RISE Urban Nation: Amplifying Black & Pan-African Voices Worldwide

Bio

Clinton is a dedicated Real Estate Professional with over a decade of experience in the San Diego Real Estate Market. He credits his longevity and success to his faith and his belief in serving others.

In 2004 he began his real estate career and later became a real estate broker by 2007. After graduating with the MBA Honors Class of 2014 and completing a corporate internship at the World Trade Center San Diego, he decided to launch a boutique Real Estate Brokerage in San Diego and is also a Broker Associate for DEM Real Estate. Clinton is also one of the founders of the Leadership Ministry at the Rock Church. 

He also serves on the Board of the International Institute of Human Factor Development at Point Loma Nazarene University and also is the appointed 3rd term Chaplain/Director for the California Association of Real Estate Brokers and was recently appointed as Chaplain for the Young Realtist Division (YRD) a National Affiliate of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB). His goal every day is to be easily located. Where? On the corner of inspiring others and working on himself.

Connect with Clinton James! 

1. Email: [email protected]
2. Twitter: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clinton.james.73
3. Instagram: triniliving619
4. LinkedIn:(14) Clinton James, MBA | LinkedIn

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to the RISE Urban Nation Podcast—where we amplify Black and Pan-African voices, stories, and strategies shaping the future of business and culture.

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Guest Profile

Name: Solo Ceesay

What They do: Solo Ceesay is the Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of Calaxy, an open social marketplace for creators, by creators that aims to reimagine the entertainment industry and the fundamental ways with which we all interact digitally. 

Company:  Calaxy

Noteworthy:  Calaxy, an open social media marketplace populated and run by creators, has successfully raised $7.5 million in funding via private investments.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/calaxy-raises-7-5m-funding-155659526.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubGlua2VkaW4uY29tLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAAqQCfBl8tf5Pnk3cDGf82XvElh4Nc1tKUrB4kr3xRG_MWdbjt4Hgf2pRd9DZpV-RIgBoq_W3zLRoHanp4RDA-qyinT8zMFYNCfXWA15HPrABQw6k9Ms4_XGP6RwJhw36C80k9qFY6f734IELb6ggMwMdSE-i4oNWU7Fpgk1GVB0

Bio

Solo Ceesay is the Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of Calaxy, an open social marketplace for creators, by creators, that aims to reimagine the entertainment industry and the fundamental ways with which we all interact digitally. He secured a prestigious American education at Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, held an impressive championship college football career, and worked in competitive positions in trading and banking, and was the first of his family to foray into Wall Street. 

Solo applied his Wall Street experience as a securitization expert when he served as an advisor for Spencer Dinwiddie when he became the NBA first player to tokenize and securitize his contract. He endeavored to create solutions for these demonstrated needs and trends by combining cryptocurrency, blockchain technology and social media into secure, monetizable data and revenue streams. 

He believes that creators from all walks of life need a platform to showcase and be paid for their art, while interacting with fans and followers in new ways. Betting on his vision, network, relentless work ethic and earned experience, Solo left Wall Street to develop his dream for a secure ecosystem built for creators by creators that revolutionizes content creation/sharing and the fan experience of each: Calaxy. You can find him online at Calaxy.com, or on Twitter at @SoloCeesay and Instagram at @solo.ceesay.

Connect with Solo Ceesay! 

1. Website: https://www.calaxy.com/
2. Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoloCeesay
3. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solo.ceesay/
4. Clubhouse: https://www.clubhouse.com/@soloceesay
5. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/solo-ceesay-9b2a258a/

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to the RISE Urban Nation Podcast—where we amplify Black and Pan-African voices, stories, and strategies shaping the future of business and culture.

If this episode inspired you, make sure to follow, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Stay Connected:
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Guest Profile

Name: Mwangala ”Mo” Lishomwa

What They do: Award-winning, result-driven Senior Digital Business Leader with a passion for people & technology with extensive global experience.

Track record in Service Delivery Practice Development, Innovation & Business Development. Areas of specialization - Business Growth Strategies, Digital Transformation, Cloud, Agile, Stakeholder Management, P&L Management & Control.

In-depth knowledge of digital product & platform development & delivery from business case & strategy incorporating data, content & creativity.

