MWBE Conference Booklet by BRANDilly Creative Group

MAYOR Welcome

from the City of Rocky Mount

Dear North Carolina MWBE Coordinators’ Network:

As Mayor, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the City of Rocky Mount for your 36th Annual Professional Development Conference – Hidden Figures: Shining a Light on the Entrepreneurs of the East. Conferences provide an excellent opportunity to network, learn new information, and explore new places.

The members of the City Council join me in welcoming you to Rocky Mount for your conference and in wishing for you a successful learning and networking event. It is our hope that you will enjoy your time at our Rocky Mount Event Center. We invite you to explore some of the other amenities our City has to offer such as, the Imperial Centre for the Arts and Science, taking a stroll around City Lake Park, taking a walk through the trails at Battle Park, and the numerous restaurants in which to eat in the area.

Again, welcome. If you need any assistance during your visit, please feel free to contact us.

Sincerely,

Sandy Roberson

C. Saunders Roberson, Jr. Mayor

Welcome

On behalf of the NC MWBE Coordinators’ Network (“Network”), it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 36th Annual Professional Development Conference! I know we are all elated to be back at our first in-person conference since 2019! Nothing replaces the connection and energetic exchange of networking all in one location.

And, what a location it is! I am thrilled to host this Conference in Rocky Mount, NC - The Center of It All. At the crossroads of the east coast, Rocky Mount has a rich history that is growing into an exciting present and future thanks in part to the Rocky Mount Event Center:

[The Rocky Mount Event Center is] a venue poised to become an iconic destination and economic engine for the city and the surrounding communities. Located in charming downtown Rocky Mount, the Rocky Mount Event Center is ready to transform the local community into an unforgettable destination for sports, entertainment, and special events. - Rocky Mount Event Center website

This location is an example of the hidden gems that are shining throughout eastern NC, particularly the minority business community. Like the “Hidden Figures” of cinema, minority entrepreneurs in the East are responsible for the launch and landing of principal projects, delivered services and best in class goods. The Network is thrilled to provide this opportunity to connect minority firms with partners across the state. And, we are also excited to uncover top notch skills development and knowledge enhancement for our premier group of diversity professionals. Thank you for taking the time to attend this event and develop your skills or connect with these resources.

A special thank you to our amazing Programs Committee for a job well done in putting together this Conference! I also extend a sincere thank you to our Host, each speaker, presenter, and panelist who said “yes” and took the time to share their knowledge and experiences with us. Finally, this event would not be possible without our generous sponsors who invest in our mission to serve as trusted subject matter experts in diversity.

Enjoy the Conference!

Denisha Harris

Denisha Harris President

DAY AGENDA 1

11:00a - 12:30p

11:30a - 12:30p

12:30p -1:30p

1:30p - 2:00p

Registration

Membership Meeting (Members Only)

Lunch and Learn: Legislative Update

Tammie Hall-Roberts: Division Director, Executive Director

NC Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses

NC Minority Business Development Agency

Welcome & Conference Opening

Denisha Harris, President

Greetings & Recognition of Sponsors

Carla Daniels, Programs Chair

Welcome from the Host City

The Honorable Sandy Roberson

Mayor of the City of Rocky Mount

Introduction of Conference Host

Denisha Harris

Greetings & Introduction of Keynote Speaker

Evelyne Del, CEO

Del Consulting Group

2:00p - 2:45p

Keynote Address

Dr. Henry McKoy

Presidential Appointee of Biden Administration

Director, Office of State and Community Energy Programs

US Department of Energy

2:45p - 3:00p

3:00p - 4:00p

Break

Center Stage: Shining a Light on Entrepreneurs of ENC

Continuous engagement is a requirement for diversity and inclusion work.

Hear the stories and experiences of ENC entrepreneurs and learn ways to be a best advocate for these firms.

