Dr. Emily Balcetis, Associate Professor of Psychology at NYU and TEDx speaker viewed by millions, studies how perception shapes performance. Her research has been featured in Forbes, Time, and Scientific American.

In this Ask JBH episode, she reveals why focus is about perspective, how to turn fear into fuel, and when to look back versus look ahead to stay motivated.

Those experiences led her to found the Fearless Fund, the first venture capital fund built by women of color for women of color, reframing access to capital not as charity, but as strategy. The conversation explores sisterhood, resilience, venture readiness, and what it takes to stay grounded when leadership is tested in both public and private ways.

This episode is for anyone figuring out how to keep going when the path forward feels unclear.

This episode explores how digital empowerment, citizen journalism, and collaborative leadership can accelerate gender justice when technology is built with intention. We take a closer look at who gets amplified, how inequitable data shapes outcomes, and what responsibility looks like when voices finally have a platform.

This conversation dives into the concepts of power, voice, and the quiet revolution that unfolds when people are trusted to speak for themselves. Discover the transformative impact of Jensine's work and the untapped potential of technology to create a more just and inclusive world.

Author of How to Be Free and Writing My Wrongs, Shaka shares how literacy, journaling, and self-examination helped him rebuild his life from the inside out. Together, the discussion explores the unseen prisons many people live in, including fear, anger, shame, and unresolved pain that quietly shape decisions long after circumstances change.

It is a reminder that freedom is an inside job and that every prison has a door.

From planting a church while working five jobs to leading with humility and courage, Pastor Greg shares how presence, love, and listening shape meaningful leadership. Together, we explore how faith shows up in work, culture, and moments of uncertainty without fear, judgment, or division.

This episode challenges us to rethink how faith is lived, not just spoken, in everyday life.

Our conversation moves through the ideas that define his work: the power of jugaad and resourceful innovation, the rise of the frugal economy, leading wisely in a changing world, and seeing constraints as catalysts rather than limits. Navi shares how his multicultural upbringing shaped his lens on creativity, why optimism is an active practice, and the mindset shifts that help us work, live, and lead with more clarity and compassion.

We talk about how her foundation’s mission of financial inclusion, education, and community transformation guides her work, and how the lessons of education, exposure, and experience continue to shape her leadership. Kelley also shares what it means to make history as the first woman to serve as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees at Wiley University, and how she is helping others build legacies of their own.

This episode is a reminder that true leadership begins with knowing who you are and serving from that place. Learn more about the Foundation’s work at TDJFoundation.org.

In this conversation, she shares how humor became her superpower, the lessons her parents taught her about joy and grit, and why she created Shiny Misfits, a graphic novel that gives kids a hero who looks and lives like them. With her trademark wit, Maysoon reminds us that inclusion isn’t charity, it’s common sense.

Watch to hear how this unstoppable force proves her mantra true: If I can can, you can can.

In this Ask JBH episode, the focus is on money: earning it, negotiating for it, and making it work for you. Sarah shares the lessons learned early on, the instincts that led her into Bitcoin before most of the world knew its name, and what she looks for when deciding who and what to bet on. There’s also honesty about risk, resilience, and the courage it takes to speak truth in an industry that doesn’t always welcome it.

This episode offers more than investing tips. It’s about agency, ownership, and the kind of vision that makes change possible.

A physician, scientist, and author of more than 20 books, Dr. Galea’s work reminds us that health is deeply connected to justice, equity, and hope. In this conversation, we talk about the shift from treating illness to addressing root causes, building trust in a world of skepticism, and what it takes to create healthier communities for the next generation.

From procrastination to purpose, Katy brings fresh insight into how small choices and smart design can unlock real transformation. Her approach of pairing joy with effort and aligning timing with intention helps millions stick to the goals that matter most.

This is a conversation for anyone ready to shift from wishing to doing. Come for the science, stay for the clarity, and walk away with tools that respect where you are and support where you're headed.

With over 120 academic publications, bestselling books like Livewired and Incognito, and experience advising shows like Westworld, Dr. Eagleman brings science to life in ways that empower change. He shares how understanding the brain’s plasticity can reshape how people grow, connect, and thrive.

For anyone ready to change their mind, this episode is a masterclass in what’s possible.

In this conversation, we explore the hidden costs of being "overwired," practical strategies for digital wellness, and her insights on female leadership, including the unique strengths women often undervalue. Whether you're battling tech overload or seeking to lead more authentically, this episode is packed with wisdom you can apply right away.

Through her 15+ years of experience, she explains why seemingly successful people feel overwhelmed and offers practical strategies for breaking free. Whether you're battling burnout or wondering why 'doing your best' never feels good enough, this episode provides transformative tools for building a life you truly love.

