EWOC 2023 Event Program Booklet

15TH ANNUAL EXCEPTIONAL WOMEN OF COLOR (EWOC)

AWARDS & EXPO

Building Sustainable Wealth Wednesday, September 13, 2023 DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton | Sacramento, California Presented by

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Connect with African American professionals!

Share your services, products and events with Sacculturalhub.com, The HUB Magazine, The Black Physicians Form & Exceptional Women of Color Program Booklet, your leading sources of EXCITEMENT and Urban Entertainment and News in Northern California.

FALL 2023 | www.sacculturalhub.com

Contact us: contact@sacculturalhub.com or 916-234-3589

EXCEPT WOME IONAL N COLO OF SPEC R: EDIT IAL IO ISSUE N

MEET GLOBAL ENTREPRENEUR, BANKING TITAN, AND MUSIC INDUSTRY LEADER

KIKO

facebook.com/Sacculturalhub1 instagram.com/thehublive twitter.com/sachub916

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DAVIS SNODDY

Welcome Everyone!

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15 ANNUAL EWOC AWARDS & EXPO 9th Annual Exceptional Women of Color Conference TH

Dear Colleagues, Friends & Newcomers, Welcome to the 15th Annual Exceptional Women of Color Conference: Building Sustainable Wealth!

It is with great pleasure and excitement that we extend a warm welcome to you for the 15th Annual Exceptional Women of Color Conference – an empowering event dedicated to celebrating the achievements and potential of women of color. Under the theme “Building Sustainable Wealth,” we are set to embark on a journey to a better relationship with finances for ourselves and our community.

Our distinguished keynote speaker, Kiko Davis Snoddy, a visionary Global Entrepreneur, Author, and one of the few Black female bank owners in the United States, will grace the stage. Her insight and wisdom on achieving sustainable wealth are bound to ignite our collective consciousness. As Kiko so eloquently puts it, “Sacrifice, commitment, passion, and fearlessness are essential to your path towards wealth. Find your passion, find your purpose and push forward!”

Our brilliant Co-Masters of Ceremonies, Actress and Sacculturalhub.com Media Correspondant Neketia Henry, and Comedian, Actor and Educational Leader Steph Sanders, Ed.D will guide us through an evening of recognition, inspiration, and camaraderie.

As always, the Sac Cultural Hub Media Foundation is committed to acknowledging outstanding achievements through the EWOC Excellence Awards. This year a total of 13 exceptional women will be honored and three Exceptional Young Women of Color whose remarkable contributions span regional, statewide, and national levels.

The urgency of financial literacy and empowerment for women of color cannot be overstated. Finances are the bedrock of opportunities and well-being, significantly impacting our mental health and overall quality of life. By enhancing our financial acumen and fostering the growth of Black-owned banks and financial institutions, we can collectively uplift ourselves and future generations. The statistics speak volumes. According to the Fearless Fund, in 2022, only 0.39% of the $288 billion deployed by venture capital firms went to women of color business founders. Through the establishment of Black-owned banks, we not only level the playing field but also foster resilience in our communities, provide more fair terms, interest rates, and lending criteria that reduce bias. We can also encourage allies to do business with and place their accounts with black owned banks. It’s an easy way to lend support and invest in the success of black businesses.

Join us as we address these critical issues, engage in meaningful discussions, and chart a path toward equitable financial futures.

Together, we can push boundaries, overcome obstacles, and realize our dreams of sustainable wealth.

Let us come together in unity and celebration as we build a brighter future for ourselves and the generations to come.

True Blessings!

Pleshette

Pleshette Robertson CEO & Founder - Sac Cultural Hub Chief Editor of THE HUB Magazine President - Sac Cultural Hub Media Foundation

Twlia

Twlia Laster Owner - Twlia Makes It Happen!

Strategic Marketing Director Sac Cultural Hub Media Foundation

Valarie

Valarie Scruggs Owner - VisionStep Program Development Manager Sac Cultural Hub Media Foundation

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Table of Contents and Thank You!

15TH ANNUAL EWOC AWARDS & EXPO The Sac Cultural Hub Media Foundation is proud to present the 15th Annual EWOC Awards & Expo.

