Farad Ali is the Project Director for the North Carolina Minority Business Enterprise Center (NC MBEC™) Mr. Ali leads a team of managerial and financial technical assistance consultants with MBA’s that focused on enhancing the internal controls and capacity of minority firms. He has been involved with securing millions of dollars in procurement and contracts for minority businesses around the state and is well respected by financial institutions as a catalyst of capital for minority businesses. Mr. Ali has over a decade of business development experience as a Banker, an undergraduate of the Kenan-Flagler School of Business with a concentration in finance from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Business Administration from Campbell University.

Vanessa Nicholas is the Administrative Assistant for the NC MBEC™. She is responsible for organizing the annual Executive Networking Conference – a statewide business networking and professional development event, which brings minority/women business owners and corporate decision makers together, in a relaxed environment, where business relationships are formed and strengthened. Ms. Nicholas has several years of experience working in an office environment in an administrative capacity. She studied Computer Information Systems at Baruch College, City University of New York. She also attended ECPI Technical College in Raleigh, NC where she earned a diploma in Office Technology/Network Administration.

Dan Stafford serves as Director of Information Technology Coordination & Compliance for the NC MBEC™. He has been involved in MBDA’s Minority Business Enterprise Center program since 1983. Serving in various marketing consulting roles for the Fayetteville Minority Business Enterprise Center and the Raleigh/Durham Minority Business Enterprise Centers from 1983 to 1997, he later became Project Manager of the Raleigh/Durham Minority Business Enterprise Center from 1997 to 2002 and proceeding to Project Director for the Raleigh/Durham/Charlotte Minority Business Enterprise Center from 2002-2003. He has a Masters of Business Administration Degree (Concentration-Marketing) from Western Carolina University and a Bachelors of Arts Degree (Major-Sociology) from Appalachian State University.

Chris Wallace is the Finance Manager where he assists minority-owned firm across the state in improving their financial performance and acquiring capital. Chris has nearly 10 years of Big Four and management consulting experience with projects specializing in finance, application development and process improvement. Chris earned a B.S. in Computer Science with departmental honors from Moorehouse College. Chris also graduated with magna cum laude honors from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology with a Masters of Divinity degree.

Cumberland Regional Improvement Corporation (CRIC)

P.O. Box 1567
Fayetteville, NC 28302
Phone: (910) 483-6439
Fax: (910) 483-2826
www.cric-nc.org

Cumberland Regional Improvement Corporation (CRIC) is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization incorporated for the purpose of raising the economic, educational, and social welfare levels of low wealth areas of communities, through partnerships that increases the opportunities to own, manage and operate business enterprises that will result in long-term sustainable growth in businesses and human capital. CRIC is committed to promoting and advocating Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) by providing managerial and technical assistance and businesses development services that supports the growth of minority and women owned businesses.

Susan Monroe is the Director for the Institute's Satellite Office located in Fayetteville - serving the southeastern region of the state. She has over twenty-five (25) years of experience in working with minority businesses. She is a Graduate of Fayetteville State University and holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration. She is magna cum laude graduate and Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges as well as Delta Mu Delta National Honor Society. She has completed additional programs such as Dale Carnegie and H&R Block Preparation. In addition to her work with the Institute she was recently reappointed by the Governor to serve on the North Carolina Licensing Board of General Contractors and is the newly elected Vice Chairperson for that board. Other employment includes - Financial Officer - Cumberland County Community Development Agency; Financial Counselor - Consumer Credit Counseling Services and Research Associate - National Association of Counties in Washington, DC. 

Augustus Webber is the Construction Manager in the Fayetteville Satellite Office - He is a retired Command Sergeant with thirty (30) years of service in the U.S. Army, primarily in the field of logistics and troop management, before retiring at Fort Bragg, NC. He has completed studies in construction management at Fayetteville Technical Community College, University of Maryland and North Carolina State University. Since his retirement from the army he has spent the last twenty-five years working with minority businesses in the southeastern region of the state and assisting them in securing federal and state certification as well as in securing construction contracting and bonding totaling in excess $100 million.

NuLevel Strategic Solutions

P.O. Box 1316
Huntersville, NC 28070-1316
Phone: (704) 332-9383
Fax: (800) 884-8679
www.nulevelsolutions.com

NuLevel Strategic Solutions, is a financial and strategic advisory firm, which offers business, project, and strategic planning solutions for growth-focused organizations. Our approach is to help clients understand where they are and, how to get to where they want to be, through thorough analysis and precise planning.

David A. Willis is the Principal at NuLevel Strategic Solutions, LLC, a management consulting firm, with headquarters in Charlotte, NC. Mr. Willis has over 15 years of experience in management consulting, corporate and investment banking, commercial real estate finance / development, business finance, project management and, organizational development. His experiences span multiple industries and project types, including business and commercial real estate ventures. Mr. Willis is a subject matter expert in all of these areas, with a demonstrated track record in driving results for his clients. In particular, these results are centered on effective planning, business development and, capital formation. Under his direction, NuLevel serves as the Western Regional Program Consultant, on behalf of the NCMBEC. 

Mr. Willis holds a BA in Accounting from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC and, a MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC-Chapel Hill, with a dual concentration in Corporate Finance and, Commercial Real Estate Development / Finance. He is also a distinguished board member of several organizations, including for-profit and non-profit organizations.

Linda Alexander is the Project Administrator for NuLevel Strategic Solutions, LLC. In her role, Mrs. Alexander is responsible for project coordination and management, customer relationship management, bookkeeping, reporting and, administrative supportive services, which is consistent with her duties under NuLevel's contract with the NCMBEC. Mrs. Alexander is an expert in several technology-based applications, including, but not limited to, QuickBooks, MS Office Suite, MS Visio, MS SharePoint, MS Access and, MS Outlook. Additionally, on behalf of NuLevel and, many of its clients, Mrs. Alexander is responsible for Website content management, Newsletter preparation and management, documentation review / editing, event planning and, project management. 

Mrs. Alexander holds an Associate's Degree in Psychology, with a concentration in Mental Health Technology, from Virginia Western Community College, in Roanoke Va.