Archive for category Impact Leaders

Natalie Cofield is President of the NMC Consulting Group a boutique consulting firm that specializes in business development, program management and public affairs. She operates her company with the mission of increasing entrepreneurship and business development opportunities and improving business programs for people of color, women and youth. Her firm has worked with clients including Carnegie Mellon, University of Rochester, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and the United Negro College Fund, among others.

In addition to working with external clients, the NMC Consulting Group has two signature programs to advance expertise and knowledge sharing amongst aspiring and existing entrepreneurs – Walker’s Legacy: A Women in Business Lecture Series and PROSPECTUS a nine-week entrepreneurship training program and business plan competition.

In 2010 Ms. Cofield testified before the US Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship on “Assessing Access: Obstacles and Opportunities for Minority Small Business Owners in Today’s Capital Markets” alongside Robert Johnson.

She has received numerous awards, including a Certificate of Recognition from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for her contribution to economic policy in Los Angeles. Her work on entrepreneurship and business development programming has been case-studied by the International Economic Development Council. In 2006, Ms. Cofield was named one of Ebony Magazine’s Top 30 Under 30. In 2010 she was listed as one of the Top 30 Under 30 in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia by WKYS.

She is a professional who brings years of expertise in strategic planning, program development and management, public affairs and marketing for businesses, nonprofit and economic development entities. She has worked in major global markets including: Washington, DC, Los Angeles, CA, New York, NY and London, UK.

In her prior roles she has served as the Director of Industry & Business Development for the Washington, DC Economic Partnership. During her tenure she developed a number of original programs on behalf of the District of Columbia including: PremierPlan, the District’s first $100,000 business plan competition, BusinessPremier, the District’s business retention and expansion initiative, BusinessPremier Small Business Awards, and the Initial Start-Up Considerations Program, a community entrepreneurship initiative. In her role as Director, she served as a liaison to elected and government officials, community and business leaders on business development matters, as a representative of the District of Columbia before international delegations both domestically and abroad (England and China) and at national conferences related to business development and entrepreneurship.

Ms. Cofield has also served as a Special Assistant to the General Manager for the City of Los Angeles, CA Community Development Department and as a Management Consulting Services Analyst for JPMorganChase in New York where she began her career.

Ms. Cofield, is a frequent public speaker, radio personality, presenter and lecturer on topics of business, economic and community development. She is a researcher, writer and published author on topics of entrepreneurship and industry development including having served as the co-author and lead editor of the Doing Business in DC Guide Book with more than 20,000 copies published in five languages (Korean, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Spanish, English), as author of the 2007 State of Nonprofits and Associations in the District of Columbia on behalf of the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic Development, and has written articles that have been published in industry journals including the DC Building & Industry Association quarterly journal. In 2009, Ms. Cofield, published The Pursuit of Entrepreneurship a Guide For African American Entrepreneurs commissioned by the Congressional Black Caucus with more than 1,500 copies released at the 2009 Annual Legislative Conference.

In 2008, Ms. Cofield was appointed by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty as the youngest Commissioner for the District of Columbia Commission for Women where she serves as Chair of the Public Affairs Committee and Co-Chair of the International Affairs Committee. She is a board member for the DC Coalition for Capital, and the Greater Washington Fashion Chamber of Commerce and has served on the Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic Development’s Nonprofit Task-force.

She is a graduate of Howard University, magna cum laude and obtained her Master of Public Affairs as a Pi Alpha Alpha graduate of the National Urban Fellows at Baruch School of Public Affairs in New York.

Hailing from Port Saint Lucie, Florida Joshua Moore is a 26 year-old Medical Student at the University of Miami Miller School Of Medicine. Mr. Moore is the epitome of an IMPACT Leader. He is dedicated to empowering communities of color through his work in the medical field. He is passionate about working to eliminate health disparities among Black Americans and other marginalized groups, especially in regards to cardiovascular health. After medical school, he plans to pursue a career in Cardiothoracic Surgery and eventually plans to one day open a total heart health clinic providing care to the disadvantaged and medically underserved.

Mr. Moore is entering his third year of medical school and is already a rising star in the medical field. Throughout his medical school career, he has proven to be an effective student leader and has held various student government positions.

