SESSION 3: Transformative Technology — Building Black Wealth in High-Tech Spaces​
NEON’s third session in our Community Conversation 4.0 Series featuring Dr. Tim Childs, Wendell Maddox, and Sharon Kennedy Vickers was truly an afternoon to remember. We thank our panel for sharing their invaluable voices and entrepreneurial insights in High-Tech.
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Thank you to our host, Warren McLean, and moderator, Abou Amara for a spectacular conversation. We extend a very special thank you to our sponsor partners who made this all possible.
Dr. Timothy Childs is a Physicist (B.S, Florida A&M/ Ph.D., Stanford University) that specializes in innovative high tech millimeter wave product development. Over the last 30 years, Dr. Childs has created innovative products for the U.S. Government (Military, NASA, and others), United States Allies, and various commercial applications. His success has resulted in over 35 government contracts, 25+ patents, four (4) high tech companies, and one (1) education foundation, all in North Minneapolis, Minnesota. Over the years, TLC has partnered with major companies such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Honeywell, Microsoft, Intel, and many more. In 2021, Dr. Childs was one of 50 technical experts selected on the Biden $100 Billion Commercialization Initiative Steering Committee. Now he is working on 3 major MMW products for the 3 companies by which each product has a back log of national and international customers. The key is getting to volume production to meet customer demand.
Wendell Maddox is President and CEO of ION Corporation. Starting with no more than a dream in 1985, Mr. Maddox turned ION Corporation, in 3 years, into an engineering company with annual revenues of $13 million. ION Corporation has been recognized as a United States leader in the fabrication of spaceflight and aerospace hardware. Mr. Maddox’s vision has led ION to expand its products and services from manufacturing, to design, engineering, and systems integration. In 2005, ION was presented NASA’s Special Recognition Award for its performance on NASA’s Deep Space Network Advanced Systems Program.
Mr. Maddox founded the Midwest Aerospace Consortium of Small Business, which has a membership to more than 300 small businesses located throughout 6 Midwestern states. Its charter is to bring Midwest technology to the aerospace industry and the United States of America. Mr. Maddox also served as a director on the Board of the Americans for a Sustainable Economy. He served as Chairman to the White House Conference on Small Business from the State of Minnesota and has personally met with a number of Presidents including Ronald Reagan, George Bush Sr., Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. Wendell has a deep sense of community responsibility serving on the MN State Board of Education, the Hopkins Rotary, and the Twin Cities Chamber of Commerce and chairing the Hopkins United Way campaign. He served as Director for Minnesota Project Outreach, Minnesota Youth at Risk.
After completing his service in the US Air Force, and acquiring his BSEE degree from the University of Minnesota, Mr. Maddox joined FMC Corporation. During his 20 year career, he held a variety of management positions and was the General Manager of Manufacturing, when he left to found ION.
Sharon Kennedy Vickers is an award winning technology professional with 25 years of experience envisioning and leading equitable implementation of transformative digital solutions. Sharon’s current leadership includes her role as CEO of Software for Good, a digital agency that builds technology that enables companies, nonprofits, and government agencies to solve some of the world's toughest problems.
She is a champion for tech equity and is intentionally focused on creating an inclusive digital economy in Minnesota. Sharon is co-founder of Techquity; Co-Organizer of Code Switch, a civic hackathon; Open Twin Cities, a civic technology group; and Code for America brigade. She serves on the Board of Directors for Greater Twin Cities United Way, ACLU of Minnesota, PPL, and MnTech Association.
Throughout her career, Sharon has been honored and her work has been recognized. She was selected as a 2018 Bush Foundation Fellow; Twin Cities Business Magazine 100 People to Know in 2020; Minnesota CIO ORBIE winner in 2021; National CIO ORBIE finalist in 2022; and Twin Cities Business Magazine 2023 Women STEM Leaders.
Born and raised in Cobbtown, Georgia, she is also a fourth-generation farmer. She and her eleven siblings own and operate HK Farm, an 1100 acre homestead in Tattnall and Candler counties Georgia. They grow and make healing hemp products and raise beef cattle; and inspire, educate and empower people to love and respect the land and animals. Sharon holds a Bachelor of Arts in African American Studies and Political Science from the University of Georgia, and Bachelor of Science in Computer Science for Clayton State University.
SESSION 2: A Discussion Focused on Building Black Wealth: The Role of Food Entrepreneurship in North Minneapolis​
NEON’s 2nd session in our Community Conversation 4.0 Series featuring Michelle Grogg, Mary Jane Melendez, and Philomena Morrissey Satre was one to remember. We thank our panel for sharing their invaluable voices and insights on the food industry.
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Thank you to our host, Warren McLean, and moderator, Abou Amara for a spectacular conversation.
Michelle Grogg leads Global Corporate Responsibility at Cargill and is the Executive Director of the Cargill Foundation. She joined Cargill in 1998 and currently serves on the company’s Global Impact leadership team.
