Who We Are

Jenay Aiksnoras

Chief Experience Curator and Guide at Bliss Experiences and Lake Tahoe Yoga

Jenay Aiksnoras is the Chief Experience Curator and Guide at Bliss Experiences and Lake Tahoe Yoga in Zephyr Cove, NV Her practices include outdoor adventures, Yoga asana and mindfulness, as well as compassionate connection with others.

In 2000 she began the formal practice of Yoga and followed the path to becoming a teacher in 2005. Shortly after moving to Lake Tahoe in 2008 she was encouraged to guide others and created Lake Tahoe Yoga. Her endeavors to share her love of the outdoors, the value of self care, and the practices of Yoga, wellbeing and mindfulness moved her to create Bliss Experiences, custom curated and guided tours led by local experts.

Muneer Baig

Founder & CEO of  SYSUSA Inc.

Muneer Baig, founder & CEO of SYSUSA Inc., is an industry-recognized dynamic technology executive and visionary with over two decades of experience in developing, implementing, and managing Information Technology and Information Security programs. 

Mr. Baig left Microsoft to pursue his dream as an entrepreneur. His wife and him founded SYSUSA, Inc. and joined millions of American small businesses pursuing the American dream and fueling the American economic growth. 

He has participated in several organizations, events and forums promoting small businesses and advocating for the fair share of small business in the American prosperity. As an immigrant and a small business owner he has experienced the challenges both immigrants and small businesses face in our great nation.

Sissy Blanchard

Founder and Owner of Saltwater

After an early corporate career with IBM and Milliken, Sissy started her first business in the wholesale gift industry. In 2008 she and her husband moved to northern California to purchase a wine bar that they grew to include a restaurant.

While in California, she revived the local chamber of commerce and also opened a t-shirt/gift shop. She sold the restaurant in 2018 and moved to coastal Georgia, where she started Saltwater - a coastal inspired gift and home decor retail store and outdoor furniture dealership.

Jeni Britton Bauer

Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

Jeni Britton Bauer is an American ice cream explorer, pioneer of the artisan ice cream movement, and founder and chief brand officer of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. She's won a coveted James Beard Award, been recognized by Fast Company as one of the most creative people in business today, and is a 2017 Henry Crown Fellow.

Gregory and Subrina Collier

Owners of The Yolk Restaurant

Chef Gregory Collierhas always had aspecial place in hisheart for food and its preparations.A native of Memphis, Tenn., his first real memories recall cooking beside his grandmother makingbutter rolls. She never revealed her recipe to him, but she left him with so much more: A desire tomake people happy with good food.

After attending college, Collier pursued work as a line cook, which is how he met his now wife, Subrina. He soon packed everything up to move to Phoenix, Arizona where he enrolled in the Scottsdale Community College Culinary Program. A year later, he convinced his “boo” to join him. After receiving his chef’s credentials, he opened restaurants and honed his work ethic. Working as Breakfast Chef at the Phoenician Resort, he discovered a love of the versatility and beauty of breakfast foods. He would go on to work as a chef at the Arizona Biltmore and the Westin Kierland Resort.

Wanting to be closer to family, he and Subrina moved to Charlotte, NC in 2012. Together, they

purchased a diner and opened their first all-breakfast restaurant, The Yolk, in Rock Hill, SC. Proponents

of locally sourced food, the couple work to ensure urban and rural farmers are supported in their

efforts to make a living and continue providing quality products.

In 2016, Greg and Subrina were among the founders of The Soul Food Sessions, a series of innovative

dining events designed to acknowledge and support people of color in the culinary arts, restaurant

and hospitality industries and beverage services. In 2018 they were named Charlotteans of the Year

by Charlotte Magazine.

The Colliers moved The Yolk to uptown Charlotte in early 2019. Greg Collier was named a semi-finalist

in the James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards in 2019 and 2020. Collier, the first black

chef from Charlotte to earn a nod, was recognized twice in the category of “Best Chef: Southeast.”

Candace Combs

Owner of Combs Business Consulting and In-Symmetry Spa

Candace Combs is the owner of Combs Business Consulting and In-Symmetry Spa in San Francisco, CA. 