Most recently, Mr. Moore was appointed to the University Of Miami Board Of Trustees, where he will have full voting privileges. Previously, he served as both Freshmen and Sophomore Class Student Government President of at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Mr. Moore also served on the Executive Board of University Miami Student National Medical Association, a national student-run organization focused on the needs of minorities, the medically underserved and medical students of color. In this role, he organized a Bone Marrow Donor Registry Drive that successfully added over 100 potential donors to the National Bone Marrow Registry. As a member of the Executive Board, Mr. Moore co-chaired the Black History Month Celebration.

In addition to his other roles, Mr. Moore is a member of University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Department of Community Service. He has been a proven leader in this organization and served as Project Manager for the Jessie Trice Community Health Center. As Project Manager, he provided free, comprehensive health screenings – including Pap smear, Cholesterol/Triglyceride testing, Diabetes Screening, Eye and Vision exams, Dental Care, Pediatric Screenings, and Osteoporosis Screenings – to over 200 uninsured members of the Liberty City Neighborhood of Miami.

Not only is Joshua Moore a leader in his medical school, he has also taken his passion for medicine abroad. He recently participated in a medical Mission to Saraya, Senegal at the Saraya Health Center Pharmacy. . On this trip, Mr. Moore provided multiple life saving medical services, which included Polio vaccinations, Tuberculosis and Malaria prophylaxis to children, HIV testing, Obstetric care, and Labor and Delivery services to pregnant women, acute care to the severely ill (mostly from Malaria.) In addition to medical care, he also assisted in organizing and modernizing the Saraya Health Center Pharmacy and provided insecticide-treated mosquito nets to villages throughout rural Senegal. His trip to Senegal spurred his passion for international work and he has already made plans to attend a medical Mission trip to Port Au Prince and Tomonde, Haiti with University of Miami Caneshare in June 2010.

It goes without saying that Mr. Moore is using his passion for medicine to make significant contributions to his community. As a proven leader, future doctor and public servant, Joshua Moore is our IMPACT Leader of the month.

Jonathon Prince, the youngest of three boys, was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. The product of a single mother household after the divorce of his parents, Prince excelled academically, earning acceptance into Clark Atlanta University (CAU). While at CAU, Prince became homeless, was robbed at gunpoint and was the victim of a hit-and-run accident. In spite of these challenges, Prince refused to give up on his dreams of entering the television and film industry.

Upon completing college, Prince moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams. However, in 2005, he became overwhelmingly inspired by the effect Hurricane Katrina had on the residents of New Orleans. He decided to make a cross-country run to inspire those residents as their stories had done to him. First, Prince ran from Studio City to Atlanta. Months later, he continued his running from Atlanta to New York City. Prince has also run from California to Washington, DC with the hope that President Barack Obama would run the last mile of his journey with him and while that did not happen Prince continues on. Through these experiences Prince raised $100,000 in-kind donations that he used to support organizations rebuilding the Crescent City.

However, Prince was not done with his empowering movement. Throughout his life, Prince has been in tune with his community, but he has used this motivation to build his philanthropic spirit. Prince has inspired a physical and social movement—one that should be celebrated and supported.

Melanie N. Roussell is currently serving as the Press Secretary for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan. Specializing in crisis communication and management, Roussell has spent nearly seven years inside the Beltway crafting messages and developing communication strategies for political principles.

Roussell first came to Washington, DC as a CBCF intern in 2001 for former Rep. William Jefferson and returned as his staff assistant in 2002. She later served as Public Information Director for the New Orleans District Attorney, where she began to specialize in daily crisis management.

In 2004, she returned to Washington as Communications Director for Jefferson. During her tenure, Roussell further developed her crisis communications specialty while dealing with dual crises: the response to Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005, and the public bribery scandal Jefferson faced that same month. In addition to her press responsibilities, Roussell also managed Small Business, Education, Social Security, Women and children’s policy issues for Jefferson.

Roussell moved to the House Judiciary Committee in 2007, where she served as Communications Director, leading all message development and print media relations efforts during the U.S. Attorney scandal, the related contempt of Congress charges against Karl Rove and Harriet Miers, and other high profile committee activities.