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"I am a survivor of child abuse. I was molested by my maternal grandfather and at age 6, I told my aunt that her father was touching me inappropriately. She told my mother, and they confronted my grandfather. He admitted it. I was told to keep it a secret from the police and my own father, with the promise the abuse would stop. Unfortunately he continued, and I never spoke up again. After 20 years, my father asked me if I had ever been molested in my life, I told him yes. I felt all the weight, burden and shame I had been carrying all those years, immediately lifted off my shoulders and I want all survivors to feel that! You are not alone. Don’t take it to the grave, Tell Somebody. It’s time to heal!" —Aleesha Barlow

The Prime Smokehouse: Barbecue & Beyond, which moved to Rocky Mount, NC, in 2013, has been ranked No. 1 on most online social media outlets in the city since it was established. In fact, Yelp recently named Prime the Top Dining Destination for Travelers to North Carolina, and the restaurant has been featured in various publications and television programs.

Jenny co-founded PEAK6 in 1997 with $1.5M in seed capital as a proprietary options trading firm. Since then, she has grown the firm into a multibillion-dollar financial services and technology firm housing the next generation of products and service brands — including PEAK6 Capital Management, PEAK6 Strategic Capital, Apex Fintech Solutions, PEAK6 InsurTech, Evil Geniuses. Poker Power, and Zogo.

With a true knack for unearthing talent and opportunities, Jenny looks for underfunded sectors to transform limited access opportunities into high-growth businesses. Her passion specifically lies in finding opportunities for women to succeed at every table — from the classroom, to the conference room, to the poker room, to the board room.

Which is why she launched Poker Power in 2020, a woman-led company that teaches poker to all who identify as female, and by extension, teaches women strategic thinking, capital allocation, and decision-making skills. Additionally, Jenny has created programs to help women advance their careers in trading, fintech, and technology. She founded the Women’s Trading Experience and Women’s Technology Experience programs for PEAK6 employees in order to create a path for more women in fintech.

Prior to founding Applied, Kate was Principal Advisor and Head of Growth and Equality at the Behavioural Insights Team and has previously worked for UNESCO in South East Asia, and for the Australian Treasury. She is also a former member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Action Committee on Behavioural Science. Kate holds a Master in Public Policy degree from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and a Bachelor in Economic and Social Sciences from the University of Sydney. She is a Trustee at the Blueprint for Better Business.

A native of Diego Martin, Trinidad and Tobago, in 1998, Wendy became the third woman of colour and the second Trinidadian woman to win the Miss Universe Crown, two months prior to her final examinations at law school. She was admitted to the Trinidad and Tobago Bar in 2000.

Her work with government includes, Vice-President of Business Development and Investment Promotion with eTecK (a Trinidad and Tobago Industrial and Industry Development Company); the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania; and business consultant to the University of Trinidad and Tobago.

Wendy served as host and co-executive producer of Caribbean’s Next Top Model (CaribeNTM), the Pan-Caribbean version of America’s Next Top model (ANTM).

Wendy also connected with her fans and listeners on “The Wendy Fitzwilliam Show”, a one-hour weekly radio program that explored how – and what it means – to achieve one’s dreams.

Wendy’s has also champion a variety of charitable causes.

She has served as United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for HIV/AIDS, Ambassador of Youth for the Caribbean for the Red Cross and also founded The Hibiscus Foundation (THF), a children’s foundation that focuses on HIV/AIDS.

When not working, Wendy engages in her most rewarding role of all: mother to her son, Ailan. Her memoir, “Letters to Ailan” was first written as an extended love letter to her son.

With over 26 years in active ministry, Pastor Henderson is known to educate, nurture, and equip his congregants with life-changing lessons to navigate their faith with sound values and biblical principles via his accelerator for entrepreneurship. Through the weight of his words, impeccable judgement and sophisticated understanding of the forces shaping the world, Pastor Henderson delivers the word of god with rapid fire precision amongst a new generation of believers as he continues to keep faith relevant in today’s culture.

In April 2021, he joined Bishop T. D. Jakes to answer the question “Which Way is Up?” Pastor Henderson is a passionate humanitarian yielding a steadfast commitment who cares deeply about the plight of the people and gives back to the global communities he serves. Recognized by The John Maxwell Institute as one of the Top 250 Leaders in the nation, Pastor Keion Henderson, born in Gary, Indiana, is a devoted father to his beautiful daughter, Katelyn and husband to his forever wife, Shaunie Henderson.

She has won the respect and admiration of millions of daily television viewers throughout her career, including her work as co-host of the entertainment news show, Access Hollywood. Shaun has interviewed Hollywood’s biggest stars and covered the red carpets and hosted the official pre-shows for the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, Emmy’s and Grammy’s, in addition to hosting NBC’s coverage of the annual Tournament of Roses Parade.

Coming from a strong background in television news, Shaun has contributed reports to NBC Nightly News, Today Show, MSNBC and CNN. She has served as a guest host on The View, HLN’s Joy Behar Show and been featured as a panelist on Larry King Live, Piers Morgan Tonight and Dr. Drew. Shaun has also served as host for programs on Lifetime, TLC and BET networks and was a guest host on Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

The highly respected Chevelle started her journey in music as a teenager when she recorded her first single called "Here I Am." By 1991, her career was blossoming, leading to her featuring on Shabba Ranks' worldwide hit, "Mr Lover Man". She also recorded her hit single, "Dancehall Queen" with Beenie Man.  

