theforcedpivot Podcast welcomes Greg Hedgepeth.Greg Hedgepeth was born and raised in Halifax County, NC, and was a first-generation college student that attended East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. There he received his undergraduate degree in Economics with a minor in Business Administration. He later received his Masters in Management and Leadership from Webster University. Greg is also in the early stages of his doctoral pursuit in Learning and Organizational Change. Greg currently serves as the Director of Marketing and Communications for the NC State University Graduate School and is the President and CEO of Substantial Media, LLC an award-winning minority multimedia platform that seeks to amplify the voices and stories of black and brown communities and bring awareness to important issues that impact these communities on a local, state and national level. Greg has been in the field of higher education marketing and communication for over 16 years, serving in leadership roles at the divisional and university level. Greg is a certified digital marketing professional, a husband, a father of two beautiful little girls, a professor within the Mass Communications and Digital Technology Department at Shaw University, and a social entrepreneur. Greg has presented and facilitated at conferences, summits, and workshops all around the country and has been awarded for his service work within the minority community and the field of education.Substantial Magazinehttps://www.facebook.com/SubstantialMagazine/https://twitter.com/substantialmagMusic Credits:Interlude 2 (KillMyVibe) by Dj DCM

theforcedpivot Podcast creator Antoine Medley shares his thoughts on loss and how one deals with the changes in their life after loss.  Medley is joined briefly by special guest Licensed Clinical Social Worker Dekevias Atkinson, Sr.Music Credits:Interlude 2 (KillMyVibe) by Dj DCM

theforcedpivot Podcast chats with guest Brenton Logan on his life journies and how the pandemic affected him.Brenton Logan is a native of Richmond, VA.  He received his undergraduate education from Shaw University where he studied sociology. Brenton serves as a board member of The Tulsa Initiative, Inc. a non-profit organization which utilizes mentorship and education to cultivate young minds, preparing them to change lives. In addition, Brenton is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American Men.Brenton is the CEO and founder of N-Tech-U where he provides professional preparation, coaching, and networking in the tech industry for HBCU students. Brenton has worked in community engagement, sales, and process improvement. Prior to joining Capital One Brenton led 30+ employees at AT&T doing escalations and technical troubleshooting. He has also worked at Lenovo, leading education sales and creating process improvement strategies. Brenton most recently worked at Amazon Web Services where he was program manager in the business operation organization. Brenton describes himself as a master relationship builder and servant leader. He subscribes to Dr. King's philosophy “Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love."Music Credits:Interlude 2 (KillMyVibe) by Dj DCM

theforcedpivot Podcasts sits down with Natalie Bullock Brown. Natalie Bullock Brown is an award-winning producer, an Assistant Teaching Professor in Interdisciplinary Studies at North Carolina State University, and a 2021 Rockwood Institute JustFilms Fellow. She is director/producer of a documentary work-in-progress that explores the impact of the beauty standard on Black women and girls; and is a producer on award-winning filmmaker Byron Hurt’s PBS documentary, HAZING, as well as his upcoming NOVA film, Lee and Liza’s Family Tree.Natalie is also a proud member of the Documentary Accountability Working Group, which released a values-informed framework for documentary filmmakers that emphasizes care, consent, and collaboration as a pathway to ethical storytelling. Natalie was the StoryShift Strategist for Working Films, where she guided the organization’s work in promoting accountable documentary storytelling.Natalie was also a regular guest and contributor for #BackChannel, a monthly segment on North Carolina public radio’s The State of Things. And for nearly 12 years, Natalie was an assistant professor of film and broadcast media in the Department of Media & Communications at Saint Augustine's University. She also served 12 years as co-host of Black Issues Forum, a public affairs program on UNC-TV, North Carolina’s statewide public television network. Natalie was also an associate producer on documentary filmmaker Ken Burns’ 10-part PBS series, Jazz. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Film Production from Howard University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Northwestern University. Natalie is a native Chicagoan but a New Yorker in her heart.Natalie Bullock Brownhttp://www.NatalieBullockBrown.comMusic Credits:Interlude 2 (KillMyVibe) by Dj DCM

