Annual Report
A multi-faceted Black Chamber of Commerce: Championing Entrepreneurs, Empowering Businesses, Transforming Communities
A look back on our journey Nicholas Perry
I am thrilled to present The Presidents’ Council’s Annual Report for 2023, a year filled with growth, impact and upward mobility. September marked a one-year anniversary for me as President and CEO of this amazing organization. I am blessed to have the opportunity to be at the helm of all the fresh and exciting things we have put in motion as well as what looms on the horizon.
During this year, I conducted a full assessment of the Council’s infrastructure focusing primarily on personnel, financial controls and rebranding the organization. Despite the challenges of burnout, inflation, data breaches and The Great Resignation that injured businesses around the globe, our organization remained steadfast in its mission to empower African American entrepreneurs, uplift our community, foster some personal growth and also expand our team.
We have a new home! As we closed out the year we also ended our lease at our temporary offices and found new digs. And there are a lot of new things to dig about our new space, new programs and new staff members. Throughout 2023, we continued to nurture an environment where entrepreneurs and business leaders could thrive, innovate and collaborate.
Our commitment to economic empowerment, advocacy and community development has never been stronger. This report showcases the remarkable achievements made possible through the dedication and hard work of our members, staff, partners and stakeholders.
As we reflect on the past year’s accomplishments, we do look forward to the opportunities (and hurdles) that stand ahead. With unwavering determination and foresight for a brighter future, I am confident that The Presidents’ Council will continue to be a driving force for positive change in the African American business community. Thank you for your continued support.
All the best in the year ahead, Nicholas Perry
Reflections from the Chairman of the Board
A look back on our journey Brian Hall
Dear Members, Partners, Stakeholders & Supporters…
As we gather to review the milestones and achievements of the past year, I am honored to address you on behalf of the Board of Directors. In this message, I wish to express our gratitude for your unwavering collaboration and commitment to our collective vision.
The year 2023 was marked by significant challenges as well as extraordinary opportunities, and our organization navigated them with resilience, determination and gratitude. Despite the evolving landscape, we remained steadfast in our mission to support, develop and champion current and future generations of Black entrepreneurs.
Throughout the year, our dedicated team demonstrated remarkable innovation and adaptability. Their tireless efforts have not only sustained our operations but have also propelled us toward new heights of excellence. In 2023, passion and dedication were evident in every endeavor.
As we reflect on our journey, it is essential to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of our stakeholders. Your partnership and collaboration have been instrumental in our success, and we are immensely grateful for your ongoing support. Together, we have achieved remarkable progress and made a positive impact on Cleveland’s Black business scene.
Looking ahead, we remain committed to fostering growth, innovation and sustainability. Guided by our core values and strategic objectives, we are poised to seize emerging opportunities and overcome future challenges. With your continued support and partnership, I am confident that we will build upon our achievements and create a brighter future for African Americans in Northeast Ohio.
In closing, I extend my sincere appreciation to our shareholders, stakeholders and supporters for your trust and confidence in our organization. Your belief in our mission inspires us to push the boundaries of what is possible and strive for excellence in everything we do.
Thank you for being an integral part of our journey.
Warm regards,
Brian Hall
The President’s Council in Northeast Ohio is a regional business organization that represents the interests of large and mid-sized, Black-owned companies in the Northeast Ohio region. The council was established in 1996 as an initiative of Black Cleveland business leaders to promote economic development and job growth in the region.
The Council’s founding members included representatives from some of the region’s largest corporations. Their goal was to create a network of businesses that would work together to identify opportunities for growth and development in the region, and to advocate for policies and initiatives that would support those opportunities.
Over the years, The President’s Council has played a significant role in shaping the economic landscape of Northeast Ohio. The council has been involved in a number of high-profile projects, including the launch of Boardroom to Boardroom, the formation of a partnership with Baldwin Wallace’s MBA Program, and the launch of the biannual Entrepreneurship Conference.
AboutOur Team
The year 2023 was incredible for The Presidents’ Council. And we’d like to thank our team for being an integral part of our success. Throughout the course of the past year, The Presidents’ Council has been hard at work building the best team to lead us forward.
After implementing a new President/CEO, we’ve added two new Vice Presidents - Beverly Burks and Ashley Evans. These ladies make sure our day-today operations, programming and membership all stay intact.
TPC also brought in Deneen Wiley as the Executive Assistant to the President/CEO. Deneen handles numerous facets of TPC work and helps it run like a well-oiled machine. Deneen has also become a chamber member for help with her burgeoning Black owned business.
We’ve had the pleasure of retaining our longest serving staff member, Chanel Spencer and also promoting her to a director’s position. Chanel is our secret sauce that knows all of the ins and outs of
The Presidents’ Council organization and not only keeps things on track, but running smoothly.
We filled another director’s position with the hire of our new Director of Communications, Felicia C. Haney. On the brink of a brand refresh, Ms. Haney has helped us execute the roll out of that refresh as well as implement key 2-way communication strategies with our members and stakeholders.
