S P E A K E R S

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DORA ANIM

Greater Cincinnati Foundation

Dora Anim is Chief Operating Officer of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF), one of the nation's leading community foundations, which helps people make the most of their giving to build a better community. Since 2016, Anim's responsibilities include creating the strategy for growth and impact and developing a high performing work culture. Previously, Anim was senior vice president, programs and services of The Health Collaborative. She earned a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Cincinnati. She serves on the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber’s Executive Advisory Board for Women’s Programs and is a board member at the Springer School and Center. Anim is a graduate of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber’s C-Change Leadership program, WE Succeed and its Women’s Excel Leadership Class.

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Means Cameron

Black Owned & Black Coffee Lounge

Means Cameron is a native born Cincinnatian. At a young age, he got his first taste of entrepreneurship as the neighborhood’s Candy Man. Soon after, Means realized that he could make more money selling shoes and clothing to people who wanted to dress the way he did. At Miami University (Ohio), Cameron studied marketing, gained a larger following for his art, pledged Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and became The First African American to receive Homecoming Honors at the Predominately white institution. Today, Means is Owner Operator of the clothing brand BlaCkOWned™ Outerwear. Since its launch in 2011, the brand has been recognized as Brand of The Year (Atlanta, GA, Ingrushi), Top 3 Cincinnati Men’s Boutiques (Cincinnati Magazine) and has had the day November 16th proclaimed as ‘BlaCk OWned Day’ in the city of Cincinnati. Means and his team are using the growing notoriety to create a brand that transcends race, generation and location. This same concept is the basis of Cameron’s new venture blaCk Coffee Lounge, which is a local ‘culture shop’ serving great coffee. Through his contributions as an entrepreneur it is Means’ goal to inspire the community to move as a unit and to serve one another.

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Chase L. Cantrell

Building Community Value

Chase L. Cantrell is the founder and executive director of Building Community Value, a Detroit-based nonprofit dedicated to implementing and facilitating real estate development projects in underserved Detroit neighborhoods. An alumnus of the University of Michigan Law School, Chase specialized in real estate and corporate law and has facilitated corporate and real estate acquisitions, sales, and other complex transactions for clients of all sizes (from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies). Through Building Community Value, and in collaboration with academic and community partners, Chase seeks to be a catalyst for sustainable social and economic development that engages distressed communities in creating impactful, resident-led change but, more specifically, that improves livability for all Detroiters.

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Markiea Carter

City of Cincinnati

In November 2016, Markiea Carter began her tenure as the Director of the Department of Economic Inclusion. As Director, Ms. Carter is responsible for administering, enforcing, and monitoring the Equal Employment Opportunity Program, the Living Wage Program, MBE/WBE/SBE certification programs, and Local, State & Federal Prevailing Wage laws. The Department of Economic Inclusion is responsible for: as approved by City Council, executing all applicable Mayor’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Council (EIAC) recommendations; evaluating, recommending and implementing policy; identifying and implementing opportunities to expedite economic inclusion contracting opportunities; assuring that City Administrative staff is regularly trained on economic inclusion policies and practices; advocating and partnering with large local companies and stakeholders; and reviewing, contracting and monitoring vendors and ensuring compliance with established City policies. A graduate of Miami University, Ms. Carter began her career in public service over 10 years ago with the City of Cincinnati, starting her career with the City in October 2007 in Community and Economic Development. She most recently served as Assistant to the City Manager where she worked on special projects and served as the City Manager’s representative to multiple organizations.

