AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO THE MIAMI HERALD
Monday, November 5, 2018
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AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO THE MIAMI HERALD
Monday, November 5, 2018
Monday, November 5, 2018 AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO THE MIAMI HERALD
EDITOR’S NOTE
4. THE HONOREES: Legacy Miami’s Most Influential & Prominent Black Women in Business and Industry of 2018 6. CONGRESS REPORT By Congresswoman Frederica Wilson
LEONARD BERNSTEIN
LA BOHÈME Now – November 11
POLITICS
100 AND BEYOND
By Chris Norwood 8. ENTREPRENEURSHIP Historian Pays Homage to the Harlem Renaissance,
November 9
November 11
November 15
CYBER MONDAY SALE
WARRIORS OF PEKING November 17
November 20 - 25
November 24
ARTEMIS GREAT WOMEN IN JAZZ
America’s Winter Festival of
Short Plays AN EVENING WITH
ANNIE LEIBOVITZ November 28
November 26
SLEEPING BEAUTY
DREAMS
Cécile McLorin Salvant | Anat Cohen Renee Rosnes | Melissa Aldana Noriko Ueda | Allison Miller | Ingrid Jensen
December 1
December 6 - 23
December 7
By Jasmen Rogers-Shaw 10. COVER STORY Introducing Miami’s Influential & Prominent Black Women in Business and Industry of 2018
By Brad Kilgore
ADRIENNE ARSHT CENTER GALA
TICKETS: 305.949.6722 • arshtcenter.org
Open on Show Nights
December 7 & 8
By Brad Kilgore
Open 7 Days a Week
FREE TOURS
MONDAYS AND SATURDAYS AT NOON! Friend, fan, follow for news, discounts and inside scoop!
Russell Motley Legacy Editor-in-Chief
12. PROFILES IN LEADERSHIP Dorsey Technical College Works as Bridge to Prosperity By Gordon Raynell
By Mary David3 13. SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT By Gary Hartfield By Beatrice Louissaint
Convenient parking is plentiful! Info: arshtcenter.org/parking
Subscribe to and view the digital version of Legacy Magazine And view additional articles at http://bitly.com/legacymagazines Facebook: Facebook.com/TheMIAMagazine Twitter and Instagram: @TheMIAMagazine #BeInformed #BeInfluential #BlackHistoryMonth
TECHNOLOGY By Dr. Tracy Timberlake
Every Monday, 4 - 8:30 PM
said the woman, who we’ll call Barbara because, as we later learned, she lives in a nearby shelter for battered women. “I said to myself, that’s who I should have been before I went through domestic violence.” Barbara eventually finds the gumption to step inside the lobby and compliment the honorees. What happened next moved her to tears. The honorees asked Barbara to join them in a group photo. “I don’t have to be down and feel incomplete and have low self-esteem,” said Barbara. “These women gave me a chance and they made me feel like a lady. I’m walking away like a woman, feeling good.” A powerful moment led by the one thing that connects these women regardless of their careers, bank accounts or status—Black sisterhood.
By Russell Motley
16. BUSINESS REPORT
Join us for the
April 6
9. MILLENNIAL
is named after. It’s a swank, narrow space with glossy bronze-colored concrete floors in the lobby, staged with luxury custom seating. Two royal blue vintage-like chandeliers hang from the ceiling. On the walls are black-andwhite photos of famous faces from the Harlem Renaissance: comedian Moms Mabley, writer Gwendolyn Bennett, sculptor Augusta Savage, and the dancing Nicholas Brothers. Fast forward to today, as several honorees of Legacy’s “Most Influential and Prominent Black Women in Business and Industry” strike a pose in the lobby for the cover. We notice a middle-aged Black woman—wearing a tie-dye shirt emblazoned with a peace sign—peering into the window of the lobby from the sidewalk. She disappears, then walks back and forth past the window, each time catching a glimpse of the honorees under the bright lights. “I was just walking past and I saw these beautiful women and this beautiful establishment so I stopped,”
CAREER, LEADERSHIP & DEVELOPMENT
DINING @ THE ARSHT CENTER
December 14 - 24
Restores 15-Room Hotel in Heart of Overtown By Shelly-Ann M. Parkinson
CHINESE
November 16 & 17
November 16 & 17
In the middle of the photoshoot for the cover of this issue, something magical and transformational happened that moved one woman to tears. Before I share that story, let me first set the scene. We arranged the photoshoot inside the lobby of a newly-renovated boutique hotel in the heart of Historic Overtown. The Black-owned Dunns Josephine Hotel is sandwiched between a barbershop and a vacant commercial building on the 1000 block of Northwest Third Avenue, across the street from House of Wings. Just weeks away from opening, the 15-room Dunns Josephine is rich with history. It was once a popular 1930s hotel, frequented by entertainers such as Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald and Josephine Baker, whom the hotel
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17. EXECUTIVE SUITE Kerry-Ann Royes: A Champion for Women and Girls By Isheka Harrison 18. ABOUT TOWN Legacy’s “40 Under 40” Awards Brunch Legacy’s White Party 19. LEGACY BRIEFS
Russell Motley Editor-in-Chief Zachary Rinkins Editor-at-Large Shannel Escoffery Director of Operations
Yanela G. McLeod Copy Editor Karla Cohen Art Director Teekay Cover Photo
Dexter A. Bridgeman CEO & Founder
Member of the Black Owned Media Alliance (BOMA)
CREDO OF THE BLACK PRESS “The Black Press believes that America can best lead the world away from racial and national antagonisms when it accords to every one regardless of race, color or creed, full human and legal rights. Hating no person, fearing no person, the Black Press strives to help every person in the firm belief that all hurt as long as anyone is held back.”
