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Big Brothers Big Sisters of America – Youth Mentoring

* Get Involved
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"IF YOU CAN SEE IT, YOU CAN BE IT."

BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF AMERICA’S GAME CHANGERS INITIATIVE UNITES THE
COLLECTIVE POWER OF INFLUENTIAL LEADERS AND CHANGE-MAKERS TO HELP TACKLE KEY
ISSUES IMPACTING YOUTH TODAY BY CREATING AWARENESS, ACCESS, AND OPPORTUNITY
THROUGH MENTORSHIP.

GAME CHANGERS COHORT 2

According to CDC data, 3 in 5 teen girls in the United States are grappling with
mental health challenges. National data from the 2023 Ruling Our eXperiences
(ROX) Survey also shows that girls’ confidence levels are declining throughout
adolescence compared to boys. By the time girls get to high school, 46% don’t
believe they are smart enough for their dream career. The impact of these
challenges can have lasting implications for their career readiness and overall
social and academic success. This cohort of Game Changers -- a powerful
collective of women leaders across sports, entertainment, business and more --
will respond to the societal need for positive mentorship by lending their
voices and support to shift the mentorship narrative and encourage more
volunteers, particularly women, to get involved. They will help drive the
momentum needed to build brighter futures across the country, fostering a sense
of connection, belonging and purpose within girls and young women.
Read the Press Release The Game Changers have come together to share a letter to
girls and young women, as the next generation of leaders who will shape the
future. Their collective message, inspired by their personal experiences and
insights, serves as a powerful reminder that no matter the challenges ahead, if
you can see it, you can be it.
Watch the Video

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Learn More

GAME CHANGERS COHORT 1

Today, one in three kids in America is growing up without a sustained adult
mentor in their lives. In addition, over 30,000 young people are on the BBBS
national waitlist, with the majority being boys of color, waiting to be matched
with a mentor. The inaugural group of Game Changers convenes prominent Black men
who embody the transformative power of mentorship. They will support BBBSA's
efforts to attract more Bigs to the program and address the representational gap
in mentorship, as there are currently three times more Black youth than there
are Black mentors in BBBS’ programs. Future groups of Game Changers will consist
of leaders from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences to reflect the
many inspiring stories and journeys of the young people across our country who
need positive mentorship. They will take bold action around additional priority
issues and challenges faced by youth nationwide, through the power of
mentorship. Read the Press Release

Today, we call on all Black men to stand with us and be that source of
inspiration for the next generation. We have all been impacted by fathers,
uncles, coaches, and others in our communities whose guidance has been
instrumental in shaping our journeys. Mentorship is not just a nice to have,
it’s a necessity.

Individually, we can leave an imprint but together, we can create a legacy.
Please join us in supporting our call to action in encouraging more Black men to
become Bigs.

Open Letter from Artis Stevens

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HOW GAME CHANGERS TAKE ACTION

SHARE STORIES

Game Changers leverage the powerful stories of their lived experiences to
inspire young people, through media, digital content, and thought leadership
opportunities.

MAKE CONNECTIONS

Game Changers take the movement to the next level by opening doors to their
networks to help generate public and donor support.

CREATE EXPERIENCES

Game Changers provide young people exclusive access to once in a lifetime VIP
experiences that provide exposure to what’s possible and affirm the journey it
takes to get there.

JOIN THE GAME!

Become a Big

JOIN THE CONVERSATION!

#gamechangers

INVEST IN A CHILD’S FUTURE.

When you support Big Brothers Big Sisters, you can impact the lives of young
people in your community.

Make a Donation

For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief
that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. As
the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big
Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult
volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”), ages 6 through 18, in communities
across the country. We develop positive relationships that have a direct and
lasting effect on the lives of young people.

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Croix Bethune
Midfielder, Washington Spirit

A midfielder for the Washington Spirit (NWSL), Croix Bethune has made history in
her rookie season. In just 17 matches of her first professional season, Bethune,
the #3 overall selection in the 2024 NWSL Draft, recorded five goals and 10
assists. Her 10 assists are an all-time NWSL single season record, matching the
long-standing total set by soccer legend Tobin Heath in 2016. This season, the
Alpharetta, Georgia native won NWSL Rookie of the Month three consecutive times
and earned four total honors – both of which are NWSL records. Bethune’s efforts
at the club level earned her a call up to the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT)
as an alternate for the 2024 Olympics where she won a gold medal. Bethune was
just as impressive at the collegiate level, winning the following honors over
five seasons at University of Southern California and the University of Georgia:
three consecutive First Team All-Pac 12 (2020-2022), back-to-back Pac-12
Midfielder of the Year (2021-2022), MAC Hermann Semifinalist (2021), and SEC
Tournament MVP (2023) honors.

Kardea Brown
Emmy Nominated Food Network Host and Author, Host of “Delicious Miss Brown,”
Former BBBS Staff

Kardea Brown is an Emmy Nominated contemporary Southern Chef born in Charleston,
South Carolina, and host of the Food Network series, “Delicious Miss Brown,” now
in its eighth season. Of Gullah Geechee descent, Kardea was raised by her single
mother and grandmother and spent much of her childhood on Wadmalaw Island among
the Gullah community where she grew up with the foods, flavors, history and
heritage of her culture.

The Gullah community formed when West Africans arrived in the Lowcountry as
slaves and they developed a cuisine born of necessity, making use of local
ingredients harvested from land and sea. It was through her grandmother that
Kardea learned of and tasted the traditional foods of her ancestry, learning to
prepare many of the dishes she cooks today. While dedicated to preserving her
culinary roots and sharing the history of her culture, over time Kardea also
began to infuse newer flavors that reflect her innate flair for cooking and
exploration of diverse influences.

After graduating from Atlanta’s Oglethorpe University, Kardea accepted a job at
a child placement agency and cooking became her therapy to work through the
emotional toll of social work. When that toll became too great, Kardea moved to
Newark, NJ for a fresh start and accepted a position with Big Brothers Big
Sisters. There she thrived with exposure to different cultures and people that
left her energized for a new journey.

Bringing Gullah Cuisine From the Lowcountry to the TV Screen:

While working in Newark, a former boyfriend learned of a casting call and
submitted a lively and engaging tape of Kardea cooking which ultimately came to
the attention of a production company who created a pilot with her for a Cooking
Channel show. The producers subsequently connected with Food Network executives
who responded that they loved her energy and personality but felt that she could
benefit from more experience. This feedback proved to be a revelation to Kardea,
who realized that she had finally found her true passion and decided to move
back home to South Carolina and the food, family and traditions that are such an
important part of her identity. Although she hadn’t yet mapped out her next
career steps, inspiration struck on the return trip home, and she decided to
create the New Gullah Supper Club pop-up in 2015. Born of a GoFundMe campaign,
this traveling dinner series showcased Kardea’s heritage, with a menu that paid
homage to the dishes passed down through her family for generations executed
with her own signature flair.

Over time, Kardea stayed in touch with Food Network, appearing on several shows,
and by fall 2018 she had filmed a proof of concept for her current show,
Delicious Miss Brown. The show premiered on Food Network in July 2019 and is now
in its tenth season. Filmed at Kardea’s home in Charleston, SC, the show
celebrates the rich history of her Gullah heritage and the diversity of its
cuisine, showcasing her passion for cooking and culture, while sharing stories
as she prepares food for dinner parties and events for family and friends. On
Delicious Miss Brown, Kardea shows loyal viewers – whom she affectionately
refers to as her ‘cousins’ – another side of Charleston, and that the Gullah
people and their cuisine are still thriving on the Sea Islands. Her take on
traditional Gullah cuisine is lighter and more vegetable-forward, and part of
Kardea’s mission is to show that Southern cuisine is much more than just fried
food. In April 2023, she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding
Culinary Host for her performance in Delicious Miss Brown.

Kardea also hosts The Great Soul Food Cook-Off, a series produced by discovery+
and OWN that premiered in November 2021 on the streaming service. The first-ever
soul food cooking competition, The Great Soul Food Cook-Off spotlights the
traditions of Black chefs and Black food, and the contributions soul food has
had on American cuisine.

Kardea is also the newest Cohost of Kids Baking Championship on Food Network.
She has also appeared in a range of other Food Network shows including Beat
Bobby Flay, Chopped, Chopped Junior, Cooks vs. Cons, BBQ Blitz, Family Food
Showdown, Cupcake Championship, Farmhouse Rules, Holiday Wars and Spring Baking
Championship as a resident Judge.

From the Screen to the Page:

Kardea shares her multi-generational “passed down” recipes and innovative takes
on Gullah classics with home cook in her cookbook The Way Home. “Gullah” and
“GeeChee” refer to a distinct group of African Americans living in the coastal
areas of South Carolina and Georgia who have preserved much of their West
African language, culture, and cuisine. The Way Home is an unabashed love letter
to her family’s roots, packed with dishes that combine West African herbs,
spices, and grains with traditional Southern cooking. “Gullah people laid the
foundation for Southern cooking. Before farm-to-table was a fad, it was what
Gullah people did,” Kardea explains. “I want to show the world that soul food is
not monolithic. It’s so much more than fried chicken and vegetables cooked in
pork. It’s seasonal, fresh and delicious!”

Flavoring her recipes with cherished family anecdotes, memories, and helpful
tips, The Way Home is a perfect blend of the modern and the traditional. Kardea
honors her proud heritage and shows off her own signature class and sass. The
result is a marvelous, big-hearted collection of recipes and stories that will
nourish you, body and soul. The Way Home became an instant New York Times
Bestselling Cookbook, making it to number 6 on the list.

Meredith O’Sullivan
Co-Founder/Co-CEO, The Lede Company

Meredith O’Sullivan is a Co-founder and Co-CEO of The Lede Company, a
female-owned strategy, communications, integrated marketing and social impact
consulting firm, specializing in corporate, entertainment, lifestyle, fashion,
beauty, tech, consumer products, and nonprofit sectors founded in 2018. With
dedicated Talent, Strategic Communications, Crisis, Brand, Content and Social
Impact divisions, the firm works with a range of clients including Amy Schumer,
Cara Delevigne, Charlize Theron, Emma Stone, Gael Garcia Bernal, Halle Berry,
Halsey, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Biel, Lady Gaga, Mary J. Blige, Pharrell
Williams, Penelope Cruz, Reese Witherspoon, Rihanna, Shakira, Will Ferrell, Will
Smith, Anonymous Content, Candle Media, The Gotham Film & Media Institute, Hello
Sunshine, Higher Ground, Illumination, Live Nation, Paramount, Westbrook, Nice
Crowd (fka ABFF Ventures), content from Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV+, Freeform, as
well as independent films and documentaries, ONE Campaign, The Global Fund, Thom
Browne, Altuzarra, Kenzo, PANGAIA, Savage x Fenty, Tony’s Chocolonely, Blue
Bottle Coffee, Essence Ventures, Violet Grey and WhatsApp, among others.

Michelle Bell
SVP, Head of Brand Partnerships, MACRO

Bio coming soon!

Shelley Zalis
CEO, Female Quotient

Known as the “Chief Troublemaker,” Shelley Zalis is a trailblazer for women in
the workplace. She is an internationally renowned entrepreneur, a pioneer for
online research, a sought-after speaker, a well-known thought leader, and a
devoted mentor.

As founder and CEO of The Female Quotient, Zalis is in the business of
equality™. Her mission is to change the equation and close the gender gap in the
workplace. Together with Fortune 500 companies, impact organizations, and
conscious leaders, The FQ curates experiences, media, and solutions that advance
gender equality. The FQ has forever altered the business agenda through its
signature Equality Lounges® advancing equality at the largest global business
and industry conferences, including Davos, CES, SXSW, Cannes and more.