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Derrick Braziel

MORTAR

Derrick Braziel is a young, creative entrepreneur who is committed to the idea that all it takes to change the world is, “a dollar and a dream.” As Managing Partner and Development Director, he supports MORTAR by deepening relationships with various community stakeholders while providing opportunities for external partners to support local entrepreneurs and their ideas. Prior to this, he (with the help of many!) decided to found an Indianapolis non-profit named Dreamapolis which continues to support hundreds of Indianapolis entrepreneurs. Derrick’s work has led to recognition from the Indianapolis Star, YES! Magazine, Next City, Politico, the Stanford Social Innovation Review and NBC Nightly News. He has also been named to Forbes’ 30 under 30 list for Social Entrepreneurs and the Cincinnati Business Courier’s 2018 40 under 40 list. He is an Obama Foundation Fellow (2019), a Next City Vanguard (2018) an Echoing Green Fellow (2017), a BALLE (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies) Fellow (2016-7) and the proud son of two first generation college graduates.

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Elese Daniel

Cincy Red Bike

Elese is an accomplished poet who is sought after by musicians and creatives for her words. She has made Cincinnati more connected through her work at Cincinnati Red Bike, and previously at WordPlay Cincy and the Cincinnati Vice Mayor’s office.

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Eileen Cooper Reed

Intersections Group

Eileen Cooper Reed is a change maker and advocate who resides in Cincinnati. Her entire adult life has been dedicated to the improvement of the human condition, particularly for children and families of color. Before becoming a lawyer, Eileen was trained in community development and worked in both rural and urban settings. After graduating from the University of Cincinnati College of Law, she did a stint at the US Court of Appeals before settling in as a Juvenile Court Referee. In 1993, Eileen opened the Cincinnati office of the Children’s Defense Fund. Her passion and dedication for improving the lives of our most vulnerable children and their families was exceptional and eventually she assumed the helm of the Ohio office of CDF. Eileen’s devotion to service led to her election to the City of Cincinnati Board of Education where she served two four-year terms and was chosen President by her colleagues four of those years. Addressing the issues of equity in education and in other sectors throughout the community became a driving force. While on the Board of Education, Eileen was elected to the Executive Committee of the Council for Great City Schools, the preeminent organization committed to urban education. At CCGCS, she chaired the National Advisory Committee on Black Males. She has served on numerous boards including two foundation Boards. She is active in the Greater Cincinnati community and currently chairs the Board of the Ohio Justice and Policy Center and is a member of the Xavier University President’s Advisory Council. Reed formed the Intersections Group to advance conversations that matter: acknowledging and examining the intersections of equity in community.

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Shari Davis

Participatory Budgeting Project

Shari oversees PBP's advocacy work, technical assistance, and operations. She joined PBP staff after nearly 15 years of service and leadership in local government. As Director of Youth Engagement and Employment for the City of Boston she launched Youth Lead the Change, the first youth participatory budgeting process in the US, which won the US Conference of Mayors’ City Livability Award. Shari first got involved in city government in high school, serving as the Citywide Neighborhood Safety Coordinator on the Boston Mayor’s Youth Council and working at the Mayor’s Youthline. Shari is a graduate of Boston University’s Sargent College for Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and holds a master’s degree in anatomy and physiology.

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Devita Davison

FoodLab Detroit

Devita Davison is Executive Director of FoodLab Detroit, a nonprofit organization that fosters the creation of an inclusive and equitable local food economy by providing food entrepreneurs with education, peer-to-peer mentoring, access to market opportunities and exchange of experiences. By primarily focusing on incubating food entrepreneurs from communities of color, FoodLab aims to improve Detroit’s neighborhood social and built environment by democratizing good food and allowing everyone to take part in the development of a local food culture. In this position since 2014, Devita works to create a food economy that acknowledges the importance of food justice, community representation, local ownership and sustainability. Devita Davison was a 2016 TEDxBrum & 2017 TED speaker. Her TED Talk has been seen over 1.2 Million times. She is a 2014 UIX Urban Innovator, 2017 Grist Top 50 Leader in sustainability, a Southern Foodway Alliance Smith Fellow, and a 2019 Sustainability Champion by Detroiter Magazine.

