Despite having her right leg amputated at age five, Bonnie became the first African-American to win Olympic medals in ski racing at the 1984 Paralympics. She has been honored for this achievement at Nike Headquarters, at the Essence Awards, at the White House Black History Month celebration, and with a featured quote on millions of Starbucks Cups.
After the Olympics, Bonnie went on to graduate with honors from Harvard, win a Rhodes Scholarship, and earn her Masters in economics from Oxford. In 1992, she worked in the White House as a director of the National Economic Council.
As a highly sought after international keynote speaker, Bonnie St. John has inspired and entertained executives at Pepsi, Pfizer, AT&T, American Express, IBM, the Wits Business School in South Africa, Oxford University, and over 500 more companies and associations. Bonnie has been featured on The Today Show, CNN, Good Morning America, People, Essence, Ebony, O Magazine, The New York Times, and many other national media outlets.
A best-selling author, Bonnie’s fifth and most recent book, Live Your Joy, features a series of inspirational parables designed to guide you through tips and tools for finding and maintaining joy in a hectic, 21st Century world.
Marion Jones is one of America’s the most celebrated athletes.
Despite being an extremely talented California high school sprint champion who declined a spot on the US Olympic Relay Team as a high school student, Marion accepted a basketball scholarship and attended the University of North Carolina.
In her freshman year, Marion, a talented, quick point guard, led her Tar Heel team to the 1994 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship.
In 1997, Marion graduated from the University of North Carolina with a degree in Broadcast-Journalism. She immediately returned to the track and, as a member of the USA Track Team, won gold medals in the 100 Meters and 4x100 Meter Relay in the 1997 World Championships.
In 1998 she recorded personal bests of 10.65 in the 100 Meters and 21.62 in the 200 Meters. After defending her 100 Meter title at the 1999 World Championships, Marion went on to win five (5) medals, three (3) Gold and two (2) Bronze at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
For years after her triumphs in the 2000 Olympic Games, allegations that Marion used performance enhancing drugs persisted.
Finally, in October 2007, Marion admitted that despite never testing positive, she had lied to federal investigators and, had in fact used performance enhancing drugs.
As a result of her confession, Marion was sentenced, and served 6-months in federal prison for lying to federal investigators. Marion returned her five (5) Olympic medals, and publicly apologized to her family, friends and fans all over the world.
Currently, Marion and her husband, Obadele Thompson reside with their three children, 6-year-old Monty, 2 year-old Amir and 7-month old Eva-Marie in Austin, Texas.
Richard M. Nichols is an attorney with over twenty-five years experience in the sports, politics, media, venture capital, finance and technology industries. With degrees from Dartmouth College, Stanford University, and the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, Mr. Nichols is a member of the State Bars of California and Texas.
Mr. Nichols’ professional experience includes (a) tenure as the general counsel for a professional sports league, a mortgage bank and several technology start-up companies, (b) negotiating and executing venture capital and technology transactions in Silicon Valley, (c) managing political campaigns, (d) providing legal and media advice and counsel to high-profile public officials, (e) Deputy City Attorney in the City and County of San Francisco, (f) providing strategic crisis management and legal crisis communications advice and counsel to a $1.2B public agency, and (g) development and execution of the domestic and international, strategic legal crisis management and communications plan in defense of one of the world’s most celebrated athletes embroiled in one of the biggest controversies in sports history.
Currently Mr. Nichols leads his own national, strategic Legal Crisis Management & Legal Crisis Communications practice. He is based in the Dallas, Texas area where he lives with his wife and two children.
A perennial All-Pro during a 15-year NFL career, with an outstanding record of achievements in business and sports, Troy Vincent continues to set a new standard of excellence for both active and retired football players. During his four-years as the President of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), Mr. Vincent gained firsthand experience with the business operations of both the NFLPA and NFL. As President of the NFLPA, Mr. Vincent worked effortlessly to repair frayed relationships among retired and active players and re-build trust and collaboration. He personally pioneered a series of turnaround initiatives that positively impacted the players’ benefits, health and safety, and long-term professional and personal development.
