2024 North Star Celebration digital version

EmpowerTheVillage,Inc.(ETV)isadata-driven,nonprofit501(c)(3)organization foundedin2018todevelop,guideandimplementbreakthrough,scalablestrategiesthat empowerBlackpeople,businessesandcommunityorganizationstorealizetheir fullpotential.ETVisonamissiontoRestoreProsperity,Peace,andPowertothe Blackcommunity.IttakesavillagetoacceleratetransformativechangeintheBlack communityalongsidestrategicinterventionandcollectiveaction

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2023RisingStar InfinityProtectionServices

2023NorthStar J.Anderson&Associates

2022

Star Massey Insurance Agency

2023 Rising Star Kente Royal Gallery

Program

2:00 PM Celebration Kickoff & Cocktail Reception

3:00 PM North Star Awards Ceremony

4:30 PM Village Ventures Winners Announced

5:30 PM Celebration Concludes

This event supports ETV's Economic Prosperity Initiatives Click/Scan to learn more

Board of Directors

Advisory Council

Bonnie Carter - Wanda Sims

Jessica Colon - Kimberly MacKay

Tammye Jones - Mikeisha Anderson Jones

Randall McMillan - Karl Charles-Pierre - Harry O’Mealia

Michellene Davis - Dara Sanderson - Michele Meyer-Shipp

Paula Tuffin Board Chair

Perri Richman

Denelle Waynick Johnson Vice Chair

Allyson Hugley

David Hubbard

Jack Cox Treasurer

North Star Honoree

Terry Trayvick

Managing Director, 5th Level Capital & Level Five Management Consulting, LLC

Terry Trayvick is a seasoned business strategy and transformation leader with over 40 years of experience in the automotive, consumer goods, printing, housing, health care, food, and private funding industries Terry has earned the respect of global leaders for his ability to align organizations to deliver exceptional results

Terry is the founder and leader of Level Five Management Consulting, LLC (a strategy and execution company focused on helping companies go from good to great) and 5th Level Capital (a private funding company focused on debt and equity investments in the real estate industry). He is co-owner, with his wife Sandy, of Trayvick Private Investments and Trayvick Model Homes In addition, Terry and his daughters are co-owners of Trayvick SFA (a company focused on building multi-family housing in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex). Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Terry spent 20 years in corporate America in several executive positions.

Terry was the Global President of R R Donnelley Financial, a $1 billion business unit Terry led a diverse team consisting of 5,000 people in 40 locations around the world and spearheaded a transformation that grew market share and improved profitability by $80MM in three years. Prior to the role of Global President, Terry was the Senior Vice President of Strategy for R.R. Donnelley’s $5 billion Print Solutions Group. Earlier in his career, Terry held several executive finance positions at R R Donnelley, Sara Lee, Procter and Gamble, and several operations roles at General Motors

Terry is the Executive Vice Chairman of John Houston Homes (a Dallas-based homebuilder), the Chairman of the Board for Water.org, a board member of Emacx Systems, and Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the 9,000-member Christ Church in Montclair and Rockaway, New Jersey. Terry grew up in Dayton, Ohio, lives in Montclair, NJ, has three adult children, and has been married to his wife Sandy for over 33 years.

Terry earned his B.S. degree in Industrial Management from the University of Cincinnati, and his MBA in Finance and Marketing from Columbia Business School.

Rising Star Honoree Birdia Chambers

Founder & CEO ~ Epic Transformation, LLC

Birdia Chambers is a social media expert who ignites explosive online growth for organizations, small businesses and individuals. Her mission is to provide nextlevel, time-saving strategies and pave the way for success to skyrocket business growth. Birdia and her team craft custom strategies with laser-focused content development, consulting, profile optimization, training and social media management solutions.

Birdia’s firm specializes in providing customized and personalized service to non-profits, entrepreneurs, real estate and financial services clientele. Birdia’s expertise in technology and social media spans over 20 years in Corporate America, where she evolved social and digital media across a Fortune 50 company, counseled top C-Suite executives and expanded small businesses.

