2SDBC.ORG - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• President and CEO of Slice Communications

Cass (Oryl) Bailey is the president and CEO of Slice Communications, an integrated communications agency in Philadelphia, certified woman owned business, and 2019 Best Places to Work. Slice Communications has fully dedicated public relations and social media teams that provides clients with actionable content and data-oriented approaches. Cass believes that integrated public relations and social media efforts are vital to accomplishing business goals when looking to grow and expand awareness of a company.

Job Titles:

• PUBLIC RELATIONS & COMMUNICATIONS

Cass (Oryl) Bailey is the president and CEO of Slice Communications, an integrated communications agency in Philadelphia, certified woman owned business, and 2019 Best Places to Work. Slice Communications has fully dedicated public relations and social media teams that provides clients with actionable content and data-oriented approaches. Cass believes that integrated public relations and social media efforts are vital to accomplishing business goals when looking to grow and expand awareness of a company.

Job Titles:

• Member of City Council

Job Titles:

• President at the Enterprise Center

Della Clark has been the president of The Enterprise Center since 1992. The Enterprise Center serves many roles in Philadelphia and beyond: it engages nearby residents and develops community real estate projects, it directly supports aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly those of color, and it distributes capital to help those entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Della's many accomplishments over her 27 years as the president of The Enterprise Center include: the renovations of the birthplace of American Bandstand, the development of civic and youth engagement programs, The Walnut Hill Community Farm, a food business incubator called the Dorrance H. Hamilton Center for Culinary Enterprises, and over $6,000,000 in loan funds disbursed, as well as over

Job Titles:

• Board Member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
• President and CEO African American Chamber of Commerce
• President and Chief Executive Officer of the African - American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania

Doris Carson Williams is President and Chief Executive Officer of the African-American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania. The mission of the chamber is to continuously promote access and opportunities for African- American business owners and professionals. Since Williams opened the office in 1998, the chamber has grown from 28 to more than 500 paid members and corporate sponsors and is ranked second among Black Chambers nationally. Williams serves as Board Member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland Advisory Council for Small Business, Vice Chairman of the Housing Authority Commission/City of Pittsburgh, the Ben Franklin Technology Development Board, The Pennsylvania Society, and the Allegheny County Redevelopment Authority. In addition, Williams serves as Vice chair of the Highmark Foundation. Williams earned a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Hartford, is a graduate of Fairfield University's School of Banking & Finance and the University of Pittsburgh-Katz School of Business.

Job Titles:

• Director of Temple University

Job Titles:

• Attorney
• Leader

George Burrell has been a leader in the business, civic, and political affairs of Philadelphia for more than 30 years. He served as a ranking official in the administrations of two mayors; a member of Philadelphia City Council; president of a minority-owned investment management business; general counsel to one of America's premier African-American-owned businesses; and a partner in two prominent Philadelphia law firms. George brings the knowledge and experience he has developed as a lawyer, businessman, and public official to clients as an Of Counsel member of Kleinbard's Business and Finance Department and a member of the Firm's Government Relations Group. George advises clients on building effective relationships with state, local, and federal officials; advocating on public policy and legislative initiatives; and competing for public and private sector procurement opportunities. He also serves as a strategic adviser to for-profit and nonprofit executives and board members on issues with public implications related to long-range planning and crisis management, and the development of coordinated corporate messaging for public affairs and government relations departments. George's work with two African-American-owned businesses with national reputations has positioned him to understand the unique challenges faced by minority- and women-owned companies.

Formerly, Harold was the Vice-Chairman of the Board of PRWT Services and served as PRWT's President and CEO from 2007 - 2014. PRWT Services is one of America's largest minority-owned firms and a $100M provider of high-performance business solutions, facilities management and infrastructure support services. Prior executive roles include Quadrant, Menasha Corporation and Polaroid, where Harold led subsidiaries and divisions with annual revenues up to $175M and 2,000 employees. Epps' personal commitment to workforce development and business opportunity diversity and inclusion drive his civic and board activities. Harold is currently a member of the North Carolina Central University Board of Trustees and Co-Chairman of the Comcast National African-American Advisory Council. He also serves on the following Boards: Philadelphia International Airport Advisory Board, Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC), Delaware River Waterfront Corporation, Select Greater Philadelphia, Global Philadelphia Association and PHLCVB, among others. Formerly, Harold served as the Chairman of the African-American Museum of Philadelphia and was an executive committee member of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and The Urban League of Philadelphia. Harold holds a Master of Business Administration from Western New England College and a Bachelor of Science degree from North Carolina Central University.