Presently, Mr. Vincent is a consultant and advisor to collegiate institutions and professional organizations in the areas of project management, professional coaching, strategic development, and crisis management in the dynamic sports and business marketplace. In addition, he holds board positions at the University of Wisconsin Foundation and the Love Thy Neighbor Community Development & Opportunity Corporation.
Mr. Vincent holds a bachelor’s degree from Thomas Edison State College, studied Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and has successfully completed executive education and advanced business degree programs at Harvard University, Stanford University, Kellogg School of Management, and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Kenneth L. Shropshire is the David W. Hauck Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Director of its Wharton Sports Business Initiative. He served as Chairman of the School’s Legal Studies department from 2000-2005. Shropshire joined the Wharton faculty in 1986 and specializes in the subject areas of sports business and law, sports and social impact, negotiations, diversity and general business law. He teaches the Negotiation and Dispute Resolution course both at Wharton’s main campus in Philadelphia and at Wharton West in San Francisco.
He recently served as president of the largest organization of attorneys in the sports business, the Sports Lawyers Association. His most recent books are Negotiate Like the Pros: A Top Sports Negotiator’s Lessons for Making Deals, Building Relationships and Getting What You Want, The Business of Sports Agents, and Being Sugar Ray: The Life of America’s Greatest Boxer and First Celebrity Athlete.
His past consulting roles have included a wide variety of projects including work for the NCAA, National Football League, and the United States Olympic Committee. In 2000 the mayor of Philadelphia appointed Shropshire to chair Philadelphia’s stadium site selection committee and later, projects focused on future Philadelphia bids for the Olympic Games. He is currently an arbitrator for the NFLPA and USATF.
After receiving an undergraduate degree in economics from Stanford University and law degree from Columbia University Law School he was in practice law in Los Angeles and later served as an executive with the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee leading up to the 1984 Olympics.
He is the author or co-author of eight books including The Business of Sports. His other books include, In Black and White: Race and Sports in America and The Sports Franchise Game. His current research focuses on sport and social impact. He is particularly interested in how sport has been used to impact social conditions in the United States and around the globe.
Neil Blumenthal is one of the founders of Warby Parker, a transformative eyewear brand that retails for ¼ the cost of comparable glasses and distributes a pair of glasses to someone in need for every pair sold. Neil is currently in his second year in the MBA program at The Wharton School. Prior to Wharton, he led VisionSpring, a non-profit social enterprise that sells affordable eyeglasses to underprivileged individuals in South Asia, Africa and Latin America. He was responsible for developing VisionSpring’s award-winning strategy (Fast Company Social Capitalist Award ‘08, ‘07 and ‘05) and expanding VisionSpring’s global presence from one to 10 countries.
In 2005, Neil was named a Fellow for Emerging Leaders in Public Service at NYU Robert F. Wagner School for Public Service. Prior to joining VisionSpring, he worked with the International Crisis Group and attended the Institute for International Mediation and Conflict Resolution in The Hague, Netherlands. In 2004, Neil and his wife launched Rachel Leigh, which has become a leading fashion jewelry brand. Neil received his BA in International Relations and History from Tufts University.
Alejandro Clabiorne graduated from the elite Texas Media Program at the University Of Texas with a bachelor of science in advertising with a specialization in media buying and planning. He started his career at Starcom, developing media plans for Kellogg’s. His love for media drove him to train new employees and lead the company’s internship program after only 6 months on the job. He was also involved in the recruiting and retention of minority employees.
His dedication allowed him to rise quickly and after a year at Starcom he moved into a international group where he helped develop planning strategies across Latin America for Kellogg’s and Coca-Cola. After only 6 months in his new group at Starcom, the company sent him to Mexico City where he handled strategy for all of the 16 brands of Coca-Cola, an important market for Coke. After two years in Mexico, Alejandro decided to test his skills in the crux of the advertising world: New York City. He took a position with Universal McCann where he managed 5 accounts and participated in key business pitches that had both domestic and international components.
