Dr. Jean Accius is an internationally recognized executive with a strong track record of building high-performing teams, managing cross-functional operations and processes, and developing innovative and actionable solutions, policies, and programs. Jean brings a wealth of executive experience having served in senior-level positions across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors with an understanding of how the connections among business, politics, and nonprofits can drive social change.

Respected for his business acumen and credible voice in decision making, building and sustaining strategic partnerships, forging global strategic alliances, and establishing governance boundaries, Jean leads with value, intentionality, and impact. Currently, as Senior Vice President of Global Thought Leadership at AARP, the world’s largest non-profit, nonpartisan membership organization, Jean oversees the thought leadership efforts of the $2-billion-dollar organization.

Dr. Accius has been quoted by or appeared in numerous media outlets, including The New York Times, TIME, USA Today, Reuters, Politico, Next Avenue, ESPN’s Undefeated, Congressional Quarterly, and the Huffington Post.

In 2020, Dr. Accius was a speaker and facilitated several sessions at the 50th annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and also engaged nearly 300 leaders across industries and sectors, including 20 ambassadors and many delegates, at the United Nations.

The Maryland Daily Record recognized him as a 2019 Influential Marylander for sparking innovation and progress, shaping and enriching his community and knowing how to get results that better the state and serve the needs of residents of all ages.

In 2018, Dr. Accius was recognized as a Gerontological Society of America Fellow, one of Black Enterprise magazine’s 2018 Modern Man of Distinction and a recipient of the Prince George’s County Social Innovation Fund 40 under 40 Award. The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences awarded him with the prominent “Sharecare Award” for his groundbreaking work on male family caregivers. The National Academy of Social Insurance recognized him as one of the new generation of social insurance leaders in the country.

Dr. Jean Accius has held a variety of board and advisory positions including Justice in Aging, the American Society on Aging, Leadership Maryland, and the American University School of Public Affairs Board of Advisors. Previous Board appointments also include Florida State University Alumni Association, the South Florida Institute on Aging Policy Council and the Editorial Advisory Committee for Generations, the journal for the American Society on Aging.

He is an Executive Leadership Council Fellow and holds a bachelor’s degree in hospitality administration and a master’s degree in aging studies from the Claude Pepper Institute at Florida State University, and a Ph.D. in public administration from American University. Dr. Accius is graduate of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health program on health reform and Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business Corporate Innovation program.

Kevin Hicks is a Partner with Blackman and Associates; a franchise consulting firm, which provides franchise advisory and acquisition services for individuals and companies. Blackman and Associates identifies the most viable and lucrative franchise opportunities for its clients, with both start-up and existing businesses. The firm provides market research; marketing strategies; business plan development; franchise management recruitment; due diligence assistance, deal searches; acquisition of both debt and equity financing; and strategic franchise growth planning.

For the last twenty-five years, Mr. Hicks has been a leading advocate for minority franchising. He has worked with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, U.S. Small Business Administration, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Small Business, U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, U.S. Senate Committee On Small Business and Entrepreneurship, National Federation of Independent Business, The National Small Business Advocate; U.S. Chamber Of Commerce, and the International Franchise Association (IFA), the largest trade association in franchise industry, to increase the number of African American, Latino, and women entrepreneurs through franchising. He has participated in IFA and leading franchise industry panel discussions, forums, and conferences on start-up franchises, multi-unit franchises, and the raising of capital for minorities to purchase franchise businesses. Mr. Hicks and his partners are responsible for increased minority ownership of many leading national brands which include; Popeye’s Fried Chicken; Subway; Papa John’s Pizza; The UPS Store; General Nutrition Center (GNC); The International House of Pancakes (IHOP); Burger King; ExxonMobil; The Coffee Beanery; Firehouse Subs; FastSigns; Midas Muffler Shop; KFC; The Athlete’s Foot; Quiznos ; Anytime Fitness; Auntie Anne’s; Batteries Plus Bulbs; Massage Envy; FedEx Delivery Routes; Two Men And A Truck; Church’s Chicken; Dunkin Donuts ;Baskin Robbins; Marriott Hotels; Golden Corral Buffet and Grill; T.G.I. Fridays; ServiceMaster, and Coverall Cleaning Concepts…to name a few. Not only a consultant, Mr. Hicks also has owned five different franchise concepts. A few examples would be;. Mr. Hicks was part of an ownership group which operated sixteen (16) Church’s Chicken restaurants in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area, which when they were sold at a substantial profit, employed over three hundred (300) people and had sales which placed them in the top ten performers of Church’s restaurants nationwide. He is currently part of a group that owns several Subway restaurants and another group that owns a Marriott hotel. Now, due to the explosion of E-Commerce, Blackman & Associates has recently embarked on a new initiative to increase the number of African American owners of FedEx Delivery route businesses. A home based business concept with 30% margins.

As a much sought after speaker on the subjects of franchising and small business development, Mr. Hicks been appeared on radio stations across the nation, and on television programs on CNBC, CBS, and TV One. He has also been featured in newspapers and magazines across the country, including Black Enterprise and Forbes.

