Kenyatta Bell

Kenyatta was born and raised in Harlem , New York and recently completed graduate studies at the Columbia Business School . Prior to Business School , Kenyatta worked at MTV Networks where he managed the Audio & Soundtracks division. Before MTV, Mr. Bell served as V.P. of Music for UBO.Net where he was responsible for devising music strategy. Also previously, he has worked with Quincy Jones Music Publishing, representing songwriters and ran the A&R department for BET’s JV record label, Fully Loaded Records. He began his career in 1991 with Universal Records (formally Mercury/ Polygram Records) as an A&R executive. During his 5 years with Mercury Records, Kenyatta developed such artists as Black Sheep, Diamond Dee, Ultramagnetic MCs, Ed OG and the Bulldogs, Blahzay Blahzay and assisted on major album projects like Vanessa Williams, Brian Mcknight and the Jason’s Lyric and Panther soundtracks.

Bertrand J Brown, Ed.D

Dr. Brown received a B.A. in Science from the College of Emporia, M.S. in Science from Kansas State University, an Ed.S from the City College of New York and a Doctorate from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

His distinctions of merit include the Institute for Educational Leadership Fellowship, the National Science Foundation Scholarship in Physics, and the New York City Association of Black Educators Educator of the Year Award.

Dr. Brown has been a teacher at both the intermediate/junior high and high school levels. As Superintendent Emeritus of the Village of Central Harlem since 1997, a number of outstanding educational programs developed under his leadership including: The Frederick Douglass Academy, The Thurgood Marshall School for Learning and Social Change, and The Ralph Bunch Computer Sub School. He has also taught at the college level and is currently with the College of New Rochelle undergraduate program as an adjunct professor.

He currently serves on the board of a number of local organizations, such as The National Association of Each One Teach One Inc., The Harlem Network, the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce and the Harlem Week / Harlem Jazz and Music Festival.

Michael G. Flanigan

Michael G. Flanigan is Vice President and Director of Community Relations for the boroughs of Brooklyn and Staten Island in New York City. Mr. Flanigan has over 23 years of experience in the financial services industry.

Mr. Flanigan serves on the boards of directors of the American Foundation for the University of the West Indies, Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College, Community Works, the Falu Foundation, Harlem Week, the Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project Local Development Corporation, New York City-ACT SO, Staten Island Economic Development Corporation, the Selective Corporate Internship Program, and others. He was recently appointed Chairman of the New York City Department for the Aging’s banking for Seniors Task Force.

Mr. Flanigan has a B.B.A. (Hon) in Computer Systems and Journalism from Baruch College of the City University of New York and an M.B.A. in Finance and Marketing from the Leonard M. Stern School of Business, New York University. He also holds a Certificate in Corporate Community Relations from the Boston College Center for Corporate Community Relations, Carroll School of Management.

Clarence Jones

Clarence B. Jones has built a distinguished and heralded career, in which he has worked as Martin Luther King’s speechwriter and counsel, partnered with Sanford I. Weill and Arthur Levitt, Jr. in the Wall Street investment banking firm Carter, Berlind & Weill, Inc., twice been recognized as Fortune Magazine’s man of the month, provided legal and financial advice to governments world-wide, and founded successful financial, corporate and media-related ventures. He also has received state and national awards recognizing his significant contributions to American society.

Currently, Mr. Jones is Executive Advisor to Marks Paneth & Shron (“MPS”), the 14 th largest professional services firm in the New York metropolitan area. He is a member of the MPS Strategy Group and a Principal in MPS’s affiliated company, The Africa Strategy Group. He is President & CEO of CBJ Multimedia Associates, Inc., specializing in media and telecom and CBJ Associates, Inc., a boutique investment banking and consulting services company specializing in governmental, financial and corporate services. He also provides financial consulting to several governments around the world.

Clarence also sits on the board of The Theatre Development Fund of New York City, the Franklin & leanor Roosevelt Institute, the Bethune-Cookman College in Florida and the College Bound Student Alliance in Colorado .

He earned his B.A. from Columbia University , his J.D. from the Boston University School of Law. He also served in the United States Army.