A native of New Orleans, moved to California and worked at a well-paying job at Microsoft in her 20s but did not enjoy the 9-5 desk job. Inspired to go into the healing arts and work with her hands, Ms. Combs completed training in bodywork and opened In-Symmetry Spa at age 29. Her brother, Dave Combs,  joined her in running the business in 2013 and the spa flourished, growing to more than 20 employees before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. 

Conchie Fernández

Founding Partner, CF Creative

Conchie is the founding partner at CF Creative, a business growth, strategic content and tech enablement consulting firm for small and minority-owned businesses, the public and private sector organizations and companies that support them.

Through her leadership, CF Creative provides workshops, marketing/sales collateral, and consulting to small and minority businesses in the U.S. and Latin America. CF Creative works with customers like The Coca-Cola Company, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC), SCORE, the SBA and USAID.

Conchie is one of 10 Hispanic entrepreneurs featured in "Latino Owned Businesses: Shining a Light on National Trends", a 2018 report on the impact of Hispanic entrepreneurship in the U.S., by Stanford University and the Federal Reserve Bank.

Conchie is also a graduate of the Stanford University Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative, a business expert speaker for People Magazine’s “People en Español Poderosas” and author of Undrawn, an Amazon #1 best-selling novel.

Tiara Flynn

President and CEO of Sumnu Marketing and Founder of Phenomenal Mama

Tiara Flynn is a wife, mother, Air Force veteran, serial entrepreneur, and small business owner who has dedicated all her adult life to serving others. She currently owns two small businesses and runs an online marketing membership platform. Immediately after high school, Tiara enlisted in the Air Force. There she completed three duty assignments, three overseas deployments, and numerous other relief and humanitarian missions throughout the U.S.

Halfway through her military career, Tiara joined her family business as a majority owner and CEO of Sumnu Marketing. In her role, Tiara has brought a leadership and management style that consists of discipline and attention to detail from her military experience and has dedicated her life and business to help other small businesses grow through the marketing process. With an understanding of the need and value of mentorship for entrepreneurs and small business owners, Tiara used her expertise and has created several avenues for growth in customers and brand awareness through her marketing mentorship platform, the Sumnu Solutions Zone, and small business development services.

Finally, from her pregnancy experiences and working with a birth center in Miami, Florida, Tiara stepped into her passion work by launching her practice, Phenomenal Mama. As a full-spectrum doula, Tiara is a non-medically trained community worker who offers support to people during the full spectrum of pregnancy – from preconception to birth, to abortion, to miscarriage, to adoption, and postpartum.

Daniel Guerra

Founder and CEO for AltusLearn

Daniel Guerra is the Founder and CEO for AltusLearn, a healthcare continuing education network. For service providers to healthcare and healthcare professional associations, the AltusLearn platform facilitates end-user engagement, lead development and customer intelligence while remaining compliant. For healthcare professionals, AltusLearn enables employers and individuals to meet and track professional license requirements or simply improve their professional skills. AltusLearn is based in Madison, WI.

Mr. Guerra recently served as Board Chair for the City of Madison’s Community Development Authority,  which oversaw 1,800 public housing residents and the federal Section 8 program. He recently accepted an appointment to the Board of Directors for the Latino Professional Association of Greater Madison, Inc.  

Todd Hamblin

President and CEO of Global Aerospace Design Corp

Todd Hamblin is a father of two and a lifetime aviation enthusiast. With an Aerospace Engineering degree he has accumulated 25 years of aviation experience and is realizing his dream of growing a company of his own in the industry he loves. 

Mr. Hamblin is president and CEO of Global Aerospace Design Corp (Global) based in Cincinnati, OH. Global is an aircraft engineering/certification services organization dedicated to providing the most efficient path from modification to revenue service.

Kesi Howard

Founder and CEO of Structured Strategies LLC

Kesi Howard is the Founder and CEO of Structured Strategies LLC, a privately owned, certified Minority Business Enterprise in Pittsburgh, PA committed to bringing businesses and people together through Organizational Development. 

