Join us for a discussion on the importance of communication between parents and children and tips for navigating those conversations. Watch the full discussion on our YouTube channel below!

Our speakers:

• Mark Hayes, Executive Director of Varsity Connects which “helps parents bridge the gap that can seem cavernous as parents try to help steer their student-athletes toward success both on the field and in the game of life.”

• Richard R. Shelton M.D., Board-Certified Pediatrician

• Matthew Couloute Jr., Esq., Sports & Entertainment Business Consultant and client of Varsity Connects

• Angela Buttimer, MS, CVP, LPC, Keynote Speaker and TV Contributor

Need advice on getting out of debt or managing credit? We spoke with three experts to get actionable tips to do so:

• Natalia Brown, Chief Compliance and Consumer Affairs Officer for National Debt Relief

• Youseff Tannous, Market President and Retail Leader for KeyBank’s Eastern PA market

• Ayo Idowu, Financial Advisor in Minneapolis

Watch the full discussion in the YouTube video below and scroll down for speaker bios!

Natalia Brown joined National Debt Relief (NDR) in 2010 and has served as Chief Client Operations Officer since 2019 and in 2023 she accepted a position as Chief Compliance and Consumer Affairs Officer. Natalia played a vital role in NDR’s client journey, overseeing all client-facing operations of the business. She managed a team of more than 400 representatives servicing 200,000+ clients with an unmatched level of support and guidance to clients on their path to financial stability. In her compliance and public relations role, she often makes public appearances to represent brand values, and NDR’s philosophy of whole human finance. She has appeared in news outlets nationwide, publications and podcasts. Natalia also runs internal compliance to support National Debt Reliefs goals and internal processes.

At NDR, she is inspired by the opportunity to help all team members thrive, and clients succeed at their goal of becoming debt-free. During her tenure, Natalia has held various positions, including Vice President, Client Success; Director, Training and Development; and Manager, Negotiations Department. Natalia’s areas of expertise include negotiation, operations, customer relationship management, project management, workforce optimization and learning and development.

Natalia volunteers at New Women New Yorkers, a nonprofit that focuses on supporting immigrant women in New York, she sits on the advisory board of Four Steps Forward, a program that aims to financially educate one million black women over the next five years founded by The American College of Financial Services, she is the Co-founder and President of Inspiring youth for success an organization that focuses on Stem and financial literacy in public schools, she is an executive board member for the American Association for Debt Resolution, an organization that seeks to regulate and promote the debt settlement industry and now a board member of CommonBondz. Natalia is a firm believer that the best work is the kind that lifts others up. Her personal mission is to help people navigate, understand, and thrive in the financial world.

Youseff Tannous is the Market President and Retail Leader for KeyBank’s Eastern PA market. He directly leads the retail team while overseeing all aspects of KeyBank’s business in Greater Philadelphia; from internal revenue growth to external economic and community development initiatives.

In 2013, Youseff joined KeyBank as a Personal Banker and has since had the opportunity to lead teams across various parts of the Northeast; including the Capital NY region, Western PA and most recently Eastern PA. Youseff relocated to the area in 2020 and currently resides in King of Prussia with his partner and two dogs. He will soon be setting roots and closing on a new home in Pennsburg, PA.

Youseff graduated from the State University of Albany in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Economics. He is also a graduate of Capital NY’s Leadership Tech Valley Program and is currently enrolled in Executive Banking School at Furman University. Spending much of his childhood in his parent’s native country of Lebanon, Youseff speaks three languages: English, Arabic and French.

Youseff’s hobbies include working out, hiking, traveling and multi-family real estate investing. He has traveled to 16 countries, 28 states and enjoys learning about the many unique cultures around the world. Youseff is excited to call Eastern Pennsylvania home and has a passion for the growth and development of the region.

Ayo Idowu believes in the power of financial literacy and the infinite doors that it can open. A financial advisor with the largest wealth manager in Minnesota, he centers his services around inclusively growing the wealth of hundreds of families, businesses, and athletes and brings 11 years of experience to the table. A vibrant and engaged speaker, Ayo is passionate about sharing what he knows with groups that go beyond his clientele, including companies, high school students, churches, and community groups.

Raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, Ayo pursued his education at the University of St. Thomas as a finance major, where he had a thriving career as an involved honors student and college football player. When he was just beginning his college experience, Ayo learned about the art of investing from a fellow classmate and became fascinated by the prospect of understanding money and its inner workings ever since. After college, Ayo embarked on a three-year career in professional football until he decided to pursue his other passion in financial services.

Having been both raised in and developed a successful career in the Twin Cities has fostered within Ayo a deep love and commitment to the Twin Cities community. He is an active board member on the Black Chamber of Commerce as well as the Sanneh Foundation. Ayo is also a frequent contributor on ESPN/WCCO radio.

Join us for a conversation on the importance of having Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in education and corporate America with Tamika Otis, Corporate Responsibility Officer and Community Relations Manager for KeyBank, and Dr. Barbara Logan Smith, VP and Chief Equity and Belonging Leader at Teach for America. The event will be moderated by Karen Spencer Kelly, Esq., creator of the Diversity and Inclusion 3.0 Initiative.

Watch the full event on our YouTube channel below.

Scroll down to read their bios.

Tamika Otis is Corporate Responsibility Officer and Community Relations Manager for the Capital Region and Central New York markets of KeyBank and is responsible for establishing and executing KeyBank’s community engagement strategy and the deployment of charitable funding from KeyBank Foundation to local non-profit organizations.

A multipreneur, author, equity warrior and atmosphere shifter, Tamika’s mission is to empower people to live their best lives. Among numerous enterprises she had a hand in forming, Tamika’s most prized venture is the consulting firm she founded, KABOD Consulting Group LLC, a full-service consulting agency that takes a holistic approach to organizational training and development including DEIB, Trauma Informed Care, EQ, Human-Centered Approach and more.

Tamika has more than 20 years of experience in project management and the application of DEI and trauma informed practices and procedures within government, corporate and nonprofit entities. She specializes in identifying gaps that create inequities within organizations and with a lens of equity and inclusion, transforms them for the better. Tamika is also Co-Founder of the Black Women Give Foundation based in Philadelphia, PA.

She is the proud mom of two sons, Christian, 20 and Braylon, 14 and a sweet Goldendoodle puppy named “Brix”.  She enjoys writing, traveling and cooking in her spare time.

With over 25 years as a dedicated teacher, administrator and master trainer, Dr. Barbara Logan Smith has worked to build capacity in over 20,000 educators, business executives, and non-profit leaders on a national scale and to ensure the achievement of educational equity, excellence, and access for all children. With previous service as Vice President of the Efficacy Institute, and Executive Director of Teach For America’s Greater Delta region of Mississippi and Arkansas, Dr. Logan Smith currently works in the educational non-profit sector as the Chief of Equity and Belonging at Teach For America. Focused on illuminating brilliance, her work centers on increasing equity, belonging, and grace in the world. She resides with her husband, Dr. Chris Smith, in Chicago, IL.

Karen Spencer Kelly has been an attorney for over thirty years. She serves as Senior Counsel at Clark Hill, PLC. Her current work focuses on diversity and inclusion auditing, conflict investigation and resolution, and conducting training in diversity and inclusion, unconscious bias and belonging.

Kelly created the Diversity and Inclusion 3.0 Initiative to educate organizations and their employees about using diversity to create superior products and services as well as improving the work culture and environment.

Prior to her current practice, the scope of her work included practicing in the areas of civil litigation (trial and appellate); government affairs and municipal finance; serving as Chief Counsel to the Treasurer of Pennsylvania (overseeing the legal affairs of the Treasury Department and its 400+ employees); drafting legal opinions for state and local government agencies; and advising institutions, labor unions, universities, hospitals and political candidates on a variety of exigent issues. Kelly was also outside counsel to several privately held companies, advising on all aspects of their businesses. She also served as an independent investigator of discrimination claims.

Kelly earned her BA, cum laude, from Harvard College. She received her Juris Doctorate from the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law.

Kelly has served on numerous non-profit boards. Inter alia, she was a Radcliffe Trustee, a member of the Chestnut Hill College Board of Directors, chairwoman of the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation and the first female African-American president of the world-wide Harvard Alumni Association.

She lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

Join us for a conversation on the influence of original compositions of African-American musical forms on society today with Larry Watson, musician, performer and professor at Berklee College of Music. The event will be moderated by Ron Klein of Key Bank.

Scroll down to read their bios.

Lawrence (Larry) Watson is an experienced performer boasting over thirty-five years of performing experience throughout New England and around the world. He has traveled as far as Singapore and Malaysia, delivering his own special brand of music. In a return engagement to Shanghai, China, Watson wowed the Chinese people as the lead male vocalist in a concert entitled “The American Songbook.” He was the featured artist in the annual Passion Caribbean Dance and Music Festival in Barranquilla, Colombia and spent two seasons as a judge on the Boston WGBH television show Sing That Thing!

​In 2018, SaveOurSelves Productions and Consulting, the company of which Lawrence Watson is the executive director and founder, concentrated its musical and educational efforts in China. Presently, due to the coronavirus pandemic, touring has been put on hold. As the world slowly reopens, we will focus our efforts in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Africa.

​Watson has recently published his long-awaited book of original music and all-time classic standards. The book, entitled H.E.M, focuses on what he refers to as “Highly Emotional Music.” In addition, the book offers the audience thirty-three classic songs with accompanying illustrations by young artists of color. All of the illustrations in the book visually capture the intention and spirit of the songs. H.E.M. is an insightful look at the social history of people of African descent through their popular musical forms.

