Speaker Bios
Lisa Gutierrez
In 2012, Lisa Gutierrez left her Cheesecake Factory manager position of 10 years to
follow a wild dream of starting a food truck business with her husband. They started
with nothing but a borrowed food truck, $2,000 in savings, and a whole lot of ambition.
Through these hopes and aspirations, they brought Dos Hermanos Taco Truck to life,
bringing Vicente’s family’s authentic Oaxacan-style recipes to their community.
This authenticity is what would eventually lead long lines and raving fans to their truck. 12 years later, Dos Hermanos has 4 brick-and-mortar locations, 3 mobile food trucks, a taco cart, a concession stand inside the Greater Columbus Convention Center, and catering services. Through hard work and strategic connections, Lisa has grown Dos Hermanos to a 7-figure business. Over the years, Lisa’s hard work did not go unrecognized.
In 2019, the SBA named Lisa as Minority Owned Small Business Person of the Year. Also, Dos Hermanos was recognized by the ICIC as one of the fastest growing inner-city companies in America in terms of revenue and job creation. Further, in 2022, Lisa was personally invited to attend an event at Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. As Lisa works to keep her business growing, create new job opportunities for her community, and collaborate with other small businesses, she also finds time to sit on the advisory board for the Women’s Center of Economic Opportunity.
In addition, she sits on the Executive Board of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce as President Elect, where she helps moderate and create discussion about helping the community. Lisa’s most recent accomplishments are launching both her public speaking company, Lisa G. Speaks, where she enjoys teaching business owners how to gain momentum and run a profitable business, and Food Truck Millionaire, a coaching platform where Lisa takes food truck owners from the concession window to the CEO seat. Lisa, having no prior business education, knows the struggles of starting from zero with no connections. This drives her desire to share all the knowledge she has to lead other aspiring entrepreneurs to the path of success.
Ukeme Awakessien Jeter
Ukeme is an expert at women’s and immigrant leadership development and an engaging
speaker. Drawing from her vast experience working within Fortune 500 companies, national
law firms, universities, local governments, and specialized agencies of the United
Nations, Ukeme advocates, writes, and speaks about how immigrant-inclusive leadership
yields innovation, promotes business growth, and transforms workplace culture. An
immigrant herself, Ukeme's work is informed by her unique perspective as a mechanical
engineer with an MBA and a lawyer who has lived and worked in eight cities across
three countries.
Tracy Thorton
By day, Tracy Thornton is a specialist in Purchasing, Accounts Payable & Travel at
Columbus State Community College, where she is an alumnus of the Business Management
and Social & Human Services programs, holding an associate degree from both. By night,
she is an Executive Pastor, entrepreneur, and Certified Professional Master Life Coach,
known by family & friends affectionately as “The Glow Master”. When she's not saving
the day, she enjoys spending time with her husband, 3 children, 3 grandchildren, and
her Frenchie Pug.
Primrose Igonor
Primrose Igonor was born in Uganda. She was raised in South Africa where she qualified as a Clinical
Psychologist. Primrose has lived and worked in South Africa, Singapore, United Arab
Emirates, United Kingdom and Canada. She is the Director of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Columbus State Community College. Primrose is passionate about diversity and related issues and community building. She is married and has two wonderful sons. Her hobbies
include reading, travelling, gardening and attending arts and music festivals.
Dr. Crystal Clark
Dr. Crystal Clark served as faculty in the English Department at Columbus State from
1992 to 2022. A Distinguished Teaching Award recipient and a Distinguished Full Professor
Award recipient—Dr. Clark taught composition, creative writing, and literature while
filling such roles as International Student Faculty Fellow, Pathways Faculty Fellow,
and Dual Enrollment Faculty Fellow. In Autumn 2022, Dr. Clark took on an administrative
role, becoming the assistant dean for the Delaware Campus. Dr. Clark holds a Master
of Arts Degree in English from The Ohio State University, a Master of Theological
Studies from the Methodist Theological School in Ohio, and a PhD in Higher Education Administration from the University of Toledo. Dr. Clark also serves as the co-facilitator
of Columbus State’s Women’s Employee Resource Group.
