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A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out - Walter Winchell This quote reminds me a dear friend as we worked side by side to either put down or stack up hundreds of  sanctuary chairs to prepare for Sunday morning and Wednesday evening church service. In those critical moments to prepare the sanctuary for God’s people, Mr. Cornelius Harrison III was always present to help the facilities ministry.  Many times he was one of the first brothers on site and one of the last to leave and because of his service, I will always be indebted to him and his family.  In this Re.engineer Trending Leader feature, we celebrate Mr. Harrison not only for his work in the community but also his talent as an artist, as he is blazing new trails in the Christian music industry.  Cornelius is a singer/rapper/song writer and also an author of soon to be released books “Identifying the True You: Discovering and Encountering Who You Are in God” and “They Are Men of Power: You are Made Strong in Your Weakness”.  His recent projects include, “Oh My Jesus” which is his first Single & Music Video. He graduated from The University of Phoenix with a Bachelor of Science in Business degree and is CEO/owner of Harrison Powerhouse Publishing, LLC.  Cornelius currently works at the International Longshoreman Association as a crane operator. He was born in Houston, Texas and currently lives in Pearland, Texas with his wife of 11 years, who is a Hospital Administrator/ Registered Nurse and a 5-time cancer survivor. Q: Congratulations  on your recent single “Oh My Jesus”.  What was your concept or inspiration to do this project? Cornelius: My single “Oh My Jesus” came from a place of brokenness.  I didn’t know God as I were looking for love in all the wrong places finding comfort in things that caused destruction. However, each place I searched ended on a dead-end road that only lead to self-destruction. One night while driving in my car God convicted my heart like, “Why are continuing to live in sin”. Immediately uncontrollable tears rolled from my eyes and I told God that I no longer want to live a lifestyle that isn’t pleasing to Him. That experience occurred in September of 2003 and in 2004 I wrote “Oh My Jesus” which derives from that September 2003 experience. Q: We believe that collaboration is essential to the success of any industry or organization. Will you continue as a solo artist or can we see any collaborations in the future?​ Cornelius: Yes, a matter of fact my next project which is a single and music video will be a collaboration with a CHH artist by the name of Minister Matt. I believe a collaboration is critical for the success of any industry or organization because each party is partnering for the success of the overall project. Each person is sharing gifts, talents, iron sharpening iron, and inspiring each other to meet the overall goal. Q: Even though I’m an engineer by discipline I really love music and creativity, it’s actually one of the undertone themes for Re.engineer. Please give is a taste of your creative process?​ Cornelius: Most of my music comes from experience. There’s no better teacher than experience and because there’s nothing new under the sun, I’m sure most people has gone through the similar if not the same experiences in life. While writing the lyrics to a song I began visualizing the plots and scenes of the video. My overall purpose is to take the listener whether young or old to a place they either been or a place they want to go and the actual video gives the audience a visual of what the artist is writing about. Q: How has your work in the community and within the Christian faith helped you to create value?​ Cornelius:  I’m always reminded of a place my wife and I were once at. At the time we lived in an apartment, rent was due and we were about to get evicted, went to various food pantries because we didn’t have a meat package in the house. Throughout the temporary hardship, we continued to trust God and someone gave us the money to pay our rent for two months without a payback. God hands was definitely in that and as years passed my wife and I became leaders of an outreach team in which the team feed and clothe 400 people twice a month. When you value everything, God has done in your life, you never forget what God has delivered you from. This type of compassion for others keeps me humble because I’m always reminded of the our struggle. Q: What advice would you give to other artists or professionals looking to take their career to the next level?​ Cornelius: “Oh My Jesus” was written over 15 years ago in 2004. That song plus other songs that was written was sitting on the shelf collecting dust 15 years after the song was produced. Words of encouragement: Never try to outgrow the process. Work with what you got until you get what you need. Keep sowing that seed and eventually it will sprout and turn into a tree. Meaning, be persistent with whatever you’re pursuing and don’t allow financial limitation to prevent what you’re pursuing. There are many free marketing tools on Google that will provide insight on the direction you need to go. Looking for success overnight is less likely because there’s a few overnight success stories and by doing such will discourage you. When there’s no one motivating and encouraging you, you have to dig deep in your heart to motivate and encourage yourself. Everything you do will not be in vain. Persistency is the key to success. Q: What keeps you up at night?​ Cornelius: Inspiring and encouraging others is what keep me up at night. The moment I make this journey about me is the moment I’ve missed the entire meaning of my purpose.As you can tell through his perspectives, We have recognized many Trending Leaders on our Re.engineer platform but this one is extra special!  It's not often that I get to feature someone that I've actually worked elbow to elbow, sweat to sweat with for one common purpose, To Glorify God.  Yes, we are all blessed in our families, in our careers, and in our faith but there is no better feeling than to be empowered to tell #YourStory! Cornelius, thank you for taking our faith to the next level and for your courage in living like there is no box.  You are a certified re.engineer! ​Cornelius CH3 Harrison III- "OH My Jesus" Now Available on ALL Music Platforms with Link below  Https://corneliusharrisoniii.hearnow.com Social Media Links  Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/cornelius.harrison3 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/@cornelius.harrison3 Twitter – https://twitter.com/@harrison_c