Proven skills in developing GTM architectures, services sales, and significant experience in commercial modeling, deal shaping, & legal/commercial negotiations. An effective team leader adept at building, mentoring & empowering teams to deliver & exceed business objectives.

Company:  2Y3X program

Noteworthy:  Mo is an ambassador on BAME 20:20, a member of BIMA I&D Council, and has a passion for mentoring and supporting women in tech and STEAM. I have my training wheels on with 2Y3X management consultancy.

Bio

Mwangala ”Mo” Lishomwa is a business advisor and Consultant for the 2Y3X program, a two-year global growth accelerator for companies that have plateaued and are ready and determined to scale up. Lishomwa’s digital career spans over 20 years and encompasses product development, marketing, and digital business transformation. She has held leadership positions at Finastra, Publicis Sapient, Yahoo!, BBC, Adidas, Ketchum, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Adobe. 

Lishomwa’s career highlights include research and development of Programme Information Pages, an aggregation platform for program metadata, which serves as the backbone of the I-player, one of the first TV and radio on-demand platforms; and building Adidas’ first wearable technology business. 

She enjoys mentoring and is an ambassador on BAME 20:20, an organization whose goal is to have 20% new entrants to the communication industry and 20% of leadership positions held by minorities. 

Lishomwa is a member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree, Environmental Sciences from the University of Westminster, a Master of Science degree from City, University of London, and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Connect with Mwangala Lishomwa! 

1. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/molishomwa/?originalSubdomain=uk

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to the RISE Urban Nation Podcast—where we amplify Black and Pan-African voices, stories, and strategies shaping the future of business and culture.

If this episode inspired you, make sure to follow, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Stay Connected:
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🎥 YouTube: Subscribe to RISE Urban Nation
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Guest Profile

Name: Neil Thompson

What They Do:  As a product development engineer, I had to speak in front of management every month for project status meetings. I was terrible at it at first but improved significantly over time. I turned everything I learned into an online public speaking course called Teach the Geek to Speak. The course's focus is helping STEM professionals communicate effectively with those outside their field, such as management and customers.

Company: Teach The Geek

Noteworthy:  Blacks are underrepresented in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math). I want to change that, and strongly believe that getting kids to think about STEM when they're young is the way to go. 

I wrote a book to let Black kids know (if they didn't already) that STEM is for them, too. I used hair as the vehicle to impart that message. The book is about my nephew Anthony asking me why his hair is the way it is. I use science to answer the question.

Bio

Neil Thompson teaches geeks, talks to geeks, and writes books for future geeks. With his company, Teach the Geek, he works with engineers and scientists so that they can communicate more effectively with non-technical audiences. 

He's the host of the Teach the Geek podcast, interviewing those with STEM (science, technology, engineering, science) backgrounds about public speaking. 

He's also the author of the children's book, Ask Uncle Neil: why is my hair curly? The book is about his nephew asking him why his hair is the way it is, and Neil using science to answer the question. The motivation for the book is to encourage more Black children to consider careers in STEM.

Connect with Neil Thompson! 

1. Website: teachthegeek.com
2. Email: [email protected]
3. Twitter: @teachthegeek
4. Facebook: facebook.com/teachthegeek
5. Instagram: @_teachthegeek_
6. Clubhouse: @teachthegeek
7. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/neilithompson
8. YouTube: youtube.teachthegeek.com
9. Podcast: anchor.fm/teachthegeek
10. Children's book website: askuncleneil.com

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to the RISE Urban Nation Podcast—where we amplify Black and Pan-African voices, stories, and strategies shaping the future of business and culture.

If this episode inspired you, make sure to follow, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Stay Connected:
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📲 Instagram: @RiseUrbanNation
🎥 YouTube: Subscribe to RISE Urban Nation
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Money Sex Gen X (“MSG”) is a weekly podcast convo between gentlemen Gen X’ers Mr. Eric McLoyd and co-host Big Stew. These CHI-TOWN-based hosts feel like Generation X needs to be portrayed better in the media. No shade or hate but they feel like Baby Boomers + Millennials get all the shine. Without judgment, they dive into topics like “Is College A Joke?”, “Why do YOU need Therapy?”, and “Let’s Talk About Sex” in hopes of uncovering new truths for viewers and themselves. Their painfully honest style of podcasting + their undeniable chemistry makes for some interesting Gen X curated content.

