Advancing Opportunities through Small Business

benjamin vann, impact ventures

Benjamin J. Vann is the Founder and CEO of Impact Ventures, a 501c3 startup accelerator with a mission to empower talented, yet under-resourced women and entrepreneurs of color to build generational wealth through inclusive entrepreneurship and integrated capital. Ben is an award-winning social entrepreneur, investor, speaker, and economic justice advocate. His work with impact investors, venture capital funds, Fortune 500 companies, universities and foundations has been viewed through the lens of addressing the world’s most pressing social and economic problems. 

Andrella Thomas, capital one

As a Sr. Manager on the Social Innovation Financial Services Chief of Staff team, Andrella has kepy a strong focus on Capital One’s philanthropic commitment to deliver social mobility within the community. 

Andrella Thomas spent more than 10 years serving as an HR Consultant leading Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DIB) efforts for Capital One’s Financial Services division. In her current role she has delivered to educational partners impactful career readiness/development and financial literacy resources to thousands of students and adults. She has leveraged her professional network to host Career Panel Session introducing more than 3,000 students to diverse career fields ranging from Cyber, Human Resources, Risk Management, and Technology.

Her passion for the community resulted in the creation of the signature HR Career Readiness Program that has connected thousands of nonprofit clients to HR experts on topics such as career planning and development. To date over 400 HR volunteers have completed over 10,000 hours of community service through this program alone. Her commitment to creating a culture of belonging and community engagement drives a culture of engagement across the division.

jill johnson, ifel

Jill Johnson is the co-founder and CEO of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership (IFEL), based in Newark, NJ. Founded in 2002, IFEL is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to eradicate the systemic barriers that prevent people from historically excluded populations from having access to the knowledge, networks, and capital required for entrepreneurial success and wealth creation. With over 30 years of experience as a business strategist, Jill is a pioneering voice for inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems and is especially focused on creating a new paradigm for the access to capital conversation.