Theme: WHAT BOX?

Inside the box is a wealth of knowledge and time honored tradition. Outside the box is the potential for innovations and trailblazing. What if we question the existence of the box itself? This year’s theme invites the presenters to embrace exciting topics that explore this metaphorical box and challenges us to think “unboxed” and explore ideas beyond the boundaries and without limits.

Van Nostrand Theater
Suffolk County Community College- Sagtikos Building
Grant Campus
Brentwood, New York, 11717
United States

Billy Sanders

American Sign Language Intereter

As a nationally certified American Sign Language interpreter, Billy Sanders is a Communications Consultant with Bridges Consulting, LLC., a company he founded 20 years ago to champion cross-cultural communication through education and empowerment. Currently, he is a mentor for College Bound, Board Advisor to Light the Way Foundation, and a Board member for the Friends of the Buea School for the Deaf [Cameroon, West Africa]. Billy credits his love for serving within the Deaf community to his mother, Debra - who is Deaf. Having earned both a BS in Business Administration and an MS in Public Administration from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Billy is currently a doctoral candidate in the Community College Leadership Program at Morgan State University. A staunch advocate for education, Billy has taught extensively since 2000 at colleges and universities in the subjects of American Sign Language, Signed Language Systems, and Strategies for Cross-Cultural Communication.

Dailisha Rodriguez

Founder and Executive Director

Dailisha Eve Rodriguez, is an empowerment coach and a motivational speaker. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Hey There Beautiful Foundation. a non-profit organization empowering women and young girls to live their dream through education, motivation, self-awareness, and self-development. Since 2015, she has facilitated over 100 workshops, working with varying populations from children, teens, to seniors. Dailisha or "Dee" was a legal secretary for a major insurance carrier for over twelve years; in 2018 she released her ties to her position in corporate America to pursue her lifelong dreams of empowering the world. Dee now serves as National Vice President of Finance for the National Board of the transcendent Theta Delta Sigma Society, a multicultural fraternal organization advocating for diversity awareness while empowering members to be inclusive leaders committed to uplifting marginalized communities.

Daniel Lloyd

Social Entrepreneur

Dan Lloyd is a social entrepreneur who helps with the creation and development of non-profit organizations that focus on solving targeted problems within society. In Fall 2017, Daniel founded Minority Millennials Inc., a 501(c)3, not-for-profit organization currently bridging the gap between policy & culture. Its mission focuses on tackling disempowering narratives around minority communities and mobilizing millennials with the tools needed to become the next generation of change-makers in public policy Presently, in his capacity as Associate Director of Long Island Citizens for Community Values (LICCV), a 501(c)3; Daniel designs solution-based programs that work to protect children & families in the digital age. He believes that the pursuit of lifelong learning is cardinal to leadership. Daniel aspires to lead a dynamic action network comprised of future social entrepreneurs and advocates of human capital development.

Errol Toulon, Jr.

Sheriff of Suffolk County

Errol D. Toulon, Jr.,has more than thirty years of public safety and law enforcement. In 2017, Dr. Toulon was elected to the position of Sheriff of Suffolk County, overseeing the largest Sheriff’s Office in New York State. As the County’s Chief Law Enforcement Officer, he leads an organization with more than 1300 uniformed and civilian employees. He is Suffolk County's 67th Sheriff and its first African-American to hold the Office. Dr. Toulon points to his long-term health battles as having the most significant impact on the trajectory of his life and work. Dr. Toulon was a uniformed Member of Service with the NYC Department of Correction for 22 years and retired early when his health severely declined while battling pancreatic cancer. Following his retirement from NYC, and while going through chemotherapy, he decided to advance his education to keep his mind occupied. After completing his B.A., he went on to earn a master’s degree and doctorate from Dowling College.

George Andriopoulos

CEO, Launchpad 516

Corporate turnaround artist, innovative disruptor, and self-proclaimed “Chief Inspiration Officer", George is the award-winning founder and CEO of Launchpad Five One Six, a management consulting firm whose mission is to provide organizations with the tools and resources to innovate and thrive. George realized his potential as a changemaker and a source of inspiration to businesses and individuals who were stuck in the mindset of defining themselves by their mistakes. His mantra in business and life revolves around turning the weaknesses of who you thought you were into the strengths of who you want to become. Additionally, George owns a digital marketing agency, a private think-tank company, and most recently acquired a partnership in startup tech company Concierge 360. He is also one of the founders of Shannon’s Fight, a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to financially aiding families in medical crisis.

J.R. Harris

Wilderness Trekker

James Robert Harris is an explorer, business executive, psychologist, author, and an ex-NYC taxi driver. As a wilderness trekker, he has completed over 50 expeditions, most of them alone, to some of most remote places on earth. Raised by working-class parents in a New York City housing project, J.R. spent summers at Boy Scout camp in the Catskill Mountains learning survival skills; an appreciation of nature; and the importance of protecting the environment. He also began to develop a different, less urbanized way of thinking. Since then, his expeditions have earned widespread recognition and election into the prestigious Explorer’s Club. J.R. is also founder and president of JRH Marketing Services, the oldest and most experienced African American market research firm in the United States; in 2016 he was elected into the Market Research Hall of Fame. When not in the wild, J.R. urges everyone to experience the physical, mental and emotional benefits of being outdoors.

