PART 2: WEDNESDAY APRIL 29TH
- BIOS & SESSION TIMES -
Clifton Taulbert
Author | Consultant | Speaker
HOW YOUR BUSINESS CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PAUSE
Wednesday April 29th - Webinar Session @ 1:05PM - 1:35PM EST
According to Clifton L. Taulbert, noted author and entrepreneur businessman, he could have failed had he not encountered community builders and entrepreneurial thinkers early on in his life. Taulbert was born on the Mississippi Delta during the era of legal segregation where he completed his secondary education. Though opportunities were few and barriers were plentiful, Taulbert managed to dream of being successful, not knowing the shape that success would take. Today Taulbert is the President and CEO of the Freemount Corporation (a human capital development company) serving clients nationally and internationally-Fortune 500 Companies, small businesses, federal agencies, professional organizations, community colleges and K-12 leadership. Additionally, entrepreneur Taulbert is the President and CEO of Roots Java Coffee-an African-American owned national coffee brand, importing coffee from Africa. To pass his life lessons along, Taulbert shares his entrepreneurial journey with others as a Thrive15.com mentor.
Following high school graduation and a short banking career in Saint Louis, Taulbert enlisted in the United States Air force. After successfully serving in the 89th Presidential Wing of the United States Air Force in the late 1960s, Taulbert was honorably discharged and continued his college education, graduating from Oral Roberts University and the Southwest Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University. During those years, Taulbert was quietly writing. His first book Once Upon A Time When We Were Colored became a national best seller, a major motion picture and a requested gift for Nelson Mandela upon his release from prison. Eight Habits of the Heart, one of Taulbert’s thirteen books garnered him an invitation by former Supreme Court Justice, Sandra day O’Connor to address members of the court and their invited guests. Taulbert’s literary work ignited the journey that has taken him throughout the world. As a recognized thought leader on the issues of community, Taulbert has lectured at Harvard University Principals Center and the United States Air Force Academy. Taulbert also serves as a knowledge source content provider to Korn Ferry International.
Stephanie Humphrey
TechLifeSteph
IS YOUR BRAND READY TO PIVOT?
Wednesday, April 29 - Webinar Session @ 1:40PM EST
Tech-Life Expert Stephanie Humphrey is a former engineer who merges her passion for lifestyle media with in-depth tech expertise to show everyday people how empowering, enriching and fun technology can be. Stephanie is driven by the sole purpose of connecting people, particularly those underrepresented in technology, with the tech know-how to transform their worlds.
Stephanie is currently a technology contributor for ABC News where she serves as part of the nationally-syndicated Strahan Sara & Keke team. Before that, she spent two years as the technology contributor to daytime talk show The Harry Show, hosted by Harry Connick, Jr. She’s also been a guest expert on the daytime morning show Home & Family on The Hallmark Channel, and Sister Circle Live on TV One. Stephanie was a frequent guest on NewsOne with Roland Martin and has also contributed her tech-life expertise to other national media outlets including Al-Jazeera America, HuffPostLive, TheGrio.com, and BlackEnterprise.com. She was the regular on-air tech contributor to Fox 29’s Good Day Philadelphia (WTXF) where she delivered tech news from 2012-2019. Stephanie spent three years as the technology writer for EBONY.com and a contributor to EBONY magazine, where she provided readers with the latest in apps, gadgets, and social media. She was the originator of the popular Tech2Go column on TheRoot.com, and spent two years as the spokesperson for HP, Inc. on the QVC shopping channel. You can catch her monthly radio segment on The Karen Hunter Show on Sirius XM and hear regular tech segments on WDAS-FM in Philadelphia as well. And Stephanie uses social media to help thousands of
people understand tech basics with her weekly 60-Second Tech Break on Instagram & Twitter (@TechLifeSteph). Clips of some of Stephanie’s work can be viewed on her YouTube channel.
Helping students is the passion that drives Stephanie, and she has channeled this motivation into a seminar called ‘Til Death Do You Tweet. The seminar, tailored to either students, parents, or professionals, helps them understand the potential negative consequences of online behavior - especially through social media - and gives helpful advice on how people can maintain a positive reputation in cyberspace. Stephanie is inspired by an innate curiosity to know why things work and an entrepreneurial spirit, which was the spark that started her on her present journey into tech-life media. Her expertise is built upon more than a decade as a Senior Systems Engineer at Lockheed Martin and engineering degrees from Florida A&M University and the University of Pennsylvania.
Ron Baldwin
AmeriHealth Caritas
PANEL DISCUSSION: BUSINESS THAT HAVE PIVOTED AND HOW THEY DID IT
Wednesday April 29 - Panel Discussion @ 2:10PM EST
Mr. Ronald B. Baldwin has spent the past two decades shepherding corporations’
diverse business investments and mentoring minority and women-owned
businesses.