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James Dukes (aka IMAKEMADBEATS)

Unapologetic

James Dukes (aka IMAKEMADBEATS) is an artist/producer/engineer and founder of Unapologetic, a creative company. His professional career started at Quad Studios in Manhattan, working with music industry stars like Ludacris, Solange Knowles, & Busta Rhymes and eventually placing music with TV shows, commercials, and movies. After moving back to Memphis, IMAKEMADBEATS created Unapologetic, a company built on the idea of building boldly and unapologetically yourself in ways that inspired others to do the same. The organization includes a record label, video production company, event coordination, and clothing line. Unapologetic has provided music for TV commercials (DC Shoes, Jaguar, Samsung), sitcoms (NBC, ABC, CBS, etc), and many other artists and organizations across the world. In 2017 James designed and launched the Unapologetic World App (available for iOS and Android devices), a hub for those interested in a deeper look into our music and visual endeavors. In 2019, Unapologetic launched the Unapologetic Youth Scholarship Program as a way to help youth learn and exercise their passions in music.

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Tonya Dyson

Memphis Slim Collaboratory

A soul singer & songwriter, Tonya Dyson is the director of the Memphis Slim Collaboratory, a house to give future generations of Soulsville musicians a place to gather, rehearse, learn and create legendary music again. Created in 2014, the Memphis Slim House has four main areas of programming. Through membership, musicians can access the facility for studio and rehearsal time, workshops and seminars, discounted rental of Slim House’s and Melvin’s Backyard and the Front Loan program. In the Melvin’s Backyard space, the Slim House puts on outdoor concerts. On the second floor of the Slim House is an art gallery featuring rotating artists. The Slim’s Front Loan program provides loans up to $10,000 to established musicians for touring, merchandising, event promotion and recording.

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Damian Hoskins

Arts Wave

Damian Hoskins is Vice President of Arts Impact at ArtsWave, the leading fundraiser and promoter of the arts in Greater Cincinnati. Hoskins came to ArtsWave from Mercy Health, where he held the role of director of community programming with a focus on measuring and investing in underserved communities. Prior to that, Hoskins worked for Hamilton County’s Head Start program, including the launch of the Preschool Promise initiative. Before that, he was at KnowledgeWorks/StrivePartnership, where he held the role of director of Collaborative Action. Hoskins was an executive on loan for Urban League of Southwest Ohio working to redesign the Urban League Institute, a leadership development program. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English education from Central State University and a master’s degree from the Art Academy of Cincinnati.

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Rachel Knox

Hyde Family Foundation

Rachel Knox works as the Thriving Arts and Culture Program Officer for Hyde Family Foundation. There she focuses on equitably funding organizations led by people of color and connecting the cultural sector to overall city-building activities. Rachel graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Theatre from the University of Memphis with a concentration in Costume Design and Technology. Recently, she completed her Masters of Public Policy and Administration from American University. In 2016, Rachel was nominated as one of the Memphis Flyer’s 20 Under 30 and received the Salzburg Global Seminar Fellowship for Young Cultural Innovators in the Arts. In 2018, Ms. Knox was named one of the 40 Under 40 Urban Elite recipients. Finally, she serves as Board Chair for the CLTV (Collective) a non-profit dedicated to elevating black artist, empowering black communities, and shifting the culture of Memphis.

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Bryan C. Lee, Jr.

Colloqate

Bryan Lee is a national Design Justice Advocate and the Design Director of Colloqate, a multidisciplinary Non Profit Design Justice practice focused on expanding community access to, and building power through the design of social, civic, and cultural spaces. More than a traditional urban design firm, Colloqate's mission is to intentionally organize, advocate, and design spaces of racial, social and cultural equity. Lee has a decade of experience in the field of architecture Lee is the founding organizer of the Design Justice Platform and organized the Design As Protest National Day of Action. Bryan has led two award-winning architecture and design programs for high school students through the Arts Council of New Orleans and the National Organization of Minority Architects.

