Gerry
Foster
Los Angeles Local Director, FraserNet Inc.
Gerry
Foster is president of Gerry Foster Marketing, a training
and development company that specializes in teaching branding
and marketing skills primarily to people of color. His forte
is showing you how to confidently, painlessly, and profitably
sell people on yourself, your services, products, or ideas
by getting them to see you as an indispensable brand.
Regarded
by many as the nation’s number 1 expert on the subject
of Personal Branding for People of Color, Gerry is also
a gifted motivational speaker and trainer whose programs
excel past the norm. His keynotes, seminars, and corporate
diversity training workshops are driven by his proprietary
“Dare 2B Different” personal branding process.
He turns not enough into more than enough, slowdowns into
turnarounds, and frustration into exhilaration by helping
you develop strategies that can accelerate your career or
double, triple or quadruple your sales and profits INSTANTLY.
Gerry’s
fresh style and unique blend of branding and marketing wisdom,
energy, perspective, humor, depth and compassion inspires
you to BE more and DO more so you can HAVE more. An original
and permanent member of George Fraser’s PowerNetworking
Faculty, Gerry:
• Sits on George’s National Advisory Board
• Serves on the PowerNetworking Conference Planning
Committee
• Helps write the descriptions/sales copy for all
the PowerNetworking Conference Workshops
• Conducts BrainShare: A Black Celebrity Auction at
the conference
A
former branding and marketing whiz with The Procter and
Gamble Company, Gerry earned cum laude degrees (both bachelor
and master’s) in business marketing from the University
of Southern California Marshall School of Business.
Jonae
Watts holds the position of Business Development
Officer at Gerry Foster Marketing, a training and development
company that specializes in teaching branding and marketing
skills primarily to people of color.
The best way to describe
Ms. Watts is to label her as “an achiever.”
With an uncanny drive to get things done, along with an
unrelenting commitment to excellence, she is a client’s
dream.
Some
of her positions and/or client accounts have included working
for The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, TV Guide,
Burson-Marsteller (an International Public Relations Firm),
The American Heart Association, The Crohns and Colitis Foundation,
The Bishop Desmond Tutu Southern African Refugees Scholarship
Fund, and the NAACP Theatre Awards.
A
graduate of Howard University with a B.A. degree in Public
Relations, Ms. Watts is also the former president of the
Howard University Alumni Club of Southern California. Most
notable, she was formally Miss Black America, Washington,
D.C. She also has received the Georgetown University Academic
Achievement Award and the Outstanding Young Women in America
Award.
Everett
Glenn is President of Entertainment &
Sports Plus, a Long-Beach based management firm which represents
professional athletes and entertainers in contract negotiations,
business, legal and personal affairs. A native of Cleveland,
Ohio and a licensed attorney in Ohio and California, Everett’s
legal career includes stints with the San Francisco firm of
Heller, Ehrman, White & McAuliffe, one of the 50 largest
law firms in the country, and Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan
& Arnoff. Everett has served as District Counsel for the
Small Business Administration’s San Francisco District
Office, a Deputy City Attorney for the City of Long Beach,
and a Senior Attorney with the Resolution Trust Corporation.
Everett
has represented over 40 professional athletes in his career
including 12 first round draft picks. Past clients include,
but are not limited to, Willie Gault, Richard Dent, and
the greatest of all time, Jerry Rice. Everett began his
career representing athletes and entertainers in 1983 when
he represented 1983 Rookie-of-the-Year runner up and one
of Cleveland’s own, Clark Kellogg of the Indiana Pacers.
Most recently, Everett has joined forces with George Fraser,
CEO of FraserNet, on the FAIR Initiative, FraserNet’s
Athlete Initiative for Reform, an initiative aimed at raising
the consciousness of people of African descent concerning
the sports industry, promoting the products and services
of African American firms and professionals, and increasing
the participation of African American firms and professionals
in the $250 billion per year sports industry.
Darrell
D. Miller offers clients a unique blend of
passion and professionalism, artistic insight and business
acumen. A former classically trained opera singer, Mr. Miller
understands the inspiration and integrity that drive creative
people. He specializes in leveraging his clients’ diverse
talents and aspirations into multiple revenue streams and
enduring brand prosperity.
His
path to entertainment lawyer for A-list clients began in
Cincinnati, Ohio, where he attended the famed School for
Creative and Performing Arts. He earned a Bachelor of Fine
Arts degree with honors from the University of Cincinnati’s
College Conservatory of Music. After two years performing
worldwide, he returned to the U.S. with a clear mission:
• To become an attorney with a firsthand grasp of
what goes into being an artist
• To help clients bridge the gap between their artistic
vision and long-term business and creative success.
