Ruben Barrales

Senior Vice President, External Engagement, Diverse Segments, Representation and Inclusion
Wells Fargo

Lindsay Broome

Sr. Category Development Manager
Foodbuy

Lindsay Broome is the Sr. Category Development Manager for Supplier Diversity at Foodbuy, the largest foodservice procurement solutions organization in North America. Lindsay is responsible for adding new suppliers to the category portfolio, working to market and promote the growth of existing diverse suppliers, and leading the Foodbuy Supplier Accelerator Program. Lindsay’s more than 15 years of experience includes category development, marketing, and community outreach for a number of Fortune 500 companies.

Lindsay received a Bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University and a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina Charlotte. In addition, Lindsay also serves on the Coaching Tree for Sports Biz Camps, a non-profit focused on increasing social mobility for students through education, while expanding diversity within the sports industry.

Wendell G. Brown

Supplier Diversity Program Manager
Wells Fargo

Roger Cheng

Senior Supplier Diversity Sourcing Manager
AT&T

Roger Cheng recently joined AT&T as a Sr. Supplier Diversity Sourcing Manager. Prior to AT&T, Roger spent the previous 14+ years with M/WBEs in the technology space leading business development through Supplier Diversity.

Roger, also known as “The Voice,” has served as emcee or VOG for a number of organizations across the country. In 2017, Roger was recognized as the #Hes4Shes Champion at the WBENC National Conference.

Melody Davidson

Supplier Diversity Manage
UPS

Melody is aligned with the Transportation, Airline, Automotive and Plant Engineering Category Teams and is charged with helping the sub-category owners develop strategies for growing diverse spend. Melody also helps sourcing managers and other stakeholders find and engage qualified small and/or diverse suppliers. This includes developing and participating in supplier identification and development events and programs.

Prior to joining the Supplier Diversity Team in 2019, Melody held a variety of roles in the Transportation function at UPS, including vendor management responsibilities. Melody’s experience and broad network in the Transportation industry, has positioned her to lead our focused efforts on growing diverse spend in this category.

Melody supported Supplier Diversity events while in the Transportation group, and worked with The UPS Foundation for five years facilitating transport of disaster relief supplies all over the world. She also chaired the Women’s Leadership Development Program for the UPS Supply Chain Headquarters and was on the board of the YWCA of Greater Atlanta for 3 years.

Shakira Garcia

Director of Supplier Diversity & Sustainability
Caesars Entertainment

Miguel Gonzalez

Chief Procurement Officer
DuPont

Kindle Goodson

VP, Chief Procurement Officer
TIAA

Kindle Goodson currently serves as the Chief Procurement Officer leading the Global Supplier Services team responsible for the End-to End Procure to Pay process inclusive of Sourcing, Enterprise Vendor Risk, Procurement, Metrics, and Business Diversity. In this capacity, Kindle brings over 20 years of experience, 17 of which are in the financial services industry, working for several Fortune 100 companies.

In 2010, Kindle began her career at TIAA, initially responsible for the procurement of Printed Materials and Marketing Services. Since that time, in addition to her expanded roles in Sourcing, Kindle also served as the Business Finance Officer for TIAA’s Corporate Functions responsible for the fiscal budgeting process for Legal Risk & Compliance, Internal Audit Services, Human Resources, Chief Administrative Office, and Office of the CFO.

Kindle began her career at Navigant Consulting, where she worked to

assess Companies’ risk of insolvency. Given education has always been paramount, Kindle decided to return to school to pursue her MBA. During this time, she also worked at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in Procurement and Acquisition Management.

Upon graduating with honors, Kindle moved to New York City, where she was accepted into the Management Associate Program at Citigroup, working in Acquisition Life Cycle Marketing for Card products. While at Citigroup, Kindle was approached by Bank of America and asked to join their Supply Chain Management organization. Excited about the opportunity, Kindle relocated to Charlotte, NC and became responsible for the sourcing of Data Aggregation and later all printed materials.

During her tenure there, she also worked on several mergers and acquisitions (MBNA, LaSalle, Countrywide, and Merrill Lynch) which positioned her to transition to TIAA.

Kindle has a B.B.A. in Business Insurance and a M.B.A., concentrating in Supply Chain Mgmt. from Howard University. She is also Six Sigma Green and White Belt certified. Kindle lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband and three children; 2 sons and 1 daughter.

James Haddow

Adjunct Professor, Center for Excellence in Supply Chain Management
Howard University School of Business Information Systems & Supply Chain Management Department

James Haddow is Director of the Center for Excellence in Supply Chain Management (CESUM) and a professor in the School of Business at Howard University in Washington DC. Currently, Mr. Haddow teaches a range of supply chain management courses to both undergraduate and graduate level students. He also supports students as faculty advisor during supply chain case competitions and participates in various CESCM activities (e.g., SCM Think Tanks, Corporate Advisory Board, Site Visits, Workshops, etc.). Mr. Haddow has made supply chain presentations at ISM, IMC, APICS, PMAC and other Global industry conferences. Mr. Haddow has previously held positions as Director of Global Procurement (Chief Procurement Officer) and a Supply Chain consultant for A.T. Kearney a global consulting firm, Cost and Financial Analyst at the Interstate Commerce Commission and Safeway Stores, Inc. His 30 years of consulting and industry experience encompass global procurement, supply chain management, business planning and commercial business development which provides hands-on teaching examples for his students.

Terry Hsiao

Adjunct Professor
Marymount University

Terry Hsiao is an entrepreneur, advisor, and investor with extensive experience in mobile messaging, payment, and fintech. He has founded multiple companies in mobile that got acquired by Sybase, Verifone, and Kaleyra where he helped its recent public listing on NYSE:KLR in November 2019.

Mr. Hsiao served on the board of Virginia’s Center of Innovation and Technology, a state-funded economic development and investment agency. Terry is a current adjunct professor at Marymount University. He also serves as the President of Monte Jade DC, representing Asian American business leaders and entrepreneurs for 25 years. He also founded and leads the DC MIT Alum Angel Group.

Terry received a BSEE Honors degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Rutgers University and a Master’s degree in Management of Technology from MIT Sloan.

Steve Kopelic

Americas Regional Indirect Procurement Director
McCormick & Company

Steve Kopelic is the Americas Regional Indirect Procurement Director for McCormick & Company. He has been with McCormick since 2013, which also included working in Packaging Procurement and as Strategic Procurement Projects Manager. Steve’s career has been within Procurement, including 10 years with Ford Motor Company and 5 years with H.J. Heinz. During his time at Ford, Steve spent 3 years at the China Sourcing Office in Nanjing, China managing the Interior Category team. He was also on assignment in China while working at Heinz which included a project in Qingdao and as Procurement Integration Manager in Shanghai.

Steve holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh, an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Barbara Kubicki-Hicks

Chief Procurement Officer
Wells Fargo

Barbara Kubicki-Hicks is a seasoned executive with over 25 years’ experience in supply chain management and global procurement operations in the financial services industry. She is the chief procurement officer at Well Fargo, responsible for leading Supply Chain Management, which is comprised of strategic sourcing, procure-to-pay, supplier diversity, and

third-party risk management functions. Her team executes end-to-end supply chain activities and third-party initiatives that align with business priorities and leads strategic, enterprise-wide programs with focus on third- party expense optimization.

Previously, Barb was a senior procurement executive at Bank of America responsible for end-to-end procurement, associated risk management and third party program adherence for all eight lines of business, and led a procurement transformation initiative to simplify the end-to-end third- party process, reduce connections, restructure roles to gain economies of scale, and replace current technology solutions.

Barb serves on the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee as board chairperson. During her 10- year tenure on the WBENC Board of Directors, she was also Corporate Membership and Revenue Generation Committee chairperson, co- chairperson of the Strategic Planning Resources Committee, and active member of the Marketing Committee.

Over the course of her career, Barb has held a variety of supply chain management, procurement, and technology roles with a proven track record for developing procurement professionals, delivering consistent results by balancing business needs, risk and value, as well as leading business transformation enabled by technology.

Barbette Hill Washington

Supplier Diversity Consultant, Staff
Southern Company

Barbette is a Supplier Diversity Professional at Southern Company. She provides Supplier Diversity Support to the Southern Company Power Generation Business Unit which consist of Georgia Power, Alabama Power, and Mississippi Power. Barbette has a BS in Business Administration from Mercyhurst University, an MS in Business from Nova Southeastern University and a PMP.

