Teaching ENTR 285: Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship. An introductory course designed to familiarize students with the world of small business, and entrepreneurship by exploring the foundational concepts of creativity and innovation. Attention is given to leveraging intellectual capital by enhancing innate creativity and support the generation of creative and innovative ideas while, at the same time, include an overview of the other aspects of the entrepreneurial process including opportunity recognition, entrepreneurial marketing, practical use of financial statement analysis of small business and small business financing, operating a small business and legal and ethical issues in entrepreneurship.

• Lead nonprofit team to assist underserved entrepreneurs in the Mississippi Delta. • Oversee financial operations and percentage of merchandise sales used to fund philanthropic mission, Higher Purpose Academy. • Develop curricula for the academy’s interactive programs to train and educate minority millennials in the areas of entrepreneurship, community development, financial literacy, and leadership; training over 110 people since the program’s inception in February 2016.• Identify and cultivate strategic partnerships with organizations to include local banking institutions; University of Arkansas’ Clinton School of Public Service - Center on Community Philanthropy; Accelerate with Google, Coahoma Community College; and Renasant Bank.• Responsible for fundraising, identifying workshop facilitators, and collaborating with constituents to modify curricula as needed.

• Monitor procedures in polling places where ballots are counted during elections.• Conduct investigations to determine if minority voters will not be allowed to vote.• Compile confidential reports regarding the polling activities and submit to the Department of Justice.

• Identify educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and community groups that seek to provide public humanities programs that explore the legacy of race in Mississippi and foster dialogue about racial equity in partnership with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.• Plan and conduct presentations and workshops on program’s mission and grant acquisition process. • Provide organizations guidance on grant proposals prior to submission for approval, monitor projects after the grant is awarded, assist grantees with identifying additional resources and establishing evaluation tools to monitor performance.

CapWay is a mobile-based platform that focuses on the unbanked and underbanked and provides financial literacy and services and products that cater to their specific needs.

Courses Facilitated:ENGR 4199: Experimental Capstone Alternative: Affordable Design & Entrepreneurship (ADE)ENGR 3299: Special Topics in Design: Affordable Design and Entrepreneurship (ADE)• Partner with college’s experiential program via the Affordable Design and Entrepreneurship Program (Wellesley College, Olin College, and Babson College) to assist students with creating and launching new social impact projects in the Mississippi Delta. • Coordinate site visits to the Mississippi Delta to collect data and media• Teach community development principles and strategies to address poverty

• Provide technical assistance to small businesses and nonprofit clients in the Mississippi Delta. • Manage several partnerships with small businesses, local agencies, schools, and municipalities. • Coordinate entrepreneurship workshops and presentations. • Identify grant opportunities for clients and assist with grant writing and review. • Provide event support for local, regional, national organizations, universities, and artists. Clients include: Delta State UniversityJackson State UniversityAlcorn State UniversityKeys and InkMiss Mykie, LLC

Courses Facilitated:SUS 7060: Public Sector FinanceSUS 7020: Civic Leadership, Systems Thinking, and Decision Making• Support facilitation of course outcomes with instructor to support real-world application of concepts by developing case studies and legislative reports related to historic preservation• Respond to students’ requests for assistance, review coursework and provide feedback• Coordinate site visits to the Mississippi Delta to explore historic locations

• Successfully help secure $1 Million in funding for various projects related to creative placemaking, recycling, façade improvement, youth engagement, and public safety. • Responsible for promoting the bank-centered community development initiatives in targeted communities, including components in health, education, housing, leadership, economic development, and/or other priority needs for Coahoma County. • Assisted local communities and organizations to establish structures, facilitates the identification and obtaining of grants and establishing formal and informal relationships with other stakeholders.

• Assisted management with understanding individual and cultural differences to implement effective programs. • Developed innovative programs to increase African American and Hispanic American program participation. • Led the national Project Compass initiative focused on workforce recovery, which required presentations on job seeking, resume writing, and financial literacy.

• Managed diverse sales team of 12 employees to exceed goals while managing performance indicators• Resolved escalated customer and employee issues through conflict resolution and negotiation• Interacted with over 100 customers daily to ensure a high level of customer service• Provided employee coaching and development to improve working conditions• Coordinated special events with the collaboration with the local media and radio stations to increase store traffic

• Approved and coordinated all campus-wide activities specifically targeting the minority student population• Increased program awareness by partnering with campus organizations and community agencies• Managed reporting and fiscal oversight for $50,000 grant • Trained 10 diverse peer educators to successfully execute programmatic requirements.

• Reported to the Provost and maintained communication with the President’s Office and Academic Deans• Organized and scheduled the work of the office, maintained task assignments and follow-up• Assisted with the documentation and maintenance of academic policies and drafting correspondence• Reviewed student issues and provided recommendations to the provost

• Successfully managed $12,000 state funded project to organized on-campus and off-campus activities to promote tobacco prevention• Conducted mandatory monthly fiscal and programmatic reports to meet the contractual agreement• Recruited diverse students for the On Campus Coalition. • Partnered with Office of Public Relations and WVSD radio station to launch promotional campaign. • Organized activities, seminars, and displays