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AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO THE MIAMI HERALD
Monday, November 5, 2018
Miami’s Most Prominent & Influential Black Women
Monday, November 5, 2018
AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO THE MIAMI HERALD
VITAS: Powered by Women At VITAS® Healthcare, workforce diversity is our daily reality. In South Florida, 81% of our employees are women. Nationwide, 74% of our managers are women. Sixty percent of our 12,000 employees are minorities.
Cordelia Anderson Real Estate Broker/Investor I Heart Real Estate, LLC
Renee Gordon, Esq. Attorney at Law Miami Dade Public Defender’s Office
Michele Belizaire President, CEO, Agent State Farm Belizaire Insurance Agency
Algeria Bridges Duty Free Trade Marketing Manager - The Americas Stoli Group
Carolyn Guniss
Tianika Holland Director, Provider Engagement Florida Blue/Guidewell Care Solutions
Executive Director Miami Times
Martine Cola CEO Sculpting Goddess
Elpagnier Hudson Interim Vice President Florida International University
Dr. Wendy Ellis Vice President of Operations Honey Shine, Inc
Fedline Ferjuste Esq., LL.M. Tax Attorney Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service
Flora Jackson General Magistrate Eleventh Judicial Circuit Courts of the State of Florda
Kristin Kitchen Social Entrepreneur/ Brand CEO Dunns-Josephine Hotel
We’re proud to be the nation’s leading provider of end-of-life care. We’re equally proud to be powered by women.
VITAS: A company whose workforce reflects our country’s vast, rich diversity.
Colette McCurdy-Jackson National President Eta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated
Tanya-Marie McLendon Celebrity Fashion Designer/ Stylist Tanya-Marie Design
Jessica Modkins President Hip Rock Star
Marcia Rami Director of Market Development VITAS Healthcare
Karen Rundlet Director Knight Foundation
Lindsay Pollard Fundraiser Andrew Gillum for Governor
800.93.VITAS • VITAS.com
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AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO THE MIAMI HERALD
Monday, November 5, 2018
Monday, November 5, 2018 AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO THE MIAMI HERALD
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CONGRESS REPORT
Black Women Lead the Charge in Voter Empowerment By Frederica S. Wilson US Congresswoman In the era of President Donald J. Trump, it might be understandable if voters lost interest, but they are instead more impassioned than ever. Since taking office, Trump has been working overtime to undo everything that President Barack Obama Frederica S. Wilson put in place, even when it’s detrimental to our nation, just because he can. Mr. Trump has appointed Cabinet secretaries who are just as clueless as he is about their jobs. Migrant children torn from families seeking refuge in the
United States are living in tent cities. Global leaders no longer consider the United States to be the strong and loyal ally it once was. My Republican colleagues not only lack the courage to say no to the administration’s abominable policies, they eagerly support them. That is why there will likely be a new Supreme Court justice who, in addition to having displayed an alarming lack of judicial temperament that would be disqualifying for any court, also has been credibly accused of sexual assault, which should most definitely disqualify him from sitting on the highest bench in the land. The good news is that states across the nation are reporting surges in voter registration and turnout for primary elections — trends that Democrats are hoping will lead to a blue wave coming in November. Black women have always been
fired up and ready to vote in every election. If you think about it, we have played a major role in every historymaking election cycle. We vote in high numbers and make sure that our children, family members, and friends vote too. Nobody carries the black community and indeed, the nation, the way black women have for generations. If we as a country are going to make the huge change in direction that voters are hoping for, it will be black women leading the charge to make America a great, diverse, and fair nation, not one for white men only. This is the year of the woman and we are making history in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, and so many other states across the nation that are relying on us to make the blue wave a reality and put a stop to racism and Trumpism. Twelve women are running for
governor. Thirty new women could be elected to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Two, who are certain to win in November, defeated two 20year incumbents. That is the power of the vote. When we turn out, we win. Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination against the odds because he spoke to voters about the issues that matter to them in ways that let them know that he understands exactly what they’re going through. Floridians want a leader who puts people above politics; someone who will bring us together, not divide us. They will not only make history by electing Gillum, but also will finally have the governor we need and deserve. Women will be instrumental in getting him over the top.
