Friday, August 28
10:00a
11:15a
12:00p
12:40p
1:15p
2:00p
2:40p
3:30p
OPENING SESSION
Special Guest Speakers
The Honorable André D. Carson, U.S. Representative for Indiana's 7th Congressional District
The Honorable Eric J. Holcomb, Indiana's 51st Governor
Opening Keynote Address
Joy Fitzgerald, Vice President, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Eli Lilly and Company
Power Slam Talks
In an extension of Africa's spoken-word tradition, which is thousands of years old, Power Slam is a display of verbal performance. It is the merging of the art of performance with the art of the spoken word. Much like the modern poetry slam, Power Slam talks should be taken very seriously as well as enjoyed.
Keynote Speaker
Joseph Galvan, Midwest Regional Administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development.
Panel Discussion: Community Development in Opportunity Zone
Opportunity Zones (OZs) are defined as “economically-distressed communities where new investments, under certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment.” First conceived in April of 2018, OZ plans are now in place for communities in all 50 states this year. But are they working? Our panel will discuss how OZs can (and should) build wealth through community development.
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Moderator: Kaliah Ligon
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Panelists: Keith Broadnax, Grant McFann, Emily Scott, Naomi Smith
Panel Discussion: Small Business Lending’s Diversity Opportunity
Between 2007 and 2017, minority-owned small businesses grew about 10 times faster than the overall growth rate for U.S. small businesses. But, despite leading a significant portion of the nation's businesses, minority-owned firms still have a much harder time accessing small business loans than their white counterparts. We’ll sit down with some of Indiana’s leading financial institutions to learn what changes are being made to address this and how minority business owners can best navigate the opportunities available to them.
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Moderator: Eddie Gill, Wise Financial
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Panelists: Jamar Cobb-Dennard, Alex Mereish, Sonia Moin, Jake Sappenfield
Fireside Chat (FEATURED SPEAKER)
Kristen Lampkin, Founder & COO of HR Guru, will interview Blair Milo, the State of Indiana's Secretary for Career Connections and Talent.
Panel Discussion: Together We Are Stronger: Uniting Indiana’s Minority Business Communities
Black, Latinx, Asian, Muslim, Jewish, LGBTQ. Indiana’s minority-owned businesses come in all shapes and sizes. Individually, each group represents a unique community of businesses and leaders. Together, they represent a growing force that is transforming the heart of the Hoosier State. This panel will discuss how Central Indiana’s different minority groups are tearing down silos and linking arms to spark change and drive their collective businesses forward.
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Moderator: Rupal Thanawala
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Panelists: Mary Clark, Josh Driver, Arwa Ghalawan, Darryl Lockett, Yecenia Tostado
Panel Discussion: Minorities in the Workplace
In light of recent social events, creating an equitable and inclusive workforce is more important than ever. Organizations large and small are beginning to reexamine their hiring practices, and in many cases, completely changing the corporate culture to make sure everyone has the same opportunities to succeed. For business leaders, how are you supporting equity, diversity and inclusion? Are you teaching the skills necessary to help rising leaders of color succeed in their careers? For employees, how can you protect yourself at companies that have been slow to take action and how can you achieve your greatest potential?
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Moderator: Doneisha Posey
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Panelists: Stephanie Chen Kim, Candy King, Terry Morris, Corey Wilson
Panel Discussion: She Has a Seat at the Table: Women in the C-Suite
A growing body of research indicates a positive relationship between firm value and the percentage of women and minorities in senior leadership roles. Diversity of gender and ethnicity are critical to a well-balanced leadership team. But why have so many Fortune 500 firms been slow to diversify their top ranks? We’ll sit down with 3 corporate leaders who have successfully shattered the ceiling to discuss how corporate America can do better and how rising women leaders can best navigate their own paths to a seat at the C-Suite table.
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Moderator: Rupal Thanawala
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Panelists: Andrea Bartlett, Meredith Harper, Tatiana Holifield
Indianapolis Recorder 2020 Shining Stars Awards
(all times subject to change)
Saturday, August 29
10:00a
10:05a
10:15a
10:40a
11:20a
12:00p
12:25p
1:15p
2:00p
2:20p
3:05p
3:40p
Opening Remarks
Fireside Chat (FEATURED SPEAKER)
InnoPower will sit down with Jeffrey Johnson, Senior Pastor at Eastern Star Church.
Keynote Speaker and Interview
Mike Green, Chief Strategist at the National Institute for Inclusive Competitiveness, will share how America can achieve economic inclusion. Following his talk, Green will sit down with Alan Bacon, Senior Director for Social Innovation at United Way of Central Indiana, for a brief conversation.
