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Meet Business "Mogul"
Jhonson
Napoleon
CEO, Azure College and Azure Media
Jhonson Napoleon immigrated to the United States from Haiti with the knowledge that education was the key to not only transforming his own life, but also the lives of others.
Armed with the prolific words of Martin Luther King Jr. - "Faith is taking the first step, even if you don't see the whole staircase." - he launched a career path that began as a security guard at Macy's and quickly grew to real estate, education and media.
He is the owner and President of Azure College, the first accredited Haitian-owned college in the United States and the first black-owned college to offer a nursing degree program in South Florida. It now has three separate campuses in south Florida.
He is also the owner of Azure Media LLC, which includes three AM radio stations and three FM radio stations in Florida and Boston, making it the fastest-growing black-owned media group in Florida and the largest Haitian-owned media group in the nation.
After a few years of success, he used his business acumen to benefit his home country. There, he successfully pulled Port-au-Prince's Universite Lumiere out of bankruptcy by increasing its enrollment tenfold. He also helped to graduate the initial group of students from the university's medical school, the first private program of its kind in Haiti.
To increase the knowledge base of the school's graduates, he forged a relationship between the Center for Haitian Studies - a non-profit dedicated to provided health care to underserved Haitians in Miami - and the University of Miami Medical School, where he established six-week rotations for Universite Lumiere med school graduates.
Back in the U.S., Napoleon returned to real estate, becoming an Accredited Land Consultant and founding a real estate agency that included 25 brokers. And while most saw the decline of the housing boom as adversity, Napoleon used it as an opportunity to shift his focus back to health care education. He invested in a small educational health center that eventually became Azure College.
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You're invited to EXPERIENCE
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"A Chat with Business Moguls & Turks"
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Early Bird Registration Available thru Feb. 8th
$20 per person
limit 2 per order
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A Chat with Business Moguls and Turks
PNC bank presents A GROUP OF INSPIRING ENTREPRENEURS as ICABA has assembled business moguls and turks who are capitalizing on the sacrifices and progress of those who came before us and opened doors of entrepreneurial opportunity. These moguls and turks have created substantial businesses and are not stopping anytime soon. Come out to hear their inspiring and enlightening stories to learn how you can be the next business mogul or turk!
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Meet Business "Mogul"
Dr. William Pickard
Chairman and CEO, Global Automotive Alliance
William F. Pickard, Chairman and CEO of Global Automotive Alliance comprised of
six manufacturing entities with eight plants in four states and Canada. He has
a 30-year background as an entrepreneur with business interests from automotive supply, fast food franchising, media and publishing. He focuses on innovative business development, team building and long-term strategic planning in his various enterprises.
In 2002, he was honored as Michiganian of the Year for his mentorship of new entrepreneurs and his leadership of Global Automotive Alliance.
President Ronald Reagan nominated and the Senate confirmed William F. Pickard as the first chairman of the African Development Foundation (ADF) in 1982. He has received numerous accolades and a plethora of awards for his business success, leadership and civic stewardship.
Dr. Pickard holds a Bachelor's Degree from Western Michigan University, a Master's Degree from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. from Ohio State University.
William F. Pickard is Chairman and CEO of Global Automotive Alliance, serves on the Board of Directors for numerous other organizations. He is also a member of the Detroit Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
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Meet Business "Turk"
Marcell Haywood
CEO, Encompass Onsite
Marcell Haywood is an entrepreneur who is deeply passionate about positive change and creating opportunity.
He is Chief Executive Officer of
Encompass Onsite
- a premier facilities management company offering maintenance, operations, housekeeping and plant services to customers throughout North America with over 500 employees under his leadership.
Marcell is also the Chief Executive Officer of
STILT
, a South Florida technology start-up focused on bringing world class buying power to every small and mid-sized business.
Marcell's core investment and business strategy centers on scalable ventures that specifically target the intersection of technology, innovation and age-old service industries.
Marcell graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School and lives in downtown Ft. Lauderdale with his wife.
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Meet Business "Turk"
Christine Franklin
CEO, Cherokee Enterprises
As the president one of the fastest growing minority-owned firms in the nation and a Gold Medal Winner for the Environmental Business Journal's Business Achievement awards, Ms. Franklin is responsible for steering and directing the accomplishment of the firm's Mission of Best Value. From assisting clients in the formulation of major projects to implementing the firm's strategic plan, she is in charge of ensuring that the firm fulfills its obligations to the stakeholders - namely its Clients, Employees and the Community.
CEI has received many accolades since she has been at the helm from an Outstanding Performance award from the Department of Homeland Security, as well as the Gold Medal Business Achievement Award from the prestigious Environmental Business Journal.
The firm has also placed 15th on the list of the Top Women Led Business in Florida for 2014.
In addition to being a Florida Registered Professional Engineer and a Building Contractor, Ms. Franklin has a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Florida. She is a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers and the Florida Engineering Society.
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