MARCH 14—16 2019
LOS ANGELES
OPENING
RECEPTION
OPENING GENERAL
SESSION
Mike Silacci
Assistant Vice President, External Affairs, AT&T
Mike Silacci is currently AT&T’s Assistant Vice President, External Affairs – Greater Los Angeles Region, covering Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Kern counties. In his current assignment, he and the team he leads represent AT&T in these areas to local, state, and
federal government officials and community leaders and organizations.
Over Mr. Silacci’s 36 year career with AT&T and affiliated companies he has held various management assignments in Corporate Accounting, Information Systems, Finance, Regulatory, and, currently, External Affairs. Mr. Silacci has been active on the boards of a number of community organizations over the past several years including United Way of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Youth Foundation, Los Angeles Urban League, United Ways of California, California State Association of Counties Corporate Partners, Ventura County Economic Development Association, Economic Development Collaborative of Ventura County, United Way of Ventura County, Ventura County Community Foundation, and Economic Vitality Corporation – San Luis Obispo County. Mr. Silacci is a native of San Luis Obispo, CA and graduated with highest honors from California Polytechnic State University there in 1981 earning a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration, Finance emphasis.
Fiona Ma, CPA
California State Treasurer
Fiona Ma is California’s 34th State Treasurer. She was elected November 6, 2018 with more votes (7,825,587) than any other candidate for treasurer in the state's history. She is the first woman of color and the first woman Certified Public Accountant elected to the position.
California is the world’s fifth-largest economy and Fiona serves as its head banker. She provides transparency and oversight for the government’s investment portfolio and accounts as well as managing the state’s $92 billion in state and local funds.
Fiona works closely with the legislature to ensure that its members know the state’s financial condition as they consider new legislation, releasing her own recommendations for the annual budget -- including reducing unfunded liabilities through increased payments to pension funds by state and local governments.
Fiona has deep roots in the legislature as a member of the State Assembly from 2006-2012. She served as Speaker pro Tempore from 2010 to 2012. There, she built a reputation as a solution-oriented public servant adept at building unlikely coalitions to overcome California's most complex problems. Prior to serving as Speaker pro Tempore, Fiona served as Assembly Majority Whip, where she built coalitions during a state budget crisis to pass groundbreaking legislation to protect public education, the environment, and expand access to health care.
Fiona authored 60 bills signed into law by two different governors – most were first-in-the-nation and required no taxpayer money. Her successful legislation to ban toxic chemicals in baby products, known as phthalates, became a model for federal legislation authored by U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein in 2008.
As Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Domestic Violence, Fiona spearheaded legislation to strengthen laws protecting victims of domestic violence, consumers and working families; prevent the spread of Hepatitis B, increase access to quality healthcare, and provide equal rights for all Californians.
Tarrance Frierson
Principical
Supplier Diversity and Development, Southern California Edison
Tarrance Frierson is the Principal Manager for Supplier Diversity and Development department at Southern California Edison (SCE). He is responsible for managing all aspects of the company’s compliance with applicable rules, regulations and public laws related to small and diverse business procurement. This includes developing strategies, programs and goals that facilitate the ongoing inclusion and growth of small and diverse business enterprises.
Prior to his current role, Tarrance was the Global Procurement Manager for Supplier Diversity at Bristol-Myers Squibb. Over his professional career, he has led large cross-functional project teams, managed multi-million dollar budgets, negotiated large settlements agreements, and more.
Tarrance serves on multiple advisory boards providing consultation on strategic planning, program development, and political impacts assessments. In 2014, he was recognized as a Top Influential Person in Diversity by the National Association of Minority Companies; and was a recipient of Edison International’s Chairman’s Award in 2015.
Tarrance holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance, Masters in Leadership & Management, and both Project Management and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certifications. In his spare time, he enjoys running and spending time with close friends and family.
Reichen Kuhl
CEO, LeaseLock
Reichen Kuhl is a Graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and a nine-year Air Force veteran, a flight instructor, an attorney member of the State Bar of California, an LGBT published author, and now the founder and CEO of LeaseLock, a company recently valued at $95M and that is revolutionizing residential apartment leasing across the United States.
Since winning CBS’ Emmy-award winning reality series, “The Amazing Race”, Reichen caught the eyes of many producers and casting directors, to appear on “Frasier”, “The Drew Carey Show”, “Days of Our Lives”, and “The Young and The Restless”.
Following what Reichen calls a “brief dog-leg” in his life to pursue entertainment, Reichen attended Loyola Marymount University Law School at night while, during the day, building LeaseLock from an idea on a napkin to a nationwide rent-payment protection insurance program.
After being denied housing in New York City because he did not earn the requisite 80x the monthly rent to live at a certain property, Reichen co-founded LeaseLock, the first and only nationwide “Lease Insurance” program, a type of insurance that did not exist prior to LeaseLock. While helping people at all rent-levels qualify for housing they could truly afford, his solution was also ultimately designed to protect and provide countless benefits to landlords as well.
LeaseLock eliminates the single largest source of friction related to a residential lease transaction- security deposits - which helps the multi-family industry convert more leases, drive more revenue, and eliminate rent payment loss, property damage liability, costs for physical damage, and even “turn” cost expenses.
Completely replacing cosigners and security deposits, qualified renters pay a low monthly fee to the LeaseLock program that guarantees lease approval while simultaneously protecting the property from expected and unexpected losses.
LeaseLock is trusted by property owners and managers in over 1,000,000 units nationwide, and is powered by insurance rated: A (Excellent) by A.M. Best.