theforcedpivot Podcast welcomes Dwight Vick.  Vick shares how life took him from Tidewater, VA to helping others.  How from the gridiron to counseling.Dwight is a proud graduate of Virginia Tech. While at Virginia Tech, Dwight played for the legendary Coach Frank Beamer as an offensive lineman from 1994-1999.He helped lead the Virginia Tech Hokies to five consecutive bowl game appearances and two consecutive Big East conference championships. As a senior in 1998, Dwight was selected All Big East and served as team captain. Dwight was also a three-year letterman and received numerous athletic team and individual awards. In May 1999, he earned a B.S. in Sociology and a B.S. in Family and Child Development. Upon graduation, he attended the Baltimore Ravens mini-camp as a free agent before returning to Virginia Tech as a Strength and Conditioning Coach for the football team.In August 2010, Dwight graduated from Liberty University with two Master’s degrees: one in Marriage and Family Therapy, and the other in Human Services with a Specialization in Family Therapy. Dwight is a columnist for 247 Sports VTScoop.com where he writes a weekly column covering the Virginia Tech football team. In 2017, Dwight became a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and now working on earning a Doctorate degree.Over the last 27 years, Dwight has conducted motivational presentations and workshops focused on empowering youth and their families to become successful in all their endeavors. Dwight is committed to assisting with the educational, spiritual, mental, and physical development of all young people. In an effort to help youth achieve their dreams of becoming successful, he created Victory Life in 2018 and works as the Director of Student Development. In this role, he provides therapeutic mentoring to at-risk youth focuses on goal setting, career development, time management, and life skills.Vicktory Lifehttp://www.vicktorylife.comContact the show [email protected]:  http://www.theforcedpivot.comMusic Credits:Interlude 2 (KillMyVibe) by Dj DCM

theforcedpivot Podcast welcomes Vonda Paige.  Paige shares her ups, downs, and opportunities that allowed her to thrive.Paige has over 25 years of experience in non-profit management, marketing, social media, and public relations. She is an award-winning journalist and the founder of The First Black Woman, a digital media project recognizing the historic contributions of Black women.She is a life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and Vice President of the Virginia Tech Black Alumni Society. She is co-founding member of 2CHi Entertainment, an independent film production company. She is the executive producer of the independent short film, “UH-OH” (2018) which was selected by the Pan African Film Festival and the Roxbury International Film Festival. She is also the executive producer and producer of The Woodstock of House (2021), a documentary that tells the story of Chicago house music. The film has won 9 awards and has been screened in 17 film festivals.More Info:First Black WomanThe Woodstock of House (2021)Contact the show [email protected]:  http://www.theforcedpivot.comMusic Credits:Interlude 2 (KillMyVibe) by Dj DCM

theforcedpivot Podcast welcomes Melissa Jackson Holloway.  Holloway shares how her pivots took her from Niagra Falls, NY to the largest HBCU in the United States where she serves as General Counsel. Holloway serves as General Counsel and Vice Chancellor of Legal Affairs, Risk, and Compliance for the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, the nation’s largest Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Greensboro, N.C.  At N.C. A&T, Melissa oversees Legal Affairs, Enterprise Risk Management, and Compliance, Internal Audit, and Title IX functions. Her legal practice focuses on employment law and student issues, employment litigation, student affairs and disciplinary procedures, policy development, employment contracts, immigration, and sponsored research. Prior to her current position, Melissa served as Deputy General Counsel at Ball State University, as General Counsel at North Carolina Central University, and as Chief Legal Affairs Officer at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.  Prior to entering higher education, Melissa spent four years as an associate at the law firm of Foley & Lardner in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Melissa earned her BA in business administration from Syracuse University, her MA in political science from Binghamton University, and her JD, with honors, from the University of Wisconsin School of Law. Melissa currently serves as Chair-Elect of the National Association of College and University Attorneys and is a current participant in the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Millennium Leadership Initiative (MLI).  Melissa is a national speaker on higher education legal issues. Contact the show [email protected]:  http://www.theforcedpivot.comMusic Credits:Interlude 2 (KillMyVibe) by Dj DCM