Dr. Kelly Hogan
Dr. Kelly Hogan has been part of the Columbus State community for over 30 years. As
a professor, Dr. Hogan coordinated the redesign of pre-college course offerings to
accelerate students through remedial mathematics. Building on her high school partnership
work, Dr. Hogan served as Executive Director of College Transitions when the college
developed the College Credit Plus program and then as Executive Director of the Office
of College Completion. Her focus continues to be on student success and completion
in her current role of Associate Vice President in the Office of Academic Affairs.
Dr. Hogan is also the co-facilitator of the Women's Employee Resource Group and is
an advocate for the personal and professional development of women of the college.
Dr. Hogan holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Wright State University, a
Master of Arts in Education: Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Development
from The Ohio State University, a Specialist Certification in Developmental Education
from The Kellogg Institute of Appalachian State University, and an Ed.D. in Higher
Education and Adult Learning from Walden University.
Dr. Nichole Bowman-Glover
Dr. Nichole Bowman-Glover has been the Wellbeing Benefits Analyst at Columbus State
Community College for 15 years. She has over 25 years of experience in the public
health field. Prior to CSCC, she held positions such as the Health Policy Advocate
for the Children’s Defense Fund-OH and Women’s Health Outreach Coordinator for the
Massachusetts Department of Public Health. She has a master’s degree in public health
with a focus on international health and behavioral science. She has a PhD in public
health with an emphasis on community health education and health promotion. She has
worked in Central and South America. She is a certified Mental Health First Aid Trainer,
Lifestyle Coach, and fitness instructor. Her passion is working to create a culture
of well-being while exploring how the dimensions of well-being are impacted by social
inequities.
Vincent Hill
Vincent Hill, a 2023 recipient of the 'Who's Who in Black Columbus' award, teaches,
researches, and consults on various topics including diversity, equity, and inclusion,
personal and professional development, as well as holistic wellness. Professionally,
Vincent serves as the Assistant Director in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
at Columbus State Community College. Born into a military family, he was raised overseas
in Germany, but calls Toledo, OH home. Vincent holds a Bachelor of Science degree
in Business Finance from Ashland University, a Master of Arts degree in Higher Education
& Student Affairs from The Ohio State University and is currently pursuing a Doctor
of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Policy and Leadership at the University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign. Vincent also serves as co-chair of Columbus State’s African American
Employee Resource Group.
Simone Robinson
Simone Robinson is a recent graduate of The Ohio State University where she received
her bachelor's of Fine Arts. She also is a past student from Columbus State. Her preferred
choice of medium is pastel. Her future career goal is to work in New York as a Director
of Art for a museum. The experiences she has had in the workforce have helped further
her artistic career. Simone has been awarded the Jerald J. and Terri Katz Kasimov
scholarship and works for Art Possible Ohio as a Director of Programming.
Simone has many ties to Columbus State, starting from when she was an infant and attending classes with her mother, Professor Robyn Robinson, as she taught English classes. Simone remembers how integral Columbus State was in her upbringing, from meeting all of her mother’s coworkers to starting to attend classes right after high school while attending Ohio State. She is so grateful for the opportunities that Columbus State Community College has offered her because it has given her the confidence to grow and challenge herself in ways that she did not know were possible within and outside of the classroom.
Ianna Turner
Ianna Turner is a current Columbus State student. She is a multifaceted creative who
prioritizes healing through the arts. The Columbus-based native is a performing artist
who thrives in the areas of singing, dancing and songwriting. In 2022 Ianna decided
to share her talents after participating in multiple art groups and programs offered
by other artists in the community. Ianna’s involvement in the performing arts has
helped her overcome her shyness, building her confidence in her artistic and personal
health. She is influenced by R&B and Soul music from all eras and likes to experiment
with all genres.
Everyday life experiences are the biggest source of inspiration for her. Ianna’s process
of freestyling sonically pleasing melodies, honest writing, and heavenly background
vocals is therapeutic and exhilarating for the creative and audiences alike. She hopes
to inspire people to connect with their deepest emotions and embrace the power that
comes from authentic self-expression. Her captivating voice, effortless stage presence,
and smooth moves are guaranteed to leave her audience feeling empowered.
In addition to her love for the arts, she will be graduating in the spring with her
associate of arts degree. She is currently working on music in hopes to release her
first solo single this year. Ianna also appears on “F.E.E.L.”, a collaborative album
released in 2023 with a group she is in called Eyes Untied. Stay on the lookout for
Ianna's art and upcoming endeavors by following her Instagram @Eyeannaaa.