Ms. Howard takes complete joy in imparting knowledge that creates structure and helps businesses, groups, and people achieve success. Ms. Howard’s educational background comprises a master’s in Organizational Leadership, a bachelor’s in Business Administration, and several professional certifications. As a skilled Myers-Briggs practitioner and agile advisor, Ms. Howard also holds a Board Director position on the Pittsburgh Chapter Association for Training and Development. Additionally, she is an inducted Sigma Alpha Pi member of The National Society of Leadership and Success, an Alumni of the U.S. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. 

Overall, Ms. Howard has helped leaders in healthcare, hospitality, public health, and financial investments improve internal structure, customer and staff relations. As the CEO of Structured Strategies, she remains steadfast in supporting small and medium-sized businesses in realigning practices and identifying strategic solutions that yield success.

Jalaal Hayes

Founder and CEO of Elyte

As a North Philadelphia native, Jalaal Hayes became the youngest Ph.D. in Applied Chemistry in America at the age of 22 and is the CEO of Elyte — a clean energy technology company that focuses on research and development, as well as producing proprietary hydrogen energy technology and real estate and long-haul automotive applications.

Hayes is also passionate about helping students and educators to increase engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) with the integration of the arts (STEAM) through interactive workshops, speaking engagements, and curriculum development.

Frank Knapp, Jr.

Owner, Carolina Pet Resort and President & CEO, South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce

Mr. Knapp co-founded the SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce in 2000. He serves as the president and CEO of the 5,000+ member advocacy organization that has taken a leadership role in making South Carolina more small business friendly in areas such as taxation, regulation, worker training, Workers Compensation Insurance, utility costs, health insurance, energy/conservation and economic development.



Mr. Knapp is also the president of The Knapp Agency, a full-service advertising/public relations firm he founded in 1991 in Columbia, SC.

Mr. Knapp holds a Master’s Degree in Social Psychology from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Malik Lee

Managing Principal and Founder of Felton & Peel Wealth Management

Malik S. Lee, CFP®, CAP®, APMA®, is a financial expert with nearly two decades of experience and is the Managing Principal and Founder of Felton & Peel Wealth Management. A full-service, comprehensive wealth management firm servicing clients nationwide with locations in Atlanta and New York. Malik graduated with a degree in Finance from Morehouse College and a Certificate in Financial Planning from Oglethorpe University.

Malik is a thought leader within the wealth management industry and often lends his expertise. He is a Subject Matter Expert, CFP® Exam Question Writer, and Former Chair of the Council of Examinations for the CFP Board, Former Chairman of the Financial Planning Association of Georgia, Founding Member of Morehouse College’s Planned Giving Council, and Member of The Association of African American Financial Advisors (AAAA).

Lastly, he was selected in 2021 by InvestmentNews as a member of the 40 Under 40 class, voted the top 8 most well-known Black financial advisors in the U.S and top 100 overall by Investopedia, and one of Five Star Professional’s Wealth Managers of the year in Georgia. Malik was formerly a member of the Psychology of Financial Planning Advisory Group, which guided the CFP Board on their first published book, "The Psychology of Financial Planning.”

In addition, Malik is a member of Bankrate’s Financial Review Board and a monthly contributor for Business Insider, Better Investing Magazine, and Kiplinger. His comments are often featured in The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, CNBC, Yahoo! Finance, CNN Money, Reuters, MarketWatch, NerdWallet, Motley Fool, and countless others.

Patricia McKinley

Founder and Owner of KHAVL Transport LLC.

Patricia McKinley and her husband Jonvai-McKinley opened Phoenix-based KHAVL Transport LLC. in April of 2016 with 18 years of trucking experience already under their belts. KHAVL Transport LLC. transports consumer commodities, anything from washers and dryers to tank loads of water. Patricia focuses on serving her community by running a dependable company and working with local construction companies to rebuild Phoenix infrastructure. Her work was acknowledged by President Biden in a speech when he visited Phoenix in 2022. KHAVL Transport LLC. is DBE/SBE/ACDBE certified. Patricia also owns Wide Daddy’s, 2706 East University Drive, Mesa, Arizona, a Chicago-style eatery, which opened in January of 2022. 