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• Director of STEM Education Outreach & Research

Ms. Bracey is an experienced education "engineer", policy leader and advocate with national and international success producing STEM talent and entrepreneurs. She has experience leading cross functional teams and creating scalable strategies that increase institutional diversity, inclusion and competitiveness in targeted economic markets. Dr. Jamie M. Bracey is the Director of Temple University's new Center for Inclusive Competitiveness, housed at the College of Engineering. The Center's mandate is to advance inclusive economic mobility through STEM pathways leading to careers and business startups in urban sustainability industries. Dr. Bracey's systems thinking has yielded international recognition for scalable pre-college programs in engineering and computer science for African American and Hispanic/Latinx students. In addition to applied research, she is a thought leader for the City of Philadelphia Digital Literacy Alliance, the Pennsylvania Department of Education's STEM Advisory Board, the PA Computer Science for All initiative, the STEMbees Girls in STEM NGO Board (Ghana), the KAD ICT Advisory Board (Nigeria), the PA Black Women Leadership Council's Equity Investment Fund and the PA Governor's Advisory Council on Diversity, Inclusion and Small Business Opportunities. She has recently been recognized by the Philadelphia Business Journal as a 2018 "Change Agent" for Education, named a Fellow of the Global African Scientific Institute and is the proud recipient the 2018 George Washington Carver Science Fair Lifetime Achievement Award for STEM Advocacy.

Job Titles:

• Executive Director of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia
• Executive Director, Economy League of Philadelphia

Jeff Hornstein serves as the Executive Director of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia. Until January 2018, Jeff served at the Director of Financial & Policy Analysis for the Philadelphia City Controller. As such he advised Controller Alan L. Butkovitz and works on critical issues relating to Philadelphia's fiscal health. In the past 3.5 years the Policy Unit produced numerous data-driven policy analyses on topics including the City's property tax system, tax delinquency, and receivables issues, tax incentive programs, charter school finances, the efficacy of the City's tourism and convention promotion entities, and the state of retirement security in Philadelphia. In collaboration with the City's Commerce Department, he is coordinated a major citywide an initiative to increase local spending by Philadelphia's major eds-and-meds anchor institutions. In his civic life, Jeff serves on the boards of Queen Village Neighbors Association, a civic association in Philadelphia, as well as the Philadelphia Crosstown Coalition, a citywide organization representing 25 civic associations. He helped convene the Friends of Neighborhood Education, a citywide initiative to build community support for neighborhood public schools. He is also a participant in the Economy League's Greater Philadelphia Leadership Exchange and ran for City Council in 2011. After leaving academia in 2001 with a PhD in business history and publication of a well-regarded book on the real estate industry "A Nation of Realtors," Jeff spent a decade in the labor movement. He helped low-wage workers in the service and education sectors build workplace and political power. Born in Brooklyn, a product of public schools in Matawan, NJ, with degrees from MIT, Penn, and the Maryland, he has called Philadelphia home since 2001.

Job Titles:

• President and CEO - Greater Philadelphia / Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

For over 20 years, Jennifer has worked to empower underserved groups by helping amplify their voice and increase their engagement at the city and regional levels. In her role as the President & CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber, Jennifer focuses on initiatives that ‘close the gap for Latinos in the economy. Her work centers on highlighting the contributions of Latinos while supporting the growth of 22,000+ Hispanic-owned businesses in the region and the advancement of Hispanic professionals. Prior to joining GPHCC, Jennifer was Executive Director of the Philadelphia Mayor's Office of Immigrant and Multicultural Affairs, where she championed policies that have earned Philadelphia a national reputation as a welcoming city. She sits on various boards, including the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Reading Terminal Market Corporation, and is the recipient of various awards, including the 2013 NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award and the Philadelphia Business Journal's Minority Business Leaders Award. She was a 2014 Leadership for Change Fellow at Drexel University. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Jennifer holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Boston University and a master's degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania. She lives in Philadelphia with her partner, Sharrieff Ali and their dog, Ginger.