Moderator: Diana Graham, CEO

Crowned for Success Global Consulting

Panelists:

Joe Conn, Owner: Managing Partner/General Manager

Thompson Nursery

Dewitt Newkirk: President & CEO

Unshakable Builders

Tierra Norwood: Chief Innovator

Ajon’s Professional Solutions and Operating Partner of Rec Room

Felicia Winstead: President

Diverse Designs by Felicia

4:00p - 5:30p

6:30p - 8:30p

Vendor Expo & Matchmaking Session

Restaurant Crawl in Downtown RMT

Sample some delicious light bites from local MWBE restaurants and learn the stories and passions of the owners behind it all.

Meet your tour guide at the Albemarle entrance.

Hosted by the City of Rocky Mount MWBE Program

12:15p - 1:30p

1:30p - 2:15p

2:15p - 2:30p

Awards Luncheon

Local Hidden Figures: Creating Economic Impact in RMT

Moderator: Antionette Goodwyn

Presenters:

Kevin Harris: Manager

Downtown Business Development - City of Rocky Mount

Tierra Norwood: Minority Economic Development Committee

Rocky Mount Chamber of Commerce

Conference Close & Safe Travels

Antionette Goodwyn

Antionette Goodwyn is responsible for overseeing all state and local compliance functions in relation to the government procurement process for MWBEs; She also serves as an advocate and liaison for MWBEs for the city of Rocky Mount (CRM).

Prior to joining the CRM’s Purchasing Department, Antionette served in diverse roles where her work focused on helping the under-served through a racial equity lens in both the non-profit and private sectors in NC’s Piedmont area, and Virginia.

Ms. Goodwyn is a graduate of UNC-Greensboro, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. She is a member of the North Carolina Association of Governmental Purchasing, NC MWBE Coordinators' Network and serves on Rocky Mount’s Chamber of Commerce Minority Economic Development Committee.

Ariana Billingsley

Ariana Billingsley is the Associate State Director and Eastern District Director with the North Carolina Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC), a position she started in February 2022. Prior to this, she served for 5 years as the Regional Center Director with SBTDC at East Carolina University, where she started as a procurement counselor in 2013 with the Procurement Technical Assistance Center, a DLA funded program.

Ariana has extensive experience in advising and assisting small businesses address a broad spectrum of issues including planning, financial management, human resources, marketing, and operations. Additionally, she has 13 years of expertise with federal, state, and local government contracting rules, regulations, and procedures.

Ariana holds a Master’s in Business Administration from UNCP and a B.S. in Business Administration from University of Shkodra (Albania) School of Business. She is also Economic Development Finance Professional certified by the National Development Council.

Dewitt Newkirk, Owner of Unshakable Builders, Inc. is a 12-year residential and commercial construction veteran that has extensive background in residential remodeling, renovations, and new construction.

Dewitt Newkirk

Born and raised in Duplin County by a Brick mason, Dewitt developed a natural skill and desire at a young age and developed an ideal for designing and selling homes. After completing his undergrad at Elizabeth City State University, Dewitt took his entrepreneurial spirit and passion for brick masonry to the world of residential home design, becoming a NC Licensed General Contractor and creating Unshakable Builders in Greenville, NC. Following his company’s vision and core values, Dewitt has built a reputation for creating more than 150 premiere custom homes and apartments throughout Eastern North Carolina.

Dewitt’s skillfulness in the housing market in building single family, multifamily and commercial properties that captivates the attention of those who demand great design, craftsmanship, and superior customer service. His specific areas of competencies include custom design, strategic planning, space utilization, and applying his

professional insight that consistently exceed investment goals of the client.

Dewitt is an active volunteer within his local community. Unshakable Builders is part of the partnership and constructed Honor Ridge, a 21-unit housing community that provides Affordable Housing for Veterans. In his free time, Dewitt likes to travel with his wife, Courtney and their 6 children.

Eric Nelson is Director of Business Development for Institute Capital (ICAP), a division of the Institute. He is responsible for Business Development efforts in Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina.