The theforcedpivot Podcast welcomes William T. Sutphin.  Sutphin shares his story of pivots and how they took him from a small town in southern Virginia to film school in New York and then to Los Angeles, California.  William Sutphin is a former 2008 DGA Winner for his thesis film "Uncle Killa", which he later licensed to HBO/Cinemax. He is a graduate of Columbia University's Film MFA program and has gone on to place as a Nicholl's Quarterfinalist and a finalist for the 2020 Universal Writers Program. He is a Member of the WGA's IWC and lives in Los Angeles with his wife Jocelyn.To find more information on William T. SutphinHoodwinked PodcastContact the show [email protected]:  http://www.theforcedpivot.comMusic Credits:Interlude 2 (KillMyVibe) by Dj DCM

theforcedpivot Podcast welcomes Carnela Renee Hill.  Hill shares her story of pivots and how she arrived at where she is today.  She explains how she maneuvers this life to serve others and to live a life of faith and obedience to God.Carnela Renee Hill, successful interior designer, CEO, public speaker, author, and coach, has many gifts and talents. She has a diverse background. Carnela has won many awards in various areas. She is a women-owned business and interior designer. She is a community leader serving and/or have served on many boards. She is an ICF Certified Coach, licensed chaplain, and minister.Carnela has an electric way of attracting people to her across various platforms nationally and internationally by keeping her audiences laughing with her engaging tone, comedic spirit, and storytelling style. Carnela is known for being vulnerable with her stories.While in seminary, she was asked to deliver a TedX-style talk. She shocked her classmates with a talk on racism and inclusion. The talk opened the door for a much-needed discussion, days after the George Floyd murder.In 2020, Carnela was selected to participate in the North Carolina discussion on “Our Stories-Brave Conversations on Race”. Carnela does not shy away from challenging topics on inclusivity, race, and faith.In a 2021 interview by Triangle Business Journal (TBJ), Carnela speaks candidly about having to pivot during the pandemic in the article “Her Faith in Business and Leadership”.Ms. Hill is an avid reader, loves family time, and is a champion for helping others SUCCEED. Her motto is “Be purposeful with your passion, and passionate about your purpose. Seek after godly wisdom!”To learn more about Carnela Renee Hill, visit her websites, www.carnelareneehill.com for books, speaking engagements, and coaching, or www.crhilldesigngroup.com for interior design.Contact the show [email protected]:  http://www.theforcedpivot.comMusic Credits:Interlude 2 (KillMyVibe) by Dj DCM

theforcedpivot Podcast welcomes DeLeon Gray, PhD.  Gray shares his story of life pivots and how he arrived at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. Gray is CEO of Black and Belonging (www.blackandbelonging.com) and an associate professor of educational psychology and equity at North Carolina State University, where he has developed three new doctoral courses on School Belonging, Equity-Focused Quantitative Methods, and Community-Engaged Approaches to Educational Research. He is enthusiastic about working jointly with education stakeholders to disrupt structural aspects of schooling environments that leave historically marginalized student groups vulnerable to anxieties about belonging.His research is recognized by prestigious honors, including the Research on Socially and Economically Underrepresented Populations Award (RISE-UP) from the Association for Psychological Science and a 2018 Best Article Award for his collaborative publication, "Black and Belonging at School: A Case for Interpersonal, Instructional, and Institutional Opportunity Structures," in Educational Psychologist. Gray has been establishing a national presence for his research, mentoring, and outreach activities. To date, he has secured more than $2.5 million in federally funded research grants as principal investigator or co-principal investigator. The overarching aim of his grant-funded community work is to amplify the voices of young people and support their motivation to achieve for the sake of racial progress and social uplift.For Gray and his team, centering community engagement has resulted in several (intended and unintended) impacts for both his partnering schools in Durham, NC, including:Developing new equity-focused methodological approaches for assessing belonging-centered instructional practicesDeveloping a graduate recruitment pipeline of equity-focused graduate students who were attracted to our community-engaged activities and who have chosen to support their same school district as community-engaged scholars while pursuing doctoral degreesBlack Enterprise featured Gray as one of 100 men of color who are "living up to a standard of excellence and using their talents and influence in their respective industries to shift the perception of men of color to create and encourage a positive narrative."He previously received the Change Agent Award of Appreciation from St. Augustine’s University in Raleigh, NC, for his community-engaged scholarship in predominantly Black K-12 schools. He recently served as a Scholar in Residence in the College of Education, Michigan State University. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.Contact the show [email protected]:  http://www.theforcedpivot.comMusic Credits:Interlude 2 (KillMyVibe) by Dj DCM