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• Director of Philadelphia Government Office - Pugliese Associates

Joann has established a distinguished record of achievement in her professional life, which has accrued to the direct benefit of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and its citizens. She is a former Special Projects Manager for Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation. In that capacity, Joann participated in the development of private and public works projects with a collective value of over fifty million dollars. She is an expert in communication, management and public affairs. Joann was the first appointed Executive Director of the Governor's Advisory Commission on African American Affairs in 1992 under then Governor Robert P. Casey. The commission is one of only three such commissions in the United States. Ms. Bell coordinated the activities of a twenty-five-member commission and served as an important liaison between the Governor's office and the African American community in Pennsylvania. The commission through Ms. Bell's leadership is one of the Commonwealth's most effective advocates for African Americans in areas such as legislation, education, economic development, health, housing, and human services. Ms. Bell also served the City of Philadelphia as the Director of the Mayor's Office of Affirmative Action and as a Special Assistant to former Mayor W. Wilson Goode. In 2008 Joann was appointed to the Philadelphia Department of Human Services Oversight Board by former Mayor Michael Nutter, and in 2012 she was appointed by Governor Tom Corbett to serve on the Board of the Delaware River Port Authority.

Job Titles:

• President and CEO of Omicelo

As a real estate investment expert & asset manager who's passionate about neighborhood change, "investing" means more than acquiring property. It means infusing people and places with value, year after year. From Mr. Pollard's humble beginnings to career on Wall Street, he has seen communities crumble under the weight of both disinvestment and insensitive over-development. Watching each of these phenomena has driven him to study how people living in neighborhoods on the cusp of significant change manage to thrive and have led Mr. Pollard to formulate strategies that improve neighborhoods, the livelihood of existing community members and the broader local economy. Having built expertise in finance, equity, debt & credit within commercial and residential real estate; drawing upon his global network of investors & change makers, the outlook he has developed revolutionizes the way we approach real estate investment and asset management. Mr. Pollard sees it as holistic & multifaceted, requiring systems to work together if we are to develop truly sustainable communities. This is also what makes his company, Omicelo, unique. Omicelo is a mission-driven real estate investment firm that creates comprehensive economic change in the communities the company invests in, without causing unnecessary displacement. Their primary focus is on building Home | Health | Wealth. Omicelo has developed groundbreaking strategies, like the Family Navigators program, which connects tenants with services so they can meet their health goals and financial obligations. Joshua founded Omicelo in 2014, driven by the belief that real estate investment must be approached holistically in order to achieve truly sustainable communities. As a US real estate and financial management expert, Joshua led US housing research for Goldman Sachs throughout the Great Recession and was responsible for a $100 million portfolio of real estate securities at Pine River Capital Management. He has received numerous awards, including an addition to the Forbes' 30 under 30 list. He currently serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations.

Job Titles:

• Deputy Secretary for Diversity,  Inclusion  &  Small Business Opportunities, Pennsylvania Department of General Services

Mr. Kirkland serves as the senior public official to represent and advise Governor Tom Wolf's Administration and the Department on all matters related to the development of statewide policies and programs to substantially increase the participation of small diverse businesses (SDBs) and small businesses (SBs) in Commonwealth contracting and in Pennsylvania's overall economy. Under his leadership, the Department of General Services (DGS) recently released the results of the 2018 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Disparity Study, which provides critical information to help DGS implement a constitutionally sound SDB Program. The study includes analyses of the participation of minority, women, disabled, veteran, and LGBT owned businesses in prime contracts and subcontracts that DGS awarded during the study period (July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2016). He formally served as Associate Deputy Administrator and Regional Administrator, US Small Business Administration; Mr. Kirkland was responsible for administering all SBA disaster relief programs for the Mid-Atlantic Region. Vice President, US Black Chamber of Commerce and Executive Director, Pennsylvania Democratic Party. Mr. Kirkland is the Co-Founder of the American Contract Compliance Association, the largest membership-based contract compliance training organization in the world. He is the founder of the African American Political and Leadership Roundtable. Mr. Kirkland served with a four-member delegation from the United States to South Africa. While there, he facilitated equity management training and provided technical advice to members of President Nelson Mandela's leadership team. Mr. Kirkland is the recipient of numerous distinguished awards including the W.E.B. Dubois Award for Excellence, the Parren J. Mitchell Award for Outstanding Minority Business Development Service, the Arthur A. Fletcher Vanguard Award and the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus Civil Rights Award. He holds a Master's Degree in Human Services (MHS) from Lincoln University. He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity; Inc. Mr. Kirkland is an Honorably Discharged United States Air Force (Viet Nam) Veteran.