I’ve found a lot of success in my chosen field of engineering and I honestly credit this to believing that I'm the only thing that can limit my accomplishments then choosing to live a limitless life - Millicent Gilmore The increasing amount of African Americans studying and working in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields is revolutionary. Largely due to the efforts of the country’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), African Americans are entering their STEM degrees better equipped to thrive in college, to graduate and to find successful careers. Did you know that 25% of African American graduates with STEM degrees come from HBCUs and that HBCUs graduated 46% of black women who earned degrees in STEM disciplines between 1995 and 2004?  In this Re.engineer Trending Leader feature we recognize Millicent Gilmore as prominent HBCU graduate and Engineering Leader that has navigated corporate America to deliver STEM excellence across several engineering platforms. Millicent is the mother of five children and three bonus children, and the Engineering Manager at the largest chemical manufacturing company in the world. She has applied her technical and management skills to develop creative, sustainable, engineering solutions for difficult issues faced at most production facilities. Millicent leads a team of engineers and engineering technicians that are accomplished change agents and together, they have successfully implemented projects that begun as concepts or out-of-the-box ideas, that are now being duplicated on a global level. She also mentors other engineers, participates in community projects and spends a tremendous amount of time working on STEM events for girls in the Huntsville, Alabama school district. When Millicent is not serving her engineering team, she flexes her creative side of her brain by playing the piano and creating new recipes in the kitchen. “I’ve found a lot of success in my chosen field of engineering and I honestly credit this to believing that I'm the only thing that can limit my accomplishments then choosing to live a limitless life”! Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in STEM? Millicent:  My love of tinkering, science and mathematics is at the foundation of my decision to seek a STEM field career. As a child, I would take things apart and attempt to put them together after making some type of change to them. I killed many VCRs, radios and telephones along the way! I also managed to make our phone ring with lights as an eleven year old which didn't impress my mom much since I didn't figure out how to make it ring audibly again! Q: As an Engineering Manager for a Fortune 500 company, how are you leading innovation and technology for the teams that you support? Millicent:  Everyday, I walk into a new problem that requires a fresh, sustainable solution. My team has been empowered from the very beginning  to seek out new technology, connect with new vendors and think completely outside of the normal! If there is a technology expo or a new technical training available, my company and I are 100% supportive of my team diving into these opportunities. As a leader, I am aware that I can't do everything alone and that I'm only as strong as my team. Building a successful team with a broad knowledge base is very important to me and to my site. Approaching all challenges with a root cause strategy,  openness, honesty, courage and knowledge sharing is definitely an equation for success when supporting operations at my site!  My team and I are never afraid to fail, however, we're all terrified to stop learning, stop driving change and stop experimenting with new ways to improve our site and ourselves. ​ Q: Your resume is a continuous development of growth experiences. What has been your most challenging opportunity climbing the corporate ladder? Millicent:  As a female engineer in a leadership role, learning to have a good work-home life balance can be extremely challenging. Women often experience unconscious bias in STEM careers and this can cause us to feel as though we can't say, 'no' or that we have to do more to appear equal to our peers. It has been a difficult journey for me, but I've realized the importance of having that balance!  The effects of a great work-home life balance include positive work results, family that feels supported and less likelihood of feeling burned out at work which leads to more effective leadership abilities. Q: At Re.engineer, we believe in the power of collaboration, especially when there is value at stake. Tell us about your greatest value creation project or program. Millicent:  My team thrives on our ability to successfully collaborate with production, quality and maintenance teams. One of my greatest value creation projects was the implementation of our new "Engineering The Future" program. This program allows everyone the opportunity to have an idea or solution evaluated by the engineering team. The team meets with the submitter and reviews the idea, the expected results and feasibility of creating a project. The engineering team then works on designing the project and invites the submitter back to review the design with the team. Once the project has been implemented, the person who submitted then idea is honored and posted on every monitor with a short description of their Engineering the Future project. This has worked amazingly at our site to build trust and establish the 'One Team' culture we want to achieve at our facility.  I'm very proud of this program! Q: What advice would you give to other young professionals looking to take their career or business to the next level?​ Millicent:  Get involved! Poke your nose in places you haven't poked it before! Be open to new experiences and challenge yourselves regularly. One thing that has worked for me is yearly goal setting. Set reasonable goals that require real effort and good time management. As you accomplish these goals, set more that push the boundaries of what you are currently doing in your role. Make sure some of the goals are developmental and create a little discomfort to stretch you professionally. Q: What keeps you up at night? Millicent:  As a young engineer, everything I didn't complete that day, kept me up at night because I wanted to have a solid path on completing those items the very next day. Nowadays,  nothing keeps me awake at night! I've mastered time management and how to effectively schedule tasks so that driving them to completion takes a lot less effort. With a professional and personal history of challenging the status quo and for seeking out opportunities to promote the progression of the STEM disciplines, Millicent has proven that with a little bit of courage and a whole lot of ingenuity, you can thrive in your career.  I've known her since our undergraduate days at Southern University and A&M College where we would either cram in study sessions or compare our homework and lab reports but to this day, she is still the same Millicent; a collaborator, a leader, a refreshing voice of reason and ultimately a certified Re.engineer!

​Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas - Albert Einstein In a 2019 article published by U.S. News, the best STEM jobs were ranked and despite what you would consider to be the most popular STEM careers, becoming a Mathematician was ranked #9 of 30 careers, which was several points ahead of traditional Engineering careers.  A mathematician can be anyone from your middle school algebra teacher to a computer programmer. Some mathematicians primarily conduct research to explore and develop theories, while others are applied mathematicians who use theories and techniques to solve everyday problems. Theory is a huge part of a mathematician's job. Mathematicians use formulas and models to support or refute theories. Data is also an important aspect in the field, as mathematicians analyze and interpret data for practical purposes, such as business, engineering or science decisions and problems. Common positions mathematicians fill include financial analysts, systems analysts, professors and elementary, middle and high school teachers. In this Re.engineer Trending Leader feature, we had the great opportunity to collaborate with one of the most brilliant mathematical minds of the 21st century.  Born on June 2, 1994, Dr. Elisee (Eli) Joseph was born and raised out of Brooklyn, NY. In 2012, he graduated from Benjamin Banneker Academy with academic honors, and in 2015, he graduated from Queens College with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics after completing a 30-credit load (10 courses) semester. During his time as an undergraduate student, Eli was a dual student-athlete, serving as a member of the Men’s Basketball (2013-2014) and Track & Field program (2014-2015). As a student-athlete, he earned 4 All-ECC accolades (Division II) in the 110 and 400-meter hurdles and as part of the 4x100-meter relay, 4x200-meter relay. While working full-time on Wall Street, Eli pursued his master’s degree in business administration at the Brooklyn College, where he completed the curriculum in 1 year (May 2016). In August 2016, he left Wall Street to pursue his Doctorate degree in Business Administration (D.B.A.) at Felician University. As a 22-year-old doctoral student, he became a business faculty member at Marymount Manhattan College- teaching courses in Business Statistics, Economics and Information Technology. By the age of 23, he became an Economics faculty member at Queens College, where he also gave a TEDx talk, discussing the idea of determining team success without the use of a scoreboard in sports. By the age of 24, Eli became a faculty associate at the Columbia University School of Professional Studies, teaching applied analytics courses to graduate students. In addition to becoming a member of the Grammy Recording Academy (GrammyU), he was also awarded the Forbes Under 30 Scholars distinctions in 2018 and 2019. In May 2019, he completed and successfully defended his doctoral dissertation, becoming the first scholar in the history of Felician University to ever graduate with a doctorate degree in Business Administration. Eli also completed the CORe (Credential of Readiness) program at the Harvard Business School. Q: I really enjoy the work you are doing with Mathematical Modeling and I think we need more science behind how we analyze data. What inspired you to go into a STEM field? Eli:  The inspiration to go into a STEM field was cultivated by a combination of evolving factors. From a very young age, I fell in love with numbers. I was always fascinated by various mathematical theories. As I continue to grow, my natural aptitude in numbers also developed. However, I made it a mission to apply certain theories in relatable areas like economics and sports analytics. Moreover, I always believed that my success in the field of STEM would be predicated upon how much I can give back and eventually spark the interest of other people through teaching and immersion. Q: So many people are inspired by how you’ve matriculated through your undergraduate and post-graduate studies so quickly, which I imagine that this was no easy task. What was the most challenging part of your academic career and how did you overcome it? Eli:  The most challenging part of my academic career was managing my time. In the Spring 2015 semester, many people know about my story on how I took a huge gamble on my academic career by taking a 10-course load semester (combined 30 credits with 7 undergraduate classes and 3 graduate classes) while participating in the Outdoor Track & Field season. But many people don’t know that I took 7 courses (21 credits) the previous semester while participating in the Indoor Track & Field season in fall 2014. In order for me to prepare for the gauntlet of the spring semester, I had to quickly learn how to allocate my scarce time to attend classes, study, submit homework assignments, complete my workout and practice sessions and rest. I overcame the challenge of time management by sacrificing certain aspects of my social life so that I can exert my time and energy towards the rigorous academic and athletic schedule. Q: I recently had the opportunity to see your talk on TEDx Syracuse and I was quite impressed with your “Success Ratio” theory. How do you channel your creativity and innovative thought process to produce such insightful concepts? As a follow up, how can modeling such as this can be used to create more value in manufacturing or tech industries? Eli: I would like to preface my answer by explaining the definition of the “success rate” and how I have attempted to provide a different perspective to the meaning of “success” in sports. In any sporting event, we typically define a team’s success based on whether or not they are winning or losing. The main instrument that is used to make that assumption is a scoreboard. In order to obtain real-time analysis, I created a general model that can enable analysts of any team sport to determine team success without a scoreboard. The model is essentially measuring the combination of all offensive and defensive highlights against the combination of mistakes made by the teams in their respective sport. With additional applications to this model, we can increase levels of efficiency within the process optimization of the manufacturing industries. Through a similar mathematical ratio, we can use general applications of this model can enable managers to achieve their main goal of maximizing throughput while minimizing costs. Q: At Re.engineer, our foundational values are collaboration and sharing value across all industries. Tell us about your greatest collaboration project. Eli:  As a member of the Grammy Recording Academy, I had the distinct pleasure of serving as a lobbyist on the behalf of all musicians and music creators nationwide. On District Advocate Day (October 2, 2019), I met with Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) to amplify the voices of musicians across the United States and fight for creators' rights through three different issues that musicians and creators face today: Sponsoring The CASE Act (H.R. 2426/ A. 1273). The CASE Act essentially provides protection for all creators (including