POLITICS
Miami’s Culture Economy Allows Black Artists to Shine
By Christopher Norwood
Last year, Art Basel, hosted at the Miami Beach Convention Center, showcased thousands of pieces from 270 galleries originating from 32 countries. According to AXA Art, Art Christopher Norwood Basel had a record $3.5 billion of insured works on display. “The Culture Economy” is real, and Miami Art Week has become an aesthete’s dream – a one-week cultural explosion where the whole city creates a universe called Art Basel. Miami is built for these kinds of events. It is America’s most multicultural city where culture is the currency. An art fair, unlike other
industry gatherings, is focused on people coming to vacation and to spend money on art. It makes sense for this event to be in Miami, where people regularly enjoy themselves freely. Originally established in Switzerland, Art Basel found a welcome home in Miami as its North American outpost in 2001. Similar to Basel, Switzerland, Miami is a neutral zone for culture in the United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Culture feels safe here in Miami because you can be who you are, eat what you wish and speak your native tongue. Miami is a place where more than half the population wasn’t born in the United States. People congregate here from the Caribbean, South America and Central America, together with native Floridians and others who have migrated from other states. They each
bring their culture with them and share it proudly. At its best Miami is a gumbo of American identities brought together in a way like no other place in the world. Art Basel has a storied history in Miami and has outgrown its name. Today “Art Basel” is an umbrella term for Miami Art Week. In addition to the 270 galleries at the “Official Art Basel,” Miami Art Week brings more than 30 international art fairs and dozens of smaller fairs to the Miami Metropolitan area. Basel brings to life Miami’s peculiar culture and landscapes. In 2010, Neil Hall, a licensed architect and patron of the arts, was alarmed by the lack of diversity of artists and galleries featured in the country’s largest and most prestigious art fair. So he created and produced “Art Africa: Miami Arts Fair,” the first large scale art fair solely featuring artists from the African diaspora.
Initially housed in an 8,000 square foot tent located in Miami’s historic Overtown neighborhood, Art Africa has grown and continues. In 2014, the Greater Miami Visitors and Tourism Bureau made a bold move toward Blackness and launched the “Art of Black Miami” campaign, a marketing platform and destination driver that showcases the diversity of the visual arts locally, nationally, and internationally. This initiative highlights the artistic cultural landscape found in Miami’s heritage neighborhoods and communities year round. Art Basel/Miami Art Week has punctuated an unprecedented showing of African and African-American artistry depicting Black themes. Black art found its footing within what has become the largest exhibition of art in America.
Nominate an Achiever Today! Save the Date
African-American Achievers Awards
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Broward County Convention Center
For more information, visit AfricanAmericanAchievers.com, call 866-516-2497 or join us on facebook.com/AfricanAmericanAchievers.
The African-American Achievers Awards, now in its 27th year, recognizes those who have inspired others through their hard work, commitment and compassion. An independent panel of judges from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties selects honorees in the following categories:
Arts & Culture Business & Entrepreneurism Community Service Education
Nominate online at
AfricanAmericanAchievers.com Deadline is November 30, 2018 Sponsored by
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Monday, November 5, 2018
MILLENNIAL
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Historian Pays Homage to the Harlem Renaissance, Restores 15-Room Hotel in Heart of Overtown By Shelly-Ann Parkinson
Kristin Kitchen Kristen Kitchen is among Legacy Miami’s Most Influential and Prominent Black Women of 2018. She is the founding partner and CEO of the newly renovated Dunns Josephine Hotel, located at 1028 NW 3rd Avenue in Historic Overtown. When this 15-room Harlem Renaissance-themed boutique hotel opens its doors to guests this November, Kristin Kitchen and her partners in this project will no doubt experience a monumental sense of relief and excitement in restoring not only a physical structure, but pride to a once flourishing Black community. Kitchen was first approached by former Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence Jones about the proposed hotel project six years ago because of her established success as a historian. She was also known for taking old properties and bringing them back to life. Kitchen is a founding member of a brand of hotels called the Sojourn Heritage Accommodations, which encourages community tourism, sourcing products from Black-owned artisans and businesses, and hiring from shelters with the thinking that
Monday, November 5, 2018 AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO THE MIAMI HERALD
these community partners will become business ambassadors. Before opening the Dunns Josephine Hotel, Kristen owned the Six Acres Bed and Breakfast Inn in Cincinnati, Ohio, another historic site she renovated, which was once part of the Underground Railroad. It was the rich history of Overtown and the story of the Dunns Josephine Hotel--the last hotel structure left in Overtown since segregation--that attracted Kitchen to this project. She is jointed with with co-owners and business partners, Shirlene Ingraham, owner of Jackson’s Soul Food restaurant, and Graylyn Swilley-Woods of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau. Kristin credits the tireless efforts of Commissioner Keon Hardemon and the Miami Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) for helping to fund the project. According to Kristen, MiamiDade County›s tedious permitting issues didn’t always make the process easy and there were several hurdles to overcome. Kristin shared that the hardest part was “just getting it done.” The Dunns Josephine Hotel was originally built in 1938, then rebuilt in 1947. Until 6 years ago, the building housed a barbershop and a shoe shop. It was gutted and completely renovated to restore it to its original hotel design. Modern features were added added, including hurricane windows, ADA compliance, and a bathroom in every suite, which was not customary in older hotels. When guests check into the new Dunns Josephine Hotel they will know why Overtown was once called the “Harlem of the South.” Each suite is a biographical shrine to some of the greatest Black figures of the Harlem Renaissance: Nat king Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, the Nicholas Brothers, Billie Holiday, Madame C.J. Walker,
Josephine Baker, Langston Hughes, Marcus Garvey, Cab Calloway, William H. Johnson, Aaron Douglas, Zora Neale Hurston, to name a few. There is a wine shop and bar on the premises that serves products produced by wine makers from across the African Diaspora. A complimentary bottle of wine comes with each suite. Other amenities include locally-handcrafted shea butter, a full healthy breakfast, Wi-Fi, cable television, and a library where guests can learn about local and national historical figures. It was in this very space where notable Black figures found a safehaven during segregation and where the Black elite of Overtown sustained itself. After decades of urban decay
and neglect that appeared to have raped the soul of Overtown, Kitchen and her fellow business leaders are visionaries who say they’re aware that Black communities did, indeed, flourish when they held the power. She said this may be the answer to present-day gentrification. Kitchen plans to expand her brand. “I›m just thrilled! It is a model to take across the country,” said Kitchen. “We have an amazing opportunity to create these spaces.” Kristin knows that by doing so, she is returning a sense of pride to communities like Overtown that are distinctly “for us, by us.”
