AGENDA & SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

*Speaker lineup subject to changes.* About the America21-BDPA Innovation Summit & Dinner.

America21-BDPA Innovation Leadership Summit & Dinner

Baltimore Hilton, July 31, 2012

401 West Pratt Street

Baltimore, MD 21201

(443) 573-8700

8:15 pm

Theme: Moving Black America into the 21st Century Innovation Economy

AGENDA:

5: Welcome / Opening Remarks: BDPA & Sponsor

15: Minority Pathway to Success in Maryland: Eric Franklin, CEO of ERIMAX, Inc.

15: The America21 Project: Moving Black America into the 21st Century Innovation Economy

15: Audience Q&A with America21

10: Break

25: Panel Discussion: From Pipeline to Productivity — STEM Education, High-Growth Entrepreneurship, Wealth Creation and Asset Management

40: Audience Q&A with Panel

5: Call to Action / Next Steps

5: Thank Sponsors / Closing Remarks

$100. Limited seating. Get ready for a serious focus and visionary path forward.

SPEAKER BIOS

Eric Franklin

Eric Franklin: Local Success Story

Mr. Franklin is the CEO and President of ERIMAX, Inc., an SBA 8(a) and MD MBE-certified corporation providing acquisition, program management, and information technology services. Mr. Franklin has led the company through ten years of profitable growth while maintaining the highest levels of customer satisfaction. ERIMAX has assisted many federal government agencies including:

• Department of Defense;
• U.S. Census Bureau;
• Departments of Commerce,
• Department of Education,
• State Department and many others.

As a result of the growth and success of ERIMAX, Mr. Franklin was awarded the 2011 Leading Edge Award for “CEO of the Year,” which recognizes individuals and businesses that stimulate economic growth in the Southern Maryland region.

The advancement of both small and minority-owned businesses is a key interest of Mr. Franklin’s; thus, he contributes hundreds of hours in support of various organizations dedicated to improving opportunities for such businesses. Mr. Franklin sits on several boards including:

• Maryland Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors,
• Governor’s Southern Maryland Workforce Investment Board (Chairman),
• Southern Maryland Higher Education Council,
• Calvert County Minority Business Alliance (Chairman),
• Tri-County Council Minority Business Opportunities Task Force,
• Board of Directors of the Bay Business Group.

Mr. Franklin is also a member of the Calvert County Economic Development Commission and the Alexandria and Prince George’s County Chambers of Commerce. Mr. Franklin has developed a series of seminars entitled “Getting Pass Go” to help others get pass their initial decision to pursue their own business, and continues to be an active supporter of local businesses and organizations throughout the country.

This year, Mr. Franklin received SmartCEO’s “2012 Future 50” award, which recognizes the 50 fastest-growing companies in Greater Washington.

The America21 Project

Chad Womack

Dr. Chad Womack, Co-Founder The America21 Project (Managing Director and Chief STEM Innovator)

Chad is a Ph.D. bio-life scientist who co-founded several nonprofit organizations — the latest focused on innovation and technology-based economic development (TBED21.org). Chad also co-founded a nanobiotechnology company that is focused on developing nanotech-based vaccines against infectious diseases and cancer.

Born and raised in the City of Philadelphia, Chad is a proud graduate of Morehouse College (B.S. in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Physics) and Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA (PhD in Biomedical Sciences).  Chad also completed graduate work at the Harvard School of Public Health and post-graduate fellowships at the Harvard AIDS Institute and the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Vaccine Research Center. Read More.

Johnathan Holifield

Johnathan Holifield, Esq., Co-Founder The America21 Project (Chief Strategist and Evangelist)

Johnathan holds the distinction of being appointed the nation’s first Vice President of Inclusive Competitiveness. The newly established position is within the leadership levels of Nortech, a tech-based economic development engine covering 21 counties in Northeast Ohio. Nortech gave birth to notable regional entrepreneur resources such as Jumpstart, Inc and Jumpstart America.

Johnathan’s been called a “Jack of many trades and master of getting things done.”

Johnathan is among a select group of U.S. economic development professionals who have successfully launched and led a market-leading, “Regional Voice of Technology and Innovation” —CincyTechUSA — comprised of university presidents, Fortune 500 CEOs, innovation entrepreneurs and technology advocates.

Among myriad accomplishments under Johnathan’s leadership, $40 million of risk capital was formed, sparking creation of a $250 million network of early-stage investment funds to spur high-growth entrepreneurship. He worked to build an inclusive regional technology and innovation movement, providing the vision and leadership that brought together an urban school district and corporate partner to create the state’s first information technology-based high school, which is now a model of successful turnaround urban education that has attracted national media.