​Being a master teacher, Watson has used this opportunity to highlight often-overlooked young talent in America and continues the long legacy of collaboration between visual and musical artists in the Black community. With its comprehensive curriculum, H.E.M. will eventually become the textbook of choice for several music programs around the globe.

Ronald P. Klein, Jr. is currently a Senior Area Retail Leader for KeyBank, in which he is responsible for 17 Retail Bank Branches covering a span of seven counties in the Central New York market.  In addition to leading the Retail Branch Teams within his market, he is also directs small business, mortgage, investment and relationship household growth initiatives.

Covering a span of 32 years in Banking, Klein has held senior leadership roles in learning & development, consumer lending, mortgage and retail banking.  Before joining KeyBank, he enjoyed a 25 year span of leadership roles with Citigroup, HSBC, First Niagara and Citizens Bank.

Klein is a graduate of Onondaga Community College and SUNY Oswego.  He stays very active with both universities working with current student and alumni in career development, mentorship and collaboration opportunities.

Klein resides in Liverpool with his wife of 32 years.  He has three Children, JC, Alex and Nick.

Join us for a conversation on mental health awareness, particularly in BIPOC communities, with our partners from TeleHelp 24/7. We will speak with Robert Adams ACHE, CEO of TeleHelp 24/7, and Dr. Candice Norris-Brown, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, ACS and COO of TeleHelp 24/7.

If you missed it, watch the conversation on our YouTube channel below!

Robert Lee Adams, Jr. was born & raised in Camden, NJ and now resides in New Castle, Delaware. He is a graduate of Pennsauken High School in Pennsauken, NJ and Virginia State University (VSU) in Petersburg, VA.

He currently serves as the CEO of TeleHelp 24/7, is a virtual mental healthcare company founded in 2018, specifically designed to support to the mental healthcare and wellness for communities of color. TeleHelp 24/7 provides culturally competent mental healthcare by culturally sensitive certified life coaches, licensed providers, and prescribers ready to meet clients where they are, using their smart devices.

TeleHelp 24/7’s concept was created due to the diagnosis of Bipolar Depression of his youngest daughter at age 15. As a parent I began to investigate options for support knowing my daughter’s desire to attend college away from home and the probability of suffering a relapse due to the stress college students experience. Learning that most colleges were limited with mental health resources and were unequipped to provide the services needed while maintaining student anonymity and privacy provided the stimulus for the birth of TeleHelp 24/7.

Adams recently retired as a Pharmaceutical Executive with 30 years’ experience in various disease states such as Women Healthcare, Antiretrovirals, Infectious Disease and Mental Healthcare for 8 years.

He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Nu Psi Chapter, VSU and Bethel AME Church in Wilmington, DE.

He is committed to positively impacting the lives of all who cross his path.

Dr. Norris-Brown holds credentials as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia. Delaware and Virginia, Approved Clinical Supervisor, National Certified Counselor, and Certified Life Coach.

She uses Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Solution Focused-Brief Therapy methods to help clients lead a more fulfilling life. Dr. Norris-Brown's current interests include advocating for students with disabilities and marginalized groups that experience systemic barriers, group work, and issues related to diversity and social justice in education and the counseling setting.

She is the Chief Operating Officer for TeleHelp 24/7, an Associate Professor with a graduate counseling program, and maintains a private practice. She is an anti-bias facilitator with the Anti-Defamation League and provides diversity training throughout the Atlanta area.

Join us for a conversation on understanding racial bias in sports administration and coaching with Jacqueline Blackett, Deputy Athletics Director at Columbia University and Joe Jones, Men’s Basketball Head Coach at Boston University. The event will be moderated by Jason Dumas, Sports Director at KRON 4 in San Francisco and CommonBondz Board Member.

If you missed the discussion, watch it below:

Jacqueline P. Blackett joined the staff at Columbia University in 1989 and became an Athletics Administrator in 1993, after four years as the head coach of Columbia’s women's track and field and cross country programs. A member of the senior management team of the Department for 25 years, Blackett has worked closely with the past three Athletics Directors on the strategic management and overall success of over 5,000 student-athletes.

Currently serving as the Deputy Athletics Director for Athletics, Physical Education & Recreation, Senior Woman Administrator and Deputy Title IX Coordinator; Blackett has general oversight of Varsity Athletics and is instrumental in the day-to-day operations of the Department. She has direct sports supervision for women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s tennis and men’s and women’s cross country/track & field programs. Blackett also oversees Physical Education and Recreation which provides service for 36 clubs and sports programs, 16 intramural activities, group fitness, campus recreation and the University’s required physical education program. As the Deputy Title IX Coordinator, Blackett is charged with communicating information regarding University policies related to sexual harassment, sexual assault, stalking and other gender-based misconduct.

Blackett served as the Department’s Associate Athletics Director for Compliance and Student-Athlete Services from 1993 to 2010 and was responsible for compliance and Student-Athlete Well-Being, while acting as the Department’s liaison to a variety of offices on campus. In July 2009, Blackett was recognized for her outstanding efforts on behalf of Columbia's student-athletes when she was named the Jostens Administrator of the Year in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) by the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators (NACWAA).

Active in NCAA Division I Governance, Blackett began service to the membership in 2002 as a member of the Division I Academic/Eligibility and Compliance Cabinet (AEC). As a member of the AEC she was selected to be one of the consultants chosen by the Presidents of the Board of Directors to initiate a study on the issue of academic reform. This work led to the development of the Academic Performance Program which measures the academic success of all Division I student-athletes.  Blackett would later Chair the AEC from 2005-2007. Following her time on the AEC Blackett served as a member of the NCAA Soccer Rules Committee and the Women’s Soccer Regional Selection Committee before returning to academic governance as a member of the NCAA Division I Academic Cabinet from 2012-2015, serving as the Chair from 2013-2014.

Currently a member of the NCAA Division I Committee on Academics(COA), Blackett serves on the Penalty and Appeals sub-committee and represents the COA on the newly formed Transfer Working Group and the Division I Council’s Legislative Committee. Blackett also holds membership in Women’s Leadership in College Sports

Prior to joining the Columbia University staff, Blackett served as the Head Cross Country/Track & Field Coach at the University of Rochester where she led the Yellowjackets to their best ever NCAA finish as a runner-up at the 1989 championships.   Seven of the Eight members of the Rochester Hall of Fame competed under Blackett’s leadership.

A Barbados native who grew up in Brooklyn, Blackett was an outstanding athlete at the University of Rochester, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology in 1981.

Blackett currently resides in Morningside Heights, N.Y.

With over 20 years of coaching experience, Joe Jones enters the 2022-23 season at the helm with the Boston University men's basketball team seeking his third postseason berth in four years and sixth overall in 11 years under his watchful eye. He's been recognized by HoopsHD.com as the Patriot League Coach of the Year in two of the last three years.

The Long Island native has led BU to nine top-five finishes in the conference standings, highlighted by a Patriot League regular season title in 2014. The Terriers have finished second on three occasions, including in 2020 en route to the conference tournament crown. This past year, they took third and went on to eliminate UNC Greensboro in the opening round of the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). At the end of the 2019-20 season, he became a three-time finalist for the Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year Award (top NCAA Division I minority coach) and also received his first HoopsHD.com's Patriot League Coach of the Year honor.

Jones has coached 22 All-Conference Team honorees, including 2022 Patriot League Player of the Year Sukhmail Mathon ('22), 2012 America East Player of the Year Darryl Partin ('12), two-time All-Patriot League First Team honoree Eric Fanning ('17). 2020 Patriot League Tournament MVP Max Mahoney ('20) graduated after becoming the fourth Terrier in program history to reach 1,500 points and 700 rebounds. Mahoney left BU as the career record holder for field goal shooting percentage (60.1) and a Lou Henson All-American.

Two-time All-PL honoree Cedric Hankerson ('18) finished his career 13th all-time at BU with 1,299 points, fourth in made 3-pointers (235) and fourth in steals (177) after former teammate John Papale ('16) flushed 287 3-pointers, second most in program history. Since the 2012-13 season, nine Terriers have claimed All-Rookie honors, including Ethan Brittain-Watts in 2020, Jonas Harper in 2019 and Walter Whyte in 2018.

All three men along with Mahoney and the rest of the roster helped BU have a historic 2019-20 campaign. Besides claiming their first-ever road conference tournament title with a 64-61 win at defending champion Colgate, the Terriers also earned their first-ever win against the Southeastern Conference at South Carolina (78-70). Other highlights included Javante McCoy becoming the 39th Terrier to reach the 1,000-point milestone and BU finishing second in the PL for scoring defense (66.7 ppg) while holding opponents to 43.7 FG%.

In his 11 seasons with the Terriers, Jones has surpassed names like Rick Pitino, Mike Jarvis and former NBA head coach John Kuester to No. 2 all-time at BU with 187 victories after helping guide the Terriers to back-to-back Patriot League semifinal appearances in 2017 and 2018. Besides snapping Lehigh's seven-game win streak during the 2018 Patriot League quarterfinals and Bucknell's 15-game home win streak, BU shot 46.2 percent from the field, the team's highest mark since 1993-94, and ranked tied-for-fifth in the NCAA with 11 players reaching double figures in points.

Join us for a conversation on law enforcement and policing and actions that are being taken to gain trust in our communities. Our speakers will be Benjamin F. Brooks, retired Major of the Pennsylvania State police, Susan Slawson, retired Lieutenant of the Philadelphia Police Department, and John Gooley, Chief Security Officer at Cardinal Point Homeland Security Group and former supervisor of patrol and commander of special investigations for the Lower Merion Police Department. Scroll down to read their bios.

