Forward Impact is a for-benefit advisory firm and investment fund working with philanthropist, impact investors, and policy-makers striving to invest in place-based strategies to address systemic economic inequities. Our mission is to improve systemic economic inequities in communities and create generational wealth building opportunities for currently under-connected individuals and families. www.forwardimpact.solutions

I offer a response to the query: How can the United States sustain economic growth, job creation and wealth generation well into the 21st century? In my new book, The Future Economy and Inclusive Competitiveness® (ScaleUp Partners 2017), I present a powerful vision for a multi-racial, multicultural America to incorporate a new inclusive economic strategy demonstrably different from policies and practices of economic segregation. These defined the previous century and continue to plague the nation today. The Future Economy and Inclusive Competitiveness® offers an unprecedented inclusive framework for public, private and philanthropic policymakers to use in building a stronger, collaborative, more innovative and economically competitive nation than ever before. I propose a strategic process for investing in new community infrastructure (systems) that will cultivate and grow large swaths of previously untapped talent that can bolster America’s global competitiveness well into the future. The upshot of my book is that to maintain and improve our global economic leadership, America needs far more contributors, i.e., economic athletes: persons who demonstrate the skills mastery, agility, grit, and stamina to achieve sustained economic mobility, security, and prosperity, as well as life satisfaction. For the first time, my book (which can be purchased via Amazon) links innovation development, economic inclusion and U.S. competitiveness in our Innovation Economy. The focus is on creating new community systems that address the national imperative to better equip small town and rural populations, Blacks, Hispanics and women to be more educationally and economically competitive in the 21st century.https://www.amazon.com/Future-Economy-Inclusive-Competitiveness-Demographic/dp/0692877703/ref=la_B06ZXX72KR_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493295853&sr=1-1

Bitwise Industries creates a bridge between underestimated people from marginalized communities and stories of systemic poverty to skills and resources necessary to access opportunities in the tech industry. By leveraging public-private partnerships, Bitwise provides paid apprenticeships to students to learn tech skills, connects them to meaningful tech opportunities, and builds vibrant buildings in underestimated cities to house their work. By upskilling disenfranchised people, it empowers them to change their own lives—which ignites and transforms the regional economies of the cities in which Bitwise serves.

Provided policy advice to the President of the United States, Secretary of Education, White House Domestic Policy Council (DPC), National Security Council (NSC), President’s Board of Advisors on HBCUs (PBA), Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council (WHORC), White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), White House Office of American Innovation (OAI), Congress, and federal agencies on improving conditions for HBCUs to compete for federal and nonfederal investments.

POTUS appointee to Senior Executive Service, served as Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Initiative). Provided actionable imagination, energy and strategic and executional leadership to completely reconstruct the Initiative, transforming it into a consequential influencer and actor throughout the federal government. Translated Inclusive Competitiveness concepts into new presidential policy and federal law, strategy and investment. A principled, visionary executive who effectively collaborated with political and career staff, chaired the Federal HBCU Interagency Working Group, attaining the most ever federal agency support; refocused the Initiative’s mission to HBCU competitiveness; achieved record attendance at the nation’s premiere annual HBCU conference, including historic POTUS address; and created the first Federal HBCU Competitiveness Strategy - the governmentwide plan to strengthen alignment with federal agency missions, quantitative metrics and reporting.Liaised throughout the administration to provide the largest ever HBCU federal investment: $2.5B+, 2017-20; permanent $850M of support to HBCU STEM programs (FUTURE Act); $100M+ for scholarships, research, and centers of excellence at land-grant HBCUs (Farm Bill); an additional year to obligate Title III funding, preserving $80M for HBCUs; support for congressional Title III program investment increases of 15% to $364M; $30M to enable 13 schools with financial difficulty to restructure to fulfill loan commitments; $322M to four HBCUs to eliminate hurricane relief loan obligations; $930M for HBCUs to address global COVID-19 pandemic (CARES Act); and $1.34B to discharge loans made to HBCUs under the HBCU Capital Financing Program (Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021).

Nationally networked and regionally focused social enterprise to advance Inclusive Competitiveness through STEM education achievement, high-growth entrepreneurship and private capital formation and investment.Developed Inclusive Competitiveness concept, practices and strategies. Lead strategy development and public evangelism with civic, business, government, education, philanthropic and economic development leaders to connect undeserved and disconnected citizens to new opportunities within regional innovation clusters, ecosystems, and emerging industry sectors.• Co-hosted with major university the nation’s first summit on African American angel investing, entrepreneurship and STEM education achievement. • Advisor and content contributor to the first Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) conference on innovation and entrepreneurship. • Leading contributor to the Strengthening Technology Transfer Capacity of HBCU Initiative, proposing new solutions to bolster HBCU research, technology transfer, and commercialization.• Co-hosted with leading bioscience venture development organization the nation’s first conference and workshop on African and Latino American biomedical entrepreneurship.• Introduced inclusive regional innovation cluster and ecosystem concepts in five U.S. urban centers and advised the higher-education representative to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Innovation Advisory Board on the innovation and competitiveness crisis among African Americans and within urban communities. • Featured in notable national publications, including BusinessWeek, Forbes, Black Enterprise, Bloomberg, Washington Post Innovations, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Thompson Reuters Venture Capital Journal.