Eric has a thirty-five-plus-year history of working in the Small Business and Commercial Lending space in Charlotte, where he served in various senior-level positions at Wachovia, B of A, and First Citizens Banks. Before joining ICAP, Eric served as the Process Manager for the City of Charlotte’s Charlotte Business Inclusion Program. Eric has a BA from Livingstone College and an MBA from Pfeiffer University. He also received a certification in Middle-Management in Banking from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Master’s of Compliance Administrator from Morgan State University.

Eric and his wife, Tammera, have two children and live in Charlotte.

Evelyne Del is a Communications Strategist, Content Creator, and Brand Manager who helps position small businesses to utilize Enterprise-level communications strategies to build their brands. With a strong background in Copywriting and Public Relations, she produces value-added communications strategies and marketing collateral that connect her clients to their target audiences.

As a passionate leader who is committed to amplifying the voices of people of color, Ms. Del devotes a significant amount of time to nonprofits who focus on reducing barriers to opportunity for disadvantaged populations. She currently serves as the Board Secretary and Marketing Director for the Metrolina Minority Contractor's Association, Board Member for the City of Charlotte's Community Relations Committee, as well as a Board Member for the ECU Women's Roundtable. Additionally she also works as the Director of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships for Substantial Magazine, a Black owned and operated media outlet.

Evelyne Del

Eric Nelson

Henry McKoy, Jr.

Dr. Henry C. McKoy, Jr. is the inaugural Director of the Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP) in the United States Department of Energy. The newly created SCEP, within the Office of the Under Secretary for Infrastructure, manages billions of dollars in federal funding and supports the transition to an equitable clean energy economy by working with community-level implementation partners and State Energy Offices. SCEP manages the Weatherization Assistance Program, State Energy Program, Community Energy Programs, and Energy Future Grants. He is a seasoned professional in business, community and economic development, policy, government, finance, energy, philanthropy and the academic worlds.

Prior to the Presidential appointment to the US DOE, Dr. McKoy served on the faculty at North Carolina Central University School of Business where he led the entrepreneurship program, with additional academic appointments at Duke, the UNC-Chapel Hill, and Harvard. He is a former senior banking executive, successful entrepreneur, and former Assistant Secretary of the NC Department of Commerce. Henry has been a Fellow of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at UNC-Chapel Hill, an affiliated faculty of the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity, as well as an Aspen Institute Scholar.

McKoy has won many awards and honors. He has been a sought-after consultant by both government and private industry regarding inclusive entrepreneurship and economic development policy. He has also been an active economic development professional, focused on economic inclusivity in mixed-use real estate projects. He is a regular contributor to media – television, radio, and print. Dr. McKoy engages in over 120 media interviews annually with local, state, regional, national, and international media. He speaks on dozens of academic and public panels a year speaking on his research across the US, and publishes in peer-reviewed journals, as well as mass media publications. His most recent writing appears in the new book The Pandemic Divide: How Covid Increased Inequality in America (Duke University Press), where his chapter, Race, Entrepreneurship, and COVID-19: Black Small Business Survival in Prepandemic and Postpandemic America analyzes and speaks on the impact that COVID has had on the Black economic landscape.

He holds degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School (B.S.), Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment (M.S.), and UNC-Chapel Hill’s Department of City and Regional Planning (PhD).

Jalisha Richmond

JaLisha is Thread Capital’s director of lending and client support. She leads Thread Capital’s loan origination, coaching, connections, and customer service efforts, with the goal of executing Thread Capital’s mission of strengthening entrepreneurship and expanding access to capital for small businesses in North Carolina. Prior to joining the Thread, JaLisha worked as a program associate for the NC Rural Center and was a dedicated AmeriCorps member, spending time working with various nonprofits through the southwestern region of the United States. From there, she returned to assist nonprofits in her native community.

