Ask JBH with Janice Bryant Howroyd

Eddy Moratin is president of Lift Orlando, a nonprofit that works with residents, business leaders, and community partners for neighborhood revitalization in The Communities of West Lakes. The organization, recently given the Floridian of the Year award by Florida Trend, strengthens the historically African American communities near Camping World Stadium by providing mixed-income housing, cradle-t...

Sigal Atzmon left a successful career in the financial sector to pursue her entrepreneurial ambitions and her passion for healthcare.  Born and raised in Belgium, Sigal climbed the ranks in the finance industry in Geneva, Switzerland, which led to a series of appointments to executive management roles. Sigal’s last role before starting her business was the Head of Private Banking at UMB, where she...

M Abeo (they/them) is a Mental Health Advocate, Speaker, Podcast host, Producer and Photographer + Creator of the Faces of Fortitude movement, which began as a series of portraits documenting the healing for those affected by suicide - providing a safe, stigma-free space both virtually and in person for mental health and suicide to be discussed. After losing their brother over a decade ago to suic...

Rob represents a new post-partisan generation of political figures: the “service generation.” At a young age, he realized that bettering his community mattered more than fame on the football field or in Washington, D.C. As a native Coloradan, Rob understands the need for community unity. He is a problem-solver, concerned with identifying the key issues that confront our community and developing lo...

Ami Kassar, founder and CEO of MultiFunding and author of The Growth Dilemma , has earned a national reputation as a thought leader in business finance. An in-demand speaker and trusted advisor to growth-focused business leaders, Ami has helped thousands of business owners achieve ambitious growth goals through creative and personalized funding solutions. His work has helped create tens of thousan...

Dr. James Deutsch is an emergency medicine physician in Torrance, California and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance and Torrance Memorial Medical Center . He received his medical degree from University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years.

Dr. Sara Brand is the Founding General Partner of True Wealth Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund investing in women-led companies improving environmental and/or human health. She is also the co-founder of (512) Brewing, the largest draught-only, self-distributing microbrewery in the U.S. before COVID, after co-founding it with her husband with the mission to be a green and clean brewery...

Michele Kajiwara is the senior vice president of premium seating sales for STAPLES Center and Microsoft Theater, two world-class venues owned and operated by AEG, the largest sports and entertainment company in the world. STAPLES Center is the home of four professional sports franchises – the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and the WNBA’s Los Angeles...

Shuchi is an accomplished marketer with broad experience in different roles and numerous categories across many geographies at HP, Compaq, Motorola and Ogilvy Advertising. Prior to joining Creo, she was the Global Head of Marketing for HP's digital printing business and the recipient of many industry awards including EFFIEs, Cannes Lions, "Innovative Marketer by Economic Times," and &#...

Dr. Randal Pinkett has established himself as an entrepreneur, speaker, author and scholar, and as a leading voice for his generation in business, technology, diversity and inclusion.  He is the co-founder, chairman and CEO of his fifth venture, BCT Partners, a multimillion-dollar research, training, consulting, technology, and data analytics firm headquartered in Newark, NJ.  BCT’s mission is to...

As the Founder and CEO of Color Coded Kids (CCK), a computer programming firm geared towards kids, Shay is responsible for overall strategy and expansion of CCK’s current national footprint.  In addition, Shay also founded Color Coded Kids Foundation (CCK Foundation), a 501c3 aimed to provide financial assistance for CCK’s courses.  In the past 3 years, CCK Foundation has awarded more than $40,000...

Sanford D. Greenberg is Chairman of the Board of Governors of The Johns Hopkins University's Wilmer Eye Institute, the largest clinical and research enterprise in ophthalmology in the United States.   He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a Trustee Emeritus of The Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medicine,...

Jay Ruderman has focused his life’s work on seeking social justice by advocating for people with disabilities worldwide, and educating Israeli leaders on the American Jewish Community. As President of the Ruderman Family Foundation, his ambitious approach has led the Foundation to become a leader in inclusion and disability rights advocacy both nationally and in Israel. Jay’s emphasis on philanthr...

Chris Denson is an award-winning innovation advocate, marketer, host, and humor-inspired content creator.  As both a storyteller and practitioner, he is an expert at uncovering unique business insights, cultural touchpoints, technological applications, imaginative thinking, and the emotional intelligence required to bring groundbreaking ideas to life. From Fortune 50 brands to startups to governme...

Elizabeth A. Vazquez is the CEO and Co-Founder of WEConnect International, a global network that connects women-owned businesses to qualified buyers around the world. She is a world leader in women’s economic empowerment and global supplier diversity and inclusion.   As the head of WEConnect International, Ms. Vazquez is responsible for mission delivery and measurable impact. WEConnect Internation...

Francine A. LeFrak is the President of the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation and the Same Sky Foundation Fund. A successful social entrepreneur, women’s rights advocate, and philanthropist, Francine founded a trade initiative, Same Sky, to help women who were invisible become visible through the dignity of work. Her work with Same Sky began with survivors of the Rwandan genocide and continued in the U...

Dr. J. Chris Ford is an experienced serial entrepreneur, researcher, and expert in building inclusive innovation ecosystems and programs for intellectual property monetization for Federal agencies, universities, corporations, and investors.  Currently, Dr. Ford is Principal Scientist and Research Faculty at Florida International University and University of Houston, respectively. Additionally, Dr....

Benita Fortner is the recently retired director of supplier diversity for Raytheon Company where she concluded her forty-seven-year career in the aerospace and defense industry. During her career, Fortner served on many government and industry councils, boards and chaired the National MED Week Planning Committee from 2002–2004. She was named Chair Emeritus in 2005. She is a past chair of the Natio...

Adrienne Trimble is the President and CEO of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). She is a known thought leader for advancing corporate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Trimble brings to this position the same executive vision and record of achievement that defined her remarkable career at Toyota Motor North America, where she served as General Manager, Diversity...

Laurie Dowling is President of The Dowling-Woo Company, a woman and minority-owned small business.   Laurie is a consultant who works with non-profit organizations and for-profit enterprises on strategic issues including diversity, general management, fundraising, executive search, strategic planning, management development, and Board development.     As a consultant, Laurie is Executive Director...

Mayank Shah is the Founder & CEO of Minority Supplier Development UK (MSDUK). Before moving to the UK from India in 2000, Mayank ran a successful business for 16 years procuring steel and hardware for some of the largest OEMs and infrastructure projects in India. Mayank has an MBA from Leeds University and has conducted his doctoral research on supplier diversity; based on his vast business ex...

Denise Gregg is the COO of AppleOne Canada.  She has over 30 years of client care experience in sales, training, operations and client relations. Talent Champion, Trainer, Motivator, Activator, Leader, Change Agent, Writer and Coach.  Denise has also worked as a Business/Life Coach and has a Degree in Journalism.

Janice’s sister Zest joins Ask JBH.

Cedric and Kim Shiner are an African American husband and wife team in Inland Southern California who have started a ranch to bring organic farm fresh eggs and meat to the community. Their five acre farm in Barstow, California is a dream realized for Cedric, a retired corrections counselor and peace officer who grew up visiting his uncle’s farm in Texas.  Kim currently serves as Associate Vice Pre...

Adriana Gascoigne is the Founder and CEO of Girls in Tech, a San Francisco-based non-profit organization devoted to empowering, educating and engaging women in the tech industry across 47 chapters in 33 countries. No stranger to growing brands and building amazing companies, Adriana has worked with tech companies like Indiegogo, Oracle’s Involver, and Change.org. She has also served in executive r...