Mr.
Miller received his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University
Law Center in 1990. He began his professional career in
the Los Angeles office of the national law firm Lord, Bissell
and Brook. He helped build the office’s entertainment
law practice by serving as legal counsel for artists, directors
and producers on such television series as Roc, Living Single
and The Bernie Mac Show on HBO.
In
1996 he launched his own law practice, which grew into Miller
& Pliakas in 2001 when Roger Pliakas joined the firm.
Here Mr. Miller focuses on developing synergistic multimedia
and marketing strategies for clients within the motion picture,
television and music industries. He negotiated a groundbreaking
package of motion picture deals for rap superstar DMX with
Warner Bros. Pictures. Other notables represented by Mr.
Miller’s firm include actors Angela Bassett, Courtney
B. Vance, Rocky Carroll, Wanda Sykes and Paul Ben Victor;
hip-hop mogul Master P; musical artists Andre Benjamin—aka
Andre 3000—of Outkast, Ludacris and Romeo; and directors
Chris Robinson (ATL) and Darren Grant (Diary of a Mad Black
Woman). Mr. Miller’s clients also include writers,
producers, executives and various corporations in the entertainment
industry.
Mr.
Miller has been named to Fade In magazine’s list of
“Top 100 People in Hollywood You Need to Know”
and to Black Enterprise magazine’s Top 50 Showbiz
Players list. He served a four-year term on the Board of
Governors of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
He is a Past Chairman of the Board of Directors and serves
on the Executive Committee for the Black Entertainment &
Sports Lawyers Association. He is a Board Member of the
United States Air Force Entertainment Liaison Board. Other
professional memberships include the Beverly Hills Bar Association,
the Los Angeles County Bar Association and The American
Bar Association’s Forum on the Entertainment &
Sports Industries. Mr. Miller also serves on the Cincinnati
Children’s Theatre Board of Directors and is a frequent
panelist and guest moderator of entertainment law forums.
His upcoming book, The Sixteenth Minute of Fame, details
his trailblazing approach for helping entertainment industry
clients build and sustain brand success.
WILLIAM
N. BYERS JR. took only three years to build
a successful interactive multimedia business, "AN&I
Multimedia, Inc." which was acquired by SysTECH, Inc.,
in June of 1999. As a result Byers was named Executive Vice
President and Creative Director of SysTECH, Inc. Within
only a year, Byers was promoted to Executive Producer of
interactive programming and helped build SysTECH, Inc.'s
client roster with a number of Fortune 500 companies, major
entertainment personalities, institutions and key foundations
throughout the Unites States and Europe.
Byers,
through SysTECH, Inc., has designed interactive programs
and web sites for: KPMG, KPMG Consulting, The Boeing Company,
The Heart of a Child Foundations, Motorola, Taco Bell, The
Los Angeles Transportation Foundation, Community College
Foundation, Leggett and Platt, Port Plastics, San Francisco
Chronicle, & Warner Bros.
In
1984, Byers co-founded T & S Creative Studios, a full
service advertising and graphics firm. In the same year,
he accepted a full partnership with Walking Tall Records,
where he developed a worldwide marketing, distribution and
print media for the record label. In 1988, moving to Los
Angeles, Byers was employed with McDonnell Douglas as Senior
Manufacturing Engineer.
In
1992, Byers joined the Republican Senatorial Inner Circle,
and was personally invited to Washington to meet with President
Bush at the White House. Byers was an active participant
in the Black Partnership Development Council for the United
Way. On April 29, 1993, the Office of Public Affairs accepted
his nomination for the "Who's Who Registry of Global
Business Leaders." On February 18, 1995, Byers received
a unanimous nomination to receive the Republican Party's
highest most prestigious award--the Republican Senatorial
Medal of Freedom. He received a Citation of Leadership from
the Executive Committee of the Republican Senatorial Inner
Circle, in conjunction with the Republican National Convention
of 1996.
William
N. Byers, Jr. was selected by the Black Chamber of Commerce
of Orange County to receive The Business Person of The Year
Award on June 21, 2003 at the Disneyland Hotel Grand Ballroom.
Byers
is the Executive Producer/Creative Director & Co-Founder
of Zen Media Agency which produced the Expo’s L.A.