JaLisha is a Durham native and a graduate of Emory University with a bachelor’s in chemistry and a minor in global health, culture, and society. She enjoys filling unclaimed time with traveling, pretending to exercise on social media, and binge-watching TV with Garrett and two dogs, Jim Bean and Dacarius.

Mr. Jamerus Payton has a diverse portfolio of unique experiences across various cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. He has over 15+ years as a nationally and internationally recognized Serial Social Entrepreneur, Consultant, Speaker and Best Selling Author

Mr. Payton continues to heavily work with and advocate for the creation and sustainability of minority owned businesses, institutions, jobs and investors. Additionally, he is a major advocate for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). He has help with the formation of nonprofit organizations and has served on various nonprofit boards, committees and advisory boards. Mr. Payton has been featured in many local and national news outlets, national television and a documentary film. He is a two time graduate of North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University in Greensboro, NC, where he double majored in Electronics Technology, B.S. and Manufacturing Systems, B.S. He also has a Master of Science in Management from Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, TX.

He is the author of the book, “HBCUNomics: A Story Of The Power Of Black College Students, Economic Self-Sufficiency and Financial Freedom” and co-author of the two books, “Dream Big. Dream Often. Dream Unrealistic.: Guidelines To Get Off The Sidelines” and “The HBCU Experience: The North Carolina A&T State University Edition”.

Mrs. Jamila R. Davis is the Director of Mecklenburg County’s Office of Economic Development - Business Diversity and Inclusion (BDI) Program. The mission of the BDI Program is to increase participation of minorities, women, and small businesses in Mecklenburg County business opportunities, through outreach, training, and partnerships. In addition, the BDI program administers the supplier diversity and compliance program efforts for Mecklenburg County.

Mrs. Davis is a frequent speaker at events and workshops as it relates to equity and inclusion advocacy and government contracting efforts. She and her team also dedicate time to consulting with and coaching businesses to increase their capacity, network, and competitive advantage.

Janelly Rosales is a bilingual Program Officer with Mecklenburg County’s Business Diversity & Inclusion Program. In that role, Janelly oversees BDI Program outreach efforts to business owners and ecosystem resource partners. Janelly works collaboratively to implement Mecklenburg County Anchor Programs through development and reporting of educational cohorts like Business LaunchPad and Get Up and Grow. The Anchor Programs were developed to enhance the Office of Economic Development’s mission, to meet community members where they are, whether they are in the first stage of entrepreneurship, looking to scale and grow, or get started on contracting opportunities. As BDI Program Officer, Janelly works directly with businesses, and provides technical assistance to clients who are seeking Mecklenburg County eligible certifications, Capability Statements, and business development advising.

Janelly is originally from Brooklyn, New York but considers herself a Tar Heel as she’s lived in Catawba County, North Carolina for most of her life. Janelly lives in Charlotte, where she enjoys the greenways, festivals, and weekend trips to Blowing Rock.

Jamila Davis

Janelly Rosales

Jamerus Payton

John F. Ham is the Vice President of the Center for Professional Services with the National Institute of Minority Economic Development (the Institute). In this role, John is responsible for developing public and private collaborations that will benefit marginalized communities (including minority & women-owned businesses - MWBEs) and creating supplier inclusion & diversity programs that will benefit public agencies, private corporations, institutions and MWBEs. John will also oversee the delivery of graduate level business education designed to help strengthen and grow MWBEs. “I am excited about this opportunity that will leverage all of my experience working in economic mobility, economic development, fundraising, partnerships and business development.” Prior to joining the Institute, John served as the Community Engagement Director for the Urban League of Central Carolinas.

John believes in giving back and supporting the Charlotte community. This is evident through his engagement and participation on several local Boards. These include his appointment to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission in 2018. John also serves on the McCrorey YMCA Board and the Advisory Board for Piedmont Health Services and Sickle Cell Agency. John lives by the mantra that giving back creates a virtuous cycle that makes everyone successful.