Janine Driver

Communications Expert/Author

Janine Driver is the founder, president, and lead instructor for BLUEStreak Training, an elite certification program that offers award-winning advanced communications training. BLUEStreak helps executives, sales people, and other professionals build executive presence; explode their selling skills; and create and deliver business presentations that win new business. Janine and her team of the world’s most sought after subject matter experts have helped clients become the total leader, which ultimately led them to win billions of dollars in new business contracts. Her elite A-list clients come from a wide variety of industries. Janine has made appearances on NBC’s Today, The Rachael Ray Show, and HLN. Janine’s background includes being a federal law enforcement officer within the United States Department of Justice for 16-years, where she trained over 60,000 lawyers, judges, and law enforcement officers how to read body language and detect deception.

Jaquiel Bullock

Performer

There’s a reason why Jaquiel THEVOICE’s music sounds and feels the way that it does. As a child, his grandfather would place him upon his stomach and make him sing songs from the likes of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and Luther Vandross. It’s no surprise that Jaquiel was able to cultivate such a purely genuine album as The Natural Project. When you live by the motto “Music is my life, Life is my song” it’s easy to see that Jaquiel is fulfilling his purpose and obligation to this world. In a generation where true artists seldom get the chance to shine, Jaquiel THEVOICE has opened his entire soul for the world to see it and appreciate it. It also helps that Jaquiel produced the album himself. Jaquiel opens The Natural Project with a question posed as spoken word setting the entire tone for the album. “What of the world to the one who in escaping their realities in the clouds of their imagination flew from the nightmares of the ground into the sky of their dreams?”

Kiora Johnson

CEO and President

Kiora Johnson is the CEO and President of God’s Blessings Plan and Chairman of the Board. She was born and raised on Long Island, NY. Kiora has her MBA in Finance and Communications & Media Management from Fordham University in New York, NY. However, early in her childhood, after her father was laid off from his job, her family faced a period of homelessness. The family struggled for many years to keep a stable residence, but through the blessing of God they were finally able to purchase a home. After spending years trying to connect with her faith, Kiora felt a leading in her spirit to help the homeless shortly after the birth of her son though she didn’t know what she, as one person, could do. Her calling was revealed to her: she was to minister to, encourage and provide basic needs and services to those that were hurting and homeless. After bringing it up to her husband, Curtis Johnson II, the calling was confirmed and God’s Blessings Plan was officially created.

Oscar Rodriguez

Communications Expert

As a person who needs to influence others to create the change they need, Oscar became a student of the art of persuasion. From the basic sale and negotiation classes to the more advanced technology including EMDR, hypnosis and other communication classes, the range of information Oscar has studied has led him to a level of mastery in the areas of persuasion, training and connection that will generate clarity, connection and agreement among his clients, his audiences and of course his friends. Oscar was born in South America and when he landed in Miami, he didn’t speak enough English to communicate. This lack of knowledge has become one of Oscar’s driving passions. As a realtor for over 30 years, Oscar has helped his clients get clarity on what they need to do to buy or sell real estate. As a hypnotherapist and speaker, Oscar’s focus is on helping his clients to get clarity of their specific goal, mission and vision so that his clients can get to those goals faster.

Paula Ralph Birkett

Performer

Performer, writer, and creative catalyst Paula Ralph Birkett journeys thru stories of trials and triumph, so listeners can imagine their own path of possibilities. Paula has played venues bug and small including The Greene Space at WNYC, the United Nations and has toured as a featured vocalist with choral ensembles throughout Europe. She is currently the featured vocalist in the progressive jazz group Tyrone Birkett- Emancipation. Paula has been developing a keynote concert series called #Perception2Decisions, where she uses the performing arts to illustrate how perception develops images and how those images become the blueprint for life.

Rob Goldman

Community-Engaged Artist/ Photographer/ Educator/Author

Rob Goldman is a photographer, community-engaged artist, educator, author and speaker. His work interweaves aspects of art, education, social awareness and social action to foster personal and professional development while building community. Mr. Goldman’s photographs have been celebrated in gallery exhibitions and national magazines including Cosmopolitan, Time, Brides and Mademoiselle, and used by major corporations including Google, Club Med, Microsoft, AT&T, Marriott, Braun and Seagrams, to name a few. He is the founder and director of the Center for Creative Development, a nonprofit organization that is home to several youth empowerment and community engagement programs including the “I Matter” Project (most recently in partnership with the city of New Haven), Just Like Me and Art in Transit. He is also the founder of Long Island-based art community and gallery, Stepping Stone Gallery for Contemporary Photography and Art That Matters.