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Events

February 26, 2022
|
10:00 am
2:00 pm

Money Moves Financial Summit

The Money Moves Summit will be transformative to many as we give small businesses the knowledge and will bring this hard-working sector together with key business leaders, policymakers and serial entrepreneurs for actionable insights, workshops, practical tools and foster discussions on the issues that matter most. See below for session details. 

Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore

Free

200 International Dr.
Baltimore, 21202

Money Moves: Ownership and Generational Wealth

10:30 AM

Savings, Investing, Taxes, Insurance: Sponsored by Bank of America

Monique Jones HeadshotModerator: Monique Jones (Undefeated)

Monique Jones is the managing editor for ESPN’s The Undefeated, managing the daily operations of the website. Monique turned a childhood fascination with newspapers and sports into a journalism career that has spanned nearly two decades. 

Monique received her first byline at 16 years old in her hometown newspaper, the Pensacola News Journal. Reporting on a high school football game provided an intense introduction to the adrenaline rush of writing on deadline.  She was hooked.

After studying journalism at the University of Florida, she returned to the Pensacola News Journal to cover the area’s minor league hockey team. She continued her sports reporting  journey with stops at the Dallas Morning News and The Boston Globe, where she covered the New England Patriots for three seasons. 

Monique’s career as a reporter created the perfect foundation to become an editor in 2012, running NFL and Baltimore Ravens coverage for the Baltimore Sun. She continued her NFL editing career at USA Today  and eventually joined ESPN, where she managed nine NFL reporters who covered AFC/NFC East teams.

After three years on ESPN’s NFL team, Monique was promoted to deputy editor to run all Major League Baseball coverage for ESPN.com. 

Monique returned to Maryland to take on the deputy editor role at The Undefeated, a premier platform for exploring the intersection of race sports and culture.

Monique lives in Maryland with her husband and two sons.

Speakers

Stacee HeadshotStacee Crittenden (BOA/Merrill Lynch)

Stacee has been a financial advisor since 1999, where she began her career at Legg Mason Wood Walker. Since 2009, she has been at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management where she holds the title of First Vice President; Senior Financial Advisor. Stacee focuses on retirement, estate needs and investment planning for individuals and businesses. Stacee and her team of investment industry professionals combine their industry knowledge and capabilities with the global resources of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management to provide a full range of wealth management services to corporate executives and their families. With 18 years in the financial services industry, she has experience with corporate benefit programs, including equity compensation, defined benefit, defined contribution and non-qualified deferred compensation plans. Stacee can help clients integrate their corporate benefits into a long-term financial strategy

Stacee graduated cum laude from Spelman College in 1990 with a B.A. in History and received her Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law School in 1993. (*Stacee does not provide legal advice in her role at Merrill.) She served as an Assistant State Attorney in Miami Dade County and as an Executive Director of the Carver YMCA, prior to beginning her career in financial services. Stacee is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Inc., the Florida Bar Association, the Potomac Chapter of Girlfriends, Inc., the D.C. Chapter of the Carrousels, Inc. Stacee serves on the board of the Lady Von Scholarship fund, a scholarship to benefit students at Spelman College that study abroad. Stacee is a graduate of Leadership Miami and a recipient of the Orange Bowl Community Service Award. Stacee currently serves as Co-President of the Merrill Women’s Exchange in Greater Maryland. Stacee holds the Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM℠, CRPC® designation. Stacee was named to Forbes “Top Women Wealth Advisors, Best-in-state” list, February 2022.

Stacee is married and the mother of two children. In her free time, she enjoys skiing, traveling and is active in the Spelman College alumnae association. She spends a great deal of time at Georgetown University and traveling to the Bahamas, where she grew up.

*Source: The Forbes “America’s Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State” list, February 4, 2022. For more information about the selection criteria, go to http://details-he.re/OsrhqS. Forbes is a trademark of Forbes Media LLC. All rights reserved. These rankings and ratings are not representative nor indicative of any one client’s experience, future performance, or investment outcome and such rankings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor.