independent artists and songwriters) who don't have the necessary resources to protect their work against infringement (I.e. Social media bullying/trolling). Telling the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) to provide controlling consent for all artists and producers, not just TV and radio stations. Allow the Department of Justice to complete its review of the ASCAP/BMI consent decrees. In the aftermath of our collaboration, the House of Representatives voted to pass the CASE Act (H.R. 2426) by a vote of 410-6. The CASE Act is currently being considered by the Senate and if passed will go to the president’s desk to become law. Q: What advice would you give to other young professionals or entrepreneurs looking to take their career or business to the next level? Eli:  I would advise young professionals to establish a group of advisers - the people that are willing to offer academic and/or professional guidance, mentors- the selective people that are willing to provide 1st degree academic/professional support when you are in the “room" and sponsors- the highly selective people that are willing to provide 2nd and 3rd degree academic/professional support when you are “not in the room”. These connections can certainly serve as assistance to young professionals who are looking to obtain exclusive opportunities in the future. ​Q: What keeps you up at night? Eli:  The ever-changing nature of STEM and the constant change of objectives keeps me motivated to stay up late at night. In economics, there is a term called “utility”- which is a measurement of satisfaction. The concept of economic utility can also be used as a measurement of value. The phobic notion of reaching a utility plateau keeps me motivated to set new goals throughout my endeavors. The best way to conquer my personal objectives, I must plan ahead and the best time for me to plan is when I’m alert and active even though everyone else is sleeping.​ From working on Wall Street to being recognized as a Forbes Under 30 Scholar to becoming a faculty associate at the Columbia University School of Professional Studies, all by the age of 24, Dr. Eli Joseph's career is the diamond standard...better yet it fits as a standard of its own!  Not only does he exemplify hard work, dedication and a resolve that is equal to none, the application of his mathematical models are genius and will revolutionize how keep SCORE. ​Dr. Eli Joseph, thank you for challenging the status quo and for applying creativity that will bring a fresh perspective into the STEM world.  You are a certified Re.engineer! Dr. Eli Joseph's TEDx Talk Syracuse:  Can we determine team success without a scoreboard? LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/elijoseph/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/drelijoseph/

I am constantly trying to beat myself at my own game! - Almesha' C. Spotser Small businesses account for 45 percent of GDP and nearly half of all US employees work for small businesses. They are an anchor within our economy and are great incubators of innovation and creativity. Inc.com highlights that of the 2010 Census, there were 27.9 million small businesses registered in the United States, compared to just 18,500 companies of 500 employees or more.  More and more, small business ownership is reflecting the diversity of the United States. As of 2012, 14.6 percent of small business owners were minorities, which includes 2.3 million Hispanic-American-owned businesses, 1.9 million African-American-owned businesses, and 1.6 million Asian-owned businesses. In this Re.engineer Trending Leader feature, we were blessed to have an opportunity to partner with Almesha’ C. Spotser, owner of AlamaRose, as she shares her perspectives on driving innovation,  enhancing the customer experience and  working daily to become a better version of herself.   ​Almashea’ is an Entrepreneur and creative enthusiast.  As is a self-taught designer, she has used her talents to build something beyond her professional norm.  She has found her place nestled between the worlds of design and motherhood and is creating a space that is focused on helping women remember who they were prior to motherhood.  Building upon her expertise in corporate sales, she set out to start her own brand and business, AlmaRose Bags.  Her initial thought was to design a great diaper bag that would be cross-functional for the busy mom.  The success of AlmaRose Bags has reached all women as far as San Juan, Puerto Rico and Okinawa, Japan to the boroughs of New York and the suburbs of Texas. Although the bags are the cornerstone of the conception of AlmaRose, she is on a quest to broaden the conversation on the things that mostly affect the lives of women on a more personal level.  She is that mom who lost herself in the demands of motherhood.  She has been doing the work to reclaim her identity and is a force to be reckoned with in terms of redemption.  This Louisiana girl is charming her way through some of the most difficult circumstances to come out on the other side better than before. From corporate married mom of one to a full time Entrepreneur single mom of two, this HBCU graduate is an expert on resilience.  Changing the narrative about what strength looks and feels like to a women is important to Almashea’.  Being apart of other women’s lives in the form of a bag is the prelude of her becoming an ally to women in such a way that helps them understand that they don’t have to carry it all by themselves. Q: I really love your AlmaRose brand; it’s innovation and elegance all wrapped up in one bag. What inspired you to start your company? Almashea':  I started the AlmaRose Brand when I was 5 months pregnant with my son.  I guess you could call it premature nesting.  I was up thinking about everything that I needed for my baby and how I was going to balance everything.  At the time, I was working in corporate America and I began to think about what I was going to carry.  Automatically, I knew what I didn’t want.  I didn’t want to carry a workbag, diaper bag and purse all at the same time—with baby in tow.  That visual seemed heavy to me.  As a first time mom, I didn’t need anything extra.  I began to search for what I wanted and couldn’t find it.  It was at that moment in the middle of the night that I took a folded up paper towel next to my bed and sketched my first bag.  I set out to create something that could keep my style cohesive while carrying what I needed for work, my baby and myself all in one.  It’s funny because as the brand evolves, I realize more so now that it shines a light on one of the fears of motherhood that I once had.  I thought that when I became a mom, that was all I was going to be.  Society (at the time) painted this picture that motherhood was limited and that limitation was a fear of mine.   The bags challenge my previous thoughts and fears. They have morphed into bags that are suitable for absolutely anything a woman may need it for: work, travel, baby and/or life.  These bags are meant to reflect the abilities of all women.  Each bag does what it needs to do and does it well.  Longevity and quality without compromising one’s style was my mission.  