In 2004, Alejandro joined the Hispanic agency Winglatino as the head of Media Services and eventually transitioned full time to MediaCom USA. As the Vice President, Director of Multicultural Media, Alejandro led and oversaw specialized Multicultural media planning for major accounts at MediaCom such as Diageo and Volkswagen.
In 2009, Alejandro joined Carat USA as the VP, Director of Multicultural communications planning for the P&G account. He leads a team of 8 media professional who are charged with creating best in class communications plans for brands like Bounty, Charmin, Pampers and Gillette. Outside of work, he continues to give back to his community through Harlem’s the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program.
Ivy E. Grant is Senior Director of Business Development for Polo Ralph Lauren. Reporting to the CFO, Ms. Grant is responsible for assessing business opportunities and managing corporate projects that support Polo Ralph Lauren’s domestic and international growth strategy, including financial projections and valuation, acquisition management and competitive analysis. In addition, she provides expertise to drive internal initiatives that improve business operations and deepen collaborative partnerships throughout the global organization.
Prior to joining Polo Ralph Lauren, Ms. Grant was a Senior Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm. She led client engagements in international growth strategy, new business launch, channel management and organizational design for media, retail and consumer products companies.
Ms. Grant has held roles at Sony BMG, Billboard Magazine, Giant Step Records and she began her career at IBM Business Consulting Services (formerly PwC Consulting), where she led supply chain optimization and technology implementation projects.
Never quite leaving her media roots behind, Ms. Grant was the executive producer of “The Cycle”, a short film produced by Mundo Loco Films, which was completed in December 2009 and has been submitted to several major film festivals.
Ms. Grant received an M.B.A. from the Stern School of Business at New York University, where she was awarded a Fellowship from the Consortium for Graduate Studies in Management. She received a Bachelor of Science in applied economics from Cornell University.
Kevin Hooks is Senior Vice President of Weber Shandwick’s Integrated Media Group. With more than 15 years of entertainment marketing and public affairs experience, Kevin leads a specialty practice that seeks to build relationships between brands and consumers through the allure of entertainment. He is also responsible for developing the company’s integrated media suite of services, which cross a broad spectrum of marketing disciplines including public relations, entertainment marketing and new media strategy.
With an extremely diverse background, Kevin has established strategic marketing partnerships for Warner Brothers, CBS, Showtime Networks, Paramount and BET. He has also managed the on-screen marketing initiatives for Lexus, UPS, Motorola, Proctor & Gamble, Campbell’s Soup Company, Evian, Bombay Sapphire and many others.
Before joining the firm, Kevin was Vice President/General Manager of UPP Entertainment Marketing where he managed all day-to-day operations.
Previously, Kevin managed the African-American gifting portfolio for State Farm Insurance Companies. During his tenure he established partnerships with NAACP, National Urban League (NUL), National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI), The National Association for Black County Officials (NABCO), The Bayou Classic and many others.
Kevin is also active in the community. He has served as a Board Trustee for the National Urban League from 1997-2005. While there, he co-founded the Young Professionals affiliate of the Urban League, now a nationally recognized networking and civic involvement outlet for thousands of professionals in chapters throughout the country. He was also actively involved in the development of “The Training Ground”, a grassroots partnership with Harvard University that equips young African American leaders with the tools for enhanced civic engagement.
In addition, he has been Chairman of the National Association African American Athletes, Chairman of Inner City Survivors, 1st Vice President of NABCO’s Business Roundtable and a member of the Business Advisory Board of the NAACP.
Kevin has a BA in Communications from Missouri Southern State University.