Carling McManus

Co-founder and CEO of 84 Agency

Carling McManus is the co-founder and CEO of 84 Agency. She specializes in bringing high quality media and communications strategies and creative solutions to nonprofits in West Virginia and nationally. She received her Masters in Fine Art from the San Francisco Art Institute and a Bachelors of Arts from McGill University in Montréal, Canada. Her commitment to compelling storytelling informs every project from social media memes to viral videos. 

Carling has extensive experience bringing her artistic background to creating viral content, developing campaigns, managing social media presences, producing video and design materials, and offering communications and public relations consulting to a variety of organizations.

Marcella Medor

President, MarCom, LLC

MarCom, LLC is a small, SBA-certified, Native American-owned, 8(a), and woman-owned business with offices in Idaho Falls, Idaho, Butte, Montana, and Fort Collins, Colorado. Founded in 2003, MarCom was the 2019 Department of Energy Small Business of the year, and provides waste management, environmental services, radiological controls, engineering, nuclear-operations, and information technology services.

Patrick Mulvaney

Founder and Owner of Mulvaney's B&L

Patrick Mulvaney is a proud Sacramentan whose cooking career has spanned five time zones. Upon landing in California in 1993 he knew that the Central Valley would be his home. In 2001 he began Culinary Specialists, opening Mulvaney’s B&L in 2006. Over a decade later the ever-changing menu at the B&L remains dedicated to local, seasonal foods delivered with elegant hospitality. The Restaurant received l’Assiette Michelin in the first ever California Michelin Guide. 

A community policy advocate on many stages, Patrick Mulvaney is one of the people working to make Sacramento the “Farm-to-Fork” capital of the country. Outside the restaurant Patrick serves as a member of the Foundation for California Community Colleges, the California stewardship council of American Farmland Trust and the external advisory board for the UC Davis Agricultural Sustainability Institute. Mulvaney is also active with the James Beard Foundation, Food Policy Action & Roots of Change.

In 2018 a project near to his and Bobbin’s heart arose after losing too many comrades to death by suicide in the restaurant industry. The I Got Your Back project (https://igotyourback.info/) is a peer referral and online resource which seeks to reduce stigma and increase conversation about mental health in the hospitality world. With the help of four major health groups and many others a pilot was conducted showing an marked increase in seeking out resources and professional help among participants. IGYB is presently working with the State of California, James Beard Foundation and, frankly, all willing participants to extend the reach of the program. 

When the Pandemic hit the B&L began cooking for hungry students and families, the project turned into Family Meal which is now facilitating four programs. To date Family Meal Sacramento has delivered 200,000 meals to hungry schoolchildren and Great Plates Delivered over 600,000 meals for seniors. Statewide the second program has delivered 18MM meals and injected hundreds of millions of dollars back into the economy.

Joe Reddix

President and CEO of The Reddix Group

Joe Reddix is the president and CEO of The Reddix Group, a Global IT Program Management Consulting Service headquartered in Hanover, MD. To neutralize the advantages of large prime contractors in both domestic and global markets, The Reddix Group has developed a global game-changing policy designed to afford small to medium size businesses opportunities and growth in both the domestic and global economic food chain.

The Reddix Group specializes in solving complex business problems through the integration of business and technical expertise. The group combines thought leadership on policy with a management philosophy that focuses on high performing integrated program teams to bring together requisite subject matter expertise at the task level for delivering measurable, tangible results.

Nat Rosasco

Principal and Founder of Olive Street Design

Christine Chin Ryan

Owner of Synergy Consulting, Inc.

Christine Chin Ryan is a business owner and consultant. Her company, Synergy Consulting, Inc. in Portland, OR, provided comprehensive IT software solutions, and currently provides consulting services in the area of equity, diversity, inclusion, facilitation, board review, and political strategy.

Among the many committees and organizations, she’s a part of, Christine currently is President of the Oregon Chapter of the National Organization of Women, Chair of the Oregon Small Business for Responsible Leadership, and serves on Prosper Portland Council on Economic and Racial Equity, City of Portland Economic Recovery Task Force, Board of Governors Asian American Unity Coalition, and the API Community Leaders Coalition of Oregon.