I wanted something that was multi-dimensional like myself and other women.  We are not one wonder type humans.  Women do a lot at one time.  When you are on the constant go, you need a bag that can keep up! Q: As an entrepreneur blazing the industry to provide functional products that inspire women, how are you leading innovation or challenging the status quo in your market? Almashea':  The brand and what led me to entrepreneurship is more than just a bag.  I am inspired to keep creating tangible goods.  However, it’s just as important to have a sacred safe space that allow women to evolve into who they need to be to reach their best selves.  In my industry, there are a lot of amazingly crafted bags—no doubt.  However, the way that AlmaRose is pushing the status quo, we are focusing on the core needs and desires of women by putting their needs first.  After the baby is born, does that woman have what she needs to help deal with the emotional, mental and physical changes to make sure SHE is okay?  Before a woman steps foot into a boardroom, is HER confidence where it needs to be to know that regardless of anyone else’s opinion, she adds value?  When a woman travels across the world, does SHE know that she has the right to self-care without question?  The bags are there to carry what she needs.  The brand is there to support the woman she is. Q: You have an unwavering focus on improving your customers’ lives through your products. How do find time to balance it all with business, family and your personal life? Almashea':  As a true ground up Entrepreneur, that is the million-dollar question!  The balancing act is a constant lesson full of hits and misses.  I am not above those rarely discussed misses.  No one actually wants to discuss when he or she gets it wrong.  The reality is, it happens.  I am a single mom with two small kids—so I have definitely had my share of misses.  To overcome those moments when I fall short, I own up to the mishap(s) and use it an opportunity to have teachable moments.  I believe that the balance is mental.  When I have great moments, I celebrate them no matter how small.  I will celebrate when my kids eat vegetables and listen the first time just as much as I celebrate hitting my monthly numbers.  The key is to know and fully understand human moments happen. As long as I keep giving myself the grace to try again, everything will align as it should regardless of what it may look. Q: At Re.engineer, our foundational values are collaboration and sharing value across all industries. Tell us about your greatest collaboration project. ​ Almashea':  My greatest collaboration projects and efforts come from partnering with other female entrepreneurs to solve a problem.  I usually do this with bloggers who focus on motherhood, career and lifestyle.  This gives the most organic reach to women who have experienced something that the AlmaRose Brand can assist with.  There was one instance when I collaborated with a Mommy Blogger for an AlmaRose Bag giveaway.  What the winner didn’t realize is that she would receive help and support in an unsolicited way to help cover and secure a few necessities in preparation for the arrival of her child.  Some of the best moments that include AlmaRose are the ones that don’t involve press releases and public attention.  I appreciate those moments because I understand what it’s like to be to the point of a need that you can’t fulfill on my own.  It’s less of a project and more of being my sister’s keeper. Q: What advice would you give to other young professionals or entrepreneurs looking to take their career or business to the next level? Almashea':  I would tell a fellow Entrepreneur that it is important to establish your why.  There will come a time (especially as an Entrepreneur) that you will question yourself and everything around you.  There will be moments of frustration and an alternative will appear to be a better solution because of short-term stress.  You have to keep your eye on the bigger picture and that starts with your reason why you are even doing it in the first place.  It will be important to set a plan for yourself and your business for the sake of accountability.  The first investor in your business, idea or plan is you.  Starting out, your investment might not have a monetary value.  However, you have to put in the time and sweat equity to sustain long enough for others to take notice.  Your ego can’t have an identity.  That waiting period can take some time, but don’t try to skip the parts of the process that are uncomfortable because valuable lessons are learned there. Q: What keeps you up at night? Almashea':  Making sure that I have done what needs to be done to set myself up to be better than I was the day before is what keeps me up at night.  It’s not my intent to live my life and remain the same.  Making space for growth is important.  It’s also not my intent to be like anyone else.  So I am constantly trying to beat myself at my own game.  I am not where I want to be at the moment in all aspects of life and that is okay as long as I keep trying to reach a greater point.  The problem comes if I ever settle for being complacent verse being extraordinary.  I have no plans of stopping or settling.  So, tonight I will be up figuring out how to be a better version of myself so that the legacy is strong enough for my kids to stand on. Almashea' has been a model of excellence throughout her entire life and she has build upon this foundation to create stunning yet very functional products that are revolutionizing the hand bag industry.  We are impressed with her work and we extend our sincere gratitude for challenging the status quo and for using ingenuity to promote diversity, inclusion and value creation across the world.  Almashea', you are a certified Re.engineer! Website:www.almarosebags.com Personal Instagram:@almas.spot Business Instagram:@almarosebags Twitter:@almarosebags

No matter what I'm doing on this entrepreneur journey, sharing the Gospel and glorifying God is at the core of every move - Calvin Campbell The United States has a rich history of business owners operating their companies in line with their religious beliefs. Some of the nation’s biggest and most popular brands, such as In-N-Out Burger, Forever 21 and Hobby Lobby, share a devotion to religious values and constant resolve to building their businesses on faith. In this Re.engineer Trending Leaders feature, we had the opportunity to connect with Calvin Campbell, winner of our “Celebrate an Entrepreneur” contest and also owner of Love Offensively (www.loveoffensively.com).    Calvin Campbell is a graphic designer turned entrepreneur that is passionate about creating and innovating. Since 2015, he has owned and operated a Christian t-shirt line called Love Offensively and as of June 2019, he is the co-founder of a custom graphics shop called 104 Customs and More (www.104customs.com).  As an entrepreneur, he uses this platform as a showcase for his faith and to make Jesus known.  