Connect with us

Building on ten years of success with Christmas in the Village, the Empowerment Network, OEDC, Revive, FHAS, Omaha Star and 30 plus businesses, venues and organizations have come together to plan and host the first Fall Festival at 24th and Lake.

It’s an open invitation for families, friends, neighbors and the whole community to come down and celebrate the start of fall and have a great time together.

“We have something for all ages,” said Willie Barney, CEO of the Empowerment Network and co-owner of the Revive Center and Carver Legacy Center in the district.

“It’s an opportunity to build on the positive momentum at 24th and Lake, provide some fun activities for children and families and continue the development of our business, food, arts, culture and entertainment district.”

Those in attendance will have more than 20 different activities to enjoy including these highlights:

  • A hayride starting near Dreamland Park at 24th and Lizzie Robinson
  • Free pumpkins and produce, craft activities and exhibits at the Union;
  • Caramel apples, cinnamon rolls and delicious lunch items at the Revive Center
  • A petting zoo and carnival games at OEDC
  • Face painting, smoothies and vegan foods at Ital Vital
  • Hula hooping and snacks at the Bryant Center
  • Free candy at the Great Plains Black History Museum
  • Cider and cookies at Styles of Evolution
  • A fall coloring contest at the Omaha Star
  • Great music at Dreamland Park.

Cartoon characters will be seen outside the Carver Legacy Center, inside the Fair Deal Village Marketplace near the Rooted Synergy Gallery and at 24th and Grant next to the Mildred Brown Park.

The Husker football game will be shown at the Revive Center and Bryant Center for those that want to keep up with the game while also taking part in the festival.

All of the businesses in the area will be open and offering special discounts and fall merchandise.  Still Poppin will have all of the most popular flavors including the Omaha Mix, Cookies and Cream, Caramel Cheddar, Cheese, Cajun Jalepeno and Buffalo Ranch.

“We are really excited to be part of these events,” said Imani Murray, co-owner of Ital Vital Living.  “We opened this summer and we have received great support from the community.”

 

“Our part is the hayride right here in the neighborhood,” said Michael Young, president of Technology Consulting Solutions and co-owner of the Rooted Synergy Gallery. “We are looking forward to providing a fun experience for kids of all ages.”  The Rooted Synergy Gallery also opened this year at the Fair Deal Village.

“The Union team is planning some great activities for families,” said Brigitte McQueen, executive director for The Union for Contemporary Art. “It’s perfect timing as we have reopened and have new exhibits and free produce to offer the community.”

The event planning team encourages everyone to mask up and enjoy themselves in a safe way. The partners have also teamed with Douglas County and the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance to offer vaccinations in front of the Mildred Brown Park during the event.

“It’s the first Fall Festival that we are all doing together. If you want to see something added in the future let us know,” said Barney. “We would love to see it grow the same way Christmas in the Village has evolved over the past ten years to include thousands of attendees the first Saturday in December.”

“We will add more partners and activities as we go. And, the businesses and venues in the Village plan to have events like this consistently the rest of this year and moving forward in 2022.”

“This is a great opportunity for the 24th and Lake Street village to come together and show a unified effort in bringing family and fun activities to the area.  The momentum is building,” said Cynthia Hume, Site Manager for the Fair Deal Village Marketplace.

“We’ve been here at 24th and Lake for seventeen years,” said Don McPherson, owner of Styles of Evolution. “It’s great to be a part of the rebirth of this area and working with other businesses to make it happen.”

Mask up and come on down to the Village at 24th and Lake.

 

 

Careers

Gibril Mansaray creating innovative partnerships in Sierra Leone

Mansaray announced his partnership for the first time on the stage at the Leadership Conference in 2019.  The response encouraged him to step out in faith at a larger level. He has since been recognized by global organizations for his significant impact.

In 2019, a request from his father to send USD 430 to support their ancestral village in Sierra Leone during a crisis changed Gibril’s life. What appeared to be a small amount of funds by U.S. standards fed his family’s village of 1,500 people for a week.