Ron Galperin
Los Angeles City Controller
Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin serves as the elected watchdog for L.A.'s taxpayers. He oversees more than 160 employees conducting independent audits, managing the City's payroll and disbursements, preparing reports on the City’s finances, pursuing waste and fraud, providing information about the City's finances and operations online, and focusing on modernization, management and metrics.
Galperin launched ControlPanel.LA, an open data portal featuring the City’s checkbook, details on the goods and services the City buys, assets and liabilities, employee compensation, operating indicators and more. Under Galperin’s leadership, the Controller’s office has issued audits focused on improving the efficiency and accountability of City government and on delivering quality City services.
Galperin brings more than 20 years of experience as a transactional and litigation attorney and small business owner. He received his J.D. from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and his undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis.
Stacey G. Chosed
Chief Operating Officer, LEAGUE, AT&T (Employee Resource Group)
Lead Product Marketing Manager, Edge Solutions, AT&T Business
Stacey is Chief Operating Officer at one of AT&T Employee Resource Groups called LEAGUE, an ERG LGBTQ+ non-profit. She is responsible for overseeing 39 local chapters’ engagement activity, development of national programs, strategy development and ensuring availability of LGBTQ+ programs for union employees.
Ms. Chosed is also a Lead Product Marketing Manager, at AT&T, where she is responsible for portfolio messaging and industry positioning. Stacey is a marketing professional with over 20 years of comprehensive experience of bringing products to market.
Stacey received a B.A. in Economics with a minor in Business Administration from The University of Arizona. She lives in Dallas with her partner and their son.
MARKETING TO
MILLENNIALS
Sahar Andrade
Sahar Andrade, MB.BCh is a Diversity, Global Leadership & Culture Competence Speaker/ Consultant, certified as a Social Media Strategist. She lived, worked and been educated in 7 countries and 3 continents; she speaks 5 languages. She holds a Double Bachelors of Medicine, and Surgery, Major in Psychiatry from Cairo University; and successfully completed a Mastery of HR Studies Certificate Program.
She is an author, and a “TED Talk” Speaker. Nominated for the 2018 Women and Council awards; Named as a “National Authority on Diversity” by the LA Business Journal, Her Entrepreneur training program received Congressional Recognition. She has been nominated as a “Woman Advocate” by CWI in 2017, recognized by the “State Senate”, the “State Assembly” as well as the “Board of Equalization”, and nominated as a “Women breaking barriers” in 2016; and had been honored as an “Inspirational Woman” in 2015.
She was awarded the “Diversity Insights award 2015” by the National Diversity Council and the “Leadership Excellence award 2014” by hr.com.
She consulted for a Netflix documentary about “Racism” in 2016. She appeared multiple times on nationally syndicated radio like 1100 AM KFNX news radio. She gave speeches at University of Phoenix, USC, UCLA, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State San Bernardino, SBA (Small Business Administration), and the Woodbury University, she also spoke at many conferences locally, in Canada and overseas.
She has been featured as an SME (Subject Matter Expert) numerous times in many National magazines’ articles as: Diversity Executive, and Diversity Bar.
She is a Business Advisor at PCR-SBDC a subsidiary of the “Small Business Administration”.
She termed as a Board Member for NAAAHR, and as a Board Member for Los Angeles Diversity Council. Currently a board member of Leadership Circle of change.
Her book “49 things about Entrepreneurship” is published on Amazon. Her current clients’ list include government agencies, public utilities, nonprofits, healthcare and educational organizations. Sahar is the founder of “Sahar Consulting, LLC” and “Reinvent Yourself to Greatness.
Hany Haddad
Vice President and District Manager,
Los Angeles Metro District of US Bank
Hany Haddad, a native of Southern California, is the Vice President and District Manager of the Los Angeles Metro District of U.S. Bank. He presides over the cities of Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Culver City and Santa Monica. His responsibilities include overseeing the Consumer, Business Bank as well as the Wealth Management Teams. Hany has seventeen years of experience in banking and over twenty-three years in business management. He is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.
A long-time advocate for the LGBTQ community, Mr. Haddad wrote his banking thesis on “The Importance of LGBT Initiatives at U.S. Bank.” He helped the bank launch LGBTQ initiatives for the multicultural marketing department, helped develop many LGBTQ employee resource groups, initiated support for many social service non-profits and fostered the company’s relationship with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce as well as previously serving as the Vice President of the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Board.
Mr. Haddad’s love for people and opening doors to opportunity fuels his professional goals, as well as his dedication to community service. Hany currently sits on the board of the LA Opera and Center Dance Arts at the Music Center, which helps fund the student programs for underprivileged children to experience and learn the performing arts. He previously sat on the boards of the L.A.C.E.R. After-School Programs and the Beverly Hills Bar Foundation as the Vice President of Development.
One of Hany’s highlights was to serve on the Board of Directors of the Children of War Foundation (COWF), a non-profit, non-politically affiliated organization that provides medical care to children that are in need regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality and religion. Hany spent two weeks in the summer of 2012 volunteering as the Communications & Outreach Director on a COWF mission in Jordan, bringing highly specialized surgeons from the United States to operate on 45 children. One of his fond memories was meeting with Queen Rania while in Jordan.
LGBT HOUSING AND
HOMELESSNESS
Kiera Pollock
Director of Senior Services, Los Angeles LGBT Center
Kiera Pollock, Director of Senior Services joined the Los Angeles LGBT Center in Spring, 2017. Kiera oversees residential and nonresidential case management services and activities for more than 5,700 members of Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Senior Services. Her responsibilities include oversight of Triangle Square, the nation’s first affordable housing community for LGBT seniors. She also oversees program planning and advising on space design for the new 8,000 square foot Senior Services Center and affordable housing community scheduled to open on the Center’s 1.86-acre intergenerational campus in April 2019. In October 2018, Kiera was elected to the Los Angeles County Commission for Older Adults.