As the co-founder of Detroit based Muse Recordings, Mike a former Industrial Engineer, oversees the Satellite office in New York City. With several artists already signed, the label has, in less than two years, released their debut album, Marc’s Project. The instant buzz that surrounded the album allowed Muse Recordings to establish partnerships with the NFL (Super Bowl), NBA (summer tour), McDonalds (commercial, jingle, promotion), Starbucks (partner, acoustic tour), and Chrysler. Muse Recordings has also partnered with Sean “Diddy” Combs and rap artist, Nelly on social awareness projects, as well as the United Nations “Standup” concert in New York’s Time Square. As part of the NBA’s Rhythm n Rims Tour, Muse Recordings’ artists shared the stage with music superstars Keyshia Cole and Jagged Edge.
In addition to running Muse Recordings, Mike is currently producing a Broadway play that will make its debut next spring. He can be heard as a guest commentator on the business of music and politics at the highest rated urban radio stations in the country; 107.5 WGCI, in Chicago, Detroit’s WJLB FM98, and NY’s Hot 97. He is a guest lecturer on various topics dealing with the business of music at Berklee College of Music, Wharton School of Business, Clive Davis School of Recorded Music at New York University, Stern School of Business, and the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. He also created and was co-Lecturer of Jermaine Dupri’s College Book/Speaking Tour; “The Making of a Music Mogul.” In addition, he has been a BET on air “Word” commentator and a BET “Year End Review” commentator.
Mike was named a Distinguished Fellow from the National Association of Television Programming Executives, Kappa Alpha Psi Achievement Award recipient, the Gillette “Man of Style” Award for Style and Substance, YGB Entrepreneurial Award, and recipient of the “5 Under 10” Award, a recognition given to five distinguished University of Michigan young alumni. He served as member of President Barack Obama’s tri-state area finance committee and was a fundraiser for the Presidential Inaugural Committee for President Obama In addition, Mike is a member of the Democratic National Committee National Finance Committee and National Advisory board and was a part of Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg’s campaign committee. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Brooklyn Child and Family Services, and has been featured twice on the cover of Crain’s magazine, the preeminent destination for business news in New York as well as on the cover of NV Magazine’s “Movers and Shakers” issue.
Philip Bronner joined Novak Biddle Venture Partners in 1999 and is focused on investments in information technology. Prior to joining Novak Biddle he founded a media technology company. In addition, he served as a management consultant with McKinsey & Co. in New York advising high-tech clients on corporate strategy and worked as a software engineer at IBM.
At Novak Biddle, Phil serves as a director for Approva, Vision Chain, InGrid, Netcordia, Freewebs, Clearspring, Social Gaming Network and 2Tor. He also leads Novak Biddle’s investment in Panasas and is a board observer for Specktrum K12. Past board or board observer seats include: Logic Library (acquired by SOA Software), AnswerLogic (acquired by Primus Knowledge Systems), N.E.W. Customer Service Companies and Clear Standards (acquired by SAP).
Phil earned a BS in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University; a Juris Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Law; and a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Phil currently serves on the Alumni Advisory Board for Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science and is a board member for In2Books, a Washington, DC-based reading and literacy program.
Ainka is the owner of BreakThrough, a holistic coaching firm focused on, among other things, development. In this capacity she creates workshops, facilitates teams, and conducts one-on-one coaching sessions supporting her client’s professional and personal well being. This includes working with clients on career management, communication, executive presence and health and fitness.
Ainka has designed and delivered workshops for INROADS, Inc., the University of California, Berkeley and the National Association of Women MBAs.
She has held various leadership roles in retail, financial services, telecommunications and the non-profit sector. Ainka is an Executive and Personal Coach with the Life Performance Coaching Center in San Francisco. She works with MBAs and experienced hires on professional development worldwide. She is one of nine coaches featured on Wharton’s Alumni Career Services referral list.
Ainka received her BA in English Literature with an emphasis on education from UC Berkley. She graduated in 2003 from University of Pennsylvania ’s Wharton School of Business. She holds numerous certifications, including Designing Instruction, Group Facilitation and from NYU a certificate in Human Resource Management. She is passionate about travel, literature and everything related to food.