Realizing the significant impact of even small amounts of money, Gibril raised USD 3,400 to rebuild the village’s primary school. This effort led to Gibril founding the Pa Karim Memorial Foundation, named in honor of his grandfather, to expand educational opportunities in Sierra Leone.  Mansary will speak on his journey and how others can do similar work in partnership with other nations in Africa.

Gibril Mansaray

Gibril S. Mansaray is a man with deep roots. Born in Iowa, Gibril moved frequently during childhood, which helped him develop a unique ability to unite people, spark connections, and foster belonging. The son of a Western African Muslim father and an African American Southern Baptist Christian mother, Gibril often felt like “a walking division.” However, his passion for learning led him to major in sociology, setting the stage for his future work in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB).

The Pa Karim Memorial Foundation focuses on creating educational access, opportunities, hope, and empowerment for youth in remote villages of Sierra Leone. Their mission is to open doors of opportunity through quality education, unlocking the potential of young minds and igniting their dreams for a brighter future.

The Foundation’s core values include access, opportunity, hope, and empowerment. The Foundation is working on a joint effort with the Government of Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Energy and Xemplar Carbon & Capital to develop, finance and deploy 200MW of Renewable Energy infrastructure solutions across the Republic of Sierra Leone.

The agreement highlights how Xemplar Carbon’s strategic collaboration with the Pa Karim Memorial Foundation and Develop Africa Inc. (Sierra Leone N.G.O.) will ensure Local Content Policy (LCP) engagement and in-country capacity building.

Gibril’s work has not gone unnoticed. He was honored with the 2023 Amway Hero Award, recognizing his dedication to breaking down educational barriers and fostering empowerment through education. This award highlights his mission’s impact and collective effort’s transformative power. In the U.S., Gibril advocates for education and empowerment, urging others to recognize their potential to make a difference.

He believes that through collaboration and commitment, exponential change is possible. Gibril is married to Maurisa N. Mansaray, a Method Development Specialist with Midwest Labs and a classically trained cellist. The couple’s pride and joy are their three-year-old son, Moses, and their one-year-old son, Maaz.  You can learn more and donate to the foundation here: Develop Africa (reachapp.co)

Continue Reading

Careers

Moving Towards $1 Billion; David Stevens, CEO of Stevens Capital Partners

David Stevens, CEO and Founder of Stevens Capital Partners, is one of the nation’s top investors and wealth management leaders.

After spending nearly 20 years of his career at TD Ameritrade, where he ran the largest advice practice in the nation, David founded Stevens Capital PartnersTM, an SEC fee-only Registered Investment Advisory Firm (formerly known as Purposeful Wealth). David is a University of Nebraska at Lincoln graduate, a series 66 licensed (Investment Advisor), and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation. He is a proud member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors and is on the Board of Directors for the Financial Planning Association of Nebraska.

David has been a guest speaker and panelist at local and national conferences throughout the financial industry. David and the team focus on your life, family, and priorities to help you determine, navigate, and achieve your goals. His commitment to the fiduciary model of investment management is one of the pillars that support his work ethic and core values.

He and his wife, Natalia have four children and live in Omaha, where he enjoys attending and coaching their children’s academic, musical, and athletic events. He sits on several boards and enjoys making a positive impact in the lives of others. Part of that commitment is his pledge to donate 10 percent of the profits of Stevens Capital PartnersSM to his community.

Goal is to Delight and Deliver!

Our clients cover a broad spectrum but are mostly high-net worth families, business executives, professional athletes, institutions, churches, and non-profits. They rely on us for wealth management, comprehensive financial planning, and our ability to strategize with them on matters within and outside their financial needs.

Exceeding the expectations of our clients is too low a bar for us. We strive to delight.

The African-American Leadership Conference is presented by the Empowerment Network of Omaha and features local and national leaders along with allies from every sector.  For more information on the Empowerment Network, please go to empoweromaha.com

Continue Reading

Careers

Racquel Henderson, helping to launch the Empowerment Network’s Skill-Up Omaha Collaborative

Racquel Henderson is well-known in the community for spreading the word about opportunities, resources and critical information.