In 2008, Roussell was named Southern Regional Communications Director for the Barack Obama campaign, responsible for managing communications for three battleground states – Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida. Her work on the campaign helped turn all three red states blue. Following the campaign, she worked on the Presidential Inaugural Committee as a spokesperson. She was named Press Secretary for HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan in February 2009.

Roussell, a native of New Orleans, LA, received her Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism from Florida A&M University and her M.A. in Public Communication from American University.

Bizunesh “Biz” Scott provides strategic legal advice and counsel on general business matters, corporate compliance, cost-reductions, litigation, contracts, electronic discovery management, document retention, talent management, and diversity initiatives. She has specific experience in the retail, financial services, entertainment, and professional consulting industries. Ms. Scott frequently speaks at legal seminars and conferences on issues ranging from compliance to diversity and mentoring.

She is currently serving as Interim General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Golfsmith International Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOLF). At Golfsmith, she manages all legal functions of the business including oversight of legal issues related to retail real estate, contract drafting and negotiations, human resources, securities and governance, intellectual property, compliance, and overall corporate strategy.

She has also been a Deputy Associate Counsel (White House Associate Program) for the Executive Office of the President of the United State’s Office of Presidential Personnel. Before starting Advice and Counsel LLP, Ms. Scott practiced at both Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and Latham & Watkins. As outside counsel, she has defended clients during government agency investigations, criminal investigations, class actions, civil actions, and with respect to changes in management.

More specifically, her civil representation includes complex state and federal civil actions alleging securities fraud, RICO violations, False Claims Act violations, breach of contract, wrongful termination, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duties. She has represented businesses and individuals that were under government investigation for a variety of allegations including accounting fraud or improprieties, FCPA violations, improper trading, market manipulation, and consumer fraud. Ms. Scott also spent six months on a rotation at the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, defending eviction actions in the Landlord-Tenant Branch of the D.C. Superior Court and administrative proceedings at the D.C. Housing Authority.

Ms. Scott clerked for the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Ms. Scott earned her J.D. from University of Michigan Law School, a member of both Michigan Law Review and Journal of Gender and Law. She also competed in three moot court competitions, Michigan Law School Campbell Moot Court competition, Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition, and Jessup International Moot Court Competition. Ms. Scott is currently pursuing an L.L.M. at Georgetown Law School.

Alvin D. Vaughn, Jr. – Director of Policy and Communications for Ubuntu Green Alvin brings a wealth of public policy and media relations experience to Ubuntu Green. He began his career in Washington, DC on Capitol Hill as a staffer in the U.S. Senate. There he specialized in an array of issues, including transportation policy. He then worked at a major Washington government relations firm where he advised local government clients on a range of public policy issues. Alvin’s career in media relations includes a stint at a major technology public relations firm and in corporate public relations. Most recently, Alvin has served as a lobbyist in the California State Capitol, specializing in transportation, land use, and energy issues. He also serves as a member of the City of Tracy Transportation Advisory Commission. Alvin is a graduate of the University of California at Davis, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science/Public Service.

Secretary Christian S. Johansson leads the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) with an accomplished background in economic development, management consulting, technology and healthcare.

Before joining DBED, Christian served as managing director of Continental Equity, where he focused on investing in diverse-owned companies and teams. Prior to that, Mr. Johansson served as president and CEO of the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore (EAGB), the region’s private/public partnership responsible for promoting economic growth.

Mr. Johansson earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Brown University and received a Masters of Business Administration degree from Harvard University. He was named one of the Baltimore Business Journal’s “40-Under-40” emerging leaders and was recognized by Leaders Magazine as one of seven Central Maryland leaders. Secretary Johansson serves on numerous boards, commissions and committees including the Federal Facilities Advisory Board, the Life Sciences Advisory Board and the World Trade Center Institute.

Mikaila Brown, Ph.D. is committed to raising awareness about issues around the world, especially those impacting African people throughout the Diaspora. A trained anthropologist, Mikaila’s passion for people and developing sustainable communities has guided her academic and creative pursuits.