Benjamin F Brooks is a retired Major of the Pennsylvania State police, Management Consultant, and founder of Major Ben’s Consulting Agency, specializing in providing assistance to companies to more effectively implement their Cultural Diversity programs. Specific areas of expertise include: a common sense approach to Understanding, Valuing, and Managing Diversity, Inclusion with a strong emphasis on the impact of Unconscious Bias, Dealing with Difficult People, Policing Your Image, Preventing Sexual Harassment in The Workplace, and Workplace Violence. As a former licensed private investigator, with three decades of experience, he has a keen awareness of sensitive workplace issues.

Brooks is a native of Elizabethtown North Carolina. In 1979, he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from Kutztown University, Kutztown Pennsylvania. He completed the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Management Training Program for Senior Managers, the FBI National Academy, Pennsylvania State University Police Supervisor in-service training and Police Executive Development Program. He is certified by the US Department of Justice for Diversity Training.

Brooks is yearning for social justice led him to enlist in the Pennsylvania State Police in 1961. He was one of the first African-Americans in the history of the state police. Ben rose through the ranks to become the first African-American Captain/Troop Commander.

In 1987, Brooks became the first enlisted member of the Pennsylvania State Police to head the Affirmative Action/Contract Compliance Division. In that capacity, he developed the State Polices Sexual Harassment Policy and Training Program, and redefine the concept of Affirmative Action, and its relationship to Cultural Diversity. He joined a multi-agency task force which was responsible for training Police and Correction Departments throughout Pennsylvania in the Ethnic intimidation laws relating to hate crimes.

Brooks appeared on “About the Law”, a program at WHAG-TV and NBC affiliate, Hagerstown, Maryland on “Affirmative Action” in law Enforcement” and “Sexual Harassment in the Workplace”.

Brooks, as an International speaker is a member of the National Speakers Association, American Seminar leaders Association, Dale Carnegie Group, NSA Philadelphia, and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBE). He is a published author.

Susan Slawson is a retired Lieutenant of the Philadelphia Police Department, Management Consultant, and Executive Coach. As a 30-year veteran and a civil service employee of the City of Philadelphia, she is keenly aware of diversity and inclusion issues, particularly law enforcement.

Susan earned a bachelor’s degree in management from Geneva University. She received a certificate as an executive coach from Concordia University, Irvine, California.

Susan Slawson’s yearning for social justice led her to join the Philadelphia Police Department, where she rose through the ranks to attain the position of Lieutenant.

Her first assignment was the first district in South Philadelphia. Her professionalism and community involvement positioned her to be selected as a representative for the Department in the public affairs division. In that capacity, she was responsible for the public release of information about the Department’s activities.

Because she yearned for a comprehensive, futuristic view of law enforcement and community engagement, she accepted an assignment as the commanding officer of the Police Athletic League. In that capacity, she commanded over 50 employees, civilian and sworn. She led the opening of three new PAL facilities, which created more athletic, recreational, educational, and cultural opportunities for the youth, especially girls. She was able to raise millions of dollars through federal grants, which provided computer labs to serve underserved communities throughout the park and recreation system

She was appointed recreation Commissioner for the City of Philadelphia in 2008 by Mayor Michael Nutter. she oversaw a seven-million-dollar capital renovation of the Dell Music Center, which hosts concerts during the summer months.

The police athletic league, the Philadelphia Tribune, the Philadelphia Business Journal, the National Congress of black women, and many other organizations recognized Susan for her work making a difference in the lives of youth and contributing to the overall quality of life in Philadelphia.

John Gooley, CPP, is the Chief Security Officer at Cardinal Point Homeland Security Group. Since 2013, he has served as a security consultant and director, overseeing the successful completion of facility security assessments and emergency management plans. In 2019, he became partner and Chief Security Officer (CSO) at Cardinal Point Homeland Security Group.

Mr. Gooley is a twenty-eight-year veteran of the Lower Merion Police Department in Montgomery County, PA. During his police career, he was a supervisor of patrol and commander of special investigations. Mr. Gooley is a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) through the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS). The CPP certification an internationally recognized, globally accredited program and recognized Safety Act Designation from the US Department of Homeland Security.

Mr. Gooley holds a master’s degree in Criminal Justice Leadership from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.

This month, we tackled the topic of voting rights and the continued obstacles facing minority communities in the U.S. Our event featured Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton (D) of Delaware and Dr. Debbie Harrington, 2nd Vice Chair of the Delaware Democratic Party. The session was moderated by CommonBondz Board Member Finale Norton. Scroll down to read their bios.

If you missed this conversation, watch below!

Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton grew up in the 26th district, where she lives with her husband, mother, and sisters. She attended Gauger-Cobbs Middle School and graduated from the Charter School of Wilmington. She is an alumna of the University of Delaware and holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Asian Studies. She has formally studied Arabic, Chinese, French, and Spanish.

While at the University of Delaware, Rep. Wilson-Anton was actively involved in several campus organizations where she held leadership positions, including the Muslim Student Association, Students for Justice in Palestine, and her sorority Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc.

She worked for two years as a legislative fellow in the state legislature, and an additional year as a legislative aide for the 26th and 27th districts. In these capacities, she researched legislation, staffed committee meetings, and communicated with residents and helped them with a variety of issues. This experience gave her first-hand exposure to the issues and concerns of her fellow community members.

As a state representative, Rep. Wilson-Anton is fighting for social, economic, and racial justice for all Delawareans.

Dr. Debbie Harrington is a passionate mother, experienced leader, community and education advocate and a very proud veteran. She has a doctorate in education with an emphasis in Innovation and Organizational Leadership from Wilmington University. She is a retired U.S. Army Colonel with 25 years of executive leadership in multi-national strategic transportation and logistics planning, systems integration, and organizational structure.

After military retirement, Dr. Harrington became the Senior Administrator where she led major construction projects, managed multiple ministry and community development initiatives and provided oversight and management to progress the church financially.

She later became the Deputy Director for the Division for the Visually Impaired where she challenged the Division to reform education and employment services through research and development.

She is politically motivated to affect laws and policies that develop the strength of people and communities. She is the 2nd Vice Chair for Delaware Democratic Party and has been a political candidate for State Representative who believes in people first. Her run for public office was to advance social issues such as, voter protection, raised minimum wages, gun sense laws, universal pre-k, veterans health and increased resources for the disability community. Dr, Harrington is a strong advocate for our community with an extraordinary record of successful leadership.

Dr. Harrington serves in several organizations to help build community capacity including Delaware State University Board of Trustees, Delaware Board of Examiners of Psychologists, Alpha Alpha Tau Omega of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Ready to Run Delaware,, Middletown Police Advisory Board, and Special Education Strategic Planning Advisory Council.After several years, She serves on the Health and Welfare sub-committee of Delaware African American Task Force to study and make recommendations to eliminate health disparities. She turned over her seat as a State Commissioner where she was able to influence employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Dr. Harrington is one of nine children, originally from a small community in Portsmouth, VA before she left to join the military and later settled in Middletown, DE. She is married to Robert Harrington and the mother of two beautiful young women, Christy and Elizabeth, and one handsome young man, Jeffery.

What exactly is Critical Race Theory? Join us for a conversation on the topic with Michael Coard Esq., criminal defense attorney and professor. It will be moderated by Mark Hayes, Real Times Media National News Director and CEO of Mark Hayes Consulting. Scroll down to see their bios.

If you missed the event, watch it below on our CommonBondz YouTube page!

Michael Coard, a criminal defense attorney with more than 25 years of state and federal trial experience, specializes in murder cases and worked at the Charles W. Bowser Law Center after serving as Legal Counsel for State Senator Hardy Williams.

He received his degree in law from Ohio State University and his undergraduate degrees in English Education and Political Science from Cheyney University. While in law school serving as president of the Black Law Students Association, he led the activism that compelled Ohio State University (which is the largest university in America) to divest all of its funds from companies doing business with or in apartheid governed South Africa.

He is an adjunct professor in the Africology and African-American Studies Department at Temple University and a volunteer instructor of the Criminal Justice course and the Hip Hop 101 course in the university’s Pan African Studies Program.

As an attorney, he successfully litigated at trial a historic Private Criminal Complaint that sought a murder prosecution of a white police officer who killed an unarmed Black teen. Furthermore, he is certified by the Court of Common Pleas to represent indigent defendants in death penalty cases. Also, he has served as local co-counsel for Mumia Abu-Jamal whose death sentence was vacated. Moreover, nearly half of his criminal cases in general are pro bono. And he is a recipient of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s prestigious Thurgood Marshall Award as well as both the NAACP’s and the Barristers Association’s prestigious Cecil B. Moore Award. In addition, he is a recipient of Cheyney University Alumni Association’s Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit Award.

As a community activist, he is a founding member of Avenging The Ancestors Coalition (ATAC). ATAC is the organization that helped lead the historic and successful battle to force the federal government to agree to commemorate the African descendants enslaved by President George Washington at America’s first “White House,” which was located at the current site of the new Liberty Bell Center. And as a member of the Friends of Bethel Burying Ground, he is working with activists to have that South Philadelphia cemetery- where the remains of more than 5,000 African-Americans from the 1800s are desecrated under a trash dump and city playground- officially memorialized.

He has served as a Pennsylvania board member of the ACLU and the Philadelphia chapter of the National Lawyers Guild as well as a member of the Occupy Philadelphia Legal Defense Team and the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Also, he is a founding member of Judging The Judges as well as “F(ilm) The Police.”

He serves as one of the attorneys for Heeding Cheyney’s Call, which is a coalition of Cheyney University supporters who are using the federal courts in a major civil rights battle to compel the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to end its decades-long racial discrimination against the oldest African-American institution of higher learning in America.