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Kick Lee

Cincinnati Music Accelerator

Kick Lee is a music producer, Cincinnati native and advocate of the music arts and independent artists. He is the founder of the Cincinnati Music Accelerator (CMA), Ohio’s first music career accelerator focused on the development of music creatives, fostering and fueling placemaking and striving for economic development and impact within the community it serves. Kick has worked in music for over 16 years and had his musical works licensed and placed in advertisements with brands such as Disney, Toyota, Samsung, Puma and many others. He was a People’s Liberty 2017 project grant recipient, graduate of Full Sail University and of Elementz Hip Hop Youth Arts center. In addition to the Cincinnati Music Accelerator, he operates KL Studios Inc. which specializes in audio recording, audio production, post production and music licensing for TV, film, trailers and commercials.

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Jessica Norwood

The Runway Project

Named to Essence Magazines “50 Entrepreneurs to Watch” list, Jessica Norwood is a financial activist, impact investor and social entrepreneur. She is the founder of the Runway Project, a suite of strategies that challenge wealth inequity by increasing early capital known as a "Friends and Family" round, or what Jessica calls “Believe in You Money” into African American companies nationwide. Jessica is trained in nonviolence organizing, anti-racism and popular education facilitation. She is also a former board member of the famed Highlander Research and Education Center, the same place that trained Dr. King. Widely recognized for her groundbreaking work in economic disruption, Jessica is an immediate past fellow for RSF Social Finance Integrated Capital Fellowship, Nathan Cummings Foundation Fellow, a former BALLE Fellow for local economies, a lifelong Fellow of the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University and Southern University College of Business for Emerging Leaders, as well as the Political Power and Social Change Fellow of the Hip Hop Archive at the Hutchins Center of Harvard University. Her innovative work has been profiled in NPR, Next City, Essence Magazine, Conscious Company, Fast Company and others. Jessica splits time between Alabama and California.

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Michael O'Bryan

Village of Arts & Humanities

Michael O’Bryan is widely recognized as an expert practitioner and thought leader in the fields of community development, organizational culture, and trauma-informed practices. Since 2015, O’Bryan has served as the Director of Youth and Young Adult Initiatives at The Village of Arts and Humanities, a nonprofit headquartered in North Philadelphia. He is currently a Corzo Fellow at The Corzo Center for The Creative Economy at The University of the Arts, and an Innovation Fellow at Drexel University’s Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation, in support of a startup venture: HD2 Solutions. HD2 Solutions works with organizations and their employees to transform how they understand and support human development, interaction, and performance. Past clients include: NeighborWorks America, ArtistYear, and Mural Arts Philadelphia. O’Bryan has spent more than a decade working directly with underserved populations—including veterans, adults in recovery, returning citizens, and families experiencing homelessness—and as a consultant and advisor for multiple nonprofits, businesses, and local government agencies. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of the Arts and a graduate certificate in Childhood Trauma Studies from Jefferson University. O’Bryan speaks to audiences nationwide about his work, including convenings hosted by Cornell University, The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, and the famed Apollo Theatre in New York. His commitment to service has also helped him amplify his contributions to the Philadelphia region by serving on the boards of two philanthropic institutions: The Samuel S. Fels Fund and The Philadelphia Cultural Fund. Michael continues to be inspired by exploring the intersections of restorative practices, community economic development, and the science of our humanity.

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mónica teresa ortiz

mónica teresa ortiz was born and raised in Texas. Her first book, muted blood, was published in 2018 by Black Radish Books. Winner of the inaugural Host Publications chapbook prize, her chapbook, autobiography of a semi romantic anarchist, was released in 2019.

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Shauen Pearce

City of Minneapolis

Shauen Pearce is Economic Development & Inclusion Policy Director for Mayor Jacob Frey of the City of Minneapolis. She was born into justice work in the Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's Southside. She worked for Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR), the oldest and largest peace organization, which addresses civil and human rights issues through nonviolent activism, advocacy, education, and the empowering of individuals and local communities at the grassroots level. Her work with FOR took her to New York, Chicago and Minnesota⁠—as well as Colombia, Venezuala and Iran. Today, her work is focused on growing Minneapolis' economy through inclusion, being intentional about specific strategies that address the historical foundations that have kept people of color in positions where they have been exploited and excluded from society.

