BBA `00

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ngranston/ 

As a former finance professional, she worked for Accenture managing clients in the financial services and technology division. At ConEdison, she managed the derivative accounting and financial RFPs for government contracts. At Showtime Networks, she played an integral part in the management of the company’s top revenue affiliate accounts for over a decade. She provided key strategic analyses and guidance and served as a liaison with sales and marketing. Throughout her career, she spent time within each company focused on diversity and inclusion projects, such as Supplier Diversity and Employee Resource Groups. Most recently, she completed the Diversity and Inclusion Program at Cornell University.

Upon entering the media and entertainment industry, 15 years ago, Nicole became an active member of NAMIC (National Association of Multi-Ethnicity in Communications); a 14-chapter, national organization whose mission is to educate, advocate and empower for multi-ethnic diversity in the communications industry.  She served as President of the New York Chapter, where she garnered 4 out of 7 awards during their annual conference: Leadership Team of the Year, Marketing Excellence, Event Management and Programming Achievement. While serving as President, she also lent her talents to Showtime’s parent company, CBS. There she served as a CBS Diversity Council participant, Committee Advisor for CBS’ RAD (Respect, Appreciation, Development) and Committee Advisor for CBS’ Women’s Group. Nicole’s capacity for leadership and collaboration, with the ability to foster relationships across functional hierarchies, led her to be sponsored for the NAMIC Leadership Seminar and the WICT Prime Access Program.

Outside of the media industry, Nicole’s passions and interests intersect in her community involvement. She’s currently the Co-Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee at RCDS and a founding Board Member of The Kool Nerd Foundation, which is a youth-based program, connecting students to careers in STEM.

She has served as a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS), which is considered the founding agency of the nation’s youth mentoring movement. She served as a Board of Trustee Member for Rye Country Day School (RCDS), ranked #7 in Best Private Schools in NYC and ranked #26 in Best Private Schools in America by Niche. She has also been a volunteer teacher in China with Global Language Villages. Nicole is an avid traveler (5 continents, 32 countries, 32 states), a 3x NYC Marathon finisher and loves to salsa dance. Nicole holds a Bachelor of Business Administration, in Finance from Temple University.

Giac holds a Bachelor’s degree in MIS from Northwood University and an MBA from Temple’s Fox School of Business. In addition to the FSBAA, he has served as treasurer for the EMBA alumni committee. He has a charismatic personality, he brings energy and enthusiasm and a willingness to contribute as necessary to his many leadership roles.

MBA `18

She is the senior director of product strategy & management at Comcast. She was previously part of the Comcast NBCUniversal Rotational Leadership Program where she has had the opportunity to work in mobile technology product strategy, film business development and strategy in Los Angeles as well as corporate strategy at the company’s headquarters in Philadelphia. Before Comcast, she spent 7 years developing and leading a new vision for Temple University’s institutional marketing department that elevated the role of user research in marketing. She earned her MBA from Temple University in 2017.

She also volunteers at an organization founded to address mental health issues in young people through mindfulness and fitness. Viv began volunteering with the Fox School of Business Alumni Association Communications Committee in 2020.

BBA `02

His focus includes but is not limited to net worth/cash flow management, investment management, retirement planning and estate planning. He also holds a number of leadership positions with several charitable and nonprofit organizations.

Donald is currently Senior Vice President, Wealth Diretor with Bryn Mawr Trust serving high net worth clients. Previously he held positions at PNC Private Bank, TIAA, Fidelity Investments and  J.P. Morgan Private Bank. Donald holds a BA in Finance from Temple University’s Fox School Of Business and an MBA from Pennsylvania State University School of Graduate Professional Studies.

BBA `17

She is currently the director of workforce planning, development & entrepreneurship at The Urban League of Philadelphia. Previously, she served as a Labor Relations Analyst in the Mayor’s Office of Labor Relations. Charity is a recent graduate of Temple University’s Fox School of Business, and former HR Assistant of Temple University Human Resources Department. While working at Temple, she assisted in planning Temple University’s 10th & 11th Annual Neighborhood Job Fair. She also coordinated the 1st Annual Prince of Peace Community Job Fair in partnership with Temple University in North Philadelphia. In addition, last June Charity founded the 1st Annual West Philly Community Job Fair.

As a student Charity worked at Temple Telefund for 4 years and was promoted to Program Center Supervisor. She contacted over 40,000 alumni, parents, and friends; and raised over $78,000 in monetary donations for Temple’s Annual Fund.