For more information please visit www.RealizeYouCan.com and www.LifePerformanceCoaching.com.
Sekou Kaalund is a Managing Director and Head of Western Hemisphere Pension Sales for JPMorgan Worldwide Securities Services, where he oversees sales to pensions, endowments and foundations. Previously, he was Managing Director and Global Head of Private Equity and Real Estate Fund Services Business Development, where he managed a global team responsible for outsourced administration solutions to private equity financial sponsors and institutional investors with portfolios of alternative investments.
Prior to joining JPMorgan in 2007, Kaalund held a number of leadership positions at Citigroup. As Head of Strategy and Mergers and Acquisitions for the Securities and Funds Services Group (Corporate Investment Bank), Kaalund dramatically enhanced the franchise’s profitability by evaluating and executing non-organic growth opportunities and other targeted initiatives. In his role as Head of Strategic Initiatives for the Consumer Lending Group (Global Consumer Bank), his efforts led to large reductions in operational losses year-over-year, increased client service and customer satisfaction, and key strategic business and revenue partnerships. He has held positions in several government and regulatory organizations, including the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, where he was a Commissioned Bank Examiner.
Kaalund holds a BA from Hampden-Sydney College, where he was a Merit Scholar, and a Master’s of Public Policy from Duke, where he was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and a Donnelly Foundation Fellow. He is active on several boards including Duke University's School of Public Policy, Next Generation Network (a division of the Executive Leadership Council), and the Council of Urban Professionals.
Kaalund and his wife, Jennifer, have a son, Caleb and reside in the NY metropolitan area.
Since 1972, Obie L. McKenzie has served the Financial Services Industry in Asset Management, Commercial and Investment Banking, Trade Finance, Corporate Treasury and Brokerage. Mr. McKenzie is currently a Managing Director within the Account Management Group at BlackRock, one of the largest publicly traded investment management firms in the United States.
During his career he has held positions as Managing Director at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers; Executive Director at UBS Asset Management; and Managing Director at Chase Investors. From 1984 to 1987, Mr. McKenzie was President and founder of McKenzie & Company, an NASD registered broker dealer. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Mr. McKenzie held positions at Citibank, Chemical Bank and Freedom National Bank as a commercial banker. Mr. McKenzie was also a Manager in Banking and Pensions at the New York Times in 1975 and a Corporate Finance Associate for Morgan Stanley in 1972.
Mr. McKenzie has served as President of the Association of Investment Management Sales Executives (AIMSE); founding board member of the TOIGO Foundation and Associate Advisor to the Texas Association of Public Employees Retirement Systems (TEXPERS). He was also a founding board member of the National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP), where he received the Wall Street Hall of Fame Award in February, 2001.
Mr. McKenzie graduated from Tennessee State University in 1967 and received his MBA in Finance from Harvard Business School in 1972.
Shawn D. Baldwin is Founder, Chairman and CEO of Capital Management Group (CMG), a boutique investment management firm based Chicago. CMG provides research and investment banking services to sovereign funds, pension funds, foundations, endowments and corporations. Since forming in 2002, the firm has participated in over 75 corporate capital markets transactions with a par of over $68 billion in equity and debt financings. Under Mr. Baldwin’s leadership, CMG has also built an extensive network of fiduciaries, academics and investment managers via its biannual economic conferences throughout the world. The event draws the top 20 plan sponsors and the world’s largest institutional investors to discuss global markets and macroeconomic trends affecting the institutional investor community.
Prior to forming CMG, Mr. Baldwin was President and Chief Operating Officer of a publicly traded registered investment advisory firm. Mr. Baldwin has also held senior roles at American Express, US Bank, Optima Investment Management Research, and several boutique investment banks.
Mr. Baldwin is a graduate of Antioch University and has a Masters in Financial Strategy from the University of Oxford Said Business School. He completed the Investment Decisions and Behavioral Finance program at Harvard University, the Private Equity and Venture capital program at Harvard Business School and the Wharton Schools Program on Pension Funds and Investment Management. Mr. Baldwin is the 2nd African-American member of the Chicago Stock Exchange and is a member of the CFA Institute.