Drew Hawkins HeadshotDrew Hawkins (Edyoucore)

A successful, regarded and  innovative 28-year veteran of  the financial services industry with a storied history of  expanded corporate roles  and community involvement;  A believer in the impact of  culture, diversity and education; Driven and  public-spirited with unwavering determination  for change and bettering  lives through access to  impactful resources and the  organizations that champion  causes related to the values  and principals of equality,  charity and prudence; An  entrepreneur who has built a  business by blending his love  of sports with his financial  know-how to especially help  elite and professional athletes from disadvantaged  backgrounds leave a legacy  of generational wealth.

 

Malcolm Jews HeadshotMalcolm Jews (Truist)

Malcolm Jews is a Baltimore native, he grew up in Pikesville Maryland. For college he attended Loyola University of Maryland where he obtained his Bachelor of Business Administration with a core focus in Finance.

Upon graduating from college, he began his career by working at Morgan Stanley as a Product Controller within their Finance Division. After working there for about a year he decided that he wanted a change of pace and wanted to work more closely with the clients he served. Malcolm began working as a Client Service Associate with heritage SunTrust now Truist in July of 2021. As a Client Service Associate, Malcolm works directly with Financial Advisors within the Private Client Group of Truist Investment Services & Truist Wealth. During his tenure at Truist, he has developed a very strong understanding of investments and the financial planning process. 

Malcolm enjoys spending his free time volunteering with his Non-Profit, Improving Gifted Intellects (IGI) which he co-founded back in 2017. Malcolm also enjoys exercising daily.

Lu Yarbrough III (Nationwide)

Lu Yarbrough III is responsible for ensuring diverse consumers’ insights and needs are integrated into enterprise solutions that facilitate enduring relationships. He also develops and manages key alliances and partnerships with organizations that share Nationwide’s commitment to improving the communities in which our members and associates live and do business. Previously at Nationwide, Lu led Co-op Advertising and Channel Marketing/Communications. He joined Nationwide in January of 2005. Over the past 20 years Lu has held Marketing and Leadership roles with companies like IBM, Emerson and Wells Fargo. His experience includes product development, brand management, strategic development, market planning, profit & loss management and consumer experience. Lu graduated from Franklin University with an MBA and received a Bachelors of Science degree in Marketing from West Liberty University. He has served as Chairman of the Board for Godman Guild an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for children and families in Central Ohio since 1898.

Young, Black and Invested

10:30 AM

Moderators

Ted Carter HeadshotTed Carter

Theodore (Ted) Carter is the Deputy Mayor for Community and Economic Development for Mayor Brandon M. Scott. Ted oversees a $1 Billion budget encompassing housing, planning, workforce, tourism, economic development and equitable neighborhood growth.

Deputy Mayor Carter’s commitment to social and economic equity can be seen through his 25 years of multisector experience as an award-winning economic development leader at the Local, County and Federal levels. This leadership has generated over $1.5 billion in community reinvestment while facilitating the creation of over 10,000 new jobs for economically distressed communities. Deputy Mayor Carter has also served as senior executive at CBRE, a global commercial real estate company, where he managed CBRE’s South Florida market operations based in Miami in addition to the company’s public sector group based in Washington, D.C.

Venroy July

Speakers

Kyara Uqdah (Charm City Buyers)

Kyara Uqdah Headshot

Khalil Uqdah Headshot

Khalil Uqdah (Charm City Buyers)

As part of the development team at Charm City Buyers, Mr. Uqdah is responsible for financial modeling, strategic focus, organizational capacity, partnership advancement, and community engagement. His expertise in residential development seamlessly transitions to the organization’s role as a developer at Eager Landing, a $15M for-sale new construction development in East Baltimore consisting of 68 units. By creating new affordable and market rate homes through a combination of single family and duplex models, Mr. Uqdah is creating opportunities for wealth generation.
Mr. Uqdah was a lead developer at Henderson Crossing, a $18M for-sale residential development consisting of 53 historic rehab units located in East Baltimore and The Packing House, a $24M adaptive reuse and historic preservation project involving higher education, emerging industries, and the investment community.