Mr. Hicks has presented to many prominent organizations and institutions, including the National Urban League; National Baptist Convention; RainbowPush; American Marketing Association; Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity; U.S. Black Chambers Inc.; National Black MBA National Association For the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity; Professional Athlete’s Franchise Initiative; National Basketball Association Retired Players Association; The Franchise Times; Georgia State University; Alabama State University; National Football League; New York University; Columbia University Business School; The Black Enterprise Magazine Entrepreneur’s Conference, The Angel Capital Association, The Capital Roundtable; National Association Of Investment Companies/Marathon Club; and the National Sales Network. He has served on the Board of Directors for the National Small Business Institute; American Red Cross; and 100 Black Men Inc., a professional men’s organization committed to economic development, providing college scholarships, promoting education, and mentoring young people.

Baron Davis is a two-time NBA All-Star, serial-entrepreneur, investor and creator of thought-provoking content and digital platforms.

During his years in the NBA, Davis was constantly listening, learning, networking, and connecting both on the court and off which ignited a successful post-NBA business career.  Through the process of being his own agent, he fast-forwarded in the role of being a business owner. He decided to use his platform and the knowledge he gained to support others by investing and funding entrepreneurs and start-ups that he believes in, including those created with a purpose to impact society and encourage change. Davis has also become an outspoken advocate for financial literacy and ed-tech and VC leaders from underrepresented communities.

Davis continues to see opportunities and gaps in several industries and where he can’t find companies that fill those gaps, he creates them. He is the founder of several companies, including Sports, Lifestyle in Culture (SLiC), Business Inside the Game (B.I.G.), UWish, and LAUNFD; each with the objective of combining creative talent with original publication and production to develop and provide educational and empowering stories that appeal to global audiences of all ages.

Davis also served as producer of several acclaimed documentaries including “Crips and Bloods: Made In America,” “30 for 30: Sole Man,” and “The Drew: No Excuse, Just Produce.” With his production company No Label, Davis was the executive producer of the Hulu Originals show, “WTF, Baron Davis” and he directed, wrote and stars in the upcoming comedy, “Domino: Battle of the Bones.” Davis can be followed online via Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Charles is passionate about revolution, not the bloody riots that mar cities and countries, but the opportunities we all have for personal and global transformation.  As an educator for the last twenty years, Charles has worked to change the trajectories of America’s most precious demographics.  He knows one way to do this is by providing the educational skills and life tools necessary to illuminate and catalyze the genius that resides within all of us. It would be the lessons learned from his mentees while teaching at Green Run High School that led him to attain his Ph.D. in Psychological Science from Tulane, where he focused his research on resilient outcomes for boys and men of color.  After a successful tenure as a professor, Charles started his social venture, What's Your Revolution? Consulting where he worked to bring racial and gender equity to the consciousness of organizations around the country.

Currently, Charles is the Director of the Education and Conscious Tech Fellowship at Camelback Ventures and also the host and executive producer of the widely acclaimed "What's Your Revolution? show. This podcast is an opportunity for men and the people who love to hear how men are finding and embracing the healthiest version of themselves. When Charles is not trying to change the world, he spends time with his precocious 13-year-old Pitbull, Sasha, great friends, and his loving parents Charles and Bertha Corprew.

Edward Hightower is an automotive entrepreneur, EV start-up and global automotive OEM executive, board director, and published author. He is CEO & President of Lordstown Motors Corporation (Nasdaq: RIDE), an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of electric vehicles for the commercial fleet market. He is also CEO of MIH EV Design LLC, a joint venture between Lordstown and Foxconn formed to co-develop, engineer, industrialize, and launch new electic vehicles leveraging the Foxconn EV ecosystem and MIH Consortium.

Previously, Hightower served in several new-product development, engineering, marketing, and senior executive roles between Ford, BMW, and GM. He also worked as a hands-on growth, strategy, and operations consultant at AlixPartners, LLP and Motoring Ventures LLC, which Hightower founded. He also has extensive experience in emerging markets in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Hightower serves on the boards of directors of Tritium Charging (Nasdaq: DCFC) – a leading designer and manufacturer of DC (direct current) fast charging systems for electric vehicles; and HEVO Power – a designer and manufacturer of wireless charging systems and software for electric vehicles. He also served as an advisor to Kiira Motors, a Uganda-based manufacturer of electric city buses.

Hightower authored the book Motoring Africa: Sustainable Automotive Industrialization, published in 2018. Based on his industry experiences in China, India, South Korea, Mexico and Brazil, Motoring Africa makes the case and offers an actionable roadmap for building sustainable manufacturing businesses in six of the 54 countries in Africa.

