24/7 Black Leadership Advancement Consortium

In response to the unique needs for entrepreneurs to recalibrate during the COVID-19 induced recession, 24/7 Black Leadership Advancement Consortium launched the Cedar Valley Black Business & Entrepreneurship Accelerator (CCMBEA) to proactively serve the needs of the African American business community and better understand where considered action could do the most good.

 

 

Joy Briscoe is a consummate diversity, equity and inclusion professional; as an Air Force veteran with more than 15 years of experience in developing culturally inclusive programming. She is currently the Talent Acquisition and Outreach Specialist for Waterloo Schools where her role is to increase the amount of staff of color, develop Grow Your Own talent programming while also supporting the Waterloo Career Center on equity strategies to attract and retain underrepresented students and  fostering business engagement.  A master of innovation and the professional pivot, Joy has hosted multiple virtual team building retreats to develop skills to improve communication and team work, manage conflict, align business activities to organizational vision and values, and leverage diversity.

Prior to working at the district, Joy led the YWCA of Black Hawk County in its mission to eliminate racism and empower women as the Marketing and Development Director.  There she was responsible for the first Cedar Valley Stand Against Racism campaign in conjunction with 650 community organizations across 44 states in the United States; as well as revitalizing marketing materials to meet YWCA “On A Mission” national branding campaign.

Joy is the creator of several initiatives aimed at reducing disparity for underserved populations with entrepreneurship, leadership and innovation in response to her community being designated as one of the top five cities in the US for Blacks.  Her philosophy is the conversation on diversity, inclusion and retention cannot be addressed without a commitment to resources and access.  In this vein, she is the co-founder of  Inclusion Cedar Valley, the Cedar Valley Fashion Art and Culture Expo, SHIPHT Youth Opportunity Accelerator, the Minority Business and Entrepreneurship Accelerator and the 24/7 Black Leadership Advancement Consortium.  Joy is an Upper Iowa alum with a degree in graphic design, a minor in marketing and a certification in communication.

 

ReShonda Young was born and raised in Waterloo, IA and graduated with her BA from Wartburg College. She has been an active voice on Working Family issues, advocating for pay equity for women, and many other issues that will benefit working families. ReShonda is a founding member of the Iowa Main Street Alliance, a board member of the national Main Street Alliance, and was honored in April 2015 as a White House Working Families Champion of Change.  She serves on the boards of Waterloo Center for the Arts, Black Hawk Economic Development, Link Christian Community Development, and Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa. ReShonda is also the founder of Popcorn Heaven, a gourmet popcorn chain that opened in Waterloo, IA in February of 2014. ReShonda licensed Popcorn Heaven locations in North Carolina, Maryland, Illinois, California, Missouri, and Iowa.