In addition, he hosts the “Radio Courtroom” show on WURD96.1FM and the “TV Courtroom” show on Comcast/Verizon. He also writes columns for the Philadelphia Tribune and Philadelphia Magazine and can be followed on Twitter and Instagram

Mark Hayes has spent nearly three decades bringing news viewers in major cities across the country their news and information of the day. Some of his stops include Dallas, Denver, Detroit and Baltimore. However, his proudest accomplishments came during his tenure in the great city of Atlanta, GA. For more than a decade, Mark was a staple of early morning television on Good Day Atlanta. He believes his most noteworthy achievement, was the nearly 20 hours he spent on air during the Fulton County Courthouse shootings and the subsequent capture of Brian Nichols.

After 2 Emmy nominations and highly coveted National recognition for spot news coverage from the National Press Photographers Association, Mark is now currently the President and CEO of his own media training and strategy company. Mark Hayes Consulting, LLC was founded in 2010. The goal is to help everyone from CEO’s to small business owners make the most of their opportunity for media exposure. He has been a passionate supporter of Boys and Girls Clubs in every city he has been a part of. He has also been a fervent supporter of Drug Abuse, recovery & prevention efforts with different organizations. He was one of the earliest supporters and assisted Simply Grace House in Dallas, TX as they began their efforts to help recovering addicts of drug and alcohol addiction.

Mark and his college sweetheart, Latonya, have been together since they met in 1988 at Howard University. Mark and his wife are members of the classes of 1989 and 1990 respectively. They’ve been married for 25 years and have two children, Malcolm and Kenny. He is also a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and loves to travel the world over. His favorite stop to date has been the most amazing week his family spent on the beautiful island of Kauai, which they described as “paradise on earth.”

Did you miss this conversation? Watch it below!

Join us for a conversation on mentoring and sponsorship, focusing on the importance of each in both your personal and professional life as well as the differences between them. Our speakers will be John Ridgeway, retired Corporate Manager of Toyota Financial Services, and John Ridgeway Jr., Director of Retirement Client Services for Principal Financial Group. Scroll down to read their bios.

John Ridgeway retired in March 2019 as the Corporate Manager of Toyota Financial Services (TFS) in Owings Mills, Maryland. His primary responsibility was managing over 500 team members, who provide services to both Toyota and Lexus customers and dealers on the East Coast. John has over 44 years of Executive Management experience primary in operations. Prior to joining TFS, John served as Senior Vice President of Card Services at Bank of America and National Director of Field Operations at Sears Credit. In these roles he has led a legacy of improving business initiatives and made a keen interest in developing managers.

John embraces the two pillars of Toyota which is “respect for people” and “continuous improvement.” John is committed to employing a diverse work place and has an interpersonal style of managing and connecting with all levels of associates. In addition to John’s primary responsibility of managing operations, John served on the Chairman’s Diversity Council at Sears, built continuous improvement programs (Kaizen) in the Customer Service Centers, led several initiatives that improved associate engagement, and process improvements. He was one of the pioneers at Sears Credit launch of Rapid Credit. Through his leadership the Baltimore CSCE launched Witt, the first Business Partnering Group in TFS and Field Operations. At the time of his retirement John inspired all of the Service Operation Centers to establish a Business Partnering Group increasing the number to eight.

During his time at Toyota, John supported several ongoing community service initiatives in the Baltimore area. Some of these initiatives include corporate sponsorship of the annual Owings Mills, Reisterstown, Chamber of Commerce Blooming 5K runs in support of Lifebridge Health’s Cancer and Infusion Centers at Sinai and Northwest hospital, Boys and Girls club of Metropolitan Baltimore, Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland, Graves Honor Program, Morgan State University, Tom Joyner Foundation HBCU School of the Month and Junior Achievement. Through the support of TFS and its mentorship of the youth at James McHenry Elementary School John supported the company’s efforts in enhancing the school’s goal to receive their certification for the Maryland “No Child Left Behind” Act. He served on the President’s Advisory Council for Stevenson University, Baltimore County Workforce Development Board, and National Boys and Girls Club Taskforce for Youth Employment.

John is active in numerous civic and philanthropic organizations to include Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (Boulé), Groove Phi Groove Social Fellowship Inc., Beta Gamma Sigma National Honor Society, NAACP (lifetime member), and Masonic Lodge #21.

Currently, John Ridgeway is the Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Delaware State University. He is also on the foundation board of the Maryland-Pennsula United Methodist Church. John has been recognized by several organizations to include NAACP, Metro Baltimore County Boys and Girls Club and Delaware State University (National Alumni Association, New Castle Alumni Association, and the College of Business). He has also been recognized as distinguished alumni by the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and inducted in Delaware State University Athletic’s HOF.

John Ridgeway Jr. is a Director of Retirement Client Services for Principal Financial Group. John has oversight over the Client Service teams supporting Defined Benefit providers. In addition, John oversees the Learning and Development team supporting all Defined Benefit roles.

A native of Wilmington Delaware, John joined Principal in 2005 after graduating from Northern Illinois University with a bachelor’s degree in Communications. In his 16 years with Principal, he has held several leadership roles supporting retirement products, in addition to spending 3 years overseeing Principal’s Leadership Development Program. In addition to his daily role, John is a member of the Cross-Enterprise Leadership Program (XEL) and current Co-Chair of Principal’s African American/Black Employee Resource Group. In 2018 he was named one of Finra’s 40 under 40 Rising Stars of Retirement.

Outside of work John also resides the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Central Iowa and Black Excellence Des Moines. John and his wife Nicole are also licensed foster care providers and enjoy staying active in the community.

Join us for a conversation on financial literacy, focusing on salary increase and promotion negotiation, with Tama Spoerri, Vice President of Human Resources at Bowdoin College. Tama also serves as a CommonBondz board member. Click here to read her bio.

Join us for a conversation on financial literacy with the experts. We’ll be talking to Jason Ray, the founder & CEO of Zenith Solutions, Chelsea Ransom-Cooper, head of Wealth Management and Financial Planning at Zenith Wealth Partners, and Ayo Idowu, a Financial Advisor at Legacy Private Wealth Group.

Scroll down to read their bios.

Jason Ray is the founder & CEO of Zenith Solutions and Lead Investment Advisor of Zenith Wealth Partners. Early in his career, Jason gained extensive experience evaluating and creating solutions for financial advisors at Lincoln Financial and FS Investments.

Most recently, prior to founding Zenith, Jason helped renovate a longstanding independent wealth advisory firm, Carnegie Wealth Management, by building new technology, private placement structures, and research capabilities. He delivered investment advice and financial plans to families with a net worth upwards of $10M.

In these past roles, Jason became an effective investment professional, financial analyst, and wealth advisor. He also realized that effective wealth management techniques should not be unique to high net worth individuals.

Jason founded Zenith Solutions to deliver accessible, high quality financial education, advice, and technology to individuals and families. His work is inspired by racial and age wealth inequality that exists in society. Jason works to lead more people to financial freedom

Jason grew up in Michigan and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Politics from Princeton University. At Princeton, Jason was an all-conference football player and league champion. He is a candidate for Level III of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. Jason serves on the boards of CB Community School and Cannon Dial Elm Foundation. He currently lives in Philadelphia with his wife Rukiya and dog Coco. If you’re downtown you may find Jason running, biking, or reading in the park.

Chelsea Ransom-Cooper is the head of Wealth Management and Financial Planning at Zenith Wealth Partners.

Prior to becoming a Managing Partner at Zenith Wealth Partners, Chelsea spent several years as a financial planner serving families with investment portfolios upwards of $2 million dollars. While collaborating with her clients’ accountant and attorney, Chelsea developed customized financial plans that aligned each client’s generational wealth goals with their current needs and values.

While working in an industry traditionally gate kept for wealthy retirees, Chelsea realized that she could help more diverse clientele make life-changing financial decisions before they reached retirement. At Zenith Wealth Partners, Chelsea guides clients through their financial life by discussing the “why” behind each of their financial goals. Chelsea recognizes financial planning is a marathon, not a sprint, and through on-going relationships with her clients, she strategically develops financial plans that fit their present and future lifestyles.

Chelsea graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. She obtained her Financial Planning Certificate from New York University (NYU). In addition, Chelsea was recognized as the Association of African American Financial Advisors (Quad A) 50 Under 50 financial professionals. She also sits on the Young Whitman Advisory Council for the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University.

Throughout tax season, you can find Chelsea volunteering in NYC with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program preparing taxes for low-income families, immigrants, non-English speakers, seniors, and self-employed individuals.

Chelsea currently lives in Brooklyn, and if you’re in the neighborhood on a nice day, you might see her on her roof working.

Ayo Idowu is a Financial Advisor at Legacy Private Wealth Group. My goal is to educate and share knowledge as I strive to guide you to financial success and stability. I potentially achieve this by engaging in a thorough and detailed process and work with you to create a malleable and monitored strategy that helps you reach your goals. I believe that working with clients in a more interactive process has not only prepared them, but it has also increased their knowledge of the financial industry.

I attended the University of St Thomas, where I was a Finance Student and All- American Football Player. After school I was blessed enough to partake in a 3 year professional football career, and see parts of the United States outside of my native Mid-West. My financial career started in 2010 with UBS Wealth MGMT in Bloomington, then Wells Fargo Advisors in 2015, and now Legacy Private Wealth Group, A private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Outside of the office I enjoy using my time connecting with the youth. You may find me volunteering and training youth football players in my native neighborhood of St Paul. Comparable to my financial career, I help these children achieve their Goals. Whether those goals are inside the classroom or on the football field. I also have been approached by various programs and organizations to perform public speaking engagements and financial literacy courses. You may also find me on WCCO Radio, Saturday mornings, partaking in the University of St. Thomas football Broadcast.