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Deana Taylor, J.D.

3CDC

Deana Taylor joined the 3CDC team in 2016 as Senior Human Resource Manager, and in January of 2017 was promoted to Vice President of Human Resources. In her current role, Taylor leads the HR team, overseeing all aspects of 3CDC’s HR function, as well as the company’s IT needs. Taylor’s focus is ensuring that all HR practices and procedures support the needs of the organization and the proper implementation of its strategy and objectives. Her responsibilities include payroll and benefits, recruitment, performance management, employee relations, employee engagement, training and development, and talent management. Prior to joining 3CDC, she received an Associate’s Degree in Information Technology, a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources Management and a Master’s Degree in Labor and Employment Relations, all from the University of Cincinnati. Taylor also earned a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from Northern Kentucky University’s Salmon P. Chase College of Law, and is certified as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and SHRM-CP.

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Kiana Trabue

Gen-H

Kiana R. Trabue, MPH, BA, currently serves as Executive Director for The Health Collaborative where she leads Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky collective impact on health agenda, Gen-H. In this role, she provides leadership, strategic direction and oversight for Gen-H, focused on activating data-driven solutions to reduce the impact of chronic disease and build a care system that’s healthy by design. Her ultimate goal is to make Greater Cincinnati the most equitable and healthy region in the country. Kiana was recognized by the YWCA of Greater Cincinnati as a 2017 Rising Star. She also received Lead Tribune Media Group’s 2017 Healthcare Leadership Award and was a finalist for Legacy Leadership’s 2017 Next Generation Leader Award. She is a graduate of the Urban League of Southwest Ohio’s 2016 Urban Leader’s Institute. She is also a graduate of the Center for Clinical and Translation Science and Training’s 2017 Community Leaders Institute. In 2018 she was one of four alumni who were selected to be inducted into Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health at Wright State University. In addition, she was honored as one of Cincinnati’s 2018 top Forty Under 40 young professionals by the Cincinnati Business Courier. In September 2018, she was appointed as a Council Member for the Village of Woodlawn where she works on behalf of her neighbors to keep Beautiful Woodlawn, beautiful. She serves on several boards and is a mentor for Public Allies and The Ohio State University. Kiana is a proud graduate of Princeton High School class of ’97 and received her Bachelor of Arts from The Ohio State University and her Master of Public Health from Wright State University. Kiana is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated Pi Sigma Zeta chapter. At home, she is a loving and devoted mother to two children, Jayla and Jaxon. Her favorite scripture is Luke 12:48: “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.

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William Daryl Williams

University of Cincinnati

William Daryl Williams is an architect and former Director of the School of Architecture and Interior Design at the University of Cincinnati. Prior to his appointment at UC, Professor Williams was an Associate Professor at the University of Virginia, and has previously taught at Rice University, UCLA, and UC Berkeley. In the mid nineties, Professor Williams formed WPa with Archie Pizzini. WPa’s projects include the renovation of the historic El Dorado Ballroom in Houston, the Flip Flop House, an affordable house design, and the Oakland Community United Church of Christ, which involved coordinating over 500 volunteers, and all donated materials to convert a butler building into a church and school. Professor Williams also work for the City of Houston establishing the cities first civic arts program. William Williams has received two NEA grants. The first as co- editor of the book ROW: Trajectories through the shotgun House, and the second, as curator of a traveling exhibit called the “Dresser Trunk Project.” William Daryl Williams received his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Houston, and his Masters from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design.

