Calicia Johnson
Sr. Product Manager at Microsoft
Calicia is currently a Senior Product Manager at Xbox with Microsoft Corporation. She has over ten years of experience as a technical recruiter, screening and interviewing candidates for internship and full-time roles in the Energy and Technology industries.
She has hosted numerous professional development workshops such as The Power of LinkedIn, resume reviews, mock interviews, personal branding, and networking skills for various colleges/universities and diversity conferences (in person and virtual)
Calicia has led Chevron’s Adopt an Intern Program and co-chaired Microsoft’s BAM Summer Intern Experience (BSIX) Professional Development Committee.
Recruiting, mentoring, and providing students with career advice, professional development, and resume tips are Calicia’s true passions. Over the years, she realized underrepresented students were unaware and unable to take advantage of various national programs offered by corporations, so in her quest to find a solution to bridge the gap, she created one…Student Career Studio.
Calicia is a native of Detroit, Michigan but currently resides in Houston, Texas. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Florida A&M University and her Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University.
Tim Robinson
Vice President and Regional Director at Lincoln Property Company
Tim Robinson holds a B.A. from Houston Baptist University and is Vice President/Regional Director for Lincoln Harris CSG. Tim is responsible for the Management and Supervision of Operations, including; Property Management, Financial Reporting, Budgeting, T/I Project Management, and Capital Projects for several Medical Office portfolios in the Greater Houston area. Tim is also a Lincoln Harris CSG’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee member.
Over the past 17 years, Tim has honed his skills in the Houston Real Estate Market, including residential, commercial, and Medical offices. Tim stays on the leading edge of the industry by participating in various events, including; BOMA Medical Office, the Annual Houston Medical Office Forum, and the Healthcare Real Estate Summit. Tim is an active member of the Houston Area Urban League and remains focused on increasing the participation of young black and minority groups in the real estate industry.
Candice Fobb
CEO | Chief HR Strategist
Candice B. Fobb is the CEO and Founder of Caydence Human Resources, LLC. Dba, The Caydence Company, is a boutique consultancy and outsourcing entity that accelerates value creation in business strategy, talent (people), leadership, and HR effectiveness. As Chief HR Strategist, Candice leverages her exceptional insight, transparency, problem-solving skills, and diplomatic approach to transforming companies from the inside out to prepare them for growth, expansion, merger, acquisition, restructuring, and sale. She is a thought leader whose unique skills are called upon by lower and middle-market private CEOs, private equity companies, operations management teams, start-ups, and entrepreneurs.
Candice has over 20 years of management and leadership experience. In many of her roles as a business partner, executive leader, and professional coach, Candice acts as a change agent, transforming teams and individuals by encouraging new ways of thinking, changing behaviors, developing leadership capabilities, and fostering growth in personal and professional areas.
Candice holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute. She also holds Certificates in Human Resources Management, Lean Six Sigma, and Predictive Index Talent Optimization.
Jim Francis
Vice President for IT and Shared Services at Houston Methodist Health System
Jim Francis is the Vice President for Information Technology and Shared Services /CTO at Houston Methodist Health System. Causes that are important to him are Diversity and Inclusion, Education, Healthcare, Health Equity, Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), Information Technology, and Active Duty and Military Veterans’ transition to private industry.
Jim provides leadership for the Project Management Office, Enterprise Data Analytics, Enterprise Architecture and Engineering, and the development of innovative, robust, and secure information technology platforms and solutions throughout the Houston Methodist Health System.
His primary responsibilities are to explore a variety of efficient, effective, reliable, scalable, and sustainable technologies and solutions that will support the Houston Methodist Health System’s strategic goals and objectives.
Prior to joining Houston Methodist Health System, Jim spent 30+ years in information technology roles in public, private, for-profit, and non-profit Healthcare and Department of Defense organizations. Most recently, he served as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO)/ Vice President for Community Health System (CHS) in Franklin, TN. Prior leadership positions include WellStar Health System in Marietta, Georgia, Halifax Health in Daytona, Florida, and Orlando Health in Orlando, Florida. Jim is also a 22-year Air Force and Navy veteran. Earlier in his career, he served as CIO for the Naval Hospital in Yokosuka, Japan, and the USNS Comfort ship in Baltimore, MD.
Jim earned his bachelor’s degree from Troy State University in Alabama, a master’s in computer resource information management from Webster University in Missouri, a master’s in information management/information technology from the Naval Postgraduate School in California, and a master’s business administration with a minor in Healthcare Informatics from Walden University.
Jim and his wife Nadine reside in the Houston area and have two sons, Jarvis and Jarman, who both are Pharmacists and live in Atlanta, Georgia, and Portland, Oregon, respectively. He also has a daughter-in-law, Tia Francis, and a granddaughter Tai Kali Francis.