Mr. Uqdah has rehabilitated vacant and blighted properties for residential resale since 2012. His extensive knowledge of tax credits, grants and other sources allows for a high quality, low cost product to market rate and affordable home buyers. Mr. Uqdah continues to oversee a portfolio of 20+ rental units in Baltimore, MD and Hartford, CT.

Alex Aaron HeadshotAlex Aaron (Blank Slate Development)

Established in 2017 by Founder and CEO Alex Aaron, Blank Slate is a minority-owned development and construction company specializing in revitalizing vacant historic properties and stabilizing distressed neighborhoods. The firm is committed to promoting economic development while preserving the existing community. To date, Blank Slate has developed and sold $10.7MM across Baltimore City neighborhoods including Broadway East, Greenmount West, Hollins Market, Oliver, Reservoir Hill, Roland Park and Seton Hill. Mr. Aaron is responsible for raising capital, guiding project vision and design as well as representing the company at community events and meetings. Alex earned a B.B.A in Finance from Howard University. He currently resides in Baltimore City with his wife and three children.

Daaiyah Cooper HeadshotDr. Daaiyah Cooper

Dr. Cooper is a resident of Baltimore city. She is an academic physician that specializes in emergency medicine. When she is not treating patients, she is an active real estate investor and landlord. She has a passion for sharing the benefits of real estate ownership and investing with an emphasis in empowering black women in this arena. She is the founder of the “Sista Docs in REI” Facebook community of over 450 black female doctor real estate investors. Dr. Cooper’s real estate focus areas include creative financing, short term rentals and long term (buy and hold) investing.

Reco Collins HeadshotReco Collins (Ten10 Development)

Reco Collins is a Senior Risk Manager at a top 5 national financial institution based in its Baltimore HQ.  He is a highly networked and accomplished banker, financier, entrepreneur, civic leader and volunteer in Baltimore City. 

Reco is the owner of Ten 10 Group, LLC, a real estate investment and development company that focuses on value-added investments and portfolio management by recovering, rebuilding and/or repurposing distressed real estate assets throughout Baltimore City. Ten 10 Group has rehabbed over 2 dozen properties in Baltimore City and manages a multi-million rental portfolio. 

Thinking Outside the Black Box: SPAC'S, Mergers & Acquisitions, Innovation

12:00 PM

Moderator: Marc Clarke

Marc Clarke HeadshotIf there is a camera or microphone around Marc Clarke is probably on it. For over three decades Marc has made a name for himself in the entertainment industry as a top-rated morning radio talent, television host and keynote speaker. 

Possessing a warm personality, quick wit and great comedic timing has afforded Marc the opportunity to carve out an amazing career which has included hosting top rated morning radio programs in major cities throughout the country, starring in multiple national television commercials including Dunkin Donuts and Folgers to name a few and recently hosting daytime lifestyle television programs in Washington DC and Tampa, Florida. 

Marc has also just recently lost over one hundred pounds on a journey he calls “Reinventing Marc Clarke” which started with him walking on a treadmill and sharing a motivational message on Instagram and a YouTube channel “Reinventing Marc Clarke.” Starting with a single subscriber and has now grown to thousands.  He has become a health and wellness advocate and will be releasing his second book featuring recipes for healthy smoothies and juices this Spring.  He also just launched The Marc Clarke show which airs weekday mornings at 10am est. on YouTube channel “ReinventingMarcClarke” and debuts in the Metaverse starting March 1st on Stemcityusa.Com 

Marc really is married to media.  His wife Allison Seymour has been a popular morning news anchor in Washington DC for over twenty years and Allison and Marc host an afternoon radio show heard on various streaming platforms including Audacity, IHeartMedia and www.100hiphopandrnb.fm They have been married for over twenty-one years, have three lovely, talented daughters. Marc says his loving family is the accomplishment he treasures most. 

Marc’s “everyman’s” approach is his signature, whether at home with Allison and the girls, during a keynote, or in a celebrity interview, with Marc it’s “What you see, is what you get” no pretense, no posturing, just Marc, warm, compassionate genuine and really, funny! 

