LAURIE A. MURPHY
Laurie A. Murphy, MBA, MPH, MS is the dedicated Executive Director of the Black Professionals Association Charitable Foundation (BPACF), a non-profit in Cleveland, Ohio, a position she has held since 2021. The mission of BPACF is to create opportunities for African-American professionals by providing scholarships, leadership, and career development. The vision of BPACF is to be a catalyst that develops emerging professionals, celebrates distinguished leaders, and elevates our community. BPACF has provided $3.7 million in scholarships since 1985 and celebrated an untold number of Black professionals at all levels in their careers.
Murphy oversees the development, management, and execution of programs, services, and events, and the exploration of partnerships that make a difference. Murphy feels like it is a wonderful and humbling opportunity to partner with a visionary board that strives to make positive, lasting change. Murphy adds to the legacy of supporting career development in the pre-professional pipeline, and the career development of future leaders while saluting stellar professional role models in the community.
JASON GARRETT
Jason Garrett is a “Hybrid” Creative based out of Cleveland, Ohio. He is multidisciplinary, with an eye for innovation and pixel perfection. Academically, he studied Design and Communications at Kent State University. Professionally, he has worked with some of the top brands and amassed an impressive and versatile client roster. In life, he is a family man, Cleveland sports enthusiast, Old Forester drinker, and a hugger. Garrett’s secret sauce is his versatility.
Garrett Prides himself on his array of skills in graphic design, photography, videography, and motion graphics as well as his many titles: designer, creative, marketer, art director, educator, business owner, mentor, husband, and dad. Jason’s creativity, passion, and work ethic are evident in everything that he touches.
CRYSTAL BRYANT-AGYEMANG
Crystal Bryant–Agyemang is an East Cleveland, Ohio native. As both a lawyer and social worker, she has a unique set of professional experiences that have helped to shape her career. Bryant spent the first 20 years of her career providing service to others in the public sector. Beginning her career as a passionate advocate in the Greater Cleveland Drug Court for Cuyahoga County TASC, Co-founding Cleveland VOTES, and lastly serving as the Executive Director of the Cleveland Branch of the NAACP—service to and for others has always been a driving factor in the work that has been chosen for her to do.
Bryant now serves as the National Engagement Strategist on the Community Relations Team for the Corporate Responsibility Department at KeyBank.
BRIAN BOWLING
Brian Bowling is the President and CEO of Lean Machine, a company that specializes in using Lean Six Sigma to help corporations with process improvement. The University of Akron graduate has clients across the USA and offers consulting services to companies that have gaps in performance. Lean Six Sigma is a process improvement approach that uses a collaborative team effort to improve performance by systematically removing operational waste and reducing process variation. It combines Lean Management and Six Sigma to increase the velocity of value creation in business processes.
Bowling, who is certified with his Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma, specializes in reducing risk while increasing revenue for the companies his firm works with. To date, his company has saved his clients over 50 million by impacting how they do business.