Chevelle has had a long and outstanding career in music and is still going strong. She is about to release her latest album titled "South Wind Vol. 1," which was recorded appropriately in South Africa. The initial plan was to record two songs in South Africa, but the two songs morphed into an entire album. The album, which is totally about worshipping God, features guest artists from South Africa. Ntokozo Mbambo was a prominent collaborator. Chevelle co-produced the album together with Nqubeko Mbatha and Mojalefa Mjakes. The highly respected Chevelle started her journey in music as a teenager when she recorded her first single called "Here I Am." By 1991, her career was blossoming, leading to her featuring on Shabba Ranks' worldwide hit, "Mr Lover Man". She also recorded her hit single, "Dancehall Queen" with Beenie Man, which put her on the international reggae map. Having started as a reggae artist, her turning point came during a live concert in 1998 where she was expected to perform "Dancehall Queen" but instead performed the gospel song, "Silver and Gold" by Kirk Franklin. She bravely made the fateful decision to use that moment

After a successful 19 year career in the clothing business Michael tested his entrepreneurial skills in 1977 when he co-founded Great American Cookie Company with an investment of only $8000. Shortly after starting the Company, he was involved in a near-fatal motorcycle accident and was told by doctors he would never walk again unaided. As Michael recovered thru a self-designed rehabilitation program he took the Company from its first store in Perimeter Mall in Atlanta to hundreds of stores nationwide and at the same time set 3 coast-to-coast bicycling records. When Michael started the Company there were three major cookie companies in business; one had almost 100 stores and the other two had fifty each. When he sold the Company in 1998 with sales over $100 million, Great American Cookie Company was the largest franchisor of cookie stores and the other three companies no longer existed.

Having worked in the area of Social Services and Supplier Diversity for the last 20 years, Vaughn is able to attest to the pitfalls of any industry, yet he knows that the end result is what you make of it. Receiving all formal education in the Los Angeles inner-city schools, Vaughn is a testament as to the success of perseverance and goal setting. Each day he is compelled to challenge peers to rise to the next level of sucess in their perspective industries.

His background over the last decade has entailed managing programs designed to service at-risk youth, single mothers obtaining federal subsidy, fathers exiting the penal system, and older adults returning to the workforce. The common denominator in every group that he has serviced has been diversity and financial constraints associated with the lack of job training. Over the years he's trained, empowered and employed over 700 South Los Angeles Constituents in the areas of clerical, accounting, janitorial, domestic engineering, restaurant management, industrial services and management.

Diversity and Inclusion has been a passion of Paul throughout his career. At BMS he is on the Leadership Team of BOLD (Black Organization for Leadership Development), the People and Business Resource Group (PBRG) where he helped to develop their strategic business plan as well as leads BOLD’s Patient Advocacy Initiative. He is also active in the LGBTA People and Business Resource Group. Paul serves as co-chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Council for the Global Business Operations function at BMS.

His role as a procurement professional and passion for diversity coalesce with his work advocating for small and diverse businesses within the supply chain of large companies such as BMS. Because of his leadership in this area, he was named to the Board of Directors of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), a national advocacy and policy organization, where he recently served as chair of its strategic planning committee.

Prior to joining BMS, Paul has held various roles in Procurement and Supply Chain management with both IBM and Pfizer. Paul also served as the Chief Procurement officer at Howard University, where he led several transformation initiatives that increased organization performance and compliance.

Giving back to the community has always been important to Paul. In 2015 he started and facilitated sponsorship of community outreach events as part of BMS engagement at supplier diversity conferences. The objective is to connect with diverse patient communities and/or top diverse talent representing the next generation of corporate professionals and entrepreneurs, as well as providing an additional opportunity to engage and highlight diverse suppliers. For this work, Paul was named a 2017 Corporate Buyer of the Year and was recognized for leading the Corporate Initiative of the Year from the National Business Inclusion Consortium at its 2019 Best of the Best Awards.

Paul holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University, and well as a Master of Science in Industrial and Operations Engineering from The University.

A’Lelia is brand historian for MADAM by Madam C. J. Walker, a line of hair care products developed in partnership with Sundial Brands and Walmart. In February 2022 she was named the inaugural Center for Africana Studies and Culture Prestigious Fellow in the School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI. She is the founder of the Madam Walker Family Archives, the largest private collection of Walker photographs and memorabilia.

She is a vice chair emerita of Columbia University’s Board of Trustees and chair emerita of the board of the National Archives Foundation. She is a member of several boards that reflect her interest in history, journalism, political activism, social justice and historic preservation including the March on Washington Film Festival, the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women at Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Indiana Landmarks, Columbia Global Reports and the Smithsonian’s American Women’s History Initiative.