CONTENTS

Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

We appreciate our 2023 sponsors, community/ business partners, media partners and donors who also support the EWOC program.

SILVER CORPORATE SPONSORS Congratulations 2023 Honorees . . . . 6

Co-Hosts and Entertainment . . . . . . 10

Conference Team Leadership . . . . . 12

History of Sac Cultural Hub Media Company & Foundation . . . . . . . . 16

Advisory Committee . . . . . . . . . . 17

Y-EWOC Scholarship Program . . . . 18

Exhibitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Posthumous EWOC Arts & Entertainment Award . . . . . . . . . . 22

2023 EWOC Educator of the Year Award . sponsored by SchoolsFirst . . . . . . . 25

City of Sacramento Economic Development www.cityofsacramento.org/economicdevelopment Department of General Services – State of California www.dgs.ca.gov

COMMUNITY & BUSINESS PARTNERS California Black Chamber of Commerce www.calbcc.org C.L.A.S.S.Y.-Captivating Ladies Acquiring Successful Standards www.classymbrsonly.org FSA Sound fsasound@yahoo.com

Sacramento Municipal Utility District www.smud.org

One Community Health www.onecommunityhealth.com

UC Davis Health health.ucdavis.edu

Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce www.sacblackchamber.org

Wells Fargo www.wellsfargo.com

Sacramento Convention Visitors Bureau www.visitsacramento.com

BRONZE CORPORATE SPONSORS

Saving Our Legacy, African Americans For Smoke Free Safe Places – The SOL Project www.thesolproject.com

African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council www.savingblacklives.org City of Sacramento Councilmembers Eric Guerra, Rick Jennings, Caity Maple, Mai Vang www.cityofsacramento.gov Councilmember Katie Valenzuela, City of Sacramento District 4 www.katie4council.com PRIDE Industries www.prideindustries.com Office of Campus and Community Relations: UC Davis Vice Chancellor’s Office for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion diversity.ucdavis.edu

EVENT PROGRAM DESIGNED BY

Roberts Family Development Center www.robertsfdc.org

Heather Niemann Tingible Design | www.tingible.com heather@tingible.com

SchoolsFirst Credit Union www.schoolsfirstfcu.org

Cover Photo Credit: Shutterstock

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California Wellness Foundation www.calwellness.org

Spoker www.spoker.com

MEDIA PARTNERS Sacculturalhub.com Media Company www.sacculturalhub.com THE HUB Magazine issuu.com/thehubmag The Gospel Vine www.thegospelvine.com KDEE 97.5 FM www.kdeefm.org Leatherwood Marketing (916) 838-9267 Twlia Makes It Happen!

(916) 662-3502 VisionStep (916) 397-4501 Coleman Communications www.michaelpcoleman.com The Wedding Factor theweddingfactor@gmail.com

Sponsor

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15TH ANNUAL EWOC AWARDS & EXPO

Congratulations

Women of Color

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Congratulations 2023 Honorees!

15 ANNUAL AWARDS & EXPO 8th AnnualEWOC Exceptional Women of Color Conference TH

Sac Cultural Hub Media Foundation is proud to present the 2023 Honorees with the Exceptional Women of Excellence Awards

ASHLEY BENNETT

California State Assembly - Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy, Committee Secretary Exceptional Career Mom

LISA DANIELS

Executive Director, Unsung Heroes Living History Project Arts and Culture

KERRI SANFORD

Founder and owner of Lawlen Insurance Solutions Entrepreneur/Innovator

TREZANA BOOTH

CEO/Founder - Free Women Coaching Young Women of Distinction

LORI FULLER

Manager, K-14 Academic Preparation, University of California, Office of the President Education and Research

DENEVA SHELTON

Vice President, Community Manager, JP Morgan Chase Management and the Professions

SANDIE BURGESS

MARIANA CORONA SABENIANO

Health Educator III with the Center for Collaborative Trustee, Sacramento County Board of Education; Planning – A Center of the Public Health Institute Chief of Staff, California State Senate Social Welfare & Community Activism Politics & Government Relations

RITA GALLARDO GOOD

Senior Associate Vice President of the Office of Public Affairs and Advocacy at Sacramento State Communications and Public Affairs

DR. BEATRICE TETTEH

Pediatrician, Medical Director/Physician Owner of Tetteh Pediatric Health, Inc. Health, Sport & Wellness

MELLONIE RICHARDSON

Human Resources Director of Talent Acquisition at California State University, Sacramento and Owner of Bene Consulting Group Exceptional Career Mom

DR. MARKISHA WEBSTER

Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at SMUD Management and the Professions

See profile articles of the 2023 EWOC Honorees in the Fall 2023 issue of THE HUB Magazine!