In his current role as Director of Supplier Management and Diversity for
AmeriHealth Caritas Family and Companies (ACFC), Mr. Baldwin is responsible for
growing and leading supplier management and diversity efforts, developing and
executing company-wide plans, defining metrics and measuring various successes
across the entire ACFC enterprise. He previously served in similar roles at Mars
Electronics and Victory Refrigeration.
Recognizing a need of minority and women-owned businesses for a more hands-on
approach, Mr. Baldwin created ACFC’s Mentor-Protégé business coaching program
in 2010 which helped increase the Medicaid managed care organization’s
investment in Pennsylvania diverse businesses by 87 percent from 2013 to 2018.
In addition to this work, Mr. Baldwin established the ACFC supplier diversity council
of direct and indirect reports and diversity champions, set up regional councils, and
has coordinated activities to promote enterprise -wide awareness and engagement
of all participants as it pertains to their respective regions. His efforts and
commitment have contributed to ACFC’s diversity spend increasing from 3 percent
to 22 percent.
Mr. Baldwin’s work has received national and statewide recognition. As a result, Mr.
Baldwin and ACFC have both received multiple awards and recognitions, such as
Corporation of the Year, Advocate of the Year, as well as, Minority Business
Enterprise Input Committee Advocate.
Mr. Baldwin is also a valued representative of ACFC as it continues to expand its
business interests nationally by working with various stakeholders to engage local
business and civic organizations.
Mr. Baldwin served as Past President and Supplier Diversity Officer for ISM
(Institute for Supply Management) Philadelphia. He led the efforts to cultivate
quality programs and educational seminars to advance the growth and develop of
supply chain professionals.
Russell Fletcher
This Life Forever Distillery
PANEL DISCUSSION: BUSINESS THAT HAVE PIVOTED AND HOW THEY DID IT
Wesdnesday April 29 - Panel Discussion @ 2:10PMEST
Over the past 20+ years Russell Fletcher has been an entrepreneur at heart, owning and operating businesses from multimedia companies to tattoo parlors.
After 10 years of working in tour productions with labels such as Loud Records and Def Jam, in 2007 Mr. Fletcher, began to witness the tide turning in the spirits industry, as companies followed the same patterns of marketing and lacked new products. With a passion for marketing, Mr. Fletcher began to learn wine making as a hobby, soon leading to multiple amateur gold medals and the birth of This Life Forever Inc. With a talent for formulation Brenea Rose Sparkling Wine was born.
Spending a considerable amount of time and investments into learning the art of the perfect spirit, the Mishka Premium Vodka line was born, starting with Mishka Honey Vodka.
Mr. Fletcher has led Mishka Premium Vodka to winning multiple Gold and Silver Medals in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. While forging new partnerships, along with assisting the sales and marketing teams in day to day decisions This Life Forever, has accumulated 13 spirit formulations, with a wide spectrum from Vodka to Whiskey filed with the TTB.
Due to the current pandemic known as Covid-19, Mr. Fletcher has pivoted the business, to a current position of producing 80% Advanced Formula Hand Sanitizer, for clients such as USPS, Comcast, Fedex and multiple other companies across the nation. Currently This Life Forever, is a leading distillery in the business of hand sanitizer, producing 25-30 tons a month, and growing.
Herschel Walker
NFL Hall of Famer | Renaissance Man Food Services
PANEL DISCUSSION: BUSINESS THAT HAVE PIVOTED AND HOW THEY DID IT
Wednesday, April 29 - Panel Discussion @ 2:10 PM EST
Herschel Walker is an American former professional football player, bobsledder, sprinter, and mixed martial artist. He played college football for the University of Georgia, earned consensus All-American honors three times and won the 1982 Heisman Trophy. Walker began his professional football career with the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League (USFL), before joining the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). In the NFL, he also played for the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, and New York Giants. In 1989, Walker's name became synonymous with the largest trade in league history. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999. He is commonly referred to as the greatest running back in the history of College Football.
Following his retirement from the NFL, Walker started Renaissance Man Food Services with offices in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, and Dublin, Georgia. Originally founded by Herschel Walker in 2002, RMFS joins with Simmons Foods to bring quality poultry, pork, and bakery products to the retail and foodservice marketplace. RMFS seeks out supplier partners who offer high-quality, uniquely designed, and competitively priced food products. They work with these supplier partners to meet the needs of their retail and foodservice customers.
Mike Crawford
Holla Sporting Goods
PANEL DISCUSSION: BUSINESS THAT HAVE PIVOTED AND HOW THEY DID IT
Wednesday, April 29 - Panel Discussion @ 2:10PM EST
Mike “Holla” Crawford is the owner and founder of Holla Sporting Goods one of America’s only black owned and operated sporting goods stores.
Mike is a graduate of Stevens College in Lancaster PA (2000) & Cheyney University
Former Radio personality 1039 The Beat & WAMO 1067 (Pittsburgh)