H O S T S

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Naimah Bilal

Urban Consulate

Naimah Bilal carries a unique blend of executive fundraising, performance, arts administration, and music pedagogy expertise. Combining a performance career with ten years of artistic planning experience, she serves as Director of Board Relations at University of Cincinnati Foundation, and has worked with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Waldorf School, and was a Management Fellow with the League of American Orchestras. She is the Founder and Host of Bawse With a Cause, the first podcast series to feature the stories, big ideas, and industry insights of black and brown leaders doing transformative work in the wider nonprofit space. She received her B.A. from Indiana University and M.A. from Case Western Reserve University.

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GEE Horton

Urban Consulate

Born in Louisville, KY, in 1983, Horton is a Cincinnati-based self-trained Hyperrealist visual artist. As early as he could remember, he was obsessed with art and spent a vast majority of his childhood drawing everything in his immediate surroundings. However, due to limited exposure to the arts, he put his drawing journal and pencils away to play and eventually coach basketball at the collegiate level -- until he returned to art. Today, his work has been featured in local art exhibits such as The WE Gallery exhibit at the historic Cincinnati Music Hall, The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center’s “#NewTruth” Art Show, ArtWorks’ “Secret ArtWorks 2018” at The Banks, and the Mohawk Gallery’s “Manifestations of Time: The Black Experience” exhibit. Horton earned a Masters in Social Work from the University of Louisville.

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Chase L. Cantrell

Urban Consulate

Chase L. Cantrell is host emeritus of Urban Consulate and founder and executive director of Building Community Value, a Detroit-based nonprofit dedicated to implementing and facilitating real estate development projects in underserved Detroit neighborhoods. An alumnus of the University of Michigan Law School, Chase specialized in real estate and corporate law and has facilitated corporate and real estate acquisitions, sales, and other complex transactions for clients of all sizes (from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies). Through Building Community Value, and in collaboration with academic and community partners, Chase seeks to be a catalyst for sustainable social and economic development that engages distressed communities in creating impactful, resident-led change but, more specifically, that improves livability for all Detroiters.

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Claire Nelson

Urban Consulate

Claire is founder of Urban Consulate, a network of parlors for urban exchange. A Knight Cities Challenge winner, the Consulate has hosted hundreds of conversations in Detroit, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Austin, Cincinnati & Chicagoland to bring people together & share ideas for better cities. Previously, she has led Urban Innovation Exchange, Bureau of Urban Living, Open City, Declare Detroit, IdeaLab, On the Ground, Creative Cities: Renewing New York & more. A Chicagoland native, Claire studied architecture & urbanism at Smith College and Columbia University and was a Visiting Scholar at the American Academy in Rome. 

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Megan Trischler

People's Liberty

Megan Trischler is program director at People's Liberty, a philanthropic lab that brought together civic minded talent to address challenges and uncover opportunities to accelerate the positive transformation of Greater Cincinnati. At PL, she oversaw the residency program while keeping a keen eye on all PL design and storytelling. Megan’s past work includes the development of PieLab—a pie shop, job-training center and cultural hub in Greensboro, Ala.,—and the design and development of CoSign, an initiative that paired small business owners with local artists and professional sign fabricators to install storefront signage in Cincinnati.

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Eric Avner

People's Liberty & Haile Foundation

Eric Avner oversees community development investments for the Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile. Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation where he explores the role philanthropy can play in strengthening Cincinnati’s distinct neighborhoods while growing a culture of increased citizenship and innovation. As CEO of People’s Liberty, the foundations "philanthropic lab," Eric has spent the past six years working with his team to discover how people-focused investment—giving grants to individuals—can embolden the next generation of leadership in the community, inspiring those people to care for our city and carry it into the future.

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Jake Hodesh

People's Liberty

As VP of Operations, Jake Hodesh oversees People’s Liberty team, space and the Haile Fellowship program, while building relationships with creative and entrepreneurial community partners. In his past life, Jake tackled everything from managing property contracts in New Orleans to working as a policy analyst with the Office of the United States Trade Representative in Washington, D.C. 

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