Kelley Leddy

Sourcing & Procurement Consultant
Nationwide

Wassel Lewis, Jr.

Vice President, Strategic Sourcing & Procurement
Aflac

Wassel Lewis is vice president of Strategic Sourcing and Procurement and manages approximately $1.2 billion in spend. He is responsible for: Category Management, Strategic Sourcing, Procurement Ops, Procurement Administration, Supplier Relationship Management, Performance Management and Supplier Diversity.

Wassel joined Aflac in 2007 as senior project consultant in the Enterprise Project Office. During his career at Aflac he served in IT-PMO, and Strategic Partnerships before joining Strategic Sourcing and Procurement.

Wassel earned a bachelor’s degree from Howard University and a Master of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University.

Edkedsha (KeeKee) Mathis

Supplier Sustainability & Diversity Senior Leader
Trane Technologies

Edkedsha (KeeKee) Mathis, Sr. Leader, Supplier Sustainability & Diversity for Trane Technologies beginning her new role in April 2021, is no stranger to the world of Supplier Diversity. Before deciding to accept her latest role at Trane Technologies, she worked in the automotive industry for thirteen years at Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. where she was the Supplier Diversity Manager. Her accolades include an array of awards, acknowledgements, and recognitions including but not limited to 2017 Corporation of the Year and Corporate Representative of the Year for (TSMSDC) TriState Minority Supplier Development Council and she has been recognized for many years as one of the Top 30 Diversity Professionals on a national level as a leader in the Supplier Diversity community. KeeKee brings more has more than 26+ years within purchasing which includes supporting as a regional buyer, service buyer, supply chain support, key user for all the purchasing systems and continuous improvement such as (TPM) Total Planned Maintenance, QCDSM, and Lean Management. She is committed to mentor diverse suppliers but also to build strategic “partnerships” and “alliances” with diverse suppliers. Now also leading supplier sustainability within her organization her role is the integration of social, ethical, and environmental performance factors into the process of selecting suppliers. The goal is to build strong, long term relationships with suppliers as we “Boldly challenge what’s possible for a sustainable world.”

Diversity within Procurement: Providing the tools and the access necessary for minority/diverse suppliers to be successful within our organization. This is to match or mimic our supplier base to our customer base. Our products represent many different styles, sizes, and unique options just as our community, customers, and employees who support our products.”

Sustainability within Procurement: We are climate innovators with the courage to look at our world's challenges and see endless opportunity. We aren't afraid to make bold commitments that set new standards to enhance the health and well-being of our communities, customers, employees, and planet.

Quote: “I alone can not change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” - Mother Teresa

Matt McKinley

Supply Management Procurement, Transmission/Substations/Major Projects
Southern California Edison

Matt McKinley is a senior manager in Supply Management Procurement for construction of Transmission, Substations, and Major Projects at Southern California Edison (SCE), one of the nation’s largest electric utility. Matt is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in support of healthier and strong communities with a clean energy future.

Matt has over 35 years of Supply Chain experience and has supported many organizational business units across SCE with sourcing of materials and services.

Prior to joining Edison, Matt worked for Lockheed, Northrop Grumman, and Boeing in various capacities managing multi-million-dollar proposals and contracts within finance and procurement.

Matt is very passionate in supporting youth programs, including AYSO and club soccer. He enjoys traveling, exercise, hiking, golfing and spending time with family.

Matt holds a master's in business administration from Pepperdine University. He earned a bachelor's

degree in business with a major in finance from Kent State University. Matt holds a certificate in project management from UC Irvine. Matt is a lifetime C.P.M. and has a CPSM.

Bruce Mizokami

VP, Indirect Sourcing
Edwards Lifesciences

Adam Moore

Supplier Diversity Senior Manager
CVS Health

Adam Moore is the Senior Manager of Supplier Diversity for CVS Health, and is directly responsible for growing company spend with diverse suppliers. He is heavily involved in the supplier diversity space, relating specifically to technology and contingent labor. Adam is often sought out as a speaker and moderator on the topic of supplier diversity, has written for numerous blogs, and is the co-host of the Breaking Barriers: Building a Hire Ground podcast, which focuses on corporate supplier diversity and helping small businesses develop their brand. Adam is an expert incorporate sourcing strategies, emerging technologies, Big Data analytics, and information technology sourcing and staffing. Adam has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the GWBC Buyer of the Year Award in 2017, the GMPC Top Mentor Award in 2020, and the GMSDC Advocate of the Year & Buyer of the Year Awards in 2021. He has also been recognized for the FSRSD Game Changer Award in 2019 and USPAAC-SE Advocate of the Year Award in 2018.As part of his mission to impact his community, Adam is a site visit volunteer for the National Veteran Owned Business Association (NaVOBA). Through this initiative, Adam is able to help numerous Georgia Veteran businesses obtain their NaVOBA certifications and set them up for a vibrant, successful future. Adam also serves on several boards that help in promoting and developing diverse suppliers. He is currently the Co-Treasurer for the GMSDC, Co-Chair for the USPAACC-SE, and is a member of the GHCC Board. Adam is also committed to serving the BDR, and acts as a liaison to the USPAAC and the NVBDC. His great passion for mentoring has driven him to work with Georgia Mentor Protégée Connection (GMPC)as well as the GWBC and CWE mentoring programs. In these organizations, Adam has had the opportunity to develop several diverse firms, guiding them to double their gross revenue and confidently grow into new markets. Adam holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Brenau University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from North Georgia College. He is married to Kristine Moore and has three children.

Dwayne Norris

Corporate Supplier Diversity Manager
Enterprise Holdings

Dwayne Norris has worked for Enterprise Holdings for the past 17 years. During his time he has served on the North American DE&I Team for Enterprise Holdings for two years from 2018-2020 and the Southeast Region DE&I Team for Enterprise Holdings two years from 2020-2022. He managed daily rental operations as an Area Manager with Enterprise in Orlando FL, including the Orlando International Airport (Largest car rental facility in the world). He is an Alumni of the University of Florida where he earned a BA in History w/ concentration on General Business. He was also a student athlete, playing football at the University of Florida from 2001-2004 (Defensive Tackle). Dwayne was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY.

Millie Nuezca

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Advisor
Southern California Edison

Millie Nuezca Yee is a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Advisor at Southern California Edison, one of the nation’s largest electric utilities bringing clean and renewable sources of energy to 15 million people across southern, central, and coastal California. As an integral part of the corporate DEI team, Millie brings thought leadership to all operating units within the organization, collaborating with leaders and employees to drive the company’s corporate DEI and culture transformation strategies. Through the integration of DEI into every aspect of our business, Edison strives to strengthen physical and psychological safety, trust, equity, excellence, and belonging for SCE’s employees, customers, and communities. Millie is a National Diversity Council Certified Diversity Professional (NDCCDP) with over 20 years of human resources experience and expertise in diversity, equity & inclusion, talent acquisition, project management, and as a business partner. She also serves as the vice president of ASCEND (AAPI) and an advisor to Lighthouse (LGBTQ+ and allies), Business Resource Groups.

Maui Orozco

Policy Programs Manager
Meta

Maui Orozco is a Policy Programs Manager on Meta’s Economic Impact Programs team based in Washington, D.C. In this role she manages the company’s relationships with national economic partners and organizations. She joined Meta in early 2019 previously managing partnerships and engagement with advocacy organizations and civil rights groups. Prior to joining Meta, she held a range of government relations and public affairs positions at emerging tech companies including Rubicon Global and Uber. At Rubicon she led government partnerships where she developed partnerships with municipalities to understand the value that innovative technologies can have on city operations. On the public affairs team at Uber, she worked with policymakers and community stakeholders to influence rideshare policies. Her experiences sit at the intersection of business, tech, and policy. Maui holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and was a Global Entrepreneurship Scholar, a program which encourages students to study entrepreneurship at a global scale.