A’Lelia was a network television news executive and producer for thirty years at NBC News and then at ABC News, where she was Washington, DC deputy bureau chief and director of talent development.

Her articles and essays have been published in the New York Times Book Review, Variety, TheUndefeated.com, Al Jazeera, Parade, Ms., O Magazine, Essence, several encyclopedias and books, and on her blog at www.aleliabundles.com. As a speaker and emcee, she has appeared at universities, corporations and book festivals, as well as on ABC, CBS, MSNBC, NBC, NPR, PBS and BBC. She has served as an advisor for numerous documentaries, museum exhibits, biographies, scholarly papers and history texts.

A recipient of an Emmy and a du Pont Gold Baton, she has participated in writing residencies at Yaddo and the MacDowell Colony. 

She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College and received a masters degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

"Over time, throughout every center I went to, I found significant gaps in how they prepared clients for post-treatment. Two of the most important elements of recovery are re-establishing trust between clients and their family members and the maintenance of sobriety as an outpatient. After failing to see the centers integrate these elements into their treatment, I started to consider better ways to prepare people for recovery post-treatment. After months of planning and analyzing the industry as a whole, I am attempting to combine my knowledge and experience to create a platform that can better help recovering addicts rebuild lost and broken relationships while holding themselves accountable on a safe and open platform with others in recovery." —Pinchas Kras.

Scarlett became an advocate for social and emotional learning (SEL) and character development to help children manage their emotions, feel connected, and have healthy, meaningful relationships. She created the Choose Love For Schools program, a no cost, comprehensive, lifespan, next generation character and social emotional development (CSED) program that teaches children how to thoughtfully respond with love in any situation by using the Choose Love Formula (Courage + Gratitude + Forgiveness + Compassion-in-Action), and offer ways for children to handle adversity, have courageous conversations, and to respond with love.

Choose Love extends beyond the classroom through additional no-cost programs, including programs for the home, communities, athletics, and the workplace. In addition, the movement offers Choose Love C.A.R.E.S. (Cultivating Authentic Relationships in the Education System), Experiential Educator Wellness Workshops for school leaders and educators, as well as multiple extension programs. The Choose Love programs have been accessed in all 50 states and in more than 120 countries, reaching 3 million children.

Scarlett is the author of Nurturing Healing Love: A Mother’s Journey of Hope & Forgiveness, a memoir of her journey toward choosing love and forgiveness; From Sandy Hook to the World: How the Choose Love Movement Transforms Lives, an in-depth look at how Scarlett founded the Movement and its impact around the world today; and Rose’s Foal, a children’s book, with photographs by Scarlett Lewis, that tells the poignant story of a beloved horse and her newborn foal.

Since the tragedy, Scarlett has spoken across the U.S. and internationally to diverse audiences sharing her empowering story and the organization's far-reaching programs, urging everyone to become part of the solution to the issues the world is facing. Scarlett has spoken at multiple national, statewide, and community-based events including hundreds of talks at schools, addressing educators and administrators. In 2021, Scarlett was named a Forbes 50 over 50 Impact Honoree, one of 50 women leading the way with impact and changing their communities and the world in ways big and small through social entrepreneurship, law, advocacy and education.

Scarlett was the keynote speaker at the 2018 and 2019 National Forum on Character presented by Character.org and in 2020 and the keynote speaker for the New England Head Start Association. In addition, Scarlett has presented at the Music City SEL Conference in Nashville; SXSW EDU Conference; ASCD Empower; the Nebraska Mental Health Conference; and multiple statewide Counselor Association Conferences. She has been interviewed by BBC, Fox News, CBS, the Today Show, The Guardian, and many regional papers and podcasts about the Choose Love Movement and the neuroscience behind the Choose Love Formula and the benefits of SEL, and has been featured in high-profile magazines, including Fortune, Strive, and the Huffington Post. Scarlett also hosts the ChooSELove Podcast, interviewing noted authors and experts on post-traumatic growth, self-empowerment, brain health, resilience, forgiveness, trauma and grief, mental health, and more.

She is also founder and lead instructor for the Supplier Diversity Training Institute (SDTI), a national training program for supplier diversity practitioners,  procurement professionals and organizational stakeholders looking to gain proficiency in supplier diversity and equitable inclusion.

Active in supplier development, Kathey is an Executive Coach/Instructor for several national business accelerators including Inc Magazine’s Inc 5000, Small Business Administration’s Emerging Leaders Program, National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) the Black Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (BWEL) Program at Babson College. In 2019, she launched BusinessFAB Academy, an online course that teaches businesses how to win contracts with institutions.

Kathey is the author of 50 Billion Dollar Boss (Palgrave Macmillan), which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award and Implementing Supplier Diversity (Palgrave Macmillan). Her new books, Supplier Diversity for Dummies (Wiley) and 50 Billion Dollar Tech Boss (Palgrave MacMillan) will be released in 2022.