Johnathan partnered with universities, businesses and nonprofits to obtain over $40 million in grant funding, cash investments and in-kind support for research and commercialization and to nurture a high-growth entrepreneurship ecosystem, including a business accelerator and training program. And he received Ohio gubernatorial appointments to the Midwest Governors’ Association Investments for the Knowledge-based Economy project, serving as co-chairman of the Increasing Research Capacity and Accelerating Commercialization team, and to the Ohio House and Senate Joint Legislative Commission on High-Tech Business. Read More.

PANELISTS

Erin Horne Montgomery

Erin Horne Montgomery: President and Executive Director of the National Association of Multicultural Digital Entrepreneurs (NAMDE)

Passionate about emerging technology and diversity, Erin Horne Montgomery serves as the President and Executive Director of the National Association of Multicultural Digital Entrepreneurs (NAMDE). She is also a graduate researcher at Howard University studying the participation of women and minority entrepreneurs in the innovation economy.

Mrs. Horne Montgomery has nearly two decades of non-profit management, telecommunications policy, and marketing communications experience as an award-winning professional in various areas of the media industry. She has served in leadership roles with the National Diversity Council and the Maynard Institute, and her telecommunications policy work includes research positions with TechNet and the National Telecommunication and Information Administration within the U.S. Department of Commerce. As a marketing communications consultant specializing in the area of business development and diversity marketing, Mrs. Horne Montgomery has produced programs for organizations such as General Mills, the City of Minneapolis, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, and IPX International Systems. She has also generated and managed millions of dollars in on-air/on-line/on-site/out-of-home/digital revenue for companies such as ABC Radio, CBS Radio, and Clear Channel Communications as a top national account manager and media strategist. Additionally, Mrs. Horne Montgomery has worked in the editorial and corporate communications departments of several Fortune 500 companies and the nation’s top print and broadcast journalism organizations including Marriott International, TIME magazine, BET News, and Knight-Ridder Newspapers.

Mrs. Horne Montgomery completed her B.A. and M.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications Media Studies at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Joseph P. Schlater

Joseph P. Schlater: Founding Partner, Busara Advisors, LLC.

Joseph P. Schlater is a founding partner of Busara Advisors, LLC. Mr. Schlater has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry serving both institutional and high-net worth individuals.

Prior to establishing Busara, Mr. Schlater spent 11 years at Morgan Stanley in Los Angeles and San Francisco, where he played a key role as a relationship manager for one of the largest companies in Silicon Valley. During his tenure, Mr. Schlater’s notable mandates included:

• Raising $1.5 billion in assets,
• Leading a $5.5 billion debt IPO (lead manager)
• Leading a $4 billion follow-on debt transaction.

In addition to his institutional clientele, Mr. Schlater’s expertise expanded into advising high-net worth individuals and families on all aspects of wealth management and preservation. While in Los Angeles, he was selected to additionally take on the role of Sales Manager of the Beverly Hills office in which he was responsible for recruiting and training all new and existing employees.

Prior to Morgan Stanley, Mr. Schlater worked at Hambrecht and Quist where he advised officers and directors on the sale of restricted securities and provided individuals and businesses with comprehensive financial planning for investment, estate planning, and tax management issues.

Mr. Schlater’s leadership and achievements have been recognized by various awards which include being a three year Morgan Stanley’s President’s Club member and a two time Chairman’s Club recipient, as well as being named a Top Equity Salesman in the Global Wealth Management Division.

Outside of work, Mr. Schlater is very active in the non-profit community. He is currently serving his sixth year as a member of the national board of directors for After School All-Stars, a non-profit organization devoted to the education and social welfare of inner city youths. He has also served as a member of the Advisory Board for the University of San Francisco Business School for four years and is a Senior Advisor for the minority-owned broker-dealer Blaylock Robert Van.

Mr. Schlater received a BS in Finance from the University of San Francisco.

Melvin D. Brown Jr.: America21 Partner

Melvin Brown

Melvin D. Brown Jr. is a social entrepreneur, visionary and mentor. Brown attended Norfolk State University (NSU), majoring in Building Construction Technology with a minor in Business. Brown joined the NSU Spartan Leadership Academy and created a non-profit called Empower Me.

Empower Me is a organization that mentors middle school male students in underserved communities, giving positive alternative after school activities and teaching the importance of STEM education.  After Norfolk State, Melvin worked at a mobile application startup as a Business Developer. He then realized the lack of minorities in technology and startup founders, so he decided to created The HBCU Startup Institute.

The HBCU Startup Institute is designed to expose, empower and engage HBCU students, scholars and business leaders to high-growth technology entrepreneurship.

About the America21-BDPA Innovation Summit & Dinner

PARTNERS:

The America21 Project

Black Data Processing Associates

National Association of Multicultural Entrepreneurs

DiversiTech

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