Prior to The FQ, Zalis became the mother of online research when she founded OTX
(Online Testing Exchange), which quickly grew into one of the world’s largest
research companies and earned Zalis distinction as the first female chief
executive ranked in the research industry’s top 25. She sold OTX to Ipsos in
2010, where she led global innovation in over 80 countries.
With a bold approach to leadership, business, and life, Zalis is an acclaimed
speaker and dynamic moderator who has interviewed top-level CEOs, notable
celebrities, and prominent female figures. In addition to being an exclusive
contributor to TIME, Zalis authors a Forbes column, and is one of LinkedIn’s Top
Voices.

A firm believer in giving back with generosity, Zalis is the co-founder of
#SeeHer, a movement led by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) to
increase the accurate portrayal of women and girls in advertising and media.
Zalis is also on the Board of Directors for several organizations in the
equality space. Over the course of her transformational career, Zalis has
received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Global Marketing
Leadership Award, Matrix Award, She Runs It Game Changer Award, and ARF Great
Minds in Innovation Award.

Michelle Wong
Chief Marketing Officer

Michelle graduated with a Grand Diplôme from Le Cordon Bleu in London and landed
a job as a pastry chef at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel. The creativity and
intensity of the culinary world provided a perfect training ground for the world
of advertising – and an eye-opening experience for a woman finding her way in
another male-dominated field.

Michelle’s advertising career took her from Leo Burnett in Chicago to Dailey in
West Hollywood where she was the agency’s first female Managing Partner and
President in its 50-year history.

Michelle has worked on iconic brands across categories, everything from Philip
Morris and Qantas Airlines to Butterfinger and Panda Express. But the one
constant has been her love of brands and their ability to connect with
consumers’ hearts and minds, particularly when those brands embrace the power of
creativity and authenticity.

During her time as the Chief Marketing Officer of Sprinkles, Michelle led all
creative strategy and communication, product innovation, brand partnerships and
launched Sprinkles’ first line of CPG premium chocolates nationally at over
6,000 Walmart and Target stores nationwide.

Michelle was named on the 2024 Forbes Entrepreneurial CMO 50 list, Brand
Innovator’s Top 100 list of Most Innovative Women in Marketing and has spoken at
SXSW, Forbes, Apple and the Cannes Lions. Other recent acknowledgments include a
ColorComm Circle award in recognition of her outstanding leadership and
mentorship to other women in the industry.

Sybil Wilkes
Media Maven, Former Co-Host of the Tom Joyner Morning Show

Sybil Wilkes has been an important listener resource for over two decades. Known
as “The Voice of Reason” on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, she delivered news,
information and entertainment with honesty, accessibility, and integrity,
earning the trust of her nationwide audience. After the Tom Joyner Morning show
ended, Wilkes created YoSy Media. YoSy Media is a full-service multi-media news
and information platform developed specifically to Inform and Empower the
African American community.
Led by the highly respected and revered Sybil Wilkes, YoSy Media is poised to
become the information destination for Black people.

Establishing a news division for Urban One, Wilkes served as both Executive
Director and Talent, providing content across multiple platforms for the
network. In a climate often crowded with bias, hidden agendas and “spin,” Sybil
provides a clear and concise break down of pertinent news developments, getting
to the heart of the issues that matter most to listeners. What Sybil brings to
news programming is an entertaining yet no nonsense approach to news reporting
that cuts through the clutter of media muck and gets down to the important
issues of the communities she serves and shares with her audience. She provides
insight, intelligent dialogue, detailed analysis, cultural perspective, and
historical context to issues. As an avid reader, she created “Sybil’s Book
Club,” which features African American authors at live events and offers an
opportunity for book lovers to meet and engage with their favorite writers. When
you want to know the truth, when you want it broken down, when you want to know
what’s really going on, when you want to be informed and entertained…tune in to
“Sybil Wilkes: What You Need To Know.”

> “Sybil is the voice of our community; we are so proud to get our information
> from her.”
> – Barack Obama at the 2016 White House Christmas Party.

This native Chicagoan began her radio career in 1985 as a production assistant
with WKQX-FM, Chicago. She eventually went on to news management and reporting
jobs at WINK-AM/FM, Fort Myers, Florida; WRCC-FM, Cape Coral, Florida; and
WCKZ-FM, Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1989 Wilkes joined WGCI-AM/FM, Chicago,
as a talk show host. In 1990 she became a reporter for Chicago’s Shadow Traffic
Network. While with Shadow, Wilkes delivered morning and afternoon drive traffic
updates and worked as one of Tom Joyner’s WGCI-FM sidekicks. A noted news and
political journalist, Wilkes has landed major interviews with some of today’s
top newsmakers including joining Former President Barack Obama and Senator John
Edwards on the campaign trail for exclusive one-on-one interviews as well as a
candid interview with Former President Bill Clinton.

Being a celebrated radio personality and journalist, Sybil has received several
accolades including The President’s Award from the NAACP Image Awards, and an
honorary Doctorate Degree from Bennett College in Greensboro, NC. Wilkes has
also served as a national ambassador for the Susan G. Komen Circle of Promise
Campaign.

A graduate of Northwestern University, she received a Bachelor of Science in
Political Science and Communication Studies. Wilkes lives by the biblical saying
handed down by her parents, “To whom much is given, much is required.” When not
using her “Big A Words” on the show, Sybil has an interest in politics,
photography, and sports. Wilkes resides in Dallas, Texas.

Sybil is the distributor and editor of the daily newsletter, What You Need To
Know. She can currently be heard delivering news updates daily on The DL Hughley
Show as well as Radio One stations across the country. She is the news
commentator for The Erica Campbell Show, Willie Moore Jr. and Darlene McCoy
shows. She is on YouTube and Facebook Live Monday through Thursdays from 6:00pm
until 7:00pm (CST). It’s Sybil can be heard on SIRIUS XM HUR VOICES on Friday,
Saturday, and Sundays. For more information go to www.SybilWilkes.com.

Gabrielle Union
Actress, Producer, Author, Advocate

Gabrielle Union is an actress, producer, best-selling author, and TIME100 cover
honoree. Union stars in and executive produced the Netflix romantic comedy THE
PERFECT FIND, released in June 2023, which earned her a NAACP Image Award
nomination for her performance. She also served as executive producer for Amazon
MGM Studios’ THE IDEA OF YOU, starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine. The
film was released on May 2, 2024 to 50 million worldwide viewers, becoming
Amazon MGM’s highest romantic-comedy debut of all time. Union also executive
produced her BET+ docuseries, “My Journey to 50” which chronicles her time in
Africa celebrating her heritage and 50th birthday. Up next, Union stars
alongside Bill Murray and Jennifer Coolidge in the crime comedy RIFF RAFF, which
premiered at TIFF on September 9, 2024.

Lexi Underwood
Actress, Producer, Author, Changemaker

Lexi Underwood is an actress, filmmaker, author and changemaker. She is best
known for her roles in Little Fires Everywhere, The First Lady, Sneakerellla and
Cruel Summer. In 2018, she founded her production company, Ultimate Dreamer
Productions, and made her directorial debut with the docu-short We the Voices of
Gen-Z. Lexi is committed to using her voice to give back and raise awareness on
issues that impact girls and all youth, both locally and globally. Lexi is
originally from the greater Washington, DC, area and currently resides in Los
Angeles. You can find her online @LexiUnderwood.

Sehr Thadhani
Chief Digital Officer, NASDAQ

Sehr Thadhani is a dynamic intrapreneur, strategic leader and inspirational team
builder with a passion for driving change by finding opportunities in the
whitespace to guide companies and leaders from big idea innovation to go to
market activation. Sehr’s trajectory has been non-linear by design – she sees
magic in the vectors and intersections that are often overlooked. She has a
proven track record of pioneering what’s new and what’s next at some of the
world’s top companies, using her skills to spur transformative growth.
Everything Sehr does is mission-driven; her intuition and commitment to
obsessive curiosity, radical transparency and solution finding lend to her
ability to break down the root of institutional problems to not just innovate,
but to also futureproof.

Today, she is Chief Digital Officer at Nasdaq, where she’s focused on long term
growth, revenue and competitive differentiation for the exchange. She has held
senior executive and advisory roles at Google, NBC, Viacom, Silicon Foundry and
Edelman Digital and served as a trusted thought partner and advisor to
executives at GE, Estee Lauder, Samsung, the Department of Education and the
White House during the Obama Administration.

Sehr’s trajectory has been non-linear by design Sehr holds a BA in Marketing and
Voice Performance from Indiana University, an MS in Global Affairs from NYU and
an MBA from Columbia Business School. She’s a trained opera singer and the
co-founder of a nonprofit that helped more than 150 women with physical
disabilities build financial freedom. A true “third culture kid,” she currently
resides in Miami after a childhood growing up in five countries and years of
globe hopping.

Marissa Solis
Sr. Vice President – Global Brand and Consumer Marketing, National Football
League

Marissa Solis is a magnetic business leader with over 25 years of expertise in
business consulting, CPG, Retail, and Sports marketing. Currently, Marissa leads
all global brand and consumer marketing initiatives for the NFL, including all
national advertising, traditional and digital media initiatives, in-stadium
marketing, and new fan development.

A graduate of Georgetown University with a B.S. in International Economics and
the University of Texas at Austin with an M.A. in Public Policy, she began her
career in brand management at Procter & Gamble Latin America, where she led
marketing for brands like Ariel, Downy, and Pampers in Central America and the
Caribbean.

Marissa spent a few years as a management consultant at Deloitte Consulting,
leading change initiatives and communication consulting for Public Sector
clients. She also spent time as a political consultant, contributing to the
communication strategies of key campaigns in Texas and Mexico. In 2003, she took
a role in marketing at Pepsico’s Frito Lay North America Division. During her
18-year tenure at Pepsico, Marissa led numerous brand marketing initiatives and
national campaigns for globally renowned food and beverage brands like Doritos
and Pepsi. She also held roles in shopper marketing and sales for key PepsiCo
retail customers like Walmart, Target, and Costco.

In 2017, Marissa led the creation of a cross-functional Hispanic Business Unit –
the first of its kind – winning Industry Recognition for work to engage Latinos
in key brand initiatives. She went on to lead marketing for brands at Frito Lay
North America, including the coveted relationship with the NFL. She won several
Reggies, Sports Clios, and a Grand Prix Cannes Lion for her work on Cheetos,
Doritos, and Tostitos brands. In 2021, Marissa was recognized by Adweek as one
of the Most Powerful Women in Sports for elevating the football-watching
occasion with the NFL and Frito Lay partnership. In 2023, Marissa and her team
won a Sports Emmy for the “She Runs It” Superbowl campaign featuring star flag
football player Diana Flores.

In addition to her full-time marketing position, Marissa serves on the Board of
Directors of Consolidated Communications, a leading broadband and business
communications provider that serves wireless and wireline customers across rural
and metro communities. She is a new member of the Board of Directors of AIMM –
Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing. She also serves as a board
member on the North Texas Chapter of the Make-a-Wish Foundation and The Melville
Family Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of minority
children in Dallas. She has a third-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and resides
in McKinney, Texas, with her husband Juan and 18-year-old daughter Gabriela.

Paula Price
Former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Macy’s Inc.

Paula A. Price is an independent board director and strategic advisor who
combines her extensive business expertise with a strong commitment to mentoring
emerging leaders. She currently serves on the boards of several publicly traded
companies, including Accenture (NYSE: ACN), Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMS),
Mondelez (NASDAQ: MDLZ), and Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD). Price
previously served on the board of Reddit (NYSE: RDDT) as its IPO Readiness and
Audit Committee Chair.

From 2018 to 2020, Price was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer of Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M). As CFO, she was a principal architect of
Macy’s transformation journey and, during the COVID-19 pandemic, led its
financial restructuring including raising $4.5 billion to recapitalize and
sustain the company. Since July 2018, Price has continued to contribute to
academia as a Visiting Executive at Harvard Business School, following her role
as a Senior Lecturer of Business Administration from 2014 to 2018. Price’s
passion for mentorship is evident in her work with students and young
professionals, guiding them through their career development and fostering
leadership skills.

