CBE was started by professionals from Black employee resources groups and community organizations who were moved by desire to build community and give back.
how it
all started
Coalition of Black Excellence Week (“CBE Week”) was started in September 2017, with the simple goal of unifying Black professionals, employee resource groups, nonprofits, and business owners around a common desire to plan Black History Month events that uplift the Black community as a whole. The collaborators recognized that there were few events that brought together Black professionals across sectors to exchange ideas, network, and collectively recognize the inspiring accomplishments of members of the Black community.
After several months of coordination, a team of dedicated volunteers from Our Collective and companies throughout the Bay Area launched the first CBE Week in February 2018.
The week long summit
was designed to connect and support Black professionals, business owners, and community members living throughout the Bay Area. It attracted hundreds of attendees to various events, including panel discussions, a gala, and a parade led by Black Joy Parade.
Due to the summit’s success, a team of volunteers decided to launch Coalition of Black Excellence (“CBE”) as an official San Francisco Bay-Area based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; incorporated in June 2018. The organization is powered by a team of volunteer Black professionals who are passionate about, and dedicated to, CBE Week becoming an annual gathering that continues to grow and expand its reach beyond the Bay Area, and serve as a platform for uniting, celebrating and uplifting the Black community as a whole.
Our goal is to continue to be a space where individuals and organizations dedicated to elevating the Black community can come together, give back, amplify our collective impact, and celebrate excellence in the Black community.
Angela Johnson
Founder & Ceo
Founder & Ceo
Our
Mission
Our mission is to unify and elevate the Black community by marshaling talented Black professionals for one week to share our varied expertise, improve our careers and uplift our community.
WITH CBE
CBE is powered entirely by a team of volunteers who are passionate and dedicated to, uniting, celebrating and uplifting the Black community as a whole. CBE’s annual gathering will continue to grow and expand its reach beyond the Bay Area. And we need your help!
It was an honor to be part of such a powerful and unique experience supporting the black community.”
Our
Executive Team
Angela Johnson
Litigation Counsel
Uber
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Shannon Nash
CFO
Inside Source
Chief Financial Officer
Nakeena Taylor
Sr. Counsel
Atrium
Chief Operating Officer
Michele Ross
Associated Director of Integrated Marketing
Forbes
Chief Marketing Officer
Julian Ross
Product Manager
Apple
Chief Technology Officer
Our cbe
committee members
cbe summit team
Francine Marquis
People Operations
Google
Vendor Showcase Fair Chair
Terell Sterling
Partner
Andreessen Horowitz
Finance & Entrepreneurship Committee
Luarnie Bermudo
Program Manager of Whole Person Care and Community Care Settings Program
Health Plan of San Mateo
Health & Wellbeing Committee
Kathrina Weekes
Associate Director of Admissions
Head-Royce School
Education & Social Impact Chair
Leslie Spencer
Partner
Ropes & Gray LLP
Tech & Life Sciences Chair
Marcus Barber
Kasowitz, Benson Torres LLP
Gov’t & Legal Chair
Ben Wanzo
Pitch Day Chair
Matthew Alexander
Account Executive
Salesforce
Robert White
Executive Director
California Minority Counsel Program
Legal Pitch Day Chair, Advisory Board Member
Robyn E. Cross
Senior Claims and Health Advocate
ABD Insurance and Financial Services, Inc.
Health & Wellbeing Chair
Lakeisha Poole
Founder/CEO
Talent Karma
Health & Wellbeing Committee
Nori Sakatsume
Industrial Designer
HP Inc.
Finance & Entrepreneurship Committee
Khalid White
Owner
Blkmpwr (Black Empower), LLC.
Education & Social Impact Committee Member
Kariithi Kilemi
Business Development and Partnerships, Manager
HP Inc.