Connect with Money Sex Gen X-Podcast!

Website: moneysexgenxpodcast.com

Email: [email protected]

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8ZPj-9gwrEMiNpglZnzayw

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moneysexgenx/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moneysexgenx/

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to the RISE Urban Nation Podcast—where we amplify Black and Pan-African voices, stories, and strategies shaping the future of business and culture.

If this episode inspired you, make sure to follow, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Stay Connected:
🌐 RISEUrbanNation.com
📲 Instagram: @RiseUrbanNation
🎥 YouTube: Subscribe to RISE Urban Nation
🔗 Linktree: All Links

Unite. Uplift. Ignite. 🔥

Guest Profile

Name: Dr. William Tayari Howard

What They do:  Longtime radio personality William “Tayari” Howard has been sharing community stories on the air for the past 50 years. Tayari Howard is known to many in San Diego not only for his love of playing smooth jazz over the airwaves but also for his contributions to San Diego’s nonprofit organizations and the city’s under-served communities.

Company: Legacy Media Publishing, Promotions, and Production, Inc.

Noteworthy:  Dr. Howard has 50 years of telling San Diego’s stories on the radio. He spent 16 years at XHRM-FM Magic 92.5, and 16 years at Smooth Jazz KIFM 98.1. He has supported causes targeting homelessness, poverty, the educational needs of Black children and military veterans.

He also organized many events and festivals in southeastern San Diego. He collaborated with the Coast Guard to fly a Black Santa Claus in a helicopter to southeastern San Diego events for several years.

He has raised about $1.8 million for more than 30 nonprofit organizations. You can read more about his accomplishments in the article from the San Diego Union Tribune: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/communities/san-diego/story/2020-11-29/after-50-years-of-telling-san-diegos-stories-on-the-radio-william-tayari-howard-retires-to-share-his-own

Bio

Dr. William Tayari Howard is an award-winning broadcast journalist and media luminary. He has worked in radio, television and newsprint for the past fifty years. 

Accumulating over 50,000 hours on radio and television he has also spent a significant amount of time in the newsprint profession. Today, he specializes in Media Relations, Digital Internet Radio Programming, Public Relations, Special Event Promotions, Nonprofit Organizational Development, Authoring, STEM mentoring, and Public speaking.

He is the second of three generations of his family spanning ninety-one years in the business of broadcasting. His mother is credited as one of the first black female radio personalities and producers in the United States. His father spent twenty-one years in radio and is credited for breaking such acts as James Brown and Diana Ross, He has two grown daughters that have also worked in the broadcast industry.

Dr. Howard has received numerous awards including "William Tayari Howard Day" in the city of San Diego and acknowledgments by two US Presidents, George Bush, Jr., and a "Lifetime Achievement Award" for philanthropy and volunteerism from Barack Obama.

The new corporation, Legacy Publishing, Promotions, and Production centers around his life and times in the business of broadcasting, his family's legacy, TedX Talks, other speaking engagements and the writing and production of movies made for prime tv and on-demand services.

Connect with Dr. William Tayari Howard! 

1. Twitter: https://twitter.com/tayarihoward?lang=en
2. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayarihoward/
3. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/williamtayarihoward/

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to the RISE Urban Nation Podcast—where we amplify Black and Pan-African voices, stories, and strategies shaping the future of business and culture.

If this episode inspired you, make sure to follow, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Stay Connected:
🌐 RISEUrbanNation.com
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🎥 YouTube: Subscribe to RISE Urban Nation
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Guest Profile

Name: D.B. Marshall

What They do:  International Best-Selling Author. D.B. is transforming lives from merely existing to living and having a fun-filled experience. He also oversees Love Thy Self CKD, a program dedicated to changing the narrative and perception of how we approach kidney care. Love Thy Self is committed to increasing awareness in high-risk communities by engaging undiagnosed CKD patients, families, and support systems and educate CKD patients on the importance of kidney care to prevent renal failure.

Company: Love Pursuit

Noteworthy: On March 17, 2021 D.B. Marshall launched his new book "Love's Pursuit: Journey to Wellness" Becoming a #1 International Best-selling author. 

Bio

On October 1st, 2018, D.B. birthed Love's Pursuit out of emotional hardship, love, forgiveness, and spiritual enlightenment. In a robust effort to impact lives across the world, he has dedicated his heart, experiences, time, gift, talents, and more importantly his voice to uplift others through community advocacy and support. In addition, he became an Independent Herbalife distributor to help others achieve their personal wellness goals. D.B. is truly a champion for invigorating humanity, hope, and happiness of those around him.

Even before entering his doctoral program in Social Work, D.B. devoted himself wholeheartedly towards the betterment of others in terms of self-confidence, attitude towards life, and overall wellness. His work with numerous charitable organizations including the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP), Big Brothers Big Sisters program, and AAKP Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Dissemination Award on peer-to-peer mentorship—as well as other community-focused pursuits—saw him develop a kinship with people from all backgrounds. His passion continued to grow, fueling his motivational speaking pursuits, advocating for noble causes while capturing the hearts of thousands in the urban community on his wellness radio show at WERUradio.com. Today, that passion is stronger than ever; his honest devotion to humanity sits at the core of Love’s Pursuit and continues to change and positively impact lives globally.

Education and Certificates: Doctor of Social Work (ABD), Master’s degree in Social Work, Bachelor's degree in Social Work, Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education, and Leadership Certificate.

Connect with D.B. Marshall! 

1. Website: https://lovespursuitatl.net/about
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovespursuitatl/?hl=en
3. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lovespursuitatl/
4. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovespursuitatl

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to the RISE Urban Nation Podcast—where we amplify Black and Pan-African voices, stories, and strategies shaping the future of business and culture.

If this episode inspired you, make sure to follow, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Stay Connected:
🌐 RISEUrbanNation.com
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🎥 YouTube: Subscribe to RISE Urban Nation
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Guest Profile

Name: Monique Dorsainvil

What They do:  Public Policy Director at Facebook. Monique currently works in Public Policy at Facebook, leading engagement to third party think tank and advocacy organizations and was a part of the core team that spearheaded the company’s Civil Rights Audit, which looked at policy and product from an anti-discrimination lens

Company:Facebook

Noteworthy: Named a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, Monique Dorsainvil served in the Obama White House for seven and a half years, most recently as Deputy Chief of Staff to Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett. In this position, she worked with grassroots advocates, private sector leaders, celebrity influencers, and local and federal elected officials to advance policy priorities for signature issue-based initiatives including criminal justice reform, health care access, women’s leadership, LGBTQ rights and stem education.

Bio

Monique Dorsainvil is a public policy director at Facebook. Prior to joining Facebook, Monique served in the Obama Administration as Deputy Chief of Staff to Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett and the Director of Planning and Events for the Office of Public Engagement and the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, where she planned international travel and strategic, large-scale engagements for former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama around signature issue-based initiatives, including criminal justice reform, health care access, women’s leadership, LGBTQ rights, and STEM Education. 

Connect with Monique Dorsainvil! 

1. Twitter: https://twitter.com/modorsainvil?lang=en
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdorsainvil/?hl=en
3. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monique-dorsainvil-7a1a956
4. Website: https://www.moniquedorsainvil.com/
5. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/monique.dorsainvil
6. Clubhouse Handle: @modorsainvil

Facebook Elevate Scholarship

To help support the Black community and businesses, Facebook is providing free training and resources that can help business owners build the digital skills they need to succeed. We are awarding 100,000 scholarships to Black students working toward digital skills certifications through our Facebook Blueprint program. These scholarships will allow recipients to take the Facebook Digital Marketing Associate Exam at no cost. Once you earn a Facebook Certification, you’ll gain access to 60+ companies looking to hire skilled talent through the Facebook Certification Career Network. Employment opportunities include jobs at Facebook, BBDO, Havas Media, GroupM and more.
Link: https://www.facebook.com/fbelevate/facebook-elevate-scholarship-application

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to the RISE Urban Nation Podcast—where we amplify Black and Pan-African voices, stories, and strategies shaping the future of business and culture.

If this episode inspired you, make sure to follow, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Stay Connected:
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🎥 YouTube: Subscribe to RISE Urban Nation
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Guest Profile

Name:Uti Gabriella Ellu

What They do:  The Head of Experience Design & Execution at Sterling Bank. Sterling Bank Plc “Your one-customer bank” is a full-service national commercial bank in Nigeria that has evolved from the nation’s pre-eminent investment banking institution to a fully-fledged commercial bank. Sterling Bank prides itself in its purpose to ‘Enrich Lives’, and reflects its overall business aspirations in its vision to ‘be the financial institution of choice’.
Company:Sterling Bank Plc

Noteworthy: As a seasoned executive, Kuda has served in progressive corporate leadership roles to improve quality customer engagements across various interaction channels and locations in public and private sectors across two continents.

Bio

Always passionate about her home country Nigeria, Uti returned after 16 years in the UK. Since her return, Uti continued to work as a customer experience professional in the financial services sector. She also continued to follow her passion for the media as a co-anchor on a primetime TV talk show #WAYS where she lends her voice and talent to the topical issues affecting Nigeria. Uti strives to show the world the beauty of Nigeria and her people especially in the city of Lagos.

With experience in various disciplines including customer experience, customer service, customer loyalty, digital marketing, strategy, content development, and training, both in the public and private sector across 2 continents, Uti Ellu has been exposed to varied business styles, strategies, and approaches.

As the Head of Customer Engagement at Allianz, Uti is responsible for quality customer engagements across various interaction channels and locations. I lead a customer-centric team that delivers efficient and effective solutions to customer issues ensuring that we meet and exceed customer expectations.

Uti also worked with these brands - Marks & Spencers, Evans, Blue Square (now BetFair), Virgin Media and Edexcel.

Connect with Uti Ellu! 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamsyvanti/?hl=en

Twitter:https://twitter.com/iamsyvanti?lang=en

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/uti-gabriella-ellu-15872082/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uti.ellu

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to the RISE Urban Nation Podcast—where we amplify Black and Pan-African voices, stories, and strategies shaping the future of business and culture.

If this episode inspired you, make sure to follow, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Stay Connected:
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🎥 YouTube: Subscribe to RISE Urban Nation
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Unite. Uplift. Ignite. 🔥

Guest Profile

Name: Kuda Biza

What They do:  Kuda is the Co-Founder & CMO at Nunbelievable. Nunbelievable is a mission-based baked goods company that donates a meal for every cookie sold. With our buy one, give one model, we partner with non-profit organizations and soup kitchens to provide meals to those in need along with access to services that reduce hunger.

Company: Nunbelievable

Noteworthy: As a seasoned executive, Kuda has served in progressive corporate leadership roles and successfully built six businesses and a non-profit from scratch. His successes include (but not limited to):

• Managed P&L for a $75M ecommerce business with a $5M marketing budget to key channels: Amazon, Retail.com and direct-to-consumer sites.
• With only a $150 in start-up capital, launched a profitable clothing line from a college dorm room, resulting in the education of more than 100 children in Africa.
• Delivered keynote address at more than 40 institutions in 4 countries including Harvard and the United Nations, inspiring audiences to take action, achieve dreams and impact social change through purposeful entrepreneurship.
• Grew an $18M e-commerce business by 30% year-over-year despite significant budget cuts.
• Launched a global buy-one-give-one social enterprise selling enough products to donate more than 1,000 stationery kits to African children in its first 12 months.
• In less than three years, helped take a new meal delivery business venture from ZERO to $20M in sales.

Bio

At the tender age of nine, Kuda started his first business when he was still in Harare, Zimbabwe. 

After high school, Kuda came to America to study with only $40 in his pocket. While in college, he started his second business in his dorm room with only $150 in capital.  

Today, he has gone on to successfully build six other businesses & one non-profit from scratch.

Kuda is a published author, keynote speaker and philanthropist.

Kuda’s life mission is to build profitable companies to solve the world’s biggest problems: education and hunger. 

Connect with Kuda Biza! 

Website: www.nunbelievable.com (personal: www.kudabiza.com)

Email: [email protected]

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Nunbelievable

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nunbelievable/

Pinterest:https://www.pinterest.com/Nunbelievable/_created/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/35644632/

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to the RISE Urban Nation Podcast—where we amplify Black and Pan-African voices, stories, and strategies shaping the future of business and culture.

If this episode inspired you, make sure to follow, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Stay Connected:
🌐 RISEUrbanNation.com
📲 Instagram: @RiseUrbanNation
🎥 YouTube: Subscribe to RISE Urban Nation
🔗 Linktree: All Links

Unite. Uplift. Ignite. 🔥