Author

Women of Rubies

Browsing

Attorney Jehan Crump-Gibson and Ayanna  Alcendor have joined forces to create the powerhouse law firm Great Lakes Legal Group PLLC in metro Detroit. The minority women-owned law firm was launched at the beginning of 2018, and will offer one-stop-shop service to a range of clients.

Attorney Jehan Crump-Gibson

Crump-Gibson comes with a plethora of experience, as she has been recognized three times by the Michigan Super Lawyers Magazine as a rising star. After earning dual bachelor’s degrees in political science and english from Michigan State University, Crump-Gibson then went on to earn her juris doctorate from Wayne State University Law School. Post law school, Crump-Gibson opened up her very own law firm, C&G Solutions, for a while before joining forces with Alcendor. She received the 2015 and 2016 Martindale Hubbell ® Client Distinction Award and was recognized as one of Michigan Chronicle’s ’40 under 40’. United States Senator Gary Peters appointed Crump-Gibson to the Michigan Senate Judicial Advisory Committee in 2017 and she was admitted to practice law in Michigan and before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Alcendor also comes with an abundance of experience as well.  Having received her Juris doctorate degree from Western Michigan Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2013, Alcendor interned at C&G Solutions, Crump-Gibson’s law firm. She also interned at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan with Judge Mark A. Randon, the state appellate defender’s office, the Wayne County prosecutor’s office and a number of area boutique firms as well. At Ernst & Young, she served as a client servicing associate in the Detroit office. Alcendor also founded her own practice, Allied Legal Consulting, PLC., before teaming up with Crump-Gibson.

Rolling out Magazine had the opportunity to speak with these two dynamic women about the inspiration for launching their own firm in metro Detroit and as well as discuss the services that their new firm will specialize in, they also touched on the unique skillsets they collectively bring to the firm as a team.

What was the inspiration for launching a minority women-owned law firm?

JCG: You have to be the change you want to see. This is why we thought it was so important to start the firm. Minority women continue to be underrepresented in equity positions in law firms and the legal field as a whole. A minority-woman owned law firm like Great Lakes Legal Group is uniquely positioned to aid in the ongoing efforts to address this disparity. Minority women serving in such critical leadership roles are integral in diversifying the legal profession. In turn, this diversification has a direct impact on the communities we serve.

With these roles, we have a responsibility. As important as it is to command a seat at the table, you have to leave the door open to the room for those to come in behind you. We do this by continuing to feed the pipeline. Recruiting talented young women of color and providing opportunities for exposure to young women in firms’ aids in augmenting representation in the industry. We are fully committed to these efforts at Great Lakes.

What services does your firm specialize in?

AA: Probate and Estate Planning, Family Law, Criminal Law, General and Civil Mediation, Business and Commercial Matters, Governmental Affairs.

Tell us about your background and previous experience. Crump-Gibson, you previously had nine years of legal experience, and you also served as the president of the Wolverine Bar Association & the Wolverine Bar Foundation. How has your previous experience helped to prepare you for opening up your own firm?

JCG: I have been blessed with diverse experiences in the legal field and in the community that have unquestionably prepared me to take on the role as Managing Partner of the firm. I have had the great fortune of gaining critical experience in government, serving as staff attorney and deputy chief of staff for former Detroit city council member Saunteel Jenkins and as a policy analyst for former Detroit city council member Sheila Cockrel. During my law school tenure, I also clerked in-house at Comerica Bank’s corporate legal department and externed at the federal district court for the Honorable Arthur J. Tarnow. Garnering knowledge and skills from these roles, I practiced as a solo-practitioner for a number of years, representing clients in various courts at the state level and in federal court.

The Wolverine Bar Association was integral in cultivating my career, from my very first day as a law student at Wayne State. As soon as I got the opportunity, I began to involve myself with leadership roles, ultimately serving as president.

The most important takeaways from my legal experiences and my role with the Wolverine Bar were leadership, commitment and accountability. By its very nature, the role of a lawyer is a leader.  Having ownership in your practice takes that role to the next level. It also requires an unwavering commitment and a strong sense of accountability, to your partners, your staff and most importantly, your clients.

Alcendor, your expertise is in criminal, family and probate matters, and you’re also a certified Michigan supreme court administrative office civil mediator. What are some specific instances about your past experience that have prepared you for opening your own firm?