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Sponsor

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15 ANNUAL EWOC AWARDS & EXPO 8th Annual Exceptional Women of Color Conference TH

Celebrating our�differences Our unique experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives help shape how we approach the world and those around us. When we acknowledge those differences and understand how they bring us together, we all have cause to�celebrate.

Wells Fargo is proud to celebrate the 15th Annual EWOC Awards & Expo�.

wellsfargo.com/impact ©�2023�Wells�Fargo�Bank,�N.A. 7583819-1 MOD:�983 7

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Evening Program At A Glance

15TH ANNUAL EWOC AWARDS & EXPO

evening

PROGRAM 5:00 PM EXPO GRAND OPENING WELCOME PHOTOS NETWORKING BLUPRYNT BAND 6:00 PM DINNER RECEPTION EWOC EXCELLENCE AWARDS SPONSORSHIP TRIBUTE Y-EWOC SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS 7:30 PM KEYNOTE PRESENTATION Kiko Davis Snoddy, Global Entrepreneur, Author, Black female bank owner

9:00 PM NETWORKING PHOTOS EXHIBITOR PATRONAGE

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15TH ANNUAL EWOC AWARDS & EXPO

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Sponsors

15TH ANNUAL EWOC AWARDS & EXPO

Wonder why our employees volunteer?

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Sponsors

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Speakers and Presenters

15TH ANNUAL EWOC AWARDS & EXPO

KEYNOTE PRESENTER

Kiko Davis Snoddy

Global Entreprenuer, Author, and one of the few Black female bank owners in the United States Kiko Davis Snoddy is a global entrepreneur, orator, advocate, and author.

Kiko is the trustee of the Donald Davis Living Trust. The Davis Trust is the majority shareholder of First Independence Bank, the 7th largest Black owned bank in the United States, controlled by the Davis Family. In addition, Kiko is the managing director of Groovesville Productions & Publishing LLC which controls the Grammy Award-winning music catalog of multiple gold and platinum selling hit records.

Prior to her role as foundation founder and president, Davis Snoddy worked as a real estate professional facilitating multiple development projects which included building and rehabbing multiple affordable single-family residential properties and several commercial real estate projects throughout the country.

Kiko Davis Snoddy is diligent at maintaining a historically significant empire while forging yet another path all her own. Always creating opportunities, she is currently developing products for the fashion & beauty industry, along with collaborating with a production company to produce several films and a documentary. Kiko also co-authored her first book A Widow’s Resilience – Wisdom Keys for Moving Forward in Life and Love After Death Do Us Part.

Her philanthropy extends to the support of multiple great causes and organizations such as the Ronald McDonald House, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Covenant House, United Negro College Fund, NAACP and many other organizations that serve the community.

A respected investor, highly sought national speaker and passionate mentor, Davis Snoddy has received numerous accolades for her work including the prestigious Ebony Magazine Power 100 honor, the Michigan Chronicle’s Women of Excellence Award, Career Mastered Women’s History National Leadership in Action Award, Café Mocha’s Salute THEM: Business Legacy Award and the distinguished, Crain’s Business 2021 - Most Influential Women In Michigan Honor, an award bestowed only every five years.

In addition she recently completed the Women’s Executive Leadership program at Yale School of Management.

Recently, Kiko became a co-chair and founder of Reparation Generation, a 501(c)(3), national organization that provides direct reparative transfers to Black Americans for wealth-building pursuits in the areas of homeownership, entrepreneurship and education. She continues to speak across the nation with a special focus on empowering women in business.

Guided by faith and divine order, Kiko wed international manufacturer Anthony L. Snoddy in late 2019. The couple lends their combined philanthropic efforts by serving on the Detroit Music Hall Board of Trustees and the Chairman’s Circle. The Snoddy’s are devoted parents to five children around whom their world revolves.