Outside of Temple, she represents PECO Energy Company as an Assistant General Counsel representing the company’s interests before state and federal regulatory agencies to accomplish PECO’s business objectives. Before joining PECO, she worked as an attorney at Greenberg Traurig, LLP, in Philadelphia, where she focused her practice on managing litigation matters, including, but not limited to, contract and business disputes, labor and employment discrepancies, and lawsuits against medical device and healthcare manufacturers.

Mrs. Adegbesan graduated as a Legal Studies Major from Temple University’s Fox School of Business with a Bachelor of Business Administration, and earned her law degree from Widener University Delaware Law School, where she served as Superior Author on the Delaware Journal
of Corporate Law – national recognition; a member of both the Moot Court Honor Society and Transactional Law Honor Society; a competing member on the Moe Levine Trial Team; and as President of the Black Law Students Association. In the community, Mrs. Adegbesan formerly
served on the Executive Leadership Board of the Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia; currently serves as a member of The Legal Intelligencer’s Young Lawyers Editorial Board; and currently serves as a Director on the Board of Directors for the Arc of Middlesex County, New Jersey.

With a strong foundation in business strategy, operations, and relationship-building, Sonia is passionate about creating impactful experiences that bring people together and foster meaningful connections.

As the Founder and CEO of Kabila Events, Sonia produces a wide range of professional and social experiences, including networking events, workshops, and large-scale festivals. She is the visionary behind the Philly Black Wine + Spirits Fest, one of the largest wine festivals in Philadelphia. Sonia continues to build platforms that connect brands, professionals, and communities in innovative ways. She is eager to contribute to the FSBAA Board by strengthening alumni engagement, supporting professional development initiatives, and enhancing opportunities for connection within the Fox community.

BBA `17

 From there, he began to work at Aon in their Commercial Risk Solutions Practice.  He is now a Vice President with their Financial Services Group.  Brian is primarily responsible for the design, implementation, and execution of Director’s and Officer’s liability, Employment Practices Liability and Fiduciary Liability insurance programs for publicly traded companies.  He helps clients by identifying exposures, managing insurance market relationships, strategizing, and creating tailored risk transfer solutions, as well as executing on policy terms, conditions, and servicing.

While not at work, Brian dedicates his time to mentorship.  Since 2018, he has been apart of the Alumni Student Mentorship Program for Temple’s Gamma Iota Sigma organization.  The ASMP connects Sigma Chapter alumni with current risk management and insurance students to help them better understand the insurance industry and in their transition to the workforce.  He also dedicates his time to being a Team Coach each year for Aon’s annual summer internship program.  In this role he coaches interns on their communication and presentation skills that they apply to a summer long project.

At Temple, she graduated with a marketing degree and was very involved with the Business Honors Program, holding the social chair position for multiple years and working the front desk at the enrollment office. During her time at Temple, she also held internships with the Philadelphia Flyers, United By Blue, and worked part-time waitressing at City Tap House in University City.

After graduating from Fox in 2013, Jen joined Philadelphia start-up United By Blue, helping them open their very first retail store in Philadelphia. During her time at UBB, she continued on to open additional stores in University City, Manhattan, and Asbury Park, as well as helped the company open a fulfillment warehouse in Northeast Philly. 

In 2015, Jen purchased her first home in Olde Kensington, and that is where her love of real estate began. She learned how easy the process was and wanted to teach others how to do the same. In 2017, she got her real estate license, and in 2018 she made the jump from head of operations at United By Blue to real estate agent with Keller Williams Philly. Since then, she has started her own team, Home Sweet Home PHL, and hosted dozens of free first-time home buyer workshops to teach PA/NJ residents the ins and outs of purchasing their first home. Although Jen made the move to Conshohocken in 2022, she still maintains her real estate office in Philadelphia and enjoys being immersed in the community and culture of the city! 

In this role, she is responsible for the integration and adoption of Effectv Media, advertising services, grant distribution, technology and education resources tied to the DE&I Customer Pillar.  This includes but is not limited to managing a team of seven specialists and working with counterparts in the larger Impact & Inclusion, Effectv and Comcast Business HQ teams to develop and measure KPI’s, understand issues, resource requirements and performance gaps in support of 13,500 small businesses nationwide.

