THE ABILITY PROJECT

We started the Podcast Series with the intension to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these worrying COVID-19 times as they seek their new careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of their college campuses. We have invited employers and HR-related professionals from various industries to share experiences, guidance, information, instruction, and recommendations for graduates. Our hope is for new and recent graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this month’s episode, we interviewed Celena Evans, an enterprising business professional with exceptional repertoire of experiences across many industries. Celena Evans is the founder and president of Meliora Consulting. She is a strategic senior-level professional with over 20 years’ experience across several industries in business management, market strategy, product management and development, and project management roles with multi-billion-dollar corporations. She is known for developing innovative solutions that successfully meet both customer and company needs, while bridging strategy and execution to consistently deliver exceptional results. A licensed REALTOR in Georgia and a Project Management Professional (PMP, she is highly skilled at leveraging internal and external relationships and leading through change. During her corporate tenure she realized that she has tremendous passion for working in a consultative manner with a variety of businesses to solve unique problems, optimize processes, and bring new opportunities to fruition. Celena is also passionate about community, mentoring, talent development, and diversity. She is an avid supporter of organizations that focus on women, minorities, children, and education. She is a member of the board of trustees for Literacy Action, the oldest and largest adult education program in the Southeast. She served on the Emory University Executive Women of Goizueta alumnae board from 2008 to 2013 and held positions of President, as well as Chair of the Advisory Board. She served as a board member of Economic Empowerment Initiative from 2004-2010. She has mentored many young women through programs offered by Emory University, Spelman College, Pathbuilders, and several non-profit organizations. In recognition of her leadership in business and commitment to the community, Celena was named to the 2009 “Top 40 under 40” by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Ms. Evans holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Rochester, an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech, and an M.B.A. from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. She is a 2009 graduate of the Pathbuilders Achieva program for high-performing people. She is also Pragmatic Marketing Certified, and a Toastmasters Competent Communicator.

We started the Podcast Series with the intension to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these worrying COVID-19 times as they seek their new careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of their college campuses. We have invited employers and HR-related professionals from various industries to share experiences, guidance, information, instruction, and recommendations for graduates. Our hope is for new and recent graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this month’s episode, we interviewed Dr. Vincent Parry, an imminent project management professional and educator. Dr. Parry is an astute fellow Santaclausian with a knack for precision, learning and research. His unique stories are relatable to many professional diasporas in their search for professional success and an ending desire to making a difference within their communities. Dr. Parry is an Associate Professor at DeVry University and holds a green belt certificate in Lean Six Sigma. His work in Information Technology has helped to transform best practices at Oklahoma State Department of Health and Koch Industries, among others.

We started the Podcast Series with the intension to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these worrying COVID-19 times as they seek their new careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of their college campuses. We have invited employers and HR-related professionals from various industries to share experiences, guidance, information, instruction, and recommendations for graduates. Our hope is for new and recent graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this special international women’s month episode, we interviewed Christine Chasse, a lawyer, a master's prepared registered nurse, and a plain-speaking advocate for fair-mindedness. Her combined professional experiences are intertwined with cardiac nursing, hospital education, and nursing leadership for a career in healthcare law. Ms. Chasse is an Associate Attorney for Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, LLP, a U.S. general practice law firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California with offices in 52 cities and 29 states and Washington, DC. She focuses her practice on representing healthcare institutions such as skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities regarding claims of professional liability, healthcare or medical malpractice liability, premises liability, and wrongful death. Ms. Chasse also represents healthcare providers, including physicians, nurses, and chiropractors. Her riveting post on LinkedIn about her experiences with a misogynist went viral, trending with over a million views from across professional networking platforms.