Today, as an investor and philanthropist with her 50 Billion Dollar Boss™ Foundation, online store 50bdb.com and through her media company BusinessFAB® Media, Porter is supporting and elevating black women entrepreneurs.

Born and raised in Belgium, Sigal climbed the ranks in the finance industry in Geneva, Switzerland, which led to a series of appointments to executive management roles. Sigal’s last role before starting her business was the Head of Private Banking at UMB, where she managed a portfolio of over US$4.5 billion.  In 2006, Sigal founded Medix Global, a leading provider of innovative, high-quality health management solutions. Medix has since expanded to serve millions of insured customers across 90 countries with offices in  London, Tel Aviv, Munich, New York, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne, Jakarta, Bangkok.   

She is a married mother of three, and splits her time between the U.S., U.K., Asia and Tel Aviv.

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Rob has also served on boards and commission such as: Judicial Performance Commission, Colorado Springs Pride Center, Armed Services YMCA, Southern Colorado Black Barber Association, African American Voice Juneteenth Festival and, the El Pomar Black Advisory Council, RTD Affordable Task Force, Denver Workforce Investment Board, Department of Regulatory Agency Collateral Consequences. Rob has started a local non- profit organization to address issues in underserved neighborhoods called the One Voice Coalition. Rob is currently the President/CEO of CommunityWorks a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to empowering individuals through career preparation and career placement. Rob is the co-owner of two social businesses of the Community Barbershop located in Colorado Springs and Aurora and American Sealcoat an asphalt company dedicated to helping formerly incarcerated individuals go back to work in the construction field.

An in-demand speaker and trusted advisor to growth-focused business leaders, Ami has helped thousands of business owners achieve ambitious growth goals through creative and personalized funding solutions. His work has helped create tens of thousands of jobs.

For more than 20 years, Ami has challenged executives to think differently about how they capitalize growth. Regularly featured in national media including The New York Times, Huffington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, Forbes and Fox Business News, Ami also writes a weekly column for Inc. Magazine. He has advised the White House, the Federal Reserve Bank and the Treasury Department on credit markets.

Sara is an active member of the entrepreneurial ecosystem to support gender diversity (e.g., founding investor in the Rising Tide Portfolia Fund, advisor to DivInc, Founding Steering Committee for Beam) within the health tech and green tech sectors (e.g., board member of the Austin Healthcare Council, Advisory Panel Member of Texas Health Catalyst at UT’s Dell Medical School, mentor for the Cleantech Open). Sara also serves on the Host Committee for the Austin Community Foundation’s Women’s Fund Keyholder event every year. She is a frequent startup competition judge and accelerator mentor, as well as an active speaker on topics such as the financial outperformance of women-led companies, the unique advantages women entrepreneurs have in improving environmental and human health, and the critical impact women have as investors from everyday purchases and healthcare decisions to managing multiple generations of family wealth. She is also a board director for UnaliWear, Dermala, Oralucent, and Queen of Raw, True Wealth Ventures’ portfolio companies, in addition to Pollack & Weitzner.

Dr. Pinkett has received numerous awards for entrepreneurial excellence including the Congressional Minority Business Award, National Society of Black Engineers’ Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and National Urban League’s Business Excellence Award.  He is an expert in several areas relating to emerging technologies, “big data” analytics, social innovation, culture, diversity, equity and inclusion, and is a regular contributor on MSNBC, CNN, and Fox Business News.  

Dr. Pinkett is the author of Campus CEO: The Student Entrepreneur’s Guide to Launching a Multimillion-Dollar Business and No-Money Down CEO: How to Start Your Dream Business with Little or No Cash and co-author of Black Faces in White Places: 10 Game-Changing Strategies to Achieve Success and Find Greatness, which was named one of “The Best Books of 2010.”  He holds five degrees including: a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers University; a M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Oxford in England; and a M.S. in Electrical Engineering, MBA, and Ph.D. from MIT.  Most notably, he was the first and only African-American to receive the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship at Rutgers University; he was inducted to the Academic All-America Hall of Fame, as a former high jumper, long jumper, sprinter and captain of the men’s track and field team; and he was the winner of NBC’s hit reality television show, “The Apprentice.”  

Born in Philadelphia and raised in New Jersey, Dr. Pinkett is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated and First Baptist Church in Somerset, NJ, where he resides with his family, including a daughter and two sons.  Dr. Pinkett firmly believes that “for those to whom much is given, much is expected,” so throughout his endeavors, he places great emphasis on his desire to give back to the community.

And finally, Shay also founded Color Coded Kids Money, a financial literacy organization, with a mission to teach junior high and high school students money management and wealth-building.   If that’s not enough, Shay works full-time as central division business development manager for World Wide Technology, covering Fortune 500 corporations in 19 states.  Shay is responsible for supporting more than 70 sales reps with their diversity strategy within their client organizations.     

