MEET THE BOARD
our board members bring a wealth of experience, leadership, and dedication to guiding our mission forward. Comprising industry leaders, visionaries, and community advocates, our board plays a pivotal role in shaping our strategic direction and ensuring long-term success.

Bruce Lewis
Interim Director
Mr. Bruce N. Lewis founded L B Limited & Associates, Inc. in October 1990, and the Equity Entrepreneur Center (e2c) in April 2021. Mr. Lewis has over 30 years of business experience and is well versed in numerous business-related topics. The firm specializes in Large-scale Public/Private Development Projects or “P3s”. As a Real Estate Development Specialist, Advisor, Strategist and Public Relations practitioner, he is solely responsible for Large-scale P3 Development Projects Governmental Approvals on behalf of his clients.
For more than 30 years Bruce has been a voice for the little guys – small business owners. He is a strong advocate for leveling the playing field, advising, and building capacity for small businesses in any industry and at any stage of business growth. Mr. Lewis has accumulated a formidable knowledge base resulting from his active involvement in all three County Disparity Studies and shares that knowledge with those small businesses that have a thirst and a commitment to excel.

Angela D.Smith
Compliance Manager
Angela D. Smith “Angie” is a native New Yorker, but spent most of her adolescent life in Broward County, Florida. She is the wife to Claude Smith and they together have raised three wonderful human beings, Matthew, Elysa, and Joshua and two extremely energetic fur babies, Cocoa and Latte. A proud graduate of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee, Florida she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Economics and later a Master of Public Administration degree at Liberty University in Virginia.
With over 25 years of experience in civil rights across both public and non-profit sectors, Angie is a steadfast advocate for historically overlooked and underrepresented communities. Her deep-rooted commitment to equality has guided her journey to her current role as Compliance Manager with the Palm Beach County Office of Equal Business Opportunity (OEBO), where she continues to champion fairness and equity.
At OEBO, Angie serves as a subject matter expert in business information, guiding Palm Beach County residents aspiring to entrepreneurship. She plays a pivotal role in educating both internal and external stakeholders on government procurement opportunities. In her compliance role, she establishes and maintains internal regulatory policies and legal standards, conducting audits and monitoring processes to ensure adherence. Through well-defined operating procedures, she promotes consistent reporting and transparency.
Angie’s commitment to public service extends beyond her professional role. As Chair of the Equity to Entrepreneur Center (E2C) Board and a Cohort trainer, she empowers small businesses and advances E2C’s mission. She also serves as Director of Worship at her church, fostering spiritual engagement and leadership. Dedicated to community empowerment, Angie is a judge for the Palm Beach Post Pathfinder Scholarship—Business category and works alongside neighborhood associations to promote economic development and social justice. Her efforts extend to organizing local job fairs, business workshops, and cultural festivals, all aimed at supporting historically underutilized businesses

Christine D. Roberts, IA, MBA,MAcc
Christine, a proud native of Guyana, South America, is a CEO, entrepreneur, and business strategist with over 20 years of experience in financial management and business consulting.
As the founder of Intention Enterprises LLC, she empowers businesses to grow from inception to sustainability by delivering customized solutions that drive efficiency and profitability. Christine recently published Wealth Whispers, her debut journal designed to inspire a wealth mindset and support personal growth. Proceeds from the journal are dedicated to a scholarship fund created in honor of her late mother, celebrating a legacy of education and empowerment.With her expertise and leadership, Christine has been featured in South Carolina Women’s Magazine, Bold Journey, Shoutout Miami, and MGMA. She actively serves on several nonprofit boards and is an alumna of the Goldman Sachs: One Million Black Women Program.

Dominique Ricketts
Founder & CEO
Dominique Ricketts is the Founder & CEO of Kingdom Wealth Managers, a consulting firm dedicated to helping businesses achieve financial clarity with integrity. With over 20 years of experience in corporate finance and an MBA in International Business, he provides bookkeeping and CFO services with a heart for service. Dominique is passionate about supporting mission-driven organizations and building leaders grounded in faith and purpose.

Keely Gideon-Taylor
Community Relations Manager, Gannett Media Southeast Florida Properties
Keely Gideon-Taylor manages the Community Relations at The Palm Beach Post and Palm Beach Daily News. In this role, Keely is responsible for building and cultivating community, business and corporate relationships to drive engagement. Additionally, Keely is responsible for managing the the philanthropic endeavors, including the charitable giving campaigns and scholar programs for the Gannett Media Southeast Florida properties. Keely’s efforts have earned her the Gannett’s Greatest Award for Community Cultivation, Gannett Media’s top honor among its 260+ properties.
Keely is committed to making a positive difference in her community. She serves on the Board of Directors for Black Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County, Leadership Palm Beach County, Pace Center for Girls, Palm Beach, Pathfinder Scholarship Fund of Palm Beach and Martin County and Urban League of Palm Beach County. She is a member of Executive Women of the Palm Beaches and Impact of the Palm Beaches.
Her motto for service: Work for a cause, not for applause. Live life to express, not to impress. Don’t strive to make your presence noticed, just make your absence felt.

Arturo Flores
Associate Managing Director for the Community Development Division within CIBC Bank USA
Arturo Flores is an Associate Managing Director for the Community Development Division within CIBC Bank USA, He brings 19 years of extensive experience in the financial industry, including a role as a Business Banker at PNC Bank. His hands-on experience has been instrumental in shaping his expertise. At CIBC Bank USA, he is dedicated to driving community development initiatives, leveraging his passion for assisting startup companies and small businesses qualify for lending to foster growth and prosperity within Palm Beach County.
Arturo started his career in Washington D.C. doing residential mortgages and hosting a Spanish radio show, where he focused on educating the Spanish community about credit matters. Prior to his banking career, he served as the Operations Manager for a garage door manufacturing company, refining his skills in management and operations. Committed to making a positive impact in the financial sector and beyond, he strives to be a catalyst for positive change and empowerment within our communities.”

Kimble Byrd
VentureAnalytix (VAX)
Kimble Byrd holds an A.B. from Villanova University and a J.D, from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He combines over 30 years of, with experience as a lawyer, investor, entrepreneur and University professor and researcher.
Byrd has been involved both as a founder with two successful exits and as an angel investor in early-stage ventures primarily in professional services, biomed-tech and consumer goods.
As a professor, Byrd has historically taught in the new venture development and entrepreneurial financing spaces, as well as in the legal environment area. His philosophy is to integrate entrepreneurship theory and practice into teaching and research, as a scholar-practitioner.
His research interests focus on exploring four sectors: access to early stage capital; SME decision-making, learning architecture pedagogy and government regulation of business. The author of over 50 publications, he has contributed his research to a range of diverse academic and practitioner publications.
Byrd currently serves on a number of regional, national for, and non-profit Boards and additionally provides early-stage venture advisory services and entrepreneurial consulting to emerging businesses through his firm, VentureAnalytix (VAX) established in 2002. Before joining Rowan University, as a lawyer Byrd was a partner in a commercial law firm in Washington, D.C after having served as a legal advisor for the US Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA) particularly on then nascent Local Economic Development Corporation (LEDCs).