Follow Marc at www.marcclarkemedia.com and join the reinventing movement at www.reinventingmarcclarke.com.

Speakers

Dia Simms HeadshotDia Simms (Lobos)

Dia Simms serves as the CEO of Lobos 1707 Tequila & Mezcal, a new independent spirits brand that launched in November 2020. Simms leads Lobos 1707 alongside Founder and Chief Creative Officer Diego Osorio with early backing by sports and cultural icon, LeBron James. Lobos 1707 Tequila & Mezcal is named after the Spanish word lobos, meaning “wolves”, and dedicated to celebrating the strength of the pack. Simms brings an impressive track record of building successful brands, combined with her entrepreneurial spirit and deep expertise in the spirits industry to Lobos 1707.

In May 2021, Simms Co-Founded Pronghorn, a 10-year initiative to drive diversity, equity and inclusion in the spirits industry. Pronghorn, backed by the world’s leading spirits producer, Diageo, seeks to help participants within the Black community achieve the goal of generating $2 billion in economic value in the U.S.

Simms spent almost fifteen years working alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs at Combs Enterprises, starting in 2005 as his executive assistant. She grew within the company while building multiple brands and businesses under the Combs Enterprises umbrella. In 2017, Simms was named President of Combs Enterprises, making her the first president in the company’s thirty-year history other than Sean Combs himself. In her role as President, she oversaw multi-billion-dollar brands under the Combs empire, including CÎROC Ultra-Premium Vodka, Blue Flame Agency, AQUAhydrate, Bad Boy Entertainment, Sean John and Revolt TV. Of note, Simms led the transformation of CÎROC Ultra-Premium Vodka taking the previously unprofitable brand to a $2 billion retail value.

Simms was listed as “One of the Most Powerful Executives in the Industry” by Billboard in both 2017 and 2018, as well as named to the Ebony ‘Power 100’ list. In April of 2018 she was an honoree of the Matrix Awards from New York Women In Communications (NYWIC), as well as named to the 2018 Ad Age ‘Women to Watch’ list and Variety’s ‘Power of Women New York Impact List’. Simms serves on the board for the Maryland organization THREAD, which provides underprivileged Baltimore-
area high-school students resources to help foster their academic advancement and personal growth. She often speaks on the importance of diverse leadership and accelerated brand building.

Simms graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Morgan State University. She obtained a master’s degree in Management from the Florida Institute of Technology. Simms now resides in Maryland where she lives with her husband, daughter and dog.

Tiffany Norwood Headshot

Tiffany Norwood (Tribetan)

With a global and unique perspective on everything, Tiffany Norwood is considered one of the top innovators and tech entrepreneurs in the world. Seeing patterns of opportunities, Tiffany often creates years into the future and has been a pioneer in multiple industries from digital broadcasting, broadband internet, digital music, ed-tech, eSports and more. Her start-ups have impacted billions of people in more than 150+ countries. Tiffany was recently named the 2022 Entrepreneur of the Year for Cornell University, the first black woman and woman of color to receive this lifetime achievement award. 

Tiffany first became a CEO while a junior at Cornell University, filed for a patent at the age of 19,  licensed her first software code for a multibillion dollar bank merger at the age of 24, and by the age of 27, Tiffany did something the no other entrepreneur has done since–she raised over $670 million dollars to fund a start-up called Worldpace. As early space entrepreneurs, WorldSpace used that money to launch three satellites into space; build the first-ever global digital radio platform, including XM Radio; support the development of MP3/MP4 technologies; and, at the request of then President Nelson Mandella, invest in a new generation of solar powered satellite radio receivers to help in his campaign for truth and reconciliation.

Tiffany is one of few global serial entrepreneurs, and the first successful black female tech entrepreneur. All of her startups have been multinational and she has personally worked in more than 50 countries.  With a career spanning 35 years,  8 start-ups and multiple exits including IPOs and an ICO, Tiffany believes in the potential of all human beings regardless of race, age or gender and encourages everyone to take their imagination seriously, like she did as a young girl.