Laquavious Thomas
Accessories system engineering project manager at Apple
Laquavious is a recent college grad living in the South Bay area. He was born in Alabama and raised in Houston, Texas. He is the oldest of four and has always been a role model for his family. He has been blessed to work at companies like SpaceX, Tesla, and Apple. Laquavious is in love with doing things that people say won’t be possible to achieve. He is a big advocate for networking; he believes it’s about who you know rather than what you know in today’s world. He enjoys mentoring the next generation and breaking barriers that people believe separate them from the next big things in life.
Laquavious says, “If you are involved with S.T.E.M even as a professional look into NSBE, you may be able to change a life.”
Erin Reed
Associate Director of Graduate Career Services at University of Houston Bauer College of Business
Erin Reed is the Associate Director of Graduate Career Services at The University of Houston C.T. Bauer College of Business Rockwell Career Center and the Owner and CEO of ER Resume Review, LLC, a resume writing and job search consultancy serving both collegiate students and experienced professionals.
Prior to her career in Coaching and Writing, Erin obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Business Administration from Rice University. She began her professional career in various corporate marketing and human resources roles. Her love for career development started when she became a university recruiter for what is now a global Fortune 500 company. Eventually, she found her home in Higher Education. For the better part of the last ten years, she has been a career coach passionately developing the career paths of business students and as an Adjunct Professor of a life skills course for entering first-year students.
Erin is deeply resolved to employ her strengths to impact the community and has done so as an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, The Links Incorporated, and now as a Board Member for Student Career Studio.
Erin loves all types of artistic expression, especially writing and performing poetry. She also enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her children, Addison and Drew.
Amanda Henry
Independent Higher Education Consultant
Amanda is a native of Port Arthur, Texas. Upon graduating from a college preparatory high school, she enrolled at Texas Southern University (TSU.) She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Biology from TSU. Additionally, she has a certificate in business entrepreneurship from California State University-San Bernardino. Most of her educational achievements were funded by grants, scholarships, internships, and fellowships totaling close to one hundred thousand ($100,000.00).
Currently, she is a full-time administrator and Careers Pathways Manager. In other words, she serves as a liaison on behalf of her employer and works with corporations and businesses to obtain internships for graduate students. Additionally, she was a Higher Education internship administrator for seven years for professional and graduate degree programs.
The key factor that assisted in her career trajectory is experiential learning. She had multiple internships, and a couple of graduate fellowships that helped her realize her call is to help others, based on experiences, identify where to take their gifts and talents. Experiential learning, defined by the University of Colorado Denver, “Experiential learning is a process through which students develop knowledge, skills, and values from direct experiences outside a traditional academic setting.” The most common forms of experiential learning include but are not limited to: internships, summer programs, study abroad, and beyond.
Her primary mission is to bridge the gap for college students, organizations, and life-long learners in designing tailor-made career-based educational plans to achieve one’s dreams in a skill-building, goal-oriented environment. Her work also includes designing intern programs for churches/small businesses, higher educational programs, and educating business owners on utilizing students for their workforce.
Elizabeth Fletcher
Principal Consultant at Wordsmith Resume Writing and Interview Prep, LLC
Elizabeth S. Fletcher is a Professional Resume Writer with over fifteen years of Resume Writing experience and a Senior HR Professional in the corporate world simultaneously.
She is a native of Lake Charles, La, where she reached advanced academic levels and graduated high school in Houston, TX, because of Hurricane Rita. Elizabeth then returned to Louisiana to complete her Bachelor’s Degree in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication and minored in English at The University of Louisiana at Lafayette. In 2016 she completed her Master’s Degree in Human Resources Management with a Concentration in Organizational Development, graduating with Sum Cum Laude honors.
Elizabeth is the owner of Wordsmith Resume Writing & Interview Prep, LLC., where she provides services such as Employee Handbooks, Career Coaching, Resume Writing, Interview Preparation, Salary Negotiations, Public Speaking, and LinkedIn Optimization, as well as Mobile Notary Services.
She is an active member of various organizations such as Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Houston Area Urban League Young Professionals, The Order of the Eastern Star – Prince Hall Affiliated, Suits for Sons, LLC – Resume Coach, Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc., Society of Human Resources Professionals (SHRM), National Association of African Americans in Human Resources, HR Houston and most importantly active in her church. She’s proven to be one of the most committed and dependable members in her organizations, with a strong dedication to professional development, community service, and civic engagement as a servant leader. She is always willing to extend her commitment to the community by using her leadership skills, career experience, and extensive network to support the community. Elizabeth is the proud mom of one daughter and enjoys cooking Louisiana dishes and exercising.
Akintunde Sowunmi
Program Manager at Meta
Akintunde “Tunde” Sowunmi graduated from the University of Houston with a BS In Mechanical Engineering while also minoring in Energy & Sustainability. He also had the privilege of being the President of Engineers Without Borders for two years, spearheading a domestic project for students to lead, called Project Hope Center, which consists of building a dental clinic for the homeless within Houston.
Tunde is currently a Program Engineer at Meta, focusing on building the next generation of data centers globally.
He enjoys volunteering, watching & playing basketball, working out, and collecting sneakers.