Their vision is to create apparel of the utmost quality that opens the door to engage the community around you and their mission is to 1) Inspire believers by showing them that this world is in desperate need of Love, and that they have a significant role to play and 2) Equip them with the resources, knowledge and tools that they need to take a stand for their beliefs in their own communities. He is married to his beautiful wife Rachel and the father of two wonderful boys, Jeremiah and Malachi.  When he is not working, you can find him playing with his boys, serving in his local Church, building & refinishing guitars and always looking for an opportunity to try and learn something new. Q: I really enjoy the work you are doing with your Love Offensively brand, and I think we need more positive, faith based imagery across the world. What inspired you to start your company? Calvin:  Thank you for that. We are very grateful for what we've been able to do with our company. I can honestly say that I would not be where I am today without Love Offensively.  We truly believe that shirts are an excellent medium for the Gospel. I've wanted to start a t-shirt company since I was in high school way back when this company actually started. There are more shirts in existence then there are people, so what a great way to spread any message. As someone who was an extreme introvert at the time, shirts were the easiest way for me to share my faith. I've always been a fairly creative person, so when I started teaching myself graphic design, I immediately started creating shirt designs. People seemed to like my designs, so I stuck with it. Unfortunately, I did not start the company.  That was done by a man named Joe Baker back in 2005. It's a bit of a crazy story how we actually ended up buying it from him. We got to see God do some incredible and unbelievable things to open up the doors for us to get the company and we ended up getting it back in 2015. Q: How has your faith guided you through the journey of being an entrepreneur?  Calvin: It guides every aspect of it. Entrepreneurship can go a hundred different ways and to quote my pastor, it gives me the "ditches" to work between.  The Bible's not explicit on what products I can produce or exactly how much I can charge, but it is explicit on how I treat nice customers, how I treat rude customers, the quality of work I put in and how to pay my taxes. I listen and read things from Christian and non-Christian entrepreneurs, but no matter what, when I apply anything I learn, it's always through the filter of my faith. No matter what I'm doing on this entrepreneur journey, sharing the Gospel and glorifying God is at the core of every move. Q: I recently had the opportunity to see some of your work through a colleague and I was quite impressed. How do you channel your creativity to produce such classic designs? Calvin:  Thank you. I'm going to do a shameless plug, but I promise it answers this question. I just started a new company with my business partner called 104 Customs and More. The name comes from Psalm 104. As we were working on a name I kept coming back to the question of what inspires me and what inspires others? With Love Offensively and 104, creativity is at the core of both businesses. So is it possible to find a sort of ultimate inspiration for creativity? I feel like the answer is yes! People take inspiration from all sorts of places. You hear of authors finding a secluded cabin to help them write, painters looking at the blend of colors in the sunset for new color inspirations, and hard working parents who love their kids and are inspired by them to work even harder. Even Isaac Newton was inspired by an apple.  As inspirational as those things are, they are still just creation. If there's creation that is that amazing, how amazing is the Creator? That's where Psalm 104 inspires my day in and day out. Statements like "You are clothed with splendor and majesty,", "He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved" and "He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting". How can I not be inspired to give my all to each design? I can look to the one who spoke and created everything. And in that, I find all the inspiration I need to channel the creativity that was gifted to me by the Creator. Q: At Re.engineer, our foundational values are collaboration and sharing value across all industries. Tell us about your greatest collaboration project.  Calvin:  It would have to be purchasing Love Offensively. Even though it's my company it was my friend Colby who is an investor and was the critical piece to making the deal happen. He has way more experience with being an entrepreneur than me. As someone who at the time had almost zero experience, he came along side and not only answered tons of questions, but without his support, we would have never been able to do it. What seemed like a one-time collaboration for a purchase has turned into a great friendship. I've had the privilege to help be able to work with him on things for his business and he's been able to help with my other adventures. Sometimes a collaboration feels like a one-time event, but you just never know that it might just be so much more. His willingness to collaborate with a beginner like me on a business deal, allowed me to be able to do what I'm doing now.  Q: What advice would you give to other young professionals or entrepreneurs looking to take their career or business to the next level?  Calvin:  Learn something new and try something new.  It doesn't have to be every day or every week, but hopefully it's on some sort of regular interval. We live in an era where information is so easily obtained and to not take full advantage of that is a shame. We can learn just about anything in a matter of seconds. Do you know what happened on March 3rd, 1847? Probably not off the top of your head, but you could know with just one google search. Learning something new is the first step to doing something new. To go anywhere further in your business or career, will probably require doing something different and probably something new. So read a book, watch some videos, read a blog or do the best one, find someone who has done it before and learn from them. Learn, learn, learn then do something with it. It doesn't require thousands of dollars or thousands of hours to try something new, but it does require some action. I taught myself to build and refinish guitars from YouTube. I bought really cheap guitars at garage sales and online. I hung guitars from my kitchen light fixture in my 2 bedroom apartment, to applying finishes. I do not have formal training, I did not invest thousands of dollars and I do not have all the fancy gear. But I'm learning and I'm trying something new. It was supposed to be just a hobby, but oddly enough, it's actually helping me in my newest business adventure.  Q: What keeps you up at night? Calvin:  Oddly enough, nothing right now. There have definitely been seasons where lying in bed at night is actually distraction free, so I can lay there and think through things and plan things. What's so crazy right now is I've taken one of the biggest leaps of faith with this new adventure. Yet, I lay my head on the pillow at night and I rest easy. As I mentioned earlier, we saw God do some big things in the process of us purchasing Love Offensively. We've seen Him do even more since then. God has been gracious and faithful day in and day out. I know He is taken care of me during my day. So when it comes to laying down at night, I trust He is still in control for the next few hours and that He already has control of tomorrow. We were truly honored to feature Calvin and his Love Offensively brand in this Q & A session, and we hope that his commitment to his faith in Christ resonates with all of our readers.  Calvin is boldly utilizing his creative talents to bring about improvements withing the business and local communities.  What started as a hobby, he has now re.engineered into a legacy and because of this,  Calvin you are a certified re.engineer! ​Website: www.love-offensively.myshopify.com Website: www.104customs.com Instagram: @loveoffensively

