Latoya Lewis, MTA
Founder & Executive Director
“Every young person has a uniqueness to offer this world. The only “difference maker” is an opportunity to explore it. EnventU is an opportunity for students to explore passions they don’t even know they have. Through such a dynamic industry, we expand their world and show them there are people that care about their future. Where ever there is a young person in need of an opportunity, there is a need for EnventU…and we plan to fill it.”
Latoya Lewis, Founder & Executive Director
Latoya Lewis tapped into a passion for event planning and design at a very young age. Initially drawn to the intricacies of the event creation process, Lewis has come full circle from honing her expertise in live event production and management alongside some of the industry’s top influencers to now sharing her insights to inspire young people to discover and explore their own career pathway into the event industry in an academic setting.
Lewis began her career at Universal Music Group (UMG), where she oversaw and purchased over $1M in media ad buys and advertising campaigns for some of the biggest names in music entertainment, including Lil’ Wayne, Robin Thicke, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, and The Black-Eyed Peas. She also coordinated third-party event opportunities for UMG artists valued at more than $700,000, including the All-American Rejects for Seventeen and JC Penny’s “Rock Your Prom” 2008 national sweepstakes. Lewis also implemented digital delivery of commercial creative to television networks saving UMG over $50,000 each quarter.
After a successful tenure with UMG, Lewis enrolled in the Masters of Tourism Administration program at The George Washington University. Upon completion in 2010, her talents were sought by the nationally recognized special events firm, Events by Andre Wells (EAW).
As an EAW Account Manager, Lewis coordinated, managed, and produced high-end weddings, corporate conferences, social events, conventions and more. Her milestone achievements include management of the opening for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and its 2400-attendee Dream Gala, and a celebratory dinner for more than 250 major donors of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
After seven years with EAW, Lewis decided to fulfill her passion to create a workforce development initiative to introduce public high school students to the live events industry – a concept that was developed during her time at The George Washington University. EnventU originally launched in 2015 as an afterschool program but is now integrated into the school day at Woodrow Wilson Senior High School and Frank W. Ballou high school. It also offers special in-class programming to students at Columbia Heights Education Campus. EnventU strives to be the premiere workforce development organization of the event planning industry.
Under her leadership, EnventU has partnered with a number of industry-leading organizations, including InfoComm International, BizBash, and Old Blue BBQ.
Lewis has been profiled by the Washington Business Journal and was recently named a 2017 MeetingNet Changemaker. She also recently accepted the 2017 BizBash Rising Star award on behalf of EnventU.
Latoya Lewis is originally from Los Angeles where she received a Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis in music, business, cinema, TV and arts from California State University, Northridge. She minored in Pan African Studies. Lewis also earned a certificate in meeting and event planning from California State University, Dominguez Hills and a Master of Tourism Administration (MTA) with an emphasis in Event & Meeting Management from the George Washington University –School of Business. She graduated Magna Cum Laude in the spring of 2010.
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The Board
David Adler
Board Chairman, EnventU
CEO & Founder, BizBash
David Adler, C.E.O. and founder of BizBash is a veteran media and event entrepreneur.
He founded BizBash as an idea and resource marketplace for event organizers of all types from corporate and association to high-end personal and social events…
David Adler, CEO & Founder, BizBash
David Adler, C.E.O. and founder of BizBash is a veteran media and event entrepreneur. He founded BizBash as an idea and resource marketplace for event organizers of all types from corporate and association to high-end personal and social events. His site has become the largest media property in the B-to-B event industry with nearly 1.5 million annual user sessions.
In addition to BizBash, the company also owns Masterplanner (masterplanneronline.com), a date conflict resolution for New York and Los Angeles, as well a major investment in the Event Leadership Institute (eventleadershipinstitute.com), a leader in online video training for the event industry.
Adler has recently served in various volunteer roles with U.S. State Department as a consultant to the chief of protocol on projects such as the Patrons of Diplomacy, the first Global Chiefs of Protocol Conference, and the Diplomatic Culinary Partnership’s American Chef Corp.
Prior to BizBash, Adler held posts as vice president of corporate communications for Primedia and Macmillan Inc. He was also chief of passion branding at Cone Communications, where he developed programs such as the initial Avon Breast Cancer Initiative, the Reebok Human Rights Awards, the Polaroid Missing Children Program, and the John F. Kennedy Library Profile in Courage Award.