Itu Otu

Head, Global Supplier Diversity
Logitech

Sundari Pai

Senior Manager, Global Supplier Diversity
Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS)

Sundari Pai Luts is the Senior Manager, Global Supplier Diversity at Bristol Myers Squibb and supports the development, expansion and execution of the corporate wide global supplier diversity strategy, program, policies and procedures working with internal and external business partners to ensure alignment with BMS's Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) strategy. Sundari's efforts across BMS enterprise also include collaborating with, People Business & Resource Group (PBRG), D&I, corporate affairs and government affairs. She is strong proponent of diversity and inclusion and currently is the community co-lead for Disability Advancement Workforce Network (DAWN) PBRG promoting disability inclusion in the workplace and community. Her previous role included leading all strategic communications as well as Power2Impact community outreach program for supplier diversity. Sundari brings a unique perspective, working previously for diverse businesses and now at Bristol Myers Squibb within the Strategic Sourcing & Procurement organization for the last 4 years.

Sundari has over 16 years of experience in supplier diversity and strategic communications in both commercial and government sectors. She has previously worked in leadership positions for woman and minority business entrepreneurs where she managed their supplier diversity programs and led strategic communications and marketing strategies. Sundari has a passion for supplier diversity and cultivates this passion through her active engagement with various Minority Business Councils, State Offices, Chambers of Commerce and other institutions, like Disability:IN, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) where she is a currently a member of WBENC’s NextGEN Advisory board. She is also past board of directors' member of US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAACC) NorthEast chapter and has also worked on various committees at the NY&NJ Minority Supplier Development Council (The Council). Sundari is also a mentor, coach and advocate to many small & diverse businesses, and community partners playing a strategic role in growth of many of them. She was recently named 2021 Top 25 Diversity Change Leader by DiversityPlus publication.

Sundari has a Master’s degree in Mass Communications from the University of Maine and a Bachelor’s degree in Print and Media Engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal, India. She currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and two young children.

Tanya Penny

Professor & Executive Director, Howard University School of Business Center for Supply Chain Management; SVP
Ampcus

Tanya Penny is a strategy and finance executive with an extensive track record across critical functions in the Fortune 50 realm. Penny held positions as Chief Procurement Officer at Verizon, with over $35 billion in spend and Senior Vice President of Real Estate, controlling a $2B budget and 3,000+ staff.

As President/CEO of TPW & Associates, a strategy consulting firm advising clients on financial and business performance, Penny continues to design and lead high-impact business transformation projects.

Penny serves on the advisory board of Ampcus, Inc., Ivy Community Charities, and leads the Board of Directors for the Redda Group.

Derrick Perkins

Market Executive
Bank of America

Derrick Perkins is the Market Executive for the Greater Washington DC. His primary role is to help meet the local market goals of connecting businesses, families, and individuals to the banking and investment teams. He also leads the effort to deploy the bank’s resources in the market to address social and economic concerns and build strong communities. Prior to accepting the role as Market Executive, he was a Senior Relationship Manager with coverage of affordable housing developers based in Suburban MD, Washington, DC and Virginia. His responsibilities also included leading the Bank’s national Charter School construction lending efforts.

Derrick joined NationsBank in 1998 in the Consumer Credit Card division as an account Manager in Norfolk, VA. In 2000, Derrick accepted a role as a Portfolio Management Associate in the Business Banking division in Richmond, VA. In 2002, Derrick relocated to Mclean, VA to work in the Middle Market banking group as a credit analyst and eventually an Underwriter. After four years in the Middle Market banking Derrick accepted a role within Community Development Lending, underwriting affordable housing developers and charter school facilities. Derrick accepted his current role as Market Executive in 2018.

Derrick holds Bachelor’s from Hampton University and a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Derrick lives in Upper Marlboro, MD. Derrick is on the Boards of Virginia Housing Alliance, Volunteers of America National Services and Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers.

Ray Pittard

Transformation Officer
Trane Technologies

Debra Quade

Supplier Diversity Manager
Kellogg's

Debra Quade is the Supplier Diversity Manager at Kellogg Company. Prior to joining Kellogg, she served as Supplier Diversity Specialist at Toyota Boshoku America in Erlanger, Kentucky and Magna Donnelly in Holland, Michigan.

Debra serves on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce in addition to leading a MiDiCo module for supplier inclusion and opportunity. She represents Kellogg Company on the National Minority Supplier Development Council Working Group, and the Corporate Advisory Council for the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce in addition to participating on the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council Programs Committee, the Food Marketing Institute Group Supplier Diversity Committee, WEConnect International Agricultural Industry Group and the Food & Beverage Industry Group.

Simone Ray

Director, Corporate Procurement & Supplier Diversity
Hilton

Simone Ray leads Hiltons award-winning Supplier Diversity program, advancing their commitment to increase diversity in supply chain. She partners with HSM category leaders to identify, develop, and mentor minority suppliers. Simone also collaborates closely with Hilton’s D&I team and is always looking for a referral to small and minority business owners!  She is originally from Orlando, Florida and attended Florida State University with a concentration on Merchandising. She’s worked with leading retail companies such as Macy’s and JC Penney, holding positions in buying, planning and product development. For her work at Hilton, she was named Buyer of the Year in 2020 by Minority Business News USA. In her free time Simone enjoys hosting events and meeting like-minded creative and community leaders.

Mark Reed

Chief Procurement Officer
Windstream

Mark has more than 20 years of procurement and operations experience in various industries, including telecommunications, retail and media and entertainment.

His responsibilities at Windstream include leadership of the procurement function, managing more than $1 billion in annual spend, the supply chain organization, corporate real estate, fleet and facilities. He joined Windstream from Alix Partners where he led large cost reduction and capability building engagements for publicly and privately-held companies.

Prior to working at Alix Partners, Mark served as AARP’s first Chief Procurement Officer where he transformed a purchasing organization into a true procurement function that leveraged category management, annual sourcing plans and common-sense policies and processes that balanced the need for speed and efficiency in business operations with appropriate competitive bid thresholds and controls.

Earlier in his career, Mark was VP of Procurement and Business Services at L Brands, owners of Victoria’s Secret and Bath and Body Works, where he led a global procurement team managing over $1 billion in annual expenditures. He also served as a Director of Strategic Sourcing for C&S Wholesale Grocers, a $20 billion privately-held company, where he built the non-merchandise procurement department from the ground up.

Out of business school, Mark was a procurement and supply chain consultant at Accenture and Capgemini Ernst and Young, where he helped companies like Time Warner and 7-11 implement centralized procurement organizations, e-procurement technologies, sourcing processes and cost management programs.

Mark has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Prior to graduate school, he served on active duty as a Naval Intelligence Officer.

Natalie Robinson

Global Supplier Diversity
Meta

With over 15 years of experience spearheading innovation and process improvement in the entertainment, media and tech industry, Natalie is a passionate thought leader with extensive experience driving collaboration, openness, and engagement through clear communication and a culture of mutual respect in the diversity & inclusion space. Natalie has a solid background in supplier diversity and has demonstrated the aptitude for architecting programs from the ground up, managing people, resources, and budgets. In her current role at Meta (also known as Facebook, Inc.), she is driving inclusive supply chain strategy and creating unique solutions by leveraging her expertise and strengths in building cross-functional relationships that maximize results. Today, Natalie is continuing the important work of increasing spend with diverse-owned businesses, which is making a difference in our communities and impacting lives globally.

Roby Schapira

Senior Vice President and Director of Small Business Diverse Customer Segments
Wells Fargo

Robert “Roby” Schapira leads Small Business Diverse Segments for Wells Fargo. In this role, Roby’s team builds strategy and guides the execution of initiatives that support Wells Fargo’s efforts to positively impact diverse/women-owned small businesses. Focus areas include strengthening access to capital, building engagement with women-owned businesses, developing partnership with diverse chambers/small business organizations, and removing barriers for un/underbanked businesses.

A 23-year Wells Fargo veteran, Schapira began his career at Wells Fargo as a part-time teller in 1998. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Arizona and is a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington. He is the co-chair of the Corporate Advisory Council for the National LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce and a board member of the GSBA, Washington’s LGBTQ+ chamber.

Schapira is an accomplished speaker and has provided insight on small business topics for national and local media outlets, nonprofit organizations, and financial industry forums.