Resource Guide Interactive CD-ROM (available at the Expo
in 2003), and also produced the Black Chamber of Commerce
of Orange County’s DVD which helped them raise sponsorship
and advertising dollars.
For
more on the 23 individual awards and recognitions that honored
William Byers Jr., Zen Media Agency, 2003 business person
of the year.
Arlene
T. Dyer, Book
Author, Speaker, Founder/President of M.Y.S.E.L.F Inc.-
Making Youth Successful Employing Lifetime Formulas
Areas
of expertise: Career, Women’s Issues, Abuse, At Risk
Youth, Achievement and Peak Performance Activists Authors,
Children, Education, Workplace and Jobs
Biography:
Arlene
T. Dyer will always remember the joy of watching a welfare
recipient become aware of the skills and talents she possessed.
It was like watching the transformation of the caterpillar
into the butterfly. This woman knew at that moment she would
be able to rejoin the work force and become successfully
employed. Ms. Dyer having lectured in New York, Chicago,
San Francisco, Los Angeles, Birmingham and Kano, Nigeria,
West Africa, is an internationally known motivational speaker,
author, educator, group facilitator, radio personality,
trainer, award-winning clothing designer, publisher and
job search workshop specialist.
Publisher/Author
of six books:
How
Was Your Day? — Your 90-Day Personal Evaluation Journal
You Got the Job! ...Now What? — A survival guide for
new employees.
Ya Tienes El Empleo! ...Y Ahora Que? — Guia de sobrevivencia
para empleados nuevos. (Spanish version)
I Got the Job! ...Now What? — A blueprint for successful
employment.
Escaping to the Workplace — A book addressing the
growing trend of women and men battered at home, respected
at work.
Who Are You? And What Are You All About? — A self-evaluation
handbook, complete with a HELP section that includes the
Nationwide Directory of Battered Women Shelters.
Her
seminars include:
You
Got the Job! ...Now Assess Yourself! — Experiencing
personal growth thru self evaluation, self appreciation
and self-awareness.
Employment Power For The New Millennium — Keeping
your job skills current in a rapidly changing world.
I Hate My Job But I Need The Money — Proven techniques
for transforming the most menial tasks into dream positions.
MAMA (Making a Major Adjustment)- Will I Suffer At Work
When I’m Hurting At Home? How to resolve the issue
of domestic violence. MAMA presents a series of seminars
for women who have been abused mentally, physically or emotionally
and are ready to make some changes in their lives.
Twenty
years of work experience with the California State Employment
Office working with disadvantaged clients, welfare recipients,
ex-felons and at risk/underachieving youths. On June 12,
2000 , Arlene received her Vocational Education Teaching
Credential from the University of California, Los Angeles.
In 1987, graduated from the School of Business at University
of Southern California with a Certificate in Management
Effectiveness.
Arlene
Dyer has been featured in The New York Daily News, ADWEEK,
L.A. Downtown News, Los Angeles Wave Newspaper, The Jewish
Calendar, Bronze Mahogany, Freedom, Sharing Ideas, and Radio-TV
Interview Report. She is the contributing writer for the
L.A. Watts Times.
2007
Executive Advisory Council Officer for the Regional Black
Chamber of Commerce
2007 Who's Who in the World
2007 Who's Who of American Women 2005 Who's Who in Finance
and Business
2001 The Yearbook of Experts, Authorities & Spokespersons
1997 International Who's Who of Entrepreneurs
Advisory Council member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los
Angeles
Board of Directors - Kiwanis Club of USC-University Park
Los Angeles
1998 IRWIN Award recipient for The Southern California Book
Publicist of the Year for her book I Got the Job! ...Now
What?
Vendor for the Los Angeles Unified School District
Founder/President of MYSELF* Inc., a non profit educational
organization providing an on-going series of self empowerment
seminars for disadvantaged, under-achieving, and at risk
youth which will equip them with lifetime fundamental formulas
for academic and vocational success.
*Making Youth Successful Employing Lifetime Formulas.
LINDA
COLEMAN-WILLIS is recognized as an expert
in her field. She is a best selling author, a well-respected
business leader, and a national motivational speaker who speaks
to corporations and associations across the country. Coined
the "speaker with passion" Linda uses her own personal
experiences to deliver compelling keynote messages that inspire
her audiences to achieve. As a personal development facilitator
Linda helps participants improve themselves, mentally, spiritually,
and emotionally. She has trained thousands of people in the
areas of Leadership, Diversity, and Conflict Resolution. She
has coached executives, CEO’s, teachers and business
people on the mechanics of power communication skills. Linda’s
key to success is her dedication and commitment to her clients.
