JaLisha is Thread Capital’s director of lending. She leads Thread Capital’s loan origination, coaching, connections, and customer service efforts, with the goal of executing Thread Capital’s mission of strengthening entrepreneurship and expanding access to capital for small businesses in North Carolina. Prior to joining the Thread, JaLisha worked as a program associate for the NC Rural Center and was a dedicated AmeriCorps member, spending time working with various nonprofits through the southwestern region of the United States. From there, she returned to assist nonprofits in her native community.

JaLisha is a Durham native and a graduate of Emory University with a bachelor’s in chemistry and a minor in global health, culture, and society. She enjoys filling unclaimed time with traveling, pretending to exercise on social media, and binge-watching TV with Garrett and two dogs, Jax Daniels and Jim Bean.

Kimberly Bland is a Certified Life Coach and multi-passionate entrepreneur who is skilled as a Life Strategist, change facilitator, marketing communications specialist, and strategic partnership builder.

Prior to becoming a Life Coach, Kimberly spent more than 15 years as a successful Business Development and Marketing professional in corporate America. In 2018, she found herself at a familiar place for so many Black women who navigate these environments: a plethora of enviable external success, but a lack of true internal fulfillment.

Through her own process of doing the work to begin creating her best life, Kimberly discovered her true calling as a Life Coach. She realized that her effortless ability to hold space for people, her genuine curiosity and observant nature, and her passionate desire to see Black women thriving in all areas, was the foundation of the Life Coach that was always within her. She made the bold decision to leave behind a multiple six-figure career (and the toxicity that accompanied it), to walk into her divine purpose.

Today, Kimberly runs her eponymous coaching practice where she uses dynamic coaching programs, and personalized support and accountability to help people make significant changes in their lives so they can have the personal and professional experiences they desire.

Through Team Nimbus of North Carolina I now specialize in coaching and training small business owners and sales professionals to grow their businesses through client acquisition and retention so that it will provide them with the resources and the time to live the life they want for themselves and their family.

Vonne is the Founder and CEO of Creating Equity, LLC, a global strategic advisory and consulting firm that helps individuals and organizations design and implement simple, practical solutions to complex problems.

As an equity advocate and clarity coach, Vonne uses transformational principles to help Black woman professionals (and particularly attorneys) get clear about who they are so they can get what they want, all while creating an equitable world that works for everyone. Clients of her Lessons in Vonnerability (TM) Private Coaching Program create careers (and, more importantly, lives) where they thrive.

As an experienced healthcare attorney, Vonne helps healthcare providers (e.g., hospitals/health systems, nursing homes, physician offices, imaging centers, etc.) working in underserved communities manage their regulatory risk so they can focus on providing high quality care to those who need it most.

Prior to starting Creating Equity, Vonne served as Associate University Counsel for Duke University and Duke University Health System where she provided advice and counsel to one of the world’s preeminent health systems on a broad range of regulatory, operational and transactional matters. Before joining Duke, Vonne spent more than a decade serving as inhouse and outside counsel for a broad range of healthcare providers and companies, including hospitals and health systems, academic medical centers, long-term care facilities, physician organizations and specialty care providers, primarily focused on transactional, operational and regulatory matters.

MBA trained banking, financial and accounting leader who leverages 20+ years of experience gained in the financial and banking industry to foster a productive, profitable, team-focused, and growth oriented environment. Innovative leader of teams, serving as coach, mentor, and supervisor for all aspects of operations.

Charisma F, Thomas, Esq. is a transactional business and intellectual property attorney. . She has a passion for empowering aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners to grow and expand their companies with purpose and proper infrastructure. She is opened the doors of her law firm in October 2019 and has assisted over 80 plus business with their legal business needs.

Ruby is a Financial Advisor with Northwestern Mutual, helping time-pressed business owners and professionals on how to organize their financial surplus is her life's work. She has many years of entrepreneurial experience running an award winning dessert business. Her entrepreneurship journey garnered several accolades over the years. She enjoys supporting fellow business owners through mentorship and thought-partnership.

She is an alumnus of Rutgers University where she majored in Economics. When not working, you may find Ruby at home baking cupcakes or watching Disney movies with her daughter, "Princess" Lea.

Ryan is committed to ‘Creating a Loving, Abundant World, Where Everyone Feels Empowered’. He began his journey with a dream. Passionately motivated to positively influence the lives of others, he has dedicated his life to service. His mission is to seek excellence in his own life, thus inspiring and liberating others to do the same.

In his personal development program, ‘Excellence2Success’, he teaches that the ‘Pursuit of Excellence produces the Satisfaction of Success & Significance’. While in pursuit of overcoming his own financial challenges, Ryan recognized the lack of education around financial literacy and entrepreneurship.

In 2015, he founded Triangle Entrepreneurial Leadership to educate, empower, and equip entrepreneurs with the necessary skill sets to win in business. It didn’t take long for Ryan to become recognized as a Champion for Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurial Development.

In 2018, Ryan was offered and accepted the role of President & CEO of Jobs for Life (JfL). JfL is a global, nonprofit organization that engages communities and supports them in creating pathways to meaningful work and entrepreneurial opportunities for all people. Their goal is to ‘Uplift Humanity through the Dignity of Work’.

Mia LaMotte is the founder and CEO of LaMotte International, a full-service image consulting and personal brand coaching firm and the host of Brand Disruptors Podcast and coaching program.

She helps others be seen the way they want to be seen. She does this by helping people, strategically, communicate their story through what they wear, how they express themselves and how they show up online.

She’s passionate about helping people become more of themselves and live unapologetically. She teaches you the “rules”, so you can know which ones to break!

Originally from Louisiana, she now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, where the beaches and the mountains are just a two hour ride away, and she gets to enjoy the outdoors.

Mia knows how to throw down in the kitchen and creates new dishes easily. She loves playing a friendly game of poker, tennis, and what some might consider adventure sports, like jumping out of planes and ziplining.

Mia is a certified Image Consultant and transformation coach who has helped hundreds of her clients become the authentic versions of themselves! Transformation IS her superpower!

Sarah Jansen is the Director of Partnerships for Cultivate Advisors, a business advisory firm. She has successfully exited 2 companies. She grew her last company into a multi-million dollar annual revenue company in 5 years with contracts in multiple states. She understands the pressures and challenges of being an entrepreneur juggling working on and in their business while still keeping up with daily tasks like getting kids ready for school or keeping in touch with friends.