Panel Discussion: NFL Legends: Making a Difference After the Final Whistle
The NFL Legends Community celebrates, educates, embraces and connects all Legends with each other, their former teams and the league. We sit down with a group of former players to discuss the growing community of entrepreneurs, investors and change makers amongst the NFL’s alumni.
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Moderator: Rhyan Smith
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Panelists: Don Carey, Vernon Fox III, Marlin Jackson, John Pointer
Panel Discussion: Politically Speaking: Minority Leaders in the Public Sector
For Indiana’s Black and Brown communities, political representation is viewed as a potential catalyst for increased racial equality at work and at home. In this year of economic crisis and social strife, we’ll hear from a panel of elected minorities on their visions for Indiana beyond 2020.
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Moderator: Larry Smith
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Panelists: Asheesh Agarwal, Cecilia Coble, Robin Shackleford, Rima Shahid
Fireside Chat (FEATURED SPEAKER)
InnoPower host Angela Freeman will sit down with Derek Andersen, Founder and CEO of Bevy and Startup Grind, for a conversation about building community during COVID-19 and creating opportunities for Black professionals.
Panel Discussion: Building an Equitable Startup Culture
The next era of entrepreneurship in Indiana is about leveling the playing field and creating opportunity for all startups and scalable businesses. By building onramps to funding, networking, mentoring and media coverage for entrepreneurs from all races and genders, we can break down barriers to economic growth and lift up new innovations that benefit all Hoosiers.
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Moderator: Al Carroll
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Panelists: Denzil "Val" Crooke, Kaliah Ligon, Amna Sohail, Berthran Ugeh
Panel Discussion: Major Impact: Funding Minority-Led Social Impact Projects
Impact investing is an exciting and rapidly growing industry powered by investors who are determined to generate social and environmental impact as well as financial returns. But many of the business leaders and investors who say they support racial equality should back up their words by investing in minority-led businesses -- especially in their own communities. It takes companies of all sizes and backgrounds to address the challenges our society faces today. Hear from some of Indiana’s successful social entrepreneurs as they discuss how to better diversify the investments being made across our state.
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Moderator: Una Osili
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Panelists: Tiffany Benjamin, Alicia Collins, Claudia Cummings, Danette Howard
Fireside Chat (FEATURED SPEAKER)
Marshawn Wolley, President & CEO of Black Onyx Management, will sit down with professor and author, Dileep Rao, to discuss how startups can grow without venture capital.
Panel Discussion: Education CEOs: The New Faces of Social Entrepreneurship
Through their nationally unique Innovation School Fellowship, The Mind Trust is giving education-focused social entrepreneurs the opportunity to launch schools that combine the freedoms and flexibilities of charter schools with the resources and services of district schools. Hear from four of these exceptional school leaders and learn how they have made the transition from the classroom to the CEO’s office.
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Moderator: JuDonne Hemingway
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Panelists: India Hui, Kimberly Neal, Earl Martin Phalen, Francisco Valdiosera
Panel Discussion: Closing the Gap: Minority Disparity in Indiana
Across health, wealth, and education, Black and Brown communities have long suffered from persistent inequality in the United States due to centuries of racism, discrimination and the long-lasting effects of slavery. If 2020 has accomplished anything, it has brought these often undiscussed and overlooked issues to the surface. Hear from local leaders as they discuss how are own communities are navigating the complex interaction of culture, policy and institutions that continue to hold many Hoosiers in place.
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Moderator: Molly Martin
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Panelists: Stephanie Bothun, Camille Blunt, Carolyn Mosby
Closing Keynote Address
Roland Williams, Co-Founder and President of J2 Medical Supply
(all times subject to change)
Saturday, August 29 - Global Africa Track
10:30a
12:00p
12:30p
Afrigrants Pitch School Finals (3:30p WAT)
5 Finalists from Nigeria-based Afrigrants' Pitch School will compete for a $5,000 USD grand prize in InnoPower's first-ever global pitch competition. Learn more about Afrigrants.
Power Slam Talks (5:00p WAT)
In an extension of Africa's spoken-word tradition, which is thousands of years old, Power Slam is a display of verbal performance. It is the merging of the art of performance with the art of the spoken word. Much like the modern poetry slam, Power Slam talks should be taken very seriously as well as enjoyed.
Global Entrepreneurship Panel: A Conversation with Women of Color Making a Difference (5:30p WAT)
Female entrepreneurs are not only reshaping the business world in America, but across the globe. Thelma Ekiyor, a Nigerian social entrepreneur focused on empowering women through financial independence, will sit down with a global panel of women founders to share lessons and insights for the next generation of female business owners.
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Moderator: Thelma Ekiyor
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Panelists: Anatu Ben-Lawal, Farahnaz Hossenally, Rachel Macauley, D. Yvonne Rivers