At the age of 21, a month after graduating from American University, Adler founded and was the C.E.O. of Washington Dossier, a magazine that covered power, society, politics, and entertaining in the nation’s capital.
Adler resides in New York City and is active in several nonprofit and professional organizations, including current and previous board positions with SISO (Society of Independent Show Organizers), NYC & Company, the WNET Education Committee, the Dean’s Advisory Council of the American University School of Communication, the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School, the Magazine Publishers Association, Citymeals-on-Wheels, the Fine Arts Committee of the State Department of the United States, and the Open Future Institute.
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Philip Dufour
President & CEO
Dufour & Company Productions
Philip Dufour has brought together more than twenty-five years of comprehensive event management and production, corporate relations, sponsorship, and government affairs experience and his signature style to create Washington’s premiere event production firm…
Philip Dufour, President & CEO, Dufour & Company Productions
Philip Dufour has brought together more than twenty-five years of comprehensive event management and production, corporate relations, sponsorship, and government affairs experience and his signature style to create Washington’s premiere event production firm, Dufour & Co Productions. Prior to creating Dufour & Co, Philip co-founded the J Street Group, LLC in 2005. This followed his tenure as director of development and events for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, where he led a 10+ person staff in creating, planning, and managing high-visibility development events that raised more than $8 million annually, attracted major celebrities, and garnered extensive media coverage. During the Clinton-Gore administration, Philip served as social secretary to the Vice President of the United States. In that capacity, he coordinated all special events at the Vice President’s residence including foreign and domestic policy exchanges as well as official visits with heads of state, foreign dignitaries, corporate leaders, and Members of Congress. He also served as Tipper Gore’s deputy chief of staff, holding full authority over her schedule and accompanying her on foreign missions and domestic trips. Philip previously worked in the Office of Protocol at the Department of State, was the first director of events for the Human Rights Campaign and served as press secretary to a Member of Congress. Originally from Louisiana, Philip holds a BFA from Louisiana State University and has called Washington home since 1984.
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Edna Ezzell
Technology Consulting Executive
Accenture
Edna Ezzell joins the EnventU governing board to focus on strategy and planning. As a Technology Consulting Executive at Accenture, Edna focuses on delivery of large technology transformation programs for Financial Services institutions…
Edna Ezzell, Technology Consulting Executive, Accenture
Edna Ezzell joins the EnventU governing board to focus on strategy and planning. As a Technology Consulting Executive at Accenture, Edna focuses on delivery of large technology transformation programs for Financial Services institutions. Edna has helped financial services clients to migrate core banking and shared services to the cloud to reduce costs and enable new products, transform legacy infrastructure to reduce risk and operational costs, and implement new infrastructure and tools to drive better business decision making. As a part of her role at Accenture, she has led professional development, employee engagement, and leadership development programs for her teams and for women and diverse employees.
Edna was born and raised on Guam, and now resides in Washington, D.C. with her husband. Edna holds a degree in Civil Engineering from MIT with a focus on transportation and mass transit.
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William A. Homan
Principal
Design Cuisine
William Homan (Bill) has been a leader in the catering and event industry since 1979. Starting Design Cuisine Catering out of a small restaurant on Capitol Hill and with his partners transforming it into the area’s leading catering and rental company in the DC/MD/VA area…
William A. Homan, Principal, Design Cuisine
William Homan (Bill) has been a leader in the catering and event industry since 1979. Starting Design Cuisine Catering out of a small restaurant on Capitol Hill and with his partners transforming it into the area’s leading catering and rental company in the DC/MD/VA area. It is an innovative trend setting global company leading the metropolitan DC area in customized special events happening across the country and working with other event companies from around the world.
Bill has written several published articles on etiquette one recently appearing in the Washington Post. Design Cuisine has been featured in articles in Vogue, Elle Décor, Martha Stewart Living, Town and Country, In Style, Food and Wine, The Knot, Grace Ormonde, to name a few. Design Cuisine is proud to call among their clients The White House, The Department of State, Bloomberg, Buckingham Palace, National Gallery of Art, TI Live, Under Armor, Amazon, Vanity Fair, Tiffany and Co. and many more. Bill believes in providing the very best in farm raised food products to be used in innovative menus, that are kind to the planet. His company is a strong supporter of reducing the carbon foot print and helping us to live a healthier lifestyle thru the reduction chemicals and pesticides in our food system.