A native of Greensboro, NC, John is a graduate on North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. John is married to Cynthia Parker Ham and they have one daughter, Jewel, who graduated Summa Cum Laude from Howard University in 2020.

Kevin Harris is currently the Downtown Development Manager for the City of Rocky Mount. He is responsible for revitalizing an aging downtown, assisting property owners through developing and delivering financial incentives for development, and assisting and recruiting businesses to the downtown central city. Responsible for setting strategy and direction, as well as overseeing City’s participation in NC Main Street program.

Harris remains President and owner of KGH Sustainability Solutions. Through KGH Sustainability Solutions Harris has provided strategy consulting, project management and contracting services for public agencies and not-for-profit community economic development organizations, focusing on sustainable revenue solutions.

Harris has also served as President of the NC Community Development Initiative Capital, a community development financial institution engaged in lending and investing for community and economic development purposes, to include small business growth and expansion.

Previously, Harris served in various commercial credit and leadership roles with RBC Bank (USA) where he was employed 26 years, serving most recently as Director of CRA and Community Development.

Harris earned a BS in Business Administration & Accounting from Virginia State University. He also completed the Graduate School of Banking at LSU, Advanced Banking & Management.

John Ham

Kevin Harris

Reggie Jones serves as the Business Solutions Director for Carolina Small Business Development Fund. In this role, he works to proactively build relationships with small business owners, lenders, and community partners.

Reggie has nearly 20 years in lending and has held several leadership roles with commercial banks in his career. Government guaranteed lending has been a large part of his experience and he has held several roles with SBA and USDA loan departments.

He is a graduate of East Carolina University and holds a Broker’s License through the North Carolina Real Estate Commission.

Sharonetta McIntyre serves as the Business Development and Marketing Manager with the Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) and the NC Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Center. She has corporate and small business experience in project and contract management, process improvement, and training & education. Her functional experience includes Engineering, Finance & Accounting, Health Care, Human Resources Manufacturing, Real Estate, and Supply Chain. She enjoys providing business development and supportive services to assist business owners in achieving their goals. Her focus is to increase access and equitable utilization for underutilized businesses.

Sharonetta McIntyre joined the Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) in 2019 where she serves as a Business Development and Marketing Manager and supports the NC Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Center. She has corporate and small business experience in project management, business process improvement, and training & education. Her functional experience includes Engineering, Finance & Accounting, Health Care, Human Resources Manufacturing, Real Estate, and Supply Chain. She earned her undergraduate degree in Mathematics from Spelman College and an MBA from Elon University.

Prior to joining the HUB Office, she worked at a Fortune 100 firm for over 20 years in Information Technology services where she provided software solutions and integration, managed project teams, and deployed global collaboration tools. She also worked with the SBTDC (Small Business & Technology Development Center) and PTAC (Procurement Technical Assistance Center) where she counseled small businesses. She enjoys supporting business owners in achieving their goals for business success. Her focus is to increase access and equitable utilization for underutilized businesses.

Reginold Jones

Sharonetta McIntyre

CHAMPION:

LEADER:

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR

ADVOCATE:

PARTNER:

Congratulations to our very own BRIDGET WALL-LENNON who was honored as the 2022 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER

diversity @ + INCLUSION

Having the best intentions doesn’t always lead to the best results.

It takes a real understanding of the challenges we face in the industry to drive change and achieve inclusion on the jobsite. Samet not only recognizes the need for change, but offers tangible solutions that beneﬁt small businesses, the surrounding community, our team, and our clients.

A dream has the power to do anything. It can change a life or our entire way of living. At the North Carolina Education Lottery, we strive to create a world of possibility not only for winners and students, but also for minority businesses. When we dream together, we grow together and create the partnerships that let our communities thrive.

Building Dreams. Enriching Lives.

Spotlighting minority firms

LeChase is committed to building partnerships with MWBE firms across the different regions where we work. We are proud to sponsor the NC MWBE Coordinators’ Network annual conference, and to support their efforts in spotlighting the work of minority firms.