PANELISTS
AMANDA LEWAN - Co-Founder, Bamboo
Amanda Lewan is an award winning writer and entrepreneur. She loves to drive change through community. As Co-founder of Bamboo, she builds collaborative work spaces that unite and empower diverse founders and creatives. She is a partner and board member of Venture Catalysts, a 501c3 non-profit leading large scale events. She has a decade of operations and marketing experience, but has had the most fun bootstrapping Bamboo.
DONNELL R. WHITE - Chief Diversity Officer and Director of Strategic Partnerships, TCF National Bank
Donnell R. White joined TCF National Bank in June of 2018 as Chief Diversity Officer and Director of Strategic Partnerships. In his position, Mr. White is responsible for establishing and leading strategies to attract, engage and develop diverse talent across the organization, as well as focusing on developing relationships with community groups, and business organizations in the city of Detroit.
Prior to joining TCF National Bank, Mr. White served as executive director of the Detroit Branch National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), where he helped lead the organization’s largest local Branch – Also one of its oldest and most storied Branches. While there, he was responsible for the strategic, financial and operational oversight of the organization and also served as the spokesperson and community liaison for the organization.
Mr. White is a founding member of New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice Law Enforcement Signatory Group, Co-Chair of ClearCorps Detroit, Member of the Detroit Public Safety Foundation, Federal Bureau of Investigations Multicultural Advisory Committee, Wayne State University President’s Community Advisory Group and the DTE Energy Community Advisory Board.
MARGARITA BARRY - Founder, I Am Mainstreet America
Margarita Barry is a social entrepreneur, designer, storyteller, and marketing expert with a passion for inspiring entrepreneurs, activating creative places and using art and digital media to empower communities.
She runs I Am Mainstreet America, a social venture, storytelling platform and umbrella company for startups Mainstreet Mob and Mainstreet Hype.
I Am Mainstreet America promotes small business entrepreneurship as a means to combat unemployment and boost economic impact in cities. Through the platform, she shares the stories of America's small business entrepreneurs and mobilizes citizens everywhere to champion them through Mainstreet Mob, a combined loyalty app, cash mob community, and marketing platform.
She's the founder and executive director of Mainstreet Seed, an organization that raises seed funding for revenue-generating neighborhood retail startups founded by black and brown identifying founders.
SEBASTIAN JACKSON - Founder, The Social Grooming Company
Sebastian Jackson is the CEO and founder of The Social Club Grooming Company, and has over 15 Years of experience in the men’s grooming industry.
He has established himself as an industry expert, recognized by the Ross School of Business, Harvard Business School, and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He was the subject of the TV series, Growing America: A Journey to Success, which aired 8 episodes of Sebastian working to transform the barbershop experience and building communities in the process.
Community engagement being historically significant to the barbershop, Sebastian created Shop Talk, which provides the community information and access to global experts. He and The Social Club, most recently partnered with the NFL, for an exclusive Shop Talk facilitating a conversation between the NFL’s player community and the league's front office, during Super Bowl LIII weekend.
He current joined Rock Ventures as an Entrepreneur in Residence, to build a new media startup through ShopTalk.