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Meet the Mentors

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Femi Adeyemo, MBA

Femi Adeyemo, MBA, is a management consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Los Angeles, California.

  • Provides financial and digital transformation advice for real estate financial institutions. He’s worked with some of the largest fortune 500 corporations to achieve the strategic goals.

  • A Rancho Cucamonga, CA native, Femi graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Southwestern Adventist University, TX and later attended University of Redlands, CA to obtain his MBA with an emphasis of finance.

  • At Southwestern, he served as student body president and as financial vice president of the intercollegiate association of universities.

  • Member of National Association of Black Accountants

  • Member of Whitehead Leadership Society

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Wayne E. Bragg, CLU
​​Wayne Bragg is a retired Managing Partner of the Los Angeles General Office of the New York Life, one of the premier life insurance companies in the United States.  

  • Began career with The New York Life in 1974 as an agent. Entered management after 6 years of success in sales, working in the fields of estate planning and business continuation.  

  • The only African American Sales Manager in the company west of the Mississippi, Wayne won numerous production awards for recruiting and developing a successful sales team.  In recognition of that effort he was promoted to Senior Partner.  

  • Achieved the professional designation of Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU).  

  • Promoted to Managing Partner of the Los Angeles Office in 1994, one of the largest offices in the life insurance industry.

  • Served on the Board of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and the General Agents And Managers Association in Los Angeles.

  • Also involved in the community as a board member of the Urban League, Arthritis Foundation of Los Angeles as well as the Salvation Army Board of Compton.  â€‹â€‹

Joseph Ellick

Joe Ellick is a native of Oakland, CA and is a Global IT Manager for Sony. 

  • Previously held various mid to senior level IT leadership roles within healthcare, higher education, silicon valley and energy industries. 

  • Has been entrepreneur with his own IT consulting firms specializing in managed services, project/program management, infrastructure and operations modeling, and risk management.    

  • Is a Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., where he has been a national committee chair, held several local, regional leadership roles and has served on several non-profit boards in the SoCal region.  

  • Obtained an BBA from Sam Houston State University in Economics, MBA from the University of Redlands, is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and is currently pursuing an MS in Quantitative Economics at California Lutheran University.

Alphonso Graves

Alphonso D Graves is a Safety, Health, and Environmental Manager for one of the world's leading adhesive producers, Henkel US Operations. With a focus on local, state, and federal regulatory compliance, he safeguards waste, air, and water quality to uphold environmental standards.

  • Has over two decades of experience managing waste, air, and water programs

  • Oversees comprehensive sampling initiatives and delivers meticulous compliance reports to governmental bodies.

  • Serves as a member of the internal auditing committee where he is responsible for reviewing procedures to ensure adherence to city, state, and federal regulations across all US adhesive plants.

  • Professional career began as a chemist and laboratory manager, where he honed his skills in utilizing analytical methods to assess soil, water, and air samples.

  • Received a Bachelor of Science in Biology form Cal State University Long Beach

  • Is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Dr. Ollie B. Hadley
Ollie B. Hadley is a Professor of Business Emeritus.  

  • Earned a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Southern California, an MBA in Management, and an Ed.D. in higher Education Administration from Nova University.

  • Served as the Dean of Business for eleven years at El Camino college.

  • Was President of the Management Consulting Firm of Ollie Hadley and Associates, serving clients both nationally and internationally.

  • Has over 20 years of practical experience from General Motors, where he held various management positions.

  • Author of several publications including "A Study of Leadership Syles of Administrators at the Community College Level" and "A Correlation Between Locus of Control and Learning Disabilities of Community College Students".

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Terrance Lark
Terrance Lark is Registered Nurse for one of the largest hospitals in the Los Angeles Metro area. He specializes and is certified in the area of Gastrointestinal Interventional procedures. Terrance also serves as a leader for research involving in improving the efficiency of his department.
  • 7+ years of nursing, supervising, and advancing in nursing skills and leadership.
  • Prior to becoming a nurse Terrance had several career paths which include film editing, professional photography, personal chauffeur/bodyguard, and home improvement sales leadership.
  • Earned a Masters Degree in Nursing Leadership and Management from Cal State University Dominguez Hills
  • Certification in Gastrointestinal Registered Nursing
  • 10+ years as a Marriage Mentor, along with his wife, for Faithful Central Bible Church
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Emeka Orjiakor

Emeka Orjiakor is the founder of Ten32|West, a production company committed to amplifying diverse voices through compelling Film and TV content. 

  • Before establishing his company, served as Senior Counsel and the Head of Legal for Film Acquisitions at Amazon Studios. In this role, he led negotiations for more than $1 billion in complex film/TV agreements, as well as the development and/or acquisition of some of Amazon’s most successful films, including "Coming 2 America," “Shotgun Wedding,” "Cinderella," "Air," and "Candy Cane Lane.” 

  • Spearheaded Amazon Prime Video's expansion efforts to penetrate the African market, leading the development of both an investment strategy and the content plan aimed at producing original content in Nigeria and South Africa.

  • Earned a B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a J.D. from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law.

Jawell B. Samilton
Jawell Samilton is a tenured Professor of Counseling at Pierce College.

  • Assists students in planning immediate and long-range educational and career goals.

  • Coordinates the probation program for students in Extended Opportunity Program and Services (EOP&S)

  • Served as Academic Athletic Counselor and Interim Athletic Director at West Los Angeles College.

  • Completed his Associate degree at Los Angeles Southwest College, where he lettered in both football as well as track & field, and was also a Junior College Grid Wire All-American.

  • Earned an athletic scholarship to Arizona State University, where he completed his undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.

  • Holds a Masters in Educational Counseling and has completed post-graduate coursework at University of California, San Diego

  • Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

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Warren Starks

Warren Starks is an Associate Product Manager in Los-Angeles currently working at Jobar International.

  • Originally from Cleveland Ohio, Warren graduated from John Carroll University in 2018 from the Boler School of Business receiving a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing.

  • He is looking to further his career within international sectors with a focus in consumer products. His previous experience includes international brand management, e-commerce design and product procurement. 

  • Played collegiate basketball at John Carroll University

  • Assistant Basketball Coach at Cathedral High School in Los Angeles

  • CRCC Shanghai Alumnus 

  • Conducts freelance web design and e-commerce solutions

Robert Taylor, CPA

Robert Taylor, CPA, is a financial consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Los Angeles, California.

  • Provides accounting and financial advice for potential acquisitions / divestitures. Has worked on business deals ranging from $10 million to over $5 billion.

  • A Boston, MA native, Robert graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Trinity College in Hartford, CT and later attended Northeastern University in Boston, MA in order to obtain his CPA accreditation.

  • Prior to joining PwC, worked in a variety of roles, including serving as Treasurer for a successful campaign for the current Boston City Councilmen.

  • Played professional basketball in Europe and was a team scout for the National Basketball Association’s Orlando Magic where he worked closely with players and coaches on team strategy and initiatives.

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Steven Wright

Steven Wright is a Senior Accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP

  • Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Steven obtained both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Accountancy from the University of Missouri

  • In his role, he provides accounting/auditing services to clients within the technology, media, and telecommunications sectors

  • Maintains an active CPA license in the state of California 

  • Active volunteer with Read to a Child and the Los Angeles Food Bank

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