Kiera earned a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from Fordham University and is a licensed
clinical social worker (LCSW) in New York State. She has more than 15 years of social services
leadership experience during which she created and implemented a variety of multidisciplinary
collaborative programs, including a child advocacy center, special victims center, and a
comprehensive crime victims program.
Dianne Prado
Founder, HEART L.A.
Dianne Prado combines her passion and training by advocating for people and pets in underserved communities - ensuring health and safety while fighting to address and prevent homelessness.
Prior to founding HEART L.A., Dianne was a Supervising Attorney at Inner City Law Center (ICLC) where she started the Pet Resource Center on Skid Row. In collaboration with Downtown Dog Rescue and LA Animal Services, this project provides resources and housing-based legal services to Skid Row residents and their animals. As a part of ICLC, Dianne used her litigation skills to stop landlords from abusing the rights of tenants. Prior to ICLC, Dianne was a staff attorney at the Eviction Defense Network where she protected the housing rights of low-income communities.
Dianne received her Juris Doctorate from Western State University College of Law and holds a Bachelor of Arts in criminology, law and society from the University of California, Irvine. She is a proud member of the National Lawyers Guild.
Dianne is honored to be the owner of Falcor, a nine year-old dog that she found on the side of a busy L.A. freeway. When she stopped to help him, he rolled on his back and asked for a belly rub. Dianne has been providing Falcor with daily belly rubs and life filled with love ever since.
Simon Costello
Director of Children Youth and Family Services,
Los Angeles LGBT Center
The Center’s programs and services for LGBT youth experiencing homelessness, include a 7-day a week drop-in center, a 28-bed emergency shelter and a 34-bed transitional living program. The LifeWorks program provides one-on-one mentoring and youth development programs for at-home and at-school LGBTQ youth. The RISE program provides services to LGBTQ youth in foster care with the goal of strengthening family connections and improving permanency outcomes for young persons in systems of care. A priority for Simon is the ongoing development, implementation and evaluation of programs that achieve meaningful outcomes for youth including innovative education, employment, and youth development programs.
Simon serves on the City of Los Angeles Workforce Development Board's Youth
Council; he is a board member and treasurer for the Hollywood Media District, Business
Improvement District; a board member of the California Coalition for Youth; and an advisory
board member of Safe Place for Youth, a program for homeless youth in Venice, California.
Louise Chernin
President and CEO,
Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA)
The Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) is one of the oldest and largest LGBT Chambers in the US with over 1300 members. In addition to business development and advocacy on behalf of business and civil rights, GSBA sponsors a Scholarship Fund, which since 1990, has awarded over $3 million to 650 LGBTQ and allied students in Washington State. GSBA is also the sponsor of Travel Out Seattle, an LGBT Tourism Initiative created to increase revenue in the state of Washington.
Louise is a Board member of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and in 2015 was appointed by the Governor to the Seattle Colleges Board of Trustees and is the current Chair. Louise was honored by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) with its Leadership Award and also so named by the Puget Sound Business Journal as one of the top 20 most Influential women in Puget Sound. In 2013, the Seattle Storm, Washington State’s WNBA team, presented Louise with its 2013 Inspiring Women award and the UW Women’s Center honored Louise with their Women of Courage award. In 2016, Louise was honored by the Puget Sound Business Journal with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Gregg Sherkin
Vice President and Senior Community Relations Manager,
Greater Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties,
Wells Fargo
Gregg Sherkin is responsible for overseeing community development, charitable contributions, and volunteerism. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Gregg managed Corporate Citizenship programs for The Walt Disney Company focusing on strategic philanthropy, internal and external partnerships, and cause marketing initiatives working across Disney’s multiple brands and with its strategic alliance partners. Gregg was also a Program Officer for Oprah Winfrey’s public and private charities including Oprah’s Angel Network and The Oprah Winfrey Foundation. Gregg’s accomplishments include leading strategic planning and re-development of five community-based programs across the Gulf Coast assisting more than 500 families severely impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, overseeing the funding of affordable housing programs for residents in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas. He also designed and managed socially innovative and environmentally sustainable school building projects in South Africa that were awarded the 2016 Global Award for Sustainable Architecture by the Paris-based LOCUS Foundation, with the support of UNESCO.
Gregg is German Marshall Fellow and currently serves on the board of LA Family Housing. He earned his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor’s of Arts and Sciences degree from the University of Washington.
Michael Gunther
Founder and Managing Partner,
Collaboration Business Consulting, and author
Michael leads a team dedicated to inspiring, educating and empowering proactive business leaders to achieve breakthrough performance.
Guiding over 500 organizations in their growth, trusted by thousands of leaders and managers, and assisting nearly 300 business get started ─ he understands what is takes to build impactful, purposeful, and authentic collaboration that gets results. At the end of the day, Collaboration’s clients are re-energized with a newfound passion for their business and the confidence to lead their teams to build profitable, sustainable businesses.
GROWING A SCALABLE, PROFITABLE BUSINESS
Carlos Aguilar
Director of Organizing, Coalition for Economic Survival (CES)
Carlos Aguilar has over ten years of combined labor and non-profit sector organizing experience that he uses to manage and promote Coalition of Economic Survival’s (CES) mission to help tenants secure safe, healthy and affordable housing in the City of Los Angeles. Aguilar’s primary role as Director of Organizing for CES is to provide oversight of all organizing work and develop the capacity of CES staff and members to strengthen their skills and build their leadership capacity. Carlos is a graduate of the University of Southern California (USC), loves anything "pasta" and enjoys spending time with wife and 2yr old.
