Speakers
Name
Affiliation
Title
Erica Veal is a local historian, archivist, editor and interpreter. She attended Columbia College in Columbia, South Carolina where she graduated with a degree in History and Spanish in 2007. After working as a Graduate Assistant and Processing Archivist at the Avery Research Center from 2003-2010 Erica went on to work as the Cultural History Interpretive Specialist with Charleston County and later worked in management.
Victoria Rae Boynton Moore is a writer, facilitator, producer and co-founder of TINYisPOWERFUL — an interracial, intergenerational collective effort linking artists, cultural workers, youth and tiny business partners to support and promote TINY BUSINESS in the South as a vital part of neighborhood and commerce. As a multi-racial Black woman native to Charleston, SC, Victoria is committed to social change through the arts and to amplifying marginalized voices for more true, inclusive representation of the past and the present as we shape a future together. She studied dance at Charleston County School of the Arts and earned a BA in journalism and public relations from the University of South Carolina.
Courtney Young is the CEO of ForeSight Communications (FSC), a global strategic marketing firm headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina. Courtney has spent more than 15 years serving the corporate and public sectors as the go-to expert in the field of minority business outreach, public information services, and cultural tourism marketing. Gifted in relationship building, Courtney and her team at FSC have connected their client partners to over 250,000 targeted audiences for clients such as the Chicago Regional Transit Authority, Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services, Hilton Head Island Gullah Celebration, Mitchelville’s Juneteenth Celebration, South Carolina Airports Coalition Small Business Fly-In, Women in Contracting Roundtables and the National Association of Minority Contractors National Convention just to name a few.
Courtney Young is the CEO of ForeSight Communications (FSC), a global strategic marketing firm headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina. Courtney has spent more than 15 years serving the corporate and public sectors as the go-to expert in the field of minority business outreach, public information services, and cultural tourism marketing. Gifted in relationship building, Courtney and her team at FSC have connected their client partners to over 250,000 targeted audiences for clients such as the Chicago Regional Transit Authority, Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services, Hilton Head Island Gullah Celebration, Mitchelville’s Juneteenth Celebration, South Carolina Airports Coalition Small Business Fly-In, Women in Contracting Roundtables and the National Association of Minority Contractors National Convention just to name a few.
Grace has over 9 years’ experience working in the banking industry with institutions like Wells Fargo, BB&T, and Synovus. In her time working in the traditional banking world, Grace worked as a teller, personal banker, and lender. Grace’s current role as Community Development Loan officer at CLIMB Fund is to assist potential borrowers with becoming loan approval ready. Essentially, Grace operates as a coach for them throughout their approval process by managing expectations and coaching them through what needs to be changed or adjusted to better ensure their approval odds. Grace says, “In retail banking, I found that I told a lot of people what I could not do for them. Versus here at CLIMB Fund, I can see where I can help and use that knowledge to create a positive difference for our potential borrowers. It’s never no, it’s not right now, and here’s how we can overcome these challenges to get you approved.” Grace is a native of Moncks Corner, SC. In her free time, she enjoys making memories with her kids and traveling.
Nico Brown brings 13 years of banking and finance experience to the CLIMB Fund from his time as a banker at Wells Fargo and Bank of America in the Charleston area, including being part of opening a Sun Trust branch in North Charleston. He is a South Carolina native and calls the Lowcountry home. Here at the CLIMB Fund, Nico works with our clients as a Community Development Loan Officer over the course of the loan application process, assisting clients with finding solutions that bring their applications to approval. Nico is also committed to serving the Black and Hispanic/Latino communities and is bilingual in English and Spanish. Nico says, “Being a part of these communities and seeing what the struggle can be like firsthand caused me to develop a passion for seeing people in these communities grow, which goes hand in hand with the mission of the CLIMB Fund.”
Wanda Davis
Community Works Carolina
Loan Officer
Becky Moore
SCPRT
Manager of Industry Relations
Manages multiple programs to benefit tourism industry partners, including the Governor’s Conference on Tourism & Travel, the Tourism Advertising Grant Program, and advertising sales for welcome centers.