Job Titles:

• Chief Executive Officer and President of the 360 Group of Companies

Michael Allen Brown is President and Chief Executive Officer of The 360 Group of Companies (360 GOC). The 360 GOC and its affiliates are engineering, construction and facilities management firms that specialize in using technology to increase the efficacy of building maintaining and operating facilities. Through the use of advanced building information modeling techniques and a vast expertise in commercial buildings, the 360 GOC and its affiliates are at the forefront of combining proven best practices with innovative new technologies to seamlessly merge 3D designs with enterprise asset management solutions. Michael's portfolio of work includes over 20 years in the engineering, manufacturing, installation, maintenance and delivery of commercial MEP systems for large profile clients such as: Washington Dulles International Airport, University of Pennsylvania, Geisinger Medical, US DOD and Penn State. He has received awards from the U.S. Small Business Administration (Eastern Pennsylvania Minority Contractor of the Year, 2015), Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce (2015 Technological Excellence Award), INC 500 (229 Fastest Growing Privately Held Company in the U.S. 2015, 4 th Fastest Growing Construction Company), African American Chamber (Game Changer Award, 2016). Michael is a contributing member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, a member of the Society of American Military Engineers, a senior member of the Association of Energy Engineers, and a Certified Energy Manager. He was a Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Past Board Member of the Sheet Metal and Air-Conditioning Contractors National Association where he is a member of the national legislative committee and the taskforce responsible for developing the standard for total system air leakage for HVAC air distribution systems. He is a past Board Member of the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) and a past Foundation Board Member of Philadelphia Community College. Michael is a past co-chair of the supplier platform for the Consortium for Building Energy Innovation (CBEI), a Department of Energy innovation hub. He currently chairs the committee for Real Estate and Construction for the Philadelphia Regulatory Reform Commission. Michael holds two Bachelor's Degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Spanish from Florida State University and a Master's in Business Administration from Saint Joseph's University where he graduated top of his Executive MBA class. He is also a graduate of the first cohort of Goldman Sach's 10,000 Small Businesses program in Philadelphia.

Job Titles:

• Chairman and CEO of Horsey
• INDEPENDENT AUDITOR

Michael G. Horsey, CPA is the Chairman and CEO of Horsey, Buckner & Heffler LLP. Michael was a Partner of Mitchell & Titus' Philadelphia office. Michael has more than 40 years of experience in audit, taxation and financial analysis with a focus on serving not-for-profit organizations, state and local government agencies and private clients. Prior to joining Mitchell & Titus, Michael spent several years at Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) and Johnson & Johnson Co. Michael earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Finance and Commerce. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA); the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) and the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants. He is also a member of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), and the Union League of Philadelphia. Michael currently serves on the Board of the African America Museum of Philadelphia; the Avenue of the Arts, Inc.; Mu Omega Foundation; the Black Women in Sports Foundation; and the Ivy Legacy Foundation. He previously served on the Board of the Police Athletic League, the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, and the African American Chamber of Commerce.

Job Titles:

• Chairman of the Board at Illinicare Health

Michael Rashid is a pioneer in the Medicaid managed care landscape, helping to ensure there is access to quality and affordable health care to the "people most in need." With his vision, passion, and leadership, Michael will work with the leadership team to develop innovative healthcare solutions and advance IlliniCare Health's mission of transforming the health of the community, one person at a time.  Before joining IlliniCare Health, Michael spent nearly 20 years with AmeriHealth Caritas holding multiple leadership positions, including CEO. As CEO of AmeriHealth Caritas, Michael was instrumental in growing the company from a 500,000-member organization serving Medicaid recipients in the Philadelphia region into a 5 million-member organization serving people in 15 states and Washington DC During his four decades in health care, Michael led federally qualified health centers, health plans and other entities dedicated to making quality health care accessible for all. Michael holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of Southern California and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. He serves on numerous boards, including Drexel University and Independence Mission Schools.