Before her time at Macy’s, Price served as EVP and Chief Financial Officer of
Ahold USA, where she led Finance, Accounting, Strategy, Real Estate, and
Information Technology. She also played a key role in the $26 billion
CVS/Caremark merger as Senior Vice President, Controller, and Chief Accounting
Officer at CVS Health (NYSE: CVS), and she held senior finance roles at JPMorgan
Chase. Price began her career as an intern at Arthur Andersen & Co., later
joining full-time to advise clients in the financial services, consumer packaged
goods, and healthcare sectors.

With a career spanning finance, general management, and strategy roles across
industries and locations including New York, Boston, London, and Chicago, Price
brings a wealth of experience to her advisory work.

She earned an MBA in Finance and Strategy from the University of Chicago, and a
BSc in Accountancy from DePaul University. She is a certified public accountant
and served as Chair of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts from
2014 to 2018, further demonstrating her dedication to mentoring and community
leadership.

Price resides in Manhattan and Martha’s Vineyard with her family, where she
enjoys painting and outdoor activities.

Sadé Muhammad
Chief Marketing Officer, TIME

Sadé Muhammad is the Chief Marketing Officer of TIME, where she oversees all
integrated marketing and branded content.

She has over a decade of experience in marketing, digital transformation, ad
products, and organizational change via DEI. She founded the Representation &
Inclusion Practice at Forbes, a revenue-generating ad business centered on
equity as a path to marketing innovation and cultural change.

A strong cross-functional leader and creative, her work has been celebrated in
Digiday, Adweek, and PRSANY, and she has forged strategic partnerships with JP
Morgan Wealth Management, UBS, LVMH, and more. She was awarded the 30 Under 30
Award by the INMA for Achievement in Advertising in 2020. Prior to Forbes, Sade
held various roles at NBCUniversal and underwent the prestigious NBC Page
Program.

A true magazine fanatic, Muhammad holds a degree in Magazine Journalism from the
S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. She sits
on the Newhouse 44 Advisory Committee, a group dedicated to equity and inclusion
for journalism students at Syracuse University.

Jeannie Mai
Emmy Award-Winning TV Host and Producer

Jeannie Mai Jenkins is an Emmy Award-winner and host of America’s Test Kitchen:
The Next Generation on Amazon Freevee. In addition, she can be seen as a
sideline correspondent for ABC’s extreme mini-golf competition series “Holey
Moley.” Previously, Mai Jenkins co-hosted the nationally syndicated talk show
“The Real” for eight seasons. In May 2021, Mai was included in the Gold House
A100 list, recognizing the most impactful leaders in the Asian community, and in
2020 she competed on season 29 of the hit ABC series “Dancing with the Stars.”
Mai and her fellow “The Real” co-hosts received multiple accolades, including a
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host, multiple Daytime Emmy
nominations for Outstanding Talk Series, and an NAACP Image Award for
Outstanding Talk Series.

In 2019, Mai launched her weekly web series, “Hello Hunnay,” which takes fans on
her journey through fashion, fitness, food, finances and relationships. As a
self-described foodie, she enjoys the art of cooking and often showcases
cultural cuisines with her family across her social platforms. Mai also hosts
the podcast “Listen Hunnay,” where she interviews everyone from sex therapists
to divorce lawyers and morticians to crime scene investigators in an effort to
understand the journeys at the heart of the human being behind the career. Mai
partnered with Owl’s Brew, a leader in tea-based spiked and sparkling beverages,
as chief brand officer, assisting with new product innovations and overall brand
strategy. In addition, Mai recently launched her first fashion collection in
collaboration with Macy’s, Jeannie Mai x INC.

In 2017, Mai executive produced “Stopping Traffic: The Movement to End Sex
Trafficking,” a documentary that investigates the international crisis of human
sex trafficking from a deeply personal point of view. The follow up, “Stopping
Traffic 2: Surviving Sex Trafficking,” is now available on demand.

Gizelle George-Joseph
COO, Global Investment Research, Goldman Sachs

Gizelle George-Joseph, Partner, COO of Global Investment Research, Goldman Sachs

Gizelle is a partner and chief operating officer of the Global Investment
Research division at Goldman Sachs. She has served in leading roles publishing
research that addresses inclusive growth, including Black
Womenomics , Equalizing Entrepreneurship, and Historically Black, Historically
Underfunded: Investing in HBCUs. Gizelle is a member of the Goldman Sachs
Firmwide Conduct Committee, the Americas Inclusion and Diversity Committee,
the One Million Black Women Steering Council and serves as the firm’s HBCU
Alliance Sponsor.

Gizelle joined Goldman Sachs in 2005 and was named managing director in 2017 and
partner in 2022.

Gizelle serves as co-chair of the board of Salisbury Community Development, a
nonprofit focused on hurricane relief and economic development efforts on the
island of Dominica. Gizelle earned a BS in Business Management from South
Carolina State University, a historically Black college/university, and an MS in
Clinical Psychology from Georgia Southern University. In 2021, she was named a
fellow of the Finance Leaders Fellowship as part of the Aspen Global Leadership
Network.

> A quote about the importance of mentorship/ what mentorship means to you, for
> future social media use – Without mentors at every junction of my life, I
> wouldn’t be where I am today. They have guided, prodded, believed, challenged,
> and supported. In turn, I have listened, been open-minded, taken feedback and
> walked in gratitude. I strongly believe mentoring can be life changing.

Gayle King
Co-Host, CBS Mornings, Editor at Large “Oprah Daily”

Bio coming soon!

Tammy Henault
Chief Marketing Officer, NBA

As Chief Marketing Officer of the NBA, Tammy Henault leads all global marketing
efforts for the NBA and its affiliate leagues to engage fans and further the
organization’s mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the
power of basketball. Additionally, she plays a leading role in the development
of the NBA’s Next Gen platform, working alongside the product and content teams
on the NBA App and NBA ID, the league’s global membership program offering fans
benefits and rewards.

Prior to joining the NBA in November 2022, Henault worked eight years at
Paramount Global, most recently as Senior Vice President, Marketing, Streaming
of Paramount+. She managed a team of more than 150 employees responsible for
brand, partnership and performance marketing as well as audience development,
customer acquisition and retention. In 2021, Henault led the marketing strategy
for the global launch of Paramount+, which was named the year’s No. 1 fastest
growing brand in America by Morning Consult and drove record subscriptions.
During her tenure at Paramount Global, she led award-winning campaigns for more
than 100 original and exclusive shows and movies, including 1883, Halo, Star
Trek: Discovery and The Good Fight, live sports programming and other original
library content, and led the go-to-market strategy for CBS All Access, the first
direct-to-consumer subscription service for a major U.S. television network.

Henault previously served as Managing Director of Consumer Marketing for Digital
Products at The New York Times, where she led the acquisition and retention
marketing team for the publication’s highly successful digital subscription
business. She also held various direct-to-consumer and performance marketing
positions at PEOPLE, TIME and InStyle magazine divisions.

A 2024 Forbes Most Influential CMOs honoree, Henault has also been recognized as
a 2023 American Advertising Federation Hall of Achievement inductee, a 2023 CMO
to Watch by Business Insider, a 2021 Ad Age 40 Under 40 honoree and an A100 List
honoree by Gold House. Henault earned her MBA from New York University’s Stern
School of Business and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Eden Bridgeman Sklenar
Owner and CEO, EBONY & Jet

Eden Bridgeman Sklenar is an entrepreneur, media proprietor, and marketing
executive who is currently the owner, Chairwoman and CEO of the iconic brands
EBONY and JET since their acquisition in 2021. She also serves as the CMO of
Manna, Inc., which is the parent company that incorporates over 500 restaurant
franchises that include Wendy’s, Fazoli’s, Golden Coral, Jimmy Johns and Mark’s
Feed Store, and has led in this capacity since 2016.

Eden was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up in Louisville, Kentucky
where she attended the University of Louisville. She has been a part of Manna
Inc since 2002, which is her family enterprise, founded by her father Junior
Bridgeman in 1988. In 2013 Eden completed her MBA at Loyola University in
Chicago where she graduated with honors and was inducted into International
Business Honors Society. During this time, she also served as the head of
marketing for ERJ Dining operating 125 Chili’s franchises spanning 13 states.
Eden currently serves as a Board Member for The Speed Art Museum, Kentucky Derby
Museum, Oxmoor Farm Foundation, Task Force for Funds for the Arts, and the
Louisville Ballet.

In addition, she is the Program Director and Board Member for the Bridgeman
Charitable Group which focuses on access to education for at risk youth and
cancer research support. In 2017 Eden launched The Trifecta which she is also
currently the CEO. The Trifecta is an arm of the Bridgeman Charitable Group that
produces one of kind experiences at some of the most notable yearly events in
the United States including the Kentucky Derby.

Eden is married to Greg Sklenar and is a proud mother to two children. She is
the daughter of Ulysses L. and Doris Bridgeman and has two brothers, Justin, and
Ryan.

Carey Arensberg
Educator, Trauma and Resilience Specialist, Social Media Influencer, Alumni Big

Carey Arensberg is a social-emotional behavior specialist from Mobile, Alabama.
She has been teaching children from all backgrounds since 2012. She holds
several certifications in Trauma and Resilience practices and believes that
knowledge is the key to her success as an educator. In 2015, Carey made a strong
connection with two of her students, which turned into a mentorship through Big
Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Gulf Coast. She continued to mentor them
through middle and high school and considers them part of her family now that
they are in their sophomore year of college. Carey believes that mentorship has
shaped who she is today, and strongly advocates for it through her social media
platforms. Recently featured in People Magazine, she is most well known for the
creation of her “Care Closet” which has sparked a movement in classrooms all
over the world. Mrs. Arensberg is passionate about her mission of educating the
masses on trauma-informed practices and spreading positivity, encouragement, and
ideas for running compassionate classrooms.

La La Anthony
Actress, Producer, Entrepreneur

Actress, Producer, New York Times Best-Selling Author, fashion-and-cosmetics
mogul, La La has cemented her name in the rapidly growing media as a
multi-hyphenate. As an entrepreneur, La La has had extreme success in the
fashion and beauty industries. No stranger to the red carpet, La La hosted
VOGUE’s Met Gala live stream for her third year in a row.

Last summer, she collaborated with Pretty Little thing to create a brand new
summer line which highlights size inclusivity. Continuing with her creativity,
La Larecently created her own hair care line, Inala.

On the acting front, La La is most commonly known for her standout role as
‘LaKeisha’ in the hit Starz original drama series, “Power.” The series which was
executively produced by 50 Cent broke records as being one of the biggest
premiere weekends for STARZ. Additional TV credits include Paramount+’s ‘The
Chi,’ as well as starring opposite Poppy Montgomery in the A&E series
“Unforgettable” CBS crime drama, “NYC 22” and the popular Vh1 scripted show,
“Single Ladies”. On the silver screen, La La can be seen in the critically
acclaimed Spike Lee film “Chi-Raq” alongside a talented ensemble cast that
includes Nick Cannon, Wesley Snipes, Angela Bassett and Samuel L. Jackson. Film
credits include, “Think like a Man” and “Think Like a Man Too,” alongside
Gabrielle Union and Taraji P. Henson and “Baggage Claim” alongside Paula Patton
and Derek Luke, “Double Play” directed by Ernest Dickerson. On stage, LaLa
starred in the off-broadway production of “Love Loss and What I Wore” and made
her Broadway producing debut with “Eclipsed” the celebrated drama starring Oscar
winner Lupita Nyong’o. Eclipsed made history as the first all-female, all-black
Broadway show. She can currently be seen in Starz, “BMF (Black Mafia Family)” as
Markisha Taylor. Anthony brings an audacious yet tender element to her role. The
third season premiered this past spring and announced it will be returning for a
season 4.

La La is also a best-selling author. In her first book The Love Playbook (2014),
La Lashares how she found love and success on her own terms. Within the first
week the book climbed to #1 on the Barnes & Noble Best Seller list and hit
Number One on the New York Times Best Sellers List. La La followed with her
second book The Power Playbook. It was recently announced that her bestseller,
The Love Playbook is being turned into a series, Group Chat. Anthony is set to
headline the comedy. It is currently in development for Hulu.