Join CommonBondz for a discussion on career progression for African-Americans while getting advice from professionals. We’re talking with Natalia Brown, Chief Client Operations Officer at National Debt Relief (NDR), Anita Roberson, Leader of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice at Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School in the Greater Philadelphia area, and Finale Norton, CommonBondz Board Member and candidate for VA House of Delegates District 100.

Scroll down to read their bios.

Natalia Brown joined National Debt Relief (NDR) in 2010 and has served as Chief Client Operations Officer since 2019. Natalia plays a vital role in NDR’s client journey, overseeing all client-facing operations of the business. She manages a team of more than 400 representatives servicing 200,000+ clients. She is responsible for creating a collaborative and efficient environment that allows her team to provide an unmatched level of support and guidance to clients on their path to financial stability.

At NDR, she is inspired by the opportunity to help team members thrive, and clients succeed at their goal of becoming debt-free. During her tenure, Natalia has held various positions, including Vice President, Client Success; Director, Training and Development; and Manager, Negotiations Department. Natalia’s areas of expertise include negotiation, operations, customer relationship management, project management, workforce optimization and learning and development.

Natalia volunteers at New Women New Yorkers, a nonprofit that focuses on supporting immigrant women in New York Natalia sits on the advisory board of Four Steps Forward, a program that aims to financially educate one million black women over the next five years founded by The American College of Financial Services. Natalia gained a passion for helping young adults during her work with the Fresh Air Fund, where she counseled and mentored children with and without special needs. She enjoys seeing others succeed and is firm believer that the best work is the kind that lifts others up. Her personal mission is to help young women navigate, understand, and thrive in the financial world.

Natalia is a native New Yorker and has two sons who also inspire her to be the best she can every day. She is a certified debt specialist and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Lehman College and is pursuing a master’s in operations and project management from Southern New Hampshire University.

Anita Roberson firmly believes, as the late Congressman John Lewis professed, that “if you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have a moral obligation to do something about it.” It is this call to action that has led Anita to live a life of service committed to helping individuals and organizations solve issues related to belonging – the intersection of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice.

In her current role as the Leader of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice at Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School in the Greater Philadelphia area, Anita is responsible for executing strategic objectives, developing customized cultural competency programming and providing consultative guidance in support of establishing a more equitable and inclusive school community. Prior to joining Gwynedd, Anita held a variety of leadership positions within national non-profit organizations centered on providing academically talented students of color with access to prestigious independent schools and colleges. Anita also founded a college preparatory elementary school for economically disadvantaged students shortly after transitioning from careers in corporate human resources and workforce development. In her spare time Anita loves to read, listen to podcasts, cycle and play recreational soccer. Anita is a graduate of Cornell University’s esteemed School of Industrial & Labor Relations.

Finale Norton was born in Exmore, a small rural town on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. After college, Finale went to work in a retail store entering their management associate’s program until marrying her college sweetheart in 1986. Finale went on to work for Bank of America in 1988 and that’s when life changed. She was selected for the management associate program; her mom still has the newspaper article showing her promotion to an officer of the bank. It was a big deal for all.

Finale spent the next 10 years managing bank branches. With the support of a mentor and sponsor, she would go on to manage at the regional level and in 2003 became an executive in the company, managing the market in South Carolina and then Hampton Roads. Finale discovered that her greatest strengths were leading and inspiring teams. During her tenure in those markets, her team achieved goals that no one thought were possible.

In 2008 it all began to come crashing down with the recession and in 2009, Finale was not given a regional role in the reorganization and was asked to go to Atlanta, Georgia to run the largest market in the Southeast as a “consolation prize.” Although she did not know it then, it was a firsthand opportunity to see racial disparities in pay and promotions and do something about it. She went about making sure women of color were paid what they were worth. It was exhilarating! That is why today she believes that it isn’t just incumbent on white managers to do the right thing when they are in positions of influence, but it is up to Black leaders to go above and beyond to make sure diversity and inclusion efforts show up in the paycheck too!

In 2010, Finale’s reputation for leading large teams brought her back from Atlanta to Hampton Roads to run consumer contact centers across the country with more than 2,000 contact center associates. Customer Service, Associate Experience, and Diversity and Inclusion were the most important factors in building successful teams. Finale’s results always spoke for themselves, but it became quite clear that success in corporate American required far more than that to keep moving up the ever-tightening ladder.

In 2015, Finale retired from Bank of America and spent a year at Accenture, a consulting company. She retired permanently from corporate America in 2018. She then set up two Sole Props: “Common Sense Consulting” and “Rich Girl Poor Girl.” She spends most of her time on “RGPG,” an interior decorating home business focused on sharing interior decorating with those less likely to have an experience with a design firm. Her future goal is to set up a nonprofit focused on sharing interior beauty with those who cannot do it for themselves focused on seniors and single moms. Though poor growing up, her mom made a clean and lovely home for her and her siblings never knowing that what they had was not the best, but she made it so - thus Finale’s desire to be able to do it for others today.

Finale attributes her success to her mom who never quits, turning her GED and Cosmetology license into a 35-year career that is still strong, and happily working at 77! Though Finale did ok (by her standards) in corporate America, she says she found incredible courage after the death of George Floyd to re-access her 26-year career. She says she has found the courage to speak out honestly on LinkedIn, to say what others will not and give voice to those who may not yet have the courage to speak their truth.

“I am just getting wound up,” she says. “I have a lot lived and packed in those 26 years!”

We are one year into our work of educating what drives racism and bias against African Americans. Join CommonBondz for a special event on Communication and Conversation: Talking about Race. We’ll be joined by some of our previous speakers, including:

• Dr. Tony Allen, President of Delaware State University

• Chip Rossi, Global Compliance & Operational Risk (GCOR) Operations Executive at Bank of America

• Tom Horne, Managing Director and Head of Card Operations, Customer Service and Lending in Chase’s Card Services business

• Tracey Matisak, award-winning journalist and program host

Scroll down to read their bios.

Dr. Tony Allen

Committed to making Delaware State University the most diverse, contemporary Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in America, Tony Allen became the University’s 12th President in January 2020. With a clear mission to increase educational access and opportunity for all, the University is among the most consequential institutions in the nation, serving 5,000 students in the United States and, via international partnerships, in 23 countries worldwide.

The 1890 Land-Grant institution is home to four academic colleges and a burgeoning graduate school and is completing the acquisition of nearby Wesley College.

Tony manages a $140 MM budget, a $23 MM research portfolio, and a $40 MM endowment. He previously served as the University’s Executive Vice President and Provost, where he oversaw 220 professors in 18 academic departments.

Prior to his time at the University, Tony developed and led the corporate reputation group at Bank of America and was responsible for ongoing reputation analysis and related research. Tony also led communications for the bank’s largest divisions, including Consumer, Commercial Banking, and Wealth Management. He started his financial services career as an Executive Vice President at MBNA America.

Tony is the Founding President of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, Co-founder of Public Allies Delaware, and Chair Emeritus of the National Urban Fellows, widely viewed as the most prestigious fellowship for professionals in the public sector. He is also a member of the Economic and Community Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.

Starting his career as speechwriter to then-United States Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Tony was tapped by the President- to lead the Presidential Inaugural Committee and to serve on the Advisory Board of the President’s Transition Team.

For his life’s work, Tony has been awarded many honors. Most notable among them is the Whitney M. Young Award for Advancing Racial Equality, the National Urban League’s highest honor; the Excellence in Education Award given by the Delaware Barristers Association; and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the National Urban Fellows and Public Allies.

Tony holds a B.A. in Political Science and a Ph.D. in Urban Affairs & Public Policy from the University of Delaware, as well as a Master of Public Administration from Baruch College (CUNY). He is the proud father of four fantastic children and life partner to his high school sweetheart, Ms. Tara Anderson.

Chip Rossi

Chip Rossi is the Global Compliance & Operational Risk (GCOR) Operations Executive at Bank of America, one of the world’s leading financial services companies. In this role, Chip leads the oversight and execution of compliance operations for the GCOR organization.

Chip also represents the bank as the Delaware Market President, working to connect businesses, families and individuals to Bank of America’s banking and investment teams. He also leads the effort to direct the bank’s resources in the state to address local priorities and help build strong communities.

Formerly, Chip was the Consumer and Global Wealth & Investment Management (GWIM) Chief Risk Officer. In that role, he managed risk for the company’s business lines that serve individual clients with deposit, card, auto, home mortgage and investment-related products and services. He was responsible for providing independent risk oversight of the Consumer and GWIM businesses.

Chip began his career as a college intern and joined the company full-time in 1989 as a participant in the Management Development Program. He has held management positions at all levels in Collections and Credit, and also led the Loss Prevention team with accountability for credit and fraud losses. He later became the Credit & Underwriting executive for the company’s credit card portfolio, where he focused on the alignment of credit and risk strategies to ensure appropriate balance growth and risk mitigation. He was also Preferred Products executive, responsible for developing and managing consumer products that help make financial lives better for mass affluent customers and that reward clients for their relationship with Bank of America. Products included deposits, credit card, first mortgage, home equity and auto.

Chip serves on the boards of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, Delaware State University Foundation, ChristianaCare Health Services, the Grand Opera House, Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County, and Year Up Greater Philadelphia and Wilmington. He also serves on the William Penn High School Advisory Board, Delaware Technical and Community College Development Committee and The Delaware Business Roundtable.

Chip graduated from Gettysburg College, where he majored in Management. He and his family live in Wilmington, Delaware.