Black Women Have the Power to Shape Democracy political power. As said by the incomparable Fannie Lou Hamer, co-founder of It should be without argument that this country (and frankly, a good chunk the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and challenger of the all-white of the world) acknowledges the Mississippi Democratic delegation, “While politics will not cure all of our power that will ills, it is the first step toward erecting guarantee more a representative and a responsive equity for more people lies in the government that will deal with the basic needs.” hands of Black There have been blogs, books, and women and girls. And yet, Black think pieces written about the power of Jasmen M Rogers-Shaw women are at Black women in social movements. As Kristen Clarke, contributor to the Black the bottom of most major outcomes: Women’s Roundtable 2018 “State of disproportionate maternal mortality, Black Women’s” Report, so poignantly other significant health disparities, said, “Black women continue to shape disproportionate poverty, inequity democracy today.” in pay and wealth, a housing crisis, History has proven, through our and somehow, still the most educated engagement at all levels of social demographic in this country. movements, civic engagement, spiritual With a historic election looming, practice, reproductive justice and so we have to take a hard look at the much more, we shift this country’s lack of representation at every level moral compass towards more equity and of government. According to “The justice. Chisholm Effect: Black Women in You’d think that by now, they would American Politics 2018,” written by Higher Heights Leadership Fund, despite have figured out that Black women on the starting lineup is key for a winning being 7.3 percent of the population, in season. Yet, we’re still fighting for the U.S. only 3.7 percent of the 7,383 acknowledgement and a seat at the table. state legislators are Black women. No Sojourner Truth said, “If the first Black woman has ever been elected woman God ever made was strong governor. enough to turn the world upside down all In Florida, there are only nine Black alone, these women together ought to be women legislators in a Legislature of able to turn it back, and get it right side 160 people, who are predominantly up again. And now they is asking to do white or white-passing men. it, [you] better let them.” In some states like: Alaska, Hawaii, Black women are ready to turn this Montana, North and South Dakota, world upside down in favor of equity Nebraska, and Wyoming there are no and justice, will you join us? Black women represented in their state Legislature. After the recent confirmation of Judge Jasmen Rogers-Shaw is a community Brett Kavanaugh and watching law after organizer in South Florida, focusing on issues of racial and gender justice. law strip us of our voting rights, rights to bear or not bear children, or ability to Email: jasmen.m.rogers@gmail.com stay safely in our homes, we can’t keep Twitter: @beautyofthesoul electing and reelecting politicians with no proximity to our issues. We need By Jasmen M Rogers-Shaw
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Monday, November 5, 2018
COVER STORY
Introducing Miami’s Most Influential & Prominent Black Women in Business and Industry of 2018
By Russell Motley
Pictured: Colette McCurdy-Jackson, Tanya Marie, Jessica Modkins, Kristen Kitchen When you assemble a group of accomplished, ambitious Black women in Miami for a two-hour photoshoot you get one unforgettable, empowering session that overshadows any image you’ve ever seen on Bravo’s Housewives franchise. The women gracing the pages of this issue (see page 4) are far too busy for that—running successful businesses, designing clothing lines,
planning extravagant events and, most importantly, raising their families. I’m very excited to be a part of this photoshoot,” said Kristin Kitchen, the brainchild of Dunns Josephine, a new boutique hotel in the heart of Historic Overtown, and the set of Legacy magazine’s photo shoot for this issue. “Very excited to bring our hotel to the marketplace and to create something that’s really unique and different. This
is a new brand of hotels focusing on African American history and culture.” Family is the first priority for Jessica Modkins, founder of the award-winning Hip Rock Star advertising agency. A wife and mother of two young children, she has somehow found a healthy balance of work, homelife and community service. “You meet women often and you’re in organizations with them and you do community service with them, but there’s
something about having the opportunity to let our hair down together and we’re all on the same level,” said Modkins. “There are no egos, there’s no pretense. It’s all about just straightening out your pearls, helping one another.” Each year, Legacy celebrates the “Most Influential and Prominent Black Women in Business and Industry.” They are nominated by Legacy readers and selected by a special committee charged with honoring creatives, political leaders, entrepreneurs, visionaries and gamechangers who are elevating their culture. “I don’t know about deserved but I’m just thankful and grateful to be part of this,” said Tanya Marie, a celebrity stylist and designer. “The women who are being honored I find to be amazing with great personalities. Everyone has their space and they’re going for everything.” Honoree Colette McCurdy-Jackson is a trailblazer. As the 18th national president of Eta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., she leads more than 10,000 members nationwide. Although it’s not a part of the Divine Nine, she hopes to use this platform to shine the spotlight on her service organization, which focuses on assisting children, seniors and developmentally disabled. “It is an honor, indeed,” said McCurdy-Jackson. “I have been a part of another women’s group, but this is a different level because those women don’t look like me. So to be recognized in this forum is definitely an honor.” These phenomenal women representing Miami-Dade are the influencers you should know and support. To borrow a phrase, they know that their “network is their net worth.” And they’re seizing the moment. “With Andrew Gillum possibly being our next governor, it just feels like a resurgence of Black pride and I’m happy to be part of that,” said Tanya Marie.
