Awards

An Oakland Original

Ayo is a Tenor/Soprano saxophonist from Oakland Ca. He is known for his soulful and expressive style of playing, drawing influences from jazz legends such as John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner and Sonny Rollins. Ayo is dedicated to preserving the legacy of jazz music while also pushing the boundaries of the genre with his innovative approach.

Tony Alexander is president and CEO of JW Consulting Group LLC in San José, with long experience in local, state and national political campaigns and in government relations. He was political director at UFCW Local 5, retiring in September 2015, and has served as a trustee and board president of the San Jose Evergreen Community College District board and as a past president of the San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP.

Robin D. Hunt is the founder and owner of Braid It Up, a hair salon in downtown San José that she opened in 1997 after earning her cosmetology license in 1995. Born in Picayune, Mississippi, she has also taught aspiring cosmetologists and barbers, opened the Urban Oasis Academy of Beauty Cosmetology in 2013, and been recognised with awards including the 2005 Lewis Memorial African American Achievement Award for Black entrepreneurship in San José.

Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson has led San José State University as its 31st president since January 2023. She was previously president of Texas A&M University-San Antonio (2015-2023) and vice president for administration and chief financial officer at California State University, Fresno (2004-2015). She holds a doctorate in educational leadership from Fresno State and has chaired the board of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

Walter Wilson is the project manager for the Silicon Valley African American Cultural Center, a mixed-use project planned at 2001 The Alameda in San José and slated to open in 2027. He is president of the Silicon Valley Minority Business Consortium and was named among the inductees of the Black Legends Silicon Valley Hall of Fame in a ceremony reported by KTVU in February 2021.

Cindy Chavez is a San José State University graduate who represented District 2 on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors from August 2013 to November 2024, serving as board president in 2020-2021. Earlier she served on the San José City Council (District 3, 1999-2006, vice mayor 2005-2006) and led the South Bay Labor Council as executive officer, having helped found Working Partnerships USA.

Comerica Bank’s mission extends beyond banking to building stronger communities and driving positive change. Comerica Bank is proud of their long-term partnership with the African American Community Service Agency (AACSA), dedicating millions of dollars to support their exceptional initiatives. Comerica Bank’s collaboration with AACSA highlights their shared values and commitment to community development, empowering individuals and enhancing the quality of life in the communities we serve.

Kiana Jackson, a San Jose native and Clark Atlanta University theater arts graduate, transformed her event planning skills into a successful career. After coordinating a major university event, she became an entrepreneur in event management. At Bowlero Inc., she rose to become the first Regional Event Manager overseeing multiple locations across several states. In 2021, Kiana co-owned Jackie’s Place in San Jose, where she leads planning for various events. She’s launching “The Big Love Foundation” to address food insecurity. Kiana aims to maintain Jackie’s Place as a community staple in San Jose.

Dr. Byron D. Clift Breland has more than 25 years of administrative and teaching experience in higher education and currently serves as chancellor of the North Orange County Community College District – the fourth largest District in the state of California, with more than sixty thousand students and employs over 4,500 staff. Dr. Clift Breland was the former chancellor for the San Jose – Evergreen Community College District (SJECCD) and served in that position for 4 years. He worked to develop innovative partnerships that provide meaningful educational and job training experiences for the diverse student populations of San Jose City College, Evergreen Valley College, the Community College Extension Center in Milpitas, and the Center for Economic Mobility, located in downtown San Jose.

Prior to being promoted to the SJECCD chancellor position, Dr. Clift Breland served for four and a half years as the president of San Jose City College (SJCC), where under his leadership, SJCC became positioned among the top institutions in the nation in career education and workforce preparation. In addition, Dr. Clift Breland has overseen the opening of a college extension center in the city of Milpitas with a focus on dual enrollment for high school students. He was also instrumental in assisting with launching the San José Promise, which provides up to two years of cost-free education and breaks down financial barriers for students in the city of San Jose. Also, under Dr. Clift Breland’s leadership, both San Jose City and Evergreen Valley Colleges were recognized by the state as top transfer institutions when it comes to transferring African American and LatinX students to four year institutions. The district also renewed it’s accreditation status, and refinanced over 400 million dollars in bonds saving taxpayers over 6 million dollars in taxes, and fees, and reaffirmed it’s A++ credit rating while Dr. Clift Breland was chancellor. In the one-hundred-year history of the San Jose – Evergreen Community College District, Dr. Clift Breland was the first district’s first African American chancellor.

Previously, Dr. Clift Breland served as associate vice president/provost at Long Beach City College’s Pacific Coast Campus; associate dean of student development at Santa Ana College; and assistant dean, director of judicial affairs at the University of California, Irvine, serving both the undergraduate and medical school campuses. In addition, he has held administrative positions at University of Southern California and University of Maryland at College Park.