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Co-Hosts and Entertainment

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15TH ANNUAL EWOC AWARDS & EXPO

MC/HOST

Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Neketia Henry moved to California with her mother at the age of 12. As a child, she knew that performing arts was her true passion, and began performing in numerous stage plays and musicals. Since then, Neketia has appeared in numerous film projects and countless commercials and national print ads.

She is a devoted wife and mother and advocates for students with learning disabilities ages elementary through high school.

She works hand in hand with families, various school districts and the State of CA to ensure that students have the resources needed in order to achieve and maintain academic success and truly believes that no child should be left behind.

With the gift that God has given her and her tenacious spirit, she continues to be a voice for the voiceless. Neketia is a professional host who’s witty personality captivates all audiences from concerts to weddings and everything in between....all she needs is one mic! Neketia is a professional actress and host who’s witty personality captivates all audiences from tv to stages and everything in between....all she needs is one mic!

CO-HOST

Steph Sanders, Ed.D is a multi-faceted Comedian/ Actor with a fresh energy and raucous material for everyone to enjoy! Originally from Dayton, Ohio and thrown into a steady diet of acting, dance, musical instruments, and sports from an early age gave him his thirst for the stage and eventually the screen. A professional stand-up comic for over 10 years now, this gives him a regular platform to bring his life, pain, and characters to thousands nightly! Steph has been blessed enough to work with most of the heavy hitters in the comedy business such as Patrice O’Neal, Gary Owen, Tony Roberts, and many, many more. He has appeared in several shows on UPN, BET, MTV, as well as several affiliate news/entertainment shows. Look out for Steph on the small and large screen as he continues to take the entertainment world by storm! Steph doubles as an Educational Leader in the Sacramento Community. Dr. Sanders has been in school leadership for the past 10 years, is passionate about closing the Opportunity Gap, and hopes to become a Superintendent of an urban district one day.

B L UP R Y N T ENTERTAINME NT

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Conference Team Leadership

15TH ANNUAL EWOC AWARDS & EXPO PLESHETTE ROBERTSON is the CEO and Founder of Sacculturalhub. com and the Chief Editor of THE HUB Magazine. The website (launched in March 2002) and magazine (published in February 2006) are leading sources of Black urban media that celebrate the urban lifestyle of African-Americans in the capital region and throughout California serving as the information hub for black-oriented movies, concerts, theatrical performances, art exhibitions, sporting events, festivals and black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs.

She is also the owner of PR & Associates Business Resources (AKA Sacculturalhub.com Media Company) which is an advertisement and public promotions agency specializing in providing multi-media advertising, social media marketing campaigns, e-blast ad/website production and consultation to new business and startup organizations.

She also serves as the Executive Director for the Sac Cultural Hub Media Foundation that educates, empowers, and train young adults and women of color in underserved communities. Several programs under the Sac Cultural Hub Media Foundation include: Exceptional Women of Color Conference; Hub Choice Awards Show; Black Physicians Forum (BPF); BPF Medical Student Scholarship Program; Young Exceptional Women of Color (Y-EWOC) Scholarship Competition, and the Young/Youth Women’s Summit (YWS). For 3 years, Pleshette served as a Covered California Enrollment Counselor and Outreach Educator. As of April 2023, Pleshette also serves as the Community Engagement Coordinator at Saving Our Legacy, African Americans For Smoke Free Safe Places – The SOL Project Pleshette has received numerous awards that include: Community Outreach Award by the Sacramento NAACP at the 40th Annual Prayer Breakfast Celebration in April 2023, MLK Unsung Hero Award Recipient of the 9th Assembly District presented by the California Legislative Black Caucus in January 2018, Entrepreneur of The Year presented by Calvary Christian Center’s Genesis School of Business & Entrepreneurship in December 2017, Martin Luther King Jr. Difference Maker Award for Service and Advocacy in January 2016, NAWBO OWL Wise Woman (a.k.a. Business Woman of the Year) in October 2015; BWOPA-PAC Ella Hill Hutch Award in November 2014, UC Davis Chancellor’s Achievement Awards For Diversity and Community in the Community Award category in February 2014; Business Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Sacramento Chapter in November 2009; “Women of Excellence” from the Sacramento Kappa Psi Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority in March 2008. Pleshette was featured in the August 2007 issue on her personal style and noteworthy achievements in the Sacramento magazine. She holds a B.A. in Business Administration from San Jose State University. Pleshette loves and celebrates her extended family while she is the proud mother of three daughters and also has eight grandsons.