This Podcast Series is a special one, with the intention to inform the people of Georgia about who they need to know and vote for in the upcoming Gubernatorial elections to held on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. For this episode, we interview Dr. Kandiss Taylor, a South Georgia native and seasoned educator. For more than 19 years as a public servant, Dr. Taylor has served as a public school system teacher, school counselor, testing coordinator, student services coordinator, and homeless liaison. She is passionate about the plight of Georgia’s working class and willing to boost small business growth and the overall economy. Her passion runs deep on many causes, including the state of mental health, education, and election integrity.  Dr. Taylor is running to give Georgia a true representative, non-establishment alternative leadership based on conservative principles for all Georgians.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, we interviewed our first guest with roots from southeast Asia.  Dr. Irene Molina is a registered nurse with 26 years of combined experiences in critical care nursing, nursing administration, nursing education, research, and public health practice experience.  Her clinical background allows her to practice critical thinking, decision making, and organizational skills to work efficiently under extreme pressure. Dr. Molina has taught as an adjunct faculty for nursing undergraduate and graduate programs for colleges. She has a wealth of practical experiences in health program evaluation, grant reviews, public health advocacy, and legislative policy support.  Dr. Molina had the opportunity to provide technical assistance support to several community-based organizations serving the minority communities in Maryland. As a public health researcher, her special interests included dissemination and translation research, and health disparities research. Dr. Molina is a staunch advocate of health disparities improvement and minority health.  As a member of American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN), American Association of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), and Maryland Association of Healthcare Executives (MACHE), she utilizes social media platforms to advance her advocacy works. Her vision is to improve health disparities by addressing the impacts of social determinants of health to enhance health outcomes, and health care utilization.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, we interview Akua Gyabaah, a strategic content and process management guru who is focused on improving efficiencies within organizations. Ms. Gyabaah is a data-driven, collaborative and results-oriented professional with over 20 years of experience with data collection, integrity, and management, grant writing, training and technical assistance and evaluation procedures as related to diverse organizations, requirements, resources, and objectives. She brings organizational and project management expertise around proposal development, financial and resource management, project design and implementation, change management, and continuous improvement. As a trainer, Ms. Gyabaah connects seamlessly with adult learners from variety of backgrounds and perspectives, as well as mentor team members to connect them with personal and professional development resources.  Additionally, she exhibits excellent spoken, written, organizational, presentation and communication skills.  All in all, Ms. Gyabaah has developed a strong portfolio of expertise in project and data management, training and technical assistance, information and technology transfer, quality assurance management, and business development.  She prides herself on her ability to serve as a valuable resource at both the organizational- and project-levels.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, we interview a multifaceted lady professional from the “Great White North” with a resume to die for. Ms. De-Heer is a policy analyst for the Public Health Agency of Canada (Agence de la santé publique du Canada), serving as a Subject Matter Expert on Black Canadians (MHBC) at the Intersectoral Partnerships and Initiatives, Social Determinants of Health Division. Prior to that, she was a Clinical Health Analyst for University Health Network, Canada’s largest academic health sciences centre which was named as one of the world’s top 10 hospitals list by Newsweek. Ms. De-Heer is the Anti-Racism Ambassador for Experiences Canada (formerly SEVEC), a nominee for 2021 YMCA Young Woman Excellence Award, and the founder of Power of Love Foundation Canada, an emerging grassroots organization that aims to improve the overall well-being of Ghanaians residing in Canada.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, we interview Dr. Coleen James, a highly qualified educator with over fifteen years of teaching experience.  Dr. James is a detail-oriented professional with extensive management experience.  She applies a variety of teaching styles and adapt instruction to students with diverse learning styles.  With a unique ability to excel in a demanding, outcome-oriented, and dynamic work environment, Dr. James is also skilled in many disciplines such as real estate, management, marketing, and sales.  She is a successful small business owner of Tiguan Trucking, LLC., a Certified Residential Appraiser and a Real Estate Agent.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, our guest is David Wilson, an experienced Ghanaian talent manager and HR consultant with an established history of working in various countries in the West Africa region including Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ghana across many industries. He currently is the Head of HR, West Africa for Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) group, a Swiss multinational company headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland which provides inspection, verification, testing and certification services. It has more than 89,000 employees and operates over 2,600 offices and laboratories worldwide. It ranked on Forbes Global 2000 in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Davis is experienced in Industrial relations, negotiations, talent development, recruitment, compensation management and others. With an MBA (Human Resource Management) and a Psychology degree with Industrial and Organizational Psychology emphasis, David has multi-functional responsibilities as ex-Board Member and Trustee for a youth-driven, Africa-focused volunteering and grant-making charity. He is also a personal Finance coach and a support foster caregiver for young people with Autism for dating back to 2008.