“Your best role model is your own imagination” -Tiffany Norwood 

Although predominantly a frontier technologist, Tiffany’s ventures have ranged from the first one-strap backpack, to the automation technology behind self-install kits for broadband internet and digital phone, to a healthcare clinic in Ethiopia that has treated thousands of patients.  She also led some of the first-ever digital content licensing deals with Michael Bloomberg at Bloomberg News and Phil Kent at CNN International. Tiffany was an early collaborator with the Fraunhofer Institute on their MP3 and MP4 technologies. She is known worldwide as a changemaker.

And she hasn’t stopped. Currently, she is transforming education and disrupting sports as the Founder and CEO of Tribetan and the Co-Founder of SimWin Sports. Using technology, music, video and animations, Tribetan is teaching the world how to be more innovative and entrepreneurial for success in business, school and life. SimWin Sports is the first-ever digital sports league platform, with tokens, online betting and esports fantasy tournaments. SimWin just had its ICO launch at the 2022 SuperBowl.

Tiffany was the first in her family to be born with all of their civil rights and attributes those rights to her success as an innovator and entrepreneur. In 2020 she published her first book, Vote Like a Boss: An Entrepreneur’s Perspective on Innovation, Leadership, Creativity, Storytelling and Voting. Making the case for voting as an important life skill.

harold ford headshotHarold Ford Jr. (Empowerment & Inclusion Capital and PNC Bank)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nicholas Perkins (Fuddruckers and Perkins Management)Nicholas Perkins Headshot

The New Black American Dream: Entrepreneurship & Ownership

1:15 PM

Ben Chavis HeadshotModerator: Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., author, international entrepreneur, chemist, United Church of Christ ordained minister, PBS TV Executive Producer of The Chavis Chronicles, and global podcast host is an African American Civil Rights Movement 63-year veteran leader and icon. He is currently President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA). He also Chairs the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO), We Are Digital and the Energy Action Alliance (EAA).  In 1982, he was the first person to coin the term “environmental racism” during civil rights protests of racial and environmental injustice in Warren County, North Carolina.  In 1993, Dr. Chavis was the youngest person at the age of 45 to be elected as Executive Director and CEO of the NAACP.  He worked side by side with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as Youth Coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.  Dr. Chavis has earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of North Carolina, Duke University and Howard University. 

Ryan Wilson HeadshotRyan Wilson (Gathering Spot)

Ryan Wilson is the Co-Founder and CEO of The Gathering Spot, a private membership club that serves as a hub for collaboration, connections and experiences based in Atlanta, Georgia. He is also the Co-owner of A3C, a music, tech, and film conference and festival.

At the age of 24, Ryan and his business partner raised private capital from investors to open their first Gathering Spot location in Atlanta. With a mission to create a world where opportunity is the byproduct of community and collaboration, the club has established itself as a home for creatives, business professionals, and entrepreneurs. The Gathering Spot regularly hosts notable and culturally impactful events year round. Responsible for the company’s overall management and strategic vision across all holdings, Ryan is leading the club’s physical expansion to Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and forthcoming markets as well as the digital expansion of the company’s platform TGS Connect.

Ryan has been honored as the Small Business Person of the Year by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, selected as one of the 2020 Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 under Forty honorees, was the recipient of the John Lewis Emerging Leader Award by the 100 Black Men of Atlanta, and was selected in the inaugural class of Shea Moisture’s Social Justice Coalition. Atlanta Magazine named him one of “Atlanta’s 500 most powerful leaders” in 2019 as well as 2020, and he was awarded as Atlanta’s Best Influencer by WXIA-TV. He has also been named as one of the country’s most influential African-Americans in The Root 100 and the Ebony Power 100.

Ryan has been featured in notable national publications such as Fast Company, Forbes, Inc, Black Enterprise, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Huffington Post, and USA Today. He is a trusted speaker and regularly moderates conversations with thought leaders and other notable figures, such as President Joe Biden, Leader Stacey Abrams, Ambassador Andrew Young, Senator Raphael Warnock, Senator Jon Ossof. He has moderated several conversations with Business pioneers, including Thasunda Duckett, Arlan Hamilton, and Ben Chestnut, as well as leaders in the Entertainment Industry; Will Packer, Kelly Rowland, John Singleton, and Gabrielle Union. His work has led to several dynamic keynote presentations for Goldman Sachs, Black Googler Summit, National Urban League Conference, Ford Motor Company, and Metro Atlanta Chamber.