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VICKI BLAKELY holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Care Administration/ Management where she worked for various hospitals and clinics throughout Southern and Northern California as a Regional Manager.

Vicki is currently studying for her Real Estate License. She also owns “Cheake Enterprises” a family company that specializes in Real Estate Investments and Wireless products. Vicki also serves on the Board of Black Wealth Matters as the Board Secretary and on the Hospitality Committee for the Sac Realtist. Vicki joined the staff of Sac Cultural Hub in the Fall of 2009 and is the Administrative Manager working on special grant projects and activities.

The word that best describes MICHAEL BLAIR is community. Michael serves as Chief Innovation Officer at Neighborhood Innovation Project, a community economic development company that focuses on wealth building education and other community benefit advancement initiatives. As a community leader, Michael works closely with public officials on City, County and State level think tanks and commissions to create solutions for community-wide public challenges.

A proud alum from California State University Sacramento, Michael holds a double bachelor’s degree in business management. In addition to an extensive background in Marketing and Brand building for numerous companies throughout Northern California. Michael has also worked professionally in Human Resources specializing in Corporate Recruiting and Employee Relations for fortune 500 companies in both the Information Technology and Healthcare sectors for almost 20 years. Michael is also the Founder of thegospelvine.com.

After over 20 years in broadcasting, print media, and public relations, MICHAEL P. COLEMAN relocated from Detroit in 2010 to write the latest chapter in his career: Coleman Communications. He regularly delivers feature articles to a variety of print and online platforms, including Jet Magazine, EURweb.com, and Uptown Magazine.

Coleman Communications also provides consultation on brand management, event planning & execution, and fund development/sales to corporations and small businesses.

Coleman has earned a Bachelor of Arts with High Honors and Distinction in Communication from the University of Michigan, and he’s working on achieving fluency in Spanish.

Conference Team Leadership

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15TH ANNUAL EWOC AWARDS & EXPO TWLIA LASTER is the owner of Twlia Makes It Happen! Consulting Service and Travel with Twlia, a concierge travel service.

Ms. Laster has over 22 years experience providing consulting services to clients in need of marketing, program development, public relations, event management, health education, and smoking cessation facilitation. For the past 15 years Ms. Laster has served as the Strategic Marketing and Project Director for Sac Cultural Hub Media Company directly engaged in increasing overall company revenue by revamping the marketing model, developing programs, solidifying corporate and community partnerships. Ms. Laster is also the Project Director of Saving Our Legacy, African Americans for Smoke Free Safe Places – The SOL Project responsible for grassroots organizing, training, collaboration and providing technical assistance to 14 Northern California Counties developing community and legislative relationship that influence public policy. Twlia is incredibly passionate about public health, health equity and environmental justice for all.

VALARIE SCRUGGS is a Project Director at SOL Project where she engages the community around secondhand smoke exposure in multi-unit housing and outdoor places. She is also owner of VisionStep, a consultant business focused on program development and grant writing. She has a wealth of experience in program planning, securing funding, and implementing effective public health campaigns.

She develops strategic alliances to conduct campaigns that increase knowledge and encourage individuals and communities to take action to reduce their risk for disease.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Ecology from University of California, Irvine with an emphasis in Psychology and Social Behavior. Valarie also serves as Program Development Director for the Sac Cultural Hub Media Foundation

LESLEY LEATHERWOOD is the CEO of Leatherwood Marketing, and specializes in national internet marketing and print advertising. She possesses over 20 years of corporate experience, including inside and outside sales, hospitality, public relations, media buying, production assistant in television and four feature films. She is an expert with consulting on promoting, advertising, telemarketing products, events and photography. Lesley is originally from Cardiff Wales, England. Lesley has been with Sac Cultural Hub Media Company since 2008 and serves as the Community Advertising Manager.