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, our guest is an experiential marketer, brand storyteller, marketing consultant in luxury, fashion, and retail and a professional coach. She is the CEO and Founder of Image Architects & Management, a global marketing, fashion, and professional coaching firm. She consults and coaches retail and fashion brands, corporations, universities, career professionals, and professional athletes. Her business knowledge and industry experiences yield from one of the most famous luxury organizations in the world, Neiman Marcus. She enjoyed an exciting and rewarding career as a luxury marketing/business consultant, theory retail clothing buyer where she managed a $1.5 million dollar business, the third largest in the company out of 41 stores in swimsuit and cashmere buyer and million dollar sales person ranking in the top 10% of associates in the company. She worked with a lot of studios and movie production companies to assist wardrobe consultants with character dressing for film and television.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, we interview a lady with a fantastic list of accomplishments from many industries. Kristi Pelzel is a Senior International Correspondent and Communications Director at Today News Africa, a U.S.-based African news organization focused on U.S.-Africa Policy and Affairs. Kristi produces and directs media projects across U.S. and African markets, with stakeholders associated with current events. Her expertise spans broadcast, digital, and social media communication, nested with policy research, analysis, and writing. A member of the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. and a Member of the Foreign Press at the United States Department of State and the United Nations, Kristi holds a B.A. from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, California, and an M.A. from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, our emphasis was providing advice to new and recent graduates with STEM-related backgrounds. We had as guest Dr. Chinonso Akano, a longtime friend of mine who makes it a point to make a difference within his community. He is a pharmacist by training and a practicing medical scientist has worked for numerous pharmaceutical companies in the US. Currently at Gilead Sciences, he has helped to launch several therapies for patients suffering from life threatening diseases.  He is an educator and the founder of a charitable foundation - The Akano Foundation, whose mission is to serve and provide cultural awareness and support healthy sustainable communities through education and technology. He is alumnus of East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania and Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, our guest is known for delivering strategic solutions to Fortune 500 clients, and recognized for his expertise in transformational leadership. He was the CEO and Founder of Christian Jones Consulting. Sanctioned by his clients as a change agent, he was a prominent results-oriented mentor and coach, using over 25 years of executive project management and leadership development experience to help move organizations and individuals towards higher levels of thinking. Brian's interactive approach to strategic planning and leadership development has garnered him national attention for leading, facilitating and coaching high-performing teams. His innovative platform has been used across multiple industries to enable professionals and organizations to clarify their current challenges and deliver sustainable solutions to strategic issues. Prior to founding Christian Jones Consulting, LLC, he held executive roles with Ocwen Financial Group, Mass Mutual, Aetna and progressive program and project management positions with GE, BMO Financial Group, BP-Amoco, Ernst & Young, LLP, Hewitt Associates and State Farm Insurance. Brian died of complications from COVID. Forever in our hearts.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, our emphasis was providing advice and recommendations to new and recent graduate listeners outside North America. Our guest was Mr. Prosper Dzitse, a Ghanaian human resource leader and expert.  He is currently the Director of Human Resources of Cocoa360, a not-for-profit international organization that aims to transform rural farming communities through access to education, employment and healthcare. Cocoa360 facilitates a tuition-free girls' school, pioneered the world's first agro-campus and "sweat-to-impact" model of health equity, and a hospital on a cocoa 40-acre plantation.  Mr. Dzitse shared very powerfully inspired nuggets for graduates adequately needed for the COVID-19 pandemic world. A graduate of the University of Ghana, Mr. Dzitse was the West Africa regional representative of the youth of Ghana at the Commonwealth Youth Council. He is the Associate Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society, a network of individuals and organizations committed to educating and advocating for human rights, democracy, rule of law, good governance, international peace and security of the lives and prospects of Commonwealth citizens across the world.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, our emphasis was providing advice to new and recent graduates with STEM-related backgrounds. Our guest was Mr. James Grant-Monney. He is a project and team lead for a Fortune 500 company. His skills include process improvement and implements systems. he is currently a Salesforce Administrator and uses analytics, data science and statistical reporting to accomplish information system tasks for business units. Mr. Grant-Monney adds value to end users through sharing technical expertise to their understanding.  He is a people leader who creates a clear strategy and delivers results through small teams. He has served as business strategist for clients that appear aloof and dismissive of those with less intellectual horsepower to general managers who align and inspire their employees through personal connections. A graduate of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana and Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, he is also certified in Citrix, Microsoft Power BI and working on Python programming and data science certification with edX.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, we invited a talent acquisition expert from the United Kingdom to share useful insights needed for new and recent graduates to use in their job search. Ms. Akida John Ambrose has over 7 years' recruitment experience introducing junior- to Board-, Director- and C-Level executive into corporate, professional services firms, and private equity organizations across Africa, Europe, the US and Australia. She has strong relationship and stakeholder management skills gained from executive-level recruiting, trustee leadership and cross-cultural project management. Raised from humble Caribbean and English roots, Ms. John-Ambrose is driven by a spirit of continuous learning, curiosity and ‘intrapreneurship’, as demonstrated by Warwick LLB and Birkbeck Mini-MBA practices. She grew the first Africa-focused community of its kind at Movemeback, connecting 50,000 global professionals to African opportunities. She is an ex-Board Member and Trustee for youth-driven, Africa-focused volunteering and grant-making charity in the UK. As a Personal finance coach, she has been a support foster caregiver for young people with autism for the past 12 years. Ms. John-Ambrose has a Law degree with honors from Warwick University, a degree in Commercial and Company Law from Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Netherlands and a Mini MBA from Birkbeck, University of London.