Dr. Clift Breland currently serves on numerous boards, councils and commissions, including: National Advisory Board for the Steve Fund; Affordability, Food and Housing Taskforce; Community College Council on Mental Health; Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on International Education; and the African-American Male Education Network and Development. Dr. Clift Breland was a former member of the Mayor’s Silicon Valley Recovery Roundtable; Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group.

In 2021, Dr. Clift Breland was elected by his peers to serve as the chair of the board of directors for the Community College League of California (CCLC), and as the president of the Chief Executive Officers of the California Community Colleges Board. In this position, Dr. Clift Breland works with the CA Community College League and all CA community colleges to transform the lives of our diverse students and strengthen communities statewide through advocacy, leadership development, district services, coalition building, and policy advancement.

Dr. Clift Breland earned a BS in consumer economics and an MS in family studies from the University of Maryland, College Park, and an MS in education and a PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Southern California.

Carmen Brammer is a political strategist and community advocate. She is passionate about improving the lives of neglected communities by exposing and breaking down social inequities and entrenched barriers. As the caregiver for her mom, she is committed to bringing visibility to the issues and much needed changes required within the long-term care industry. She is also an active member of local community based organizations and grassroot groups.

Aileen F. Casanave is General Counsel at EarnUp Inc., a fintech startup, where she manages the company’s global legal and regulatory compliance matters. Aileen has been General Counsel or has held senior legal positions at many Silicon Valley companies including Jiff, SingleStore, TIBCO, Sun Microsystems and Lockheed Martin.

Aileen is currently founder and CEO of Casanave Legal Services which provides pro-bono legal services to the many minority community service organizations such as the African American Community Service Agency (AACSA), where she is General Counsel and the Minority Business Consortium and Jamii Technologies.

Ms. Casanave serves on the Board of Governors of University of San Francisco School of Law, is President of the California Association of Black Lawyers and is immediate past President of the National Association of 100 Black Women-Silicon Valley Chapter.

Aileen received her Bachelors from Vassar College and her Juris Doctorate from the University of San Francisco School of Law.

Black Girls Means Business

Rachel Holmes is a senior at Silver Creek High School. She is an officer of her school's Black Student Union and a member of the National Honor Society. She has been an artistic swimmer for 11 years and a Girl Scout for 12. She is an aspiring businesswoman and will be attending UC Berkeley in the fall as a Media Studies major.

Rachel founded Black Girls Mean Business in 2020 as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award (an 80+ hour community service project). The virtual summer business program offers black high school girls mentoring from professionals, networking opportunities, and workshops to develop their skills and career plans. She hopes to provide equity, empowerment, and support through her program.

Rachel is currently working as the Director and Social Media Manager of the program, continuing to grow and expand and hopes to one day make it an official nonprofit.

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Nirvana Soul is a San Jose-based coffee company bringing exciting flavor, bold inspiration, and undeniable joy to Silicon Valley and beyond. Founded by sisters and best friends, Jeronica Macey and Be’Anka Ashaolu, Nirvana Soul’s mission is to bring people together using the power of coffee and tea.

About the Founders

We’re Jeronica and Be’Anka. Sisters, best friends, and co-founders of Nirvana Soul. Since we were little girls, coffee has held a special, calming place in our hearts. For as long as we can remember, we’ve dreamed of creating a space that feeds our souls and makes people happy.Nirvana Soul’s mission is to bring people together through the power of coffee and tea. We’re focused on delivering you the greatest possible experience, while making San Jose one of the most exceptional places to indulge.

Jeronica Macey is the Co-Founder and CEO of Nirvana Soul Coffee Purveyors. She is a coffee industry veteran with nearly 20 years experience managing, leading, and building great teams and companies. Jeronica served as a barista, shift lead, and multi-shop manager before opening Nirvana Soul in the summer of 2020. Along with her unique perspective in this space and undeniable passion for coffee, she is also inspired by creating experiences that bringpeople from all backgrounds and walks of life together.

Be’Anka Ashaolu is the Co-Founder and CMO of Nirvana Soul Coffee Purveyors. She is an experienced marketing executive with demonstrated success driving teams to create customer experiences that surprise and delight. Be’Anka is a naturally creative person with an eye for well-written content, a passion for well-executed campaigns, and a particular interest in business operations and company culture. Her “why” is to bring out the best in others, typically when it’s hard and especially when it’s scary. The goal is to make a lasting impact and she remains inspired by the work.

Elisha Greenwell is a Northern California native and 16-year marketing vet. She is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara with a B.A. in Business Economics and Creative Writing, and the Academy of Art University with an M.F.A in Advertising Strategy. Throughout her career she has developed award-winning brand strategy for companies such as Intel, Nike, Target and Starbucks. She is an active board member of the JD Sheth Foundation and Huey Newton Foundation, and the founder of Black Joy Parade, a hyper-positive event welcoming 25k people to celebrate the Black experience. In early 2020 she became the co-managing director of Brand Citizens at 72andSunny.