Bright Lights by Lacy Johnson

Felton Smith is the Chief Executive officer of Atlanta-based 4 Kings Consulting Services.  Former Senior Technical Manager at 3M, Felton enjoys volunteering with 32ndStreetMedia, LLC, a nonprofit digital health company, that developed :30bp app to track and monitor blood pressure for adults struggling to manage high blood pressure.

White led both De LaSalle and Hopkins high schools to state basketball titles. He starred at Iowa State and was taken in the first round of the NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets in 2012. Battling his own anxiety, White became an outspoken mental health advocate. 

Jonathan Mason is an experienced business owner with 10 years of experience in technology and community activism. Jonathan’s expertise focuses on project management, change management, and relationship management. He is a thoughtful and diplomatic problem solver, effective communicator, and a responsible executor.

Jonathan went to the University of Wisconsin-Stout and majored in Criminal Justice.

He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his wife and five children. Outside of work Jonathan enjoys spending time with family and friends, attending his children’s athletic events, and volunteering for the twin cities community.   

Fredrick is a VP Sales and President of UpNet CSG group, a leader in enabling businesses to effectively utilize technology.  Founded in 1996, UpNet Technologies is an experienced integration and data transformation service provider delivering innovative B2B collaboration, next generation EDI technology and comprehensive supply/demand chain solutions. UpNet’s cost predictable SaaS solutions increase technical capabilities and flexibilities, providing the ability to better manage risk. 

Sia Lo is a former Deputy City Attorney head of the prosecution division later promoted to Senior Policy Advisor for the City of St. Paul where he led the Mayor’s delegation to Thailand.  Currently, he is in private practice and has his own law firm located in St. Paul, Minnesota that focuses on serving the legal needs of the Hmong and American Community.   He is well known for his role as General Counsel for the Hmong Council of 18 and handling high profile Hmong cases. He was voted national chairman of the Lo & Pha families in the U.S.  He is currently a cultural mediator trainer with Mitchell Hamline University School Law and Minnesota Mediation Center.  He is also the interim director for the Hmong American National Chairman Association in the U.S.  In 2020, he became the first Hmong American to run for Congress.

In this episode, Lacy revisits important conversations with diverse community leaders featuring investment manager and CEO of Hercules investments James McDonald, architect and founder of Mobilize Design & Architecture Jamil Ford, Reverend McAfee, Executive director for the Center for Sales Leadership and Education at the University of Minnesota Todd Williams, community leader and founder of A Mother's Love nonprofit Lisa Clemmons, and coach author and educator Larry McKenzie. 

Lacy Johnson is an American entrepreneur and host of Bright Lights, an interview format podcast focused on business innovation, compelling ideas, and family insights and inspiration. He has been a mainstay of the North Minneapolis community for decades coming to the University of Minnesota from Mississippi after public high school. After a technology career at leading American companies including Lockheed Martin, Delta and Xcel Energy, Lacy started UBX Capital, an opportunity zone investment fund placing capital into growth businesses in emerging communities.

Coach, author, and educator Larry McKenzie is the first coach to win four straight state titles in the 100-year history of the Minnesota State Boys Basketball.  In 2017, Coach McKenzie became the first Coach in Minnesota High School Basketball History to lead two separate schools to multiple titles, both Minneapolis Patrick Henry and Minneapolis North. Larry is a long-time community and youth advocate with 20 plus years of experience working with urban youth. His service to young people has earned him numerous awards and recognition including KARE 11’s Eleven Who Care, KTCA’s Everyday Hero, the Minneapolis Park Board’s Volunteer of the Year, and Positive Image Father of the Year.

Lisa Clemons is a well-known community leader and former Minneapolis police officer who founded a non-profit called A Mother’s Love—a brigade of people in bright pink t-shirts trying to bring back the metaphorical village they say it takes to raise a child. Clemons dreamed of being a cop since she was young but left the department 20 years ago for a broader advocacy.

Todd is Executive Director of the Center for Sales Leadership and Education at the University of Minnesota, which helps better prepare students for a variety of sales and marketing careers from positions in Fortune 500 companies to entrepreneurial startups and international organizations. Prior to his current role, Todd served as Director of Target Corporation’s Diversity and Inclusion team, as well as, the Director of Multicultural Market Segmentation where he led initiatives to cater products and merchandising to Urban, Asian, African American, Hispanic, and LGBT consumer segments. Todd holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from the Carlson School of Management at the U of M and a Master's in Business Communication from the University of St. Thomas.