As the way we communicate with the world has shifted over the years, so must our approach to reaching our audience. We are elated to announce that we have added two new staff membersKieori Gethers, a social media specialist; and Jada Spencer, a communications and administrative assistant. Kieori is a product of our PC Scholars program who went on to intern with TPC and is now an employee of our organization. Jada also served as an intern before being hired on in a staff position. This is what The Presidents’ Council is all about - serving our community who in turn come back to help us serve.
About
Brian Hall Chairman
Tameka Taylor
Secretary
Michael Bowen
Andre Goosby
Richard Perry
Tom Waltermire
Board Members
Jamie Warder Governance Committee Chair
NeCole Cumberlander
Ariane Kirkpatrick
LaRese Purnell
Open: Vice Chair
Mark Williams Treasurer Finance Committee Chair
Joe Chubb Programs Committee Chair
Terrell Dillard
Suzanne Miklos
Eddie Taylor
About
Brian Hall
Specialized Construction Service
Warren Anderson Anderson-DuBose
Tilmon Brown
LLC Members
Ariane Kirkpatrick AKA Team
Daryl Laisure Zin Technologies
New Horizon Baking Company
Lonnie Coleman
Coleman Spohn Corporation
NeCole & Orlando
Cumberlander
Paul Mitchell Schools
Terrell Dillard Zaymat
Sandra Madison Robert P. Madison International
Darrell McNair MVP Plastics
N. Michael Obi
Spectrum Global Solutions
Mark Williams
Manchester Partners LLC
Richard Perry Pinkney Perry Insurance Agency
LaRese Purnell CLE Consulting Firm
Will Scott Young Explorers
Eddie Taylor, Jr
Taylor Oswald
Rhoni Thompson
R.L. Cole Enterprise Inc
Not Pictured: James Vaughan, Jr JDD Inc
Ken Hardy
Bonnie Speed
About
The Work
Ecosystem Building (Organizing and Mobilizing)
The Presidents’ Council opens doors to success by fostering leadership at all levels and equipping students to think and act like authentic leaders, providing multi-level support to both parents and scholars. We encourage scholars’ fresh perspective on the world as well as the value for diversity and social justice within a whole new global context, serving as cultural mirrors.
Championing + Thought Leadership
Through our Political Action Committee (PAC), we provide a shared magnified voice on public policy issues that impact Black businesses. According to Fortune.com, while African Americans make up just 14 percent of the population, we are responsible for some $1.2 trillion in purchases annually. In some cases, Black consumers make up over 50 percent of overall spending. We are an indisputable part of this region and wealth. It is important that we vote for an inclusive economy. We work on both the local and federal levels to remove the barriers that affect African American’s quality of life.
Business Development + Entrepreneurial Support
The Presidents’ Council unlocks greater business opportunities and growth for African American business by offering three areas of service and opportunities. Formerly known as Excellence in Entrepreneurship at Your Business (EEAYB), Business Solutions Suite fills a critical gap in the entrepreneurial ecosystem by providing direct tangible services not only for scalability but for long-term sustainability. RealTalk Tuesdays are intimate chamber member-only events held every second Tuesday of the month to discuss the challenges, successes, and barriers unique to Black business. Work it Wednesdays are informal events held every third Wednesday of the month designed to directly provide our chamber members with education and tangible resources. Moving forward, these two events will combine and be known as the Meet Me in the Chamber series.
Capital Formation + Investment
Motivated by the knowledge that the foundation of a strong community and economy is one with successful African American-owned businesses, The Presidents’ Council continues to support entrepreneurial and economic development accomplished by playing a vital role in creating jobs, purchasing goods and services from, and significantly investing in, African American small businesses and the communities served.
Our Impact
This marks my first full year as President and CEO. During this year, I conducted a full assessment of the Council’s infrastructure, focusing primarily on personnel and financial controls.
Impact
Executive Summary
The assessment included interviewing individual employees, identifying immediate needs - while prioritizing ambitions and ultimately crafting and implementing an action plan for the fourth quarter. The action plan is an extension of the recommendations adopted by the 2020 Strategic Plan.
The Presidents’ Council’s six-month strategic refresh process resulted in five strategic recommendations:
1. Re-brand the organization to better align with the mission.
2. Organize all efforts around four strategic pillars.
3. Execute the mission both directly and through partnerships with other organizations that are advancing Black businesses.
4. Raise $10MM to build the sustainable capacity needed for the future.
5. Deliver three audacious goals that will make a difference to the Black business community.
Additionally, my team continued to conduct a full assessment of the status and effectiveness of all current programs and business support solutions. As a result, we have taken bold and aggressive action to enhance staff and institute sound financial controls. We have started the processes of re-visioning, re-branding and rebuilding. The following report illustrates how we will continue to accomplish the immediate goals while building a strong, sustainable future.