Specialties:

+ Business leadership / P&L general management
+ New product design, engineering, and manufacturing leadership
+ Marketing strategy, brand building, pricing, and revenue growth leadership
+ Hands-on business turnaround, growth, and operations improvement consulting
+ Private equity - portfolio company leadership and value creation
+ Private equity - M&A commercial and operational due diligence
+ Global automotive, battery electric vehicle (BEV), and manufacturing sectors
+ Sustainable industrialization
+ Emerging markets in Asia, Africa, and Latin America
+ Public and private boards of directors

Floyd W. Green, III is a philanthropist and founder of What a Concept LLC, a company focused on creating wow moments through strategic philanthropy. In 2021, he retired from Aetna, a CVS Health company, as Vice President of Community Affairs. Since 2004, his teams developed grassroots community-based strategies to assist in new business development, customer retention, and strategic partnerships. Because of his work, he speaks nationally on Strategic Philanthropy, Cultural Consciousness, Localization, How to Go to Market, and Marketing to Diverse Consumers. He also spends time advocating nationally the importance of STEAM vs STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math).

Floyd is the recipient of many professional and civic awards. Most recent include Black Doctors.org and Johns Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions 45 most influential Blacks in Healthcare, The National Action Network’s National Merit Award, and the Martin Luther King National Service Award by the Institute for the Advancement of Multicultural and Minority Medicine (IAMMM) both in Washington, DC. He is a recipient of the CT Governor’s Patron of the Arts award, the National Council of Community and Justice’s (NCCJ) Human Relations award, the 2022 Bushnell’s Yandow Award for Arts Education, and the OnCon Icon 2020, 2021, and 2022 Top Marketer Award recognizing the top marketers in the world.

He is a trained actor and a member of Actor’s Equity Association. He is also a member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC), the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE), and lifetime members of the National Black MBA and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated.

Floyd graduated from Lincoln University in Oxford, Pennsylvania, with a B.S. degree in History/Public Affairs. He received his MBA in Marketing/Strategy from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management, Malibu, California. Currently, a doctoral student at the University of Hartford focusing on Arts Education. Born in Newport News, Virginia, Floyd now resides in Hartford, Connecticut. 

Ahkiel White is a Vice President and Director of Business Development for the Global Sports & Entertainment (GSE) division at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. He joined the firm in 2013 and has worked in different capacities throughout his time here. Transitioning from the firms Branch Analyst program, Ahkiel joined the Private Bank as an Associate Private Banker, and now leads Financial Education programming, partnerships, and the Unsecured Draft lending program for GSE. He is an avid writer, huge Philadelphia Eagles fan, and novice Ukulele player. He completed his undergraduate studies at Bucknell University where he was also an All-American Football Player. In 2020, Ahkiel published his first book, The Interlude.

Jason Pace joined Robinson Humphrey, predecessor firm to Morgan Stanley in 1998. In his second year with the firm, Jason began his work with the RM Compass Group. As current COO of the group, Jason works with Graham Roberts to lead the team of 15 in providing exceptional service to their high net worth client base. The RM Compass Group specializes in serving high net worth families in the areas of investment and asset management, financial planning, estate and wealth transfer planning, risk and debt management, and philanthropic giving.

In addition to his role as COO, Jason also oversees the management of the team’s professional athlete business. In his career, Jason has been extremely influential in the lives of young players from draft day, through retirement and beyond their athletic careers. A great testimony to his success is the number of players that were able to successfully retire from professional sports due to his diligent planning. Early in his career, Jason engineered the “Savings Report Card” as an accountability tool to ensure his players were informed and on track. Jason is registered in the NFL Players Association Financial Advisor Program, and in 2014, he was designated a Global Sports and Entertainment Director at Morgan Stanley in recognition of his experience in the field.

In 1991, Jason graduated from the US Naval Academy, where he achieved a BS in Systems Engineering. While attending the academy, Jason was also a standout running back for the varsity football team. During his tenure in the Navy, Jason completed a Master’s in Business Management from Troy State University. In 2003, he completed the Certified Financial Planner Program at Oglethorpe University. He earned the CFP™ designation, after completing a rigorous 2-day, 10-hour exam; and he is also currently recognized by Morgan Stanley as a Financial Planning Specialist.

Jason is a native of Atlanta where he currently resides with his wife, Sylvia and two boys, J.R. and McCoy. Jason is a dedicated coach for Northside Youth Organization (NYO) youth football program, and he and his family are also active members of Buckhead Community Fellowship Church.

Michael J. Brathwaite is a Vice President with the Urban Markets Group at Morgan Stanley. Michael has his Series 7, Series 63, and Series 65 Licenses, as well as his Health and Life Insurance Licenses. His experience in the investment industry spans more than 35 years, many of those within the Wealth Management division of Morgan Stanley. Michael specializes in working with moderate to high net-worth individuals. He has worked with for-profit businesses as well as non-profit organizations. His hands-on approach to customer satisfaction has fostered strong ties with his current clients.

Michael is credited with being the founder of the New York Region of Business Networking International. BNI is the largest networking company in the world, spanning six continents and 72 countries. BNI’s 227,000 plus members worldwide speak more than 22 different languages. Michael has been involved with BNI for 28 years, 21 of which he has served as the Executive Director of the Manhattan Region, which encompasses 55 chapters, making it BNI’s largest and most successful urban region.