Robert S. Kapito, President and a Director of BlackRock, is Chairman of the Operating Committee, a member of the Office of the Chairman, the Leadership Committee and the Corporate Council. He is responsible for day-to-day oversight of BlackRock's key operating units, including the Account Management and Portfolio Management Groups, Real Estate Group, Risk & Quantitative Analysis Group and BlackRock Solutions.
Mr. Kapito serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania. He is also Chairman of the Hope & Heroes Children's Cancer Fund and President of the Board of Directors for Periwinkle Theatre for Youth, a national non-profit arts-in-education organization. Mr. Kapito earned a BS degree in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1979, and an MBA degree from Harvard Business School in 1983.
Serving the people of New York's Sixth Congressional District has been the focus of Congressman Gregory W. Meeks' eleven year tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives. During that time he has earned the respect of his constituents, as well as both Democrats and Republicans in Congress and in New York. In addition to representing the Sixth Congressional District, Congressman Meeks sits on two important and prominent committees in the House: the Financial Services Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Congressman Meeks is a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy and Trade. He also serves on the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, and Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology. A critical committee for the state of New York, the Financial Services Committee oversees all components of the nation's housing and financial services sectors including banking, insurance, real estate, public and assisted housing, and securities.
Congressman Meeks also serves as a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee where he sits on the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and Global Environment, Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, and Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health. The Committee is responsible for oversight and legislation relating to issues such as: foreign assistance; national security developments affecting foreign policy; strategic planning; war powers, treaties, and the deployment and use of U.S. Armed Forces; and enforcement of United Nations or other international sanctions; arms control and disarmament issues; and activities and policies of the State, Commerce and Defense Departments.
Congressman Meeks earned his bachelor's degree at Adelphi University and he received his law degree from Howard University. He is a member of the Allen AME Church in St. Albans New York and is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He is married to Simone-Marie Meeks and has three daughters – Ebony, Aja, and Nia-Ayana.
Wendell Mottley is a Senior Advisor of Credit Suisse, based in New York. He has responsibility for winning mandates in advisories, sovereign and energy financing, asset management as well as M&A in the Caribbean Basin.
Mr. Mottley was formerly Finance Minister of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago and was lauded in this capacity for restructuring the economy from state dominance to a free market model that launched the economy into ten years of continuing sustained high growth. He was a member of the Expert Panel constituted to advise the President of the Inter American Development Bank on strategies to lift the Latin American and Caribbean region out of its underperformance in the 1990s.
Mr. Mottley is currently a Visiting Fellow at the Center for Global Development in Washington, DC where he is finalizing a book on Energy Industrial Policy in Trinidad & Tobago.
Mr. Mottley is a committed environmentalist, a former board member of the World Wild Life Fund, and present member of its National Council, as well as a member of the Leadership Council of the School of Forestry and the Environment of Yale University.
Mr. Mottley is a graduate of Yale and Cambridge Universities, as well as a former Olympian. His current interests are the consolidation of financial and manufacturing companies as a positional tactic for competitiveness in the evolving free trade block and advisory work on industrial policy for non-energy business sectors as a strategy in regional competitive survival.
Ali Velshi is CNN's chief business correspondent and host of Your $$$$$, CNN's weekend business roundtable program, as well as a regular contributor and anchor for Issue #1, the network’s in-depth coverage initiative on the single issue that matters most to CNN's audience.
Velshi also hosts The Ali Velshi Show, a weekly call-in radio program on both CNN Radio and CNN.com Live and fields viewer calls three times a week for the "Help Line" segment for HLN. Online users can also listen to Velshi's podcast, "The Ali V Podcast," available at www.CNN.com/podcasting and on iTunes.