Tom Horne

Tom Horne is Managing Director and Head of Card Operations, Customer Service and Lending in Chase’s Card Services business. Tom leads a team of more than 11,000 operating in 14 service centers across the United States, Philippines and India. As Head of Operations for Card Services, Tom has accountability for Card Operations, ADA, and Fair Lending. He also serves as the firm’s Market Leader for Delaware. Tom has served on the JPMC Diversity & Inclusion Council, chaired the Consumer and Community Banking Diversity & Inclusion Council, and is Executive Sponsor of the firm's Black Organization for Leadership Development (BOLD) business resource group for the Mid-Atlantic region.

Tom joined Chase in 2012 with 23 years of experience in financial services, leading operational teams across businesses, functions and geographies. Prior to joining Chase, Tom spent 17 years with MBNA, and six years with Bank of America where he led a number of functions including credit, customer service, collections, fraud, and consumer finance. He also has career experience in business development, including new product launches, national sales, relationships management, and portfolio acquisitions.

Tom holds a bachelor's degree in Finance from the University of Delaware. He remains actively involved with the university, serving on the Advisory Board of the Lerner Business College, and as a member of the Executive Mentors-Scholars program. He also serves on the William Penn Advisory Board, is a past president and current Board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware, and is a member of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the Delaware Business Roundtable.

Tom is an avid Philadelphia sports fan, and he enjoys exercise and music. He and his wife Jennifer reside in Unionville, Pennsylvania and have two children in college.

Tracey Matisak

Tracey Matisak is an award-winning journalist, a dynamic speaker and trainer, and a seasoned program host. With more than 25 years of major market television and radio experience, Tracey has anchored numerous special projects for WHYY-TV/PBS in Philadelphia; she also serves as a regular guest host on WHYY-FM's Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane. In addition, Tracey serves as moderator for the Philadelphia Speakers Series, where she has shared the stage with the likes of the Washington Post’s Bob Woodward, former British Prime Minister David Cameron, feminist icon Gloria Steinem and acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns.

Tracey is a frequent moderator for the Author Events series at the Free Library of Philadelphia, where she has interviewed former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, entertainer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte, Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington and Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, among others.

In addition, Tracey travels nationwide hosting live, interactive executive leadership webcasts for Skillsoft Corporation. In that capacity, she regularly interviews some of the most widely respected authors and speakers in the business world, including Daniel Pink, Seth Godin, John Maxwell and Angela Duckworth.

Tracey is perhaps best known for her work in television news, having worked for 12 years at FOX 29, Philadelphia. There, she anchored the live morning show Good Day Philadelphia and served as an anchor and reporter for FOX 29’s Ten O’Clock News. She has also been a contributor to the Home and Garden Network’s Design Basics program and has served as a news anchor for a number of Philadelphia radio stations, including KYW Newsradio.

A graduate of Temple University, Tracey has taught hundreds of students there as an adjunct professor in the Klein College of Media and Communication. A winner of several local Emmy awards, Tracey was among the first to be inducted into Temple University’s School of Media and Communications Hall of Fame. She has also won the Sarah Award for Excellence in Broadcasting from the Association for Women in Communications and was named Communicator of the Year by the National Black MBA Association.

Tracey and her husband Daniel are the parents of three children and live in suburban Philadelphia.

Join CommonBondz for a discussion on racism and the impact on housing inequality in America with Willie M. Jones, retired Senior Vice President and Director of The Community Builders, Inc and Christine Channels, Head of Community Banking and Client Protection at Bank of America. The discussion will be facilitated by Finale Norton, CommonBondz Board Member and candidate for VA House of Delegates District 100.

Scroll down to read their bios.

In September 2014, Willie M. Jones retired from his position as Senior Vice President and Director of The Community Builders, Inc. (TCB) after nearly 29 years with the organization. Mr. Jones was responsible for new project and program development across 16 states and the District of Columbia.

In 2009, Mr. Jones led the project team in winning a $78 million NSP2 award. This funding supported the development of over 1,500 units of housing. Mr. Jones managed the loan program. In 2012, he led another project team in securing nearly $30 million in funding for a revitalization program in Cincinnati, OH.

Mr. Jones has received multiple awards for his work in affordable housing and community economic development, particularly his work against redlining in urban minority neighborhoods. He was one of the architects behind creating the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation and served as the first community Co-Chair of the Massachusetts Community and Banking Council. Because of this work, he completed a three-year term on the Consumer Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Board. In 2015, Mr. Jones was inducted into the Affordable Housing Finance magazine’s Hall of Fame for his contributions to the field of affordable housing.

Mr. Jones moved to the Charlotte, North Carolina area after resigning from the Board of Directors of the Urban Edge Housing Corporation after serving four years. He previously was on the boards of two other CDCs serving the Roxbury and North Dorchester neighborhoods of Boston. He was an officer at the Charles Street African Methodist Episcopal Church, where he served as a Senior Steward, board chair of the Pastoral Residency Program (funded by the Lilly Endowment to help new pastors in transitioning from seminary student to full-time pastor), and the Pastor’s Advisory Team that led a Chapter 11 Restructuring.

Since retiring, Mr. Jones has focused on strengthening the intersection between the faith community and community economic development and fighting for racial equity. He is the Board President of a church-affiliated CDC in Charlotte, NC. He assisted in closing the financing on a 112-unit family and 72-unit elderly affordable housing projects, both in rapidly gentrifying African American neighborhoods. He helped a local Presbyterian church draft an RFP and select a development partner to invest $2 million from its capital campaign to produce affordable housing.

He is one of the founders and current board member of Unity in Community (UiC) North Mecklenburg. UiC is a multiracial organization committed to achieving racial equity in North Carolina’s North Mecklenburg area.

Mr. Jones is a 1974 graduate of Brown University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology concentrating in Urban Planning. Before joining The Community Builders, Inc., he served as an assistant to the Dean at the College of Engineering at Northeastern University. While employed at The Community Builders, he also served on the faculty at Tufts University’s Urban and Environmental Policy Program and the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning’s Professional Development Institute. He was a guest lecturer at graduate urban planning programs nationally, at the Urban Land Institute, and Harvard’s Kennedy and Divinity Schools. In May 2016, he graduated from Hood Theological Seminary with a Masters in Theological Studies (Magna Cum Laude), concentrating in History and Theology. He is an ordained Minister of the Gospel.

Christine Channels is Head of Community Banking and Client Protection, serving Consumer & Small Business clients at Bank of America.

Christine is responsible for Bank of America’s Community Banking, which aims to increase financial resilience and create economic mobility by making investments that align with the Community Reinvestment Act, Hispanic-Latino priorities and technology initiatives. The Community Banking team also strives to provide jobs as well as access to core banking products and services, loans and capital to help communities grow and thrive.

Leading Client Protection, Christine oversees operations related to fraud prevention, detection and resolution, ensuring clients’ finances and information are kept safe and secure. This includes fraud detection and prevention, claims, recovery, billing, disputes, anti-money laundering, controls, operational excellence and employee conduct.

Christine and her leadership team are also responsible for designing and implementing Operational Excellence efforts in support of the 70,000 employees in Consumer & Small Business to drive responsible growth, deliver client care and foster a strong risk culture in an operationally sound environment.

Christine joined the company in 2002 and has held various leadership roles within Consumer as well as Compliance and Global Technology & Operations.

She currently serves as chairman of the board for the Consumer Bankers Association and on the boards of the American Red Cross and the Charlotte Ballet. She also actively supports Junior Achievement, devoting time to volunteer in local schools.

Join CommonBondz for a discussion on racism and wealth inequality in America with Saul Martinez, Managing Director of Equity Research from UBS and Frederick Wherry, Professor of Sociology at Princeton University. The discussion will be facilitated by Ed Hawthorne, Chief Administrative Officer at CE3 Solutions, LLC.

Scroll down to read their bios.

Saul Martinez is currently a Managing Director at UBS and has 22 years of experience in equity research and investment banking at various Wall Street firms. Saul has led teams analyzing banks, consumer finance companies, and life insurers in the US and Latin America. Saul has a Masters in Public Affairs focused on Economics from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and he graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with a Bachelors degree in Political Science.

Frederick Wherry is a Townsend Martin, Class of 1917 Professor of Sociology at Princeton University and Director of the Dignity and Debt Network, a partnership between the Social Science Research Council and Princeton. He, Kristin Seefeldt, and Alvarez Alvarez are the authors of Credit Where It’s Due: Rethinking Financial Citizenship. The book includes a Foreword by José A. Quiñonez. Wherry is also the editor of The Oxford Handbook of Consumption (with Ian Woodward, forthcoming September 2019) and he is editor of the four-volume Sage Encyclopedia of Economics and Society as well as Money Talks: How Money Really Works (with Nina Bandelj and Viviana A. Zelizer). He is the author or editor of four other books or volumes. He edits a book series at Stanford University Press: Culture and Economic Life, with Jennifer Lena and Greta Hsu. He was the 2018 President of the Social Science History Association and the past chair of the Economic Sociology Section and the Consumers and of the Consumption Section of the American Sociological Association. He has served on numerous editorial boards and on the policy board of the Journal of Consumer Research. He participates in a working group on work and wealth at the Aspen Institute and serves in an advisory capacity to the Boston Federal Reserve (Community Development Research Advisory Council) and the Lloyds Banking Group Centre for Responsible Business at the Birmingham Business School (UK). Before joining the Princeton Department he was a Professor of Sociology at Yale University and Co-Director of the Center for Cultural Sociology. He has also served on the faculty of the University of Michigan and Columbia University. He currently serves as a Selector for the Luce Scholars Program (Henry Luce Foundation). He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a Morehead-Cain Scholar, his MPA from The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, and his PhD in Sociology from Princeton.