A graduate of Iona College with a BBA in finance, Michael has hosted a radio show called Money Talk, which aired weekday mornings on WVIP 93.5. He also wrote the forward for the popular financial management book, Because You Cant Take it With You; How to Get Your Affairs in Order to Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones.

Jeryl Salmond is a Senior Vice President, Wealth Advisor, Senior Investment Management Consultant, and Global Sports and Entertainment Director at Morgan Stanley. He founded The Salmond Group at Morgan Stanley, a team that focuses on wealth management guidance for individuals, families, businesses and institutions. He started his career in the financial services industry in 1985 with Morgan Stanley and is highly skilled in servicing clients on wealth management, retirement planning, 401(k) management, and more.

In addition to his role as a Financial Advisor, Jeryl is an ordained minister. Building long term, personal relationships supported by faith, family and understanding each client’s unique financial situation are the pillars of his practice. At The Salmond Group, Jeryl and his team are planning and goals orientated, and are grateful to continue to serve multiple generations of families. In tandem in servicing individuals and families to help manage and preserve their wealth, Jeryl and his team supports institutions with their endowments and foundations, financial planning, charitable giving, and more.

Providing a high level of service is another mainstay of their practice. Jeryl and his team are focused on understanding and addressing their client’s goals and concerns. The Salmond Group takes great pride providing integrity, competence and compassion.

Jeryl is a member of Morgan Stanley’s National Diversity & Inclusion Council. He received his bachelor’s degree from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and earned the Doctor of Ministry degree from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, Illinois. Additionally, Jeryl completed the graduate-level Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) program through the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, and is a member of the Investment Management Consultants Association, Inc. As an ordained minister, Jeryl earned his Master of Arts degree in Bible Exposition from the Columbia International University. He serves as an associate minister and the primary worship leader at Brookland Baptist Church in West Columbia and has been leading the congregation of the Ladson Presbyterian Church in downtown Columbia as the visiting pastor since August 2010.

Jeryl is a board member of James R Clark Memorial Sickle Cell Foundation. He resides Columbia, South Carolina with his wife, Kathy, and enjoys spending time with his family, swimming, grilling, and listening to music. In addition, Jeryl loves sports and is a big Virginia Military Institute, University of South Carolina, Gamecocks, Carolina Panthers and Charlotte Hornets fan

Shaun T. Fulton is a Senior Vice President, Branch Manager with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. He leads the Firm’s Pennsylvania Avenue office in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. He leads with fairness, integrity and a sincere respect for others. He focuses on providing financial advisors with cutting-edge resources and strategies to deliver more fully for client in today’s highly complex and competitive marketplace.

Shaun began his career in Wealth Management over a decade ago, after attending Adelphi University in Long Island, New York. Shaun has held various leadership roles after beginning his career as a Financial Advisor in 2010.

David began his career with AT&T in the Network Technology Organization, and over time has been featured on NBC, Fox, ABC, EBONY, Black Enterprise, & more. During his time with the company, he has held a number of roles and assignments from Training, Data Center management, Enterprise support, Customer Experience, and Chief of Staff.

In these roles David has created deep-link HTML marketing initiatives that garner 90 million monthly impressions, led Competitive Intelligence which helped shape AT&T's Mobile First strategy, our employee discounts, has been responsible for supporting several Fortune500 companies encompassing $120M in revenue, and authored two patents for Reprogrammable RFID and bridging satellite and LTE technology.

In his current role, David is responsible for hyper-automation & emerging technology to transform Customer/Employee Experience and Cost Structure for his organization. He leads the largest Robotics Process Automation program worldwide. His innovations are driving change across the company as his team has developed 600+ Bots automating 70M contacts, realizing $400M in operating income at over 3,000% ROI. Additionally, he also invented & sponsored a decision engine driving $200M credit reduction annually.

David holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Dallas Baptist University, Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, Electronics Technical Platform, Six Sigma Green Belt, and Robotics Process Automation certifications. David is the 2021 Legacy Award recipient at Black Engineer of the Year STEM Global Conference, 2022 IT Team of the Year bronze Stevie Award, 2022 NSBE Outstanding Technical Contribution Award, 2x Dream in Black winner, 2x AT&T Champion of Diversity Award winner, a proud mentor of multiple Employee Groups, & Diversity Ambassador. David’s humble beginnings in the poorest corner of Dallas, TX and rise through a corporate giant is encapsulated in his recently released book entitled, Business Model. The Business Model book is one of the world’s first literary works, offering its own associated NFT, called ANOMALY. He enjoys continually giving back through Solar Robot Workshops to his community and abroad as he has traveled to India & Israel carrying the message that small ideas are still bright ideas. He also enjoys family activities, volunteering, fitness training, and motorcycle riding.