Bill and his partners have been honored at the White House as business men of the year by President George Bush. Bill was named an Event Innovator in 2011 by Bizbash Magazine and was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame of industry icons by Bizbash in 2016.
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Stuart Levy, MBA, PhD
Associate Teaching Professor
George Washington University School of Business
Stuart Levy, MBA, PhD is an associate teaching professor of management and tourism studies at The George Washington University School of Business…
Stuart Levy, MBA, PhD, Associate Teaching Professor, George Washington University School of Business
Stuart Levy, MBA, PhD is an associate teaching professor of management and tourism studies at The George Washington University School of Business. Stuart has over two decades of experience in teaching, consulting and research within a range of organizations — entrepreneurial and established businesses, consulting firms, government and academia. At George Washington University, Stuart teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in digital marketing, entrepreneurship, and event and hospitality management. He also leads consulting courses abroad focused on customer experience management. His record of scholarship includes over 20 refereed presentation and 12 peer-reviewed publications in business journals including the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, Journal of Business Ethics, and Journal of Travel Research. Stuart is particularly passionate about experiential learning and educational travel. Stuart is a member of the DC Public Schools Hospitality Academy industry advisory board.
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Eric Michael
Co-Founder & President
Occasions Caterers
Eric Michael is co-founder and President of Occasions Caterers, Washington’s most celebrated full-service catering firm. With over 30 years of experience, Eric works with his team to develop highly customized events for Washington’s most prestigious…
Eric Michael, Co-Founder & President, Occasions Caterers
Eric Michael is co-founder and President of Occasions Caterers, Washington’s most celebrated full-service catering firm. With over 30 years of experience, Eric works with his team to develop highly customized events for Washington’s most prestigious social, institutional and corporate events. Occasions Caterers represents clients such as the National Gallery of Art, the Washington National Opera, the Washington Ballet, the Smithsonian Institution, the United States Department of State, MSNBC, Google, The Washington Post, Samsung, Audi and many more.
Eric’s approach to menu development focuses on cultivating inspiration and seasonal ingredients. Named an Event Innovator in 2011 by Bizbash magazine, Eric’s work has also been featured in The Washington Post, Martha Stewart Living, In Style, Town and Country, Washingtonian, Art Culinaire, Food Arts, The Knot Forbes, and several other lifestyle and events publications.
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Jenée L. Padmore
Coordinator
The Mark & Brenda Moore and Family Foundation
Jenée L. Padmore is the coordinator for The Mark & Brenda Moore and Family Foundation, a small business owner, and a life long student.
As coordinator she manages and coordinates all aspects…
Jenée L. Padmore, Coordinator, The Mark & Brenda Moore and Family Foundation
Jenée L. Padmore is the coordinator for The Mark & Brenda Moore and Family Foundation, a small business owner, and a life long student. As coordinator she manages and coordinates all aspects of the Foundation’s fundraising and internal events, while being responsible for communicating with contractors, and managing partnerships with a number of non-profit organizations. Her small business passion touches on many facets in hospitality and commercial development. In addition she brings valuable experience, nonprofit leadership, and a vision of education and training for today’s youth.
Mrs. Padmore is a graduate of East Carolina University and holds a certificate in event management from The George Washington University. She is currently in the process of finishing up her graduate degree in Urban and Regional Planning with a specialization in Metropolitan Studies from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the National Capital Region.
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Marissa Sams
Founder & Chief Strategist
Marissa Sams Events
As Founder and Chief Strategist, Marissa has managed events on five continents, hosted heads of state and celebrities, and orchestrated the entire spectrum of occasions…
Marissa Sams
As Founder and Chief Strategist, Marissa has managed events on five continents, hosted heads of state and celebrities, and orchestrated the entire spectrum of occasions—from intimate birthday gatherings and nonprofit street campaigns to museum grand openings and tech company rallies for thousands. She is known for building unique experiences for space industry leaders, global health initiatives and cultural institutions.
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Annie Senatore
CEO & Creative Director
Design Foundry
Annie Senatore has spent over twenty five years in both the fashion and event arena across the globe. She gained her fashion marketing degree in the UK and went on to head up the visual merchandising department of Daniel Hechter in Paris, working on boutique layouts and visual displays…
Annie Senatore, CEO & Creative Director, Design Foundry
Annie Senatore has spent over twenty five years in both the fashion and event arena across the globe. She gained her fashion marketing degree in the UK and went on to head up the visual merchandising department of Daniel Hechter in Paris, working on boutique layouts and visual displays along with runway shows at Paris Design Week at the Louvre. She returned to London to launch a PR and marketing office for collections by Oliver Strelli, Karl Lagerfeld and Dolce & Gabbana including runway shows and press showings.