Her interest in real estate began in 2007 when she transformed houses as a savvy investor for 15 years before becoming a licensed agent in 2022. Today, she empowers buyers, sellers, and investors throughout New Jersey with personalized expertise, in both residential and commercial real estate.

Birdia’s dedication extends beyond profit margins, as she is a volunteer for American Corporate Partners, where she mentors veterans transitioning out of military life to discover and achieve new career goals. She is also a member of the New Jersey Business Industry Association (NJBIA), Co- Chair of the CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) New Jersey Marketing and Social Media Committee and Co-Chair of the NJBIA Women’s Leadership Team for the Women’s Business Council.

As a graduate of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), she focused on computer science and mathematics. She is also a graduate of the Women Unlimited TEAM program, acquired a Masters Certificate in IT Project Management from Villanova University, and is a National Commercial Real Estate Advisor and Commercial Real Estate Investment Planning Specialist

Sankofa Honoree

Michellene Davis, Esq.

CEO, National Medical Fellowships

Michellene Davis has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of National Medical Fellowships, Inc., (NMF) since May of 2021. Founded in 1946, NMF was one of America’s first diversity organizations and remains the only national organization advancing health equity at the intersection of wealth and health. It provides scholarships to underrepresented Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) students pursing careers in medicine and other health professions to ensure equity of access to culturally competent, high-quality health care NMF also increases the number of BIPOC clinician leaders to diversify clinical trials.

Davis is named among Modern Healthcare magazine’s Top 25 Most Influential Minority Leaders in Healthcare and Becker's Hospital Review's Top 113 Great Leaders in Healthcare 2022 and 75 Black Healthcare Leaders to Know 2022. The National Association of Health Services Executives awarded her their 2021 Senior Health Care Executive Award.

Davis most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at RWJ Barnabas Health, the largest academic medical center system in New Jersey and one of the largest in the nation. She founded Social Impact and Community Investment, an equity-centered, policy-led community health practice addressing the social and political determinants of health She was the first African American in NJ State history to serve as Chief Policy Counsel to the New Jersey Governor, the first African American and only the second woman to serve as New Jersey State Treasurer. She was the youngest person to serve as CEO of the New Jersey Lottery and also served as a senior policy advisor in the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services

She co-authored Changing Missions, Changing Lives: How a Change Agent Can Turn the Ship and Create Impact, published by Forbes Books in 2020, which provides a blueprint for those committed to leading systems change within organizations.

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Ms. Davis began her legal career as a trial litigator, was an Honors graduate who earned her Bachelors and Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall University She holds Executive Education Certificates in Corporate Social Responsibility from the Harvard Business School and in Social Impact Strategy from the Wharton School of Business.

Sankofa Honoree Stanley Prater

Senior Advisor, African American Chamber of Commerce of NJ

StanPraterretiredasaRegionalExternalAffairsConsultantforJerseyCentral Power&Light(JCP&L),asubsidiaryofFirstEnergyCorp,wherehewasemployedfor more38years.Stanwasthecompany’sliaisonforover40municipalitiesin HunterdonandWarrenCounties HewasalsotheDiversity,Equity,andInclusion (DE&I)ChampionforJCP&L,reportingtotheRegionalPresident.

StanisanativeofMorristown,NJandgraduateofMorristownHighSchool,who earnedhisBachelorofSciencedegreeinBusinessManagementfromHampton Universitywhereheplayedfootballforfouryears.Stan’stenureatJCP&Lhasbeen markedbyhiscontinualengagementwiththebusinessandcommunityservice sectors.Hewashiscompany’snomineeandcompletedparticipationinLeadership Morrisin2003.In2004,hecompletedTheUniversityofAkronCollegeofBusiness AdministrationExecutiveEducationProgram.InhiscapacityasaJCP&L/FE employee,StanvolunteeredforseveralyearsastheChairfortheHarvestforHunger CampaignCoordinatorandasamemberoftheSpeakersBureau

Overtheyears,Stanhasbeentherecipientofnumerousawardsbyvariousentities throughouttheStatethatrecognizehistirelesscontributionstocommunity:The HopeChestScholarshipFoundation2006OutstandingLeadershipAward;Leadership MorrisAlumniAssociationAchievementAward(2009);CalvaryBaptistChurch“Man ofStandard”Award(2013);FairleighDickinsonCEOVolunteerRecognitionAward (2016);VisionsandPathwaysCommunityLeaderAward(2017);BethelAMEChurch OutstandingCommunityServiceAward(2020).

