Allies

When you’ve known someone as a child, you sometimes forget that they evolve and grow. My experience reconnecting after 35 years, with Ralph, a retired police officer, Christian pastor, author, radio personality and public speaker, is that he has led an interesting and accomplished life. First and foremost, he’s a storyteller and a thinker, someone who believes in the power of people to do good and to make the world a better place. In this podcast, he talks about assuming the mantle of leadership as a black man and as a mentor to people in his community, why law enforcement is a sacred responsibility and how to connect with people different than yourself. But his insights go quite a bit deeper into issues like integrity, friendship, religion, and trust. In the end, the kid I knew when we won a baseball championship in the 1980s has become the ultimate coach and teammate for a universe of other people and that is a conversation worth listening to.

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Ralph Graves is a Motivational Speaker, Business Consultant and Author. He is a

member of the National Speakers Association and has been certified by the John

Maxwell Team as a Coach, Speaker and Leadership trainer.

Ralph brings storytelling, practicality, and an array of leadership tools to his

audience on and off the air. As a Live Morning Radio Show Host he adept in

speaking with no script. His keynotes are full of ready to use tips to catapult all in

the room to their desired success.

Ralph recognizes the greatness in everyone he meets and uses that greatness to

inspire people to strive for that next level in life. He wants to see you at the top

and will tell you exactly how to get there!

Website: RalphGravesJr.com
Instagram: RalphGravesJr

Facebook: RalphGravesJr

twitter:RalphGravesJr

Linkedin:RalphGraveJr

Unstoppable: www.amazon.com, RalphgravesJr.com,

www.Barnesandnoble.com

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Music courtesy of Dan Rodriguez:
"The Allies Theme" by Dan Rodriguez
Music courtesy of Traum Diggs:
"1988 ft. HACHE ST" by Gas-Lab & Traum Diggs

Royce Warrick

Royce Warrick is Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer for Solenis. She is responsible for managing the multinational enterprise’s legal, intellectual property, regulatory, compliance and governance affairs, as well as collaborating with the Solenis business team to enhance profitable growth. Warrick is a member of Solenis’ Executive Committee and Global Senior Leadership Team.

Prior to joining Solenis in 2014, Warrick served as assistant general counsel and global corporate legal director overseeing legal affairs of strategic business units at The Dow Chemical Company and Rohm and Haas Company. Beginning her legal career as a litigation attorney, she later expanded her scope of experience to include business law, ethics and compliance, mergers and acquisitions, antitrust, employment law, information technology and corporate secretarial/governance.

Warrick holds a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a juris doctor degree from Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. She is a member of Villanova University’s Advisory Council Member for the Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women's Leadership, a member of the Forum of Executive Women, a member of the Georgia Tech Parents Board, a member of the Duke University Alumni Admissions Advisory Committee and a former board member of the STEM-focused Invent Now Kids®, a subsidiary of the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation commissioned by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Warrick is also an active member of her community where she is a founding leader of her church’s College Prep Ministry, and a founder and trustee of the Roy Blair Paige Foundation, a non-profit organization, the mission of which is to enrich the development of servant-leader youth committed to community-uplift.

Ms. Warrick is a member of the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware bars. She is married and has three daughters.

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Music courtesy of Dan Rodriguez:
"The Allies Theme" by Dan Rodriguez

We all have that friend that we may see once or twice a year, sometimes even every other year, but it doesn’t matter, because when we connect, it’s like we saw each other yesterday. Leni has always been like that for me. From the moment we connected as young teens, I have been fascinated by her abilities as a writer, as a thinker and as a friend. She is kind, genuine and fierce in her belief that we have a responsibility to be better people. As a communications expert, author, and public speaker, she continually pushes herself to be and do more. As a mom, a spouse, and a friend, she is there whenever and wherever she’s needed. In this podcast, Leni and I reconnect as we often do, by diving into what matters to us on that particular day. On this day, it was about how to live in a world where tensions are high, where understanding takes time and listening is the most important skill we have. It’s the first Allies interview because to me, Leni and I started this conversation sometime in the Reagan years turning ourselves sideways in classroom desks and saying that for all our seeming differences, we are and would forever be friends.