In 1996 she moved Washington DC where she was able to combine both her visual merchandising and runway show experience into the world of live events. She is the CEO of Design Foundry, an event creation company based on the outskirts of DC, which services clients across the USA and internationally.
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Nancy Shaffer
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Bravo! Events by Design
This savvy event strategist and marketing guru has been producing incredible live experiences for over two decades.
Nancy founded BRAVO! in 1997 following a highly successful career as a corporate marketing and sales executive…
Nancy Shaffer, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Bravo! Events by Design
This savvy event strategist and marketing guru has been producing incredible live experiences for over two decades. Nancy founded BRAVO! in 1997 following a highly successful career as a corporate marketing and sales executive. Nancy approaches all events as part of a client’s marketing and communications strategy to create the greatest impact, create true measurements for success and maximize their ROI & ROE. She is a highly sought after speaker and proven business woman who has received countless awards and recognition. Nancy is committed to expanding the understanding of the industry and works tirelessly to ensure event professionals are respected as Professional Service firms.
She volunteers by coaching non-profits in the community, and devotes much of her time to fulfilling her passion for mentoring young adults, having established a long standing group called Ladies Being Awesome (LBA). Nancy serves as an Ambassador for Safe Shores in Washington DC. She supports the annual toy, school supplies and book drives connected with the DC Foster Kids, Safe Shores as well as many other civic and non-profit organizations. Nancy has been featured in Special Events, Event Solutions, and BizBash magazines and has served on both National Advisory Boards of BizBash and Special Events Magazine.
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Staff
Brittany Anderson
Director, Curriculum
With a passion for motivation and inspiration, Brittany Anderson has dedicated her career to ensuring the growth of others…
Brittany Anderson, Director, Curriculum
With a passion for motivation and inspiration, Brittany Anderson has dedicated her career to ensuring the growth of others.
She shares her gifts with youth to assist in their professional growth in the most critical years of their life. With her relatable attitude and commitment to excellence, Brittany ensures successful programming wherever she goes.
Throughout college and into her professional career, she worked in the Hospitality Industry at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in the Convention Service Department and developed the Hospitality Express 4 Success Program curriculum in partnership with Prince George's Community College.
Developing the curriculum at PGCC, Brittany realized that the need to influence youth needed to start before college. She transitioned to Urban Alliance in 2014 where she managed the DOES In-School programming grant. She developed professional curriculum for students attending High School in Ward 8 to develop professional skills for corporate internships. Currently, Brittany is the NAF Coordinator for the Academy of Hospitality Tourism at Ballou High School where she now provides professional opportunities strictly in the hospitality industry. Outside of her DCPS position, Ms. Anderson currently serves as the curriculum director for EnventU.
Brittany is passionate about helping others see their full potential and take important steps to reach their next phase in life. She has been recognized by Radio One as one of the top 30 professionals under 30 in the DMV that continues to inspire youth and professionals in the metropolitan region.
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Deranique Graydon
Deranique Graydon is an upcoming Sophomore at the University of the District of Columbia, where she majors in Business Management with a concentration in Marketing. Miss Graydon is originally from Nassau, Bahamas however, she moved to Washington DC back in 2015…
Wallace Johnson
Deranique Graydon is an upcoming Sophomore at the University of the District of Columbia, where she majors in Business Management with a concentration in Marketing. Miss Graydon is originally from Nassau, Bahamas however, she moved to Washington DC back in 2015.
Deranique has been a part of EnventU for almost a year. She joins EnventU as a junior in high school and has loved it ever since. She has a passion for the event planning industry and plans to continue through her professional career. Deranique is an alumni of the Ballou Academy of Hospitality and Tourism which is where she first become interested in hotel ownership and event planning. Deranique plans to one day have hotel of her own which she can use to incorporate event planning. Deranique enjoys traveling to new place and eating exotic food.