Shay sits on several boards, Mid-States Minority Supplier Development Council and Color Coded Kids Foundation (board chair). She recently stepped down as a board member of the Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis, aimed to provide programs and funding for families with Down syndrome family members, including advocating for her own son, Diggy, who was born with Down syndrome in 2008.   Shay has been featured on the cover of Delux Magazine as one of 50 most intriguing women in the St. Louis area and The Spot magazine, a magazine focused on sharing inspiring stories of women.  

Other awards include, Black Tie Community Award, Phenomenal Woman Award, St. Louis American’s Salute to Young Leaders Award, Delux Magazine’s Power 100.  She is also an active member of her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated and served as a chair for more than six years. Shay is also a graduate of several leadership programs including, St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative Fellows program and Focus St. Louis CORO Women in Leadership, Focus St. Louis Diversity Leadership Program and a member of Professional Organization of Women, Regional Business Council and United Way’s Young Leadership Society.

He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a Trustee Emeritus of The Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medicine, which incorporates the School of Medicine and the Hospital.  

Dr. Greenberg lost his eyesight to disease during his junior year in college, yet graduated with his class the following year, elected as class president. In 2012 he instituted a campaign and prize for research toward eradicating blindness among humankind: "End Blindness by 2020." This effort gained international recognition in 2014 when it was granted a featured session on the agenda of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where Dr. Greenberg has been a regular participant.  

President Clinton appointed him to the National Science Board, which oversees the National Science Foundation and advises both the President and Congress on policy matters related to science and engineering. He served as Chairman of the Rural Health Care Corporation, created by Congress to bring the benefits of telemedicine to America's rural areas. Dr. Greenberg was a founding director of the American Agenda, an organization established by Presidents Carter and Ford to identify for President George H. W. Bush the six most urgent problems confronting the nation and to recommend bipartisan solutions. He also served as a director of the National Committee on United States-China Relations.  As a White House Fellow in the Johnson Administration, Dr. Greenberg worked on national technology needs with the United States Departments of Defense, State, and Commerce, and White House task forces on NASA, information systems, and biomedical research. He was co-editor of the book The Presidential Advisory System, which discussed the methods used by American Presidents to obtain policy advice for the management of the federal government. His career as inventor, entrepreneur, and investor began when he invented and patented a compressed speech machine which speeds up the reproduction of words from recordings without distorting any sound. He founded several enterprises, including a company that produced specialized computer simulators and one which created the world's largest electronic laboratory surveillance network and antimicrobial profiling database.  

Dr. Greenberg received his B.A. as Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia University in 1962. He earned his M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University, and his M.B.A. from Columbia University. He was a Marshall Scholar at Oxford University and attended Harvard Law School.  He lives in Washington, DC with his wife, Sue; they have three children and four grandchildren.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Jay’s career began in law as an Assistant District Attorney before enlisting in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), becoming the Liaison between the IDF and Diaspora Jewry. After his service in the IDF, he became the Leadership Director for AIPAC in Israel. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Organization on Disability and the University of Haifa, and previously served on the Board of Directors of the Jewish Funders Network and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.  

Jay graduated from Brandeis University with honors and received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law. He lives in Boston with his wife, Shira, and their four children.

As the head of WEConnect International, Ms. Vazquez is responsible for mission delivery and measurable impact. WEConnect International identifies, educates, registers, and certifies women’s business enterprises that are at least 51% owned, managed, and controlled by one or more women, and then connects them with member buyers. The WEConnect International WECommunity supports and promotes women-owned businesses based in over 120 countries, including local support and certification in almost 50 countries across the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The organization also helps to develop the capacity of large buyers to source more products and services from underutilized suppliers, including women-owned businesses globally.  

Ms. Vazquez is the co-author of the book, “Buying for Impact: How to Buy from Women and Change Our World.” She sits on several boards of directors and councils including the Procter & Gamble Supplier Diversity Advisory Council. She “rang the bell” at the New York Stock Exchange in 2019 in support of women business owners around the world and is a W20 Representative to advance G20 commitments.  She also served as a member of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment from 2016-2017.  

Ms. Vazquez is an advisor to a long list of corporate, government and multilateral leaders, including WEConnect International members with over US$1 trillion in annual purchasing power. She has served as a trainer and guest lecturer on international trade and gender inclusive growth to graduate students at several business schools and universities such as American University, Arizona State University Honors College, Brown University, Georgetown University, Harvard University, MIT, Oxford University, Tufts University, University of Johannesburg, University of Ottawa, and more.  

She was born in Mexico, has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Arizona State University, and was honored by the Barrett Honors College as an Inspiring Alumni for making significant contributions in her career and community. She has a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University where she studied development economics and international negotiation as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and is the recipient of the 2018 Fletcher Women’s Leadership Award for outstanding graduates who are making a meaningful impact in the world. She also completed graduate seminars at Harvard Law School and the Kennedy School of Government, the Heinz School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University, and Sookmyung Women’s University in South Korea.  

https://weconnectinternational.org/

As a social entrepreneur, she has helped hundreds of women and girls to use their talents to find opportunities for success.  Through job training programs and providing access to education, her foundations have paved pathways for people to rise out of poverty.  As a philanthropist, Francine uses what she has learned and witnessed firsthand to help all women rise up to use their talents. Her focus is on women’s empowerment through the development of financial muscles and self-confidence through access to education, training and microgrants.  Francine is proud of her latest project, the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Center for Well-Being at Barnard College that focuses on the three pillars of wellness (financial, physical and mental), the first of its kind in the country.  