Jamal Joseph [founder]

Jamal Joseph, a co-founder of IMPACT, is a writer, director, documentary filmmaker and professor at Columbia University ’s Graduate School of the Arts. Joseph, a former Black Panther Party member, is the co-founder of The International Black Panther Film Festival. Joseph has directed over 25 feature films and documentaries, including Heal the Rainbow, What ‘Cha Gonna Do About Hate and Kayla’s Story for the CitiKids Foundation, and the feature documentary Hughes’ Dream Harlem. Joseph executive produced a spoken word CD: The Rose That Grew From Concrete with Afeni Shakur, which featured performances by Sonia Sanchez, Quincy Jones and Danny Glover. Joseph’s is a three-time winner of the National Black Programming Consortium’s Prize Pieces Award, a two-time winner of the Black Filmmaker Hall of Fame Award, a winner of the International Film and Video Association Award, and a recipient of the New York Fine Arts Fellowship.

Joyce Joseph [founder]

Joyce Walker Joseph is one of the principal founders of IMPACT Repertory Theater. Joyce began her career as a model gracing the covers of Essence, Seventeen and Vogue magazines and as an actress with the legendary Negro Ensemble Company. She was in the original Broadway casts of Hair and Konge’s Harvest. Off-Broadway starring roles include Runners, Twenty Year Friends and Beyond the Call of Duty. Her film and television credits include The Education of Sonny Carson, Willie Dynamite, Drive By: A Love Story, Paid In Full and Hughes Dream Harlem. Joyce is an award-winning playwright whose credits include Games, Ash and Pass Perfect. She is a resident writer, producer, casting director and acting coach at New Heritage Theatre Group.

Voza Rivers [founder]

Voza Rivers, an IMPACT Repertory Theatre co-founder, is a leading African–American theater, music and events producer. Throughout his career, Rivers has worked with talented artists such as Nancy Wilson, Nina Simone, Ruby Dee, Luther Vandross, James Brown, The Count Basie Orchestra, Boy George, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Miriam Makeba, Kool and the Gang, Hugh Masekela, Boyz II Men, Tony Bennett, Anita Baker, Max Roach, Gloria Lynne, Yolanda Adams, Mary J. Blige, Dionne Warwick, Cissy Houston, Manhattan Transfer, Toni Braxton, Rachelle Ferrell, Al Jarreau, Grover Washington, r., and Stevie Wonder. He received a Grammy nomination for Mbongeni Ngema’s Sarafina! and the Obie Award for the play the Huey P. Newton Story at the Schomburg Center in New York City .

Presently, Rivers serves as Chairman and CEO of VOZ Entertainment Group; Executive Producer of New Heritage Theatre Group New York City’s oldest Black not-for-profit theater; and Chairman of the Harlem Arts Alliance, a service organization of 300 members, including not-for-profits, for-profits, individuals and organizations. He is also Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors for Community Works, a multi-cultural presenting arts and education program that serves 100,000 New York City students and adults.

Friends of IMPACT are members of the IMPACT Family who are loyally involved in fundraising efforts without the full duties of a formal board member.

Alice Arlen

Alice Arlen is an author, screenwriter and grandmother who has been nominated for an Academy Award. She is on the board of the Cissy Patterson Foundation as well as other boards.

Rhahime Bell

Rhahime Bell, Co-head of the Municipal Derivatives Group, joined UBS Paine Webber in May, 1999. prior to joining UBS Paine Webber, Mr. Bell was a Vice-President in the Global Derivatives Group at J.P. Morgan. Mr. Bell worked in the Emerging Markets Derivatives Structuring Group and was responsible for advising corporate and governmental entities in Latin America on interest rate and currency risk management. Prior to his tenure in Emerging Markets, Mr. Bell worked in the Municipal Swap Marketing Group. While there Mr. Bell negotiated and executed interest rate swap, options and forward purchase agreements for municipal clients within the United States . In addition, Mr. Bell was responsible for trading and risk management of the tax-exempt swap book for J.P. Morgan. Mr. Bell graduated from Georgetown University in 1991 where he received a dual degree in Finance and International Management.