Stanley Straughter

Specialist in International Business Development and Financial Management

Mr. Straughter is a specialist in international business development in the financial management area. With nearly thirty years experience in international development he has lived and worked in several countries on the continents of Africa, Central Asia, the Caribbean and Russia. As a finance specialist, Mr. Straughter has provided services to foreign governments in governance and transparency, worked with finance ministers and provided advice and counsel to governments on trade policy and foreign direct investment. Mr. Straughter speaks French and has considerable experience working with bilateral and multilateral financial development entities such as USAID, African Development Bank, African Development Foundation, Eastern ... Read More

Harold T. Epps

Director of Commerce at the City of Philadelphia

Harold T. Epps is the Director of Commerce at the City of Philadelphia and is a business leader with over 30 years of corporate experience in providing high performance products and solutions for complex and compliance driven industries. As Director of Commerce, Harold oversees and implements policies to help both small businesses and major corporations in Philadelphia thrive. Commerce coordinates activities along neighborhood commercial corridors with small businesses and entrepreneurs, major real estate development projects, large-scale business attraction and retention efforts, as well as efforts to increase minority-owned business contracting opportunities. Formerly, Harold was the Vice-Chairman of the Board of PRWT ... Read More

Senator Sharif Street

Pennsylvania State Senator representing the Third Senatorial District of Philadelphia

Senator Sharif Street, elected to the Pennsylvania Senate in 2016, represents the Third Senatorial District of Philadelphia, which encompasses a population of over 240,000 people in North Philadelphia, Nicetown, Roxborough, Lower Germantown, Logan, Olney, Fern Rock, Crescentville, East Oak Lane, East Wyoming, East Hunting Park and Melrose Park Garden. As senator, Sharif is committed to improving access to healthcare, reforming our criminal justice system, creating quality jobs, funding our public schools, investing in science and technology and fighting for the rights of all Pennsylvanians. An attorney by profession, Sharif began his public career as a community activist organizing a Town Watch group ... Read More

Donald Rissmiller

Founding Partner and Chief Economist of Strategas

Mr. Rissmiller is a founding Partner of Strategas and has directed the Firm's macroeconomic research efforts since 2006. He oversees Strategas' thematic research as well as high-frequency econometric forecasting.

Prior to co-founding Strategas in 2006, Mr. Rissmiller was an Economist and Managing Director at International Strategy & Investment (ISI) Group. Before joining ISI, he worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, focusing on the analysis of U.S. macroeconomic data and price/wage forecasting models. He is frequently quoted in the financial press. ... Read More

Oshunbumi Fernandez-West

CEO of ODUNDE, Inc.

ODUNDE, Inc. is a world-renowned cultural organization whose mission is to serve the need for cultural enrichment in the African American community. The organization is known for its “internationally acclaimed event” -  the  ODUNDE festival  which attracts up to 500,000 attendees, covers 12-city blocks,  has over 100 arts & craft/ food vendors and has  two stages of live entertainment. The festival is the largest African-American street festival in the country. The festival is  known throughout the  world as one of the original models for African-American festivals, hosting many internationally known African and Caribbean performers, dignitaries,  folk artists and cultural leaders. Ms. ... Read More