Before her work as a social entrepreneur and philanthropist, Francine had a successful career on Broadway and as a social issues film producer where she garnered multiple Tony, Emmy and Peabody awards.  In recognition of her humanitarian efforts, she received the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor from the French Government, The Women Together Award from the United Nations, The Ellis Island Medal of Honor (2009), and The Human Spirit Award from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.  Francine is a long-time member and Chair Emerita of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Women’s Leadership Board.

MSDUK is the UK’s premier non-profit membership organization championing diversity and inclusion in public and private sector supply chains. Since its inception in 2006, the organization has worked with and supported over 3000 ethnic minority businesses and 120 Fortune 500 firms, generating more than £700m worth of business for ethnic minority businesses. 

Visit: https://www.msduk.org.uk/

Talent Champion, Trainer, Motivator, Activator, Leader, Change Agent, Writer and Coach.  Denise has also worked as a Business/Life Coach and has a Degree in Journalism.

Adriana holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a concentration in Organizational Studies from the University of California at Davis, and received a certification from El Tecnologico de Monterrey in Aguascalientes, Mexico. She is a Singularity University Impact Fellow Scholarship Recipient, was named one of the 20 most influential Latinos in technology in 2018 by CNET and 2018 Pioneer Leadership Award winner at the Silicon Valley Latino Leadership Summit. Adriana is also the author of Tech Boss Lady:

https://www.amazon.com/Tech-Boss-Lady-Start-up-Disrupt-ebook/dp/B07J5X8P3B

https://girlsintech.org/

The last five U.S. presidents have recognized his work, and he has served as an advisor to the last three sitting U.S. presidents, from both political parties. He is responsible for financial literacy becoming the policy of the U.S. federal government. In January 2016 Bryant became the only private American citizen to inspire the renaming of a building on the White House campus, when the U.S. Treasury Annex Building was renamed the Freedman’s Bank Building. The Freedman’s Banks’, founded by President Abraham Lincoln, legacy has become the narrative of the work of Operation HOPE—to help all people in the ‘Invisible Class’ become fully integrated into our nation’s economy. In April 2017, a historical marker, also inspired by Bryant, to honor the final flight of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Memphis on April 3, 1968, was installed at the Memphis International Airport 49 years to the day that Eastern Flight 381 arrived from Atlanta.

In 2013 Simon created TAS STRATEGIES and serves as an attorney and consultant on utility, infrastructure, financial services and broadband projects. He is a frequent public speaker and panelist on topics including energy, infrastructure, diversity and inclusion.

Simon served as Chair of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC)  Gas Committee, Chair of the LNG Partnership between the Department of Energy (DOE) and NARUC, member of the Gas Pipeline Safety Taskforce with the U.S. DOT, member the NARUC Board of Directors and also served on the Critical Infrastructure and Consumer Affairs Committees,  the NARUC Wireless Task Force, and Vice Chair of the Utility Marketplace Access Subcommittee.

In February 2019, Simon was elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the California Black Chamber of Commerce. He was also appointed to the University of San Francisco (USF) Board of Trustees in June of 2019. Simon also serves on the North American Energy Standards Board Advisory Council and member of the California Green Jobs Council and Advisory Board of the Berkeley Energy & Resources Collaborative (BERC) at U.C. Berkeley.  He also serves as a member of the American Bar Association and on the National Board of Directors for the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE).

Simon received a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of San Francisco (Distinguished Alumni), and a Juris Doctor from the U.C. Hastings College of the Law.  Simon is an active member of the State Bar of California and serves on several non-profit and educational boards.

Rev. Armstrong became a student minister at F.A.M.E. in February 1990. In April of that year, he was appointed chairperson of Dr. Murray’s Rites of Passage Man Child Program which targeted young African American males ages 9 through 18.

In 1992, Rev. Armstrong was ordained an Itinerant Deacon, ordained an Itinerant Elder in 1994, and shortly thereafter was appointed Minister of Stewardship responsible for increasing church giving. He served as ministerial liaison for the “Walk of F.A.M.E.” $500,000 fundraiser benefiting the Cecil L. Murray Education Center in 1997, co-chaired the “F.A.M.E. Family Day” fundraiser for several years and was appointed Minister of Emergency Preparedness in 2008, and chaired a $300,000 church fundraiser in 2014.