Monday, November 5, 2018 AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO THE MIAMI HERALD
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PROFILES IN LEADERSHIP
Dorsey Technical College Works as Bridge to Prosperity
By Gordon Raynell
Denise Rinkins-Whitehead was unsatisfied with her meager earnings as a nurse assistant. After encouragement from her son, Rinkins-Whitehead decided to enroll in D.A. Dorsey Technical College to increase her earning potential. “If you are not happy, you Denise Rinkins-Whitehead have to go out there and get it!” said Rinkins, a 55-year-old student at DTC. “No matter what age you are, you have to be grounded and know what you want. Not, just say what you want. Your aspirations and ambitions depend on you doing just that.” Amid a booming economy, the “Prosperity Now’s The Racial Wealth
Divide in Miami” report reveals that Miami’s Black population’s income is on average $14,388 lower than their white peers. Per U.S. Census data, residents in the Dorsey Technical College zip code have a median household income of $27,618. Dorsey graduates transition into careers that average above $30,000. The college offers six state-certified career programs and confers high school equivalency diplomas. It also offers community scholarships and Pell Grants to cover tuition for qualified applicants. “We offer students the opportunity to prepare for a well-paying career in a year,” explains Angela ThomasDuPree, Ed.D., DTC’s principal. “We offer immediate training for immediate employment. The minimum age is 16.” These advantages attracted Rinkins to the school’s Medical Coder/Biller program. “I liked the ability to work from home, travel, and code worldwide,” Rinkins offered.
Labor Bureau information notes median salaries for medical coders as $18.83 per hour or $39,180 annually. That doubled Rinkins’ salary. “I wanted to set myself up for retirement,” Rinkins revealed. “I knew I did not want to completely stop working. I wanted to afford myself the ability to travel and move around comfortably.” Being enrolled in school after age 50, Rinkins exclaimed, “You are never too old to learn. It’s about education and learning,” she said. “It keeps me current and gives me a competitive drive to perform well.” Despite Rinkins’ being out of school for a few decades, Dupree says Rinkins is a great pupil. “She is an excellent student,” Dupree added. “She shows up every day and provides a model for our student body.” The soon-to-be graduate concedes that her seven-day schedule of school and work has been exhausting, but it will all be worth it when she walks across the stage to receive her hard-earned diploma.
“I am looking forward to making more money, working in coding, enjoying life, and my family,” she said. “I always put everybody first. This was about setting myself up for my future.” Because of institutions like DTC, employment and increased wages are attainable. Dr. Dupree views the college as a bridge to prosperity. “We produce three graduations every year,” she explained. “Seeing a parent or grandparent graduate sends a powerful message. It encourages children and grandchildren to follow in their footsteps and puts their families on the path to sustainability.” DTC will celebrate its newest graduates during a ceremony scheduled for 10 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 20, at 7100 N.W. 17th Avenue in Miami. Visit www. dorseytechnicalcollege.org to learn more about DTC.