With over 12 years of experience working with youth and adults, Dr. Mason provides a client-centered approach while utilizing Adlerian Theory and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as a framework in practice. Dr. Mason is a two-time alumna of Bowie State University.  Earning his Bachelor of Science in Child and Adolescence Studies and Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology.  Dr. Mason is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor approved to practice in the state of Maryland by the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists. Dr. Mason also consults with public and private sectors including school districts, social service organizations, and/or non-profits to support Social and Emotional Learning components for staff and clients they serve. This top-down approach is provided from a high-level system thinking of organizational behavior gained while obtaining his doctoral degree at Drexel University's School of Education program in Educational Leadership and Management. He loves teaching and learning and has found his passion in educating future clinicians at the Bowie State University as an adjunct faculty professor in the graduate Counseling Psychology program. Dr. Mason loves giving back as an Adjunct Faculty member at the Bowie State University in the Counseling program.

Kevin Clayton is Senior Vice President, Head of Social Impact and Equity for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. He is responsible for developing and leading the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategic plan for Rock Entertainment Group, which includes the Cleveland Cavaliers, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland Charge, Cleveland Monsters and Cavs Legion Gaming Club. He also oversees the Cavs Community Relations team and the Cavaliers Community Foundation.

Clayton’s approach to diversity and inclusion is grounded in a belief that everyone is part of the DEI landscape. Through running community theme nights, hosting large scale events, building out local campaigns and executing various other efforts, Clayton’s approach has successfully delivered quantitative and qualitative results surrounding representation in the workforce, culture of the workplace, revenue from the marketplace and authentic community and fan engagement.

In addition to his leadership in the DEI space, Clayton oversees the team’s philanthropic efforts and programming that is driven by the Cavs Community Relations team. He also helps guide the operation and strategy of the Cavaliers Community Foundation, assisting in granting out funds to local non-profits that serve the youth and families throughout Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.

Clayton is the Vice Chair at the Urban League of Greater Cleveland, a non-profit organization with the mission to enable African Americans and other minority members to develop and exercise their potential on par with all other Americans through education, research, advocacy and provision of services. He is also a Board Member at various other organizations: Creating Healthier Communities, United Way of Greater Cleveland and the City Club of Cleveland.

Prior to joining the Cavs, Clayton was the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for Bon Secours Mercy Health, the fifth largest Catholic healthcare provider in the country. In his role as CDIO, he was responsible for developing, leading and implementing the ministry’s DEI plan across 7 States, affecting 50,000 employees. Clayton also led the language services, supplier diversity and executive talent functions.

Prior to joining Mercy Health, Clayton was the managing partner of JumpBall LLC, an entity that he founded in 2012. JumpBall had multiple lines of business that included management consulting, apparel, sports and entertainment. The company’s business model was structured to leverage the economic strength within multi-cultural communities that often are discounted, overlooked and/or underserved.

Clayton has also held the title of Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the United States Tennis Association and the American Cancer Society. In these roles, Clayton successfully transformed and elevated both entities’ diversity efforts from a community outreach strategy into a comprehensive business model.

Clayton’s most significant industry contribution was made during his tenure as Corporate VP of Global Diversity at Russell Corporation, parent company of Russell Athletic, Bike, Spalding, and Brooks, where he was responsible for developing the company’s global diversity strategy. He created and integrated an innovative concept into Russell’s culture called the “Diversity Profit Center” that delivered an incremental $30 million in revenue.

The profit center was the first of its kind, using profit and losses as a metric of success within a diversity department. It is still one of the few measurable case studies of diversity having a direct impact on revenue and profits. Clayton’s work with this initiative was cited in the October 2005 issue of The Harvard Business Review.

Kevin is a native of Cleveland, Ohio. He has 4 daughters, a granddaughter and a grandson. Kevin is a highly sought-after speaker and has been recognized in multiple national publications. He is an alum of North Carolina Central University and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration and Psychology from Wilmington College (Ohio) where he was a co-captain and student athlete on the basketball team.

Marc Washington is the Founder & CEO of Supergut, the leading gut health nutrition brand. His background spans a wide variety of leading consumer health businesses, including serving as the CEO of Irwin Naturals, a $100M+ supplements company and leading producer of soft-gel herbal formulas sold in over 90,000 retail outlets; President & COO of Beachbody, a $1B+ nutrition and fitness company with products including Shakeology health shakes, P90X, and the Beachbody-on-Demand digital platform; and working 9 years at The Wonderful Co, a $4B agriculture and food & beverage holding company, where he served in a variety of roles including as corporate CFO. Marc’s deep experience in the wellness industry inspired him to found Supergut to help people regain control of their health by harnessing the powerful science of the gut biome. Marc holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and B.S. from Princeton University, where he was Co-Captain of the Football team and an Academic All American. 

Maximillian L. Hamilton is the CEO & Founder of Rogue Media Group, LLC (RMG), a U.S. Veteran Owned & Operated Company. RMG is the premier multicultural advertising, marketing and media agency that leverage the power of business data, virtual & live experiences, digital media, social media, original content, advertisement and network affiliates to connect brands to an affluent, educated and influential target audience.