Based in New York, Velshi has covered the U.S. government's bailout plan; the financial collapses of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, AIG and Lehman Brothers; and Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, reporting on the impact of the storms on oil refineries. He covered the Enron story at every step since it hit the national spotlight in 2001, including the guilty verdicts of Enron Corp.'s founder Kenneth Lay and former chief executive Jeffrey Skilling on conspiracy and fraud charges. He reported live from Ford headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., as the company announced the layoff of 30,000 workers. He was reporting live from an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico amid evacuation calls for Hurricane Katrina.
A veteran of financial news, Velshi recently hosted The Turnaround, CNN's small business improvement show. The Turnaround traveled across America, introducing troubled small business owners to high-profile mentors and then helped them develop a plan for success. Before The Turnaround, Velshi was an anchor with CNNfn, where he hosted various interactive shows, including Your Money, Business Unusual, Insights, Street Sweep and The Money Gang. Before joining CNNfn in 2001, he hosted The Business News, Canada's first and only prime-time business news hour, airing nightly on Report on Business Television.
In 1996, Velshi was awarded a fellowship to the U.S. Congress by the American Political Sciences Association, and worked with now-retired U.S. Rep. Lee Hamilton, (D-Ind.).
Born in Kenya and raised in Toronto, Velshi graduated from Queens University in Canada with a degree in religion. Velshi's first book, Gimme My Money Back: Your Guide to Beating the Financial Crisis, was released in January 2009.
Jeremy Nowak is the President of The Reinvestment Fund and a nationally recognized leader in urban development. In addition to his work at TRF, Mr. Nowak is a board member of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank. He also chairs the Board of Mastery Charter Schools, a network of four inner city charter middle & high schools in Philadelphia; and Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a charity that has raised more $25 million for pediatric cancer research during the past four years. The author of numerous articles, his recent publications examine policy options for distressed cities; the historical role of religious institutions in community change; the role of development finance for older industrial cities; the challenges of environmental reclamation; and the role of art and culture in neighborhood regeneration. He is currently a Fellow at the Aspen Institute, in a program for entrepreneurial leaders in education, and a member of a Harvard University (Kennedy School) Executive Session on transforming cities through civic entrepreneurship. He holds a PhD. from the New School for Social Research and has also been awarded honorary doctorates from Villanova University and La Salle University. In 1995 he received Philadelphia’s highest civic honor, The Philadelphia Award.
About The Reinvestment Fund: TRF is a national leader in the financing of neighborhood revitalization. What began in 1985 as a small community development organization working in Greater Philadelphia, has evolved into a progressive, results-oriented, socially responsible community investment group that today works across the Mid-Atlantic region. Combining expert knowledge with innovation and determination, TRF delivers capital where it’s needed the most – where it can best transform lives and rebuild neighborhoods. TRF works closely with a diverse network of investors and business partners to galvanize private initiative and capital for the public good. TRF builds wealth and opportunity for low-wealth people and places through the promotion of socially and environmentally responsible development. TRF invests in homes, schools, businesses and a clean energy future – paving the way for stronger, more vibrant communities and a region full of opportunity and growth. Since inception, TRF has financed more than 2,526 projects, delivering $939 million in capital which has helped support: 532 businesses, 18,590 housing units, 28,870 charter school slots, 45,755 jobs, 8.2 million square feet of commercial space, and 2.7 million MWh of clean energy – enough to power over 290,000 homes for a year.
Since taking office in January 2008, Mayor Michael A. Nutter has set an aggressive agenda for America’s sixth largest city – implementing a crime fighting plan that has sharply reduced the homicide rate, an education strategy to increase the high school graduation rate by 50 percent and a sustainability plan that will reduce the city’s energy consumption in the years to come.
He has vigorously managed city government through a deep recession, taken advantage of Federal recovery funding to create new green-collar jobs and established a customer friendly 311 system.
Born in Philadelphia and educated at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Michael Nutter has been committed to public service since his youth in West Philadelphia. He served almost 15 years on the Philadelphia City Council, earning the reputation of a reformer, before his election as Mayor of Philadelphia.