NGLCC WORKSHOP
LGBT BUSINESS ENTERPRISE® (LGBTBE) CERTIFICATION 101
Jason Rae
Director, Affiliate Relations, National LGBT Chamber of Commerce
As Director of Affiliate Relations, Jason Rae brings his knowledge and expertise of running a local Chamber to the table to help other organizations meet and exceed their goals.
In addition to his role with NGLCC, Jason is the founder and President & CEO of the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, an organization of more than 500 LGBT owned and allied businesses from around Wisconsin. Jason founded the organization in 2012 and is responsible for the overall direction and operations of the Chamber, as well as membership outreach and retention. He has also served as the National Chair for NGLCC’s Affiliate Chamber Council.
Jason is the owner and managing director of True Compass Strategies, a certified LGBT Business Enterprise, that focuses on strategic planning, non-profit management, and public affairs.
In his volunteer time, Jason has been a member of the Democratic National Committee since 2004, when he became the youngest person ever elected to the DNC. In 2017, he was elected as the DNC Secretary, one of the national officers. Jason has also served as Chair of the Board of Directors of Fair Wisconsin and for the Milwaukee County Human Rights Commission.
Jason holds an Honors Bachelors of Arts degree from Marquette University in history and political science. He presently lives in Glendale, WI with his husband, Phillip Bailey, and their dog, George Washington.
Alicia Greene
Manager, Supplier Diversity, National LGBT Chamber of Commerce
As a Supplier Diversity Manager, Alicia assists LGBT business owners with getting their business certified with NGLCC. Once certified, she works with LGBTBEs to take full advantage of their certification by connecting them to business and growth opportunities.
Alicia received her B.S. in Government emphasis in Legal Studies from Texas Woman’s University. Before joining the NGLCC team, Alicia worked for The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) where she advocated for social and economic justice. Prior to working in the non-profit sector, she worked in intellectual property.
Reiko Gallo
Associate, Supplier Diversity, National LGBT Chamber of Commerce
Reiko connects suppliers with resources and supports the NGLCC supplier community in New York City as Supplier Diversity & nglccNY Membership Associate.
LUNCH GENERAL
SESSION
Liji Thomas, CPA, CIA, CRMA, SHRM-CP
Head of Diversity & Inclusion, Southern California Edison
Liji began her career lobbying on Capitol Hill for an increase in housing for low income women and children. In 2005, Liji joined Countrywide as a Project Manager and quickly rose through the ranks to become Assistant Vice President of Compliance and Risk Management. In this role, she oversaw compliance and risk assessment in Countrywide’s offshore operations and authored Countrywide’s Model for Offshore Compliance, a cross functional, global, risk-based approach to the company’s compliance efforts. In 2008, Liji joined the Internal Audit Department of Southwest Airlines. During her time in Internal Audit, Liji led the company’s first Capitalization of Labor Audit and published an article in the October 2010 issue of Internal Auditor magazine. She then assumed a role as Manager of Business Strategy, implementing new business initiatives impacting over 3,600 individuals. These initiatives included strategies to increase revenue, improve customer experience and realize process efficiencies. In the first six months of 2012, Liji impacted revenue generation in excess of $40 million. In late 2012, Liji Thomas was shoulder-tapped to help build diversity and inclusion efforts for Southwest Airlines. In this role, she informed all aspects of diversity and inclusion for the nations' largest domestic airline and helped align Southwest Airlines culture with an award-winning diversity and inclusion strategy. After consulting with several Fortune 500 clients, Liji now leads the diversity and inclusion journey at Southern California Edison, a Fortune 250 company at the forefront of creating the clean energy future.
Liji is married to Arun and has two daughters, Athena and Ava. In her spare time, Liji contributes to various charitable and civic organizations. She is a Former Jesuit Volunteer and a 1998 graduate of Vanderbilt University. She has an MBA in Finance, a Master’s degree in Accounting and a Master’s degree in Information Technology Management and Consulting and holds CPA, CIA, CRMA and SHRM-CP designations. She was chosen to deliver her graduate school commencement address and serves on the Community Diversity Advisory Council of the University of Texas at Dallas as well as the Board of Directors of Dallas Dinner Table. In addition, she is also a member of the Orchid Giving Circle, the International Business Council of the Frisco Chamber of Commerce and a graduate of the Leadership Dallas Class of 2017.
Michael Ormonde
Senior Vice President, Regional Bank President, Wells Fargo
Michael Ormonde is region bank president for Wells Fargo’s Los Angeles Bank division. In this role, Ormonde oversees 1,300 Wells Fargo banking professionals at approximately 87 branches across the cities of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, South Bay and Santa Monica.
He assumed his current role in November 2017. He
began his 19-year career with the company as a teller and personal banker, store manager and district manager leading branches in the San Francisco Bay and Washington DC region. Ormonde also served as Area President in the Greater Philadelphia and Washington D.C. regions. Additionally, he served as Region Bank President in the Washington DC area.
Ormonde earned a Business of Arts in Political Science/History from Notre Dame de Namur University. He is a graduate of Wharton Business School, Graduate School of Banking at the University of Pennsylvania.
He is committed to the communities that he has served and is a leader in corporate citizenship. He has served on numerous boards for SMYAL and Outlet. Ormonde is also involved in several organizations including CAGLCC, Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce, and Executive Advisor for the Pride Wells Fargo Team Member Network in Washington DC and Greater Philadelphia PA.
Ormonde resides in Los Angeles, CA.
Angela Gibson-Shaw
President, AG and Associates
A public affairs veteran with more than 35 years of experience, Angela Gibson- Shaw has a vast array of experience with small business outreach, community outreach and public relations. She is committed to the empowerment of small minority, women and veteran-owned businesses leading to job creation in communities of color.