As a member of City Council, Councilmember Green chairs the Committee on Finance and Disabilities and serves as the Vice Chair of the Committees on Aging and Law and Government. Additionally, he serves as the Chair of the Philadelphia Gas Commission, Board Director for the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, Board Director for the Democratic Municipal Officials, Board Director for the National League of Cities, Regional Director for the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials, and 1st Vice President for the Pennsylvania Municipal League. Before his election, Councilmember Green was the Special Counsel to Councilmember Marian B. Tasco. In this capacity, he proposed and drafted legislation as well as reviewed and monitored local, state, and federal legislation. He also served as counsel to the Philadelphia Gas Commission Chair and the Committees on Finance and Public Health and Human Services and managed various Council hearings and meetings with constituents and executives. Prior to working in City Council, Councilmember Green served as a Deputy City Solicitor in the Housing and Community Development Division of the Corporate Group of the City's Law Department. As a Deputy City Solicitor, he represented the Offices of Housing and Community Development and Neighborhood Transformation Initiatives, Commerce Department, and Vacant Property Review Committee and annually drafted, negotiated, and reviewed over $100 million in housing and economic development contracts funded by the City, PA Department of Community and Economic Development, and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Additionally, Councilmember Green's legal experience includes positions as an Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia and Assistant Deputy Attorney General for the State of Delaware (Securities and Criminal Divisions). He is admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and State of New Jersey. He is also a graduate of the University of Virginia and Temple University School of Law and is a member of the Center for Progressive Leadership's inaugural class of Political Leadership Fellows and served as a faculty member and alumni Board Director. Furthermore, the Pennsylvania Law Weekly named Councilmember Green as a Lawyer on the Fast Track, Cheyney University honored him with the President's Outstanding Community Leader Award, Community College of Philadelphia presented him with their Distinguished Leadership Award, Democratic Municipal Officials awarded him with their President's Award, Urban Education Fund honored him with the Gimper Award for Outstanding Service, Bensalem High School honored him with its first Distinguished Alumni Award, Leadership Philadelphia selected him as one of the region's key connectors and leaders, Metro Philadelphia selected him as one of 6 new young political leaders, and the Philadelphia Daily News named him one of the 10 under 40 rising political stars. In 2018, he was selected as NewDEAL Leader.

Job Titles:

• INDEPENDENT ADVISOR

Ray Jones offers uniform guard service and safety consulting, specializing in emergency management consulting, disaster preparedness and recovery. He is dedicated to the principles of trust and lawfulness and works closely with local law enforcement to insure proper and timely responses in the event of an emergency. Mr. Jones has been successful in developing on-site specific training tailored to the needs of the client, in addition to the state training and certifications his officers receive. All services are documented, tracked and recorded to ensure sufficiency and effectiveness. Mr. Jones has immense experience, including Captain of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in New Brunswick, NJ Police Department for 8 years, and holds numerous certifications, notably the Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.) Instructors Certification and the Incident Command System (I.C.S.) 200 Instructor Certification.

Job Titles:

• Founder and CEO of Forge Intellectual Capital

Tim is a serial entrepreneur with almost three decades of experience in team building, strategic execution, and governance within the venture and private equity, and technology markets. He has devoted his career to causes that focus on social issues through finance to broaden wealth opportunities. Tim has a diverse range of executive level management and sales skills in corporate, institutional finance, and business startup environments with significant expertise in investments and operations. Tim is the Founder and CEO of Forge Intellectual Capital, LLC a consulting firm providing strategy and advice to managers, asset gatherers, and CFOs in the Private Equity and Public Finance sectors. He leads the investment strategy practice at Forge. From 2015 to 2017, Tim served as the Treasurer of the Commonwealth of PA. He was the investment chair with direct responsibility for a $20 billion investment portfolio. Under his tenure, current assets under management increased to historic highs and he was awarded another $2 billion in assets to manage. While in office, Tim created an Emerging Manager and Impact investment program with a total committed capital of $700 million. During a fractured political environment, Tim demonstrated exceptional leadership and the ability to build consensus by successfully guiding a $90 billion annual operation. From 2000 - 2015, he led a private debt and equity investment practice into lower and middle market companies in the pharmaceutical and technology markets partnering with Perella Weinberg Partners and Morgan Stanley. Prior to this, as a CXO, he built out the sales and operations of three North America based tech companies in the lower and middle market, which were later acquired or rolled up by CDW, Red Hat, and AEP Networks. He has a passion for finance which is fueled by a goal to see his clients and investors live a life of dignity earned through the successful performance of their investments. He is equally compelled by social causes that strengthen communities and broaden the aspects for wealth creation. He has been a regular guest speaker on entrepreneurship and finance; and co-founded two programs aimed at responsible investing. From 2011 to 2014, he Chaired a non-profit focused on financial literacy, and from 2005 - 2015, he was a founding member of a nationally recognized investment club in partnership with Ben Franklin Technology called Minority Angel Investors Network (MAIN) which focused on women and minority startups - an early forerunner of ESG related investing. Tim's Ben Franklin Technology Board experience includes his participation on the Investment, Nominating/Governance and Corporate Development Committees. He is an independent director at Farol Asset Management and the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). His prior board experience includes Delaware River Port Authority, Commonwealth of PA Teacher and Employee's Pension Boards, and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He holds FINRA licenses Series 7, 79, 52, and 63. Tim earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Electronics Technology from Temple University and was a Fellow at the Temple University Fox School of Business.