I am a native of New Orleans' historic Ninth Ward community. I am ABD and have completed all coursework for my doctorate degree in Education Technology. Over the last 5 years I have served at STEM NOLA, where currently my role is Chief Administrative Officer. I love engaging youth and young adults in STEM!
Jonté Ray RN, HWNC-BC Broad Certificated Holistic Wellness Nurse and Founder of Wholly & Solely L3C. My vision is simple: "Wholly You, Solely Well." I empower individuals to remember that true health and wellness stem from nurturing every aspect of our being. Through my services, I support clients in standing in their power and cultivating a life on purpose.
A serial entrepreneur since his days as an undergraduate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Andre Garner’s most recent venture is the Pullman Hotel Group, LLC. As the group’s Managing Member and majority shareholder, he’s leading the development of the first nationally branded hotel on Chicago’s Far Southside. Scheduled to open in late 2026, the site for the four-story, 100-room Hampton By Hilton is just off Interstate 94 at 111th Street. The hotel will be the first constructed to service visitors to the newly designated Pullman National Park, the Pullman Park industrial complex, two new indoor sports venues and Harbourside Golf Center in the rapidly developing community with severely limited lodging options. Prior to life as a hotel developer, Mr. Garner spent over 35 years as a communications professional in both public and private sector roles, including service as Chief Spokesman for the Chicago Housing Authority, Assistant Press Secretary to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Community Affairs and Corporate Contributions Manager with Peoples Energy and Midwest Communications Director for IT firm Electronic Data Systems (EDS). For more than six years, he also owned and operated a multiple award-winning Allstate insurance agency on Chicago’s Far Southside. Mr. Garner continues to provide strategic communications and stakeholder engagement counsel as well as speech writing for a number of public and private sector clients through his consultancy. In his passionate quest to demonstrate unique value in the culturally-rich Black experience, he’s been the architect of innovative and profitable solutions. Mr. Garner continues to provide strategic communications and stakeholder engagement counsel as well as speech writing for a number of public and private sector clients through his consultancy. In his passionate quest to demonstrate unique value in the culturally-rich Black experience, he’s been the architect of innovative and profitable solutions, including: • The MPact App to track and incentivize spending with Black-owned businesses, as well as women-owned, veteran-owned, LGBTQ-owned and other historically underrepresented business ownership groups. • The Soul Brand features a distinctly curated collection of athleisure apparel tailored for sports fans who enjoy the game with a proper infusion of culture. • The non-profit Great Migration Experience to archive videotaped interviews with Chicagoans who migrated from the Deep South between World War 1 and 1970, • The Big Ten Black Alumni Network to celebrate and support the thousands of Black students past and present who’ve attended the 18 universities that comprise the Big Ten athletic conference. Mr. Garner and his wife Adrienne live on Chicago’s Far Southside and have two adult children
Managing Partner at Boot64 Ventures
Kieran N. Blanks, MBA, has dedicated his career to driving systemic change by fostering resilient education systems, advancing rural prosperity, and preparing future-ready workforces. He bridges the gap between technology and opportunity, builds inclusive systems, and equips organizations to thrive. He gives back to the communities that shaped him.