Michelle Smith

Relationship Management & Supplier Diversity Director
Nationwide

Michelle is a Procurement Leader and a PMI certified project management professional who leads teams and influences strategy by implementing supplier focused programs and defining the infrastructure needed to sustain them. She currently leads a team responsible for Procurement Relationship Management, Supplier Diversity, and Procurement Sustainability. Her experience includes managing procurement teams such as Corporate Travel and External Workforce Management, building supplier management programs, and establishing procurement policy and governance. Michelle has a passion for engaging stakeholders and driving alignment between business strategy and stakeholder expectations through mutually beneficial supplier/client relationships. Key highlights from her 20+ years of experience includes:

• 15+ years of global supplier management and sourcing experience in the Financial Services, Insurance, and Healthcare industries, for companies including JPMorgan Chase, Wachovia, Cardinal Health, and currently Nationwide Insurance
• Led Organizational Change Management for business applications that support Business Operations and Procurement functions

• Managed Supplier Management analytics teams for Corporate Services and IT with a focus on delivering action-oriented supplier and market insights to stakeholders
• Co-developed and managed operations management policies such as Enterprise Code of Conduct, Travel & Expense Management, External Workforce Management

Jon Suber

Supplier Diversity Manager
MassMutual

Jon Suber joins MassMutual as the Supplier Diversity Manager reporting to Regina Heyward, Head of Supplier Diversity. Jon has served as Supplier Diversity and Development Manager at Freddie Mac with responsibility for connecting and developing diverse suppliers within Freddie Mac’s Supply Chain. He has been commended for his strategic leadership and relationship building and for integrating Supplier Diversity best practices across the organization, including establishing the widely recognized Supplier Academy, a diverse supplier development program. He has worked within the Supply Chain field across several industries including Consumer Product Goods, Food Security, and the Financial Services.

Jon as also been recognized for his successful appearances on podcasts, panels, and webinars in the Supplier Diversity Space. He has been awarded the 2021 Women’s Business Advocate of the Year by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council Greater DMV.

Jon holds an MBA in Supply Chain Management from Howard University and a BA in Marketing from the University of Pittsburgh.

Tobias Thornwell

Senior Strategic Sourcing Manager
MGM National Harbor

Tobias Thornwell is the Senior Strategic Sourcing Manager for MGM National Harbor, a $1.4 billion resort and casino located on the banks of the Potomac River in National Harbor, MD. He is responsible for developing and overseeing all procurement activities including vendor sourcing, purchasing, vendor contracts, and supplier diversity for the property. Mr. Thornwell is focused on ensuring that MGM National Harbor continues to meet or exceed its spending goals with certified diverse suppliers with the State of Maryland and Prince George’s County.

Mr. Thornwell has more than 12 years of purchasing and supply chain management experience in the food service industry. Prior to joining MGM National Harbor, Mr. Thornwell served as National Product Manager/Regional Buyer at The Chef’s Warehouse in Hanover, MD, and Lead COP Buyer/Product Line Manager at US Foods in Severn, MD.

Mr. Thornwell earned a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of Maryland, College Park (Go Terps!). He also holds a Certified Purchasing Manager certification (C.P.M.), and a Certified Professional in Supply Management certification (CPSM) from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). Mr. Thornwell is originally from the Bronx, New York and enjoys traveling.

Trung Tieu

Supplier Diversity Global Procurement Manager
Wells Fargo

Erin Timmerman

Director, Global Supplier Diversity
GSK

Eric Toda

Head of Meta Prosper & Global Head of Social Marketing
Meta

Alan Torres

Procurement Supplier Diversity Senior Program Manager
T-Mobile

Throughout the last two years, Alan has supported T-Mobile on a variety of high visibility projects and impactful teams. Alan is a dedicated and focused individual who is an integral addition to the T-Mobile Supplier Diversity team. He helps the Un-carrier achieve excellent results through his collaborative work style, critical thinking skills and 25 years of experience in the telecom and procurement industries.

Before entering his current role with Supplier Diversity, Alan was a senior sourcing manager on the Un-carrier’s Technology Sourcing team, where he helped develop and deploy several high-profile projects. Prior to T-Mobile, Alan worked at Microsoft, AT&T, and USAA as a corporate negotiator, senior procurement manager, and sourcing manager. While at these national and global enterprises, he utilized his negotiation and interpersonal skills to strategically source various categories, including telecommunications, human resources, learning, technology, and legal.

Originally from the San Francisco Bay area, Alan attended UC Berkeley and UC Hastings College of the Law. He currently lives in Kirkland, WA, with his fiancée, Zena, and their trusty Golden Retriever Zorro! Alan and Zena are volunteers for various causes and assist in local homeless and animal organizations; they also love to travel internationally.

Anthony Twyman

Assistant Manager of Purchasing Compliance
MGM National Harbor

Anthony Twyman is the Assistant Manager of Purchasing Compliance for MGM National Harbor, a $1.4 billion resort and casino located in the National Harbor, MD. He is responsible for vendor onboarding, reporting, and vendor gaming and nongaming licensing and supplier diversity compliance.

Mr. Twyman is a graduate of the University of Maryland, University College with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. He is currently pursuing a double-degree in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park. He is a proud resident of Southern Maryland where he lives with his beautiful wife and their four young children.

Lucky Wadhera

Senior Vice President and Commercial Banking Leader
Wells Fargo

Lucky Wadehra is a Senior Vice President and Commercial Banking Leader for Wells Fargo’s Middle Market Banking in the Capital region. Lucky leads a team of bankers who are responsible for managing and growing their respective portfolios of commercial clients. Her team members are tenured, experienced professionals deeply involved in the communities in which they live and serve.

Lucky has been with Wells Fargo and in banking for over 19 years in various roles. Prior to Wells Fargo, she worked for USAA for 3 years and prior to that in hospitality management in various international locations for 7 years. Lucky, throughout her career, has held positions in leadership and management roles requiring a strong skill set in customer service, sales, budgeting, financial and business acumen, developing talent and practicing diversity, equity and inclusion.

She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with Honors from the University of Delhi and a Bachelor Degree in Hospitality Management from the Institute of Hotel Management Catering and Nutrition also in Delhi, India.

Lucky resides in Loudoun County with her husband, and two children. She currently serves as Chair of the Board for The Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier.

Priscilla Wallace

SVP, Head of Supplier Diversity & Supply Chain Management Sustainability
Wells Fargo

Priscilla Wallace is the head of Supplier Diversity & Supply Chain Management (SCM) Sustainability for Wells Fargo & Company. She leads a team of supply chain professionals and builds relationships within the communities Wells Fargo serves through the development, inclusion, and utilization of diverse and small businesses. As part of Wells Fargo commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), her team maintains and fosters the integration of diverse supplier options into the procurement strategies. The effort currently results in over $1 billion annual spend with certified diverse suppliers. Her team is also responsible for integrating and aligning with corporate ESG/sustainability strategies inclusive of data review, analysis, and reporting, as well as ensure organizational oversight which minimizes risk for Wells Fargo overall supply chain.

Priscilla brings more than two decades of supply chain and diversity, equity, and inclusion experience. She was previously vice president of supplier diversity at Foodbuy – Compass Group, the largest food service management company in North America. Priscilla was the vice president of corporate development and executive director at Charlotte Minority Economic Development Initiative. She spent 13 years in supply chain and diversity leadership roles at the American Red Cross.

Priscilla has received numerous accolades during her career. She was recognized in 2020 and 2018 as one of the Top 25 Diversity Women in Power by Diversity Plus, Inc., 2019 as an All-Star of Supplier Diversity by MBN Magazine, and on the Top 50 Omni awards for multi-cultural businesses in 2018 and 2019. She is a graduate of Delta State University.

Priscilla enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. Her hobbies include cooking, hiking, and spending time with family and friends.

Chuck White

Vice President of Procurement, Nationwide
Chair, CPO Forum & CPO Council

Charles White leads the Procurement group at Nationwide covering all source to pay functions, corporate travel, supplier diversity and risk management. Charles has over two decades of experience in diverse sectors including, financial services, high tech, and consumer electronics manufacturing. He has covered a wide range of direct and indirect categories while working for some of the largest companies in the Technology and Financial Services. He recently joined Nationwide in December 2018 from Charles Schwab and prior to that was with Fidelity, Deutsche Bank and Microsoft. He is a US Navy Veteran and former aircraft carrier based jet pilot. He graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology.

