.
Ms. Jones earned a Masters’ Degree in Public Policy from Princeton University and a
Masters’ Degree in Sociology from The University of California, Berkeley.
Tony Ross
Anthony L. Ross was appointed President & Chief Executive Officer by OIC of
America’s National Board of Directors in November 2013.
Since 2004, Mr. Ross served as President of United Way of Pennsylvania (UWP),
providing strategic leadership to the 65 United Ways in the Pennsylvania network that
helped improve the quality of life in communities across the Commonwealth through
advocacy, initiatives and partnerships. Under his leadership, UWP chaired The
Pennsylvania Fund for Workforce Solutions, which blends investments from private
and public funders to support the goal of increasing opportunities for lower-skilled
workers through grant making, capacity building, and advocacy efforts within the
state’s Targeted Industry Clusters. He also served as UWP’s Vice President for Public
Policy & Communications, where he created a Statewide Marketing Collaborative that
consisted of regular meeting and interaction among over 30 United Way marketing
directors from across the Commonwealth. He also developed public policy strategies
that resulted in bi-partisan support for United Way public policy priorities such as
Early Childhood education and human services. Additional initiatives during Ross’
tenure generated millions in monetary and in-kind resources to benefit local United
Ways, including nearly half million dollars disaster relief funds, prescription assistance
for over 330,000 Pennsylvanians and Americorps VISTA program that provided over $2
million in staff capacity to local United Ways. Under his direction, UWP evolved into
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one of the leading voices on human service and social issues in Pennsylvania. One of
Mr. Ross’ primary roles was to act as United Way’s chief advocate on policy matters in
Harrisburg and before the state’s Congressional delegation in Washington. At the
federal level, Mr. Ross has testified before the U.S. Congress regarding the importance
of charitable giving and represented UWP at the White House Community Leaders
Briefing Series in 2011.
In Harrisburg, Mr. Ross was a passionate advocate on behalf of the nonprofit sector
during the 2009 budget impasse and was recognized as a highly respected voice on
policy matters in government and media circles. In recognition of his leadership, Mr.
Ross was appointed to several state commissions including the Pennsylvania Stimulus
Oversight Commission, the Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission and
the Auditor General Transition Committee.
In 2005, United Way of America selected Mr. Ross as one of the top leaders under 40 in
the United Way movement, and in 2006, he was selected as one of Central PA’s most
influential “Movers and Shapers” by Harrisburg Magazine. In 1998, Mr. Ross was
recognized as one of the Ten Rising Leaders in State Government by The Harrisburg
Patriot‐News.
A Philadelphia area native, Mr. Ross is a 1991 graduate of Franklin & Marshall College,
where he earned his B.A. in Government. He began his career with the Pennsylvania
State House of Representatives, serving in a variety of progressively responsible
capacities including, Information Specialist, Research Analyst and Executive Director.
Tonya Allen
Tonya Allen, a serial “idea-preneur,” serves as the Foundation’s president & CEO. Her
two-decade long career has centered on pursuing, executing and investing in ideas that
improve her hometown of Detroit and reduce the plight of underserved people,
especially children.Previously, Allen was the Foundation’s chief operating officer and
vice president of program. In her position of leadership, Allen aligns the complexities of
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education reform, urban revitalization and public policy, so that these sometimes
divergent areas of work come together to improve the well-being of Detroit’s children.
She served as the architect of the 10-year, $100 million Good Neighborhoods program.
She orchestrated the development of a $200-million, citywide education reform
organization called Excellent Schools Detroit, and her high-school improvement
strategy has resulted in 15 new college-preparatory high schools.
Allen was named to Crain’s Detroit Business 40 under 40 list, received the national
Brick Award given to activists under age 30 by Rolling Stone Magazine, was one of the
first Detroiters to receive the prestigious Marshall Memorial Fellowship, and was
named one of the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s ‘5 nonprofit innovators to watch” in 2013.
She holds a Bachelor degree in sociology and Master degrees in social work and public
health, all from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. She serves on numerous boards
and committees, both local and national, including The Funders Network for Smart
Growth, Grantmakers of Children, Youth and Families, Council of Michigan
Foundations and Association of Black Foundation Executives.
Before joining The Skillman Foundation in 2004, Allen worked as a program officer for
both the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Thompson-McCully Foundation. She
founded and was the executive director of Detroit Parent Network, a parent
membership organization dedicated to improving educational options for children, and
led the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Rebuilding Communities Initiative in Detroit.
Allen describes herself as “a quasi-introvert masquerading as an extrovert. Her
ambition is to marry those vastly different parts of her personality to live a balanced,
joyful and authentic life. Her sense of humor and faith keep her inspired and grounded
as she works as hard as she can to make Detroit, the city she loves, a better, stronger,
more thriving place for children.
She’s married to husband, Louis and has three daughters, Phylicia, Brianna and Alanna.
Together, the couple owns and operates a Christian entertainment company, Highly
Favored Productions.
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Touré
Touré is a co-host on MSNBC’s ensemble show ‘The Cycle,’ which airs Monday-Friday
at 3PM ET. He is also the author of “Who’s Afraid of Post-Blackness? What It Means To
Be Black Now,” which was named one of the Most Notable Books of 2011 by the New
