• Created the Southern States Scholars collective impact group which applied for a NSF IN-CLUDES $12,000,000 grant to broaden participation of underserved youth in STEM education and occupation. The collective impact model brings people together to create social change. Research shows that successful collective impact initiatives typically have five conditions that together produce true alignment and lead to powerful results: a common agenda, shared measurement systems, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication, and back-bone support organizations. Working in tandem greatly increases impact throughout implemen-tation. (https://ssir.org/articles/entry/collective_impact)

• Brokered a meeting with Governor John Bel Edwards and Stan Litow, President, IBM Interna-tional Foundation and creator of IBM’s P-Tech Program which is a national dual enrollment pro-gram that offers an opportunity for a high school students to earn an associates degree at graduation from high school and then work for IBM. This successful program that has had great success in Chicago, New York, and many other cities is coming to Louisiana as a result of the meeting Southern States Scholars brokered with Mr. Litow and Governor John Bel Edwards. 

• Met with multiple Louisiana legislative leaders locally and in Washington DC. Southern States Scholars shared advocacy and education about social emotional learning concerning and the NSF INCLUDES grant.

• Met in Washington DC with representatives for US Department of Education, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and the US Commerce Department to seek federal grant opportunities.

• Hosted multiple meetings with local two and four year college degree program leaders.

• Hosted multiple meetings and collaborations with local businesses, affinity groups and commu-nity development groups such as ExxonMobil, CSRS the Powell Group, United Way of the Cap-ital Area, BREC, Capital Area YMCA

• Implemented our Kitchen Table Talk Program at Baton Rouge Community College and Louisi-ana State University which received rave community and media reviews. 

• Announced the opening of the new Louisiana IBM P-TECH Program at the Louisiana State Capital with Governor John Bel-Edwards and multiple cross sector stakeholders. 

• Established Southern States Scholars “cross sector” Advisory Board and held first meetings in May 2018

• Partnered with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana’s Human Resource Team to create a community based talent development pipeline for three job categories: Customer Service, Claims, and IT. (May 2018)