Her company, AG & Associates is a boutique consultant firm specializing in small business and diverse community outreach, public affairs, issue advocacy and public relations. (www.angelagibsonconsulting.com)
While at AT&T, where she retired after almost 35 years, Angela was responsible for external, governmental and philanthropic affairs in the Los Angeles area, while managing corporate relationships with the African American community. After retirement, Angela briefly served as a Principal Telecom Consultant to now Senator Steven Bradford.
She is the current president of the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce Education Fund & Foundation (www.glaaacc.org), as well as serving on the board of directors to the Inglewood Airport Area Chamber of Commerce. Angela also serves as an LA County Small Business Commissioner, appointed by County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. She was recently appointed by Senator Bradford to his 35th State Senate Advisory Council. Angela previously served on the LA County Workforce Investment and SouthBay Workforce Investment Boards.
Mrs. Gibson-Shaw is the immediate past Chair to the Los Angeles African American Women’s Public Policy Institute, an organization dedicated to grooming African American women for Los Angeles leadership positions.
Angela Gibson-Shaw is a graduate of the African American Board Leadership Institute, and has attended West LA College and Mendoza School of Business Chamber Training Institute. For her commitment, she has been honored by National Congress of Black Women, 94.7 The Wave, GLAAACC, the National Congress of Black Women-LA Chapter, National Action Network LA, LA Focus, Our Authors Study Club, Recycling Black Dollars, The Black Business Association, LA Focus, The National Association of University Women, and the Women in NAACP, among others.
Amanda Ma
Founder + CEO of Innovate Marketing Group (IMG)
Amanda Ma, is the Founder + CEO of Innovate Marketing Group (IMG), an award-winning
Event & Experiential Marketing Agency based in Pasadena. IMG has produced event
experiences for Toyota, East West Bank, Marriott, and more. She currently serves on the
board of Asian Business Association Los Angeles and Asian Pacific Community Fund. She
has been a tireless advocate for small business owners in our region.
Schenae Rourk
President, Redwood Resources
Schenae Rourk is President of Redwood Resources, a strategic procurement, diversity and inclusion consulting firm. The firm is a resource of information for qualified contractors looking to access public agency contracts through the utilization of certifications. The firm works with large contractors and public agencies primarily in providing outreach, community investment strategies and inclusionary program development for contractors on large construction, capital
improvement and infrastructure projects. The firm also develops mentor protégé, youth and stakeholder engagement programs that are innovative and inclusive to benefit impacted communities.
Ms. Rourk is active in the small business community and community at large. She is†the current Chair of the Transportation Business Advisory Committee ®TBAC© at Metro, a member of the BART Advisory Council, the Alameda County Procurement and Contracting Committee and most recently re-elected Co-Chair†®2018- 2019© for the Small Business and Labor Committee at BizFe. She is the President of the National Association of Women Business Owners – Los Angeles.
TRANS CAN WORK:
BEST PRACTICES FOR TRANSGENDER INCLUSION IN THE WORKPLACE
Rex Wilde
Program Director, TransCanWork
Rex Wilde is a non-binary LGBTQ advocate, speaker, and educator. Having worked extensively on LGBTQ policy, including the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and California’s SB-396. Rex brings their passion & breadth of knowledge to educate about LGBTQ inclusion practices. With 10 years experience in LGBTQ education, Rex provides a welcoming environment for people to engage & learn about LGBTQ identities & workplace inclusion. Rex has provided training for companies, conferences, & universities including Roche, Planned Parenthood, Out & Equal, West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, the California Workforce Development Board, Chapman University, & University of California Riverside. Rex now acts as the Program Director for TransCanWork, an organization dedicated to developing more inclusive workplaces for the transgender community.
Mark Morales - Moderator
Vice President | Co-Owner | LGBTQ+ Advocate
City National Bank | Charles Jacobsen Inc. | LAGLCC | CA Dept. of Insurance Diversity Task Force
Preferred Pronouns: He / Him / His
Mark Morales is a Vice President of SBA Lending at City National Bank. Mark has over 20 years of business banking experience and specializes in SBA financing and loan programs for diverse owned businesses. Mark is the SBA Los Angeles District Office 2016 Financial Services Champion of the Year and the State of California, Department of Insurance 2018 Insurance Diversity Trailblazer. Mark is also Co-owner of Charles Jacobsen, Inc., an importer of antique furniture and accessories from Asia, which is a Certified LGBT Business Enterprise.
His experience as a business owner, a community leader, a minority advocate, an industry representative and a commercial lender give him a unique perspective on how to properly influence many organizations and city and state government entities.
CREATING INFLUENCE
PANEL
NiK Kacy
Owner| Creator & Executive Producer | LGBTQ+ Advocate
NiK Kacy Footwear | Equality Fashion Week | LAGLCC | Trans Inclusion Task Force
Preferred Pronouns: They / Them / Theirs
NiK Kacy is the Creator and Executive Producer of Equality Fashion Week, the 1st LGBTQ+- focused Fashion Week in LA, as well as the Founder and President of NiK Kacy Footwear, an LGBT-certified business, and the first gender-equal / gender-free footwear and accessories for genders and identities in all spectrums.
Nik’s experience as an LGBTBE business owner, a community leader, and trans role model—have made them successful and influential in navigating and finding success in the Age of Disruption.
Carmen Carrera
Transgender Model | LGBTQ+ Advocate | RuPaul’s Drag Race Alumni
Preferred Pronouns: She / Her
Carmen Carrera is a famous transgender model, actress and activist. She recently hosted events at the Sundance Film Festival for AT&T and at NYC Fashion Week for Fashion News Live on Amazon Prime. Her fans are so passionate they created a petition for her to be the first transgender Victoria Secret Model, which went viral creating international media attention.