The Foundation established the Aces Research Network as a collaborative, applied research hub of selected scholars and practitioners.This team brings fresh perspectives and experiences from the four sectors that have the greatest impact on working learners:■ education (from kindergarten through postsecondary)■ economics■ business and industry■ technology The Aces will initially focus on designing a collaborative research agenda that examines a broad array of issues related to accelerating the National Learning Economy and informing investments to support working learner success.Leveraging the long legacy of data and information from ACT, the Aces’ applied research projects will provide critical information — including analysis of current policy and practice successes, challenges and gaps — that will help the ACT Foundation find a clear path forward for improving learning outcomes for working learners.The Aces’ research agenda will include a focus on the spectrum of issues young, low-income working learners face in accessing and succeeding in learning opportunities that prepare them for career and life success.

Not-for-profit, technology-based economic development organization serving 21 counties in Northeast Ohio. Selected to improve performance of diverse populations in critical areas of Northeast Ohio’s economic competitiveness, including innovation clusters and emerging technology industries that create jobs, attract capital, and present opportunities for long-term, positive economic impact. Leadership focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education attainment, employment, entrepreneurship, and community engagement.• Conducted nation’s first regional assessment of minority competitiveness in innovation clusters.• First innovation ecosystem in the U.S. to adopt Inclusive Competitiveness strategies and practices.• Leading efforts to develop nation’s first fully inclusive regional innovation ecosystem, in partnership with market-leading technology and innovation intermediary organizations.• Deploying innovative blended operating model designed to deliver singular programmatic results and collective action impacts, creating scalable outcome opportunities.

Implemented strategies, financial adjustments, and executed short-term initiatives to accelerate turnaround. Established vision, operational plan, and organizational direction. Restored confidence and positive civic relationships with key government, corporate, and philanthropic supporters. • Decreased debt balance and expenses by 11%; increased total revenue by 8%. • Secured competitive grant funding of $1.5 million from corporate, philanthropic, and government sources.• Negotiated loan forbearance agreements with commercial creditors to conserve cash during financial crisis, demonstrating institutional integrity and restoring organizational credibility. • Provided local enterprise development leadership through the Small Business Development Center, one of only 30 in Ohio. Recognized as one of Ohio’s Top-performing centers in 2007 and 2008.

Green-based urban revitalization membership organization, leveraging America’s first system of parks.Led turnaround to improve board relations, communications, and information flow. Managed a $2.7 million budget and unique agreements with city and county governments. • Restored organizational confidence; restructured board committees, revised bylaws and governance policies, and enhanced board / staff relations.• Led community economic development, capital, and operations fundraising and strategic planning for the restoration of the historic 1,200-acre urban parks system. • Negotiated settlement-distribution process with state power authority, city, and county, leading to a $100 million investment to fund new greenway project. • Introduced new community economic development concepts, leveraging a unique urban amenity to cultivate neighborhood environments more hospitable to private capital investments. Obtained buy-in from top civic, business, and government leaders for a bolder urban-planning vision and role for the parks system. • Eliminated budget deficit of $250,000 and re-established organizational credibility by beating fundraising goals by more than 200 percent. Secured a philanthropic investment to complete a $252 million urban parks system maintenance and restoration master plan. Fundraising milestones included raising more than $1 million for two consecutive years from government, philanthropic, and corporate sources.• Led the organization through only the second Federal Major Disaster Declaration in city’s history. Quickly secured key resources from local, state, and federal agencies to conduct storm debris and hazard removal from urban parks system in the aftermath of disaster.

Management consulting firm specializing in transformational organizational development, including diversity/inclusion audits, assessments and training services, opinion survey instruments and management, employee and customer satisfaction and retention strategies.

The Council was the outgrowth of years of concern raised by various community leaders and organizations regarding diversity and economic development. A cohesive, inclusive community is seen by many Southwest Michigan residents as crucial to enhancing individual opportunity for all of the region’s residents and, with that, the collective economic and social growth of the region.The CWCC mission is to create a region where Southwest Michigan residents view differences among themselves as strengths that open opportunities for everyone to grow and participate fully in an equal and equitable community.

One of the nation’s oldest and largest chambers, with more than 6,000 members, CincyTech is the technology growth and innovation program of the Cincinnati USA Partnership, the Chamber’s regional economic development initiative.

CincyTech is a public-private partnership whose mission is to invest in high-growth startup technology companies in Southwest Ohio, through management assistance, seed-capital investments and connections to partners who share our mission.

A legal professional association, with practice areas focused on:- Fraternal organizations- Workers comp and Social Security Disability law- Employment and labor law- Land use, zoning and eminent domain- Historic preservation law- Constitutional law and civil rights- Local government and community representation- Election law