For this episode, we are very fortunate to host a fine human being with a knack for helping others. Our guest leads by example. She is an organizational psychologist, trainer, consultant, speaker, mentor college professor, and an author. She co-authored a book regarding women in the workplace called, “She Crabs in a Barrel”. She has over 20 years of business and management experience working for a Fortune 500 Corporation. She is an Industrial Organizational Psychologist and uses psychological principles and research methods to solve problems in the workplace and improve the quality of life. She has a passion for and specializes in diversity and inclusion, leadership, management, organizational behavior and employee work styles. She is champion of education and higher learning. With an MBA in Management and Accounting and a Ph.D. in Industrial Organizational Psychology, she directs the Master of Science in Organizational Leadership and Undergraduate Business Departments of Union Institute and University. Prior to that, she was the Department Chair of a Graduate Business Department of a University, where she helped countless doctoral students continue their studies and finish their dissertations.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, we interviewed Dr. Samuel Jacobs-Abbey and Mr. Ricardo Wrice. Dr. Jacobs-Abbey is the Executive Director of Jacobs-Abbey Global Institute for Leadership Studies. He is a scientific researcher, consultant, Diplomat and expert in Public Health Policy. He has an extensive background in International Human Rights, Leadership and Conflict Resolution . He was a distinguished fellow from the Institute of Comparative Studies, University of Connecticut. He has presented and discussed research papers at several international conferences. Artist for Human Rights recognized his work and innovative method for the teaching of human rights with the prestigious Human Rights Hero Award. In 2019 Dr. Jacobs-Abbey was awarded with the prestige Mahatma Ghandi Leadership Award for Social Good by Lanka Achievers Foundation, Sri Lanka aimed at honoring and popularizing the social good impact of thousands of individuals and organizations making social change impact. In addition, he has chaired conference sessions on Global Health issues, corporate governance, Human Rights, Leadership and in emerging economies. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American Health Information Management Association. A Junior Chamber International Lifelong Senator and a season diplomat. Dr. Jacobs-Abbey is a frequent speaker at the United Nations and a keynote speaker at charitable events across the globe. He is an ordained Minister of God. Mr. Wrice is a self-proclaimed “Male Oprah” who leads The Leadership Blend Media Company and Wrice Development Consultants, both in Atlanta Georgia. He uses content creation to highlight leaders and their leadership character through created television, radio and print. Notable personalities on his shows include actor Michael Jai White, Bob Rogers, "Top 10 Forbes D&I Trailblazer" CEO and author Dr. Shelton Goode, Georgia Chamber of Commerce CEO Chris Clark, and American politician Maya Dillard Smith. The company houses a radio, television and podcast shows and focused on taking leadership to the next level. His company offer print magazine options of curated content. Mr. Wrice has published a book titled, “Calculated Conflict” that is available for purchase on Amazon.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, we interviewed Mr. Godfred Manteaw. He is a Senior Manager at Sogeti USA, delivering solutions that enable digital transformation and offering cutting-urge expertise in the Cloud cybersecurity and digital manufacturing space. He is responsible for the Corteva Agriscience account, providing to farmers a complete portfolio of biotechnology solutions. Godfred also worked for Blue Cross Blue Shield Minnesota and Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. Project podcast because he believes in the power of “paying it forward.” Mr. Manteaw chose to be a part of the Ability Outside of work, Godfred likes to read, watch movies and participate in social and political discussion with friends. He currently lives in Johnston, Iowa with his wife Sheila. Godfred is a graduate of the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management and the University of Illinois at Chicago.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, we interviewed Mr. Jeffrey Boham. He is in the business of helping organizations and professionals improve their profitability and performance bandwidths in the areas of talent development, performance improvement, business, project management and general human capital management and evaluation. He did so with American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), 2001 and 2013 NFL Champions Baltimore Ravens, Toastmasters International, The Association for Talent Development (ATD), Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Project Management Institute (PMI), and Aerotek Inc. and its subsidiaries.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, we interviewed host two respectable doctorate professionals with principled ethos and extraordinary stories in the persons of Dr. William Hawks and Dr. James Ruether.  