She is an alumni of RuPaul’s Drag Race, has recently featured the HBO show, “Outpost” creating awareness for the transgender community. Additionally, she was the face of the New York City Health Department’s #PlaySure Campaign and is an advocate for Human Rights, HIV Prevention, and Discrimination against Transgender Women.
Carmen’s celebrity status and advocacy have defined her a influential powerhouse within the LGBTQ+ community.
Esteven Gamez
Co-Founder | Vice President | Advocate | LGBTBE
Keen Social | Long Beach LGBT Chamber of Commerce | LAGLCC Member
Preferred Pronouns: He / Him / His
Esteven Gamez has over ten years of experience in social media and digital marketing. A passionate storyteller and technology enthusiast, he loves being at the forefront of an ever-changing social media landscape to help create branded stories leveraging data, analytics, conversational research and influencers. He is also the new Vice President for the Long Beach Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
Before creating Keen Social, a data-driven social media agency out of Long Beach, Esteven worked with large brand such as Toyota, Hyundai, FX, Aflac, Wal-Mart, Western Digital and Hilton—partnering with impactful influencers such as: Ricky Martin, George Lopez, Becky G, Danny Trejo and J. Balvin. As a marketer, he understands the importance of utilizing influencers to drive results for brands.
Buster Barras
Operations Associate, LeaseLock
Buster Barras has been with LeaseLock since August 2017 and is currently working as the Operations Manager in LA. As Operations Manager Buster handles all billing changes to clients’ accounts, student accounts, and customer service inquires assuring they are handled appropriately and providing quality service. Additionally, Buster also handles office management and assists in employee on-boarding.
Prior to joining LeaseLock, Buster was an area and marketing manager for the global cycling studio Soul-Cycle, opening most studios on the West Coast.
Mary Leslie
President, LABC & LABC Institute
Preferred Pronouns: Her / She
Ms. Leslie has served as LABC President since 2001, growing the council into one of the most prominent business organizations in the region, working closely with leaders from business, government and the non-profit sectors to enact policies and programs to strengthen Los Angeles’ economic competitiveness and quality of life. Under her leadership, she launched the LABC Institute in 2010 as the 501 (c) 3 research and education arm, attracting local and national funding. Both organizations operate with the core mission, focused on creating cutting edge policy strategies to reduce the region’s housing affordability gap, increase sustainable development, promote international trade, and expand high-paying workforce opportunities.
Ms. Leslie currently serves on Mayor Garcetti’s LA Sustainability Leadership Council, LA Cleantech Incubator Board of Directors, Los Angeles Conservation Corporation Board of Directors, UCLA Advisory Committee for the Luskin Center for Innovation, and is a member of the Pacific Council of International Policy. She previously served as a Commissioner on the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Board, Advisory Committees of L.A. Family Housing the California Women’s Law Center and the LA2028 Olympic Bid Committee.
In her previous role as Deputy Mayor for the City of Los Angeles under Mayor Richard Riordan, Ms. Leslie was responsible for the Mayor's Business Development programs. Prior to joining the Riordan Administration, she was Deputy Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), where she oversaw the Northridge Earthquake relief dollars for Los Angeles as part of her portfolio of lending and education programs for SBA Director Erskine Bowles. She also served as the Executive Director of the California Economic Development Commission, overseeing policy development and trade missions for California business. Ms. Leslie was also President Clinton’s California Finance Director in his successful 1992 race for President.
Cory Allen
Founder | Political Strategist
CA Blueprint Solutions | Former Chief of Staff to Long Beach Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez
Preferred Pronouns: He / Him / His
Cory Allen is the founder/principal of CA Blueprint Solutions, a full-service political consulting and government affairs firm based in Long Beach, CA. Throughout his career, Cory has worked on dozens of local, state and federal campaigns across Los Angeles County and has served elected officials in varying roles.
As Chief of Staff to Long Beach Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez, he managed a diverse policy portfolio that included creating more opportunities for small business to participate in city contracts, increase park programming in park poor neighborhoods, and a new digital inclusion roadmap and a robust package of LGBTQ protections.
He has been a leading LGBTQ+ voice in the Democratic Party and truly knows how to have influence in the Age of Disruption.
Reichen Kuhl
CEO, LeaseLock
Reichen Kuhl is a Graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and a nine-year Air Force veteran, a flight instructor, an attorney member of the State Bar of California, an LGBT published author, and now the founder and CEO of LeaseLock, a company recently valued at $95M and that is revolutionizing residential apartment leasing across the United States.
Since winning CBS’ Emmy-award winning reality series, “The Amazing Race”, Reichen caught the eyes of many producers and casting directors, to appear on “Frasier”, “The Drew Carey Show”, “Days of Our Lives”, and “The Young and The Restless”.
Following what Reichen calls a “brief dog-leg” in his life to pursue entertainment, Reichen attended Loyola Marymount University Law School at night while, during the day, building LeaseLock from an idea on a napkin to a nationwide rent-payment protection insurance program.
After being denied housing in New York City because he did not earn the requisite 80x the monthly rent to live at a certain property, Reichen co-founded LeaseLock, the first and only nationwide “Lease Insurance” program, a type of insurance that did not exist prior to LeaseLock. While helping people at all rent-levels qualify for housing they could truly afford, his solution was also ultimately designed to protect and provide countless benefits to landlords as well.
LeaseLock eliminates the single largest source of friction related to a residential lease transaction- security deposits - which helps the multi-family industry convert more leases, drive more revenue, and eliminate rent payment loss, property damage liability, costs for physical damage, and even “turn” cost expenses.