Multi-faceted, La La spearheads a mentorship program in New York city’s Rikers
Island. She mentors young men ranging between the ages of 18–21 years old who
are incarcerated, specifically in the Robert N. Davoren (RNDC) Complex. Weekly
interactions and meetings focus on life-building skills that are helpful during
their time incarcerated and instrumental to re-entry into the community upon
release. The team works to develop one-on-one connections with each of the young
men, building trust, and solid relationships among the group and with each other
individually.

This year, Anthony announced her partnership with Aribnb as a creative advisor
and Host! La La will lead strategic alignment and relationships with key
entertainment partners, including celebrities, influencers, studios, production
companies, and more to increase and sustain diverse representation, as well as
incubate products and programs that connect talent and entertainment partners
with their passionate communities. Her first project with them is La La Land, a
unique and stylish listing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that’s been carefully
designed and perfected by La La to host her favorite kind of trip: a getaway
with besties. La La is inviting guests to La La Land to experience travel, her
way – with some highlights of the stay including full, private access to the
entire 2,491 square foot property with five customized bedrooms and a
picture-perfect outdoor patio and pool for lounging; all the amenities needed
for a luxurious stay like high-quality linens, a fully-stocked kitchen, and hair
care products from La La’s own brand, Inala.

La La can now be seen starring as ‘Janet’ in Lifetime’s film, ‘The Bad
Guardian.’ The film is guaranteed to pull on heartstrings as it follows a story
which seems to be more prevalent than ever. The film premiered on Saturday, May
18th on Lifetime.

Trymaine Lee
Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, MSNBC Correspondent, Alumni Big

Trymaine Lee is a Pulitzer Prize and Emmy-award winning journalist and
correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC. He’s also the host of the “Into America”
podcast where he covers the intersection of race, power, and politics.

He’s covered uprisings, the fragility of freedom and democracy, and has been at
the center of some of the country’s biggest news stories of the past two
decades, including Hurricane Katrina and the Ferguson protests after the killing
of Mike Brown. He is widely credited as the first national journalist to write
about the shooting of Trayvon Martin, helping to elevate the case into national
consciousness as a senior reporter at the Huffington Post. He’s also worked for
the Philadelphia Tribune, the New Orleans Times-Picayune, and the New York
Times. Since 2012, he’s been a correspondent for MSNBC.

Trymaine is a contributing author to the “1619 Project,” a 2023 Webby Award
winner for a podcast series on the Reconstruction era’s unfulfilled promises, a
2021 Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for his documentary on the Tulsa Race
Massacre, the winner of multiple NABJ Salute to Excellence Awards, a 3-time
NAACP Image Award Nominee, and a past recipient of AdWeek’s Podcast Host of the
Year. He is a former New America and Harvard Institute of Politics fellow and
has been named to The Root 100 and Ebony Power 100 lists of most influential
African Americans.

Trymaine is currently writing a book on Black life, death, and violence in
America with St. Martin’s Press.

Ray Davis
Running Back, Buffalo Bills, Alumni Little

Ray Davis, born in San Francisco, California, emerged from the foster care
system as one of 15 siblings, learning early the value of resilience and
determination. Raised with steadfast support from guardians Lora Banks and Greg
Ley, he cultivated a passion for sports and academics.

At Blair Academy in N.J., Ray excelled as a running back and defensive back,
amassing 4,815 rushing yards and 59 touchdowns. Despite challenges, his path to
collegiate football began at Temple University, where he earned Freshman
All-America honors with 936 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.

Transferring to Vanderbilt University for 2020-2021, Ray rebounded from injury
to rush for 1,042 yards, earning All-SEC recognition and becoming a Comeback
Player of the Year semifinalist. In 2023, he joined the University of Kentucky,
setting a school record with 21 touchdowns—14 rushing, 7 receiving—and totaling
1,129 rushing yards and 323 receiving yards.

Ray garnered Second Team All-America from Sports Illustrated and multiple
All-SEC nods, graduating with a communications studies degree from Vanderbilt
and a business certificate from Kentucky.

Beyond football, Ray loves poetry and aspires to pursue a career in sports
broadcasting or coaching after his playing days are over. His journey from
foster care to record-setting running back inspires athletes and children alike.

Selected 128th overall by the Buffalo Bills in the 2024 Draft, Ray advocates for
foster care awareness while preparing for a promising professional football
career, aiming to leave a positive impact on and off the field.

Osa Odighizuwa
Defensive Tackle, Dallas Cowboys, Alumni Little

Before Osa Odighizuwa was the starting tackle for the Dallas Cowboys, he was the
youngest of four boys and was born In Dayton Ohio on a pile of clothes in his
mother’s bathroom.
Osa spent most of his childhood in Portland, Oregon and it was during this time
that Osa discovered the Big Brother Big Sister program. Osa eventually enrolled
at David Douglas High School. Where he was a two-sport athlete in football and
wrestling. OSA was a 3x state wrestling champion, and actually didn’t lose a
match after his freshman year. That’s right; the youngest Odighizuwa family
member was undefeated for three straight years.
After graduating from high school Osa followed in his oldest brother (Owa
Odighizuwa) footsteps and took a scholarship to play football at UCLA. Osa would
spend the next 5 years at UCLA where he became one of the best Defensive tackles
in the pac-12 and finished his college career in the middle of the Covid
pandemic.
Osa would follow in Owa’s footsteps again in 2021; when Osa was drafted by the
Dallas Cowboys in the 3rd round ( going #75 overall). Owa was drafted #74
overall to the NY Giants in the 2016 NFL draft.
OSA was able to make an early impact as he arrived in dallas. OSA was listed as
the starting DT during training camp, and he never looked back. As a rookie Osa
anchored a very talented Cowboys defense line that helped America’s team win 12
games during Osa rookie season Osa was named to the nfl.com all-rookie team
during the 2021-2022 season.
Osa’s impact was not just felt on the football field in Dallas as he quickly got
involved with the community of DFW. Osa and his family started the Odighizuwa
Foundation in 2022.

Hill Harper
Award-winning actor, New York Times bestselling author, Philanthropist, Alumni
Big

Hill Harper is an eight-year Detroit resident and small business owner. He is an
activist, humanitarian, cancer survivor, union leader, award-winning actor,
best-selling author, entrepreneur, single father and he is currently a candidate
to represent Michigan as its next United States Senator.

Harper served on the President’s Cancer Panel, which made cancer policy
recommendations to the White House, having been appointed by President Obama in
2011.Additionally, Harper has authored four New York Times bestsellers:
including his multiple award-winning book, Letters to a Young Brother: Manifest
Your Destiny. Harper has been recognized with seven NAACP Image Awards, four for
his writing and three as best lead male in a drama series for his portrayal of
Dr. Sheldon Hawkes on CSI: NY. He is the founder of the Manifest Your Destiny
Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering underserved youth through
mentorship, scholarship and grant programs; and has established The Pierce and
Hill Harper Arts Foundation.

Harper graduated magna cum laude from Brown University with a Bachelor of Arts
degree and was named Valedictorian of his department. Harper then graduated with
a J.D. (cum laude) from Harvard Law School, as well as with a Master’s Degree in
Public Administration, with honors, from the Kennedy School of Government.
Harper also completed Marine Corps Officer Candidates School in Quantico, VA. He
has been awarded 10 honorary doctoral degrees, including degrees from Howard
University and Providence College.

As an investor and business owner, Harper owns a successful coffee franchise in
downtown Detroit called The Roasting Plant, is co-owner of A-Frame Brands and
the award-winning New Orleans hotel, International House. His passion for
economic empowerment, financial literacy, job creation, and social justice keeps
him as an in-demand thought leading consultant for public and private
institutions. He is a proud Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc

Michael McCullough
Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer – The Miami HEAT, Current
Big

Michael McCullough’s role with the Miami HEAT could best be described as the
“brand architect” for the club. Viewed as an extremely versatile and
well-respected senior NBA business executive, he sports a 38-year track record
of establishing new benchmarks and best practices for sports marketing and fan
engagement while producing highly effective marketing, branding and
results-oriented corporate partnership programs. McCullough oversees the
Marketing, Digital Marketing, Social Media, Creative, Retail Marketing and
Operations, Business Communications, Social Responsibility, Game Presentation
and Events, Broadcasting, Content and Broadcast Services for the Miami HEAT and
Kaseya Center.

As part of the 2022 NBA Sales and Marketing Awards, the Miami HEAT were named
the “2022 Team of the Year”. The award recognizes demonstrated excellence in
business performance across both key revenue drivers and operational focus areas
such as people and culture, and community impact. The Team of the Year Award was
determined by a selection committee comprised of team and league executives.

Additionally, McCullough and Steve Stowe, Vice President / Executive Director of
the Miami HEAT Charitable Fund were the co-winners of the “Values of the Game”
Award, which recognizes an individual or individuals who inspire and connect
people everywhere, but specifically in their community, through the power of
basketball. McCullough and Stowe won for their combined efforts in launching a
first-of-its-kind partnership with the City of Miami Police Department and
Dedication to Community (D2C) through a unique community policing program
designed to help bridge the gap between Black and Brown city residents and local
law enforcement. A pilot program was first announced on September 3, 2020, which
consisted of approximately 75 officers participating in the training. The HEAT
has since announced the expansion of the program to include training of the
entire Miami Police Department, including approximately 900 uniformed officers.
The program has since branched out to include a pilot program with the
Miami-Dade County Police Department, one of the largest law enforcement agencies
in the United States.

As “chief evangelist,” for the HEAT, McCullough guides and directs both internal
and external brand communication and activation strategies, while acting as the
“voice” of the franchise to employees and media alike, oftentimes assuming an
alter ego personality to foster employee engagement.

McCullough and his team revolutionized NBA Playoff marketing campaigns by being
the first team to successfully and consistently implement the fan engagement
focused color-themed Playoff promotional programs for the HEAT. “White Hot”
remains the most successful and well-known such campaign among NBA franchises.

We dig uniforms and integrated marketing campaigns! Under McCullough’s watch,
the HEAT has implemented the NBA’s most aggressive and successful City Edition
uniform campaigns, with the “Vice” uniform campaign re-writing the record books
in terms of retail sales, media coverage and fan engagement, only to be followed
by and topped by the “Miami Mashup Vol. 1 and Vol.2” uniform campaigns.

File under: “Things I Never Thought I Would Get To Do In My Career”: McCullough
is the point-person for the HEAT Business Operations division for all
Championship-related activities, including the design and distribution of the
three HEAT Championship rings for players, staff and families.

“Bigs and Littles” – McCullough has been a “Big” in the Big Brothers Big Sisters
Program since 2008. Since that time, McCullough has been fortunate enough to
work with four outstanding young men, helping to shepherd them through their
high school years, into college and beyond, maintaining relationships with each
Little well beyond the formal end of the mentorship period.

Prior to joining The HEAT Group, McCullough was with the Sacramento Kings
(1988-90; 1992-97) and the National Basketball Association (1990-92).

McCullough was a three-year starter for the Utah State Aggies basketball team
(during the short-shorts era 1980-84). McCullough and his wife, Valeria, live in
the Edgewater area of downtown Miami with their dog, Mateo. A certified “vinyl
junkie”, McCullough maintains a large collection of vinyl records and has
turntables both at home and in his office, where vinyl can be seen and heard
playing loudly.

Scott Uzzell
GM, Nike North America

Scott Uzzell is the Vice President and General Manager of Nike North America
where he leads a +$23B business with 25,000 employees across all aspects of Nike
and Jordan Brand footwear and apparel including brand marketing, retail, digital
engagement and e-commerce, sports marketing, and distribution. Nike North
America is the largest reported geographic unit of NIKE, Inc.

Prior to this role Scott was President & CEO of Converse, Inc. for +4 years
where he led all aspects of the business globally, and oversaw the brand’s
return to basketball after a 10-year hiatus from the sport.