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Subject Matter Experts
Chana Brissett, Senior
Senior Business Development Manager
CSI
Chana Brissett, Senior, Senior Business Development Manager for CSI, uses her networking skills and development background from her extensive catering career to focus on developing relationships and driving lead opportunities primarily in the DC market…
Brittany Anderson, Director, Curriculum
Chana Brissett, Senior, Senior Business Development Manager for CSI, uses her networking skills and development background from her extensive catering career to focus on developing relationships and driving lead opportunities primarily in the DC market. She takes pride in her commitment to clients by building and retaining long-term relationships and exceeding expectations. With many years living and working in the Nation’s Capital, Chana enjoys live music and diverse cuisine found in some of her favorite local neighborhoods. She is an active member of Meetings Professionals International (MPI) Potomac Chapter, enjoys writing and volunteering with local organizations such as EnventU.
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Teresa (Terry) Godfrey
AIFD CFD
Ms. Godfrey is a freelance floral designer and floral educator in the Washington, DC area. She has been designing professionally since 2001, but has had a lifelong passion for flowers and all
forms of visual art…
Teresa (Terry) Godfrey, AIFD CFD
Ms. Godfrey is a freelance floral designer and floral educator in the Washington, DC area. She has been designing professionally since 2001, but has had a lifelong passion for flowers and all
forms of visual art.
forms of visual art.
Formerly a software requirements analyst and database designer, Ms. Godfrey has had some wonderful experiences in the floral industry. She has had the opportunity to work with David Tutera, as well as many of the high-end event companies in the metro DC area. She has worked events at both the White House and the VP Mansion, and has coordinated a floral fashion show for the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh.
In 2011, Ms. Godfrey was inducted into the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD), an organization dedicated to the promotion of the art of professional floral design through education and recognition of designers that excel at the art form. She was certified as a floral evaluator and judge in 2013.
Passionate about floral education, Ms. Godfrey transformed the existing floriculture program at Anne Arundel Community College (near Annapolis, MD) into an intensive certificate program; it became an Educational Partner with AIFD in 2016. But in addition to teaching, she also continues her floral education with weekly classes in Ikebana (Japanese floral design) with the Metro DC area’s most prestigious instructor and is also studying for her European Master’s certification.
Ms. Godfrey is dedicated to service to the industry; she currently serves as the Vice President for AIFD Southern Chapter and will become President in 2019. She has served as president of a local MD floral association for 2 terms, and continues to serve on the Executive Board as Past-President. She was also active in Mid-Atlantic Floral Association.
Terry loves to present on stage for industry and garden club associations. She also likes to compete in floral competitions. She has been awarded a Blue Ribbon at the Philadelphia Flower Show, the People’s Choice award at the NC Museum of Art’s Art in Bloom festival, numerous 1 st and 2 nd place awards at local competitions and People’s Choice awards where the “people” were her floral industry peers.
When she is not immersed in floriculture projects, Terry enjoys travelling with her husband and spending time with her daughter and grandson.
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Wallace Johnson
Wallace’s 18+ year corporate live event audiovisual career began in the Washington, DC hospitality market with Swank Audio Visuals where he gained his foundational knowledge of a customer service first approach to delivering technology solutions…
Wallace Johnson
Wallace’s 18+ year corporate live event audiovisual career began in the Washington, DC hospitality market with Swank Audio Visuals where he gained his foundational knowledge of a customer service first approach to delivering technology solutions. He later moved south to join AVI-SPL’s Hotel & Event Production division where he spent over 10+ years lastly in the role of VP of Operations overseeing 100+ hotel & staging offices throughout the US, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. After the division was acquired by Freeman AV, he transitioned to Tampa based audiovisual company DCE Productions to serve as President, leading their expansion as a full-service AV production company. From there Wallace joined Mertzcrew as VP of Business Development, where he was responsible for educating & advising clients on how to remove compliance & insurance risk when working with freelancers while maximizing efficiency and profitability in crew management. Today Wallace heads up WLJ Consulting where he produces live events and consults with live event audiovisual companies on how to Be BETTER Now by focusing on improving People, Processes & Technology. Wallace is Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certified and a Certified Technology Specialist. Wallace has served as AVIXA’s Chair of the Live Event Council and was named AVIXA’s 2017 Young AV Professional of The Year. Currently, he serves on AVIXA’s Board of Directors and Foundation Board. In 2017 he was named in Commercial Integrator Magazine 40 under 40 lists. Wallace is the host of AVNation.TV podcast – “The LIVE Life” where he brings influential guest to discuss topics related to the selling, planning, designing, producing and delivering Live Event Audiovisual Productions. To help develop the future workforce of the audiovisual industry he acts as a speaker and advisor to several education organizations that have courses related to the live event audiovisual industry.
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