Originally from New Jersey, Blevins relocated to the Philadelphia area to attend Temple University where she obtained her Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing.  She later received her Master of Business Administration from Amberton University.   An active member of The WICT Network – Greater Philadelphia Chapter since 2012, Blevins attended and volunteered at many events prior to joining the board in 2017 as Membership Director.  She has also held roles as Sponsorship Director, DE&I Director and in her latest role serves as Executive Programming Chair. Outside of The WICT Network, Blevins is an active Comcast ERG member, Chapter Leader of the Black Employee Network of Comcast Advertising, is on the National Advisory Council of Comcast’s Women’s Network ERG and serves on the board of The Wardrobe (formerly Career Wardrobe).

Currently residing in Philadelphia, in her spare time Blevins enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with friends and family.

Carter came to NAMI Philadelphia from the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services (DBHIDS), and with more than a decade of service across community organizations throughout Philadelphia. He's held leadership positions at Fifty Shades of Purple Against Bullying and the Boys and Girls Club of Philadelphia, as well as having extensive experience at behavioral health organizations in the region. Carter holds a master's of education, with the completion of his doctorate of education (EdD) upcoming this year. He is also certified as a licensed behavior specialist (LBS) in Pennsylvania.

Rooted in Philadelphia, Carter grew up in North Philadelphia and attended college at Temple University, receiving his Bachelors in Business Law and Eastern University, receiving his Masters In Special Education. He has dedicated his career to serving those in his community and looks to continue to  drive the mission to help individuals and families whose lives have been affected by mental illness.

Corley is a seasoned Finance Director, mainly in corporate finance & accounting global roles, steering and navigating businesses by partnering with business leaders to grow towards long-term sustainability within several companies. With over 16 years experience in finance and accounting for multi-billion dollar manufacturing companies in the housing and automotive industries, Corley knows what truly drives long-term sustainable growth and profitability in turning several subsidiaries in Thailand, France, Indonesia, China, India, Nigeria, Japan, Korea, and Bangladesh.

Mark Corley has worked at several multinational group companies in Asia, including LIXIL (American Standard, Grohe), akebono Brake, and Mahle Asia in regional CFO and global Controller roles. His experience includes: implementing ERP systems four times, as well as leading acquisition efforts of 4 companies of over 2B USD, as well as securing over 5M USD in funding from USAID and federal government agencies for ESG activities. His experience also includes expert knowledge of IFRS, US-GAAP, J-GAAP, CMA, and USCPA. In addition to his extensive financial and cost accounting experience,he is bilingual in Japanese and English and has experience leading HR, IT, Purchasing, and Legal departments within Japan and all across Asia. 

In his free time, he enjoys participating in Temple University Japan Alumni events, organizing USC Japan Alumni events, serving on Choate Rosemary Hall Japan Alumni Leadership team, community service with Kashiwanoha Elementary School PTA, volunteering with Japan Red Cross, as well as faith based volunteer travel and activities in Ghana and Mexico. His hobbies include SQL coding, AI, app development, and historical semitic linguistics. Corley holds a BA in psycholinguistics from the University of Southern California, and an Executive MBA in finance and accounting from Temple University Japan Campus, Fox School of Business.

A CPA with over three decades of experience, she also holds an Executive MBA from the University of Delaware and an MS in Accounting from Liberty University. She began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (formerly Price Waterhouse) specializing in financial analysis, risk management and corporate governance while leading audits and acquisition support for Fortune 500 companies. She later conducted fraud investigations and financial audits at BASF Corporation before transitioning into financial services, where she spent over a decade at Bank of America and J.P. Morgan Chase refining her expertise in strategic planning, regulatory compliance and financial oversight.

She has played an active role in advancing initiatives that create access to opportunities for students and young professionals, particularly through her involvement with ALPFA Philadelphia. Through her leadership, she has helped foster partnerships with corporate organizations, develop impactful programming, and create spaces where individuals can grow both personally and professionally. 

With experience in human resources and organizational strategy, Maria brings a thoughtful and people-centered approach to her work. She is skilled in building relationships across all levels of an organization and is particularly strong at cross-department collaboration, bringing teams together to work toward a common goal. She excels at aligning initiatives with broader organizational priorities while supporting talent development through coaching and strategic planning. Known for her dedication, collaborative mindset, and commitment to making a lasting impact, Maria continues to be a strong advocate for inclusive leadership and community engagement.

Her career has been marked by a steadfast dedication to excellence, making Harris an accomplished leader and an influential educator. 

At Johns Hopkins University, Harris has the privilege of sharing her knowledge and expertise with aspiring professionals as a faculty member in the master's program for Research Administration. Her commitment extends beyond teaching; Harris is deeply devoted to her alma mater, Temple University. Here, she has contributed as an advisor for the MBA capstone program and as a mentor for the Fox School of Business Alumni Association (FSBAA) and young alumni programs. Additionally, Harris has served as a Board Member for the Temple University Black Alumni Alliance (TUBAA), where she offered her time and donated funds to support events. 