Mikaila received a doctorate in Anthropology and Education from Columbia University in 2007. She has over five years of work experience with domestic and foreign non-profit organizations and has held managerial positions with nonprofits that catered to children living and attending school in impoverished communities. Inspired by the ability of these communities to thrive, Mikaila began exploring a more artistic approach to raising awareness to these experiences. After years within formal systems of community reformation, fashion became the basis for her next approach.

Mikaila has traveled to over 28 countries, living and working on four continents. Her passion for travel has allowed her to develop close relationships with people all over the world. The cultural sensibilities resulting from these relationships and experiences, coupled with her formal training in Anthropology and fashion, fuel her passion to use art as a means to inspire, challenge and bring awareness to communities and situations throughout the world, whose experience is deemed too atypical and too uncomfortable to be acknowledged within the mainstream.

Mikaila has worked with fashion icons including Oscar De La Renta, J. Crew, Pamella Roland, and Susan Joy. In 2008, she founded two fashion related companies. The first, Aliakim, is a fashion line committed to raising awareness to issues around the world using the medium of beautiful fabrics and sophisticated design elements. The second company, Bear Threads, uses fashion to empower youth and provide them tools to become social activists.

Bear Threads is a community development project committed to creating a platform for impoverished youth, ages 13 to 18, to explore social activism while learning the basic intricacies of the fashion design industry. Young artists are encouraged to design clothing inspired by things they would like to improve in their communities and proceeds from the sale of Bear Threads support community organizations.

Bear Thread’s themes of self-defense and personal empowerment commonly associated with slogan, “The Right to Bear Arms”, uses fashion as a tool to awaken inner city youth to their power as active agents of change. These themes and a commitment to improving the lives of African’s throughout the Diaspora embody the work and life of Mikaila Brown. For more information email Mikaila at info@aliakim.com.

Marian Anderson was heard saying, “Leadership should be born out of the understanding of the needs of those who would be affected by it.” Many would argue that age and experience are among the most important virtues of leadership. But for this daughter of an attorney and retired teacher, the most important quality in a leader is having the confidence of those that follow you. Heather McTeer Hudson, Mayor of Greenville, MS, has that confidence. Heather McTeer Hudson is a true daughter of the Mississippi Delta. Born and raised in Greenville, Mississippi, She was elected Mayor of the City of Greenville in 2003 and re-elected for a second term in 2007. She serves as the 1st African-American and 1st female to serve in this position.

As a child of the great state of Mississippi, Heather Hudson received her formative education from Greenville’s T.L. Weston High School and left Mississippi only to attend college. A 1998 graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, Mayor Hudson received her B.A. in Sociology and went on to earn her a Juris Doctorate at New Orleans’ Tulane Law School. As a three-year member of McTeer & Associates Law firm, where she practiced law, she was well versed in the corporate political arena. Today, Mayor Hudson still practices in her own firm, the McTeer-Hudson Firm, PLLC. After deciding to return to her hometown to live and work, Hudson noticed that many community needs were going unattended. Her immediate goal became to make long overdue improvements to the home she loves so dearly and bringing attention to the amazing people and resources of the Mississippi Delta.

Under her leadership, the city has thrived. The City of Greenville has received over 15 million dollars in grants and federal assistance, completed major infrastructure projects including street and sewer repairs, begun downtown revitalization and been highlighted in both national and international programs for the tourism and Honored to be one of the youngest mayors within the National Conference of Black Mayors, Mayor Hudson currently serves as the organization’s President. She is also a dedicated member of several organizations including the Magnolia Bar Association, The Young Elected Officials Network, Spelman College Alumnae Association, the Rotary Club, Mississippi Bar Association and the Mississippi Municipal League. In Greenville, she is a member of Agape Storage Christian Center, as well as Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and, she serves as the executive director of the McTeer Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides scholarships and other educational resources to students in Mississippi. Mayor Hudson has received numerous award and honors. She was named 1 of the 50 most Influential African-Americans in Mississippi and has been featured in the Jackson Clarion Ledger, Jet Magazine, Essence Magazine and the Mississippi Business Journal. One of her most humbling moments was when she was featured as one of the “50 Most Beautiful Women in the World” in May of 2005 by Essence Magazine. Hudson says, “Success is knowing God’s will for life and walking in it.”