Charles Law
Community Convener/Activist/Entrepreneur
Charles "Jah" Law, born on April 9, 1972, in Gary, Indiana, has traversed a remarkable path of personal growth and community impact. Raised in a middle-class family, his life took a challenging turn when, at the age of 22, he faced incarceration due to drug-related charges. However, adversity did not deter his spirit.
Upon his release from prison in 2017, Charles embarked on a transformative mission for change. Relocating to South Bend, Indiana, he embarked on a journey that would define his commitment to community betterment. Initially, he engaged in subcontracting work for the South Bend Housing Authority, contributing to the improvement of local housing conditions. His dedication extended to volunteering at the Kroc Center, where he tirelessly offered his support.
Before moving to Fort Wayne, Charles worked closely with Mr. Muhamad at the Charles Black Center, making a significant impact on the youth in the community.
Cybersecurity & Network Engineering Technologist/Entrepreneur
Faith Spencer is a self-driven and passionate entrepreneur, community leader, and technology consultant. Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, she is a graduate of Purdue University with a double major in Cybersecurity and Network Engineering, a minor in Organizational Leadership, and a Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Faith is currently an Enterprise Technology Consultant at West Monroe Partners in Chicago, Illinois, where she helps clients solve complex business challenges through technology solutions. She is also the founder and CEO of IronWorkz Corporation, a nonprofit organization that provides a dynamic business incubator to support minority students and small businesses in Gary, Indiana.
President & CEO
As President/CEO of the Legacy Foundation, Kelly Anoe oversees the development, community impact, strategic, and leadership activities at the Legacy Foundation, the community foundation for Lake County, Indiana. Kelly seeks to build relationships and collaborations with nonprofit organizations, businesses, local government, and the community. Prior to joining Legacy Foundation in 2014, Kelly spent her career in non-profit direct service, development, and leadership roles. Kelly has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Master’s in Business Administration from Purdue Northwest, and is a Certified Fundraising Executive. She serves on the Public Policy Committee for the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance and was recently recognized as a Northwest Indiana Woman on the Rise. She is a graduate of Leadership Northwest Indiana, and the Center for Community Progress Community Revitalization Fellowship, and an inductee into the Northwest Indiana Society of Innovators.
Communications Professional
Michael Gonzalez is a Believer in God, a husband, a father of five and a grandfather of three, a recovering news reporter who now is a media coach who also works with freight trains. Michael spent more than 25 years as a correspondent for the Post-Tribune. He spent most of that time covering the Cities of Gary, Portage and Lake Station. Michael took breaks from reporting to work as a media coach for small companies and nonprofit corporations, including a professional boxing coach, charter public and traditional public school districts.Michael used his extensive media experience to launch his media coaching business, Steel Shores Media, in December 2019, representing a city government, tourism bureaus and more. Recently, he’s focused on helping nonprofits share their messages and stories.
He is an endurance sports enthusiast who is almost constantly thinking of beating his finish time in his last event.
Shanieta Sease
CEO
Shanieta Sease a Gary native who currently resides in the
Indianapolis, area. Shanieta is married to Ricky Sease and mother
of 3 young men. She is a trailblazer, and passionate about financial
literacy, and is dedicated to educating people on developing their
financial goals. She is a humanitarian and philanthropist with a
desire and commitment to serve her community. Shanieta is an
advocate for the youth, She has mentored young girls for 7 plus
years. Additionally she and her husband (Ricky Sease) have served
as assistant pastors. At the tender age of 15 Shanieta acknowledged
the voice of God and accepted the call to ministry. She knew she
was called to educate, uplift and motivate individuals by spreading
hope through her campaign #NoGivingUp. As a survivor of
childhood trauma and teen-age pregnancy, she began sharing her
story of tragedy to triumph, by telling her compelling story of how
losing her mother to illness at the age of 18, being a teenage mother.