We’d like to present our 2019 B3 SPEAKER TEAM: the group of moderator and speakers that will bring inspirational talks to you. Put your hands together for the 2019 B3 SPEAKER TEAM which is all about Development!
Moderator:
Henry Tanaka, recently retired Academic Dean of Art, Design and Humanities at Oakland Community College
Thought Starter:
Abraham Gin, CEO of Gin Consulting Group
Panelists:
Mariko Carpenter, Vice President of Strategic Community Alliances at Nielsen
David Chang, Chief of Technology Strategy and Platforms at Comerica Bank
Pam Lavers, recently retired Deputy County Executive of Macomb County
Grace Lee, Chief Financial Officer of Logic Solutions
Richard Yen, Senior Vice President of Global Automotive and Industry Verticals Team at Altair Engineering
Thought Starter
Abraham Gin
CEO, Gin Consulting group
Abraham is a husband and father of 3 boys, who loves a good wrestling match. He is currently CEO of GIN CONSULTING serving his clients internally through Business Process Strategic planning, Org Clarity, Culture & Leadership development and externally with Digital Marketing. He is also the founder of LinkedIn Local KC and Senior Consultant of GiANT Worldwide, a global leadership firm. He has served over 15 years as a Business Process Coach, Immersion Trainer, & Leadership Consultant in the field of “Breakthrough” and “Transformational Leadership” all over the world. Through counter-intuitive, shock and immersion training – supplemented with real-time feedback and coaching—he has seen leaders catalyzed into their breakthrough with fruitful, sustained results. He has conducted thousands of on-site leadership training seminars from east to west coast in numerous cross-cultural contexts, and helped thousands of leaders from all generations from Millennials to Baby Boomers. Abraham proudly calls KC his home.
Moderator
Henry Tanaka
Academic Dean of Art, Design and Humanities, Oakland Community College (Retired)
Henry Tanaka is a recently retired Academic Dean for the Division of Art, Design and Humanities at a community college in Southeast Michigan. Serving for 24 years in various roles including Professor of Art and Department Chair of Humanities. He has received several accolades for leadership and teaching.
Henry has been a practicing artist for 30 years, exhibiting locally and nationally. He has served as President of the Michigan Ceramic Art Association from 2003-2007. He has presented workshop and seminars on his personal art work nationally. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Kansas City Art Institute and his Master of Fine Arts from the New York State School of Ceramics at Alfred University. He currently resides in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
Appointed in 2012 as a State Commissioner on the Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission (MAPAAC). He has served as a board member for the Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Oakland. He is currently Board member of the Japanese Americans Citizens’ League (JACL), National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) and Council for Asian Pacific Americans (CAPA). Henry is a fourth Generation Japanese-American.
Panelists
Mariko S. Carpenter
Vice President, Strategic Community Alliance, Nielsen
Mariko S. Carpenter is the Vice President of Strategic Community Alliance at Nielsen, the world’s largest consumer research company with more than 40,000 associates across 106 countries. Mariko serves as a thought leader on U.S. multicultural consumer insights with focus on Asian Americans – the fastest-growing consumer segment in the U.S. With Multicultural Americans representing 92% of the projected population growth in the next 5 years, how to successfully service the American public will dramatically change. Mariko delivers the narrative behind multicultural consumer data and trends to help brands, marketers and community leaders build strategies to win in our ever-changing, digitally connected world.
Mariko was a recipient of the 2018 Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business Awards by Asian American Business Development Center and serves on the Board of the National Asian American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship. Prior to joining Nielsen, Mariko was the Consumer Marketing lead at Condé Nast, responsible for driving consumer revenue across all channels of business for three iconic brands: GQ, Bon Appétit and Golf Digest. She holds a MS in Marketing from New York University and a BA in French and Asian Studies from Vassar College. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, two daughters, a 5-year old goldfish and a 5-month old labradoodle.
David Chang
Chief of Technology Strategy and Platforms, Comerica Bank
David Chang currently is the Senior Vice President and Chief of Technology Strategy and Platforms for Comerica Bank. He is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of business and technology strategy, and program delivery experience in the automotive, high tech, aerospace and defense and financial services industries. He is currently leading several transformation initiatives at Comerica Bank including Contact Center Transformation and the implementation of agile and DevOps practices. David previously worked at General Motors and Accenture. David earned his Bachelors in Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University and a Master in Business Administration from UCLA.
Pam Lavers
Deputy County Executive, Macomb County (Retired)
Pam is passionate about community, arts and cultural affairs with 23 years of government experience. Before retiring as Macomb County deputy executive she worked 15 years with the city of Fraser as assistant city manager for the City of Fraser.
During her years with Macomb County, she led community relations, arts and cultural affairs and directed the efforts of OneMacomb, an initiative focused on making Macomb a more welcoming and inclusive community. Lavers along with a diverse group of leaders, created Macomb ACT (Active Cultural Togetherness) an active community organization working to build a better Macomb County.
With a focus on quality of life, Lavers serves McLaren Macomb Hospital’s Diversity Board, Macomb’s Habitat for Humanity advisory board, and Macomb County’s Art Institute Authority. Lavers serves on Central Michigan University’s Public Administration Advisory Board and Baker College’s Statewide Business Advisory Board. She is a graduate of Leadership Detroit and Leadership Macomb. Lavers received both her Bachelor’s and her Master’s degrees from Central Michigan University.
Grace Lee
Chief Financial Officer, Logic Solutions
Grace Lee is co- founder of Logic Solutions Inc., a global company that provides technology solutions and services. Logic’s areas of expertise include custom mobile strategy and application development, web applications, and comprehensive websites for businesses across the United States and Asia. Logic has over 250 employees and six offices world-wide, and received the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch Award in 2012.
Grace has over 20 years of experience in both corporate and public accounting. As CFO, she oversees Logic’s accounting/finance, legal, and human resources functions, provides strategic financial leadership and evaluates M & A potentials.
Besides running a successful business, Grace Lee is a passionate advocate of diversity and entrepreneurship. In addition to serve as Chair Emeritus of APACC, she was appointed by Governor Snyder in December 2014 to serve as the commissioner at Michigan Asian American pacific Affairs Commission. She also serves as the Treasurer for MIT Enterprise Forum of the Great Lakes Chapter, Vice President/Treasurer of Annual Collaboration for Entrepreneurship (ACE), Foreign Direct Investment Committee, Ann Arbor Spark. She is on the Finance Advisory Board, College of Business, Eastern Michigan University since 2008.
She received the MIT Enterprise Forum Excellence Award in 2012 as well as the Diversity award from Corp! Magazine in 2008. Grace Lee holds a BA in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Master in Business Administration from Eastern Michigan University.
Richard Yen
Senior Vice-President, Strategic Solutions Team & Global Automotive Business Altair Engineering, Inc.
Having more than 30 years with Altair, Mr. Yen is currently leading the Strategic Solutions Team with his specialty being in the Automotive segment. The Team is responsible for identifying the major trends, challenges and requirements of industries, formulating go-to-market strategy and optimizing business value proposition by strategically aligning Altair’s technologies to maximize opportunity and deliver a unique value to our customers.
Mr. Yen has held various leadership roles within Altair, including product management of Altair’s flagship modeling and visualization software, engineering consulting operations, business development, global automotive centers of excellence and overseas business expansion in Japan, Greater China, Asia-Pacific and later in European regions. Mr. Yen earned his Master’s Degree of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 1988.