Headquartered in New York City, with operations in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit and Houston, RMG maintains a list of esteemed clients. Today, this list includes AARP, Belvedere Vodka; a LVMH Company, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Legal & General America, Lee Hecht Harrison, Lexus Automotive, Manulife Insurance , MetLife, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Square, Inc., and Toyota Motor North America. As one of the country’s leading multicultural agencies, RMG services its clients with General Market, Black, Hispanic, Asian and LGBT marketing & advertising, digital & traditional advertising, experiential marketing, diversity & inclusion and corporate social responsibility consulting. Additionally, Hamilton established partnerships with Asia American Business Development Center, Bloomberg, LP, Corporate Corporate Counsel Women of Color and the National Association of Black Hotel Owners & Operators.

Hamilton founded RMG in 2013 under the influence of Earl G. Graves Sr., (Founder & Publisher of Earl G. Graves Publishing Co./Black Enterprise and Richard “Dick” Parsons former chairman of Citigroup and the former chairman and CEO of Time Warner Communications). Hamilton brings more than two decades of experience in media, technology, marketing, strategy, business development and executive management experience to his role with the company. Under his leadership, Hamilton created these agency franchise programs: Arena Football Association Carrier Cup, iLeadership DEI Summit, FUEL; The Ultimate Men’s Summit, Harlem Whiskey Festival, TechCast; The Future of Cybersecurity Summit; Women of Influence Brunch Series; and the Business of Medicine Summit.

Prior to Rogue Media Group, LLC, Hamilton served as Director of Multimedia Sales of Earl G. Graves Publishing Co./Black Enterprise. Hamilton was responsible for all global sales and marketing activities within the beverage, government, military, technology and telecommunications categories. Hamilton brought Bacardi USA, BASF, CIA, Goldman Sachs & Co., IBM, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marines, and a portfolio of other enterprises to the company as roster clients to the publication. His focus was on Fortune 500 customer acquisitions, custom integrated media programs, improved operational efficiency, and execution, which led to significant company growth in excess of $30 million dollars during his tenure.

From 2002–2007, Hamilton was the Director of Advertising Sales for The Network Journal (TNJ). During his tenure, he spearheaded TNJ’s “25 Influential Women in Business” and “40 Under Forty” awards recognition programs. Additional, Hamilton created TNJ’s Top Black Lawyers and Top Black Doctors Forums. His client roster there included IBM, FedEx, GE, and Major League Baseball, Macy’s, to name a few.

Hamilton is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Air Force Reserve where he served with honors during tours of duty in England, Germany, Turkey and Panama. He held dual careers both in the aviation and healthcare industries. He was honorably discharged.

Today, Hamilton leadership extends beyond his C-suite at RMG. He contributes to many organizations and charities. Hamilton served as a senior advisory board member for Keep Rising for the Stars (KR3T), the National Association of African American in Human Resources, and ScottCare Foundation. He is a member of the Baltimore Black Chamber of Commerce, the Cincinnati African American Chamber, Advertising Club of New York, the Financial Communications Society and the National Black MBA Association. Hamilton earned his A.A.S. from Air University in 2007. In 2018, he received the Made Man Award, presented to him by Hakeem Jeffries, U.S. Representative for New York's 8th congressional district.

Robert Jones is the President & CEO of ASJ Enterprises, a consumer products company and CEO of a family global venture investment portfolio.

Prior to these roles and before his retirement in November 2020, Robert spent 30 years with GE, where most recently, he spent nine plus years in the position of Senior Executive, Human Resources for GE Aviation’s Global Engineering organization, supporting teams in the U.S., India, Mexico, Italy, Turkey, Poland, Germany, Brazil, Prague, UK and China. The function was recognized with four GE Chairman Awards for Technology Leadership from 2013-2015. Before joining GE Aviation, he spent thirteen plus years as the Executive HR Business Partner for the Sales Finance P&L in GE Capital, the business grew to a $1B net income enterprise and was recognized with four GE Chairman Awards for outstanding growth and performance from 2006-2010. He spent seven years early in his career with GE Plastics.

Robert served on the GE Corporate Diversity Council and as Global Operating Leader for the African American Forum from 2009-2011 and was awarded the organizations ICON award for HR Leadership in 2002. He has been recognized for his community leadership by National Dental Association, Wesley Center, Young Scholars Program, Carma Foundation and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He currently serves on four non-profit boards in Cincinnati, Ohio and is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.

Bruce Jackson is an Associate General Counsel/strategic business advisor with over 32 years of experience assisting public and privately held companies grow their businesses. Bruce’s career reflects a demonstrated track record in supporting successful large-scale transformation in domestic and global markets. He has been successful in helping customers in regulated industries meet their regulatory requirements when migrating to the cloud. He brings a broad range of skills including technical, leadership, business management, and creative thinking. He also brings deep privacy and security experience through his work with customers migration to the cloud.