DONNA RAMOS writes several multi-cultural novels simultaneously. Her journalism career as a Senior Staff Writer/ Reporter for THE HUB Magazine writes multi-cultural novels and her journalism career as a Senior Staff Writer for THE HUB Magazine has yielded interviews with Maxwell, Venus and Serena Williams and HRH Sarah Ferguson Duchess of York, to name a few. As a selfpublished author, Ramos received acclaim from Essence Magazine and BlackbookPlus.com for her contemporary romance book “HIGH RISE”. “M&M, Madness and Mayhem”, the final book in her HIGH RISE Trilogy, was released in 2014.

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History of Sac Cultural Hub Media Foundation

15TH ANNUAL EWOC AWARDS & EXPO

Working to promote the healthy lifestyles of African American and urban communities in Northern California, Sac Cultural Hub Media Foundation (SCHMF) was created in 2003 to develop programs which mentor young adults, women, and underserved communities. The Foundation has implemented programs in partnership with corporations, businesses and individuals to promote higher education, provide entrepreneurship opportunities, further diversity partnerships, and improve and encourage collaborative efforts through exceptional signature events that include: •

Exceptional Women of Color Awards & Expo

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Hub Choice Awards (HCA) Show

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Black Physicians Forum (BPF)

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BPF Medical Student Scholarship Program

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Young Women’s Exceptional Women of Color (Y-EWOC) Scholarship Competition

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First Friday Business Initiative

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Black History Month Luncheon

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Sacramento Community Book Forum

The mission of the Sac Cultural Hub Media Foundation is to provide exciting non-traditional vehicles of engagement where businesses and non-profit organizations can market services and products and mentor and provide public service information to educate and inspire the urban community. Our primary goal is to motivate and empower African American professionals, communities of color, and youth to thrive and succeed in life.

The Sac Cultural Hub Media Foundation utilizes the Sacculturalhub.com Media Company to connect with the African American and Urban communities of Northern California.

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Sacculturalhub.com is known as the #1 grassroots multi-media organization in Northern California and is the most popular resource for networking of businesses, non-profit organizations, community resources, entertainment, and individuals.

Pleshette Robertson, the CEO and Founder of Sacculturalhub. com launched the website in March 2002. The website provides an internet platform for news, multicultural events, career profiles, professional business services, community resources, educational opportunities, corporate advertising, and photo gallery of Northern California residents, visitors, and celebrities.

The website currently receives over 2 million national hits each month with over 20,000 unique visitors each month.

In February 2006, Ms. Robertson implemented a signature publication to complement the website. THE HUB: Urban Entertainment & Lifestyle Magazine which caters to affluent urban professionals, working class families and the underserved African American and urban communities. Its mission is to highlight individuals for their community contributions which increases enthusiasm in the community and help others to celebrate what Northern California has to offer.

Board of Directors

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15TH ANNUAL EWOC AWARDS & EXPO

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

STACY ANDERSON Individual & Family Plans Outreach Manager Blue Shield of CA

SHEILA BENNETT Mortgage Loan Officer & Realtor Answer Home Loans

HOLLY BROWN School and Community Relations Specialist Schools Financial Credit Union

WILLIAM JAHMAL MILLER Vice President with CommonSpirit Health’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion, Equity & Belonging

GARY SIMON Executive Director, Sacramento Juneteenth, Inc.

ZORITHA THOMPSON Broker/Realtor & Owner Goree & Thompson Real Estate

VOLUNTEERS & SUPPORT TEAM

KIMBERLY BAILEY

MICHELE MITCHELL

CANDICE WILDER

Owner/Graphic Designer SkuugiBear Graphics

Staff Service Analyst in the State of California Public Information Unit for the Department of Consumer Affairs Nursing Board and Business Owner of Bougie Bites Catering

Student Review and Interventions Administrator San Juan Unified School District and Business Owner of Naturally Loved LLC

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Y-EWOC Scholarship Program

15TH ANNUAL EWOC AWARDS & EXPO

Today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders and business owners. Our mission is to inspire young women to seek successful opportunities and affect positive change in their communities.

Our purpose is to empower young women to embrace their strengths and to reach their full potential in the career world. For the past 13 years our Young Women’s Summit has recognized young women who share their own insights on college, career building, entrepreneurship and how to address challenges that are attributed to the strides of success.