From GED to Doctor – once a homeless and a former foster child, Dr. Hawks possess 15+ years of decorated leadership experience developing strategy, creating best-in-class business tools and processes, delivering impactful training and keynote experiences, enhancing individual and team performance outcomes and building successful people empowerment partnerships worldwide. His professional and scholastic efforts have garnered a plethora of recognitions from several organizations and individuals, including President Barack Obama. Dr. Hawks recently served as the Senior Manager for Global Employee & Labor Relations for a Fortune 40 corporation with 195,000+ employees and annual sales of $70+ billion dollars. Dr. Ruether is a Dr. S. Irving Stayer Award for Superior Service recipient at Strayer University. His research focus is on technology adaptation of online marketing tools and tactics for small businesses. He possesses powerful research skills, analytical aptitude and executive business experience. Dr. Ruether is an experienced professional with a strong corporate background in sales management, operations and administration. He served in executive capacities with Sofo Foods of Georgia, Bari Italian Foods/Paparella Foods, Nortell/Bellsouth and Multifoods Distribution Group. He is the founder and director or research of Bizwire Marketing 3.0 Services, a consulting service that offers individual organizations with a series of tools and training associated with the processes and procedures of a marketing 3.0 strategy.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, we interviewed Dr. Courtney Hammonds. He personifies the definition of a renaissance man. With over 20 years of professional experience in multiple industries, he has built a solid reputation as a multi-gifted and multi-purposed professional in his roles as a global educator, marketing strategist, and fashion storyteller. An advocate for Higher Education and a lifelong learner, he championed the introduction of the Gap for Community Colleges program as Design Department Chair at the Art Institute of Atlanta & the Art Institute of Decatur, which was a part of “Skills for America’s Future”, a White House initiative that was launched under the President Obama administration.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, we interviewed Mr. Marvin Vaughn. He is an experienced talent manager, HR consultant, business strategist, Certified Executive Life Coach, diversity strategist, business development manager and corporate recruiter with a demonstrated history of working in various verticals with Fortune 500 companies. He is an experienced talent executive, Human Resource Business Partner (HRBP) and Career Coach with over 15 years of experience working with some of the most profitable US industrial corporations, Non-Profits, Start-up companies and entrepreneurs.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, we interviewed Ms. Maria Guzman. She is the Global HR (Systems, Processes and Employee Relations) for Mohawk Industries, the world’s best and largest flooring company with more than 42,000 employees across the globe. As a Fortune 500 global flooring leader, Mohawk’s innovative ceramic, tile, carpet, rugs, laminate, wood, sheet vinyl, and luxury vinyl tile products are sold in more than 170 countries. Maria directs a team of 11, focusing on HR systems and employee experience functions. She supports the organization with leveraging systems to better compliment and meet business goals by doing good work, creating positive change and serving internal customers. Maria previously held a Regional HR Manager position within Mohawk, where she acquired experience in project management and complex collaboration across 10 locations with various levels of management while meeting positive employee relations with over 1,000 employees. She has been very passionate in serving the interests of Latin American Association, Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA, Inc.), Human Resources Management & Executive Network, and Hispanic Corporate Council of Atlanta (HCCA).

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, we interviewed Dr. Philip Otienoburu.  Affectionately referred to as "Dr. O", he personifies the definition of a renaissance man. He is currently the Director of Food Systems Financing at Self-Help Credit Union, a leading U.S. community development financial institution headquartered in Durham, North Carolina that provided over $7 billion in financing to 146,000 families, individuals and businesses from 1980 through 2017. In this role, he works as part of a team dedicated to ensuring that business owners working across the food systems value chain, especially minority-owned businesses, have access to finance to support the growth of their enterprises. "Dr. O" is especially excited about the mission of Self-Help to promote ownership and economic opportunity for all. Prior to joining Self-Help, "Dr. O" was Associate Professor of Biology and founding Director of the Center for Renewable Energy & Sustainability at Johnson C. Smith University, a private university in Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. At the university, "Dr. O" directed the “Sustainability Village” to address food insecurity in the community. The village is an innovative living-learning prototype – offering research, service-learning activities and study abroad and experiential education opportunities as coursework for students – to enhance student understanding of sustainable development, community food systems and alternative lifestyles that promote conservation. He has served in various capacities at the World Bank, the United Nations (UN), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and served on multiple Boards in North Carolina.