Harris’ profound understanding of the field and passion for nurturing the next generation of leaders has established her as a revered figure in academic and professional communities. Through her leadership, educational endeavors, and philanthropy, Harris continues to shape the landscape of research administration.

At Temple, she diligently pursued her academic goals with a focus on law school preparation, while simultaneously excelling as a student athlete on the Temple Cheer Team throughout her four years of college. Following her graduation from Temple, Ms. Howard attended Widener University – Delaware Law School, where she earned her Juris Doctor degree in 2014. Ms. Howard has dedicated her legal career to public service, beginning as a prosecutor at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. During her time in Philadelphia, she actively volunteered with several non-profit organizations, including Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. 

Odom co-founded Philly Kids Task Force, an organization established in 2018 to address the critical needs of underserved youth in the Greater Philadelphia Area. Committed to providing educational support, fostering community engagement, and raising awareness, initiatives include innovative programs such as active shooter awareness training and annual back-to-school drives, ensuring every child has access to essential resources for academic success. Before this, Odom honed her leadership and operational skills as an Operations Manager at Dress Barn where she supervised a team, managed day-to-day operations, and implemented comprehensive training programs. Armed with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resources Management from Temple University, Odom has actively contributed to various student organizations, fostering financial literacy, professional development, and community service initiatives. Through roles in organizations like NABA and SHRM, she has worked tirelessly to empower individuals and create meaningful impact in our community.

Professionally, Carson is a Senior Manager, Product Strategy at Comcast in the Xfinity Consumer Product organization, where he serves as the de facto Chief of Staff to the General Manager of our Home Security business. In this role, Carson helps drive strategic planning, operational execution, cross-functional alignment, and performance accountability across a large organization. His work centers on structured decision-making and prioritization, financial discipline, and ensuring priorities are delivered with excellence – skills that directly translate to board governance and oversight. In addition, Carson serves as an employee eNPS Champion, acting as a liaison between senior leadership and employees to translate feedback into actionable improvements. This has strengthened his ability to balance diverse stakeholder perspectives while remaining aligned to enterprise goals.

During his time at Fox, Carson was deeply involved in the Owl Fund. He served as a Lead Analyst before becoming Director of the Fox Fund, where he had the privilege of teaching, coaching, and mentoring more than 100 students. That experience shaped his leadership philosophy and continues to influence how he invests in others. Carson remains actively engaged with the student body, returning to campus multiple times per year to speak to Temple Finance Association, Women in Business, and Temple Consulting, as well as participating in networking nights and mentoring undergraduate consultants weekly. He is also a founding alumni leader of the “Owls at Work” initiative at Comcast, partnering with university leadership to host alumni events, strengthen engagement, and elevate the Fox brand within the organization. He is passionate about ensuring the Fox alumni community is visible, connected, and mutually supportive – particularly in the Philadelphia region.

With experience in the private, nonprofit and government sectors, Qader helps individuals and brands expand through strategy, operations planning and development of key partnerships. She is well-versed in corporate retail, consumer packaged goods, investment sourcing, brand marketing, and social media. Qader is on a mission to help impact and grow businesses around the world.

An undergraduate of The Pennsylvania State University, Heather Qader received her MBA in Strategic Management from the Fox School of Business at Temple University. Upon graduating, she started an imports business with one of her classmates, Kerry Slade. Qader then went on to work for the City of Philadelphia focusing on tech and innovation. She then served Todd Carmichael, CEO of La Colombe, as his Chief of Staff before she launched her own business. 

Qader has been closely involved with Temple University through her involvement with the New Ventures Internship Program and participating on panels. First, she was a student of the New Ventures Internship Program, then, after she started her business, she utilized a handful of interns from the program, then was asked to take over the class as an adjunct professor. All throughout her undergraduate and graduate experience, Qader has taken on leadership roles. She credits them for her ability to lead now and looks forward to running for Director-at-Large seat with FSBAA.

During his time at Fox, he demonstrated a strong commitment to leadership, serving as Chief Investment Officer of the William C. Dunkelberg Owl Fund, Temple’s student-run investment fund that manages a portion of the University’s endowment. In this role, he helped oversee ~$800k and contributed to outperformance of the fund's benchmark, resulting in an additional $250k allocation from the university’s investment committee. He also served as President of the Temple Finance Association, where he helped found the annual Temple Finance Networking Night – an initiative connecting finance professionals with Fox undergraduates – while also holding roles on the board of the Fox College Council and as a Resident Assistant.

