2022 Agenda
The Dream Summit & Exposition will run from
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on August 27th, 2022.
Main Stage & Events
A brief overview of the Dream Summit and Exposition main stage and events agenda
Registration and Continental Breakfast
Location:
Exhibit Hall A - Main Street Level
Welcome Remarks - Presented by Eli Smith Founder of My Dream Summit
Opening Prayer – Bishop Draper
A word from our benefactor - Bertram Lawson President and CEO, YMCA of CNY
Comments by Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens, City of Syracuse
Location:
Exhibit Hall A - Main Street Level
Morning Keynote by Dr. James Peterson
Why Dreams Still Matter in the 21st Century
Location:
Exhibit Hall A - Main Street Level
Kelly Copes, VP of Global Diversity for Eli Lilly - Health and Wellness
Location:
Exhibit Hall A - Main Street Level
Jerome A. DuVal – Executive Vice President and Executive Director of the Division of Minority and Women’s Business Development, NYS ESD
Location:
Exhibit Hall A - Main Street Level
Joanie Mahoney - President of SUNY ESF
Making a commitment to equity: Best practices
Location:
Exhibit Hall A - Main Street Level
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Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III
Location:
Exhibit Hall A - Main Street Level
NETWORKING BREAK
Location:
Meeting Rooms - Lower Level
BREAKOUT SESSION I
Location:
Meeting Rooms - Lower Level
Lunch
Location:
Onsite
Afternoon Keynote by Jemele Hill
(interviewed on stage by Tamika Otis and Summer Willow Fitch)
Location:
Exhibit Hall A - Main Street Level
BREAKOUT SESSION II
Location:
Meeting Rooms - Lower Level
Dorsey Levens Interview with Yusuf Abdul-Qadir and Lara Price
Dorsey Levens, Former Professional Football Player and Lara Price COO of Philadelphia 76ers – Past, present, and future of Diversity initiatives in professional sports (Interviewed on stage by Yusuf Abdul-Qadir)
Location:
Exhibit Hall A - Main Street Level
Lara Price Interview with Yusuf Abdul-Qadir and Dorsey Levens
Dorsey Levens, Former Professional Football Player and Lara Price COO of Philadelphia 76ers – Past, present, and future of Diversity initiatives in professional sports (Interviewed on stage by Yusuf Abdul-Qadir)
Location:
Exhibit Hall A - Main Street Level
Closing Keynote Soledad O’Brien
(Interviewed on stage by Dr. Juhanna Rogers)
Location:
Exhibit Hall A - Main Street Level
Closing Remarks:
El-Java Abdul-Qadir and Eli Smith
Location:
Exhibit Hall A - Main Street Level
VIP Reception
Location:
Meeting Room 1/2/3 - Lower Level
Community Awards
Location:
Ballroom Atrium - Lower Level
Dream Gala II Dinner & Dance
Location:
Ballroom Atrium - Lower Level
Breakout Sessions
A brief overview of the Dream Summit and Exposition breakout sessions
Ms. Antoinette Montgomery, Real Estate Agent
Real Estate: Buying Back the Block
Stephanie Pasquale (Director of Neighborhood Advancement at ALLYN FAMILY FOUNDATION)
Marc Jones (CEO at Dreissig Apparel Inc.)
Ken Kinsey (Serial Entrepreneur | Developer)
Location:
Meeting Room 1
Marcus Webb, Economic Inclusion Fellow, CenterState CEO
Cultivating Space in Tech
Yusuf Abdul-Qadir (Product Policy Manager, Facebook)
Eric Jackson (CEO at Black Cub Productions, LLC)
Mylz Blake (COO at Black Cub Productions, LLC)
James Thornton (President & CEO Critical Path Integrators)
Location:
Meeting Room 2
Dr. Lomax Campbell, Community Wealth Building Strategist
Navigating Funding for Nonprofits
Dr. Adrianne Morton (CEO of Blue Lotus Consulting, LLC)
Babette Baker (Principal at Paideia PM, LLC)
Sheena Solomon (Executive Director at The Rosamond Gifford Foundation)
Location:
Meeting Room 3
Gwen Webber-McLeod, President and CEO of Gwen, Inc.
DE&I Panel
Marcus Brooks (Head Nerd In Charge, Let's Brainstorm)
Lekia Hill (Community Outreach and Diversity at Hueber Breuer Construction, Inc.)
Location:
Meeting Room 4
Alonzo D. Turner, 2022 NBCC Doctoral Minority Fellow, Doctoral Student, M.S., Ed. S. LCMHC (NC), NCC, Syracuse University
School-to-Prison Pipeline: Re-entry and Call-to-Action
Hasan Stephens (Founder and CEO of the Good Life Youth Foundation)
James Schuler (Assistant Director Wayne County Youth Advocacy Program)
Location:
Meeting Room 5
Me'Shae Rolling, CEFP® Just The Basics Financial Literacy
Economic and Financial Education
Ruth Elisa (Award Winning Business Strategist & Financial Educator | Motivational Speaker | CEO of Elisa Plan)
Bob Teska, CPA (Bowers & Company CPAs)
Dr. Willie Reddic (Associate Professor of Accounting at the Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University)
Location:
Meeting Room 6
Dr. H. Bernard Alex, Bishop/Overseer, Victory Temple Fellowship Church (Tuskegee University)
Education: HBCUs & Traditional Institutions
Lisa Dunn Alford, Executive Director, ACR Health (Hampton University)
Ali Abdur-Rahman, Executive Producer, Excel Media & Solutions (Morehouse College)
Location:
Meeting Room 7
LaMar B. Henderson, LICSW
Mental Health and Emotional Well-Being
Abraham Masara (I - View Psychiatric NP and Behavioral Therapy PC)
Marissa Saunders (DEI Capacity Building Consultant)
Location:
Meeting Room 8
Baye Muhammad – CEO at REDCO
MWBE Panel
Tony Gaddy (Upstate NY Black Chamber of Commerce)
Ryan Gillum (President, AREL Supply)
Youlande Hudgins-Johnson (Director of Minority Affairs, City of Syracuse)
Amir Gethers (Contract Compliance Officer at Onondaga County)
Location:
Meeting Room 9
Davine Bey – Experienced Business Leader | Talent Acquisition Expert | Strategist
The Post-Pandemic Workforce
Tia R. Sales (Chief HR Officer at Catholic Charities, Onondaga County)
Sonia Rucker (Associate Vice President, Inclusion and Belonging at Cornell University)
Location:
Meeting Room 10
Early Bird Special - COMING SOON!
Includes all events on Friday, September 15, 2023 for My Dream Summit 2023.