Bruce Jackson supported the Global Sales, Marketing & Operations (GSMO) for the U.S. In this role, he led the engagement of a $20 billion business and managed a team in excess of (20) twenty professionals.  Currently, Bruce is the Associate General Counsel/Managing Director of Strategic Partnership out of the office of the president.

Bruce began his career at Microsoft in 2000 as corporate counsel for the Digital Media Division. Determined to play a pioneering role in digital media, Bruce accepted Microsoft’s offer to work for the top technology company while supporting and learning from a regulatory and technical development standpoint. He was one of the first attorneys coming out of the music industry where music was being distributed in a physical format to work with a company that supported a different form of distribution that no one envisioned.

As the founding and managing partner of a successful entertainment law firm where he was responsible for all aspects of budgeting, planning, accounting, marketing, and client development. However, Bruce started his career as a tax attorney where he advised corporate clients.

Bruce is also a passionate proponent for diversity and Inclusion. He received numerous internal and external awards and honors including, but not limited to, an industry best practice award by the ABA. He is a founding Member of Microsoft’s diversity committee. He also presented several times to the Financial Service Committee, Chaired by Congresswoman Maxine Waters, on diversity and inclusion.

Bruce received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Hofstra University and a JD and an LL.M in Taxation from Georgetown University law Center

Richard Levychin, CPA, CGMA is a Partner in the firm’s Commercial Audit and Assurance practice where he focuses on both privately and publicly held companies. Richard has over 35 years of accounting, auditing, business advisory services, and tax experience working with both privately owned and public entities in various industries including media, entertainment, real estate, manufacturing, not-for-profit, technology, retail, technology, and professional services. His experience also includes expertise with SEC filings, initial public offerings, and compliance with regulatory bodies. As a business adviser, he counsels companies and organizations, helping them identify and define their business and financial objectives and then providing them with the ongoing personal attention necessary to help them achieve their established goals.

Richard has written articles on a wide range of topics, which have been featured in several periodicals including Dollars and Sense, New York Enterprise Report, Black Enterprise Magazine, Forbes, Business Insider, and The Network Journal. He has also conducted seminars on a wide range of business topics including SEC matters and taxation for several organizations including the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference, the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (New York chapter), and the Learning Annex.

Richard is a member of several organizations including the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, the National Association of Tax Professionals, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Richard was a founding member of the AICPA’s National Diversity and Inclusion Commission. He has also served as a member of the Governing Council of the AICPA, which is the governing body that oversees and sets policies for the AICPA. Richard is a member and a former board member of the New York Chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (“EO”), a dynamic, global network of more than 14,000 business owners in over 50 countries.

In 2018 Richard was a recipient of the 5 Chamber Alliance MWBE Award from the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce. In 2016 Richard was presented with the 2016 Arthur Ashe Leadership Award. In 2015 Richard was presented by his alma mater Baruch College with the Baruch College Alumni Association’s “Alumni Leadership Award for Business”. In 2013 Richard received the title of Best Accountant from The New York Enterprise Report. Richard is a past winner of The Network Journal’s prestigious “40 Under 40” award.

Richard is a graduate of Baruch College, where he received a Bachelor’s in Business Administration Degree (Accounting).

Scorpio Rogers is an Assistant Dean and Assistant Professor at Mercy College in the School of Business on the Bronx Campus. He is the Director of Entrepreneurship for the School of Business across all campuses where amongst other things he manages the annual Student-Preneur Conference and Business Plan Competition. He is also the Executive Director of the Mercy Business Incubation Center (MIC) tasked with aiding in the growth of start-up and bourgeoning entrepreneurial businesses. Additionally, he is the advisor to the Mercy chapter of CEO, Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization, a student-run organization that fosters entrepreneurship amongst college students.

Steve currently serves as is CEO of Kingwood-based GrowthForce, one of the nation’s largest cloud-based client accounting services practice. Before opening GrowthForce, he was President of Insperity Financial Management Services. That division was created from the acquisition of Virtual Growth Incorporated, the first ever web-based client accounting service, which Steve founded in 1995 in New York City’s Silicon Alley. Previous to Virtual Growth, Steve was CFO of Amnesty International USA, starting three weeks after U2, Bruce Springsteen, Peter Gabriel, Sting and other friends completed the Human Rights Now! worldwide tour and grew 300%. Four years later he became Director of Development, raising $20M each year for three years. He learned how an enterprise accounting system at Ernst & Young where he spent another seven years building global management accounting systems as manager of accounting system design. His years at Amnesty International reinforced Steve’s life-long commitment to giving back to the community through charitable causes.

Sean Harden is a product of the South Side of Chicago. He was raised by a close-knit family where the concept of achievement meant leveraging individual strengths and a network of relationships—not only for individual benefit but for the benefit of your family and the community. It was an environment where strong work ethic and lifelong personal development were not only goals—they were a way of life. This is where he learned to ask bold questions, take on new challenges, and embrace his entrepreneurial spirit.