Wendell E. Pritchett, a noted scholar in urban history and policy and an experienced government and university administrator, began his appointment as chancellor of Rutgers University–Camden on June 30, 2009. Dr. Pritchett serves as chief executive officer of Rutgers–Camden, reporting directly to the Rutgers president and oversees approximately 1,000 employees and an annual budget of more than $50 million. He is responsible for the daily administration of an institution that enrolls 5,600 students in 34 undergraduate programs and 16 graduate programs at the master’s and Ph.D. levels. In his role, Dr. Pritchett collaborates with organizations to promote the revitalization of Camden and advance the economic, social, and cultural development of southern New Jersey and the Delaware Valley.
Previous to his position as chancellor, Dr. Pritchett taught at the University of Pennsylvania law school. At Penn, Dr. Pritchett was a founding member of the Penn Institute for Urban Research; was one of the principal investigators on a major federally funded project to examine racial disparities in the treatment of prostate cancer; and served for three years on the Provost’s Planning and Budget Committee.
During 2008, Dr. Pritchett served as deputy chief of staff and director of policy for Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. Among other initiatives, he was responsible for writing the city’s Five-Year Plan and Budget, reorganizing the city’s anti-poverty programs, and supervising the operations of the mayor’s office. Through his current roles as president of the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation, vice chair of the Redevelopment Authority of Philadelphia, and member of the Pennsylvania State Planning Board, he has used his extensive experience in policy analysis and development to promote economic opportunity in the Philadelphia region. During 2007, Dr. Pritchett chaired the Urban Policy Task Force for U.S. Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.
Dr. Pritchett has written two books and numerous articles on urban history and policy, particularly in the areas of housing, race relations, land use, and economic development. He resides in the University City section of Philadelphia with his wife and their two children. He received his B.A. from Brown University in 1986, his J.D. from Yale Law School in 1991, and his Ph.D. in history from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997.
Dana L. Redd was sworn in as the Mayor of the City of Camden on January 1, 2010. As Mayor of the City of Camden, Dana looks forward to drawing upon her passion for the City, previous public service, and vision to move Camden forward. Mayor Redd is a lifelong resident of Camden City and has spent more than 20 years working in the public sector as a dedicated public servant.
Elected to Camden City Council in 2001 and re-elected in 2005, she has been a strong advocate for Camden's diverse neighborhoods and has fought for issues of fairness and parity. As a member of Council, Ms. Redd represented the interests of Camden's communities in many capacities including serving on the Public Works and Administration Committees and also as a Chairperson of the Camden City Housing Authority.
Ms. Redd also represented the City of Camden as the New Jersey State Senator for the 5th Legislative District from 2008 until January 2010 when she became Mayor. In the Senate, she served as a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee; Vice Chair of the Community and Urban Affairs Committee; Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee; and as a member of the Joint Committee on the Public Schools.
Dana's previous public service also included serving as Chief of Staff for Camden County Freeholder, Riletta Cream and as the Director of Operations under the Department of Buildings & Operations for Camden County. As director, she was responsible for the County's telecommunication network and administered all aspects of public contracting, initiating cost cutting measures and developing a shared services model for increased efficiencies and economies of scale. Ms. Redd has also served as a member of the New Jersey Redistricting Commission She is a graduate of Rutgers University - Camden Campus, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Studies and attended the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.
Robert P. Inman is the Richard King Mellon professor of finance and economics at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. His research, focusing on the design and impact of fiscal policies, has been published in the leading academic journals in economics, finance, and law. He is the editor of three books, The Economics of Public Services, Managing the Service Economy, and Making Cities Work. Inman has served as a consultant and adviser on fiscal policy to the city of Philadelphia, the states of New York, Pennsylvania, and California, the U.S. Department of Education, Housing and urban Development as well as the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the World Bank, and government of the Republic of South Africa and Sri Lanka.
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Sponsored by the African American MBA Association of the Wharton School