AA: When I decided to become a lawyer, I wanted to gain experience and knowledge in as many areas as possible. To this end, I connected with seasoned attorneys practicing civil, family, probate, bankruptcy and criminal law. While in law school, I had the opportunity to clerk for a federal magistrate judge, and serve as a pro bono pro se bankruptcy consultant and expungement advocate. The legal field is ever-changing and more times than not, clients are being confronted with overlapping legal conflicts. The diversity of my experiences lends to my ability to effectively address the issues of our clients and pool resources to best meet their needs.

As a team, what are your unique skillsets that you collectively bring to the table?

AA: Steadfast commitment to ethics, strong communication skills, and knowledge of the law are essentials of any reputable law firm. Great Lakes Legal Group offers clients and the community at large not only these fundamentals, but also two partners that have the ambition, drive and commitment to excellence and client satisfaction. These are qualities that are far too often overlooked. GLLG offers a holistic approach to meeting client needs. We have the unique ability to offer a vast array of client services in-house. This law firm truly is a one-stop shop. We are passionate about the law and our clients.

Where can we find more information on your firm?

JCG: Our website is www.gllegalgroup.com. There, you will find detailed information about the owners’ backgrounds, the services we offer and the areas we serve. You can also sign up for our newsletter on the home page to stay connected with us. We are on social media as well:  facebook.com/gllegalgroup, Instagram: @gllegalgroup and Twitter: @gllegalgroup  Please be sure to connect with us, as we regularly share helpful legal tips and updates in the law.

Source: Women Africa

The former First Lady of United States, Michelle Obama, on Sunday, won the Grammy Best Spoken Word Album for her audiobook ‘Becoming’, at the 62nd Grammy Awards, at the Staples Centre, Los Angeles.

The audiobook, Becoming, shared her journey from a little girl from the South Side of Chicago to lawyer and the First Lady of the United States.

Other nominees in the Best Spoken World Album categories are Michael Diamond, Adam Horovitz, Scott Sherratt and Dan Zitt (Beastie Boys Book), Eric Alexandrakis (I.V. Catatonia: 20 Years As A Two-Time Cancer Survivor), John Waters (Mr. Know-It-All) and Sekou Andrews & The String Theory (Sekou Andrews & The String Theory).

Her win, gave the Obama household its third Grammy as former president Barack Obama has already won two Grammys in the same category for his books.

Credit: Nigeria Tribune

Premium Times stated that the judge dismissed Sanda’s statement that her husband fell on a broken Shisha pot during a fight on the ill-fated day as a “smokescreen to deceive the court. ”He pushed me and as I was falling down, I mistakenly broke his Shisha bottle and the water inside spilled on the floor. He pinned me to the ground and I heard our daughter crying. I told him to leave me so that I could attend to her and he loosened up a bit and I struggled to my feet”, she had narrated. According to the judge, evidence proves the accused stabbed her husband with a kitchen knife with intent to ”kill”.

The mother of one denied killing her husband or nursing such intentions. She said trouble started after she discovered nude pictures of another woman in her late husband’s phone and confronted him.

According to an eye witness she threatened her husband on several occasions if he refused granting her a divorce.

 

 

 

Helen Williams made history in the United States in the 1950s when she became the first dark-skinned African-American fashion model to cross over into mainstream advertising.

Yet, it was the French who accepted her instead of the Americans who considered her to be “too dark.”

Williams would surmount the challenges that came with the color of her skin, rising to fame in Paris and New York in the late 1950s and early 1960s and paving way for other dark-skinned models.

Born in East Riverton, New Jersey in 1937, Williams studied dance, drama, and art before becoming a stylist at a New York photography studio.

There, her beauty caught the attention of Lena Horne and Sammy Davis Jr, who frequented the studio to do press shots. The two encouraged Williams, then 17, to take up fashion modeling.

And that was how she was able to break into a stereotyped industry like fashion in the 1950s, working with African-American magazines like Jet and Ebony.

But there was a problem – her dark skin color did not attract many industry folks in America, as non-white models were largely excluded from mainstream fashion. Even within the African-American modeling scene, ladies were expected to be light-skinned.

