Successes and Roadblocks of Minority Owned Companies and their Entrepreneurial Journeys

Lorron James is CEO of James Group. He joined in February 2007 and has served many roles throughout his tenure, including Director of Supply Chain Management and Vice President of Business Development. Prior to JGI, Lorron graduated from Arizona State University in 2005 and worked with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks as Community Affairs Coordinator for two and a half years. He current serves various charitable and civic groups in Detroit, including Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation and as a member of the Board of Director’s at the Detroit Athletic Club. Lorron is a graduate of the Leadership Detroit XXXI class through the Detroit Regional Chamber, member of YPO (Southern 7) and part-owner of the Grand Rapids Drive Basketball Team. He was appointed by Mayor Mike Duggan to the Detroit Wayne County Port Authority Board and also appointed by Governor Rick Snyder to the Financial Review Commission in 2014, helping oversee the City of Detroit re-investments post-bankruptcy.

Mr. Kelly has been a part of the First Independence Bank team in different capacities for several years. He was named Chairman and CEO in February 2017. In October 2017, Mr. Kelly retired from Southern Company after spending 30 years with the company, holding positions in Engineering, Human Resources, Supply Chain, Commercial and Industrial Sales, Business Development, and Mergers & Acquisitions as a negotiator. Mr. Kelly is also the chairman of MAC Leasing, the Bank’s majority owned subsidiary.

Mr. Kelly was recently named to the Federal Reserve Bank’s Seventh District Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council (CDIAC). He will serve a three‐year term representing one of only twelve institutions on the council that represents over 1,700 financial entities within the Chicago Federal Reserve’s jurisdiction. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from Auburn University and an MBA from the University of Alabama.

Metro Detroit native Leon C. Richardson is the founder and president of The Chemico Group, LLC, and (Chemico) one of the largest minority-owned chemical management and distribution companies in the United States. For 27 years, Richardson has guided what was originally Chemico Systems, Inc., from a single employee start-up to an internationally recognized player in the chemical and environmental services space. Today, Chemico employs more than 300 people across 22 states and three countries, and in 2015, saw sales of more than $100 million.

Richardson is a passionate champion for Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) development. He is a long-time supporter of the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council (MMSDC) and currently serves on the organization’s Board of Directors. Richardson is a devoted mentor working formally and informally with up to 10 students or young professionals at any given time.

Richardson holds a business degree from the University of Maryland and is a United States Marine Corps veteran having served his country for eight years as a non-commissioned officer.

LaShanda Thomas, CPA is the principal and founder of The Clairmount Group, PLC, a professional services firm located in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan and established in 2002. She founded The Clairmount Group with the vision of creating an organization where professionals could truly balance their professional careers and family lives. Her vision for The Clairmount Group is to become a firm that leads competitors in two categories – best place for women to work and most innovative in providing client solutions. LaShaunda started her career at PwC as a Senior Auditor. Before founding The Clairmount Group, she has also held roles as CFO for a Detroit area startup and as Wayne County’s Assistant Director of Grants. She graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. LaShaunda is a trustee on the board of Ferris State University. She is active in her community and is a member of the local chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Jack and Jill of America, and The Links, Incorporated.

Mr. Steve Savoy founded Savoit Consulting in 2011 and has steadily grown the practice. Steve is also a Board Member of ACG Detroit, Chair of the ACG Detroit Diversity & Inclusion Committee and part of the Programming Committee.

Steve has managed P&L from $350M to $1B and held diverse operating roles such as VP Procurement, VP Program Management, Controller and VP Operations as part of interim management or in his career at Ford Motor Company and Visteon Corporation.

Steve earned his Masters of Business Administration from the MIT Sloan School of Management with a concentration in operations. He also holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science with a concentration in applied mathematics from the University of Michigan. Steve is also an experienced moderator and engaging speaker.