Scott joined Converse, Inc. from The Coca-Cola Company where he served as
President and General Manager, Venturing and Emerging Brands Group (VEB) and led
the development of a portfolio of high-growth brands, including Honest Tea, ZICO
Coconut Water, Health Ade, Fairlife Milk and Body Armor.

Scott began his career within sales and marketing for elite consumer goods
companies, such as Procter & Gamble, The Coca-Cola Company, and Nabisco, before
returning to The Coca-Cola Company in 2001 to hold a number of leadership
positions across its business including Global Vice President New Business
Development, CEO ZICO Beverage Co and Vice President Marketing, VEB.

In addition, Scott serves on the board of SC Johnson Company. Scott is also a
member of the Florida A&M University Foundation board as well as a member of the
Executive Leadership Council (ELC). He is also a Trustee at Woodruff Arts Center
and University of Chicago, Booth School of Business.

Scott received his B.S. in Business from Florida A&M University and his MBA from
the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business. Scott has a personal
passion for sports like skiing, golf, basketball and cycling, as well as
spending time with his family. Scott and wife Sunda have two children – a son,
Tanner and daughter, Sawyer.

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Dale Long

50 Year Big Brothers Big Sisters Volunteer, 8x Big Brother

Dale Hawkins Long is a survivor of the September 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth
Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL, where four of his friends were
tragically killed and twenty-seven people injured. He and his late brother,
Kenneth escaped unscathed. In September 2023 Dale spent a week visiting in
Birmingham where he participated in several events commemorating the 60th
anniversary of the bombing.

Dale’s experience in Birmingham led him to dedicate his life to volunteering.
The recipient of numerous awards for volunteer service, for five decades he has
been a mentor with Big Brothers and Big Sisters. Dale was honored to be named
the 1989 National Big Brother of the Year. In 2007 he was the recipient of the
Clifford B. Norman, National Local Board Member of the Year. Last summer he
received the inaugural Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Big Brother of the Year at
its 97th General Convention in Dallas.

Dale is a speaker on the national platform who has shared his role in American
History as a primary source of Jim Crow, 60’s era, Birmingham with organizations
including the National Urban League, Congressional Black Caucus, the United
Methodist Church’s General Conference, the University of Michigan, Rutgers
University, Texas Wesleyan University, Dallas College, Collin County Community
College, the University of Dallas, Texas Southern University, Southern Methodist
University, the University of Wyoming, The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights
Museum, The National MENTOR Summitt, ONCOR Electric Delivery, The American Heart
Association, the Dallas Black Dance Theater and the Cities of Dallas, Ft. Worth
and Plano. In 1990 he shared the podium at the White House with President George
H. W. Bush as the President announced one of his Youth Engaged in Service
initiatives. In 2004 during the 40th anniversary commemoration of the 1964 Civil
Rights Act, President George W. Bush included in his White House addresses one
of Dale’s childhood memories of growing up in Birmingham. For volunteer work,
Dale has garnered media attention from Forbes, Essence, Time and Ebony
Magazines, the Dallas Morning News, PBS, CNN, C-Span, the Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity Sphinx Magazine, the NBC Nightly News and is listed in the 2011 Grio
100.

Dale was born in Tuskegee, Alabama and reared in Birmingham where he graduated
from high school in 1970. He accepted a music scholarship, becoming a member of
the famous “Ocean of Soul” Marching Band of Texas Southern University, Houston,
TX, where he earned the Bachelor of Science Degree in 1974.

He is a member of the Garland Branch NAACP, the Leadership Dallas Alumni
Association, Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, a Life member of
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, a Life member of the Texas Southern University
National Alumni Association – Dallas Chapter, Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights
Museum Suvivors Speakers Bureau, a Research Advocate with UT Southwest Medical
Center, Dallas and a member of Kidsinbirmingham1963.org.

A resident of Garland, Texas he is the former Community Outreach
Coordinator/Public Information Officer for the City of Dallas Public Works
Department where he retired in April 2018. Previously he worked for a contractor
on the NASA Space Shuttle Program, Houston, Texas Instruments in Dallas, The
City of Garland, Texas and a contractor with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Light
Rail Design and Construction Project.

Dale and his wife Ellen Scott Long are proud parents of adult daughters Kendra
Dale and Amber Nicole and are members of Hamilton Park United Methodist Church
in Dallas. In his spare time Dale enjoys reading, music and photography. A
retired marathoner, Dale now does “power walking” and practices yoga.

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Dennis Brown

CEO Emeritus, Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawai’i

Dennis Brown was born in Lincoln, Nebraska to a dad originally from Texas and a
mom born and raised in Japan as a Japanese national. When Mr. Brown was five
years old, his parents divorced and his mom moved him and his younger brother to
Hawaii. In 1964, living in low income public housing and being raised by his
single mom, Dennis was fortunate to become the first boy successfully matched to
his Big Brother mentor, Henry Sumida, by Big Brothers of Hawaii.

After graduating high school in 1972, Dennis served four years in the U.S. Air
Force. Upon his honorable discharge, he attended the University of Hawaii at
Manoa where he earned both a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and a Master’s
Degree in Urban & Regional Planning with a concentration in social service
administration and planning.

Dennis’s first job after graduate school was as a Community Planner for the City
and County of Honolulu’s Department of General Planning. Beginning in 1987,
Dennis began a career directing various community-based organizations in the
human services field including project director of Areawide Horizons for Senior
Citizens, a comprehensive program providing advocacy and other services for
elderly residents, and program director of Lanakila Meals on Wheels.

In 1998, Dennis was hired as President/CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of
Honolulu. After 25 years in that position, he retired as CEO in 2023 with the
double distinctions of being both the first child served and the longest-serving
chief executive in the agency’s 60-year history. Among Dennis’s proudest
achievements was successfully merging the Honolulu and Maui independent
affiliates and expanding services to include the islands of Kaua’i and Hawai’i
to create a single statewide organization in 2012 now known as Big Brothers Big
Sisters Hawaii. During Dennis’s tenure as CEO, the Hawaii affiliate grew from 11
staffers serving 250 youth each year with an annual budget of $600,000; to 25
staffers, nearly 1,400 children and youth served yearly (prior to the COVID-19
pandemic), and an annual budget of $2.5 million.

Dennis’s service on local community boards has included being a founding member
of the Hawaii Intergenerational Network; member and president of the Hawaii
Pacific Gerontological Society; trustee and chair of the Hawaii Employers
Council; and current board member of both the Hawaii Tax Foundation and the
Hawaii Youth Services Network.

Dennis also served on national councils and committees for Big Brothers Big
Sisters of America (BBBSA) including the Nationwide Leadership Council (two
terms); as a founding member of the Mid-Large Agency Alliance (MLAA) with 10+
years on its executive committee; the legislative advocacy committee; and the
national 2020-2024 strategic plan core advisory committee.

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Erin Scanlon

Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP
President, Deloitte Foundation

Erin is an Audit & Assurance partner at Deloitte & Touche LLP with more than 35
years of experience. She currently serves some of the organization’s largest and
most complex clients. Erin has held many leadership roles including her most
recent as the Global Audit & Assurance Clients & Industries leader. Prior to her
global role, she was the firm’s US Telecom, Media & Entertainment Audit &
Assurance leader. Erin has significant experience leading audits for global
companies and has extensive experience with industry-related complex
transactions, accounting issues, SEC registrations, and compliance matters.

Erin is also the president of the Deloitte Foundation, a US nonprofit preparing
the next generation for the future of work. The Foundation is accelerating
equity, innovation, and excellence in education through strategic investments in
student, educator, and school success. Support includes scholarships for
students ages 16-24, faculty resources, and matching US Deloitte professionals’
higher education donations to advance learning pathways in business, accounting,
and STEM education.

Erin is married to her husband, Brendan, and lives in New York City. They have
three children, Bridget who is also a Big Sister, Deirdre, and Sean. She is a
graduate of Villanova University and received her MBA from Columbia Business
School. Erin is involved with several nonprofit organizations that focus on
education and mentoring including Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City. She
became a Big Sister 30 years ago and is still in close contact with her first
Little Sister. Erin has been a Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City Board
member since 2005.

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Hill Harper

New York Times Best-Selling Author, Award-Winning Actor, Entrepreneur,
Philanthropist

Hill Harper is an eight-year Detroit resident and small business owner. He is an
activist, humanitarian, cancer survivor, union leader, award-winning actor,
best-selling author, entrepreneur, and single father and he is currently a
candidate to represent Michigan as its next United
States Senator.

Harper served on the President’s Cancer Panel, which made cancer policy
recommendations to the White House, having been appointed by President Obama in
2011. Additionally, Harper has authored four New York Times bestsellers:
including his multiple award-winning book, Letters to a Young Brother: Manifest
Your Destiny. Harper has been recognized with seven NAACP Image Awards, four for
his writing and three as the best lead male in a drama series for his portrayal
of Dr. Sheldon Hawkes on CSI: NY. He is the founder of the Manifest Your Destiny
Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering underserved youth through
mentorship, scholarship, and grant programs; and has established The Pierce and
Hill Harper Arts Foundation.

As an investor and business owner, Harper owns a successful coffee franchise in
downtown Detroit called The Roasting Plant and is co-owner of A-Frame Brands and
the award-winning New Orleans hotel, International House. His passion for
economic empowerment, financial literacy, job creation, and social justice keeps
him an in-demand thought-leading consultant for public and private institutions.
He is a proud Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

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Marissa Solis

Sr. Vice President – Global Brand and Consumer Marketing, National Football
League

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OSA Odighizuwa

Defensive Tackle, Dallas Cowboys

Before Osa Odighizuwa was the starting tackle for the Dallas Cowboys, he was the
youngest of four boys and was born In Dayton Ohio on a pile of clothes in his
mother’s bathroom.

Osa spent most of his childhood in Portland, Oregon and it was during this time
that Osa discovered the Big Brother Big Sister program. Osa eventually enrolled
at David Douglas High School. Where he was a two-sport athlete in football and
wrestling. OSA was a 3x state wrestling champion and actually didn’t lose a
match after his freshman year. That’s right; the youngest Odighizuwa family
member was undefeated for three straight years.

After graduating from high school Osa followed in his oldest brother’s (Owa
Odighizuwa) footsteps and took a scholarship to play football at UCLA. Osa would
spend the next 5 years at UCLA where he became one of the best Defensive tackles
in the pac-12 and finished his college career in the middle of the Covid
pandemic.

Osa would follow in Owa’s footsteps again in 2021; when Osa was drafted by the
Dallas Cowboys in the 3rd round (going #75 overall). Owa was drafted #74 overall
by the NY Giants in the 2016 NFL draft.

Osa was able to make an early impact as he arrived in Dallas. OSA was listed as
the starting defensive tackle during training camp, and he never looked back. As
a rookie Osa anchored a very talented Cowboys defense line that helped America’s
team win 12 games during Osa’s rookie season Osa was named to the nfl.com
all-rookie team during the 2021-2022 season.

Osa’s impact was not just felt on the football field in Dallas as he quickly got
involved with the community of DFW. Osa and his family started the Odighizuwa
Foundation in 2022.

Aloe Blacc
Singer, Songwriter, Philantropist

Raised on salsa, merengue, and cumbia, Blacc fell in love with hip-hop as a kid
and started writing rap songs when he was nine. With his lyrics drawing
influence from socially conscious artists like KRS-One, he put out his first
hip-hop mixtape at age 17. Later developing a fierce admiration for such soul
musicians as Donny Hathaway and Marvin Gaye, he also discovered an affinity for
folk-rock singer/songwriters during his college years. “One of the most
important factors in my transition from hip-hop to being a singer was listening
to people like Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Kris Kristofferson, and Cat
Stevens,” Blacc says. “Their songs are full of emotion that’s expressed in
strong lyrics, and that had a big impact on me.”