As a leader, practitioner, and voice for positive change, Sean combines his technical skills in negotiating and structuring complex deals with his workforce and economic development background to uncover opportunities that achieve financial returns and create tangible social impact. He is also a trusted advisor to both civic and business leaders and is often engaged to provide counsel on strategy and execution.

In 2016, Sean directed all of the real estate acquisition construction and management activities in Chicago for Greenlining Realty USA—a national real estate development firm. He led the team that delivered the first blockwide real estate development in more than three decades in Chicago’s West Woodlawn neighborhood.

As part of this effort, Sean structured and negotiated the multimillion-dollar investment that funded the development of nine single family homes and managed the day-to-day construction. The first sale—a renovated +120-year-old property in the Woodlawn Pointe development— outperformed ROI projections.

In January 2022, Sean founded Hard Wright Development – a commercial and residential real estate development and consulting firm that focuses on driving comprehensive neighborhood redevelopment and revitalization.

Since 2013, Sean has also led his own advisory firm, Harden Wright Consultant Group, providing strategic planning, grant administration, organizational and business development, performance management, government relations, and community engagement expertise to small and mid-sized businesses and non-profit organizations.

Previously, as the CEO and President of Goodcity, Sean created new revenue streams for its business and non-profit incubator by migrating the organization to a fee-for-service consulting, training, and resource management model. From 2009 to 2011, he served as the Deputy CEO of Community Affairs for Chicago Public Schools where he led a $10M effort to contract with community-based organizations throughout the city—an initiative that provided mentoring support to high school students at risk of violence.

The trajectory of Sean’s career began as a job developer with the Blue Gargoyle Youth Service Center. Based on a success in helping place dozens of young men and women into jobs, he was offered a Project Manager position with the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development. He quickly advanced into a Director role where he created thousands of employment opportunities across the Chicago metropolitan area with blue-chip enterprises like Ford Motor Company and Boeing.

In 2005, in the midst of a government restructuring, he was recruited by the Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) to join the Chicago office and their mission to create socially and economically vibrant neighborhoods. As the Program Officer for the Great Neighborhoods Initiative, he underwrote loans that funded catalytic projects in Chicago’s low- and moderate-income (LMI) neighborhoods. In addition, he provided grants and technical assistance that supported community-driven development and revitalization in Chicago’s Woodlawn, Pilsen, Humboldt Park, and Englewood communities.

Sean’s service and leadership contributions to the Chicago community extend beyond his role as an executive leader. He is a member and the current chair of two Board of Directors, Friend Health Center—the sixth-largest federally qualified health center in Illinois and Inner Voice a nonprofit dedicated to providing affordable housing and support services to families and individuals including returning citizens and Veterans.

Sean’s education includes Business Administration and Marketing Studies at Morehouse College in Atlanta as well as numerous certifications, including Certified Construction Manager (in progress) and Project Management Certification from DePaul University’s Egan Urban Center. He was a participant in the by-invitation only Civic Leadership Program sponsored by the University of Illinois. He has also completed certifications in Financial Understanding & Analysis and Effective Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Utilization.

Bilal is a native of Cleveland, Ohio but he considers himself a “global citizen”. Born November 20, 1958, to Rasool and Doris, he is a husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, mentor and friend to many. Professionally, he is a retired and decorated Cleveland Firefighter, having the honor of serving the citizens of Cleveland for 33 years. The last 7 years, serving in the capacity as the Director of EAP (Employee Assistance Program). The experience of counseling his fellow public safety brothers and sisters profoundly changed his life and inspired him to create the CODE MEDIA GROUP LLC and begin to publish CODE M Magazine. He realized there was no media outlets speaking to “men of color” about the issues of life. The journey began on Feb. 2017 and now, almost 6 years and 34 published issues later, CODE M Magazine is becoming a go to source for men of color and changing the narrative and imagery of men, globally!

CODE MEDIA GROUP LLC is the umbrella company for CODE M Magazine, CODE M Cigars, the CODE M Foundation (a 501(c)3 non-profit), CODE M Radio and on the horizon, CODE M Conversations and CODE M Clothing. CODE M Magazine has garnered media partnerships with the United States Black Chambers of Commerce, The Federal Reserve Bank in Cleveland, Tri-C College, Step Forward, MetroParks and by the 1st quarter of 2023, Major League Soccer.

Bilal also owns Platinum Transportation CLE LLC since 2008. A black car service. He has serviced a wide variety of individuals including Tom Hamks, Hill Harper, Al Sharpton, Rich Paul and many other high profile individuals, music groups pastors, etc.

Bilal enjoys traveling, reading, attending concerts and meeting people. He has traveled to more than 15 foreign countries, had 2 apartments in Shenzhen, China and has personal and business contacts all over the globe.

Bilal obtained both his Bachelors (BA) in religious studies and master’s in psychology (MA) with specialization Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) from Cleveland State University. He has an Associate Chaplain certificate from One Accord Ministries, CEAP certificate from the Employee Assistance Professional Association. He is a member of the 100 Black Men (Cleveland chapter).