has a business degree from the University of Oklahoma.   She is the owner of Scholar Ready, an educational services company. She meets with clients online and her company Scholar Ready tutors Math, conducts personal essay writing workshops, and prepares students for PSAT, SAT, and ACT exams.  Please welcome to Money Making Conversations Master Class Jennifer Ledwith. Talking Points/Questions * 1. Why are HBCUs relevant? Mr. McDonald, in your interview with Stacy Spratt of the United Negro College Fund, you mentioned the number of successful Black professionals who are products of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Moreover, I’ve seen this success in my family, which hails from Bain Street (yes – that Bain Street in Kashmere Gardens), beginning with my grandfather, an alumnus of Texas College and Texas Southern University. 2. Whether students select an HBCU or a PWI, it’s important for them to have choices. Test scores unlock access to scholarships and academic programs. Often, African Americans are locked out of these opportunities: on average, African Americans score a 908 (out of 1600) on the SAT and a 16 (out of 36) on the ACT. 3. PSAT, SAT, and ACT aren’t for Black kids? Why should we bother? We should bother because of the opportunities for scholarships and the opportunities to improve literacy. 4. When should my child start preparing for college? 5. Understood from a young age that education and literacy were crucial to success.  6. People told her that her mother — a single parent with serious debt and no child support — made too much money for her to get any free money for college. 7. She didn't finish in the top 10% of her high school class (which is academic poison in her home state of Texas). #BEST #STRAW #SHMS

Two-time Emmy and Three-NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald, interviewed Monique Wells.  She is an award-winning educator and practitioner of her craft for over 20 years. She is a transformational leader and a change agent. As an international humanitarian who has been ‘called to serve’ the underrepresented impacting and donating to inner city communities and families. As a powerful and award-winning educator and teacher of the year nominee, she is a fierce advocate for teachers, students, and parents. She is an expert on school reform and an impactful educator who has successfully raised test scores for scholars in grades PreK through 12th grade for over two decades. The RESTART Educational Foundation‘s mission is transformational change in schools. With our innovative and evidenced based framework, we are able to close the academic achievement gap for grades Pre-K - 12 within one year. We strive to Engage, Educate, and Empower scholars to become global leaders and citizens of the world regardless of their zip code. We believe that closing the student achievement gap is a moral imperative. #BEST #STRAW

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dominique Leonard.  The founder of Jus' Free Parole Package Services. Once classified as an inmate a few short years ago, he wrote my own parole plan and was granted the privilege of freedom. Since his release, He has been dedicated to humanizing inmates with favorable representation in their quest to obtain parole. Jus' Free is a parole package provider that goes above and beyond to bring forth and present the best potential of our clients. Due to a lack of knowledge, inmates are unaware of what is given to the Board of Pardons and Parole. Our company works with offenders and their loved ones to ensure the Board hears YOUR story. Together, we humanize and purposely create a narrative for the Parole Board that deems those requesting the privilege of parole worthy of the transition to freedom. At Jus’Free, they recognize imperfection as part of the human experience. Our mission is to restore dignity to those who have been dehumanized and bring families back together. Through our programs and initiatives, we strive to empower individuals, promote understanding, and foster reconciliation. While we can't guarantee specific outcomes, we're committed to supporting each person's journey with compassion and empathy. Together, we work towards a more just and compassionate society. #STRAW #BEST #SHMS

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed T. Dallas Smith. T. Dallas Smith began his commercial real estate career in 1982 at Atlanta Air Center Realty under the guidance of Thomas W. Tift, Jr. as leasing and management representative for the portfolio. In 1989, he became the first African American broker at Cushman & Wakefield of Georgia. His affiliation with the company opened doors for many minority brokers. In 1995, he pioneered the brokerage division for H.J. Russell & Company, an African-American-owned construction and management firm, where he served as VP of the Brokerage Division. In 2006, with the blessing of the late Herman J. Russell, Dallas opened T. Dallas Smith & Company (TDS&Co), specializing in tenant representation. Now, he leads the firm’s branding and strategy efforts, which includes creating and overseeing all new business verticals within TDS&Co that align with the company’s core business. Dallas is a proud Atlanta native who prioritizes industry exposure and active community engagement in his day-to-day life and as part of the company's culture. Company Description * T. Dallas Smith & Company (TDS&Co) is the country's largest African American-owned pure tenant rep commercial real estate firm. For more than 17 years, TDS&Co has taken pride in catering to the needs of clients requiring office space, industrial space, and land. As an exclusive tenant and buyer representation firm, TDS&Co eliminates any conflict of interest when negotiating leases and/or purchases for clients. Based in Atlanta, GA, the TDS&Co team has more than 150 years of combined commercial real estate experience and has collectively worked on assignments in over 40 states exceeding $16 billion in aggregate value throughout their careers. The TDS&Co team has served in leadership roles at some of the largest, most reputable real estate services companies in the country including Cushman & Wakefield, JLL, CBRE, Newmark, Physicians Realty Trust, H.J. Russell & Company, Equitable Real Estate, Lend Lease Real Estate, Morgan Stanley, Colliers International and Bank of America. The TDS&Co team has also represented the commercial real estate interests of some of the most notable corporations in the country, including but not limited to, Airbnb, ALSAC/St. Jude, AT&T, The Athlete’s Foot, The Coca-Cola Company, FedEx, IBM, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, Truist and Veritext. #AMI #BEST #STRAW #SHMS