After inking a deal with indie label Stones Throw, Blacc released his solo debut
Shine Through in 2006 and sophomore album Good Things in 2010. Boosted by the
breakout success of “I Need a Dollar” (which was selected as the theme song to
HBO’s How To Make it In America), Good Things reached gold status in countries
around the world and paved the way for his signing to XIX Recordings/Interscope
Records in 2012. Made in collaboration with groundbreaking producers like
Pharrell Williams, Lift Your Spirit dropped on New Year’s Day in 2014, debuted
at #4 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and earned a Grammy Award nomination
for Best R&B Album.

Looking back on his musical path so far, Blacc notes that landing a deal with
XIX Recordings/Interscope prompted a major moment of reckoning, and led him to
re-examine his artistic intentions. “When I signed a major-label contract, I
recognized the power of having a larger audience, and I promised myself that I’d
use my voice for social change,” he says. And in creating his upcoming album,
Blacc has kept focused on making music meant to inspire a positive shift in
mindset. “When things happening in the world seem so terrible and dark, it’s so
easy to get stuck in all the negative,” he says. “But I try to do whatever I can
to help people out of that. I want my music to be the light.”

“GRIFF”
Comedian, Motivational Speaker, Co-Host of Get Up! Mornings with Erica Campbell

Comedian, motivational speaker, and veteran on-air personality, “GRIFF” is the
co-host of Get Up! Mornings with Erica Campbell! This author and father of five
has forged his career at the intersection of faith, philanthropy and humor. With
an infectious energy and unmistakable voice, “GRIFF” contributes laughter,
sincerity and real world approach to living inspiration out loud

Nate Burleson
Co-Host, CBS Mornings and The NFL Today

Nate Burleson is an Emmy Award-winning studio analyst and sports personality. He
is currently the co-host of CBS Mornings. He is also on CBS’s The NFL Today and
NFL Slimetime on Nickelodeon. Burleson won the Emmy Award for outstanding sports
personality/studio analyst for his work on The NFL Today back-to-back in 2021
and 2022. Prior to joining CBS’s News Division, Burleson served as a host on NFL
Networks’ Emmy Award-winning show Good Morning Football. Burleson was selected
by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2003 NFL Draft. During his career, he also
played for the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions.

Daymond John
CEO & Founder of FUBU
Star of ABC’s Shark Tank
CEO of The Shark Group

An entrepreneur in every sense of the word, Daymond John has come a long way
from taking out a $100,000 mortgage on his mother’s house and moving his
operation into the basement. John is CEO and Founder of FUBU, a much-celebrated
global lifestyle brand with over $6 billion in product sales and a pioneer in
the fashion industry. John is a celebrated entrepreneur having received over 35
awards throughout his career, including the Brandweek Marketer of the Year,
Ernst & Young’s New York Entrepreneur of the Year, was named #2 on LinkedIn’s
2020 Top Voices list for US Influencers, and has won four Webby Awards for his
event, Black Entrepreneur’s Day.

In 2023, John authored one of the “most anticipated children’s book of the
year”, Little Daymond Learns to Earn. Instantly becoming a New York Times
best-seller and ranking #1 on Amazon’s Top 100 Books, Little Daymond Learns to
Earn teaches children the fundamentals of financial literacy and money
management with a fun and engaging storyline. John is also the author of five
best-selling books including his New York Times best-selling books, The Power of
Broke (2016) and Rise and Grind (2018).

John’s marketing strategies and ability to build successful brands have made him
a highly influential consultant and motivational speaker today. His marketing
firm The Shark Group offers expertise in marketing strategy and connects brands
with the world’s top celebrities for everything from endorsements to product
extensions.

Finally, he is celebrating 15th season on ABC’s hit business show Shark Tank by
acclaimed producer Mark Burnett. The show has gone on to win four Emmy Awards
and consistently maintains millions of weekly viewers who tune in to the show
every Friday night as John demonstrates his marketing prowess and
entrepreneurial insights.

Wayne Brady
Emmy Award-winning Actor, Producer, TV Personality
Alumni Big

Multiple Emmy Award-winning and Grammy Award-nominated Wayne Brady has made his
mark on stage and screen as an actor, producer, singer, dancer, songwriter, and
television personality.

A true multi-hyphenate, Brady’s career path and personal life journey have
helped him see the world in a unique way. His aspirations have always gone
beyond solely starring in various entertainment projects, and under his A Wayne
& Mandie Creative banner. He’s set out to create new content across different
platforms that showcase innovation and inclusivity in fun and powerful ways.

A five-time Emmy winner (the first to win Daytime and Primetime awards in two
consecutive years), Brady has an impressive TV resume including Whose Line Is It
Anyway?, The Masked Singer, Dancing With The Stars, Black Lightning, The Good
Fight, and Showtime’s American Gigolo– each spotlighting different aspects of
his immense talent.

In February 2024, Brady will star in an upcoming Hulu docuseries following his
blended family, alongside his ex-wife, best friend and business partner Mandie
Taketa, their 20-year-old daughter Maile, and Mandie’s partner Jason. The series
is produced by Wayne and Mandie’s joint production company, A Wayne and Mandie
Creative, along with Fremantle.

In addition to being a force in front of the camera, Brady is heavily active
behind the scenes wearing the hats of host & executive producer for Let’s Make A
Deal, Game of Talents, and Comedy IQ, which he also co-created through his
production company. All of this follows on the heels of the success of his
award-winning daytime talk show The Wayne Brady Show.

Long an accomplished singer and performer, Brady’s musical acumen has always
been a personal passion and he used that as fuel to help win the second season
of The Masked Singer. Off his victory, Brady dropped a brand-new original
single, entitled “Flirtin’ w/ Forever,” which quickly climbed the streaming
charts, as well as an accompanying music video.

This follows the success of his debut album which was headlined by a version of
Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” which earned him a Grammy Award nomination
in the Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance category.

Spring of 2024 Brady returns to Broadway in the all-new production of The Wiz,
leading the cast as the titular character. The highly-anticipated musical
features award-winning creatives and producers including Common, MC Lyte, Amber
Ruffin, Hannah Beachler, Sharen Davis, among others.

Brady made his Broadway debut starring as legal showman ‘Billy Flynn’ in the
long-running hit musical, Chicago. Soon after Brady starred as the
ground-breaking character ‘Lola’ in Kinky Boots, Broadway’s Tony Award-winning
Best Musical, with music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper and a book by Harvey
Fierstein. Brady would later headline as ‘Aaron Burr’ in the Chicago production
of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning juggernaut Hamilton.

Brady again joined forces with Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the duo along with Thomas
Kail and Anthony Veneziale, created Freestyle Love Supreme. The unique show
combined the fusion of hip hop, improv, and comedy which won a special Tony
Award for its innovation and contributions to the world of theater. The
Freestyle Love Supreme team partnered with San Francisco improv company
Speechless, Inc to create “freestyle+,” an educational training platform
committed to making improv globally accessible.

Advocacy is core to Brady’s life. He champions the need for more resources and
better understanding of mental health issues, especially in the Black community.
Brady’s public announcement about his pansexuality brings awareness to an
underrepresented community and he continues to support and promote LGBTQIA+
causes and organizations such as Broadway Backwards and Gay Men’s Chorus of Los
Angeles. Brady is a longtime supporter of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of
America, Alzheimer’s Foundation of America and SAY The Stuttering Association
for the Young.

Brady currently resides in Los Angeles.

Raachad White
Running Back, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Alumni Little

Born in Kansas City, MO as the youngest of four boys, Rachaad has always been
active. His mother, Rochelle, always emphasized respect for elders, honoring
your word, being true to yourself, and being thankful for what you have.
Rochelle enrolled all of her boys in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program,
seeking additional mentorship and positive male role models for her sons.
Naturally, Rachaad couldn’t wait to find his match after seeing the
opportunities his older brothers had. Rachaad played multiple sports growing up
but excelled most at basketball and football. At Center High School in Kansas
City, he went on to become All State in football and All Conference in
basketball. Surprisingly, he wasn’t recruited by any D1 schools so he committed
to a Division II school, Nebraska Kearney. Once there, his teammates saw what a
great player he was and suggested he transfer to a Junior College, which would
then lead him towards his goal of playing for a Power 5, Division 1 school. He
took their advice and transferred to Mt San Antonio College in Walnut,
California. At Mt Sac, he became a top Running Back in the nation before
committing to Arizona State. At Arizona State, his ascent continued, leading the
team in both rushing and receiving which caught the attention of all 32 NFL
teams. In April of 2022, his ultimate dream came true. He was selected as the
91st overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his first year in the NFL, he
played alongside Tom Brady, took over the starting Running Back role,
contributed to the team’s playoff berth, and lead all rookie Running Backs in
receiving. Rachaad resides in the Tampa area, is a devoted father to a beautiful
daughter named Nevaeh, and loyal friend to many.

Tony Coles
President, Black Information Network, iHeartMedia
BBBSA National Board Member

Tony Coles is regarded as one of the audio industry’s leading authorities. In
addition to being known for his experience successfully leading and growing
iconic media brands, Coles also founded and currently operates the
groundbreaking Black Information Network. Recognized for his innovative approach
to content creation, exceptional leadership style, and consistent results, he is
one of the most respected executives in audio.

Coles currently holds dual roles at iHeartMedia, the #1 audio company in
America. He serves as Division President of Metro Markets, a position that has
given him P&L oversight for over 150 radio stations in 21 markets across the
United States. Coles is also the Founder and President of the Black Information
Network, a 24/7 All News Channel dedicated to serving the Black community. In
less than three years BIN has grown to include a national streaming service,
operates 34 dedicated broadcast stations, and provides content for more than 140
stations.

With over 35 years of media and marketing experience, Coles has discovered,
developed, and managed an array of successful talent and leaders. He has also
worked with many of the largest companies in the world to provide media and
marketing solutions. His creative spirit and strong business acumen make him
uniquely qualified for his current role as well as his growing commitment to
board service. His expertise in strategic planning, management, marketing, and
content creation, combined with his ability to build strong brand partnerships
across the media sector, has delivered powerful results throughout his career.

His philanthropic work focuses on non-profit organizations dedicated to
mentorship, youth development, as well as career advancement in media. Coles
currently serves as national Board Vice Chair for Big Brothers Big Sisters of
America, he is the Multicultural Committee Chair for the RAB, and serves as a
board member for the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation.

Coles holds an MBA from Western Governors University. He also holds a Bachelor’s
Degree in Communications from Marylhurst University. He currently lives outside
of Chicago with his wife and two sons.

Terrance Williams
President and CEO, TruStage

Terrance Williams became the ninth president and chief executive officer (CEO)
of TruStage on October 1, 2023. TruStage is a leading provider of insurance,
investments, and technology solutions to financial institutions, advisors, and
companies serving middle-market consumers. With more than 4,200 employees, the
company has significant operations across the United States and operates
international businesses in Canada and the Caribbean. The company headquarters
is in Madison, Wisconsin.

As president and CEO, Williams is continuing to build on the company’s nearly
century-long history of being an influential leader in the credit union system
and broader financial and insurance industries. With his tenure and broad
experience in insurance innovation and digital strategy, he’s moving the
company’s vision forward, ensuring brighter financial futures are accessible to
everyone.

Prior to joining TruStage, Williams was president, Protection Products and
Services for Allstate, responsible for non-property-liability businesses that
ranged from start-up ventures to mature businesses. These entities represented
approximately $4 billion in revenue. In his previous role as executive vice
president and general manager of Allstate Property-Liability Sales and
Distribution, Williams was responsible for driving innovation in the company’s
distribution channels, including 10,000 domestic agencies and more than 30,000
licensed sales professionals, direct-to-consumer call centers and web sales in
the United States and Canada. These channels accounted for over $30 billion of
written premium for the enterprise.

Before joining Allstate in 2020, Williams spent more than 20 years at
Nationwide, where he most recently served as president of their Emerging
Business Group, including a team of 1,300+ employees. There, he led innovation
and digital strategy, served as the enterprise’s chief marketing officer, and
established the company’s $100M venture capital fund. Williams has been
recognized by many, including Forbes as one of “The World’s Most Influential
CMOs” in 2017 and 2018 and Savoy Magazine as one of the most influential black
corporate directors in 2021.

