Advancing Opportunities through Small Business

benjamin vann, impact ventures

Benjamin J. Vann is the Founder and CEO of Impact Ventures, a 501c3 startup accelerator with a mission to empower talented, yet under-resourced women and entrepreneurs of color to build generational wealth through inclusive entrepreneurship and integrated capital. Ben is an award-winning social entrepreneur, investor, speaker, and economic justice advocate. His work with impact investors, venture capital funds, Fortune 500 companies, universities and foundations has been viewed through the lens of addressing the world’s most pressing social and economic problems. 

Andrella Thomas, capital one

As a Sr. Manager on the Social Innovation team a Capital One’s Financial Services division, Andrella has kept a strong focus on Capital One’s philanthropic commitment to deliver social mobility within the community. 

Andrella Thomas spent more than 10 years serving as an HR Consultant leading Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DIB) efforts for Capital One’s Financial Services division. In her current role she has delivered to educational partners impactful career readiness/development and financial literacy resources to thousands of students and adults. She has leveraged her professional network to host Career Panel Session introducing more than 3,000 students to diverse career fields ranging from Cyber, Human Resources, Risk Management, and Technology.

Her passion for the community resulted in the creation of the signature HR Career Readiness Program that has connected thousands of nonprofit clients to HR experts on topics such as career planning and development. To date over 400 HR volunteers have completed over 10,000 hours of community service through this program alone. Her commitment to creating a culture of belonging and community engagement drives a culture of engagement across the division.

jill johnson, ifel

Jill Johnson is the co-founder and CEO of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership (IFEL), based in Newark, NJ. Founded in 2002, IFEL is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to eradicate the systemic barriers that prevent people from historically excluded populations from having access to the knowledge, networks, and capital required for entrepreneurial success and wealth creation. With over 30 years of experience as a business strategist, Jill is a pioneering voice for inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems and is especially focused on creating a new paradigm for the access to capital conversation.

Erica Molett, Kandake Tech

Erica Molett is a highly acclaimed visionary and multi-hyphenate CEO, known for sitting at the intersection of innovation, education and Gen Z culture. Throughout her 15-year career in finance, local government, and workforce development, Erica gained national recognition from the Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Texas State Senate, and the White House.  Former Assistant Secretary of the DOL, Bill Spriggs, stated, “Erica is one of the nation’s leaders in integrating dollars across federal agencies with local programming.”  Erica found her passion in aligning the interests of the public and private sectors to support the sustainable growth of cities, underserved communities, and the business community.