In addition to Rev. Armstrong’s ministerial duties, he had a distinguished twenty-five year career with Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. (Toyota), until it relocated from Torrance, California to Plano, Texas in 2018. Rev. Armstrong had numerous senior management responsibilities as National Manager Corporate Affairs with the responsibility for a multi-million dollar in-house video production center, the Toyota USA Automobile Museum, and oversight responsibility for national environmental education and STEM education community outreach programs for Toyota Community Relations. He also served as a community ambassador for Toyota and external affairs advisor to executive management. In addition, he was appointed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2005 to the Board of Directors for the National Environmental Education Foundation, headquartered in Washington, D.C., and became its Vice Chairman in 2006.

Prior to Toyota, Rev. Armstrong worked as Director of Business Affairs at Universal Television, MCA, Inc. negotiating deals for the services of writers, directors, and producers in connection with television development and production.

Rev. Armstrong earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business from Indiana University. He is past Vice Chair, External Affairs of the Southern California Minority Supplier Development Council Board of Directors, and served on the Senior Corporate Executive Advisory Board of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. and is on the advisory board of the Team Heal Foundation in Los Angeles, California.

In 2013, Sampson cofounded Opportunity Hub (OHUB) as a follow up to the highly successful Kingonomics’ book release and large-scale conferences in Atlanta, GA and Washington, D.C. OHUB scaled quickly to become the leading multi-campus coworking space, entrepreneurship center and tech hub featuring over 300 events a year, a startup pre-accelerator, coding boot-camp, and scholarship initiative and angel investing platform for founders from underestimated and under-tapped communities. Over 15,000 people walked through OHUB’s doors each year. From 2015-17, Sampson was a Partner at TechSquare Labs, a tech hub, seed stage venture fund and creator of the $100,000 Atlanta Startup Battle.  

Today, TechSquare Labs’ portfolio companies have raised follow on capital of nearly $300 million, are valued at over $1.5 billion, generate over $100 million in annual recurring revenue and employ over 1000 people and growing. He remains the largest minority limited partner in the fund. Today, as Executive Chairman & CEO of Opportunity Hub and OHUB Foundation, Sampson is focused on scaling OHUB as the definitive global future of work, opportunity and wealth creating platform by ensuring that everyone, everywhere has early exposure to tech, startup and venture; in demand technology education, training and talent placement; inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem building; and capital formation. This is driven by the thousands of college and young professional members and growing from hundreds of colleges and universities across America and beyond. OHUB is a supplier, vendor and partner to over 50 tech companies, major corporations, high growth startups, venture funds, municipalities, foundations, associations, colleges and universities and growing.  

Current national initiatives include OHUB@Cities, OHUB@Campus, HBCU@SXSW, 100 Black Angels Fund I and DEIS, a new strategy, service and future software platform to operationalize diversity, equity and inclusion across the major divisions of growing enterprises. Sampson is also a Nonresident Senior Fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. and a Professor of Entrepreneurship at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA. Sampson previously served as the 1st Head of Diversity at Mark Burnett Productions, executive producers of the hit ABC show, ABC’s Sharktank.  

A strong believer in philanthropy and its role in social impact and advocacy, Sampson supports and serves on the boards of Artificial Intelligence for All (AI4All), Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC), International Bishops Conference, and GA Technology for All Policy Summit.Sampson was educated at Tulane University, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine and Keller Graduate School of Management. Sampson resides in Atlanta, GA with his wife and six children.

Bryant is the founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Operation HOPE, Inc. the largest not- for- profit and best-in-class provider of financial literacy, financial inclusion and economic empowerment tools and services in the United States for youth and adults; chairman and chief executive officer of Bryant Group Ventures and The Promise Homes Company, the largest for-profit minority-controlled owners of institutional-quality, single-family residential rental homes in the U.S., and co-founder of Global Dignity.

Bryant is the author of bestsellers; The Memo: Five Rules for Your Economic Liberation (Berrett-Koehler, September 2017), How the Poor Can Save Capitalism: Rebuilding the Path to the Middle Class (Berrett-Koehler, 2014), and LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass, 2009). He is one of the only bestselling authors on economics and business leadership in the world today who happens to also be African-American.

https://operationhope.org/

https://www.edgecombe.edu/about/governance/meet-the-president/

https://www.wbenc.org/

A staunch advocate of this university’s commitment to student success, he has championed the importance of access to higher education and preparing young people for collegiate success throughout his extensive career as a dedicated educational leader.

During his tenure at CSUSB, Morales has overseen sustained growth in overall enrollment, the number of degrees awarded, community engagement and university fundraising. The face of the institution is also expanding with its five-year strategic plan well underway, including the new Coyote Village residence hall and Coyote Commons dining hall, the largest single construction project in university history.

https://www.csusb.edu/

Since the beginning of his professional career in 1987, he has researched and published numerous articles on various aspects of holistic healing and traditional Oriental Medicine. From 1994 to 2000, he was an active member of the Acupuncture Board of the State of California. Through his leadership as chairman of the Board in 1999 and 2000, his commitment to bridging the gap between Eastern and Western medicine has garnered a wider acceptance by both medical communities.

Find Dr. Kim on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialdrkim