Erica M. Roberts

Certified Professional Coach | Government & Non-Profit Executive (& Advocate for Underserved!)

I am a decorated executive, business owner, and certified coach with an enthusiasm for discovering and realizing potential for others, specifically pertaining to career success and entrepreneurship. Ask me about the E-Suite Academy to achieve professional empowerment, and the HBCU Pathways Program for resources and programming for high school and college students! I can be contacted via email at [email protected] or via Facebook at @EricaEmpower.

Cheryl Parks

Chief Growth Officer

Known for her mindset journey, from being “the shyest girl in the room” to an engaging storyteller and trusted advisor, Cheryl Parks helps audiences see AI not as a replacement for people, but as an instrument for creativity, critical thinking, and confidence. An AI Strategist, Sales Architect, and Founder, Cheryl helps teams and founders integrate Artificial Intelligence to drive growth, productivity, and innovation. Her impact comes through her three company brands that provide on-demand digital products; high-touch growth advisory; and AI enablement programs that turn insight into action. Over her two-decade corporate career, Cheryl generated more than $25 million in sales, transforming teams and accelerating results for Fortune 1000 companies including Wells Fargo Bank, Discover Financial, and Kaiser Permanente. Her next chapter began with launching her own firm, where she has since advised hundreds of experts to sell multi-millions of dollars and deliver measurable impact to their clients. Today, she channels that experience into mentorship and AI transformation, showing the next generation how technology and human potential intersect to create meaningful, future-ready careers. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, she currently lives in Oakland, California, where she bridges innovation, education, and empowerment through her work.

Tanika Carter

CEO and Founder, Paid4College

Ms. Tanika Carter, the CEO of Paid4College, is affectionately known as the scholarship advocate or scholarship auntie and truly believes in the power of scholarships. She has helped students graduate debt-free and win over $4 million in scholarships. As a first-generation college graduate, she earned a Bachelor's degree from Eastern Connecticut State University, a Master's degree in Higher Education from Florida International University, and an Executive Leadership for Change degree from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College. She is student loan debt-free and did it all with the help of scholarships! She has over 15 years of experience from working with national scholarship organizations like the UNCF and serving on multiple scholarship selection committees. She has been regionally and nationally recognized for top leadership qualities and impactful advancement initiatives to move students and families to action with a Can-Do attitude.

Dr. LaTanya White

Founder & Creator of Dynastic Wealth®

Dr. LaTanya White is a pioneering researcher, award-winning entrepreneur, and creator of Dynastic Wealth®a research-based framework empowering Black and brown families in their first generation of wealth creation. With over a decade as an entrepreneurship educator and six years researching wealth distribution in America, she has guided more than 10,000 historically excluded families toward economic mobility through her wealth literacy tools, coaching programs, and trauma-healing methodologies. Her influential work has been featured in ESSENCE Magazine and recognized by the U.S. Departments of State and Commerce, as well as the U.S. Senate. She previously served as a Special Advisor to the Southeast MBDA operated by Georgia Tech University and sits on the Fulbright Specialist Roster in the areas of Business Administration and Education. Holding a Ph.D. in Leadership and Change and an MBA, Dr. White brings more than 15 years of entrepreneurial experience to her multifaceted career as a TEDx speaker, author, and policy advocate. She has delivered over 50 transformative workshops, led 14 research projects; and created over 50 learning experiences for HBCUs and MSIs. Through the Dynastic Wealth® Training Academy and her published works including "Becoming FEARLESS" and "Pivot," Dr. White continues her mission of helping families heal from financial trauma, build wealth in all its forms, and create lasting legacies for future generations.

Karrin Felton

Owner and Founder, Feet Planted LLC

Karrin Mayfield Felton is a life learner and geek with 20+ years of engineering experience and technical leadership in the private and public sector. Her career achievements have been recognized within the Department of Defense (DoD) and industry in the areas of process optimization, human capital management, data analytics, recruiting, workforce development and program management. She currently serves as the Chief of Staff with Total Force and Corporate Operations (SEA10) at Naval Sea Systems Command at the Washington Navy Yard. Prior to her current role, Ms. Felton worked for Amazon (HQ2) as a Senior Program Manager, Talent Advisor supporting business operations within Student Programs. In 2020, she served as the Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship-for-Service Program Manager under the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)). Her purview included the oversight of policy development, budget execution, and overall administration of the program. SMART is a Department of Defense (DoD) scholarship-for-service program in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)which awards scholarships in STEM disciplines critical to national security functions. Karrin is the Founder and Owner of Feet Planted, LLC where she makes it her business to detach students and professionals from self-doubt. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Norfolk State University and a Master of Engineering degree in chemical engineering from Clarkson University. Her awards include the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award, Marine Corps Systems Command Mentor of Year Award, and the Technology All Star Award from Women of Color in STEM. She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. Fredericksburg Area Alumnae Chapter and Stafford County Virginia Top Ladies of Distinction.