Darretta Whitfield

Director of Supplier Diversity
Charter Communications

Darretta Whitfield is Director of Supplier Diversity for Charter Communications, a national of broadband connectivity company and cable operator serving 41 states through its Spectrum brand.

Darretta joined Charter in 2019 to lead the Supplier Diversity program, and is responsible for the strategy, management, and future roadmap across Charter’s footprint. In prior roles Darretta led eSourcing and Contract Management initiatives for various companies in financial technology and services, consumer products, and paper/packaging manufacturing focused on project management, competitive bidding, supplier management, and contract processing. These roles have provided her with a foundation of souring knowledge that she leverages in her current role in support of diverse owned businesses.

Darretta graduated from Clark Atlanta University’s School of Business Administration, serves as an Executive Board Member for tech:SCALE, and is a new member of the Board of Directors for the Southern California Minority Supplier Development Council (SCMSDC).

Anthony K. Wutoh

Provost & Chief Academic Officer
Howard University

Anthony K. Wutoh, Ph.D., R.Ph. is the Provost and Chief Academic Officer of Howard University. He previously served in various roles at the University including as Dean of the College of Pharmacy and Assistant Provost for International Programs. Dr. Wutoh has also served as Director for the Center for Minority Health Services Research, and the Center of Excellence.

Dr. Anthony Wutoh received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biochemistry from the University of Maryland Baltimore County in 1987. He then completed a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy, and Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacy Administration

(Pharmacoepidemiology) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Pharmacy. Dr. Wutoh has varied research interests including pharmacoepidemiology, international health, health services/outcomes research, and evaluation of large population databases, particularly in the area of AIDS and HIV infection in older patients. Dr. Wutoh has received over $80 million dollars in grant funding from several sources including; NIH, CDC, USAID, HRSA, AHRQ and foundations, and has published numerous research articles on HIV disease, medication adherence, disease state management, and various other topics in respected research journals, including; the Journal of the American Medical Association, Health Services Research, AIDS & Behavior, the Journal of the National Medical Association, and the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association.

Dr. Wutoh has led, and participated in various international programs including sponsored projects (USAID, CDC, PEPFAR, etc.) in Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ghana, etc. Dr. Wutoh has been a practicing pharmacist in Maryland since 1990 and has worked in various settings including hospital, retail, consulting, and community pharmacy, as well as academia. In 1993, He served as a policy intern with the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging where he was directed with evaluation of the economic impact of health care reform on the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. His other areas of interest and expertise include minority access to novel medical therapies, medication compliance, post‐marketing assessment, clinical trial protocol and evaluation, survival analyses, and the role of stress in the functioning of health care professionals. He is also the recipient of various awards and acclamations including the 1998 Excellence Award for Professor in the Division of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Health Sciences, the 2007 Distinguished Faculty Award from the Howard University Pharmacy Alumni Association, the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, and the 2017 Edward Bouchet Legacy Award.

Dr. Wutoh is married to Rita Wutoh, MD, MPH, and they are the proud parents of two daughters, Nadya and Niya.

Vivian Young

Global Head of Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs
JPMorgan Chase

Vivian Young has over 15 years of leadership experience in the financial services industry. In her current role as global head of Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs for JPMorgan Chase, Vivian is responsible for developing a leading a global, unified strategy to advance equity and inclusion for the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) community. Key focus areas include driving opportunity and progress through increased cultural understanding and collaboration; raising awareness about cultural identity and the challenges faced by underserved individuals and communities; supporting API communities globally through public advocacy, economic inclusion and community development.

Prior to joining JPMorgan Chase, Vivian spent 7 years at Charles Schwab Advisor Services, where she was responsible for strategy, execution and management of the Family Office and Investment Consultant client segment. She also served as business lead on new product initiatives for trust products, ETFs, mutual funds and separately managed accounts. Previous to Charles Schwab, Vivian was a relationship manager and team lead at U.S. Trust Company of New York providing financial planning services to high net worth individuals and families in the Wealth Management division.

Vivian Joined JPMorgan Chase in 2012 leading strategic initiatives for the Product and Platform team in the Private Bank and J.P.Morgan Wealth Management. She was responsible for product management, development and expansion of Trusts & Estates services, donor advised fund, and financial planning tools. She most recently was global head of Bank Product Marketing in Asset & Wealth Management, developing strategies to deepen client relationships and drive business growth. Working in partnership with Product leadership in banking, lending, mortgage, annuities, trusts and estates, and cyber and fraud, Vivian lead the content development and implementation of strategic marketing programs.

Vivian received a BA in Political Science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional.

She resides in New York City with her husband and two children.

Learn more about Vivian:

⦁ Office of Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs at JPMorgan Chase https://www.jpmorganchase.com/...

⦁ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vi...

⦁ Bringing a cultural lens to her community: Women on the Move podcast

https://open.spotify.com/episo...

Tracy Balazs

Project Director
USPAACC Community Navigator Pilot Program

Tracy Balazs is an entrepreneur and senior executive with a foundation based in supporting both public and private sector organizations in Healthcare, Human Resources Consulting, and Human Performance for Military Readiness programs. She comes from a background of healthcare with 20 years of clinical trauma nursing followed by healthcare recruiting and federal government business development career prior to her starting her first business in 2004. In 2004,Tracy founded a company called Federal Staffing Resources (FSR) which obtained several hundred prime government contracts that cover the United States. After leading FSR as their CEO for 17 years, she transitioned to became the founder and CEO of Compass Government Solutions in April, 2021.

Throughout Tracy’s career, she has always been involved and has subject matter expertise in Government Contracting, Health, Talent Acquisition, Leadership and Organizational Development. She has a vast network and is an active member in several associations and professional groups such as, Women’s Presidents Organization (WPO), Women Business Leaders (WBL), and various Government and Veterans organizations which gives her access to people with strong leadership and executive capabilities. Through these organizations and groups as either a board member or participant, she frequently mentors the professionals and has spoken at the behest of the SBA and for other organizations.

Marcus Benefield

Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI)
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)

Marcus graduated from Bowie State University with a degree in Communications and concentration in Broadcast Journalism. After graduating, Marcus worked for companies such as Digital, EDS and MCI Worldcom and has 30 years of acquisitions and small business experience. Marcus previously worked at the Federal Aviation Administration for 20 years as a senior contracting officer in acquisitions and senior program analyst in the small business office, while also serving as the Program Manager for FAA’s Mentor-Protégé Program responsible for over 70 mentor-protégé and joint venture partnerships.

Marcus joined The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in 2018 and is currently the Business Procurement Analyst and Small Business Specialist leading the Small Business Program in the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion. Marcus is passionate about working with small businesses and assisting in their growth. He believes small businesses are the backbone of society and there is a renewed energy around Supplier Diversity and Inclusion in today’s workplace which should pave the way for incredible growth in the small business community.

Angela Thi Bennett

Digital Equity Director, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
U.S. Department of Commerce

Angela Thi Bennett will serve as the first-ever digital equity director at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), within the US Department of Commerce.

She will move from her current position as DigitalC’s director of advocacy, where she has been a strong champion for digital inclusion in Cleveland. Angela has also been deeply engaged in national digital equity work for years with National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA).

“We are thrilled Angela Thi Bennett is joining the NTIA team,” said Angela Siefer, executive director of NDIA. “Her local digital inclusion experience combined with her active national community involvement means she is equipped to understand the challenges and the need for holistic and collaborative solutions.”

NTIA is the agency responsible for advising the President of the United States on telecommunications and information policy issues. Currently, NTIA has a strong focus on expanding broadband access and adoption and advancing digital equity.

Jonathan Brady

Business Development Specialist
Export - Import Bank of the United States (EXIM)

Jonathan Brady is a Business Development Specialist with the Minority and Women-Owned Business (MWOB) Outreach Group at the Export- Import Bank of the United States (EXIM). Based in Washington, DC, his business development role with the MWOB Outreach Group is to serve as the primary liaison for Hispanic business organizations and Veteran business organizations at the national, state, and local levels.

Jonathan possesses a strong background in international relations and economics from having worked for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the U.S. Treasury Department (International Banking Office), and ten years with the Ohio Department of Development’s International Trade Division.