CAREER, LEADERSHIP & DEVELOPMENT
Three Ways to Gain Influence and Boost Your Career By Mary V. Davids Influence, as defined, is the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself. Maybe you remember as a child being asked the question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I wanted to be Mary V. Davids a teacher while my friends chose careers like firefighter, lawyer, or doctor as their options. What influenced my desire then was the idea that I could help people become better at what they wanted to do. I saw how my teachers were able
to work with me and other students, and I watched my mother devote her life to helping those in need. That feeling carried over to what I do today, teaching young professionals and executives how to advance within their careers. As we move through the world, we tend to allow our friends, family, and those we work with to influence our decisions, especially when it comes to our relationships and career path. Consequently, our success, or lack thereof, depends on how well we respond to the power of influence. I’ve found the most influential people in our lives have three characteristics in common: Consistency. To gain influence, one must build trust, and build trust through consistency. When we trust people, we are vulnerable to take their opinions and suggestions with deep consideration. If you want to influence others, focus on keeping your promises, being reliable,
and doing what you say you can do. Courage. We hold in high regard those who have shown bravery in pursuit of what they believe. The courageous inspire us to want to do more for ourselves and others. Against the odds, even if not popular, showing courage sets you apart and increases your influential leadership skills. “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear” — Nelson Mandela Collaboration. Bringing people into the fold shows humility and it takes down the invisible wall of superiority that often creeps in when we outshine our colleagues. To eliminate resistance, try showing a genuine interest in what others care about and give them an opportunity to showcase their strengths. You don’t need to hold a specific
leadership position to be influential. When I’m hired to deliver leadership training, I prioritize identifying the person to whom most employees feel comfortable bringing their problems. When you can create a safe space for others, you gain the power of influence. Neither good change nor positive change happens without developing trust, being confident, and collaborating with the right people to implement it. Mary V. Davids is an executive career and leadership development coach. She is also owner of D&M Consulting Services, LLC. For career tips and advice visit www.marydavids.com, on Facebook/CoachMaryD, or email info@ marydavids.com.
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SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
SBE Programs Reflect Diversity Among Female Business Owners Recent economic trends reflect a steady increase in the number of women-owned businesses. According to the Florida International University Metropolitan Center’s By Gary T. Hartfield, Director “The Status Miami-Dade County of Women in Miami-Dade County Report”, the growth of women-owned businesses in Miami-Dade County grew faster than women-owned firms in Florida and the rest of the country. In 2012, local women-owned businesses comprised 21 percent of all firms. Men and women equally owned another 15 percent of firms. This surge in enterprise amongst women has also been evident in the County’s Small Business Enterprise
Certification Programs, which are both race and gender neutral, but still boast a very diverse representation of female entrepreneurs. At Small Business Development, 441 firms are at least equally or majority owned by women. This alone accounts for approximately 30 percent of the total firms certified in the SBE Programs and does not include those companies in which women have partial ownership that is less than 50 percent. Of those firms with majority or equal female ownership, 241 provide goods or services, 148 are in the construction industry, and the remaining 52 firms provide services in the architecture and engineering industry. These businesses cover a wide spectrum of the economic community including security services, waste removal, landscaping, general building construction, and civil engineering as well as a host of other services available in our county.
Diversity is apparent in more than just the types of services provided by the SBE. Though the county’s programs are race and gender neutral, the racial makeup of these women-owned companies reflects the multicultural landscape that is the backdrop of our local business community. Of these firms, 262 are equally or majority owned by Hispanic women, followed by 92 businesses headed by Black women. Caucasian women own 78 of these certified firms while seven Asian-Pacific American women in the SBE programs own at least 50 percent of their companies. In 2018 alone, 16 women-owned businesses flourished so well that they graduated from the SBE Programs. Furthermore, diversity at SBD is not limited to the firms in the four certification programs. Of the five chiefs overseeing various sections of the division, there are two Black women, one Asian woman, and a Hispanic
woman directly responsible for creating and ensuring opportunities for certified small businesses to work and thrive in Miami-Dade County. Diversity in the business community is essential to success. Companies that are inclusive and make efforts to diversify their leadership tend to outperform their competitors. At SBD, we want our firms to be as competitive as possible and we are proud of all of our firms that demonstrate the type of success that stems from ingenuity as well as hard work. SBD is committed to making every effort to build our small business community. We invite you to visit our website to learn more about our certification programs and how you may also play a part in our success:www. miamidade.gov/smallbusiness.
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SEN IO RS
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BUSINESS REPORT
Nationwide Aquaculture Program Helping Minority Businesses Grow
By Beatrice Louissaint Aquaculture is the fastest-growing form of food production in the world. Marine aquaculture in the United States contributes to seafood supply, supports commercial fisheries and has great growth Beatrice Louissaint potential. The Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council will begin offering a new MBE Aquaculture Development Program through a grant from the Minority Business Development Agency, a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The program will identify and promote minority business owners in aquaculture industries, research institutions, and related industries. The goal is to advance marine aquaculture throughout the U.S., and to give minority-owned businesses access to
TECHNOLOGY By Dr. Tracy Timberlake
the industry. The innovative project is an opportunity for minority-owned businesses to help the country become a more important player in this futurefocused industry. Also, the program will get companies ramped up so they can immediately enter or increase their capacity in the aquaculture industry. FSMSDC partnered with the Southern Minority Supplier Development Council (serving Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi) on this project. The University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, a leading expert in the industry, is a sub consultant on the project. Partners will identify minorityowned businesses that may be able to enter or expand in the aquaculture industry. It connects them with prime contractors and other large corporations in the field. Services will include technical assistance, education, one-
on-one consultations, mentorship, matchmaking and digital support. The MBE Aquaculture Program is just one of the FSMSDC’s programs that helps minority-owned businesses to grow. Others include: Access to Capital Program and Loan Fund FSMSDC has helped minority businesses obtain more than $80 million in loans this year. They package and underwrite loans, and help minority businesses identify which loan vehicle is right for them. Disaster Preparedness & Recovery Program This program, offered through the MBDA Miami and Orlando Business Centers, helps MBEs affected by natural disasters find financial assistance. It also helps MBEs develop disaster preparedness plans and assists MBEs seeking contracting opportunities in these areas. TAP – Technical Assistance Program
TAP offers MBEs access to industry experts for legal, accounting and business compliance, and sales coaching and training services. The FSMSDC covers the cost of the first two hours of consultation for a certified MBE. Marlin Cano Advanced Management Education Scholarships Each year, CEOs and owners of certified MBEs can apply for a scholarship to participate in programs at Kellogg School of Management, Dartmouth College, and Washington State University. To learn more about these services, log on to fsmsdc.org or call (305) 7626151.