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Leni Uddyback-Fortson has served as regional director of public affairs for the U.S. Department of Labor in Philadelphia since 2007. A communications professional with more than 25 years of experience, Leni has directed her talents to the public service arena, holding positions with the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies in Philadelphia, Pa., The American Red Cross in Baltimore, Md., and The Greater Philadelphia Association of REALTORS® in Philadelphia, Pa.

In her current position, Leni serves as senior spokesperson for all Labor Department agencies throughout a seven-state Mid-Atlantic region. The mission of the Labor Department is to foster, develop and promote the welfare of working Americans. Prior to her most recent appointment, Leni was the assistant regional director of public affairs for nine years.

Leni received her Bachelor of Science in Business Communications from Bryant College Smithfield, R.I., and her Master of Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa. She is a Senior Fellow with the Excellence in Government Program sponsored by the Partnership in or Public Service, and is also a graduate of the South Jersey Regional Leadership Institute at Rutgers University and the Urban League of Philadelphia’s Leadership Institute.

In addition to her full-time position, Leni serves as an adjunct instructor at Gwynedd Mercy University in Philadelphia, Pa., and Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J. She is a poet with three published collections, and is preparing to release her fourth book.

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Music courtesy of Traum Diggs:
"My Journal ft.SOUL" by Gas-Lab & Traum Diggs

Hanson Yoo and Andrew Popper May seem an unlikely pair. Yoo, a former Jeopardy contestant, spends his time in IT. Popper, a publishing and marketing expert, travels the world, for both business and pleasure. And yet, together, these friends both of whom come from immigrant parents, offer unique perspectives on what it means to be an American. If you like listening to close friends bounce ideas back and forth, you really can’t do better than these two lifelong Allies.
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Music courtesy of Dan Rodriguez:
"The Allies Theme" by Dan Rodriguez

Lawrence James, President and CEO of Connexus Technology, is passionate about serving in his community. He has spent countless hours volunteering his time to serve at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility (CFCS) in North Philadelphia, providing spiritual and emotional support to inmates. He currently leads a team of men and women who bring hope to those who are incarcerated at George Hill Correctional Facility in Delaware County. Besides giving hope, this weekly program for inmates includes spiritual guidance and community re-entry support. Lawrence also volunteers his time at universities in Philadelphia, providing business expertise to young adults. Currently he serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, he was a member of the Board of Directors for Drexel Neumann Academy (DNA), a free Catholic School in Chester, PA, for under-served students, where he introduced the students to drone flight and the technology behind it. Drexel Neumann Academy has since adopted the curriculum, and the course is being taught to students throughout the school. Lawrence’s service underscores his passion and interest in youth, criminal justice reform, and bridging the digital divide. This spirit of service permeates throughout the Connexus organization and is an essential component of the Connexus culture.

Rev. Christopher J Holland II serves as Executive Pastor of Salt and Light Community Church and the Executive Director of The Common Place (a not for profit ) in the Southwest section of Philadelphia. He is an entrepreneur and the Co-founder/COO of Connexus Technology, a leading-edge technology consulting firm in Philadelphia since 2003. He is a native of Philadelphia, and holds a Bachelor of Science and Engineering degree in Computer Science from Drexel University. After co-founding the technology startup, he obtained his Master of Divinity degree from Palmer Theological Seminary. As a member of The Common Place leadership team, Pastor Chris brings his gifts of strategic planning, pastoral care, community engagement and passion for family advocacy to fulfill the mission of The Common Place and uplift the Southwest Philadelphia Community. He is happily married to Ime, and they are blessed to be parents of six children.

Connexus Technology provides IT staffing and IT managed services for mid to large sized organizations in need of a dedicated IT partner. For more than 17 years, Connexus has been helping customers across the globe in a wide variety of industries to improve operations and profitability with innovative software solutions, and with expert on/offsite consultants. Connexus’ leadership team extends their skills and knowledge to serve the Philadelphia and surrounding communities through civic engagement. This spirit of service permeates throughout the Connexus organization and is an essential component of the Connexus culture.

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Music courtesy of Dan Rodriguez:
"The Allies Theme" by Dan Rodriguez