A native to Atlanta, Ryan is currently an active participant in several Atlanta civic and community organizations. He proudly serves on the boards for Hands on Atlanta, Usher’s New Look, The Woodruff Arts Center, The Atlanta Business League, The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, and Peace Preparatory Academy. He is a member of the Atlanta Chapter of the 100 Black Men, Atlanta Rotary Club and serves as Co-Chair for Black Men Count Initiative of Fair Count. Ryan graduated from Georgetown University and Georgetown University Law Center. He currently resides happily in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife and daughter.

Malik Yoba

Born in the South Bronx and raised in Harlem, Malik offers almost three decades of commitment to the arts and his credits include over fifty films and more than a dozen roles in network/cable television series. His debut in Disney’s Cool Runnings and his performance as NYPD Detective J.C. Williams in the ground breaking police drama, New York Undercover, catapulted Malik into the fabric of American culture. The newly accredited real estate developer with projects in NYC and Baltimore is currently in post- production for his Docuseries, The Real Estate Mixtape, Volume 1: I Build NY. Malik was
recently offered the role of Honorary Chair of the Pratt Institute School of Construction and now also serves as Chief Strategy Officer of Soaring High, the parent company of Minorities for Medical Marijuana (M4MM) and Black Buddha Cannabis.

Tania Speaks HeadshotTania Speaks (Shark Tank)

Tania A. Speaks is a 20-year-old, enthusiastic teen entrepreneur and founder of Tania Speaks Organic Skincare, an organic skincare company from Baltimore, Maryland. Tania holds an immense passion for empowering others, and her impressive blend of confidence and skills assist her in inspiring individuals to attain greatness in every aspect of life.  

More recently, Tania appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank and received a deal from Billionaire Mark Cuban with a contingency to mentor his two teenage daughters. Noted as one of the best pitches in Shark Tank history, she has inspired millions with her story. 

In September 2016, at the age of 15, Tania formulated an organic eyebrow gel for individuals who desire to tame their bushy eyebrows and grow thinning brows. At a young age, Tania endured bullying for having bushy brows. She was too young to be professionally serviced. After cutting her brows with a sharp razor and an emergency room visit, Tania was motivated and determined to find a solution to her problem brows. She wanted to help others build their confidence and gain strong self-belief.

Danitra Bell HeadshotDanitra Bell (McDonalds)

Danitra Bell is a McDonald’s Owner-Operator in the Baltimore/Washington area. Danitra attended high school in Baltimore, MD graduating after only three years, and then attended The Pennsylvania State University, where she obtained a Bachelor’s of Science in Computer Science & Minor in Business Logistics in 3 1⁄2 years. Upon graduation, Danitra worked in the pharmaceutical industry with Johnson & Johnson for 6 years as a Supply Chain Operations Manager and later transitioned into Pharmaceutical Sales. While working in the pharmaceutical industry, she became formally trained in DMAIIC Process Excellence and became Six Sigma Process Excellence Yellow, Green, & Black Belt certified.

Danitra was accepted into the McDonald’s Owner Operator training program in October of 2005 and became an approved McDonalds Owner Operator in 2007. Danitra has served on the Greater Baltimore Washington Advertising Agency Board of
Directors, the regional Purchasing Committee, is the Immediate Past-Vice President for the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. Black McDonald’s Operators Association, and Immediate Past Treasurer for the Family Health Centers of Baltimore which provides Health Care Services for underprivileged families.

Currently, she is an active Board of Directors Member for the Ronald McDonald’s House and is a mentor to many with a focus of increasing wealth through home ownership. In 2015, she co-founded 501c3 Owning Our Own to create a resource for Mentorship, Education, & Funding Opportunities to increase home ownership. Danitra is also member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

John Lewis (Harbor Bank)


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