“I was too dark to be accepted,” Williams once recalled. Facing discrimination while trying to extend her career with other modeling houses, Williams moved to Paris in the 1960s, where she was embraced.

France had a different outlook on black beauty and soon enough, the African-American beauty was modeling for big fashion designers like Christian Dior and Jean Dessès.

“By the end of her tenure she was making a staggering $7,500 a year working part-time and had received three marriage proposals from her French admirers, one of whom kissed her feet and murmured, ‘I worship the ground you walk on, mademoiselle’,” writes arogundade.com

Williams later returned to America, hoping things had changed for models like her. But when she went searching for a new agent in New York City, she realized that there had not been any major change.

Told to wait two hours in the reception of one agency, she was later told that the agency already had a black model and she was not needed. Having had enough of the bias of the fashion industry, Williams took her case to the press.

Some influential media personalities took up her case, exposing the plight of black fashion models in the country and drumming home the need for change.

Eventually, the situation improved, especially for Williams, and she got booked for ads for major brands such as Loom Togs, Modess, and Budweiser.

Her rate also shot up to $100 an hour. Finally, the beautiful, talented and inspirational woman had broken the color barrier in the modeling industry. As more black models became more visible, cosmetic companies began doing a lot of research aimed at developing products for African-American women.

Retiring from modeling in 1970, Williams continued her career in fashion as a stylist. Her courage, however, paved the way for other black models like Naomi Campbell, Tyra Banks, Duckie Thot, among others.

 

Credit Woman Africa

28 years old Ajia Monet has been a creative visionary her entire life. She decided to resign from her long time government employment with the United States Postal Service in 2015 to pursue her lifelong passion as an Interior Designer.

“A’Blige Interior Designs” is what she called it; founded in April of 2014.

The self-taught freelance designer has since been making big moves in the competitive industry doing so by her natural, creative talent.  With no schooling or formal training, the designer was able to start her own company,  and it has been a success ever since.

It took one argumentative conversation with her father, who is an entrepreneur in the restaurant industry, that helped her come to the realization that she should take that leap of faith and start own business. At that time, she was in the midst of waiting to be recruited by the United States Navy and was working for her father. She said she felt overworked and undervalued.

“I remember him saying to me when you get your own business, you can run your business how you want to run your business,” she said. “It was so funny to me because it was kind of like an aha moment for me because I never even considered it.

From that moment, the mother of two quit her job. She started putting together business plans to bring her vision to life.

“Everybody has always known that I was creative,” Monet added. “I always changed my room. My apartments were always nice, so when he said that to me, it gave me another perspective.”

The interior designer makes it clear that the journey of finding her passion wasn’t that smooth, though.

“It [interior design industry] was super new and foreign to people in my community because it always been like a luxury service,” she said, “I was like, what can I do differently. I wanted to offer affordable services to my people. The supply and demand worked and so many people were willing to patronize and support. The rest is history.”

During this time, Monet was contemplated pursuing a career design in school since she didn’t have any formal training.  She knew creativity is from the inside though. She sought her father’s advice of whether she should do so or not since he was somebody she looked up to on how to run a business.

He told her that if she wanted to work for someone else, then going to school would be a great idea, but if she wanted to run her own business, then she shouldn’t waste time or money according to Blavity.

Then she took the  leap of faith in starting the business without school. She knew she could hire and outsource people if she needed to.

“To be honest this year will be four years I have been in business,” Monet said. “I was looking back like ‘okay, I’ve officially graduated’. I couldn’t really do it any other way.”

Monet wants to make it clear that she is not degrading people who do go to school, but in those four years, she was able to learn through her experience, in the opposite way of those who go to school yet have no experience in their chosen field.

“They have the skills but they don’t have the experience,” she said. “At the end of four years, I was able to have both.”

During her journey, Monet pursued her business full-time, even though she still had bills to pay and really didn’t have support from others or her father during the time of her transition. But, her situation motivated her to work harder.

“For me, I felt like that was the push I needed to work harder to prove him (her father) wrong,” Monet said. “Not to say he didn’t believe in me, but what I saw, I didn’t feel the love or encouragement or support that most people need on this journey.”

Earlier on there were times where she had to take her two kids to work with her. At s a point, had to do their homework in the car because they returned home as late as 2 a.m.