As a black man HBCUs truly prepare you for the realities we face in life.  If you can make it a HBCU you can make it anywhere...you also find who you are as a black person by meeting other intelligent black people from across the country. There are 2 languages that are universal - - Math & Music, and in this Trending Leader feature we recognize Grammy nominated producer, Corey ‘Mr. Hanky’ Dennard for not only for his DOPE music but also for carrying on the rich tradition of HBCU excellence.   I first met Corey through a common friend on the campus of Southern University and even back then, he was using his musical talent to change people’s lives. I’m extremely proud of everything he has accomplished since those days on “the yard” and we are so blessed as he has so much more in store as he encourages us to keep living our best life. ​​The streets are familiar with Music producer Mr. Hanky who got his start as a trained classical musician, band member at Southern University and DJ. With his  musical flair for heavy hip-hop anthems and radio buzz records, Mr. Hanky is soon to be a household name. His production credits include Young Dolph, Colonel Loud, DJ Luke Nastyy, Young Greatness, Soulja Boy, Mystikal, Lil Chuckee, Waka Flocka, Young Jeezy, V.I.C., Travis Porter, Ying Yang Twins and various local Atlanta talent. Mr. Hanky has earned a name for himself and a reputation that is hard to match. Various artists can attest to his work ethic and his ability to create classic hip-hop records as well as dance, techno, R&B and pop tracks.  With a busy schedule in the studio, Mr. Hanky is always in high-demand. “Everyday I continue to look for ways to be more creative and to come up with records that the people want,” he says. “I make music for the people.” It’s not easy to get a session with Mr. Hanky, but the wait is well worth it. He proclaims his ambition to be one of the best producers in the South and eventually the world. Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in music? Mr. Hanky:  Literally born into music from day 1, my mother has been playing piano since she was 3. Then went on to perfect her skills at Talladega College and Masters at Georgia State University. So I literally was born and going to choir rehearsals, symphonies, and concerts since I was in diapers. I’ve always played by ear, but my formal training started a lot earlier.  I began taking trumpet lessons at 7.  Played in the band from 6-12th grade. Went to Southern University and joined the world renowned “Human Jukebox” where I was studying to become a band director.  While at Southern I began to realize I had other talents in the music realm that spanned outside of education.  I began to dj while “on the yard” and noticed how people would react to certain vibes, sounds, and voices.  So I began to play around with various music production software and began making beats in the dorm.  Also was around 2002 and a lot of my local homies had begun to make a name for themselves locally. People like Gucci Mane and Baby D who were from the same high school.  It was inspiring seeing someone you know out there winning! I figured I can do it too and I did. ​Q: From Oprah to Kevin Hart to Lil Boosie so many people have been inspired by your production of Smile (I’m living my best life) and it seemed to be an exciting collaboration with Lil Duval, Snoop Dogg, Ball Greezy and Midnight Star.  I think the record came at a time where we all needed to “Smile” and focus on the more positive aspects of life. What makes you smile? Mr. Hanky: Wings make me smile, LOL. And people enjoying my music always makes me smile. It’s a trip you start an idea in your head and it manifests into the world. What also makes me smile is seeing people actually doing what makes them happy.  Whether it’s considered good or bad is all subjective.  We’re all on our own individual journeys.  As long as people aren’t hurting, misleading or using people.  Live Your Best Life! ​Q: I have a tremendous respect for the creative process.  How do you channel your creativity and innovative thought process to produce such iconic music? Mr. Hanky: Honestly it’s truly a blessing! To know how people will react to something before they even heard it is amazing!  I like to do what I call “Creative Research” basically hanging out and feeling the pulse of the culture.  It may seem as if I’m just partying and turning up but I’m taking note of everything going on mentally.  So I literally know the type of song I need to come out with, the artist, how the beat needs to sound and how the artist needs to deliver on the hit. ​Q: What advice would you give to other young professionals or entrepreneurs looking to take their career or business to the next level? Mr. Hanky:  Take your time and truly learn everything there is to know about your craft.  Instead of watching a couple of YouTube videos and thinking you’re an expert in a month.   Also don’t let social media rush you! Again! DON'T LET SOCIAL MEDIA RUSH YOU or FOOL YOU! Social media is great, you can literally touch the whole world from your phone.  There are entities on social media that have a following of 10 Million that can’t sell $10,000 worth of products.  Make sure you’re as profitable and as you are popular. ​Q: As a trained Electrical Engineer, I know that there are a lot of parallels to technology and music such as harmonics and digital signal processing. How did you learn to translate your classical music training into producing music? Mr. Hanky: It was actually very easy once I got the technology side of things and learned how to read wave files.  It’s very similar to playing in the band, there’s different layers of sound just as there’s layers in programming.  I think that’s why they’re is such a big boom with artist and producers now.  When I first started you had to go to a state of the art studio and spend Thousands on studio time just to learn how to operate the equipment.  Now you can do a whole album from your kitchen table with just a laptop or tablet it’s amazing! ​Q: You rep for Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and are also an alumnus of the famous Human Jukebox, but what did you gain the most from your experience by attending a HBCU? Mr. Hanky:  As a black man HBCUs truly prepare you for the realities we face in life.  