On Thursday October 19 - Sunday October 22, 2017, Seeds of Fortune Inc., Seed University Scholars hosted their annual Seed University Leadership Seminar at Trinity Washington University.
The 2017 Leadership Seminar was focused on the professional development of our University Scholars, represented across 22 colleges and universities to ensure a successful transition from college to career.
Please see below our 2017 Seed University Leadership Seminar Speaker roster
Bie Aweh
Dev Boot Camp Career Developer
As a member of the founding team of HBCUvc, Bie focuses on talent and curriculum development. Bie’s passion for helping people of underrepresented groups achieve their goal stems from her belief that as technology continues to consume our global economy, it is crucial that underrepresented minorities (URM) have a role in the creation of technologies and not simply consuming them. As a career changer herself, it is this personal experience that informs the empathy she demonstrates with each of the individuals she coaches. Technology has awarded her with an opportunity to upward mobility financially, and she is passionate about ensuring that other URMs experience whether this in technical or non technical roles.
Michael A. McNair
Founder, MoxieReality
Serial Entrepreneur who started Inspirational Hoopz Inc. 4 years ago. A Basketball training program for kids in the US & Europe. After having attended the Forbes 30 under 30 summit in Boston. After teaching himself how to code for over a year Michael is now the Founder of Moxie Reality, where he has put together a team of techies to help companies develop both AR & VR applications to streamline business solutions and help with customer adoption. They have several apps that will be released under their company that will solve a lot of issues when it comes to industries like food, healthcare, & sports. After getting a lot of attention on social platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram where they have over a combined of 90,000 followers that engage. They continue to innovate.
Shalom Blac
YouTube Influencer
Shalom Blac is a beauty influencer on YouTube and Instagram. She was catapulted into the spotlight after her collaboration video, the power of makeup went viral. Born in Nigeria to a hard-working mother who ran a small food store, Shalom and her younger sister were burned when a large pot of hot oil spilled on top of them. After months in the hospital and multiple surgeries, Shalom and her family made their way to America. Shalom found solace from bullying through YouTube makeup tutorials and decided as a teen to start making her own. Her self-taught techniques and positive perspective has been an inspiration to over 300,000 subscribers around the world.
Lauren R. Jackson
Judicial Law Clerk at Superior Court of New Jersey
Lauren R. Jackson is an Attorney and Founder of Instilling My Ability to Naturally Embrace Excellence (IMANEE), a mentoring program for middle school girls throughout New York City. She is a recent graduate of the Howard University School of Law where she served as President of the Student Bar Association, a champion member of the Huver I. Brown Trial Advocacy Team, and a Student Attorney with the Civil Rights Clinic, which allowed her to argue before the United States Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit. Prior to attending Howard, she earned her Bachelors degree in Marketing, Sport Management and Africana Studies, and a Masters degree in Public Administration from Seton Hall University.
Rachel Hampton
Walker’s Legacy
Rachel is a communications professional committed to solving her team’s most pressing challenges by utilizing strategy, innovation, collaboration, and leadership. Whether in front of the camera, behind the editor’s desk, or with a strategic communications plan, you can find Rachel discussing the latest in Black business, entrepreneurship, policy, and entertainment. Rachel has worked on nation-wide events such as SXSW Interactive and the Annual Essence Music Festival; and organizations such as National Geographic Television and Walmart Stores Inc. With a passion for storytelling, Rachel has earned a B.A. in Journalism with a Broadcast News concentration from Howard University in Washington, DC and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Venture in Management Intensive Program. At Walker’s Legacy, Rachel manages all things Communications and Special Projects to fulfill the organization’s mission to inspire, equip, and engage its growing network of 30,000 professional and entrepreneurial multicultural women.
Jamé Jackson Founder
Editor and Chief The Blonde Misfit
Jamé Jackson is a natural storyteller, journalist and motivational speaker. Passionate about advocating for more diversity and inclusion in the fashion, beauty, and media industries, Jamé uses her editorial voice to speak on these topics through the eye of a 'misfit' in this world. Inspired after rejection letters from publishers when she first graduated from Howard University, Ms. Jackson started TheBlondeMisfit, which now has a growing audience of people looking to celebrate all things women-empowering and #BlackGirlMagic related.
Chey Parker
Editor and Chef of Everything Girls Love
Chey Parker has worked in media and public relations as an editor, on-air personality, producer, and public relations specialist for less than a decade, but in a very short amount of time, at only 26, has built a promising brand for herself in the media and entertainment industry. Chey Parker is currently the Edtior-in-Chief of Yandy Smith's blog and digital magazine, Everything Girls Love, which has been coined the "baby Essence" of its time. he publication caters to the modern #BlackGirlMagic superwoman of today with engaging and interactive content from entertainment, fashion and beauty, to wellness, lifestyle and relationships. She is also a freelance contributor and a content creator for Black Girl Digital, a premium ad network designed specifically for Black female millennial content creators.
Destinee Swindell
Strivers Row
Destinee Swindell is a Hampton, VA native and 2013 Howard University alumna. She is a media strategist currently managing the LVMH Beauty portfolio, with past experience on P&G, Verizon FiOS, CarMax, Coty and Swarovski. Destinee is also the founder of Strivers’ Row, a platform that celebrates and connects young doers of color, and co-founder of The Link Up, a New York City event series.
Charmaine Charmant
Business Analyst Deloitte
Charmaine Charmant is a Federal Human Capital Business Analyst at Deloitte Consulting LLP. Prior to joining the firm in 2016, she worked for Bloomingdale's Corporate as an Assistant Buyer. In her free time, Charmaine enjoys blogging, traveling, and meeting new people. She earned her B.A. from Wellesley College and her M.A. in Management from Wake Forest University.
Merone Hailemeskel
Special Policy Advisor and Digital Director, Reach Higher initiative and Better Make Room Campaign
Merone Hailemeskel serves as a Special Policy Advisor and Digital Director for Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher initiative and Better Make Room campaign. She works to inspire and provide tools to help every student in America take charge of their future by completing their education beyond high school, whether at a professional training program, a community college, or a four-year college or university. Her role cuts across policy, advocacy, and community engagement to further the goal that the United States once again lead the world in terms of college graduates. Merone earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics with a minor in Business Management and a Master’s degree in Public Policy at George Mason University.
Kyle Renard Burton
Candidate Harvard Medical School and Kennedy School
of Government
Kyle Renard Burton is a MD/MPP dual-degree candidate of Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Harvard Kennedy School of Government currently training for a career in health care and advocacy. Kyle’s neurophysiology research and leadership as a Howard University (HU) Laureate Scholar earned him the 2012-2013 English-Speaking Union Luard-Morse Fellowship for biochemistry studies at Oxford University. Currently a Center for Public Leadership Sheila C. Johnson Leadership Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Kyle conducts research on barriers to telehealth utilization while developing the tools to implement effective change in healthcare and beyond.