Impact Increased & Enhanced Infrastructure
As we went through the process of prioritizing our goals, we installed and relied on the following principles to keep us focused:
Vision –to break down barriers to and foster growth of minority-owned businesses in Northeast Ohio
Commitment –to Black and minority business owners
Passion –to business development & entrepreneurial support Integrity –to foster leadership at all levels by reinforcing and perpetuating strong moral principles. Understanding –the needs of staff, clientele, and stakeholders to provide strategic direction.
Responsive Service –adapting to the ever-changing needs of the minority business ecosystem.
Impact
As a result, we concentrated on reconstructing our organization, placing an emphasis on our employees’ talents, and expanding opportunities. We are creating a more efficient team, entrepreneurial atmosphere, and wider professional reach.
These sweeping changes include:
• Created the new position of Vice President of Programming & Business Services and hired Ashley Evans.
• Created the new position of Director of Administration and Human Resources and hired Deneen Wiley of Executive One.
• Created the new position of Director of Development and hired Douglas Peck of Dream City.
• Hired CLE Consultants to handle all bookkeeping and accounting activities.
• Created the new Vice President of Operations position and hired Beverley Burks.
• Created the New Position of Director of Communications and hired Felicia Haney
• Created the New Position of Social Media Specialist and hired Kieori Gethers
Possible additional positions:
• We are exploring the feasibility of bringing on a Chief Financial Officer.
Training and Education
To enhance the staff’s skill set, all employees are enrolled in various classes to receive training and certification. This opportunity was made possible by the Cuyahoga County Skill Up program, where up to 50 percent of the paid tuition is eligible for reimbursement upon successful completion. Please the see update below.
Chanel Spencer, Director of Business Solutions & Client Engagement
• SEMP Approach Training Book
• Management Courses Suite: The Effective Manager’s Toolbox
• Microsoft Collaboration: SharePoint, Teams, Groups, and Yammer
Nicholas Perry, President & CEO
Ashley Evans, Vice President of Programs & Business Solutions
• Kent State University College of Business Administration (COBA) — Graduate Programs
• Microsoft Collaboration: SharePoint, Teams, Groups, and Yammer
• Bonus Option- ECBA Certification Training Course
Social Media Profiles
facebook.com/theprescouncil
twitter.com/ThePresCouncil_ instagram.com/thepresidentscouncil
linkedin.com/company/the-presidents-council-foundation
Our Programs
The PC Scholars Program was designed to get African American students TO and THROUGH college by activating the entrepreneurial mindset of the next generation, growing college graduation among people of color, and the growth of expertise in fields where people of color were historically excluded. After collecting feedback for the 2022-2023 cohort, we decided to focus the program more on developing entrepreneurial skills though a hybrid model. Upon completion of the program, scholars competed in a pitch competition based on the knowledge and skill acquired during the program.
Programs
Current Program Status
Before Start of Program Expectations:
Returning Scholars: 10 returning scholars
Applied/Reached Out Scholars: 24 scholars
Interviews Scheduled: 9 scholars scheduled interviews
Interviews Completed: 4 scholar interviews were conducted
Start of the 2022-2023 Program Year: 12 total scholars
(4) Male | 66.66% (8) Female 5 Juniors, 7 Seniors
End of the 2022-2023 Program Year: 9 total scholars
Graduating/Completing the Program: 4 scholars graduated from the program
Programs
Youth Black Entrepreneurship Series
Youth Black Entrepreneurship Series - Since our last meeting, we were able to successfully visit 3 schools for our Youth Black Entrepreneurship Series with the goal of the series is to provide Cleveland area students in grades 8 – 12 with the option to explore opportunities in business and entrepreneurship with Cleveland area business owners.
Schools Visited:
• Garret Morgan School (April 4, 2023, at 11:30am)
• Bedford High School (May 17, 2023, at 9:00am)
• Wings Academy (May 25, 2023, at 10:00 am)
PC Scholars Advisory Committee
Since our last meeting, we’ve held 2 PC Scholars Advisory Committee Meetings with the goal being to decide and implement a plan for The PC Scholars Program.
Outcomes:
Partner and support Teen Enterprise, who already has the connection with students and established program.
What partnership could look like:
Connecting our scholars with Teen Enterprise, who would focus on providing the scholars with the educational piece of the program. While we would provide scholars with the opportunity and space for mentors from our chamber, pitch competitions, and market days.
Why:
After conducting each session and doing research, we found the market for programs similar to PC Scholars to be saturated.
Next Steps:
Teen Enterprise will be providing us with a detailed proposal of what the program could potentially look like.
We still have continued challenges with communication with scholars and parents. Despite multiple forms of communication (email, phone call, and text message), scholars and parents aren’t responsive or up to date on the program updates.
Transportation needs – scholars and parents aren’t letting us know this is an issue until the day of or when the in-person session has already started.
Program Schedule Updates – scholars and parents weren’t reading communications about in-person schedule updates.
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