May Monthly Meeting: In Her Shoes with Toni Cunningham
Join NAWBO Columbus and Toni Cunningham for our May Monthly Meeting. Toni will share her experience as a woman in business, her experiences on disruption and navigating business as a Black woman.
NAWBO Columbus is proud to highlight Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at our May Monthly Meeting. As part of NAWBO’s D,E &I initiatives we continue to remind women to keep raising their voices and telling their stories.
Toni Cunningham is an accomplished leader, motivator, workforce development professional and reboot strategist. As a Managing Director with Per Scholas, Toni provides the vision, operational, and executive leadership for the Columbus team. A seasoned marketing and communications expert Toni’s career includes roles with the Columbus Urban League, American Electric Power, Founder and Principal at Image Anu, LLC.
Nothing is more important than imagining and inventing the future that we want. We need to reset the table so women are no longer required to accept or adapt to discrimination or sexism. We need to think beyond corporate boardrooms and beyond our own lives and experiences to lift up women of all incomes, experiences and backgrounds.
We want every woman to realize their God-given potential. NAWBO Columbus is presenting the “In Her Shoes”series so women can tell their stories! How they have overcome obstacles, made sacrifices, and where suffrage was achieved through perseverance.
These are women who have no patience for gradual change and no intention of slowing down. “Well behaved women rarely make history”- Eleanor Roosevelt, Marilyn Monroe and Ann Boleyn. These are women who refused to stand quietly. That’s who we are NAWBO Columbus!
In addition to our keynote with Ms. Cunningham attendees will have their choice of breakout sessions focused on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Attendees will choose their breakout at registration.
Breakout SEssions:
The Power of Inclusive Leadership
As a leader, you play an important role in creating an inclusive and equitableworkplace. Leaders can use their positions of power to promote change within their organizations and communities. You might be asking the question – where and how do I start to do this work? Join Courtnee Carrigan, CEO of Raising the Bar Performance Group, for an interactive session on
Inclusive Leadership.
Together, we will:
- Discuss what current research says about inclusive leadership in business.
- Identify actions that leaders can take toward becoming more inclusive.
- Share examples of Inclusive leadership organizational practices.
Showing up as Your Authentic Self
We often feel that the best way to succeed is to morph into our corporate cultures or change into our potential clients. To say yes to every demand, so we don’t lose the sale. The problem with this is that you might get the deal today, but the more you give away, the more you lose – not just in profit. Your value decreases. You are all that you have and your most valuable asset.
I will help you stay authentic, increase your value and get the sale!
Key Takeaways Include:
- Know who you are but stay curious.
- Fail fast, take notes, cry for a minute and then move on.
- Avoid burnout – Take a personal inventory and keep yourself in view at all times. Breathe
Navigating Supplier Diversity
Are you interested in growing sales by contracting with the government or large corporations? Learn the first steps in getting started as a woman
business owner and what you should consider along the way. Presented by Deonna Barnett, CEO & Managing Consultant of Aventi Enterprises, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in business strategy, preparation for financing and government contracting.
ABOUT OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Toni M. Cunningham, Image Anu, LLC, #REBOOT Strategist, Co-Founder Black Tech Columbus
Ms. Cunningham is an accomplished leader, motivator, workforce development professional and reboot strategist. As a Managing Director with Per Scholas, Toni provides the vision, operational, and executive leadership for the Columbus team.
A seasoned marketing and communications expert Toni’s career includes roles with the Columbus Urban League, American Electric Power, Founder and Principal at Image Anu, LLC.
In addition to growing funding, investments, and stakeholders, Toni is a highly sought after conference speaker, presenter and workshop facilitator for organizations like Dress For Success, Women Economic Leadership Development, National Urban League, and Women In Tech.
A resident of Columbus, Ohio, Ms. Cunningham’s community and board involvement runs deep. Most recently: Mayor’s Recovery and Resiliency Committee, New Directions Career Center Board of Directors, Ohio Workforce Coalition Leadership Committee, Black Tech Columbus Co- Founder, Franklin County Tax Incentive Review Commission and, American Association of Blacks in Energy. Committed to excellence and continuous learning, Toni earned her Master of Science in Marketing and Communication with Franklin University and Bachelor of Science from Ohio Dominican University. She’s also a 2019 American Express Leadership Academy Fellow.
Authentic and relatable, Toni is adamant about helping others accomplish their career goals. Her journey reflects what happens when, as she puts it, we find “work in roles that match our souls”. The many awards bestowed upon Toni substantiates her leadership, impact, and results. Including the naming of Per Scholas as one of Columbus Foundation’s Top 5 Nonprofits to Watch in 2018, Women for Economic Leadership and Development 2020 Honoree, BizTech Columbus Business First 2019 Executive of the Year, and Smart Business Magazine in 2018 Smart50; an honor which “recognizes the top executives of the 50 smartest companies in the Central Ohio region for their ability to effectively build and lead successful organizations.”
Toni is a leader who believes in helping people to achieve at their highest levels. She truly believes in living out her purpose, which is “helping people get to next” in both their personal and professional lives.
About our Breakout Speakers:
Courtnee Carrigan
Courtnee is the Founder and CEO of Raising the Bar Performance Group (RTB). RTB is a capacity-building firm specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion solutions. The firm's goal is to equip individuals and organizations with critical knowledge, skills, and assistance to improve organizational performance. Courtnee advises clients across various sectors to develop, design, and implement policies, practices, and strategies that result in inclusive and equitable environments.
Ms. Carrigan is a recipient of the 2017 Columbus Business First Diversity in Business Award. She has been featured in Ohio Business and Columbus CEO Magazines. Courtnee is also a graduate of Leadership Columbus, The Ohio Minority Supplier Diversity Council MBE Academy, and African American Leadership Academy.
Kimberly Minor
Kimberly Minor is a creative executive with over 25 years of senior and c-suite leadership experience in maximizing brands, connecting communities, and growing businesses.
Her international professional experience spans from Macy's Executive program to Footlocker Global, Inc, to Brand President of London Fog and Joe Boxer to Lbrands, where she led the $2+B Home business. She is currently CEO of Bumbershoot, LLC, a boutique firm that provides cultural and market insights for inclusive, equitable, and diverse representation across brand, content, and customer experience.
Her personal passions bring people and ideas together for inclusive engagement, creating safe spaces for community connection and personal growth for everyone, the arts, and continuous learning.
Kimberly holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, and an Executive Certificate in Leadership and Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She is currently enrolled in the Inclusive Leadership program at Stanford University.
Special Notes:
- A Zoom link will be sent to all registrants the week of the event from NawboColumbus@wildapricot.org.
- Registrations must be paid in advance.
- Cancellations made after 5:00 pm on the Monday prior to the Meeting will not be refunded.
NOTICE OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO RECORDING
By attending a NAWBO event (in person or virtually), you are entering an event where photography, audio, and video recording may occur. By registering you are agreeing to these terms, you consent to photography, audio recording, video recording and its release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction to be used for promotional purposes, advertising, inclusion on websites, social media, or any other purpose by NAWBO Columbus and its representatives.
You release NAWBO Columbus, its employees, and each and all persons involved from any liability connected with the taking, recording, digitizing, or publication and use of interviews, photographs, computer images, video and/or or audio recordings, and you waive all rights to any claims for payment or royalties in connection with any use of these materials. You also waive any right to inspect or approve any photo, video, or audio recording taken by NAWBO Columbus or the person or entity designated to do so by NAWBO Columbus.