On March 25th, 2021, Simple X brought together Black professionals and allies from Portland and the Pacific Northwest for a virtual Summit. The Summit acted as an accelerator for individuals to gain fellowship in the Portland area. Along with many other influential speakers, we joined Portland Legend Wilson Smith III to celebrate him and hear about his life.
Headline Event:
First African American Footwear Designer – Wilson Smith III
Wilson Smith III is a DNA Design Specialist at Nike. He shared his story about growing up in Portland and how his interest in architecture and design led him to a successful career at Nike. Smith has worked on projects that run the gamut of the design profession. He’s developed products for athletes including Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, Derek Jeter and more.
Sessions:
9:00am-10:30am Keynote
Wealth Creation: Promoting economic growth and prosperity
Featured guests:
- D’Artagnan Bernard Caliman, Director at Meyer Memorial Trust
- Stephen Green, COO of A Kids Book About
- Kristen Ingram, Founder of PLUS ONE society
- Marcus Carter, Director of Social Equity at Cinder
Moderated by:
Marcus Carter, Director of Social Equity at Cinder
11:30am-12:30pm Keynote
Disruptive Leadership: What’s not written on the brochure
Featured guests:
- Tiffany Golden, Producer at Wieden + Kennedy
- Jennifer Hunter, J.D., Sr. Director DEI at Portland Trail Blazers
- April Allen, J.D., M.P.A., Sr. Director DEI at PeaceHealth
Moderated by:
Blaire G. Hervey, Co-Founder of Visionary Squad
Karen D. Foster, MSIMC, Co-Founder of Visionary Squad
9:00am-10:30am Keynote
Community Conversation: The experience of Black professionals from different walks of life
Featured guests:
- Akasha Lawrence-Spence, Founder of Fifth Element
- David “OG One” Jackson, Official NBA Portland Trail Blazers DJ
- Ian Williams, Founder of Deadstock Coffee
- Donna Maxey, Founder at Race Talks
Moderated by:
Shaina Pomerantz, JD, MSOL, COO of Race Talks
9:00am-10:30am Keynote
Simple X Mixer: Design your path to success
Featured guests:
- Wilson Smith III, DNA Design Specialist at Nike
Moderated by:
Yoseph Ukbazghi, co-founder Simple X, LLC
Wilson Kubwayo, co-founder Simple X, LLC
Simple X was founded in 2018 to empower individuals and organizations by designing a space for people to connect, create, and cultivate their path to success. Creating space for collaboration, providing information, and connecting individuals to resources.
Each Simple X business venture is rooted in equity, knowledge distribution, and customer satisfaction.
