Blair Durham President / Co-Founder of Black BRAND Blair Durham is Co-Founder and President of Black BRAND, a 501c3 organization founded in 2016, whose acronym encompasses business, research and analytics, networking, and the development of black commerce. Beginning in Hampton Roads and now also operating in the Dan River Region, Black BRAND serves as a regional black chamber of commerce organizing programming to support emerging and existing black business owners. Blair is a Hampton Roads native, a graduate of Virginia Tech, the host of Black Wall Street Today, and a proud board member of The Virginia Zoological Park and Volunteer Hampton Roads. Most proudly, Blair resides in Portsmouth with her husband and three children.
Crystal Cobbs Owner at Cobbs Consulting
Crystal Cobbs Owner at Cobbs Consulting Crystal started Cobbs Consulting to give businesses and organizations the critical infrastructure, resources, and relationships they need to establish, stabilize, and grow. Her role as President of Black BRAND Dan River Region is an extension of that work. She will be sharing what participants can gain from the SWaM STRONG program.
Nancy Grden Associate Vice President at ODU Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Nancy Grden Associate Vice President at ODU Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship Nancy L. Grden is Associate Vice President, ODU Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (IIE), leading ODU’s organization for the campus and community-at-large seeking economic development, entrepreneurship, or innovation resources and partnerships. IIE also oversees programs and services for entrepreneurs, including the Strome Entrepreneurial Center, Women’s Business Center, Veterans Business Outreach Center, TempO regional/rural center, Business Development Center, and Open Seas Technology Innovation Hub.
Matthew Fine President at Runnymede Corporation Matthew Fine has been an active member of The Runnymede Corporation Board of Directors since 1990. He is a graduate of The University of Richmond (BS 1986) and The University of Georgia (MFA 1990). His personal business activities include developing and managing five storage facilities in Hampton Roads that he sold in 2019.
Chandra Hurst VP, Economic Equity Small Business Loan Officer at Virginia Community Capital, Inc.
Chandra Hurst VP, Economic Equity Small Business Loan Officer at Virginia Community Capital, Inc. Chandra Hurst, Vice President, and Economic Equity Small Business Loan Officer Chandra Hurst is Vice President and Economic Equity Small Business Loan Officer with Virginia
Jeff Johnson Director of Tech Center Research Park
Jeff Johnson Director of Tech Center Research Park Jeff Johnson joined the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, a subsidiary of the Virginia Tech Foundation, in January 2014 as Director of Tech Center Research Park located in Newport News, Virginia. Jeff is responsible for establishing and leading the research and innovation portion of the 100-acre, $450 million mixed used Tech Center based on the internationally acclaimed Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center in Blacksburg, Virginia. Jeff identifies, vets, recruits, and supports technology-based companies that are focused on commercialization discovery and growing business that matter. He has also worked with hundreds of federal lab principle investigators and inventors to accelerate lab to market and commercialize innovation.
Jennifer Yarbrough Non Profit Expert / Grant Guru Jennifer Yarbrough has spent over 30 years working in the areas of grant writing, major fundraising, strategic planning, program development, and organizational assessment for some of the largest nonprofit organizations in the country.