Before joining EXIM, Jonathan worked at ExportDC, a division of the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD). Promoted to Program Manager in 2015, his primary responsibilities consisted of administering business support grants for DC-based exporters, organizing trade missions, providing export counseling services, conducting international business seminars, and coordinating special projects with the foreign embassies located in the District of Columbia.

Jonathan holds a B.A. and Master of Financial Economics (MFE) from Ohio University, and is a 2009 graduate of Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, with a Master of International Public Policy (MIPP).

Darlene Bullock

Executive Director, OSDBU
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

E. Darlene Bullock’s January 2020 appointment as the Executive Director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) is in succession to her service as the OSDBU Deputy Director from 2015 to late 2019. As the Executive Director, Ms. Bullock implements the Department’s small business procurement programs across DHS’s $23 billion procurement operation, which awards over $8 billion each year to small businesses. Ms. Bullock’s various roles and work in the OSDBU, has helped DHS achieve consecutive scores of an “A” or “A+”, since Fiscal Year 2009, making DHS the largest federal agency to have such a consistent success record on Small Business Administration’s annual Small Business Procurement Scorecard.

Before joining the OSDBU, Ms. Bullock was a Division Director and Contracting Officer in the DHS, Office of Procurement Operations (OPO). OPO is one of the largest procurement divisions in DHS obligating about $5 billion a year. Her division supported the Office of the Secretary and other high-visibility DHS Headquarters offices. Ms. Bullock oversaw and managed the award process of the first DHS-wide Program Management, Administrative, Clerical, and Technical Services (PACTS) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contracts which were set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs). PACTS had an estimated value of $1.5 billion. The creation and award of the PACTS vehicles has enabled DHS to meet and exceed the 3% SDVOSB goal since Fiscal Year 2010.

With over 32 years of experience in procurement, federal assistance, and acquisitions management, Ms. Bullock has held leadership positions at several Federal and local agencies including DHS, U.S. Agency for International Development, U. S. Department of Commerce, District of Columbia Government, and the U.S. Army.

Ms. Bullock began her acquisition career with the U.S. Army, successfully completing the Department of Defense contract specialist intern program. She was a Certified Federal Contract Manager (CFCM) with the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) and maintains her FAC-C Level III Certification in Contracting. She has completed various Federal Executive leadership courses in her career. She has an undergraduate degree in Agricultural Business and Resource Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MBA in International Management from Southeastern University

Natalie Madeira Cofield

Assistant Administrator
Office of Women's Business Ownership

Ms. Natalie Madeira Cofield has been appointed to serve as the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Women's Business Ownership, effective Monday, March 1, 2021. In this role, Ms. Cofield serves as a senior executive providing executive oversight, management, leadership, and championship of female entrepreneurship. As an assistant administrator, Cofield will oversee the largest expansion of the Women's Business Center (WBC) network in the history of the Small Business Administration across its nearly 140 center footprint and more than $70 million in federal grant-making to support the growth of women-led firms.

Cofield is a seasoned entrepreneur and executive with over 15 years of experience in securing diverse capital, building strategic partnerships, and leading state and local economic development programs to successfully incubate and scale small business development and expansion initiatives in communities throughout the United States. Cofield brings extensive experience leading business and trade associations and working with corporations, and philanthropic organizations to develop programs to support entrepreneurship within women-led, diverse and urban communities and is responsible for securing over $22 million in capital to invest in entrepreneurial ventures and small business programs and initiatives. Most recently she served as Founder & CEO of Walker's Legacy and the Walker's Legacy Foundation providing entrepreneurship programming to support thousands of multicultural women entrepreneurs. Prior to this role, Cofield held various leadership positions in cities across the nation including Los Angeles, New York and Austin, where she served as the CEO of the Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce.

She has been named by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in Business and was selected among 137 cover-story business leaders and entrepreneurs from across the nation for her response to COVID-19 in the magazine’s July/August 2020 edition cover. The Root named her one of the 100 Most Influential African Americans in the country and she has also been named among the list of Women Who Mean Business and one of the 100 Most Powerful Washingtonians by the Washington Business Journal.

She is a graduate of Howard University where she received her BBA in Information Systems as a Gates Millennium Scholar and the Baruch School of Public Affairs where she was a National Urban Fellow. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Mark R. Hagedorn

Attorney-Advisor, Office of Procurement Law, Office of General Counsel
SBA

Mark Hagedorn is an Attorney Advisor in the Office of Procurement Law at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in Washington, DC. He serves as a legal advisor to Agency officials and their staffs with respect to the 8(a) Business Development program; the Women-Owned Small Business Concern program; the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Concern program; the HUBZone program; suspension and debarment matters; and SBA’s internal contracting procedures. Mr. Hagedorn also represents the Agency in matters before SBA’s Office of Hearings and Appeals and the U.S. Government Accountability Office. He has been a lawyer in SBA’s Office of General Counsel since 2016.

Shalei Holway

Senior Advisor for the Office of Entrepreneurial Development
SBA

Shalei serves as Senior Advisor for SBA's Office of Entrepreneurial Development (OED). In this role, she leads initiatives to expand equitable access to the SBA’s national resource network, including Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), Women’s Business Centers (WBCs), SCORE, and the Office of Entrepreneurship Education.

Prior to joining the SBA, Ms. Holway pioneered strategies to combat COVID-driven disruption at Wayfair, an e-commerce company. In this role she partnered with Wayfair’s thousands of small business suppliers to both support and grow them through the pandemic. In her leadership position at Wayfair, Ms. Holway also forged material improvements to diversity and equity in the firm’s hiring practices. Additionally, Ms. Holway brings to her role extensive experience leveraging analytics and design thinking to grow businesses at companies such as HelloFresh and JPMorgan.

Ms. Holway earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from Barnard College and her MBA from Harvard Business School.

Kyungsoo Dan Kim

Director, U.S. Commercial Service Illinois
U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration

Kyungsoo “Dan” Kim currently serves as the Director overseeing the State of Illinois for the U.S. Commercial Service. He joined the US Commercial Service in October 2015 as a Trade Specialist after working for the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency. Since then, he has worked on nation-wide projects such as Hannover Messe, 232/301 tariffs, and most recently he served as the Global Asia Team Leader.

His has grown relationships with those from various communities, working with the Asian American Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian communities to raise the awareness of the Global Diversity Export Initiative and EO 13985 and 14031. He has been a speaker and panelist at conferences highlighting the resources of the US Commercial Service and outreach to underrepresented and underserved groups.

He has considerable hands-on knowledge dealing with the challenges of exporting and has leveraged his enthusiasm and technical skills to increase the impact of the US Commercial Service to deliver to clients. In addition to his leadership of the Global Asia Team and now the US Commercial Service Illinois, he has been a leading force in the Commerce Department’s largest annual trade mission, Trade Winds, which in 2023 focused on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region of Asia including Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, and Singapore

John W. Klein

Acting Deputy General Counsel & Associate General Counsel for Procurement Law, Office of General Counsel
SBA

John Klein is the Associate General Counsel for Procurement Law at the U.S. Small Business Administration.  He serves as the principal legal advisor to senior Agency officials and their staffs with respect to the 8(a) Business Development program; the Agency's Government Contracting programs, including the small business set-aside, subcontracting and Certificate of Competency programs; the HUBZone program; the Small Business Innovation Research program; the Size Standards program; the Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business program; the Woman-Owned Small Business program; and SBA’s internal contracting procedures.

Mr. Klein has been a lawyer in SBA’s Office of General Counsel since 1983, serving in the Office of Legislation and the Office of General Law before becoming the Associate General Counsel for the Office of Procurement Law in 2000.  He graduated Magna Cum Laude from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1980, and With Distinction from Hofstra University School of Law in 1983.