Beyond the office, Williams is a firm believer in philanthropic efforts toward
the betterment of communities. He is an active participant and has served on
many non-profit boards in multiple markets including Big Brothers/Big Sisters,
the Urban League, and others. He is also actively involved in numerous mentor
programs, including work as a mentor to undergraduates at the University of
South Carolina.

Williams earned his bachelor’s in risk management and insurance from the
University of South Carolina. He is an advisory board member for the
university’s Risk and Uncertainty Management Center at the Darla Moore School of
Business, which helps students and organizations improve decision-making.
Williams is also on the board of directors for Encompass Health, the largest
owner and operator of rehabilitation hospitals in the United States.

Solomon Thomas
Defensive Lineman, New York Jets

Solomon Thomas is a Defensive Lineman for the New York Jets and their 2022
Walter Payton Man of The Year nominee which is one of the league’s most
prestigious honors. Solomon landed in New York after four seasons with the 49ers
who drafted him as the #3 overall player in the 2017 NFL draft and spent the ‘21
season with the Las Vegas Raiders.

During his second season with the Niners, Solomon and his family experienced an
unimaginable and tragic loss. On January 23, 2018, his big sister Ella died by
suicide. This traumatic and personal loss impacted his next few years in the
NFL. In 2021, Solomon with the help of his parents, Co-Founded The Defensive
Line (TDL), a nonprofit organization focused on training, educating, and
equipping leaders of young people of color, to be the mental health community
that empowers a lifesaving connection. TDL’s vision is “A world where no young
person of color dies by suicide.”

Off the field, Solomon has not only committed financially to the causes he
believes in, but he also actively contributes his time, energy, and mind to the
growth and success of his organization. His public speaking always centers
around sharing Ella’s story and his own mental health journey to bring the
hopefulness he carries and the belief he has that everyone has extraordinary
value and deserves to live healthy lives. His message is positive and uplifting,
and he shares it in public as much as he does privately with those around him.
He doesn’t push, but he offers insight and experience, sharing a kind of wisdom
that people crave and thrive on.

The work with The Defensive Line has included a partnership with The Super
Football Conference in New Jersey to speak with high school students about
mental health, the 988 campaign with Dak Prescott and the American Foundation
for Suicide Prevention, and an educational panel for all Paramount Global in
October. Thomas has also worked with a myriad of nonprofit organizations to
raise awareness, secure funds for mental health/suicide prevention research, and
advocate for local and national politicians to improve mental health/suicide
prevention legislation and policies. He has consistently demonstrated a generous
and quiet giving mentality, donating to many organizations over the years,
including The Golden Heart Foundation, Boys and Girls Club of Tracy Kipp
Minnesota, Champion Charities Foundation, American Foundation for Suicide
Prevention, Hui Aloha Kiholo, Mississippi Rapid Response Coalition, 22 And You
Foundation, My Brother’s Keeper, Blue Dragon, and many others. When a member of
the 49ers staff lost everything in the Paradise Fires, Solomon supported them
financially.

Solomon expects to come into his own with the New York Jets and every game will
be played in memory of his sister Ella.

Sway Calloway
Sway in the Morning with Heather B & Tracy G

An icon of hip-hop culture and a pivotal part of MTV, Sway Calloway has been a
staple within music news for two decades. Already a vanguard radio personality,
record producer and hip-hop artist, Sway joined the MTV News team in 2000 and
has been front and center for some of music’s biggest moments.

Sway first caught the public’s eye when he and his partner King Tech (Tech)
staged break dancing and rap performances in and around their hometown of
Oakland, California. The duo won a local contest with landmark radio station
KMEL-FM. The world-famous Wake Up Show is one of the longest hip-hop shows that
has been in syndication all over the world. Hip Hop had the opportunity to
launch their own mix show recognizing Sway’s instincts for great sound and
promising talent. Interscope enlisted him and Tech to produce an album called
This or That, featuring artists such as Eminem, KRS-One and RZA from the Wu-Tang
Clan.

Sway has been a key correspondent for MTV’s Choose or Lose and Power Of ’12
campaigns for the channel. Since his involvement, he has interviewed various
political leaders like Bill Clinton, Republican National Committee Chair Ed
Gillespie, Hillary Clinton, Ron Paul, John McCain and Mitt Romney. He’s also sat
down with President Barack Obama six times.

Sway’s other MTV News endeavors have included TRL, the All Eyes series which
featured top artists like Kanye West and 50 Cent, MTV News Now: Jay-Z vs. Nas:
Beats, Battles & Beef, MTV News Presents: After the Storm, RapFix Live, The
Hottest MCs list and TRL-AM.

In addition, Sway is an integral part of MTV News’ annual live events that
include red carpet coverage of the MTV Video Music Awards, MTV European Awards,
and Grammys pre-show. Sway serves as an MTV Executive Producer and brings new
programming ideas to the station. He’s also contributing talent to other
ViacomCBS channels, MTV2, and VH1 networks.

His work continues throughout the nation and community where he has been a part
of various panels and discussions hosting and moderating on important issues
like Hate Crimes, Racism and Education.

Sway is the host of SiriusXM’s Shade 45 daily morning show, SWAY IN THE MORNING
With HEATHER B and TRACY G from 8am to 12pm EST. He is also the Chief Navigator
for his site, SwaysUniverse.com, that features celebrity interviews, music,
entertainment and health news. Lastly, he is a recent inductee into the Radio
Hall of Fame Class of 2020. @realsway

Makola M. Abdullah, Ph.D.
President of Virginia State University,
BBBSA National Board Member

“Serving as President of Virginia State University has been the highlight of my
academic career. I have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of
education. I work with amazing faculty and staff members who show an unwavering
commitment to excellence in education. I extend my gratitude to the VSU Board of
Visitors for their vote of confidence and for giving me the opportunity to
continue the GREATER work at Virginia State University.”

Dr. Makola M. Abdullah began his VSU career in February 2016 with an unwavering
dedication and commitment to excellence. As a new president, he outlined the
core beliefs that became the foundation of his work for VSU: beliefs in God,
family, the transformative nature of education, and in Virginia State
University. With that foundation in mind, President Abdullah and his new
administration began planning the 2020-2025 Strategic Plan: Preeminence with
Purpose to chart the University’s path to continued growth and excellence. His
plan set forth the next chapter for VSU, which focused on six areas: Student
Opportunity and Access, Academic Excellence, The Holistic Experience for
Students, Enhancing the Land Grant Mission of the University, Advancing the VSU
Brand, and Financial/Operational Effectiveness.

Under President Abdullah’s leadership and guidance, VSU experienced the single
largest year-to-year enrollment increase in over a decade and the highest
retention rate in more than twenty years. The University also increased the
4-year graduation rate to the highest recorded rate in the University’s history.
Virginia State University also placed in ESSENCE magazine’s top 20 “Best
Colleges for African Americans” and U.S. News and World Report’s “Top 30 in the
Best Overall HBCUs for 2022”. The University ranked in the top 30% in the
“Performers on Social Mobility” list, the Top 10 in Student Retention Programs
at HBCUs, and the top 15% of Bang-for-your-Buck institutions in the Southeast
Region of the United States. The University has also extended its academic
offerings with newly added undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees. In
addition, the University offers fully online programs/degrees and a free tuition
program for students from area high schools.

Under Dr. Abdullah’s guidance, Virginia State University’s year-end financial
reserves have tripled. The University also received a $30 million gift—the
largest single donor gift in the University’s history—aiding the university in
growing the investments from approximately $40 million to $80 million. In
addition, under Dr. Abdullah, VSU has more new infrastructure happening
concurrently than at any point in its 140-year history. This includes a new
30,000-square-foot admissions building, a research and cooperative extension
facility, improvements to Rogers Stadium, and a new $120 million Alfred W.
Harris Academic Commons—the largest building ever constructed on the VSU campus.
In 2021, VSU also renamed four buildings to honor Black women who have made
significant contributions to the University.

Under the leadership of President Abdullah, in 2018, Virginia State University
successfully completed its reaffirmation of accreditation with the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). The
University was reaffirmed for ten years with no recommendations. The President
has led the launch of several significant initiatives since taking office. These
include the establishment of the John Mercer Langston Institute for African
American Political Leadership to assess, develop and empower African American
leaders; the establishment of The Center for Policing Leadership and Social
Justice to address the critical divide between law enforcement and communities
of color; and the establishment of the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and
Belonging on campus to promote good relations toward and support those who may
be subject to discrimination.

Boards and Committees

During his tenure at VSU, President Abdullah has become a national
leader—fighting on behalf of the transformative work of Virginia State
University and all HBCUs. He has served on a plethora of boards and committees,
including the following:

* Chair of the Infrastructure Committee for the U.S. President’s Board of
Advisors (PBA) on Historically Black Colleges and Universities
* Chair of the Council of Presidents for the Association of Public Land-Grant
Universities (APLU)
* Chair of the Council of Presidents for Virginia Institutions of Higher
Education
* Member of the 1890s Presidents for the Association of Public Land-Grant
Universities (APLU) (Former Chair)
* Member of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Board of
Directors (Former Chair)
* Member of the Executive Council for the Southern Association of Colleges and
Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
* Member of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America National Board
* Member of the Central VA Truist Regional Advisory Board
* Member Virginia Historical Society Board of Trustees
* Member of the A.L. Philpott Manufacturing Extension Partnership (dba GENEDGE)
Board of Trustees
* Member of the Richmond Forum Board of Directors
* Member of the Virginia Museum of History and Culture Board of Trustees
* Former member of the Lake Forest Academy Board of Trustees (Former Chair)

Education and Background

Before he was appointed President of Virginia State University, Dr. Abdullah
served as Provost and Senior Vice President at Bethune-Cookman University in
Daytona Beach, FL (2013-2016), Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
at Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens, FL (2011-2013), and Dean and
Director of 1890 Land Grant Programs at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical
University in Tallahassee, FL (2008-2011).

Dr. Abdullah is a Chicago native. He earned his undergraduate degree in civil
engineering from Howard University and his doctorate and master’s degrees in
civil engineering from Northwestern University. He is a member of Alpha Phi
Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.

Honors and Awards

President Abdullah was named the HBCU Male President of the Year in 2017 and was
selected as the 2021 Recipient of the Howard University Alumni Award for
Distinguished Postgraduate Achievement. He is also the youngest African American
to receive a Ph.D. in engineering.

Family

President Abdullah is married to Ahkinyala Cobb-Abdullah, Ph.D. Dr.
Cobb-Abdullah is the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and the Director of
the Center for STEM Diversity at Virginia Union University in Richmond,
Virginia. Dr. Cobb-Abdullah earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from
Tuskegee University. She is a two-time alumna of Florida Agricultural and
Mechanical University, where she earned a Master of Molecular Biology and a
Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Biomolecular Sciences.

Dr. Abdullah and Dr. Cobb-Abdullah are the proud parents of a son, Mikaili, and
a daughter, Sefiyetu. Mikaili is a graduate of Morehouse College and a current
Ph.D. student at the Morehouse School of Medicine. Sefiyetu is a two-time
graduate of Virginia State University with a Master of Science in Computer
Science.

Kelvin Beachum
Offensive Tackle, Arizona Cardinals

Kelvin Beachum is a Texas native in his 12th NFL season, currently with the
Arizona Cardinals. He is an SMU graduate (’10, ’12) an Executive Board member,
and a member of the Players Inc. Advisory Committee, the Players Coalition, and
the Donors Choose Advisory Board. He is a professional speaker, advisor, board
member, and active technology investor. Along with his NFL and business
commitments, Beachum is passionate about ending hunger, providing clean water
access, advocating for education equity, and encouraging minority youth to
pursue STEAM disciplines while addressing the digital divide. Beachum resides in
Arizona with his wife, Jessica, and their three children.