Completely replacing cosigners and security deposits, qualified renters pay a low monthly fee to the LeaseLock program that guarantees lease approval while simultaneously protecting the property from expected and unexpected losses.
LeaseLock is trusted by property owners and managers in over 1,000,000 units nationwide, and is powered by insurance rated: A (Excellent) by A.M. Best.
David Kim
Integrations Specialist, LeaseLock
David joined LeaseLock in September, 2017 and currently works as an integrations specialist at the company's headquarters in LA. David's main focus in his role is ensuring proper integration with client platforms, which allows LeaseLock to provide a seamless on-boarding and support experience, a key to LeaseLock's success in both the Multi-Family and InsurTech spaces.
Prior to joining LeaseLock, David worked at a HR recruitment software company where he developed his personal philosophy that technology and the adoption of technology are both key to innovation as well as integral to addressing more complex, human problems.
Wadooah Wali
Director of Corporate Communications | Co-Founder | Advisor | Writer | Strategist
TBS & TNT (Turner)
Preferred Pronouns: Her / She
Wadooah has more than 15+ years as a PR strategist of launches, acquisitions and public exists and new media/digital communications strategies for emerging tech and media platforms. She’s worked with and consulted for traditional and digital media companies like Turner (TBS & TNT), Fullscreen, M-GO (a startup formerly backed by DreamWorks and Technicolor, now owned by Fandango), eHow, Livestrong.com, Cracked.com, WUSF-FM and podcast leader Midroll Media/Ear Wolf (acquired by Scripps Media) and frequents the YouTube Space LA as a repeat speaker/instructor.
Regardless of the title – Producer, Writer, Director, Filmmaker, Public Relations/Digital Media Strategist, Entrepreneur – Wadooah is a natural born storyteller. As a true media influencer, her career expertise spans across traditional and disruptive new media platforms.
Jonathan Rodriguez
Regional Project Manager, LeaseLock
Jonathan Rodriguez has been with LeaseLock since April 2016 and is currently working
as the regional project manager in LeaseLock’s Miami office. As regional project
manager, Jonathan leads the company’s national exhibit and conference circuit. Prior to
joining LeaseLock, Jonathan was on a public affairs team at a Biotech Company in
Boston after graduating from the University of Massachusetts.
NGLCC WORKSHOP
I’M CERTIFIED,
NOW WHAT?
Jason Rae
Director, Affiliate Relations, National LGBT Chamber of Commerce
As Director of Affiliate Relations, Jason Rae brings his knowledge and expertise of running a local Chamber to the table to help other organizations meet and exceed their goals.
In addition to his role with NGLCC, Jason is the founder and President & CEO of the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, an organization of more than 500 LGBT owned and allied businesses from around Wisconsin. Jason founded the organization in 2012 and is responsible for the overall direction and operations of the Chamber, as well as membership outreach and retention. He has also served as the National Chair for NGLCC’s Affiliate Chamber Council.
Jason is the owner and managing director of True Compass Strategies, a certified LGBT Business Enterprise, that focuses on strategic planning, non-profit management, and public affairs.
In his volunteer time, Jason has been a member of the Democratic National Committee since 2004, when he became the youngest person ever elected to the DNC. In 2017, he was elected as the DNC Secretary, one of the national officers. Jason has also served as Chair of the Board of Directors of Fair Wisconsin and for the Milwaukee County Human Rights Commission.
Jason holds an Honors Bachelors of Arts degree from Marquette University in history and political science. He presently lives in Glendale, WI with his husband, Phillip Bailey, and their dog, George Washington.
Alicia Greene
Manager, Supplier Diversity, National LGBT Chamber of Commerce
As a Supplier Diversity Manager, Alicia assists LGBT business owners with getting their business certified with NGLCC. Once certified, she works with LGBTBEs to take full advantage of their certification by connecting them to business and growth opportunities.
Alicia received her B.S. in Government emphasis in Legal Studies from Texas Woman’s University. Before joining the NGLCC team, Alicia worked for The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) where she advocated for social and economic justice. Prior to working in the non-profit sector, she worked in intellectual property.
Reiko Gallo
Associate, Supplier Diversity, National LGBT Chamber of Commerce
Reiko connects suppliers with resources and supports the NGLCC supplier community in New York City as Supplier Diversity & nglccNY Membership Associate.
CLOSING
RECEPTION
Sydney Kamlager-Dove
Assemblywoman (D-Los Angeles)
Assemblywoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles) was elected to the California State
Assembly in a special election on April 3, 2018 and sworn-in April 16, 2018. She represents the 54th Assembly District that includes communities west of downtown Los Angeles, from Crenshaw to Culver City, north to Westwood and south to Inglewood.
Born and raised in Chicago, Sydney attended St. Ignatius College Prep where she took courses in
liberation theology and social justice. While in high school, she did missionary work in the
Appalachian Mountains. After graduation she moved to Los Angeles to attend the University of
Southern California where she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and became a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. She earned her master’s degree in arts management and public policy from Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania.
Sydney was first exposed to politics while working with her grandmother to help Harold Washington become the first African American mayor of Chicago in 1983. In 1992 while studying at USC, the Los Angeles riots broke out. That motivated her to work at Rebuild LA, a nonprofit formed to help spur job creation efforts and restore the communities most affected by the riots. She also worked at the Los Angeles Festival which used art to help the city heal and spent the next 20 years working for nonprofits, the entertainment industry, education field and government. Prior to joining the State Legislature Ms. Kamlager-Dove was president of the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees and district director to CA State Senator Holly J. Mitchell (D-Los Angeles).