She had to learn how to efficiently manage her money as well. She was driving a car that couldn’t fit all of her materials and, but her father was able to step in and help her purchase a truck.

Monet learned how to properly carry herself as a businesswoman. She did research online, read blogs and using Pinterest to help drive traffic to her business. In these circumstances of starting, most people would have quit.

“I had next to no budget when I started,” Monet said. “I wasn’t really able to show what I could really do. I had to work my way up and build that repertoire with people. I just had to immerse myself in it and I had to find the key ways to do things.”

Photo: A’Blige Interior Designs/Ricky Codio

With her experiences, the interior designer launched a Business Coaching Course for people in the interior design industry.

Monet believes people should still pursue a career using their natural talents even though they may be afraid to do so, even if they didn’t go to school.

“I feel like if God gave it to you use it,” Monet said. “You just have to believe and have faith in yourself. I hate to sound so spiritual but it all boils down to your state of mind. She wants entrepreneurs to know that it still takes time to perfect your craft, and along with it comes a lot of trial and error.

“There’s always room for improvement,” Monet said. “A good business is always trying to figure out the problem and coming up with a solution to it.” She  learned the mindset of having patience and managing your emotions.

She has learned that business ownership is not a process of instant gratification,  but to trust the process.

“People don’t see the hard work, the late nights and early mornings and the sacrifice,” Monet said. “They just see the pretty pictures on Instagram and they try to skip the process and not do it with integrity and not do it because they love it. They’re just trying to get where you are.”

Monet believes that one needs to get away from their comfort zone. They should at least try because you never know the outcome.

“I always tell people, God makes you uncomfortable when he wants you to grow,” she said. “I believe that. Being content is a mentality.”

“Just because this is my story and it worked for me, that doesn’t mean that what worked for you will be a better way,” said.

She just encourages any learning from her them to pray, focus and believe. According to her, if you can believe it you can achieve it.

“Try it first and if it doesn’t work out at least you said you tried,” she continued. “At least if it doesn’t work out, then you can try Plan B, and if Plan B doesn’t work go back to Plan A  and just figure out how you’re going to refine it.”

This women are committed financial executors in their various leadership positions. Their top notch skills and vast experiences explains just how good and powerful they are.

1. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala – 

She has served twice as former minister of finance and a coordinating minister of the economy.
A highly respected and influential global leader, economist and policymaker. She had consistently made Forbes’s 100 Most Powerful Women in the World and one of the Most Influential People in the World by TIME Magazine.

She has also held several key positions at the World Bank, including as Managing Director. 

2. Arunma Oteh – Ecobank board member

Arunma Oteh has a 33-year career ranging from finance to banking and international development.  Oteh was  treasurer of the World Bank from 2015-2018, and the former Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigeria 2010-2015. She recently joined Oxford University as an academic scholar at St. Antony’s College and an executive-in-residence at SAID Business School. Ecobank also recently appointed her as a non executive board member.

3. Zainab Ahmed – Nigeria’s Minister of Finance

Zainab is an accountant by profession and became the Minister of Finance following the resignation of, Kemi Adeosun the then former minister last year. And also Minister for Budget and National Planning appointed on August 21, 2019 as the two ministries were brought under her as one, making her the de facto Minister of Economy. She was previously the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning.

In over 30 years of her career, she has served the in various high ranking positions.

4. Aishah Ahmad – Deputy Governor, CBN

Aishah Ahmad was appointed Deputy Governor at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) , she leads the sound promotion of financial system in Nigeria; as one of the principal objects of the Bank as specified within the CBN Act. She is a member of the Governing Board and Committee of Governors at the CBN and Chairman, Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC) – a not for profit organization.

Prior to her appointment, Aisha was the Executive Director, Retail Banking at Diamond Bank. Her experience cuts across top financial institutions in Nigeria including Zenith Bank, Stanbic IBTC and Diamond Bank.

5. Ibukun Awosika – Chairman, First Bank Plc

Ibukun Awosika is the current Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria Plc and the first women in such a position. As a reputable businesswoman, she is the CEO of The Chair Centre Group. The companies in the group include: The Chair Centre Limited, Sokoa Chair Centre Limited, Furniture Manufacturers Mart an so on.