Michelle is responsible for leading the company’s global corporate responsibility efforts including the development and implementation strategic partnerships with non-governmental, nonprofit and international development organizations to drive progress against Cargill’s social and environmental sustainability commitments and advance the company’s purpose to nourish the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way. Michelle and her team also direct Cargill’s global philanthropy, community engagement, employee volunteerism and advise Cargill businesses on corporate responsibility, social impact investments and stakeholder engagement.
Michelle serves as Cargill’s Liaison Delegate to the World Business Council on Sustainable Development, is a member of the Achieve Twin Cities board of directors, a member of the ONE Global Leadership Circle and the Food Action Alliance. Previously, she served as Chairperson for the Conference Board Corporate Responsibility Council, member of the Executive Committee for the Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College, the Points of Light Foundation National Council on Workplace Volunteerism, and the Global Water Challenge steering committee.
Mary Jane Melendez stewards the company's sustainability and philanthropy efforts, working closely with Strategy and Growth, Supply Chain, Sourcing, and other key business leaders to develop, coordinate and execute programs to achieve company-wide targets. Mary Jane is responsible for advancing collaboration to drive change by promoting environmentally and socially responsible practices across our entire value chain, from farm to fork and beyond. Her role combines accountability for taking care of our planet and nourishing our communities to amplify the impact of General Mills as a global force for good.
Mary Jane serves on the boards of the Ecosystem Services Market Consortium and the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation. Mary Jane earned both her MBA and bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Philomena Morrissey Satre serves as Director of Diversity Equity & Inclusion and External Strategic Partnerships. She joined Land O’Lakes June 2017, bringing more than 30 years of human resource experience in diversity and inclusion, community relations, work life and wellbeing.​
Philomena has extensive experience in developing and implementing diversity strategies, including internal initiatives and community-focused pipelines. Previously, Philomena participated in a Middle East Fellows project, in partnership with Hamline University and the U.S. State Department and traveled to the Middle East as a part of the peace and economic development project.
Philomena joined the Board of Directors for the Cookie Cart organization and leads the Governance Committee. She serves on the Agriculture D and I Consortium (Together We Grow), the Dairy Girl Network Diversity Coalition, Minnesota Business Racial Equity Coalition (MBCRE) and co-chairs the Twin Cities DEI Roundtable. In 2022, Philomena co-led the Equity Team for the Women’s NCAA Basketball Tourney.
Philomena has an MA in Organizational Leadership from St. Catherine University and a BA in Public Administration and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin LaCrosse.
SESSION 1: Building Wealth — Women Business Owners' Perspectives on What it Takes to Create Flourishing Businesses, Take on Strategic Development Operations, and Create a Plan for Consistent Future Growth
NEON’s first session in our Community Conversation 4.0 Series featuring Gloria Freeman, Anissa Keyes, and Kenya McKnight-Ahad was truly a wonderful afternoon. We thank our panel for sharing their voices and experiences.
Thank you to our host, Warren McLean, and moderator, Tru Pettigrew for a fantastic conversation.
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We extend a very special thank you to our sponsorship partners who made this all possible.
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Gloria Freeman is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Minneapolis-based Olu's Home, Inc. and Olu's Beginnings LLC. In 1999, Gloria founded Olu's Home, a licensed care organization that provides residential and in-home services to persons with developmental disabilities, mental illness and older community members. In 2013, Gloria Freeman started collaborating with her daughter, Jessica Herod, to expand the business by establishing a holistic, intergenerational early childhood program. While developing her business, Gloria has continued her education by participating in the Small Business Administration's Emerging Leaders Initiative, an intensive MBA-level training program for executives of high-potential. In 2016, Gloria was named Minnesota Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration, and in 2021 was given the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal’s Women in Business Award.
Anissa Keyes is the Founder and Owner of Arubah Emotional Health Services and the Creator of the Northside Epicenter, a Black Business Ecosystem. Anissa desires to help guide individuals and families into a space of healing, and provides support to people that are least likely to receive therapy, wellness, and support services. Anissa believes that through relationship and with love people can be fully restored after any challenges they are met with in life. Anissa loves spending time with her five children, is very involved in church activities and enjoys reading. In 2021, Anissa purchased the 20,000 square foot historic building in North Minneapolis to house the Northside Epicenter, an incubator for Black-owned businesses. Anissa believes that with good character, an unwillingness to settle for no, a grounded spiritual connection and the tremendous support of family, community members and community agencies, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished.
Kenya McKnight-Ahad is the Founder and CEO of the Black Women’s Wealth Alliance. She has extensive experience as a direct business service provider, lending facilitation and racial equity consulting. Kenya has served thousands of people across the U.S. and engaged in several key partnerships influencing millions of racial equity investments. Kenya has garnered several awards and honors. In 2019, she was dual honored as a Minneapolis & Saint Paul Business Journal “Top Woman in Business” and a Finance & Commerce “Top Woman in Finance.” She has several certificates of completion across cooperatives, housing developments with the City of Minneapolis and more. Kenya is also the owner of ZaRah, a community hub for health and wellness in North Minneapolis.