Finance & Entrepreneurship Chair
Sadasia McCutchen
People Analyst
Google
Career Fair Chair
Jamal Thompson
Manager of Engineering Programs
BART
Finance & Entrepreneurship Committee, Tech & Life Sciences Committee Member
Michael Flanigan
Associate
Reichman Jorgensen LLP
Finance & Entrepreneurship Committee
Nikkisha Smith
Associate
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Legal Pitch Day Committee Member
Gael Hatchue
Senior Software Engineer
Google
Finance & Entrepreneurship Committee
Y'Anad Burrell
Owner/CEO
Glass House Commumications
Music, Art & Entertainment Chair
Liku Madoshi
Attorney
Bledsoe, Diestel, Treppa & Crane LLP
Gov’t & Legal Committee Member
cbe gala team
Kevin Scott
Program Manager
Google
Gala Director
Kyle Gordon
Search Business Partner
Google
Gala Committee Member
Drea Alphonso
Head of Partnerships
Black Tech Women
Gala Committee Member
MARIAH SMITH
Google
Gala Committee Member
Imani Bordeaux
Senior Sales Coordinator
The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel
Gala Committee Member
Gerald Jean-Baptiste
Intern Programs Specialist
Google
Gala Committee Member
cbe Programs & Operations
Monica Monroe
Partner
Tucker Ellis
Impact Nonprofit Program Director
Rhashad Pittman
Entrepreneur
Communications Director
Jordan Medina
Manager, Social Impact Partnerships
LinkedIn
Public Relations Director
Felicia Davis
CEO
Black Women’s Collective
Communications Director
TAYLOR WEAVER
Corporate Associate
Winston & Strawn LLP
Legal Director
CBE Partnerships Team
Simone Davis
Executive Assistant
Alphabet
Corporate Outreach Chair
Ebonee Slater
Senior Manager Financial and Risk Advisory
Deloitte
Volunteer Day Co-Chair
Morgan Elam
Counsel
Electronic Arts
Partnership Director
Jeremiah Tolbert
Principal
Tolbert Design Architects
Community Outreach Co-Chair
Kevin Coleman
Managing Partner
UrbanFarmers Inc.
Community Outreach Co-Chair
cbe Marketing & Communications team
Kimberly Gant
Web & Digital Marketing Manager
ABD
Social Media Marketing Director
Milan Williams
Social Media
15thgrd
Social Media Specialist
TraceyLynn Counts
Creative Lead - Digital Producer
CreativityCounts
Digital Media Director
cbe Finance & Sponsorship Team
Halima Sow
Compliance Attorney
Intesa Sanpaolo
Grant Director
Shauntrice Martin
Association of Black Argumentation Professionals
Grant Research; Education & Social Impact Committee Member
Eva Pulliam
Associate
Arent Fox LLP
Sponsorship Director, Gov’t & Legal Committee Member
Our
Advisory board
Taj Clayton
Partner
Winston & Strawn
Advisory Board Chair
Shellye Archambeau
Board Member of Verizon and Nordstrom
Former CEO of MetricStream
Advisory Board Member
Tony West
Chief Legal Officer
Uber
Advisory Board Member
Aminah Robinson
founder
Aminah Robinson dba Chef Mimi
CBE Advisory Board Member
Melanie Gross
AGC & Global Practice Group Leader
Genentech
Advisory Board Member
Robert White
Executive Director
California Minority Counsel Program
Legal Pitch Day Chair, Advisory Board Member
Christophe Mosby
VP & Associate General Counsel
HP Inc.
Angela Wilbourn
Area Development Director
UNCF (United Negro College Fund)
Advisory Board Member
Jeremiah Tolbert
Principal
Tolbert Design Architects
Community Outreach Co-Chair
Lloyd M. Johnson Jr.
CEO
Chief Legal Executive LLC
Advisory Board Member
Saafir Rabb Jr.
CEO
Intercultural Inc.
Advisory Board Member
Achia Swift
Legal Director
Uber
Advisory Board Member
Cristal Waldrop
Former Nonprofit Executive
Advisory Board Member
Bruce Jackson
Assistant General, Global Sales, Marketing, & Operations
Microsoft
Advisory Board Member
Our
strategic partners