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EXECUTIVE SUITE
Kerry-Ann Royes: A Champion for Women and Girls By Isheka N. Harrison Kerry-Ann Royes doesn’t like going to movie theaters. This little known fact may seem uncommon, but her reasoning for it offers great insight into one of the reasons she made history last year as the first Black woman appointed CEO of YWCA Miami, which will celebrate its centennial next year.
As children, we were often told that we could be whatever we wanted. There stood a limitless future ahead of us, until…we actually grew up. It seems that with adulthood came a slew of dragons that slayed our childhood Dr. Tracy Timberlake fairytales. Gone were the days of happily ever after. Say hello to pragmatism. We pivoted from unlimited possibilities and endless horizons to a more practical, “real life” approach to the future, which included societal constraints placed especially on women. But times, they are a changing. And, as a society, we are starting to take back what was left behind in our childhood years.
minority population in that sector. From home-based businesses to technology start-ups, more than 900 womenowned businesses are being started every single day. Because of this, the Kaufman Foundation cited women as being a key to the growth of our domestic economy. 2. Women have the ability and track record of positively contributing to every major institution of society. From politics, education, health care, social welfare, and enterprise, women have played a major role but are often underrepresented and under acknowledged. 3. Women can invert negative beauty and body standards imposed on us by mass society. We have all seen “industry standards” of beauty, but what if more women, specifically black women and other minorities, overturned those stereotypes simply by more representation showing that beauty comes in all shades, shapes, and sizes.
Beatrice Louissaint is president and CEO of the Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council. Learn more about the FSMSDC at fsmsdc.org, or call (305) 762-6151.
4. Lastly, women make up half of the world’s population. We cannot ignore that fact. History has shown that there has been a whole half of humanity that has been suffering from discrimination, injustice, and unequal opportunities for millennia. If 50 percent of our population is being degraded to secondary status, then women’s empowerment and elevation is an absolute urgent matter. Women’s empowerment affects all in a very positive way. This issue should not be the only time we celebrate women in power. Let’s strive to make it something we do regularly, because it is important.
Dr. Tracy Timberlake is a coach, speaker and digital strategist. Her area of genius is in digital leadership and online entrepreneurship. Email: contact@drtracytimberlake.com Instagram: @tracytimberlake YouTube: youtube.com/tracytimberlake Facebook: facebook.com/drtracytimberlake
Carol City Senior High School and later studied psychology at Florida International University (FIU). “It was a very big culture shock as it is for any immigrant coming from another country into the American system, so I figured my way through high school and then got a full scholarship to FIU,” said Royes. “That was wonderful. The college experience was really something I thrived in.” That thriving continued when Royes began her career at the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and was later recruited by the YMCA to serve as the after-school program director. She spent the next 16 years working her way to executive leadership at the organization. After years of service, she left the YMCA to pursue her Executive MBA at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and to be more present for her young children at critical stages of their development.
Women’s Empowerment Benefits Us All Technology has had a great deal to do with that. Having access to more information and education allows for more awareness and growth as a whole. Case in point, the women’s empowerment movement. We can trace its roots as far back as the Married Women’s Property Act of 1938, to the women’s suffrage movement in 1920, and more recently, the 2013 lift on women in combat to find the roots of this movement. But today, more than ever, the women’s empowerment initiative is taking off with wings thanks to social sharing. Women’s empowerment really needs to be something we embrace as a community. There are dozens of reasons why, but let’s start with the top four reasons why women’s empowerment benefits society as a whole. 1. Women owned businesses are growing faster than men, and Black women are the fastest growing
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Kerry Ann Royes
“I am wired for efficiency in every area of my life – like what direction I take when I’m driving, what time I plan a meeting, how I look at the tools that we use internally, how I look at my family life, cooking dinner, in every way that you could think of, I’m wired for efficiency,” Royes said. The trait helps the powerhouse leader make strategic decisions that not only ensure she gets good results in a timely manner, but also does so with excellence. If it’s something she thinks she can’t tackle, she outsources it to someone qualified who can. It is one of the hallmarks of a great CEO and has led Royes to be successful throughout her life and career. Born and raised in Jamaica with an innate desire to help others, Royes moved to the United States when she was 13 years old. A stand-out student, she skipped middle school, attended
professional support system – including her husband, Craig of 20 years, and their children, Elle and Jude – with helping her overcome this and other challenges. Royes said another struggle she faces in her role is that many people don’t understand what YWCA Miami does. She is working to change that. “The YWCA is the first and oldest international woman serving organization and the Miami branch was founded in 1919,” said Royes. “The YWCA is a social justice organization. We pledge to eliminate racism and empower women. Royes is emphatic that the YWCA doesn’t just run preschools. She said they transform lives by offering high-quality early education. They affect change in three core areas: empowerment and economic advancement, health and safety and
racial justice through education, leadership and prosperity. “Advocacy is core to everything that we do,” Royes said. “We know that if we change that woman’s life, we change the life of their family and oftentimes we change the life of entire communities.” Royes said the YWCA is now uniquely qualified to be at the forefront of movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp. “My feeling is it’s now time to strengthen victims’ advocacy, to create policy change, to retrain our society as a whole in a deliberate way for us to now make changes,” said Royes. “We’ve got to strike while the iron is hot, well the iron is hot. If not us, who? We are the women that we have been waiting for.”