The annual Young Exceptional Women of Color (Y-EWOC) Scholarship Competition has assisted young women of color, ages 14-21, with a $500 award toward higher education. The goal of this scholarship is to encourage young women of color to pursue their dreams and secure the education and skills needed to make them a reality.

This year we are presenting a total of three (3) scholarship awards. These young women were selected based on their submission of their scholarship application that included resumes, letter of recommendation, and an excellent essay about “What Makes An Exceptional Woman of Color?”.

Alexis Daniels

Aminata Fall

Senior at University of California, Davis

Sophomore at California State University Sacramento

Essay excerpt:

Essay excerpt:

Scholarship

An exceptional woman of color WINNER is anyone who helps other people in need, whether they are activists who support minorities, those who help in raising the youth, or others whose goal is to keep their family together.

They are the pillars of emotional support, financial security, and secure decisions within communities, families, and society. This does not mean these exceptional women of color are extraordinarily strong or are meant to handle all of these responsibilities. I say this to emphasize that they have pushed themselves again and again in order to become whoever they need to be, in whatever situation, for their family and those they care about. These women are not superwomen but those with such giving hearts that even when they are at their weakest they still provide for others.

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Scholarship

When I think of the influence of WINNER an exceptional woman of color on me, the first image that comes to mind is my grandmother. She is very resourceful, resilient, and ambitious. At the golden age of 80 years old, she still volunteers as executive director of a very successful non-profit organization she founded nearly 35 years ago that has been producing outstanding outcomes and positively impacting African-American families.

Her devotedness to empowering low-income African-American residents of Marin County is noted in history. My grandmother is very strong-willed, dynamic, and passionate about uplifting Black people. When I feel deflated and overwhelmed, I think of a quote she always says by Maya Angelou: “We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” My grandmother motivates and inspires me to excel in my goal of creating a sustainable and affordable environment for communities when I become a professional civil engineer, a profession that has very few women of color represented.

Y-EWOC Scholarship Program & Sponsors

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15TH ANNUAL EWOC AWARDS & EXPO

Lia Mack Freshman at University of California, Los Angeles

Scholarship

Essay excerpt:

WINNER The strength we must have to stay true to ourselves among trials and tribulations is seen as unmatched to anything in my eyes. Based on the economy today, we are already ranked lower, just for being woman, but in addition we are even lower for being women of color. It takes that much more for a woman of color to excel. Although this is completely unfair, I feel it also puts us ahead of others because of what we learn along the way to exceed, such as adaptability for a variety of environments and learning to keep that same resilience. And when we are able to accomplish such great feats, people seem almost surprised because they look at us as inferior. For example, Mary Winston Jackson was an African American Woman who was a professional aerospace engineer. During the beginning of her career, her coworkers, which mainly consisted of white males, assumed she was an office assistant there to help with any requests they had. When they realized that she was actually their equal coworker they were taken aback, because they couldn’t believe a woman could be that smart, let alone a woman of color.

A Heartfelt

Thank You to our VOLUNTEERS We couldn't do it without you!

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Exhibitors Pavilion

15TH ANNUAL EWOC AWARDS & EXPO

ALM Business Institute www.almbi.com

Sacramento Municipal Utility District www.smud.org

Department of General Services – State of California www.dgs.ca.gov

Saving Our Legacy, African Americans for Smoke Free Safe Places - The SOL Project www.thesolproject.com

FlyLady Boutique www.flyladytee.com

Starr Fashion Jewelry & Handbags bstarr4u@gmail.com

Gofinity gofinity.com/hairhealth

Stop Stigma Sacramento www.stopstigmasacramento.org

NAWBO- National Association of Women Business Owners | Sacramento Valley nawbo-sac.org

The Spiced Avocado www.thespicedavocado.com www.spiced4life.com

Paparazzi www.jannethsbling.com

Wells Fargo www.wellsfargo.com

Sacculturalhub.com Media Company www.sacculturalhub.com

Weave www.weaveinc.org

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Advertisement

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Special Tribute

15TH ANNUAL EWOC AWARDS & EXPO

POSTHUMOUS EWOC ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT AWARD

Remembering Cleo Cartel Frances Florence Ethyl Wesley, also known as Cleo Cartel, was born in Oakland CA on January 27th, 1972. She moved to Sacramento in the 90’s. She was preceded in death by her mother, Carol Ann Jones, who passed earlier this year.