York Times and The Washington Post and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award
for Outstanding Literary Work of Non-Fiction. He has published four previous books
and is currently at work on co-writing the autobiography of the legendary rapper Nas.
He is a columnist for Time.com and lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two children.
Krystal Ball
Krystal Marie Ball is a co-host on MSNBC’s ensemble show ‘The Cycle,’ which airs
Monday-Friday at 3PM ET. She’s also a political writer, former congressional candidate
and CPA. Her writing has appeared in publications such as US News and World
Report, the Atlantic, the Huffington Post, and Politico; she has been a featured speaker
at Columbia, Princeton, and George Washington University; and a guest lecturer at the
New School in New York City. Krystal is a Contributing Writer for the Truman
Doctrine, a national security oriented blog run by the Truman National Security Project.
Truman recently awarded Krystal the “Dewey Defeats Truman” award for excellence in
media.
Following her congressional campaign, Krystal was named by Forbes Magazine as
number 21 on the magazine’s “Most Powerful Women in the Mid Term Elections” list.
The Week magazine rated her as one of the Top Eight Political Stars of 2010, along with
Marco Rubio, Scott Brown and Chris Christie. Profiled all over the United States for her
innovative use of Social Media in politics, Ball's compelling political vision for her party
has been featured as far away as The China Post. Krystal is a native Virginian and
received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia. In addition to her work in
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politics and media, Krystal is also a Certified Public Accountant, software designer and
mom.
Ari Melber
Ari Melber is co-host of a co-host on MSNBC’s ensemble show ‘The Cycle,’ which airs
Monday-Friday at 3PM ET. He also writes "The Law of Politics" for MSNBC.com, a
reported blog on politics, law and constitutional rights.
Melber is an attorney and a correspondent for The Nation. He has written for a number
of publications, including The Atlantic, Reuters, Salon, Politico, The American Prospect
and The New York Daily News, and contributed chapters to the books “America Now,”
(St. Martins, 2009) and “At Issue: Affirmative Action,” (Cengage, 2009). He also
authored “The Permanent Field Campaign in a Digital Age” (techPresident, 2010).
From 2009 to 2013, Melber practiced law at a major New York law firm, specializing in
First Amendment, reporter's privilege and copyright litigation. During the 2008
presidential election, he traveled with the Obama Campaign on special assignment for
The Washington Independent. During the 2004 presidential election, Melber was a
national staff member for the John Kerry Campaign, and from 2002 to 2003, he served as
a legislative aide to Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA). Drawing on his work in government,
politics, law and media, Melber has been a featured speaker at Harvard, Oxford, Yale,
Columbia, NYU, USC and Georgetown, among other institutions.
Melber received a J.D. from Cornell Law School, where he was an editor of the Cornell
Journal of Law and Public Policy, and he is a member of the New York Bar.
Abby Huntsman
Abby Huntsman is the co-host of MSNBC’s ensemble show, “The Cycle,” which airs
Monday through Friday from 3-4 p.m. ET.
Prior to joining MSNBC, Abby was a host and producer for HuffPost Live, The
Huffington Post's streaming network, where she interviewed politicians and celebrities,
as well as led discussions on everything from world affairs to lifestyle. She was also a
frequent political commentator on MSNBC and CNN. Abby was named one of Forbes
30 under 30 for media in 2013.
She is the daughter of former presidential candidate, Jon Huntsman and worked on his
2012 Presidential Campaign as a media adviser and surrogate. Huntsman and her
sisters, the Jon2012Girls, became known for their witty tweets and a parody video to the
Herman Cain “Smoking Ad."
58
A native of Utah, Huntsman received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and
Communications from the University of Pennsylvania in 2008. Follow Huntsman on
Twitter @HuntsmanAbby.
Trabian Shorters
Trabian Shorters is an experienced social entrepreneur with a long history of building
innovative networks for the common good. This includes founding a technology
support network with funding and board leadership from both AOL and Microsoft,
being one of the original authors of the AmeriCorps National Service program, and
directing Ashoka-US until he joined the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation as vice
president of communities in 2007.
His newest endeavor is BMe Community, a real-world social network of inspired black
men and their friends of all backgrounds who take an asset-oriented approach to
building caring and prosperous communities. BMe launched July 1, 2013 after two
years of incubation at Knight Foundation where Trabian had managed a portfolio of
$300M in active grants and endowments in 26 communities.
BMe Community puts into practice a leading-edge framework which Trabian calls
“Asset-Framing.” The practice unearths contributions where others see only costs and
engages traditionally separated groups in building their shared community beyond the
class and race divides of old.
In the year since BMe’s launch, it has worked with national leaders in philanthropy,
media, and government to adopt asset-framing; its BMe Leaders have directly served
over 130,000 people, BMe has increased its membership to 7,000+, awarded over
$300,000 in additional grants to local leaders in Baltimore, Detroit and Philadelphia; and
networked them into the broader BMe Community.
Trabian is a member and an organizer of several private circles. He remains a senior
advisor to the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, an advisor to the Consumer
Health Foundation, a board member of Donors Choose, advisor to The Harvard
59
Initiative to Advance Black Male Achievement, and he is co-chair of #YesWeCode, an
initiative that aims to teach 100,000 low-opportunity youth software development skills.
60
Philanthropy on the Vineyard 2014
Sponsors and Partners
Charisse Lillie, President Comcast Foundation
Vice President, Community Investment
61

Philanthropy on The Vineyard 2014 is dedicated to

Transcription

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