Mike Africa Jr. is a hip-hop artist, writer, motivational speaker, and a member of the MOVE organization. Mike is the son of two political prisoners who were sentenced to 100 years and prison and Mike himself, was born in prison. After his mother gave birth to him, he was placed in an orphanage where he had a rough upbringing. He... read full bio
Damon Young is an American writer, editor, author, and co-founder of the website VerySmartBrothas. Young was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and while in high school, he played basketball and was able to earn a basketball scholarship to Canisius College, where he earned his M.A. degree in English. Young later co-founded VerySmartBrothas, which is a dating and relationship blog that also... read full bio
John Randolph, better known as Jay Smooth, is a writer, DJ, radio personality, and blogger, who is best known for hosting The III Doctrine. He is also known for being the former host and founder of the New York hip-hop radio program, The Underground Railroad. Smooth grew up in New York City and studied at Ethical Culture Fieldston School. He... read full bio
Richie Reseda is an activist, feminist, hip-hop artist, and co-founder of the non-profit, Initiate Justice. Reseda began Initiate Justice while he was incarcerated, and it is a non-profit that help people affected by mass incarceration to change laws to end punitive justice systems and to invest in the people and communities to help reduce harm. Reseda also works with organizations... read full bio
April Reign is the creator of the hashtag that went viral, ‘#OscarsSoWhite,’ a thought leader and influencer, a former lawyer, an activist, a diversity and inclusion consultant, and writer. Reign gained attention after tweeting out the hashtag ‘OscarsSoWhite,’ during the Oscars nominations announcement. She started the hashtag as she felt that the nominations had a lack of nominees of color.... read full bio
Helen Zia is a Chinese-American journalist and activist who is known for her activism for Asian American and LGBTQ rights. Zia was born in Newark, New Jersey, and she later studied at Princeton Unviersity where she was a student at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. While studying there, she became founder of the Asian American Students... read full bio
Dr. Frank Leon Roberts is an American professor, writer, political commentator and activist who is best known for his part in the Black Lives Matter movement. As a professor, Roberts has taught the course “Black Lives Matter: Race, Resistance, and Populist Protest,” at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individual Study. His course gained attention after being one of the... read full bio
Brian Mosteller is an American operations executive and former political aide who has previously served as Director of Oval Office Operations under President Barack Obama. Mosteller was born in Akron, Ohio, and he went on to graduate summa cum laude with a B.S. in international business from Ohio State University. He also spent time studying at DePaul University. Mosteller began... read full bio
Jim Obergefell is an American civil rights activist who is best known for being the plaintiff in the Supreme Court case, Obergefell v. Hodges, which was the case that legalized same-sex marriage in the United States. Obergefell began the Obergefell v. Hodges case after finding out that he could not be listed as his late husband’s surviving spouse on his... read full bio
Eric Alva is an author, LGBTQ rights activist, and veteran who was the first Marine that was severely injured in the Iraq War. Alva was born in San Antonio, Texas, and after graduating high school, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps as a gay man knowing that the military excluded all gays and lesbians from service. Throughout most of his... read full bio
Will Strickland is a hip-hop industry veteran who has served as co-principal of Keikwalk Consulting, which is an entertainment marketing, promotions, and consulting firm in Toronto. Strickland is also known for being a educator that educates client on hip-hop culture. He has been the producer of the first ever online concert in black music history which he produced while working... read full bio
Jewel Allison is a poet, author, public speaker, former model, actress, and music educator who is best known for her book “Stealing Peace.” Allison was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and she began writing poetry at a young age and knew she always wanted a career in writing. Growing up, Allison often wrote in the dark as her... read full bio
Dale Reitzer graduated from Johnson and Wales University, later to become Chef of Alexander’s in Norfolk, VA. Working his way through the culinary world, Reitzer worked short-term jobs at nationally-acclaimed restaurants like Patina in Los Angeles. He honed in on his chef skills, and once finished with his education, Reitzer opened the restaurant Acacia. Reitzer has been named one of... read full bio
From an early age, Donald Barickman had a passion for food. Growing up in Charleston, West Virginia, Barickman developed his food interests with his family, specifically his grandparents. After enrolling at the Culinary Institute several decades ago, Barickman began working his way through restaurants including the Wine Cellar and Charleston’s popular Carolina. When the owners of Carolina opened a second... read full bio
Diane Forley is a leading chef and chef consultant in New American Cuisine. She is the chef and owner of Verbena Restaurant and Courtyard Garden in New York City. Her food is inspired by the seasons, incorporating locally grown produce from Union Square Greenmarket. In addition, she is the developer of Verbena Foods, a take-out branch of her original restaurant.... read full bio
With over 25 years of experience in professional kitchens, Donna Dooher is a food expert and local food supporter. Dooher has pioneered hands-on cooking instruction with her involvement in The Cookworks Cooking Studio. The studio offered classes and workshops on practical cuisine. Dooher also had a popular Food Network show titled The Cookworks. The chef later appeared on national and... read full bio
Dave Eckert is an expert in television broadcasting, food, and dining. Best known for his television show, Culinary Travels with Dave Eckert, the host has an apparent passion for food, wine, and spirits. Apart from his work in the food industry, Eckert has also held positions as a news reporter, sportscaster, weatherman, producer, and writer. He began his career in... read full bio
Jackie Gingrich Cushman is the Chief Business Development Officer at VOC Health and is also a speaker, consultant, author, and columnist for Learning Makes a Difference. Cushman has earned her B.S. in Business at Presbyterian College and went on to earn her MBA in Finance from Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business. Cushman began her career working... read full bio
Bryan Dodge is a business consultant, speaker, executive coach, and author who is a professor speaker and President of Dodge Development. Dodge has earned his B.A. in Animal Science, Production Option from the University of Nebraska and later began working as the President and owner of Results, Inc. Through his first company, Dodge worked to promote Tom Hopkins’ Seminars all... read full bio
Don Blohowiak is a top executive coach and founder of Lead Well Institute, an award-winning journalist, and author, who is best known for being one of the world’s top 150 business thought-leaders. Blohowiak has earned his Ph.D. in Human Development from Fielding Graduate University and has earned his Leadership Coaching certificate from Georgetown University. Blohowiak began his career working as... read full bio