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Marcus Sonnier. Founded the BOSS Network is an online community of professional and entrepreneurial women who support each other through digital content, programs, and event-based networking. The mission of the BOSS Network, which stands for "Bringing Out Successful Sisters," is to promote and encourage the small business spirit and career development of women of color. The BOSS Network has had a long-standing commitment to women entrepreneurs. The mission of The BOSS Network is to promote and encourage the small business spirit and career development of women of color. The BOSS Network Celebrated Its Milestone 15th Anniversary?: This year, The BOSS Network announced two exciting initiatives during its yearlong celebration, highlighting its 15th anniversary milestone year. “Invest in Progress” Grant and “The BOSS Impact Fund The BOSS Network is changing how enterprising women are viewed among the masses and becoming a resource for companies seeking female minority influencers as their target market.  Through initiatives, it has supported the careers and small business developments of more than 200,000 women of color nationwide. One of them is BOSS Business University, a digital platform that provides comprehensive mentorship programming through industry business experts. How Has The BOSS Network Celebrated Its Milestone 15th Anniversary?: This year, The BOSS Network announced two exciting initiatives that took place during its yearlong celebration highlighting its 15th anniversary milestone year. “Invest in Progress” Grant and “The BOSS Impact Fund”: The single greatest barrier to success for new businesses and startups is access to capital, and minorities make up less than 1% of founders that get investment. The BOSS Network and Sage (via the Sage Foundation)—the leader in accounting, financial, HR, and payroll technology for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), are partnering together to remove that barrier with the return of the BOSS Impact Fund and its three-year, $1.5 million commitment to support the Fund with the “Invest in Progress” grant investing in Black women led businesses. In 2022, the BOSS Network announced the launch of its BOSS Impact Fund, which focuses on investing in Black women led businesses and preparing these entrepreneurs to build scalable, growth aggressive companies. Its goal is to raise investment funding for Black women entrepreneurs over a three year period. Through the “Invest in Progress” Grant Program, 25 Black women entrepreneurs had the opportunity to receive a capital investment of $10,000 toward successfully starting and growing their business in addition to an entrepreneurial mentor program in support of Black women-owned small businesses. The “Invest in Progress” Grant has also provided coaching, curriculum, and connections while removing capital barriers to help this group achieve success. For more information, please visit: BOSSImpactFund.com. Pathways to Success: In addition, The BOSS Network partnered with both Sage and Swoop, a global fintech company specializing in funding solutions for businesses, on the launch of “Pathways to Success”–a new training and mentorship program designed to support Black women entrepreneurs in Atlanta. The Pathways to Success training and mentor program, developed and delivered through Sage Foundation, equipped 150 Atlanta-based Black women entrepreneurs with a structured series of training and roundtables, providing tactical advice to address and overcome financial and capital-raising challenges. The program was developed as a direct result of Sage, The BOSS Network and Swoop’s report titled “Voices of Strength: Pathways to Success for Black Women Founders” launched in September 2023. The report identified the most prominent challenges Black women founders in Atlanta face, including a lack of access to funding through grants and government resources, mentorship, and the ability to digitally scale their businesses for growth. Participants will receive one year of training access and a three-year membership to The BOSS Network. The BOSS Network Donating $250,000 to Divine Nine Sororities and the Chicago Urban League: Earlier this year, The BOSS Network announced awarding $50,000 each in grants and scholarships ($250,000 in total) to the Divine Nine sororities—including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated; Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated; Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated—the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Incorporated, and the Chicago Urban League. Four women from each organization received a $10,000 grant from the BOSS Impact Fund and a scholarship to BOSS Business University (valued at $2,500). This investment exemplifies The BOSS Network’s longstanding legacy of supporting Black women in the arenas of business and community. The Ladies That Lead Conference: This celebrated annual event honors extraordinary women who have made significant contributions to their fields. Past honorees include the Divine Nine Sorority Presidents, Michelle Williams, Tina Knowles, Beverly Johnson, and other luminaries. “Invest in Progress” Grant and “The BOSS Impact Fund The BOSS Network has had a long-standing commitment to women entrepreneurs. The mission of The BOSS Network is to promote and encourage the small business spirit and career development of women of color.  Speaker, investor, and award-winning entrepreneur - these are just a few words that describe Dr. Cameka Smith, Founder of The BOSS Network, a community of professional and entrepreneurial women who support each other through conversation, online engagement, and event-based networking. Working towards one simple goal, BOSS® is “Bringing Out Successful Sisters” to promote and encourage the small business spirit and professional development of women. Under Dr. Smith’s leadership, The BOSS Network has become one of the fastest-growing women communities, garnering several accolades such as a Top 50 Website for Entrepreneurs (Inc. Magazine), 10 Best Career Sites for Women (Forbes.com) and a top Twitter Account to Enhance Your College Experience (BlackEnterprise.com). In recognition of her achievements, Dr. Smith was listed in Ebony Magazine as a 40 under 40 Entrepreneur, named one of the Top 40 Chicago Game Changers by Ariel Investments, The Network Journal listed her one of their, 40 under 40 Business Leaders, and she was presented with a Brand Star award by Adweek. With a Doctor of Philosophy degree, Dr. Smith developed student academic programs for more than ten years. After being displaced from her job in 2009, she established The BOSS Network to support women in their journey to become independent and successful by utilizing the power of networking and technology. Since then, The BOSS Network has evolved into a go-to resource for companies seeking Black women as their target market. A one-stop-shop for career and entrepreneurial-minded women, The BOSS Network provides its members and partners with professional connections, resources, and marketing and promotional opportunities. As the author of "7 Steps to Grow Your Professional Network," Dr. Smith frequently travels to college campuses with her non-profit, BOSS On Campus, and speaks on career development and leadership topics. She currently resides in Chicago, where she is actively involved in charity work and mentoring youth. In 2022, Dr. Smith launched the BOSS Impact Fund and invested in 35 Black women-owned businesses. JPMorgan Chase honored Dr. Smith during Juneteenth with a leadership award for her work uplifting entrepreneurs in the Black community. #BEST #STRAW #SHMS