community Experts

Mike Byers

Vice Chancellor of Administration and FinanceWestern Carolina University

Stephen Newby, DMA

Lev H. Prichard III Endowed Chair in the Study of Black Worship | Professor of MusicBaylor University

Composer, conductor, gospel/jazz vocalist, and pianist with more than three decades of university-level teaching and administration.

Nadia Cavner

Philanthropist | ActivistAdvocate

Working hard to bring peace and improve lives of people in the Middle East, the United States, and around the world.

Richard Hayes

Associate Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship, Executive Director, Institute Innovation & EntrepreneurshipHofstra University

Entrepreneurship and management, particularly in emerging economies; the sharing economy.

Michelle Zabel, MSS

Executive Director of Innovations InstituteUniversity of Connecticut

Michelle Zabel and her team advance research-based, culturally responsive solutions for child, youth, and family-serving public systems.

Perry Lawrence

PresidentVideo Marketing Association

President at Video Marketing Association

James Faught

Professor Emeritus of SociologyLoyola Marymount University

Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts

Lana Reid

OwnerLanaReid.com

Founder of Conversations in Color | Host of The Male Perspective | Black Community Advocate | Nonprofit Leader | Media Interviewer | Speaker

Melanie Lang

CBase DirectorCentre for Business and Social Entrepreneurship

Melanie Lang is the director of CBaSE and has a wealth of knowledge on marketing and communications.

Patricia Gauthier

Global Commercialization Lead, Rare Diseases and Latent VirusModerna

Patricia Gauthier is actively involved in organizations that are committed to rethinking innovation and inspiring leadership.