Empower Current Cohort

Kandise Bobo, an accomplished leader in business education and community engagement, serves as the Executive Director of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program at Sinclair Community College. With a steadfast commitment to empowering entrepreneurs and fostering economic growth, Kandise brings a unique blend of expertise and passion to her role.

Armed with an MBA and years of experience in both academia and the business world, Kandise provides small business owners with the resources and support they need to succeed. Her strategic vision and innovative approach to program development have propelled the 10,000 Small Businesses Program to new heights, making a lasting impact on countless entrepreneurs and their ventures.

In addition to her role at Sinclair Community College, Kandise is actively involved in various community initiatives, including her position as a board member of the Dayton Foodbank. Through her leadership and advocacy, she strives to address food insecurity and promote equitable access to nutritious food for all members of the community.

Kandise's unwavering dedication to education, entrepreneurship, and community service serves as an inspiration to those around her, driving positive change and creating opportunities for success in the Dayton area and beyond.

Caitlin Jacob, AICP, is a Project Manager for CityWide Development, in Dayton, Ohio, where she works on holistic, long-term community development projects and innovative fund development strategies. Caitlin is passionate about working collaboratively with community to plan and implement change in neighborhoods and strives to bring together community and economic development strategies in an effort to build strong, vibrant, inclusive communities. She holds Masters in both Public Policy and Urban Planning from the University of Michigan and has a Bachelors in English and Human Rights Studies from the University of Dayton. Caitlin currently serves on the board of the Miami Valley Fair Housing Center.

Shanda McKinney has over 20 years HR experience leading HR teams and supporting the firm to successfully navigated the acquisition process, institute inclusion and diversity programs and refine a high-performance culture. She is currently the Global Head of People & Culture for Woolpert. She joined Woolpert in 2016, was made Chief Human Resources Officer in 2018 and was promoted to Vice President Shareholder in 2020. Her focus is to maintain a positive work culture through growth, strategic planning and retaining the firm’s Great Place to Work designation. She holds a Bachelor of Psychology and a master’s in human resource administration. Under her leadership Woolpert has received Dayton Business Journal Diversity Award in 2021, was awarded the Healthiest Employer Award from Dayton Business Journal from 2019-2021 and has been certified as a Great Place to Work nine times. McKinney, a married mother of two, also services on the board of the Dayton Business Chamber, Omega Community Development Corporation, and Young Ladies Aspiring Greatness, she is a former board member of the YWCA and former Board Chair of the Boys & Girls Club of Dayton.

Allison is the Community Relations and Marketing Manager at Cox First Media, which runs local newsrooms of the Dayton Daily News, Springfield News-Sun and Journal-News along with its digital advertising company. Cox First Media has been rusted to inform and educate the community and connect businesses to neighbors for more than 125 years in our region.