Calvin Mitchell

Director, OSDBU
U.S. Department of Education

In 2020, Calvin J. Mitchell Jr. joined the U.S. Department of Education leadership team as the Acting Director of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU). In 2021, Mr. Mitchell transitioned to Director of OSDBU. As Director, Mr. Mitchell provides executive leadership and policy direction for developing and implementing policies and initiatives throughout the Department to ensure that all socioeconomic categories of small business are afforded opportunities to compete for contracts. Prior to the Acting OSDBU, Mr. Mitchell was the Deputy Director of Contracts and Acquisitions Management (CAM). As CAM Deputy Director, in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, he was responsible for overseeing the work of four contracting divisions that provide operational procurement services to the Department of Education. Prior to joining the Department, Mitchell served as the Branch Chief of the Accounts Management Division at the General Services Administration. Mitchell led the organization toward meeting the Government-wide strategic goals to support all 24 CFO Act agency vision, mission, and strategic goals. Separately, Mr. Mitchell served as a Congressional Fellow for the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee. In this position he served as the Principal Procurement Advisor to Committee leadership and provided guidance and oversight to Members and Committee staff on procurement, small business programs, and related acquisition issues within the Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Mitchell has also held leadership positions at the U.S Army Corps of Engineers.

Andrew Moss

Director for Minority Outreach
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)

Andrew Moss is the Director for Minority Outreach at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).

In this role, Mr. Moss is responsible for promoting and developing effective public affairs marketing and outreach strategies nationwide with national banks, banking regulatory agencies, bank trade associations, minority media groups and organizations, diverse communities, other government agencies, and the general public in support of the OCC and the national banking system. He also serves as an expert advisor and consultant to the Deputy Comptroller for Public Affairs and other agency executives and staff on public affairs matters, particularly as they relate to minority banking issues. He assumed this role in June 2020.

Previously, Mr. Moss was the Outreach and External Relations Manager within the External Outreach and Minority Affairs Office, where he has also served as the Community Relations and Minority Affairs Manager.

Prior to joining the OCC, Mr. Moss held various positions at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the National Community Reinvestment Coalition.

Mr. Moss holds a bachelor of business administration degree in finance and marketing from North Carolina Central University and a master of education administration degree from George Mason University. He also holds a law degree from the University of Baltimore.

Doan Ly Nguyen

Small Business Utilization Specialist in the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Doan Ly Nguyen is a Small Business Utilization Specialist in the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). She assumed the role in February of 2022. In this capacity, she assists the Department on its small business outreach, education, and advocacy to help HUD meet its small business and socioeconomic goals.

Prior to joining HUD, she worked at Chemonics International for 16 years in various roles. Most notable was her role as the Small Business Liaison Officer for five years from July 2014 to June 2019. Through this position she created Chemonics’ formal corporate Small Business Department. She was responsible for managing Chemonics’ small business program to help the company meet its small business goals and meet three core small business objectives: internal policy, outreach, and reporting.

Ron Perry

President
National 8(a) Association

Ron Perry is an Alaskan Native and a nationally recognized expert in 8(a) and minority contracting to include Mentor-Protégé, Joint Ventures, teaming, equity buyouts, and national business trends.

In his role as President of the National 8(a) Association, Mr. Perry facilitated thousands of meetings between large and small companies resulting in many successful relationships that led to hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts for small businesses.

Mr. Perry has been instrumental in creating relationships with groups such as the Associated General Contractors, National Black Chamber of Commerce, the Native Hawaiian Organizations Association, US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Society of American Military Engineers, and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.

Mr. Perry’s Teya Development company provides services in Information Technology, manufacturing, janitorial, event planning, construction, Operations and Maintenance, and management sectors. Teya is a subsidiary of Salamatof Native Association located in Kenai Alaska. Teya has secured millions of dollars in contracts and now has over 750 employees nationwide. Teya has had excellent success utilizing the Small Business Administration’s programs to include the 8(a) business development program, HUBZone, and the All Small Mentor-Protégé Program. Teya also has a Secret facility clearance.

Mr. Perry obtained his bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University. He also attended 8(a) training through Loyola University and a pilot program between Howard University and the University of Alaska Anchorage.

USPAACC and the National 8(a) Association signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in April of 2022. The MOU formalizes the relationship between the organizations and expands opportunities for additional collaboration.

Ron Pierce

Director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

Ron Pierce is the Director of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In his prior role, he served as an independent management consultant, where he led efforts to address issues on environmental and climate change for several small businesses and military veteran lawmakers.

He spent five years as Senior Director of PBS Veterans and Small Business Initiatives on the Station Services Team. Ron led the national planning, coordination, and implementation efforts for member stations and other public media partners across the country. Over the course of two high-profile presidential campaigns, he was the National Director of small business, veterans, and military family outreach programs at the DNC.

A combat veteran, Ron spent 11 years as a U.S. Army Officer.

He earned his B.S. in Behavioral Human Services from U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY, and holds a Master of International Affairs from The Naval Postgraduate School at Monterey, CA.

George Price

Director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU)
U.S. Department of State

George L. Price is the Director of the Office of Small Disadvantaged Business Utilization for the U.S. Department of State. He assumed the role in October of 2015. In this capacity, he advises the Department on all small business procurement issues and is responsible for promoting the use of Small Businesses within the Department of State to support the Department’s mission of protecting U.S. interests abroad and implementing foreign policy initiatives.

Prior to the Department of State, he was the Deputy Associate Director for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Training and Management Assistance Program. He was responsible for providing Federal agencies with direct acquisition and project management assistance in the area of human capital management and customized training services.

Before joining OPM, he served ten years as the Director of Outreach Communications for the U.S. General Services Administration’s Federal Acquisition Service.

Mr. Price began his Federal career with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Over a ten year span at SBA, he was a Business Opportunity Specialist within the 8(a) program, a Business Development Specialist, and lastly as the Director of the HubZone Program for the Eastern United States.

Anthony Roberts

Small Business Professional for the Office of Small Business Programs, Aberdeen Proving Ground (OSBP - APG)
Communication and Electronics Command (CECOM)

Mr. Anthony Roberts is a Small Business Professional for the Office of Small Business Programs, Aberdeen Proving Ground (OSBP-APG), Maryland that supports the Communication and Electronics Command (CECOM) and its tenant’s organizations.

Mr. Roberts is primarily responsible for reviewing and providing input to acquisition requirements, conducting market research and overall Small Business support to the Program Executive Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors (PEO IEW&S) mission partner. PEO IEW&S is made up of 7 project managers across 3 locations, dedicated to designing, delivering, and sustaining advanced technologies to give our Soldiers the decisive edge. He also serves as the Small Business Professional supporting the Army Contracting Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG) who is responsible for executing well over $27B in obligations and over 20K contract actions in FY21.

Mr. Roberts, previously served as the Contract Operation Manager and Contracting Specialist for the Mission and Installation Contracting Command – Fort Belvoir (MICC-Fort Belvoir) office. During his tenure with MICC-Fort Belvoir he played a key role in leading several Advance Planning Briefing to Industry (APBI) at Fort Detrick, Fort Meade and Fort Belvoir.

Mr. Roberts received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from National-Louis University, he is 20 year Army veteran and Level III DAWIA certified in Contracting through the Defenses Acquisition University.

Leonardo San Román

Manager, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization’s Procurement Assistance Division
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

Leonardo San Roman currently serves as the Manager for the DOT Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization’s Procurement Assistance Division. In this capacity, Mr. San Roman is responsible for ensuring the Department of Transportation's compliance with Federal statutes and initiatives as they relate to small business development and other disadvantaged groups.

Prior to joining DOT, Mr. San Roman served as Project Manager for the Plans, Policy, and Resources Directorate with the Naval Audit Service. Previously he served as the Finance Director for the Senate of Puerto Rico. He has also served as the Deputy Director for Administration, Budget and Finance for the Office of the Governor of Puerto Rico at the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration in Washington, D.C.

Mr. San Roman earned a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus, and obtained a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.

Ben Selden

Program Officer, Community Navigator Pilot Program, Office of Entrepreneurship Education
SBA

Ben helps run the day-to-day operations of the Community Navigator Pilot Program. He began his time at the SBA as a Presidential Management Fellow. Prior to SBA, Ben worked at LEAF, a Community Development Financial Institution in Boston, MA, with a focus on providing lending and technical assistance to cooperatives and disadvantaged small businesses. He attended Harvard College and Yale School of Management and is a Massachusetts native.

Laura J. Stanton

Assistant Commissioner, Office of Information Technology Category, Federal Acquisition Service, GSA & OMB-appointed Government-Wide IT Category Manager
GSA

Laura Stanton is the Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Information Technology Category (ITC), in GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service (FAS). The Federal Acquisition Service provides buying platforms and acquisition services to Federal, DoD, State, and Local governments for a broad range of items from office supplies and motor vehicles to information technology and telecommunications products and services. As an organization within FAS, ITC provides access to a wide range of commercial and custom IT products, services, and solutions.