Edward T. Hawthorne, founder and managing partner of CE3 Solutions, LLC, serves as Chief Administrative Officer, after a 33 year career with Bank of America. Hawthorne has a dynamic professional background, having held various senior positions within Bank of America covering technology, operational risk, and customer servicing worldwide. During his tenure at Bank of America, he and his team developed a comprehensive system and corresponding methods for identifying and managing Operational Risk Assessments and Control, applying for and being subsequently awarded a U.S. Patent.

Hawthorne and his family reside in California. He is actively engaged in serving his community and is committed to finding a cure for diabetes and improving the lives of all people living with diabetes. He currently sits on the board for the National Diabetes Volunteer Leadership Council and the Emeritus Council for the American Diabetes Association. He has served as Chairman of the National Board of Directors for the American Diabetes Association, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the California Affiliate of the American Diabetes Association, and various committees for the association. He has served on the Board of Directors for the San Francisco Museum of African Diaspora, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross of the Bay Area and member of the National Nominating Committee, and the Board of Directors for the March of Dimes for the Bay and Chairman of the Contra Costa March of Dimes WalkAmerica. Hawthorne has also served as Chairman and Director Emeritus of the Strategic Advisory Board for the International Help Desk Institute, and Advisory Boards for Meris Consulting, Digital Fuel, Convergys, LivePerson, and the Risk Management Association IT Committee.

Join CommonBondz for a discussion on racism and employment with Bert H. Ware, Of Counsel at Jackson Lewis P.C., resident in the firm’s Boston, Massachusetts offices, and Greg D’Archangelis, Global Head of Recruitment Operations and Delivery at MetLife.

Scroll down to read their bios.

Bert H. Ware is Of Counsel at Jackson Lewis P.C., resident in the firm’s Boston, Massachusetts offices.

With 35 years of experience, prior to joining Jackson Lewis, Bert served for 20 years as a senior in-house Assistant General Counsel at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and its predecessor institutions, and as outside counsel in private practice, delivering strategic and tactical advice, counseling, and guidance to C-Suite and other senior executives, HR professionals, and staff support function executives on a very broad range of employment-related issues.

Now, at Jackson Lewis, in addition to continuing to offer advice and guidance to clients, as a part of the firm’s Corporate Governance & Internal Investigations practice group, Bert works with clients on both neutral third-party independent and client-directed internal investigations of alleged misconduct related to discrimination, bullying, harassment, hostile work environment, retaliation, threats of violence, and unprofessional workplace conduct issues. As a part of Jackson Lewis’ Corporate Diversity Counseling practice group, Bert assists clients in diversity, equity and inclusion issues, complex civil rights reviews and employment law audits, as well as dispute resolution, investigations and the defense of class action lawsuits involving allegations of race-, gender-, and age-based discrimination and harassment law.

Previously, as a direct report to a Deputy General Counsel at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Bert managed the defense of all single- and multiple-party employment litigation filed against the Bank and against Merrill Lynch in federal and state trial courts or before arbitral panels at enterprise level within the US. Bert also designed and implemented enterprise-wide or business unit-specific on-boarding, senior executive contract negotiation, design, drafting, and execution, and background screening programs in coordination with sourcing and internal staffing teams, and corporate security organizations for existing business structures as well as in the context of M&A acquisitions and integrations. Bert’s experience extends to senior executive performance management issues, the design and implementation of employee retention and goal achievement strategies during spin-offs, divestitures, or wind downs, off-boarding, RIFs, separation agreements, proactive protection, support of cyber-forensic review, and recapture of intellectual property, related strategies, negotiations and execution. Prior to Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Bert worked as a senior associate at Mintz Levin, a general practice, full service law firm in Boston, and began his career with LeBoeuf Lamb, an international law firm in New York, New York.

Bert is member of the New York State, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts bars as well as various federal court bars.

Bert serves as an advisory board member of the AELC, and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, the Association of Workplace Investigators, as well as various state and local bar associations. Bert is also a member of the Tufts University Black Alumni Association chapter and the Tufts University Alumni Association, as well as the New York University School of Law Black & Latino Alumni Association. Finally, Bert is a board member of the Acton-Boxborough United Way.

A native of Richmond, Virginia, now transplanted to Boston by way of New York City, Bert received his undergraduate degree in political science and history from Tufts University and his juris doctorate from New York University School of Law.

Greg D’Archangelis is the Head of Global Recruitment Operations & Delivery for MetLife. Responsibilities include providing strategic recruitment operations leadership for non-officer roles in the US and Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) capabilities globally. As well, Greg will play a lead role in the design, deployment and ongoing management of global recruitment systems and technology. With both client and the candidate experience as a priority throughout the recruitment process, Greg has established consistent and more interdependent practices across all businesses and functions and continually looks to innovate.

Prior to MetLife, Greg joined from American International Group (AIG) where he was the Head of Global Delivery for the company’s Global Talent Acquisition team. Prior to joining AIG, Greg worked at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch and predecessor banks including Fleet Bank, progressing through the bank in a variety of HR Business Partner and specialist roles, most significantly in talent acquisition and merger integration roles. Greg brings an in-depth experience in global RPO management, recruitment process consistency and technology infrastructure, having delivered on-line onboarding portals, implemented multiple applicant tracking systems and streamlined metrics and reporting. Greg received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Management and Economics from Hofstra University and an MBA from St John’s University.

Join CommonBondz for a discussion with NFL running back Josh Adams, discussing his upbringing, journey to Notre Dame and the NFL, and mission to revitalize the park in the neighborhood where he grew up.

Josh Adams is an American football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He played college football at Notre Dame, and he was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2018. Adams attended Central Bucks High School South in Warrington, Pennsylvania, where he played high school football for the Titans.

Join CommonBondz for a discussion on racism in healthcare with Dr. Vincent Daniels.

Vincent J. Daniels, D.M.D. currently serves the greater New Castle County, Delaware community as Dentist in his own dental practice Blue Diamond Dental PA.

Dr. Daniels has been practicing General Dentistry since 1991. After graduating from Temple University, he practiced as an Associate with two prestigious group practices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

When the opportunity became available, Dr. Daniels bought one of the most well respected dental practices in Wilmington, Delaware from Hammond Knox D.D.S. Blue Diamond Dental was established as an opportunity to provide stellar dental services at a level that would enhance the patient’s oral, dental and personal wellbeing.

Dr. Daniels has been a dentist for over 18 years, after having graduated with honors from Temple University School of Dentistry in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Daniels began his dental career as an Associate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and later in Wilmington, Delaware.

Dr. Daniels is a member of such prestigious organizations as the American Dental Association, the American Academy of General Dentistry, the Delaware State Dental Society, the New Era Dental Society, the Total Case Management Study Club and the New Castle Dental Study club.

Dr. Daniels most recently received the Littleton P. Mitchell Award from the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League and the Wilmington Award for excellence in Health from the City of Wilmington, both due to his strong ties and commitment to excellence in Dentistry and Community Service.

“I am completely committed to my patients and it is truly a pleasure to serve them.”

Join CommonBondz for a discussion on racism in healthcare with Dr. Joy A. Cooper.

Joy A. Cooper, MD MSc is a Philadelphia native and an Obstetrician-Gynecologist at Highland Hospital in Oakland, California. She completed residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She earned her MD from Howard University, completed a Master's in Sexually Transmitted Infections & HIV at University College of London/London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and earned a A.B. in African and African-American Studies at Harvard College. When she is not on call catching babies or traveling the globe, she is fulfilling her mission to impact women of the African Diaspora through her organization through Daughters of the Diaspora, Inc. and telemedicine startup Culture Care.

Join award-winning journalist Tracey Matisak for a discussion on white privilege with Chip Rossi, Global Compliance & Operational Risk (GCOR) Operations Executive at Bank of America, and Tom Horne, Managing Director and Head of Card Operations, Customer Service and Lending in Chase’s Card Services business.

Chip Rossi

Chip Rossi is the Global Compliance & Operational Risk (GCOR) Operations Executive at Bank of America, one of the world’s leading financial services companies. In this role, Chip leads the oversight and execution of compliance operations for the GCOR organization.

Chip also represents the bank as the Delaware Market President, working to connect businesses, families and individuals to Bank of America’s banking and investment teams. He also leads the effort to direct the bank’s resources in the state to address local priorities and help build strong communities.

Formerly, Chip was the Consumer and Global Wealth & Investment Management (GWIM) Chief Risk Officer. In that role, he managed risk for the company’s business lines that serve individual clients with deposit, card, auto, home mortgage and investment-related products and services. He was responsible for providing independent risk oversight of the Consumer and GWIM businesses.

Chip began his career as a college intern and joined the company full-time in 1989 as a participant in the Management Development Program. He has held management positions at all levels in Collections and Credit, and also led the Loss Prevention team with accountability for credit and fraud losses. He later became the Credit & Underwriting executive for the company’s credit card portfolio, where he focused on the alignment of credit and risk strategies to ensure appropriate balance growth and risk mitigation. He was also Preferred Products executive, responsible for developing and managing consumer products that help make financial lives better for mass affluent customers and that reward clients for their relationship with Bank of America. Products included deposits, credit card, first mortgage, home equity and auto.

Chip serves on the boards of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, Delaware State University Foundation, ChristianaCare Health Services, the Grand Opera House, Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County, and Year Up Greater Philadelphia and Wilmington. He also serves on the William Penn High School Advisory Board, Delaware Technical and Community College Development Committee and The Delaware Business Roundtable.