She is a member of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), . Ibukun chairs a number of corporate and not-for-profit boards.

6. Toyin Sanni – 

Toyin Sanni was the immediate past Group CEO of United Capital Plc and now founder and CEO of the Emerging Africa Capital Group, a Nigerian-based financial services provider.

She is a prominent Investment Banker, Previously she has been the CEO,UBA Trustees, CEO, UBA Global Investor Services,MD/CEO, Cornerstone Trustees & AGM at FBN Trustees, a part of the FBN Holdings group.

Toyin leads a multiple award winning group who provide advisory & capital raising solutions for infrastructure & development across Africa. She is also a public speaker and an author.

7. Sola David-Borha – 

Sola David-Borha is the current Chief Executive, Africa Regions at Standard Bank Group, the former CEO of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc and the former CEO of Stanbic IBTC Bank.

She previously held executive roles which included acting managing director of IBTC Chartered Bank Plc and executive director of CIB (excluding South Africa).

She was described as one of the finest bankers of her generation by Former Chairman of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Atedo Peterside

Currently, she serves as the vice chairman of the board of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, and has held this position since 2015.

 

Senegalese born, Harlem-native Diarrha N’Diaye is launching her own line of products . She kind of hinted at this in her 2019 interview with BN Style.

In an interview with Byrdie.com she opens up about why she decided to start and building a beauty business.

On her inspiration for starting Ami Cole

 “For a very long time, I didn’t know beauty outside of this bubble,” she says. “The idea of my mother’s shop was to transform someone into their most beautiful self, and that’s what I saw. Girls would travel to our salon with their cut-outs and Hype Hair magazine and that was our pinnacle of beauty. It wasn’t until I hit the ‘real world’ where I realized that wasn’t represented.”

On her industry experience (as a social media strategist at L’Oréal and on the product development team at Glossier)

“We were afterthoughts, even in terms of formulation,” she shares. “Many vendors catered to the same people and brands. So out of habit, distributors are creating products in a certain shade range (catered to light skin), and then throwing in a darker shade to accommodate a ‘woman of color.’” N’Diaye adds, “The formulations didn’t have us in mind from the beginning. I always felt like I was being squeezed into a space. There wasn’t much thought about how we influence culture or how we influence spend.” “Many times, I was the only one on a team of 50, or even 100, having to explain why the brand’s key messaging or particular imagery was not appropriate for us. I am black, yes. But, I don’t represent every single experience. I felt very tokenized in some instances, but also felt the need to also be an advocate for all of us. It was a tough space.”

@diarrhaxo

On why she started Ami Cole 

“People want their skin, but better.” Her initial collection is set to provide a skin-enhancing tint, an illuminator, and a lip treatment. “I thought it was important to offer these products because there aren’t a lot of options. I loved Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer, but they didn’t offer my shade until two months ago. Brands weren’t giving me the tint I wanted. Each of the products are going to have a skincare first approach.”

Credit Bellanaija

Abimbola Craig is up with some relationship advise for the unmarrieds though.

While addressing a fan who asked, “How do I communicate no sex before marriage to my boyfriend without sounding off?”. She shared her thoughts on the question, saying, “sex has to be communicated. There are no in-betweens. Nobody should pressure you into doing what you don’t want to do. If and when you decide to, you should communicate that to him as well but on your own terms.”

Watch her vlog below:

Ghanaian female musician Mzbel, cries out about the state of her career in music, saying her involvement in Politics has affected the promotion rate of her songs.

She was an avid supporter of  the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2016 general elections.

For 16years she has been a hit but has been experiencing a few support from fans after her political involvement. According to her, an attempt to promote her song three years ago failed, which has made her to put music on hold for now.

In an interview she had with Graphic Showbiz, Mzbel said, “Music is kind of on hold for now. The main reason is that when I released Tongues, promoting it was difficult. It was right after the general election (2016) and I had shown my face as to whom I supported, so, there was hatred. I went for a nationwide tour but it still didn’t work.”

“As things stand now, if I release a song, I won’t be able to promote it and I won’t get gigs because of political reasons. I have about 11 or 12 songs to be released, so, I put them on my website,” she stated.

Mzbel has chosen to focus on her pub located at Tema West at the moment.

“At the moment, I am focusing my energy on my pub and other things,” she said.