Henderson recently joined EPIC Girls as the director of programs and strategic partnerships.  With her previous roles at Metropolitan Community College and UNO, Henderson has made a measurable impact in the lives of thousands of youth and young adults.

This month, she is will also begin working as a consultant and navigator for the Empowerment Network to help launch and coordinate the new Skill-Up Omaha Collaborative.

She has also established a strong reputation for keeping the community connected and informed.  Known as a trusted go-to person in the community, Henderson has an amazing track record of making things happen through her passion, advocacy, partnerships, strategic outreach and keeping things relevant and real.

Raquel Henderson

Born and raised in North Omaha, Racquel is a courageous leader that actively works to use employment as a tool to elevate peoples’ circumstances. In her work as an influencer, activists, and community advocate, she is a champion for change through education, employment, and community resources.

Racquel has spent more than 10 years serving her community by providing second chances in reentry programs and uplifting youth in higher education opportunities. Racquel has been pivotal with creating opportunities for individuals to elevate their lives and become the best version of themselves.

Previously, as the Pathway Coordinator for the Walter Scott Jr. Career Pathway Scholarship at Metropolitan Community College Racquel focused on the retention of first-generation and underrepresented students by providing intrusive academic support and guidance on the way to Career Placement. Racquel also serves as the Employment and Education Coordinator for Black and Pink — the nation’s largest prison abolitionist organization.

Additionally, Racquel is a Professor at UNO where she instructs a course centered on issues of race, ethnicity, and the criminal justice system. Racquel works with the Terraluna Collaborative on the Lived Experience Project which seeks to assist youth and families who have been impacted by the juvenile justice system in providing resources and workshops that facilitate healing with a focus on gathering their voices and stories, and is a Consultant for the Community Wellness Collaborative where she provides mentorship and employment skills for cohorts of young adults for the Health Care Collaborative Academy.

Racquel serves as a mentor with The Keys Foundation, where she works to improve academic achievement, self-esteem, social competence and avoidance of problem/high-risk behavior, and recently completed her master’s degree from the University of Nebraska Omaha, where she studied Criminal Justice and disadvantaged communities, and was inducted into the National Honors Society of Criminal Justice.

A 2024 Women’s Center for Advancement Tribute to Women Award Recipient, 2023 Urban League African American Leadership Award Recipient, 2023 Phenomenal Woman of the Year Recipient, 2023 ICAN Award Recipient, 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Fulfill the Dream Award Recipient, 2022 Own the Pond Big Fish Award Recipient, 2022 Community Focused Award Recipient, 2021 Greater Omaha Chamber Changemaker Award Recipient, 2021 Ten Outstanding Young Omahan Award Recipient, 2018 Young Professional of the Year Urban League of Nebraska Award Recipient, 2018 MORE Women Award Recipient, and 2017 Young Black and Influential Award recipient, Racquel is deeply dedicated to her community and is committed to witnessing its flourishing.

In 2015 Racquel Founded of #TheBeProject — a movement based on bringing awareness to various jobs and resources to community members. She recently completed a 2023 National Fellowship in the Women Organizing for Justice and Opportunity National Leadership Lab and completed a fellowship with the National Youth Justice Leadership Institute and was inducted into Women’s Fund Circles 9, and is committed to growing personally and professionally while assisting in improving the lives of women and girls in the community.

Racquel serves with boldness and inspiration on the Board of I Be Black Girl where she assists in actively creating a change-making culture that centers Black women, girls and femmes to provide transformational change. Racquel also serves on the Board of YouTurn and NOISE.

She is a keynote speaker and who works to empower, influence and inspire individuals by meeting them where they are at, and helping them reach their max potential. Along with being a fearless leader who is passionate for her community, most importantly Racquel is a proud mother of two, a friend, neighbor, and community member.

Continue Reading