As Assistant Commissioner, Laura manages the largest fee-for-service IT procurement and services operation in the U.S. government. Laura leads a highly-skilled and diverse workforce that manages more than 6,000 contracts, providing access to relevant and timely IT and telecommunications products, services, and solutions to defense and civilian agencies, as well as to state, local, and tribal governments. ITC facilitates more than $32 billion in annual government spending and has provided nearly $2 billion in savings to its customers.

Before rising to lead ITC, Laura served as its Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Category Management, where she oversaw a portfolio of acquisition solutions including the Government-wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs) Alliant 2, VETS 2, 8(a) STARS II and III. In addition, her portfolio also included the Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) and the USAccess shared services programs. Laura’s guidance and oversight of the category teams helped ITC play a critical role in the Administration’s IT modernization efforts to drive a more efficient and effective government for the American people.

Laura came to ITC from GSA’s Office of Enterprise Strategy Management. As the Assistant Commissioner, Laura directed FAS’s strategic business planning, performance management, category management, and Acquisition Gateway adoption. She played an integral role in creating and executing a FAS strategic vision that aims to establish itself as the Government Acquisition Marketplace. She also coordinated with the Category Management Leadership Council and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy to implement category management government-wide.

Laura was named a recipient of the 2015 Federal 100 Awards, presented to government, industry, and academic leaders who have played pivotal roles affecting how the federal government acquires, develops, and manages IT.

Laura received her Bachelor of Arts from Smith College and a Masters of Public Policy from Georgetown University. Her thesis on broadband adoption was published by the IEEE, the world’s largest professional association for the advancement of technology.

Ron Uba

Acting Supervisor for the Office of Business Development
U.S. Department of Commerce

Ron Uba grew up and attended Public Schools in Denver, CO (during US Court Ordered Busing for De-Segregation.) While earning a BA at the University of Colorado, Boulder in Ground Water Trace Metal Analytics in Bio-Chemistry, where Ron was selected to participate in an Advanced Chemistry R&D Government Workforce Develpoment Program at the U.S. Department of Interior/ US Geological Survey Water Quality Resources Lab to build C-14 Geiger Counters , LAMDSAT IV Remote Satellite Ge-Mapping of Minerals, Petroleum, Gas and Water I data and Aqua-cultural Fish Tank Circular Systems, Ron was detailed to the US & Foreign Commercial Trade Service ITA at the Denver District / Regional Office at US DOC, focused on rare earth commodities purchases and international irrigation water technology for agri-business, mining, and hydroponics before joining a Remote Geo-Mapping Satellite Detection Oil, Gad and Water Colorado tech firm. At the University of Southern California, Ton received an MSC in Artificial Intelligence Modeling for Computer statistics and Artificial Intelligence I Operations Management System.

In his current role as a Senior Business Development Specialist, Ron was instrumental in identifying to scale data analytics for Strategic Growth Initiative’ (SGI) Million Dollar Sale Revenue MBE’s the Office of Business Development and participating in the DOC’s interagency Committees to Integrate Executive Orders (E.O.’s) #13985, #14008, and #14036 for preparing recommended policy practices for Aquaculture – Hydroponics Fish Farming with NOAA, USDA, and EPA, DLA and DOD/DLA Defense Logistics and Military Base Rapid Response Set Asides for Underserved Serviced Disabled Vets, Native Indigenous Alaskan Native 8 (a***’s) AIANNHPI’s GWAC’s and (HUB Zone / WOSB) SDB’s SBIR Roundtables, and B2G Matchmakers for the Infrastructure Investment in Transportation Construction, EDA / FEMA Emergency Resilience Support Function for Disasters, EPA Clen Water, GSA Green Energy Summit, Weather and Climate Diversity Equity Inclusion and Justice and has served as an Acting Supervisor in 2021 and 2022 for sharing the Lead Access role in promoting Contracts Acquisition Opportunity (Category Management and OTA’s Other Transactional Authorities) during his Team rotation detail in the Office of Business Development and Office if Native American Business Development.. Ron oversaw management of 14 NE states w. MBDA Centers prior to the 2012 move to US Department of Commerce HQ in Washington, DC during “9-11”, Ron advocated Business Data Use, Mining and Community Partnership Office at the NY Regional US Bureau of the Census / USDOC from 1998 to 2003 before joining MBDA Prudential Financial Services, and North American Corporate Business Operations to deploy Global and US Market Francise Strategic Market Development and Multimedia Technology Training while working for KUMON USA –KUMON multi- Ethnic Education in Franchise Markets to North America, 5 continents and NJ, NY, DC, and Toronto. Contributed to STEM Training with US National Teacher’s Training Institute/Public Broadcasting Stations at WNET Channel 13 NYC.

Among his achievements, Ron was recognized with the NJ Statewide AAPI Governor's Award by Governor James Mc Greever in 2003 and in 2016 Government Advocate of the Year by the National and NY-NJ Minority Supplier Diversity Council for trailblazing MBDA Government-Corporate Mentor - Protégé Advocacy to the Pharmaceutical and Bio—Life Medical by join lunching the Diversity Alliance for Science Diversity Supplier’s Conference from 2005 – 2015. Ron advanced Policy Compliance with the Westerner Pacific School and Colleges Regional Credentialing Board to revise outdated Curriculum and Test Placement Assessment for Undeterred and Minority Students involved in STEM/STEM and Advanced Placement Test Assessments to better align with California Stat Instructional and Financial / Business Technology Curriculum Design while Acting HS Principal at Stoneridge Precatory High School in San Fernando Valley ( Stage Screen Actor’s Guild). Later, Ron was selected to launch the Interdisciplinary Advanced Assessment for School-Careers in Global Environmental Ecosystem impact and Commercial Innovation Curriculum for Math, Science and Computer NGO’s by the Camogie Foundation Endowment with the International Schools of the United Nations and the United Nations Development Programs in New York.

Michelle E. Warren

Deputy Director Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU)
U.S. Department of Agriculture

Michelle Warren began her federal career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1988, as a Federal Market News Reporter within the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Agency, then later served as the Contracting Officer for the Commodity Procurement Branch, responsible for the supervision of purchasing teams which administers contracts for commodities for distribution to the National School Lunch Program and other Food Assistance Programs.

By 2010, Michelle was assigned Program Manager in the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU). In December 2015, Michelle was appointed Deputy Director in OSDBU and still holds that position. It is her responsibility to provide maximum opportunities for small businesses to participate in USDA contracting activities. Michelle served in the Acting Director’s capacity from December 2016-May 2022.

Educating, and Supporting the Buyer and the Seller is OSDBU’s core value.

Michelle’s philosophy is, “Think about what you want to do, DO IT, then think about what you have done!”

Michelle is a graduate of Virginia State University located in Petersburg, VA with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business and Economics.

Robb Wong

USPAACC Procurement Opportunity Center Advisory Council and Founder CEO
FedSolve

Robb recently returned to FedSolve to lead small business growth strategy. From 2017-2020 he was appointed by the White House to SBA as Associate Administrator/GCBD where he led the small business government contracting industry for the United States. He worked with Congress, the White House, DOD, Civilian, and industry leaders to grow the industry by more than 34% (largest growth in history). Robb increased the usefulness of federal certifications to include 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, SDVOSB, ASMPP/JV and improved protections for small businesses with several new regulations published from 2019-2020. His team’s objective was that “small businesses are government’s best option to achieve agency missions!” That commitment remains today.

Robb’s professional background is unique with over 30 years of experience and expertise in SBA and government contract laws and policy; but also, with significant success leading small and large government contractors. He started his career with SBA as HQ attorney (he’s a Hoya Lawya) he was counsel to the 8(a) program; and helped to author eligibility rules in 1990 that are still in existence today. He moved into management and served as Acting Director in 2 SBA District offices. From 1997-2017, Robb left government and entered the private sector, where he was CEO, owned, or led several 8(a) and HUBZone companies before going back to government at SBA as AA/GCBD from 2017-2020. Robb remains an active leader, advocate and advisor in the government contracting industry.