“I left the YMCA on a leap of faith and finished the executive MBA the year after that. My daughter was just going into middle school and she, like me, is a year ahead so I felt it was really important that I was there for her when she made that transition to middle school,” Royes said. As a wife, mother and woman of color, Royes is personally familiar with the issues she advocates for. “I had the privilege of growing up in a country where a lot of people looked like me,” Royes said. “It wasn’t unusual in politics and in business and in industry for leadership to be people of color and women of color; so it wasn’t odd to me to feel like I belonged in every room because that’s what I grew up with. Here, there are rooms where I am the only woman of color … and it was hard for me to digest and to understand how to maneuver through that.” She credits a great personal and
“Let’s make history with Renee. With your vote Renee Gordon can be the first African American woman to be ELECTED to the Circuit Court in Miami-Dade County.” BARBARA JORDAN
Miami-Dade County Commissioner District 1 Political advertisement paid for and approved by Elect Renee Gordon, Circuit Court Judge, Non-Partisan, Group 14
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ABOUT TOWN
Legacy magazine’s “40 Under 40” Awards Brunch, Oct. 14, Miramar Cultural Center
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LEGACY BRIEFS General Election Recommendations After careful consideration and review of candidates seeking elected office in South Florida, specifically Miami-Dade County, Broward County and Palm Beach County, The BLACK OWNED MEDIA ALLIANCE, (BOMA) has made the following endorsements:
Increase teacher salaries and school security #362 YES
2018 MIAMI-DADE COUNTY U. S. Senator Bill Nelson, #11
Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Ring, #34
U. S. Congress, Dist. 23 Debbie Wassermann Schultz, #13
Commissioner of Agriculture Nicole “Nikki” Fried
U. S. Congress, Dist. 27 Donna Shalala, #21
State Senator, District 40 Annette Taddeo, #41
Governor & Lt. Governor Andrew Gillum & Chris King, #24
Circuit Court Judge, Group 14 Renee Gordon, #79
Attorney General Sean Shaw, #31
WE SUPPORT FLORIDA STATE NAACP RECOMMENDATIONS: Amendment 1 - Increased Homestead Property Tax Exemption - YES Amendment 2 - Limitations on Property Tax Assessments - YES Amendment 3 - Voter Control of Gambling in Florida - YES Amendment 4 - Voting Restoration Amendment - YES Amendment 5 - Supermajority Vote Required to Impose, Authorize or Raise State Taxes or Fees – NO Amendment 6 - Rights of Crime Victims; Judges – NO Amendment 7 - First Responder and Military Member Survivor Benefits; Public Colleges and Universities - NO Amendment 9 - Prohibits Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling; Prohibits Vaping in Enclosed Indoor Workplaces - YES Amendment 10 - State and Local Government Structure and Operation - YES Amendment 11 - Property Rights; Removal of Obsolete Provision; Criminal Statutes - NO Amendment 12 - Lobbying and Abuse of Office by Public Officers - YES Amendment 13 - Ends Dog Racing - YES (BOMA Recommendation)
Legacy Magazine’s “40 Under 40” White Party, Oct. 13, Leona’s Palace, Hollywood, FL
Congratulations to Marcia Rami, VITAS Director of Market Development
Thank you for your leadership and support of the VITAS values making a difference in the lives of our patients and families.
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I Walk It Like I Talk It Andrew Gillum will fight for: An economy with better-paying jobs Investing in public schools Paying teachers what they’re worth Common sense laws to stop gun violence Protecting women’s healthcare Fair immigration policies
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President Barack Obama Secretary Hillary Clinton Senator Bernie Sanders Congressman Alcee Hastings Congresswoman Frederica Wilson Commissioner Dale Holness Mayor Hazelle Rogers State Senator Bobby Powell State Representative Al Jacquet Commissioner Mack Bernard Mayor Wayne Messam
G E T I N V O LV E D W W W . A N D R E W G I L L U M . C O M Pa i d by A ndr ew Gi l l um , Dem o cr a t, f o r Go ver no r .