For three years Linda hosted
a radio talk show "The Motivational Power Hour"
and a weekly cable TV show “Women of Prominence, Women
of Promise." She worked with Les Brown and Gladys Knight
to help promote Personal Achievement Television. Linda is
the 2002-2003 president of the National Speakers Association,
Greater Los Angeles Chapter (NSA/GLAC), listed in Who's
Who In Professional Speaking and Great Women Speakers. She
is the 2002 winner of the prestigious “Connie Award”
for outstanding platform skills.
Linda is the author of
two books including her national best seller, “Loving
Yourself First: A Woman’s Guide To Personal Power”
and “A Complete Guide To Selling Books for the Self
Published Author.” She has produced an award winning
tape series, How to Change Your Life & Achieve Outstanding
Results, two videos, Over The Wall: How To Overcome Obstacles
and 10 Steps to Stay Motivated In Times of Challenge and
Change. Linda has appeared on more than 200 radio and TV
shows nation wide, writes a syndicated column—Positive
Talk with Linda, and is the subject of an article entitled
“Getting To Know You” in Essence Magazine where
she shares her spiritual solutions for getting high on life.
Linda is the recipient
of the Citi Bank Woman To Watch award, the YWCA’s
Incredible Women Making History award, and Black Women’s
Entrepreneur’s 1999 Woman of Achievement. Professional
Women In Business presented Linda with it’s 2002 Phenomenal
Women award, and the Cameron Eugene Jackson Children’s
Library presented her with the 2003 Women on the Move for
the Community – Literacy Enhancement award.
Linda received her Real
Estate Sales license in 1981; her Broker’s license
in 1983 and in 1986 graduated with honors from the Mortgage
Banking Institute with an emphasis in finance. For eight
years she was a top producing sales person and a member
of the distinguished “Million Dollar Club.”
Linda worked as a real estate loan officer for Wells Fargo
Bank handling four branches and the CRA Community Development
Liaison for Bank of America handling all of Southern California.
She owned and operated a Real Estate Firm and Mortgage Brokerage
Company before entering the speaking and training field
and establishing LC & Associates.
Linda
has always been a champion for women. In 1987 she founded
an organization “Women for Financial Independence”
which earned her the honored title “Outstanding Woman
of America.” Today, she serves on the Board of Directors
for Women of Color Breast Cancer Survivors Support Project
(WOC). She has donated copies of her book, Loving Yourself
First, to teen pregnancy programs, homeless and battered
women’s shelters. She also used Loving Yourself First
in fundraisers donating the proceeds to Women of Color.
The Wellness Group recently honored her for helping to raise
over $150,000 to help fight breast cancer.
In
2002 Linda established a non-profit, The Center for Personal
Growth and Development, where she is working to bring personal
development and self- improvement programs to the community.
Linda
Coleman-Willis walks her talk. She is committed to making
this a better world. She knows there may be one idea; one
thoughtful comment, a smile, or just knowing that someone
cares that may be the defining point in helping someone
make the decision to change his or her life. She knows first
hand from the hundreds of letters that she receives from
across the country that she is doing the right thing.
Some
of Linda's most requested Motivational Keynotes are:
•
Handling Stress for Business Success
•
Ten Steps to Stay Motivated in Times of Challenge &
Change
•
Loving Yourself: 12 Strategies for Self Improvement and
Motivation
•
Over the Wall: How to Overcome Obstacles – Linda uses
her own personal experience of being one of the first Women
under 5 feet 4 inches to successfully go over a six-foot,
solid concrete wall at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Academy to teach participants to focus on solutions and
positive outcomes.
•
Staying in the Chase: Learning to go the Distance –
Linda uses her personal story as a runner to describe how
she managed to come back and win a national track meet after
being kicked off the track team. This keynote helps participants
prepare to “Go the Distance” without giving
up.
To book Linda Coleman-Willis for speaking engagements or
to facilitate a personal development workshop contact Blue
Feather Management at 888 797-6700.
View Linda’s web site at www.Lindaspeak.com
or email Lindaspeak@aol.com.
Linda is located in Los Angeles, California, but is available
to speak nationally.