Chip graduated from Gettysburg College, where he majored in Management. He and his family live in Wilmington, Delaware.

Tom Horne

Tom Horne is Managing Director and Head of Card Operations, Customer Service and Lending in Chase’s Card Services business. Tom leads a team of more than 11,000 operating in 14 service centers across the United States, Philippines and India. As Head of Operations for Card Services, Tom has accountability for Card Operations, ADA, and Fair Lending. He also serves as the firm’s Market Leader for Delaware. Tom has served on the JPMC Diversity & Inclusion Council, chaired the Consumer and Community Banking Diversity & Inclusion Council, and is Executive Sponsor of the firm's Black Organization for Leadership Development (BOLD) business resource group for the Mid-Atlantic region.

Tom joined Chase in 2012 with 23 years of experience in financial services, leading operational teams across businesses, functions and geographies. Prior to joining Chase, Tom spent 17 years with MBNA, and six years with Bank of America where he led a number of functions including credit, customer service, collections, fraud, and consumer finance. He also has career experience in business development, including new product launches, national sales, relationships management, and portfolio acquisitions.

Tom holds a bachelor's degree in Finance from the University of Delaware. He remains actively involved with the university, serving on the Advisory Board of the Lerner Business College, and as a member of the Executive Mentors-Scholars program. He also serves on the William Penn Advisory Board, is a past president and current Board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware, and is a member of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the Delaware Business Roundtable.

Tom is an avid Philadelphia sports fan, and he enjoys exercise and music. He and his wife Jennifer reside in Unionville, Pennsylvania and have two children in college.

Tracey Matisak

Tracey Matisak is an award-winning journalist, a dynamic speaker and trainer, and a seasoned program host. With more than 25 years of major market television and radio experience, Tracey has anchored numerous special projects for WHYY-TV/PBS in Philadelphia; she also serves as a regular guest host on WHYY-FM's Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane. In addition, Tracey serves as moderator for the Philadelphia Speakers Series, where she has shared the stage with the likes of the Washington Post’s Bob Woodward, former British Prime Minister David Cameron, feminist icon Gloria Steinem and acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns.

Tracey is a frequent moderator for the Author Events series at the Free Library of Philadelphia, where she has interviewed former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, entertainer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte, Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington and Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, among others.

In addition, Tracey travels nationwide hosting live, interactive executive leadership webcasts for Skillsoft Corporation. In that capacity, she regularly interviews some of the most widely respected authors and speakers in the business world, including Daniel Pink, Seth Godin, John Maxwell and Angela Duckworth.

Tracey is perhaps best known for her work in television news, having worked for 12 years at FOX 29, Philadelphia. There, she anchored the live morning show Good Day Philadelphia and served as an anchor and reporter for FOX 29’s Ten O’Clock News. She has also been a contributor to the Home and Garden Network’s Design Basics program and has served as a news anchor for a number of Philadelphia radio stations, including KYW Newsradio.

A graduate of Temple University, Tracey has taught hundreds of students there as an adjunct professor in the Klein College of Media and Communication. A winner of several local Emmy awards, Tracey was among the first to be inducted into Temple University’s School of Media and Communications Hall of Fame. She has also won the Sarah Award for Excellence in Broadcasting from the Association for Women in Communications and was named Communicator of the Year by the National Black MBA Association.

Tracey and her husband Daniel are the parents of three children and live in suburban Philadelphia.

Join CommonBondz Co-Founder Mike DeCandido for a discussion on white privilege with Tim Israel, consultant and learning and development specialist, and Jason Dumas, Sports Director at KRON4 in the Bay Area.

Tim Israel

Tim Israel grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia. His community-first approach to life was instilled at a young age, influenced by his large family and his years developing Quaker values at Abington Friends School. He graduated from Wesleyan University in 2016 with a Bachelor's Degree in Economics, while also minoring in Creative Writing.

Tim is passionate about youth sports and education. He spent over three years in Portland, Oregon, working in higher education consulting, where he helped institutions across the country develop strategic plans to combat current challenges with budgeting and transitioning to online education. During quarantine, he brought his technical skills to the virtual classroom and taught 5th and 7th grade math. He also coached a Philadelphia-based AAU team for multiple years, and has spent time teaching tennis.

In June, along with his sister Emily, Tim began engaging the Philadelphia suburbs in conversations about race. What they now call Here For Discussion - an ode to the words on the sign they held - started as the two of them holding signs for a couple hours a day encouraging people to come talk. They have talked to hundreds and hundreds of people about the current state of the country, gaining perspective to understand how we can become a more just, equal, and unified country.

Jason Dumas

Jason Dumas is a native of Haverford, Pennsylvania, a suburb just outside of Philadelphia. Growing up, Jason had a unique perspective when it came to racial inequality. The majority of his family lived across the inner-city neighborhoods in Philadelphia, and Jason ended up spending much of his time there with his family. He was well aware of the differences between his neighborhood and those of his Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins. He also often felt like an outsider while growing up in predominantly white spaces.

Jason attended Malvern Prep, a private catholic school in Malvern, PA. After graduating, he went to and graduated from Syracuse University. Jason majored in Broadcast & Digital Journalism with dreams of becoming a television sports anchor.

After graduating in 2011, he began that journey. He has worked as a production assistant at ESPN, a sports anchor/reporter in Bismarck, North Dakota, Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Hagerstown, MD.

He currently is the Sports Director at KRON4 News in San Francisco, California and a member of the CommonBondz Board of Directors.

When he is not working, he enjoys cheering on his favorite sport teams, spending time with his family and friends, and traveling.

Join CommonBondz and Karen Spencer Kelly, an attorney focusing on diversity and inclusion, for a conversation about interpersonal racism. The event will be limited to 50 participants.

More about Karen Spencer Kelly

Karen Spencer Kelly has been an attorney for over thirty years. Her current work focuses on diversity and inclusion auditing, conflict investigation and resolution, and conducting training in diversity and inclusion, unconscious bias and belonging.

Kelly is the founder and principal of KESK Consulting, LLC which specializes in:

• helping organizations manage issues involving diversity in a variety of areas

• providing diversity auditing services

• counseling and advising private clients with diversity concerns in critical situations

• producing continuing legal education courses in diversity

• providing “Diversity and Inclusion 3.0” training for non-profit, government and corporate clients.

Kelly created the Diversity and Inclusion 3.0 Initiative to educate organizations and their employees about using diversity to create superior products and services as well as improving the work culture and environment.

Prior to her current practice, the scope of her work included practicing in the areas of civil litigation (trial and appellate); government affairs and municipal finance; serving as Chief Counsel to the Treasurer of Pennsylvania (overseeing the legal affairs of the Treasury Department and its 400+ employees); drafting legal opinions for state and local government agencies; and advising institutions, labor unions, universities, hospitals and political candidates on a variety of exigent issues. Kelly was also outside counsel to several privately held companies, advising on all aspects of their businesses. She also served as an independent investigator of discrimination claims.

Kelly earned her BA, cum laude, from Harvard College. She received her Juris Doctorate from the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law.

Kelly has served on numerous non-profit boards. Inter alia, she was a Radcliffe Trustee, a member of the Chestnut Hill College Board of Directors, chairwoman of the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation and the first female African-American president of the world-wide Harvard Alumni Association.

She lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

Join CommonBondz and Sam Norton, retired Navy Captain, for a conversation about interpersonal racism. The event will be limited to 50 participants.

More about Sam Norton

Captain Samuel Norton is a native of Detroit Michigan.  He enlisted in the Navy in 1981 and received a NROTC scholarship to attend Hampton University.  He graduated Hampton University in 1986 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics.  He also earned a Master’s Degree in National Security Strategy from National Defense University.

Captain Norton completed 30 years of naval service. He served on various ships from one of the Navy’s smallest, a mine counter measure ship with crew of 80 people, to one of the Navy’s largest, an aircraft carrier, with over 6000 plus personnel. He was fortunate to have commanded USS PIONEER (MCM 9), USS TRENTON (LPD 14), and USS NASSAU (LHA 4). He also served as the Commodore of Military Sealift Command Atlantic (MSCLANT), which is fleet of civilian operated ships that supports naval operations worldwide.

While completing deployments, supporting the nation’s national security strategy and naval operations abroad, CAPTAIN Norton has seen much of the world which provided him the opportunity to experience many cultures and have great experiences.  He is currently retired and resides on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

Join CommonBondz and George Spencer, Chief Development Officer for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, for a conversation about individual racism. The event will be limited to 50 participants.

Spencer has worked for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund since 2010. His current role involves overseeing the business development function and revenue generation strategies. Read more about Spencer here.

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Join CommonBondz and Delaware State University President Dr. Tony Allen for a conversation about individual racism. The event will be limited to 50 participants.

Dr. Allen became Delaware State University’s president on January 1, 2020 and is “committed to a vision of making Delaware State University the most diverse, contemporary HBCU in America.” To learn more about Dr. Allen, click here.

Register for the event below

Join CommonBondz and George Spencer, Chief Development Officer for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, for a conversation about individual racism. The event will be limited to 50 participants.

Spencer has worked for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund since 2010. His current role involves overseeing the business development function and revenue generation strategies. Read more about Spencer here.

Register for the event below

Join CommonBondz and Delaware State University President Dr. Tony Allen for a conversation about individual racism. The event will be limited to 50 participants.

Dr. Allen became Delaware State University’s president on January 1, 2020 and is “committed to a vision of making Delaware State University the most diverse, contemporary HBCU in America.” To learn more about Dr. Allen, click here.

READ MORE: Delaware State University President Tony Allen Speaks to Racism’s Enduring Presence

Register for the event below