Adam Jennings joined the VisitGreenvilleSC team in February 2022 and currently works as the Destination Experiences Manager. Having left a career in high-end senior living sales coaching for a southeast-based provider, he now enjoys working with his colleagues, members, lodging partners, and destination visitors to drive a greater economic impact for Greenville, South Carolina than the day before. In his role, Adam helps to oversee the VisitGreenvilleSC membership program and Visitor’s Center. An area native, he loves discussing their recent accolades like when they were named by Southern Living “The South’s Best City of the Rise” and “One of the Best Places to Travel this Fall” by CNN Travel. Outside of work, you’ll find Adam enjoying the arts and spending time with family and friends at the newest asset in #yeahTHATgreenville!
Twila Jones is a native of Columbia, South Carolina and currently serves as Senior Sales Manager for Experience Columbia SC, the DMO (Destination Management Organization) for the Midlands of Soda City. Her primary role is manager and ambassador to the Faith-based, Multicultural, Fraternal and Cultural markets, a position she’s held for 17 years.
Twila was appointed an Advisory Board Member for the Tourism and Event Management Program at Columbia College and enjoys mentoring numerous industry hopefuls. Some of her accomplishments include CFMP certification, Cvent certification, CMP candidacy, a 2011 Leadership Columbia graduate, nominee for the Passing the Torch Renaissance Foundation Award and volunteer assignments with Columbia Urban League, Hannah House, Epworth’s Children’s Home, and Harvest Hope Food Bank.
Twila is a member of The National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP), Religious Conference Management Association (RCMA), Christian Meetings and Conventions Association (CMCA), and a former member of the Greater Columbia Chapter of Women in Lodging and the Greater Columbia Chapter of Networking in High Heels.
An alumna of Winthrop University, she enjoys interior design, fashion, family and mentoring young women.
Marc Gibson is the Director of Inclusion & Engagement for the Charleston Area Convention & Visitor Bureau. He is responsible for heading up Explore Charleston’s “Heart for Hospitality, a living story that invites our large and diverse community to advance the Lowcountry with raised awareness & action for inclusion..a story that will open doors of opportunity for those underrepresented in our industry.Marc has been programing and managing director for Explore Charleston,s Intern Cultural Enrichment Program (ICEP) since it; creation in 2020. He has over 29 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Marc was born and raised in Charleston SC and has a BS Degree in Marketing from Morris College in Sumter SC and graduated from Leadership Charleston, Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, continuing Education with Destination International and Clemson University Division of Inclusion and Equity.
Anita Prather- Singleton
Gullah Traveling Theater/ Tax Accommodation Advisory Council Member
CEO
Anita Singleton-Prather, a native of the Sea Islands in Beaufort County, South Carolina, is a storyteller, singer, educator, actress and historian. Ten years ago, in an effort to preserve the Gullah history and dialect, Prather founded the Gullah Kinfolk, a musical performance group. The Gullah Kinfolk is made up of Prather’s family members, many of whom have been singing in church for years. This dynamic gospel group performs songs including slave spirituals and features stories by “Aunt Pearlie-Sue,” a beloved character based on Prather’s grandmother.
Duane Parrish
SCPRT
State Director
Duane is the gubernatorial appointed director of the agency. He provides leadership and direction that helps the agency deliver public service pursuant to the goals and objectives of the Governor of the state of South Carolina.
Andy Ingraham
horizons@gate.net
National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators & Developers (NABHOOD)
President/CEO
Entrepreneur Andrew Ingraham was born on August 20, 1954, in Nassau, Bahamas, where his family owned several businesses, including one in the travel industry. After completing his education, he moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he began his career in the travel and tourism industry.
In 1999, Ingraham became the president/CEO of the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers, Incorporated, an organization created to empower African American in the hospitality industry. Ingraham is also the president of Horizons Marketing Group International, which focuses on African American and multicultural tourism.
As an appointee to the White House Conference on Tourism, Ingraham founded the International Multicultural Tourism and Hotel Ownership Conference. Ingraham was also appointed to the National Tourism Advisory Committee for the NAACP. Ingraham has lectured at the American Hotel & Motel Association, National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners, Congressional Black Caucus, and National Association of Black McDonald’s Owners Association. He is a member of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners, National Black Hospitality Professionals, African American Travel & Tourism Association, and the National Black Hospitality Professionals.