Carthel
J. Towns, Sr. is Founder and CEO of Towns
Consolidated Enterprises, Inc., a Non-Public California
Corporation, comprised of Covenant Financial Advisors, Genesis
Small Business Services, Trinity Merchandising Corporation,
and Exodus Real Estate Services. Carthel graduated from
California State University, Northridge in May 1992 with
a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance/Accounting with
a second major in Real Estate. He brings over 17 years of
small business and corporate management experience in the
areas of finance, real estate, small business, and estate
planning. He has incorporated several successful small businesses
over the years and to this day continues to consult with
them for their continued growth. He has a God-given gift
in the area of business start-up, growth, and management.
He has taken several companies from conception to completion
in a matter of months. He has access to several sources
of seed capital and maintains reputable relationships with
several major investors, banks, and brokerage houses in
the local area. He’s a trustworthy business professional
who is very knowledgeable and resourceful. His military
training accentuates his already keen sense of discipline,
order, and respect.
Carthel
is known as “The Problem Solver”. He has been
helping clients with their financial planning needs since
1986. He specializes in designing custom-tailored financial
plans that are unique to each individual client. He’s
also an expert in the area of financial management for non-profit
organizations (specializing in religious organizations in
the state of California). Through one of his subsidiaries,
Genesis, he has assisted countless ministers, philanthropist,
and community leaders in applying for, and successfully
receiving, their 501 (c)(3) IRS Tax Exemption…a coveted
status few organizations posses.
He
has served as the President of the Board of Ushers at Faithful
Central Bible Church (Inglewood, CA) and Chief Financial
Officer (and charter member) of Abundant Life Covenant Bible
Church (Pasadena, CA). Four years ago he founded Buy All
Means Investment (B.A.M.) Club and is in his fourth term
as President.
Linda
Morgan
is an energetic, motivated, passionate, creative, business
Entrepreneur who has worked in many capacities helping other
reach their goals. Linda is a native of Los Angeles. Linda
started her own Auto Dealership in 2004 to help friends
and family in the ever confusing Auto industry, after working
for several dealerships in the Greater Los Angeles area.
My website is www.qsmotorsport.com.
In
her last job with Downtown LA Motors, as an Event Sales
Manager, she was able to help brand the new Porsche, Audi
and Volkswagen stores for this franchise. Her role as Event
Sales Manager, lead her into the world of Jazz, Opera, Squash,
USC events and many club promotions as a Sponsor of these
events. She has held such titles as Artist Manager, Vendor
& Marketing Coordinator, Sponsor Consultant to name
a few.
She
has now created her own Jazz promotion company called Smoothahead
Entertainment, where she is marketing and promoting a new
Jazz Genre that will be heard in the near future, a cross
between Straight ahead and Smooth Jazz to promote a new
sound. www.smoothahead.com
Arah
Jennings
Marketing Director at Gerry Foster Marketing - When it comes
to thinking outside the box, problem solving, being action
oriented and evoking belly laughter, Arah Jennings is in
a class by herself.
As
co-founder and the visionary creative force behind Gerry
Foster Marketing, Inc. of Laguna Beach, CA, Arah has worn
many hats in her 20+ years with the company. Personally
mentored by renowned marketing guru, Gerry Foster, Arah
serves as his "right hand man."
Whether
she’s working behind the scenes, managing daily operations,
or overseeing client projects, one truth becomes clear:
“She’s real and on bulls-eye target.”
For this reason, clients and Mr. Foster put their consummate
trust in Arah’s abilities, skills and uncanny marketing
instincts.
No
matter what size project, Arah’s commitment to excellence
is evident in everything she does, which usually enables
the firm to exceed clients’ expectations. As a result,
the Company’s work has been featured (or spotlighted)
in The Orange County Register, Home Office Magazine and
The Wall Street Journal, as well as profiled on the PBS
Business Series, Something Ventured.
Arah
has authored or co-authored numerous reports, handbooks
and guides, and edited the popular selling, 500 plus page
self-published manual, Marketing a Service Business for
Maximum Impact!
She
has also developed or co-developed many innovative and results
oriented marketing programs, including the highly acclaimed,
5-week, 15 hour Mastery Marketing Program (now called the
Dare 2B Different Mega-Camp) where participants often reported
profit increases of 50% or more upon completion and execution
of their marketing plans.
Arah’s
undergraduate studies in education at the University of
Illinois, Chicago, and deft account management of several
Fortune 1000 corporations for MCI and Sprint Telecommunications,
plus almost two decades of solid entrepreneurial and marketing
experience have uniquely prepared her to successfully address
the many challenges facing today’s professional service
organizations.