CLOSING GENERAL
SESSION
Constance Anderson
Director, Pacific Coast Regional SBDC
Pacific Coast Regional SBDC Director Constance Anderson specializes in helping clients with financial issues such as business financing and business plan development, as a well as business startup and general business management.
As Director, Constance oversees 12 Business Advisor/Instructors and directs all services of the SBDC including delivering results; managing finance budgets and grants; securing sponsors and partnerships and developing events. Prior to becoming SBDC Director, Constance was Vice President of Pacific Coast Regional, overseeing communications and training. She was also responsible for managing PCR’s Entrepreneurial Training Institute and SCORE consulting.
From 1987 to 2001, Constance held executive positions in the financial industry; her responsibilities included business banking and overseeing compliance.
Actively involved in the community, Constance is a member of a number of organizations: National Association of Female Executives; Urban Financial Services Coalition (UFSC-LA) and the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO-LA).
Constance is certified as a NxLevel Instructor and Fast Trac-Growth Venture facilitator. She is a graduate of the Executive Director Leadership Program 2010. She attended the Executive Management Program at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and the American Banker Association Graduate School of Compliance.
Jolie Haupert
Chief Administrative Officer, Metropolitan Banking Division,
Consumer and Business Banking Division, U.S. Bank
Jolie is the Chief Administrative Officer for the Metropolitan Banking Division in the Consumer and Business Banking Division at U.S. Bank. In that role, she oversees the administrative support functions, including community involvement, over 1180 branch banks in the larger metropolitan markets across sixteen states. Those branch banks and the 8400 bankers who work in them are responsible for delivering deposit, lending, and payments services to millions of U.S. Bank consumers and small businesses.
Jolie has over 30 years of banking experience at U.S. Bank and its predecessor banks, specifically Firstar Bank in the Twin Cities. Prior to her current role, Jolie was a District Manager in Cleveland, Ohio overseeing 19 branches on the east side of Cleveland. She has also been a Branch Manager, Business Banking Officer, Banker and Teller in the Twin Cities market.
Jolie is a resident of Solon, Ohio and has been very involved in her local community supporting Junior Achievement, Cleveland FoodBank, Solon HS Music Parents and Athletic Boosters. She has been a Mentor for the Menttium Corporation for the past five years. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and earned her MBA at the University of St Thomas.
Hany Haddad
Vice President and District Manager,
Los Angeles Metro District of US Bank
Hany Haddad, a native of Southern California, is the Vice President and District Manager of the Los Angeles Metro District of U.S. Bank. He presides over the cities of Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Culver City and Santa Monica. His responsibilities include overseeing the Consumer, Business Bank as well as the Wealth Management Teams. Hany has seventeen years of experience in banking and over twenty-three years in business management. He is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.
A long-time advocate for the LGBTQ community, Mr. Haddad wrote his banking thesis on “The Importance of LGBT Initiatives at U.S. Bank.” He helped the bank launch LGBTQ initiatives for the multicultural marketing department, helped develop many LGBTQ employee resource groups, initiated support for many social service non-profits and fostered the company’s relationship with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce as well as previously serving as the Vice President of the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Board.
Mr. Haddad’s love for people and opening doors to opportunity fuels his professional goals, as well as his dedication to community service. Hany currently sits on the board of the LA Opera and Center Dance Arts at the Music Center, which helps fund the student programs for underprivileged children to experience and learn the performing arts. He previously sat on the boards of the L.A.C.E.R. After-School Programs and the Beverly Hills Bar Foundation as the Vice President of Development.
One of Hany’s highlights was to serve on the Board of Directors of the Children of War Foundation (COWF), a non-profit, non-politically affiliated organization that provides medical care to children that are in need regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality and religion. Hany spent two weeks in the summer of 2012 volunteering as the Communications & Outreach Director on a COWF mission in Jordan, bringing highly specialized surgeons from the United States to operate on 45 children. One of his fond memories was meeting with Queen Rania while in Jordan.
Wendy Armitage
Senior Vice President of Marketing Clearances and Ratings,
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Beginning her career in theatre concessions at the age of 16, Wendy Armitage has devoted the last 29 years to the film industry. She is the Senior Vice President of Marketing Clearances and Ratings. She specializes in obtaining the targeted MPAA ratings for Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) as well as managing the Worldwide Marketing Clearances team for the Motion Picture Group.
Wendy is the Executive Advisor for the OUT@SPE Employee Business Resource Group (EBRG), the SPE affiliate organization, which strives to create an inclusive workplace environment for LGBTQ employees. Under Wendy’s oversight, SPE has maintained a 100% rating on the Corporate Equality Index, a rating that the company would not have received without the vigorous commitment of OUT@SPE. Additionally, Wendy has joined the board of The Visibility Fund which aims to promote positive representation of underrepresented communities in media, especially LGBTQ women, through making grants to filmmakers and media creators who are creating content for TV, online media or film distribution. She is also an alumnus of Arizona State University where she graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies focusing on the intersection of Women Studies and Film Studies. She is currently a Masters of Liberal Studies candidate at ASU where she has continued focusing on the intersections she specialized in during her undergraduate studies.
Farhaad Virani
Associate General Counsel, Amazon Studios
Farhaad Virani is currently Associate General Counsel at Amazon Studios where he oversees the legal team supporting development of Amazon’s original scripted series and feature films, including Comedy, Drama, Genre, Kids, and Young Adult programming, as well as local-language content for India, Japan, Europe and Latin America. Prior to his time at Amazon Studios he supported Amazon’s music business in Seattle, and prior to that he was a transactional real estate attorney working in the wine industry, clean tech, and commercial real estate in San Francisco and Houston. Farhaad currently serves on the board of Outfest and the ACLU of Southern California. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 2004 and Rice University with a B.A. in Economics in 2001.