Currently based in New York City, Daniel is an Investment Banking Analyst in Evercore’s Insurance group, with two years of prior experience in Healthcare Equity Capital Markets.

She is an active member of the Women’s Bond Club, where she mentors young women interested in financial and economic careers. Outside of work, Lilianna plays cello in the Riverside Orchestra on the Upper West Side.

Lilianna graduated Summa Cum Laude from Temple University in 2022 with a BBA in Finance and Economics. She quickly became active in Fox’s student finance organizations - joining the leadership teams of both the Temple University Investment Association (TUIA) and Financial Management Association (FMA) and later becoming the first President of the Temple Finance Association. Lilianna also joined the Fox Fund her freshman year and later joined the Owl Fund, Temple’s student-run investment fund that manages a portion of the University’s endowment. Her senior year, Lilianna became the first woman to be Chief Investment Officer of the Fund since its creation in 2007. Under her leadership, the fund managed nearly ~$920,000 in AUM. 

James Seth Thompson, BBA `98

SVP/Head of Diverse Markets Strategy 

 In this role, Thompson empowers multicultural investors to change the trajectory of their wealth, impact and influence and encourages a fresh perspective on equity, advocacy, responsibility and investing. His equitable approach to addressing the unique needs of multicultural investors best informs deep discovery to truly define how their resources contribute to their legacy. Access, exposure, experience and education matters, and these levers influence how Thompson helps clients create systemic wealth and close the gap between opportunities and outcomes. 

Thompson also holds several distinct leadership roles championing diversity, equity, inclusion, recruiting and professional advancement of diverse talent across the firm. He has a BA in marketing and a BA in human resources administration from Temple University. He serves as Treasurer for Dignity Housing for the Homeless and Race, Equity and Empowerment Chair for Philadelphia Youth Basketball. Thompson is the recipient of many awards and recently Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s HBCU Partner in Diversity Award and InvestmentNews’ See It Be It Role Model acknowledging his contribution to diversity, equity and inclusion in the industry.

A proud graduate of the Fox School of Business at Temple University - Fox School of Business, Richard commissioned as a U.S. Army officer through the ROTC program as a four-year scholarship recipient and later deployed to Afghanistan in support of combat operations. He has since held leadership roles at Apple, Capital One, and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, managing over $200M in annual spend while delivering measurable cost savings, operational efficiencies, and enhanced supplier performance across global operations. Richard also earned his Doctor of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California, further strengthening his ability to lead transformation initiatives through data-driven strategy and organizational frameworks.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Richard is deeply committed to mentorship, leadership development, and community impact. He has served as an executive sponsor for internship programs and employee resource groups and actively supports initiatives such as Georgetown University’s Pivot Program, which expands access and opportunity for underserved communities. As a keynote speaker on organizational change and leadership, he has engaged audiences across corporate, government, and international sectors. Richard is committed to advancing the impact of Temple University Fox School of Business and is focused on partnering with fellow alumni to strengthen mentorship, expand strategic opportunities, and drive long-term value for the Fox School of Business Alumni Association.

Beyond Christopher’s educational accomplishments, he is a member of The Economic Club of New York. In 2023, Mount Sinai Innovation Partners, which facilitates the real-world application and commercialization of discoveries, invited him to join as a Fellows Program Scholar. He is also a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and the American College of Healthcare Executives. Crain’s New York Business named Christopher one of its 2023 Notable Leaders in Health Care. He currently serves on the executive leadership team and governing body at New York University's Student Health Center, overseeing administration and operations as its Senior Director.

Christopher has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the Fox School of Business, which presented him with the Executive DBA Alumni Leadership Award in 2023. He has served as an alumni mentor to second-year DBA students during the program’s research workshops, providing feedback and guidance as they present and refine their dissertation research. Christopher has also participated in various alumni panels for first-year DBA students. Recognizing Christopher as a valued member of the community, the Fox School of Business invited him to engage in a DBA Strategic Retreat, where he offered key input on important program initiatives. He has joined an extraordinary community of donors as part of the Conwell Circle, Temple University’s premier recognition society honoring alumni and friends who choose to invest in the University and make a profound impact. Given that Christopher is passionate about the Fox School of Business, he would be honored to receive your vote and serve as a Director-at-Large on the School’s Alumni Association Board of Directors.