Stanhasusedhisleadershipskillstogivebacktothecommunityovertheyearsand hasbeenactiveontheBoardsofthefollowingorganizations:CalvaryBaptistChurch DeaconBoard;WarrenCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommittee;theHunterdon CountyChamberofCommerce;TheAfricanAmericanChamberofCommerceofNJ; andtheHopeChestScholarshipFoundation(foundingmember).Heservedonthe AdvisoryCouncilofVisionandPathways,ahomefortemporarilydisplacedchildren, andwasafoundingmemberoftheGeorgeGrambyObservanceCommittee (communitydrugandalcoholpreventiongroup).HewasalsoaBoardmemberof FreedomHouse(aninpatientrecoveryhomefordrugandalcoholaddictionformen andwomen),andmostrecentlyafoundingmemberoftheCalvaryBaptistChurch YouthGolfAcademy,teachingminorityboysandgirlsgolfandlifeskills

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StanservedasChairmanoftheBoardofDirectorsfortheAfricanAmericanChamber ofCommerceofNJfrom2019-2023andiscurrentlyemployedbythechamberasthe SeniorAdvisortoAACCNJ’sPresident&CEO StanismarriedtoBarbaraMoorePrater andtheyhaveanadultdaughterandson-in-law.

We are so proud to celebrate your tremendous success and contributions to our community. Your dedication to community service is an admirable example for us all, reminding us of the profound impact that one person can have on the lives of many.

VILLAGE VENTURES BUSINESSPITCH COMPETITION

ETV's Village Ventures Pitch Competition prepares Black Business Owners to grow their companies more successfully. Finalists will present their pitch live at the Empowerment Expo on February 10th to earn cash prizes.

VILLAGE VENTURES BUSINESS PITCH JUDGES

VILLAGE VENTURES BUSINESS PITCH COMPETITION FINALISTS

Shelia Tucker Founder & CEO Zen & Stuff

Dr. Carla Cooke Founder & CEO Pivotal Shifts

Christine Allen Founder & CEO Mo’Pweeze Bakery

Aleathia Brown Founder & CEO Aleathia’s Original Artworks

VILLAGE VENTURES BUSINESS PITCH COMPETITION SEMI-FINALISTS

Harry O’Mealia CEO & President, 1919 Investment Counsel

Lloyd Doaman Executive Director, Carver Federal Bank

Elena Richards Chief DEI Officer, KPMG

Dara Sanderson CEO, Dictionary.com Owner- East Coast Glamping

Jonathan Pueschel Managing Director, J.P. Morgan Private Bank

SaVonne Anderson Founder & CEO Aya Paper Co.

Almaz Adeigbola Founder & CEO Brwnbox

Jason Martin Founder & CEO JM Multimedia Group

DeniseFord Sawadogo Co-Founder & Owner Montclair Brewery

Tonette Lawson Founder & CEO Tesserts

Dr. Rasheda Weaver Founder & CEO Weaver‘s Social Enterprise Directory

ETV’s Data-Driven Mission & Strategic Pillars focus on Black Wealth, Health & Empowerment

Click or Scan to review ETV’s Pillars

BLACK PEOPLE, BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO REALIZE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL

TO ACHIEVE RACIAL EQUITY AND MAKE SIGNIFICANT ADVANCEMENTS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY

PROSPERITY, PEACE AND POWER

THE BLACK COMMUNITY