AGENDA & PRESENTERS
8:00 -
8:30 AM
NETWORKING CONTINENTAL
BREAKFAST
8:30 -
9:30 AM
A VIRTUAL CONVERSATION WITH
MEHRSA BARADARAN
MEHRSA BARADARAN
MEHRSA IS A PROFESSOR OF LAW AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE SCHOOL OF LAW. PREVIOUSLY, SHE WAS THE ROBERT COTTON ALSTON CHAIR IN CORPORATE LAW AND ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA SCHOOL OF LAW, WITH A FOCUS ON DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION EFFORTS AND NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP RECOGNITION. MEHRSA WRITES ABOUT BANKING LAW, FINANCIAL INCLUSION, AND RACIAL INEQUALITY, AND IS THE AUTHOR OF HOW THE OTHER HALF BANKS AND THE COLOR OF MONEY: BLACK BANKS AND THE RACIAL WEALTH GAP, BOTH PUBLISHED BY HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS. SHE EARNED HER BACHELOR’S DEGREE FROM BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY AND HER LAW DEGREE FROM NYU, WHERE SHE SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE NEW YORK UNIVERSITY LAW REVIEW.
9:45 -
10:45 AM
PANEL DISCUSSION: INTERNAL CORPORATE STRATEGIES TO ADVANCE RACIAL
WEALTH EQUITY
VICE PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY
EQUITY & INCLUSION
FIRST FINANCIAL BANK
SANSERRAE FRAZIER
SANSERRAE IS VICE PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION FOR FIRST FINANCIAL BANK. IN THIS ROLE, SHE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ESTABLISHING, IMPLEMENTING, AND LEADING THE CORPORATE DEI STRATEGY TO BUILD AND EXECUTE PROGRAMS AND AWARENESS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION. SHE IS ALSO AN IMPACT MENTOR, LEADERSHIP COUNCIL FOR
NON-PROFITS BOLD8 GRADUATE, GALLUP BOSS TO COACH & ENGAGEMENT CHAMPION, AND BOARD MEMBER FOR THE CINCINNATI ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND & VISUALLY IMPAIRED. SHE GRADUATED FROM XAVIER UNIVERSITY.
11:00 AM-
12:00 PM
PANEL DISCUSSION: EXTERNAL CORPORATE & COMMUNITY STRATEGIES TO ADVANCE RACIAL WEALTH EQUITY
PRESIDENT & CEO, THE PORT
LAURA BRUNNER
LAURA IS THE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE PORT, A PUBLIC, MISSION-FOCUSED DEVELOPMENT FINANCE AGENCY DEDICATED TO EXPANDING PROSPERITY BY REPOSITIONING REAL ESTATE AND CREATING VALUE FROM LAND ASSETS IN A WAY THAT BENEFITS EVERYONE IN HAMILTON COUNTY. SINCE HER APPOINTMENT IN 2011, LAURA HAS LED THE 20-YEAR-OLD ORGANIZATION IN STRENGTHENING ITS PLATFORM TO IMPROVE REGIONAL ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND FOSTER GREATER ECONOMIC MOBILITY. LAURA IS THE RECIPIENT OF DOZENS OF AWARDS, INCLUDING CINCINNATI ENQUIRER WOMAN OF THE YEAR. SHE ALSO SERVES AS A BOARD MEMBER OF ARTSWAVE AND THE QUEEN CITY CLUB. LAURA EARNED A BACHELOR’S DEGREE FROM INDIANA UNIVERSITY.
12:15 -
2:00 PM
LUNCH & PANEL DISCUSSION: GROWING LARGER SCALE MINORITY BUSINESSES WITH
BREAKTHROUGH STRATEGIES
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR & FUND MANAGER
LIVING CITIES BLENDED CATALYST FUND
THADDEUS FAIR
THADDEUS CURRENTLY SERVES AS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, FUND MANAGER FOR THE LIVING CITIES BLENDED CATALYST FUND. HE JOINED LIVING CITIES IN 2019 AND LEADS THE INVESTMENT ORIGINATION AND FUND MANAGEMENT EFFORTS FOR IMPACT INVESTMENTS THROUGH ITS CATALYST FAMILY OF FUNDS. PREVIOUSLY, THADDEUS WORKED IN THE STRUCTURED FINANCE GROUP FOR A MIDDLE MARKET COMMERCIAL AND INVESTMENT BANK. THERE, HE FOCUSED ON STRUCTURING AND UNDERWRITING NEW LOAN ORIGINATIONS, SYNDICATIONS, AND LEADING DUE DILIGENCE AND TRANSACTION MANAGEMENT EFFORTS FOR THE FIRM’S COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE LENDING PLATFORM. THADDEUS HOLDS A BACHELOR’S DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA AND A MASTER’S DEGREE FROM GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY.
2:15 -
3:30 PM
SPOTLIGHT SESSION: FUNDING BLACK WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
CYNTHIA BOOTH
CYNTHIA IS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF COBCO ENTERPRISES, A PRIVATELY HELD COMPANY SHE FOUNDED THAT OWNS AND OPERATES MCDONALD’S FRANCHISES. PRIOR TO STARTING COBCO ENTERPRISES IN 2000, SHE WORKED FOR FIRSTAR BANK (CURRENTLY US BANK), WHERE SHE WAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST-RANKING FEMALE EXECUTIVES AND THE ONLY AFRICAN AMERICAN SERVING AT AN EXECUTIVE LEVEL. BECAUSE OF HER EXCEPTIONAL CIVIC CONTRIBUTIONS AND BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENTS, CYNTHIA HAS BEEN THE RECIPIENT OF NUMEROUS LOCAL AND NATIONAL AWARDS AND HAS BEEN FEATURED IN FORTUNE MAGAZINE AND ON “CNN” MONEY TALKS. ONE OF HER PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS WAS BEING NAMED A 2020 ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR BY ERNST AND YOUNG.