Cleo was an accomplished artist, poet, singer, gardener, seamstress, hairstylist, make-up artist, and business owner who always had a focus on building the community around her.

Cleo was a co-founder of the Mahogany Urban Poetry Series, the longest running black owned poetry venue in Northern California. Cleo toured the country with her poetry, performing at venues and sharing her words of community and unity. Cleo was a member of Sacramento’s first ever poetry slam team.

The team placed 30th in the world at the national convention in 2002.

Cleo’s fashion designs and art prints were always well sought after. She made it a point to teach the youth how to run a business and be self-sufficient. Any event that Cleo was part of, you would see the young people there alongside her, running the event.

During the pandemic, Cleo and her best friend Khiry partnered together, and along with Cleo’s husband Uahsuf and friend Temperance, they opened Momma’s Market. Momma’s Market opened with a focus on providing healthy and culturally relevant food options to the community. The small market featured fresh locally grown produce, spices and herbs from around the world, and held cooking pop ups every week. Cleo would often give food away for free to the needy.

Alongside Momma’s Market, Cleo also opened Sage, in the building next to the market, her and her husband Uahsuf would sell books, clothing, candles, jewelry, herbal remedies, teas, and art. She was also featured at Nordstroms as a vendor this past February 2023.

Cleo served as a mentor to youth poets at SAYS (Sacramento Area Youth Speaks) and also via Sol Collective. She often went live on Facebook to share gardening secrets from her patio, as she wanted everyone to have access to fresh fruits and vegetables and have the knowledge on how to grow for themselves. Cleo would greet everyone with her signature greeting “Hey Sugapop” or “Hey Luvbug” and she made it a point to text her friends and family regularly to express that she loved and believed in them.

On August 14th, she succumbed to cervical cancer after fighting for 2 years. Shortly before her death, she made it a point to support as many community events as she could. She told her doctor “You can’t stop me from living,” and she was correct. Every memory of Cleo, every community event, every young person she inspired in the community, that’s where you will find her. Her body has expired, but she lives.

Submitted by beloved best friend Khiry Malik 22

Special Tribute

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15TH ANNUAL EWOC AWARDS & EXPO

Every memory of Cleo, every community event, every young person she inspired in the community, that’s where you will find her.

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15TH ANNUAL EWOC AWARDS & EXPO

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Educator of the Year Award

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15TH ANNUAL EWOC AWARDS & EXPO

2023 EWOC EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD, SPONSORED BY SCHOOLSFIRST

Channa M. Cook, PhD Executive Director, District & School Support Sacramento County Office of Education

Serving school employees since 1934 Channa M. Cook, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of District and School Support at the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) where she leads the team providing customized assistance to schools and districts in Sacramento County. Prior to joining SCOE, Cook was the Director of Social-Emotional Learning at Folsom Cordova Unified School District (FCUSD) where she designed and led the implementation of a district-wide approach to meeting the needs of the whole child. Before joining FCUSD, she was a senior researcher at the Learning Policy Institute in Palo Alto where her research focused on social-emotional learning, whole-child approaches to schooling, deeper learning, and trauma-informed practices. She began her career as a high school English teacher and literacy coach in Los Angeles Unified School District and she co-founded and served as principal of a charter school in Louisiana. She has a Ph.D., M.A. and B.A. from Stanford University and a M.S. in Educational Leadership from Pepperdine University.

SAVE THE DATE! Big Day of Giving Thursday, May 2, 2024 Building a strong community of leaders by EDUCATING, PROMOTING, and INSPIRING individuals to pursue their personal, academic, and business goals. www.bigdayofgiving.org/organization/sacculturalhub

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15TH ANNUAL EWOC AWARDS & EXPO

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Sponsors

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Congratulations to the EWOC Award Recipients PRIDE Industries is proud to support these Exceptional Women of Color. Thank you for your commitment to creating a more diverse and equitable Sacramento region.

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Sac Cultural Hub Media Foundation would like to thank all of our corporate sponsors and community partners for supporting the

15th Annual EWOC Awards & Expo Program

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Serving school employees since 1934

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