Christine was the recipient of the 1993 “OAME Spirit” award for entrepreneurship and support for all minority businesses sponsored by the Oregon Association for Minority Entrepreneurs.  Her company Synergy Consulting, Inc. was awarded the U.S. Small Business Administration, “Administrator’s Award for Excellence” in 1996.  She was presented with The Asian Reporter Community’s Most Honored Elder Award in 2017.

Frank & Kimberlee Spillers

Co-owners of Rural Community Solutions

Frank and Kimberlee Spillers are the co-owners of Rural Community Solutions in  Atlantic, IA. Their passion is to assist the design of family-friendly, youth-centered places that attract people who want to start businesses, live, be involved in, and thrive in rural communities. Rural Community Solutions’ expertise includes deliberative dialogue that forms public policy, cultural change that promotes community and workplace civility, the role of early childhood education and parenting development as crucial infrastructure, and workforce engagement to build strong ecosystems that support entrepreneurial economies. The company has impacted thousands of individuals, businesses, organizations, communities, schools and worship settings in the United States.

Suzanne Stantley

Masaru "Mas" Torito

Owner of Kokoro Restaurant

Mas Torito's  family started Kokoro Restaurant, a Japanese restaurant specializing in quick, casual, but fresh traditional Japanese food, in 1986. He has been running it on his own since 2008. He has two locations in the Denver metro area. A big part of his success has been in part because he sees themselves as part of the community. He has many long term employees, including some that have been with him for over 30 years. They buys local ingredients when possible and they participate and help fund local schools, churches and other community groups. 

In his free time, he has a passion for golf, skiing and enjoying walks with his wife and their two dogs. Backpacking trips in the Rocky Mountains is his way of recharging. He personally can't wait to be able to return to some of his favorite social activities, like Denver Bronco football games and concerts at the famous Red Rocks Auditorium!

Latricia Wilder

Owner of Vibe Ride Detroit

Latricia has a passion for health and wellness since she took her first ballet class at the age of four. For over 35 years she has been a staple consumer in the world of fitness, finding her preference to be with group classes. From yoga, to Pilates, TRX, dance, dance fusion, Zumba, barre, and most importantly spin, Latricia has made a valuable investment in cultivating her love for fitness and health in environments that fit her lifestyle.

Her focus on the boutique class arena was generated from being an avid consumer of big box gyms and boutique studios and realizing that there is a need to blend the two by creating a boutique experience with a price point that widens the potential consumer base. It is this gap in the fitness marketplace that fuels her drive to create a high-end boutique spin studio that is inclusive, and accessible without sacrificing the level of standards, technology, and service. By opening the Vibe Ride Detroit, and distinguishing the brand through design, social connection, the utilization of technology to provide real time performance monitoring, and a price point indicative of the average salary base in Detroit, Latricia will establish the studio as the “go to” location for indoor cycling and group classes.

Patty Young

Salon Manager at Young Hair Inc.

Young Hair Inc., a full service salon, specializing in hair replacement for those experiencing hair loss, is owned and operated by Patty Gentry Young was recruited to enlist in the fight against the coronavirus. Long active in Springfield’s minority community, Patty and her sister Debbie Woods, have joined the effort to convince along with actually scheduling minorities to receive the vaccine for COVID 19.

Going back to the 1990s, Patty has a long history of being involved in the community Springfield, OH. Patty was recruited to work with cancer survivors through the “Look Good, Feel Better” program and remained with the program for more then 20 years. Working with the program convinced her that more needed to be done when it came to cancer prevention in the black community. This led Patty to recruit women in the minority community to form Sisters United for Prevention with a mission to heighten awareness regarding cancer prevention. In addition to being the founder, Patty serves as the president of Sisters United for Prevention.

Currently, Patty serves on the African American Community Fund Advisory Committee of the Springfield Foundation, Mercy Hospital’s Health Foundation, and is a former board member of the Springfield Metropolitan Housing Authority. 

As an active member of her church, Covenant United Methodist Church, Patty serves as the president of the United Methodist Women. She is also a member of the Springfield section of the National Council of Negro Women and the Springfield Unit of the NAACP.