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Rachaad White

Running Back, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Kelvin L. Buncum
Executive Vice President
Neighborhood Markets, Walmart U.S.

Kelvin L. Buncum is executive vice president of Neighborhood Markets for Walmart
U.S. His responsibilities include overseeing all aspects of Neighborhood Market
operations. Kelvin and his team are focused on creating a great experience that
includes increased convenience for busy customers and high-quality fresh items
that delight the entire family.

Prior to assuming his current role, Kelvin held several leadership positions at
Walmart, including regional vice president of the Atlanta/North Georgia region,
regional vice president of the North Central region, vice president of
innovations and global business processes, vice president of operations strategy
and integration and regional general manager for the Mid- South region.

Before joining Walmart, Kelvin held leadership positions with several companies
and across multiple industries. Immediately prior to Walmart, he was
President/CEO of International Medical Solutions, a start-up he launched with
two partners. Kelvin’s professional experiences also include senior leadership
roles at Pepsi Bottling Group, US Radio, and Joyner Communications.
In addition, Kelvin has worked for Digital Equipment Corporation, AT&T Bell
Laboratories and Northern Telecom. With these companies, he held leadership
roles in the areas of product development, marketing, sales management and
applications planning.

Kelvin has been actively involved over the years in trade and community
organizations. He has served as chairman of the Georgia Beverage Association and
held board positions with the Safe America Foundation, APEX Museum, Georgia Food
Industry Association, Warrick Dunn Family Foundation, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity
Foundation, Hughes-Spalding Children’s Hospital, Feeding America, Criminal
Justice SVN and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Arkansas.

Kelvin graduated with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering and received an
Honorary Doctorate from North Carolina A & T State University. He also earned an
MBA from Harvard Business School.

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John Waller

EVP, Talent Management & Business Development, IFA

Born in Iowa, John is the youngest of four. His parents joke that he grew up
with three moms – his actual mother and his two older sisters. His older brother
Dan was less interested when John entered the picture – but he came around
eventually. As the youngest, he was frequently around adults and developed an
appreciation for community, friendship, and communication. His family has always
valued integrity, humility, and loyalty. John spent every day of his childhood
playing sports and loved being outside with friends.The family moved to
Washington State during John’s fifth grade year where they stayed until John
graduated high school. He followed in his older siblings footsteps and attended
the University of Kansas for College. After initially considering Social Work,
he earned his degree in Communication Studies and Leadership. After graduating,
he moved to Kansas City and started his career in sales. While his sales career
started to take off, he still had this burning desire to do more – to tap into
his inner social worker and make a positive impact on a young person’s life. He
enrolled to become a Big with BBBS Kansas City. It’s one of the best decisions
he’ll ever make in his life. He and Rachaad became fast friends, spending
valuable time together every week. They’d play all the sports, go to the pool,
play at the park, eat stomach-stuffing meals, visit with his sister and her
kids, and engage in meaningful conversations about this complicated, beautiful
thing we call life. John continues to make his living in sales, now with a
professional sports agency called IFA, and also started a plant-based food
business with his wife Jessica. He resides in Minneapolis with Jessica, their
daughter Maeve, son Eli, and rescue pup Javier. He and Rachaad remain as close
as ever with John acting more formally as his Business Manager.

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Reette Thorns

Singer-Songwriter, 2023 American Idol Contestant

Reette Thorns grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, where she was a foster kid for most
of her early adolescence. She graduated from what is now, ‘Vel Phillips
Memorial’ where she was a star Track and Field athlete as well as a star
basketball player. She remained a top athlete in track and field three out of
four years on varsity in Wisconsin High school Athletics. She is a student at
Grand Valley State university competing in Track and Field and studies Theatre.
At her university, she has been recognized as Student-Athlete of the week for
having all A’s by midterms and remaining top 16 in the country for track and
field in NCCA D2. Reette recently participated in her first play, ‘Merry Wives
of Windsor,’ with the Theatre department at Grand Valley. Most recently, Reette
has given focus to acting, singing, and learning the guitar, and is preparing to
take on a music minor in the early fall.

Trying to break into the entertainment industry, she recently on the show
‘American Idol’ where she received an in-person audition and the Golden Ticket
to Hollywood. Since the show,she has been writing music, taking vocal lessons,
and practicing instruments as she begins to find herself as an artist.

Her focus right now is finishing her degree in Theatre and starting her work in
the music department. She plans to continue to write and produce music as well.
In her free time, she loves to listen to and write music, play the guitar, study
monologues for acting auditions and swim, a lot.

Big Brothers Big Sisters has been a part of her life for well over a decade and
it was the best decision her mother ever made for her. Her Big Sister,
Elizabeth, and the organization have changed her life in ways the world could
never imagine. The program gave her the opportunity to have opportunities, good
life choices attainable, and to find friendships, family, and love. Big Brothers
Big Sisters brought her a best friend, sister, mentor, confidant, laughter, and
my mom all in one.

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Bill Plaschke

Sports Columnist, Los Angeles Times

Bill Plaschke, an L.A. Times sports columnist since 1996, is a member of the
National Sports Media Hall of Fame and California Sports Hall of Fame. He has
been named national sports columnist of the year nine times by the Associated
Press, and twice by the Society of Professional Journalists and National
Headliner Awards. He is the author of six books, including a collection of his
columns entitled, “Plaschke: Good Sports, Spoil Sports, Foul Ball and Oddballs.”
Plaschke is also a panelist on the popular ESPN daily talk show, “Around the
Horn.” Plaschke has been named Man of the Year by the Los Angeles Big
Brothers/Big Sisters, and has received a Pursuit of Justice Award from the
California Women’s Law Center. Plaschke has appeared in a movie (“Ali”), a
dramatic HBO series (“Luck”) and, in a crowning cultural moment he still does
not quite understand, his name can be found in a rap song “Females Welcome” by
Asher Roth. In case you were wondering – and he was – “Plaschke” is rhymed with
“Great Gatsby.” Plaschke is from Louisville, Ky., graduated from Southern
Illinois University-Edwardsville, and has three children – Tessa, Willie and MC
– and a granddaughter Daisy Ann.

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Nancy Lieberman

Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer

Nancy is a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, BIG3 Head Coach, 2018
Champion and Coach of the year. Two-time Olympian, silver-medalist (1976).

Her coaching career has included the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League and the BIG3 and at
each step along the way she has broken barriers, elevated the profile of women
in the game, and helped develop the current and next generation of basketball
players. Under her leadership, the Team Power won the BIG3 championship in 2018,
making her the first female coach to win a title in a men’s pro league.

She helped the United States win medals at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal
(silver medal), the 1979 World Championships in Seoul (gold medal), 1975 and
1979 Pan American Games in Mexico (gold medal) and Puerto Rico (silver medal),
and the gold medal in the 1979 Jones Cup in Taipei.

After winning consecutive AIAW National Championships and one WNIT Championship
at Old Dominion University, Nancy was a three-time All American and two-time
national player of the year in collegiate basketball for the Monarchs. She was
the first pick in first ever women’s pro league, the Women’s Basketball League
(WBL), for the Dallas Diamonds in 1980. In 1985, the Diamonds won the
championship in the WABA and Nancy was Player of the Year. She played for the
Los Angeles Lakers in the Summer Pro League in 1981 for Pat Riley in preparation
for her upcoming season with the Diamonds. In 1986 and 1987, Nancy joined the
USBL, becoming the first woman to play in a men’s proffessional league, 1986
with the Springfield Fame and 1987 with the Long Island Knights. The Lieberman
Award, presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, recognizes
the top point guard in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball for their
floor leadership, playmaking and winning mentality.

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Peggy Lewis

Ph.D

Dr. Peggy Lewis retired from academia as the Executive Dean of the School of
Business and Graduate Studies and the School of Professional Studies at Trinity
Washington University. Dr. Lewis is now a facilitator of racial reconciliation.
She is a native Washingtonian and an alumna of Trinity. She received a Ph.D.
with distinction from Howard University. Her dissertation title: “Preaching,
Praying and Strategic Media Planning: From Montgomery to Selma, How the Civil
Rights Movement Forced Journalists to Do Their Job.” Prior to Trinity, she was
an Assistant Professor and Broadcast Sequence Coordinator in the Department of
Journalism at Howard University. Before coming to academia, she spent nearly 20
years as an award-winning broadcast journalist in Washington, New York, and
Miami before embarking on a career in public service which included working for
President William Jefferson Clinton, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, U.S.
Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman, and Children’s Defense Fund Founder and
President, Marian Wright Edelman. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority,
The Washington D.C. Chapter of the Links, Inc., and a member of the National
Presbyterian Church where she serves as an Elder and Stephen Minister.

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Stephen Hill

Content Creator and Television Executive

At the intersection of Music and visual distribution is where you’ll find
Stephen Hill leaning on the street sign.

Most recently, Hill served as the EVP, Creative at the legendary Dick Clark
Productions. He was responsible for overseeing the creative directions of Dick
Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest, The Golden Globes, The
Academy of Country Music Awards, The Billboard Awards, The American Music Awards
and The Streamys.

Hill is the former President of Programming for BET Networks, where he spent 18
years
developing and creating programs for the leading provider of entertainment for
the AfricanAmerican audience and consumers of Black culture globally.

Hill is best known for heading the team that developed and implemented the Award
winning tentpole shows on BET including the BET Hip Hop Awards, Black Girls
Rock!, BET Honors and the show with the largest African-American viewership
every year since its inception, The BET
Awards.

Also, under Hill’s leadership, the BET team built a noteworthy catalog of
quality and beloved programming including “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” “The New
Edition Story, ”College Hill” , and “Tales.”

During his tenure, he supervised the growth and popularity of the network’s
music shows and live events, creating not only unforgettable content and some of
the most talked about moments
in television, but iconic franchises including “106 & Park,” and “Rap City: The
Bassment.”

In addition to behind the desk duties, Hill occasionally showed up on front of
the camera; most notably as the host for the NAACP Image Award Winning “BET News
presents: An Aaliyah Reflection”, as the host for the BET Michael Jackson: Bad
25 special, and as the host for “BET’s Remembrance of Prince” in April 2016. In
2004, Prince sat down with Hill for a jovial, wideranging conversation (seen by
over 1.5 million people) that has been referred to on YouTube as
“Prince’s Best Interview” (PRINCE BEST INTERVIEW AND PERFORMANCE)

Prior to joining BET Networks in 1999, Stephen worked for four years at MTV in
New York City as Director of Music Programming. As Director, Hill was
responsible for selecting and programming all genres of videos for airplay,
working with talent and supervising the network’s
standards processes.

Hill got his start in music working with industry legend, Elroy Smith, who was
programming director at WILD-AM in Boston, MA. In 1993, Hill and his team took
WILD-AM to its highest ratings ever, beating six full-time FM stations in the
process. Hill has also done extensive work with ABC Radio Network’s Urban Gold
Format, launching their 24-hour format. Gaining many
accolades for his work with ABC Radio Networks, he also served as executive
producer for the Tom Joyner Morning Show.

Hill credits much of his success to his childhood passion of announcing various
songs that he kept on a tape player. He began shaping his formal career at
Brown’s University’s radio station, WBRU-FM, in Providence, RI.

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Ryan Detert

Founder and CEO of Influential

As Founder and CEO of Influential, an AI social data and conversion company,
Ryan Detert has brought top influencers, brands, press, and financing to his
venture-backed company.

With over a decade of experience in the influencer and social media space,
Ryan’s mission to optimize and streamline branded content with a data-first
approach has shifted the industry and led to being recognized in AdAge’s annual
40 under 40 awards in 2021.

Through Influential, Ryan has built the largest influencer marketing company in
the world, by revenue, and developed invaluable partnerships with prestigious
technology and media companies, including Meta, TikTok, IBM Watson, Oracle Data
Cloud, IRI, and WME.

Ryan is passionate about doing well for others, and has forged philanthropic
efforts with organizations that include The United Nations, WHO, and CDC, as
well as U.S.-based non-profits, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and
Rock The Vote.

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