We are a very diverse group of business owners, marketing professionals, human resource advisors, business analysts, and more, who have come together for a common goal; ensuring the success of The Bridge and upholding the principles The Metropolitan Business League has set forth. We strive to lead by example and provide a resource for all young professionals and entrepreneurs in the areas we serve and beyond.
Antonio Miller serves as Chair for The Bridge. He is a Alumni of Radford University and board certified QMHP. He has a passion for youth advocacy and business innovation and development. Antonio firmly believes that any vibrant community starts with a diverse and thriving small business ecosystem. He participates in the BRIDGE to empower and enable small woman and minority businesses to connect and succeed in the state of Virginia.
Shanice Bradshaw serves as Vice Chair for The Bridge. She is a Virginia Commonwealth University School of Arts Alumna with a Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Merchandising and Marketing Insights minor. She currently serves as the Marketing Coordinator for the Metropolitan Business League, contributing to the betterment of the small, women and minority-owned business community, through digital marketing strategies. She is experienced in customer service, marketing and event coordination and planning. She is the Founder and CEO of Sophia’s Love Inc, a nonprofit that serves local young, single parents. Through establishing her non-profit she has gained experience in fundraising, website development/management, social media marketing and networking. Shanice is also the Owner & Creative at SDB Creative – a creative marketing agency that focuses on helping small and startup businesses look good on social media.
Benefa Anning serves as the Tech Chair for The Bridge. She recently started a Foundation called The Elizabeth Benefa Foundation that supplies technology and essentials for children in Ghana. She has owned and operated a family-owned business called Macromgigs; which provides hosting, web design, and practical wearable tech services to businesses. She enjoys reading, spending time with family, and fighting for various legal causes on the state and federal levels. She sits on a few boards, but her passion is helping her community become a better place. She is honored to serve on The Bridge Board and will continue doing her best for The Bridge and The Metropolitan Business League in kind.
Security Administrator by day and Master Mixtress by night; That’s Donique today, some years ago she developed the idea for her natural soap business while earning a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from Claflin University. She implements new ideas gained along the way. Building with the Bridge as a board member has been a highlight for the past year and a half.
Alexa Lightfoot holds a B.A. in Entrepreneurship and Management from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2019. She is the Program
Manager for the Youth Entrepreneurship Program with the Metropolitan Business League. The Youth Entrepreneurship Program (YEP) is a comprehensive school-based and after-school program which transforms middle and high school students (grades 6-12) into real, confident entrepreneurs. We provide mentors and expert entrepreneurs as speakers and resources with innovative business teaching strategies, culminating with a flexible/modular curriculum.
Aside from her full-time job, she is also the owner of Alexa Lightfoot, LLC, an Event & Party Hosting Company. Her passions include everything Design, Creativity, and Innovation. I love to explore Richmond, especially when it comes to food and beverage. I will always find the new hidden gem restaurant.
Vanessa Terry is the Founder of Notary2Notary and the newly opened Notary Business Center, the online training program that teaches anyone in the US how to build a successful notary signing business. She was also awarded 2021 Forbes Next 1000 Entrepreneurs to look out for as she is changing the way people work. Her passion is helping people reach their greatest potential through entrepreneurship and personal development.
Adolph Brown IV is a College Success and Alumni Engagement Director at Partnership for the Future. In his previous role, he served as a Junior Policy Advisor/Special Assistant to the President of Virginia Union University. Throughout his career in higher education, he has experienced five years of transcendent leadership in higher education administration, supervising departments, and enhancing professional-level staff. Adolph has experience at the executive level within higher education overseeing daily data usage and student development, academic support services, business technology, and campus life. He has extensive experience in research, data analysis, and six sigma, working with leadership programs, assessment, strategic planning, and complex budget management. He believes in transforming students and helping them become better leaders for the future.
In 2015-2016, Adolph received a gubernatorial appointment to the Governor’s Council on Youth Entrepreneurship at the Governor’s Office.
He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Economics from Virginia State University, and he is currently working on his Ed.D. at Liberty University.
Kim is a Chicago/Richmond based Creative Strategist who has had the honor of working with brands like Nike, Google, McDonald’s, and META. But building brands from the ground up is truly where she loves to pour out her creative expertise so she launch Anchor 6.19 Creative in 2021 to do just that.
Abby Choi is from Roanoke, Virginia and a graduate of Liberty University. After discovering her passion for the business community working at the Chamber of Commerce in her hometown, she moved to the Richmond Region to become the Marketing & Event Coordinator at the Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce. Originally pursuing a career in Health Sciences, Abby made a change due to her love for the business community, marketing, event planning, and working with young professionals! In her free time, she loves running, hiking, traveling, and playing sports!
Ce’Erra is a local Realtor that specializes in educating first time homebuyers on their journey to homeownership. Active in the community, Ce’Erra is a member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America where she creates and supports one to one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of the youth. Ce’Erra holds a BA in Business Management from Virginia State University and her MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University.
My name is Ayanna Wilborn. I’m 23 years old and lived in Virginia my entire life. I graduate Roanoke college with a degree in Business Administration and a concentration in accounting. I now work for CPA firm in Richmond. A fun fact about me is that I played college basketball. My hobbies now are training basketball to the youth and spending time with my dog Zeus. I look forward to creating new relationships through MBL.
Meet Antoinette Watkins, the founder of The Diabaddie Organization, Inc.; a Clinical Dietetics major at Florida International University, and recent exchange intern at Virginia State Universitysty. On July 24, 2006, Antoinette was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of six. As a result of her T1D experiences, she founded Diabaddie in order to help the diabetic community by creating liaisons, providing scholarships, and cultivating culture.
These three pillars have been practiced by the Diabaddie Organization through education, expanding representation of individuals living with diabetes, promoting health, connecting with others, and inspiring beauty through diversity. All while pledging to provide scholarships for children with T1D to attend Diabetes Camps to gain the knowledge and resources needed to manage their disease on their own.
As a Richmond native and CEO/Founder of Tint My Ride 804 Inc., I thrive on solving problems and possess a solution-based mindset. I indulge in writing poetry and screenplays, relishing both sides of the camera as I immerse myself in acting and show production. Passionate and driven, I find joy in tackling challenges and bringing creativity to life.
Joshua McIntosh, originally from Allentown, Pennsylvania, is a dedicated entrepreneur and avid researcher with a deep passion for discovering new methodologies in business. He thrives on devouring business literature, extracting valuable insights and innovative strategies from his extensive reading. Through meticulous research, Joshua explores various sources, carefully analyzing market trends and dynamics to uncover cutting-edge approaches to conducting business. With this wealth of knowledge, he fearlessly moves forward, harnessing his entrepreneurial spirit to implement these fresh methodologies. Joshua’s unwavering commitment to staying ahead of the curve drives him to make a lasting impact on the business landscape as he challenges conventions and redefines industry standards.
Dr. Katharine Wise is a Career and Technical Education teacher and an Adult Education GED administrator with Richmond Public Schools. She holds a BA in Sociology from the University and Virginia, as well as an MBA and Ed.D. from Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Wise worked many years in the corporate world before switching into secondary, postsecondary, and adult basic education where she now shares her knowledge about business, marketing, accounting, IT, and postsecondary pathways/career readiness. Still, her biggest accomplishment is being a proud mother of one.