1. Learn how to refine your leadership skills to keep your hard-earned stakeholders (employees, clients, customers, vendors, board, etc.). 2. Learn how to get spotted and chosen for a leadership position when the economy is re-opened. 3. Develop the skills every confident leader needs in the post-COVID-19 pandemic business world. 4. Explore leadership roles as a strategist, change agent, coach, manager, communicator, mentor, and team member to fit into the "new economy". 5. Develop a unique leadership style for maximum impact.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, we interviewed Mr. Hugh Rowden, a professional who is passionate about leading teams, developing new innovative strategies, leveraging technology in crisis management, solving complex problems, and external relations. Over the last decade, Mr. Rowden has been challenged to build new programs, transform organizations, and mitigate risks. The key to his success has been his ability to use connectional intelligence to establish critical relationships, develop effective process with measurable outcomes, mobilize teams to build innovative solutions with positive impacts to the community, and deliver strong financial results. He is currently the Head of Engagement Initiatives and Community Outreach for Wells Fargo & Company, an American multinational financial services company that is the world's fourth-largest bank by market capitalization and the fourth largest bank in the US by total assets. Wells Fargo & Company is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with central offices throughout the United States.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, we are very fortunate to host two honorable professionals with a knack for helping others in the persons of Mr. Demetrius Wilson and Ms. Anise Mastin. Our guests personify the definition of leadership. Mr. Wilson is an experienced business professional with a diverse background in financial services that has yielded great success as a business strategist and executionist. As the Vice President of Bank of America with the portfolio of managing enterprise payments, merchant services, sales performance and enablement, he is responsible for managing large transformational programs, organizational restructuring, and leading cross-functional teams. His technical acumen and experience have focused on utilizing strategic approaches to solve complex problems while demonstrating the ability to exhibit effective executive communication and action. He is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment by excelling at STEM function recruitment and university relations Ms. Mastin is a brand and technologically savvy marketing executive with 10+ years of digital product marketing leadership across public and private sectors who led a global organization at a Fortune 100 company. She was responsible for managing the digital, B2B, B2C, automation, brand, product, customer experience, revenue generation, press and analyst relations, business insights, and channel partners across many spectrums. She has demonstrated leadership in empowering teams, engaging emerging platforms, optimizing operations to reduce cost while improving service quality and strengthening the bottom line.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college.  For this episode, we are very fortunate to host a fine human being with a knack for helping others. Our guest operates best when he comes into a challenging situation and pulls a team together to get things sorted out and make things happen. His specialties of interests are in wireless communications with 20+ years’ experience in the industry, including 10+ years in senior management roles. He is currently the Department Chair and Associate Professor, College of Business, Department of Decision Sciences at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

The Podcast Series is intended to guide new and recent graduates to become quality professionals in these troubling times as they seek their careers and adjust to the new realities outside the walls of college campuses. Employers and professionals from various industries will share experiences, guidance, information, instruction and recommendations for graduates. The hope is for graduates to strategically navigate new useful ideas to deal with realities never taught in college. For this episode, we interviewed Mr. Ricardo Wrice with Kennesaw State University Marketing Junior Mikhai Culpepper. Mr. Wrice is a self-proclaimed “Male Oprah” who leads The Leadership Blend Media Company and Wrice Development Consultants, both in Atlanta Georgia. He uses content creation to highlight leaders and their leadership character through created television, radio and print. Notable personalities on his shows include actor Michael Jai White, Bob Rogers, "Top 10 Forbes D&I Trailblazer" CEO and author Dr. Shelton Goode, Georgia Chamber of Commerce CEO Chris Clark, and American politician Maya Dillard Smith. The company houses a radio, television and podcast shows and focused on taking leadership to the next level. His company offer print magazine options of curated content. Mr. Wrice has published a book titled, “Calculated Conflict” that is available for purchase on Amazon.