If you can make it a HBCU you can make it anywhere.  Financial Aid lines are always crazy so learn to have the “patience of job”. You also find who you are as a black person by meeting other intelligent black people from across the country.  I was blessed to grow up in Atlanta where we have black mayors, judges, politicians you name it. The modern day Wakanda.  But I see a lot of black who didn’t attend HBCU’s and they tend struggle with identity issues.  One day they’re woke, the next day they want to thot around the city, they often struggle in life socially because of that lack of identity.  At HBCU’s you have professors who look like you and can understand where you are and where you’re going.  At PWIs you’re just a number. Which is good to an extent because that’s how the real world is.  But had it not been for Dr. William Ryder and the late Carnell Knighten at Southern University, I don’t know where I would’ve been.  They both sat me down and was like “You’re really good at this music production. You should really take your focus off of band and focus on this”.  And there it begins. ​Q: What keeps you up at night? Mr. Hanky:  The excitement of the opportunity to change the world one song at a time.  It’s exciting to know every time you go in the studio you can create something that can changes someone’s life, career, or mood in a positive way.  That’s powerful!! If you read his VoyageATL bio, I am quite sure that several of Corey's hits take you back to a time when you first heard the song(s).  That is what music is, it's the soundtrack of our lives and Corey's signature sound is in our hearts whether we knew it or not.  Yes, his productions are DOPE, but they are also rhythmic poetry that comes from a place of TRADITION, CULTURE, EXCELLENCE, and best of all INSPIRATION that touches your soul.   What began as a piano lesson a generation ago, has transcended into a musical legacy that will be carried on throughout the history of music.  Mr. Hanky you are a certified re.engineer! Website:  www.amrhankybeat.com Twitter: @amrhankybeat Instagram: @amrhankybeat Facebook:  www.facebook.com/amrhankybeat

Contributing Re.engineer: ​​Marc Shoemaker, www.tpcwire.com CHALLENGE ​A customer who operates a protein processing facility kept having issues with the cable they were using to power their side puller machine. typically, it would fail once a month because of all the flexing required up and down the rails as well as the harsh chemicals and water that was used in the cleaning process. SOLUTION We suggested they try TPC’s Super-Trex® Reduced Diameter Control Cable for the flexible specially compounded TPE jacket. Not only does the jacket resist most chemicals, it’s also flame and heat resistant. RESULT At the writing of this report, the customer had TPC cable in the application for 30 months! Although the initial cable cost was almost double, withstanding the application environment for 30 months has saved the company $5374.50 in material and labor costs. They’ve increased production by 116 hours. Impact: Total Savings in Material and Labor = $5,374.50 and Increased Production by 116 Hours.​

Contributing Re.engineer: ​David Small, Gill Sensors & Controls (www.gillsc.com CHALLENGE ​​Inductive Oil debris sensor detects early signs of component breakdown in speed reducer preventing mechanical failure and avoiding costly downtime. Gill Sensors’ oil debris sensor has been installed into a leading multinational engineering manufacturers speed reducer gearbox to detect metallic particles directly affecting the gearbox condition. The widely recognized manufacturer required a reliable solution that would alert the machines operators of potential maintenance issues before catastrophic failure occurred. The company had been using vibration monitoring​. SOLUTION ​Gill’s debris sensor has been fitted into the bottom of the reducer drain sump to monitor the accumulation of circulating ferrous metallic debris to improve the mechanical failure rate and maintenance of the system. The sensor features solid-state induction technology to determine the amount and magnitude of debris build-up to a high degree of accuracy. Using a strong internal magnet to attract ferrous particles to the sensors face, both fine and coarse debris can be detected inside the reducer’s lubrication system. The inductive sensor is operational in temperatures from -40°C to +150°C providing operators with unprecedented real-time collection of contamination and debris data inside the reducer. Two independent output channels are provided by the sensor, one (configured to a 2.25-4.25V output) to relay fine particle build-up and the second (0.5-4.25V) for large coarse particles. Each output channel gives a consistent voltage reading. When debris is detected on the sensors tip the voltage output increases proportionally to debris collected. These two independent channels provide engineers with an accurate insight into the ferrous wear contamination condition of the lubricant, indicating when the oil requires changing, and the earliest indication of component breakdown, enabling a preventative maintenance intervention before complete component failure and unplanned downtime. RESULT Regular inspection of the sensors data readings alerted engineers of a large amount of ferrous particles collected on the sensor. On inspection gear flaking and cracking were found, caused by the early failure of a supporting roller bearing. As a result of the sensors fast detection, the operators were able to shut the machine down in a controlled manner, during a planned maintenance period, to replace the damaged components. This swift analysis and action prevented a costly mechanical breakdown and it is estimated that the cost saved was sufficient to cover the cost of the full trial installation. Using the real-time data monitoring provided by the debris sensor, the company were able to take quick action when the debris level increases. The installation of the sensor has successfully reduced the mechanical failure rate and improved the overall condition of the speed reducers’ gearbox. Impact: “As a result of the fast detect, we were able to prevent a breakdown that otherwise would have resulted in big trouble” says a company representative. “Installing a wear debris sensor is a good case for maintaining the speed reducer in the future”.  The company has now placed orders with Gill to cover all of their other similar speed reducers and has a planned roll out program to fit Gill oil debris sensors to other machines in different areas of their manufacturing sites.

CONTRIBUTING RE.ENGINEER: Mike Jones & Casey Beck, Kadant Johnson LLC (www.kadant.com) CHALLENGE ​​Ethanol is a renewable fuel often blended with gasoline to reduce emissions. A recent study showed that greenhouse gas emissions from corn-based ethanol are 39% lower than gasoline. Corn, LP produces ethanol and distillers grains, a co-product of ethanol production. Distiller grains are dried in steam tube dryers to use as a protein rich additive in livestock feed. As their ethanol production increased, Corn, LP needed to increase their drying capacity. Corn, LP uses three large steam tube dryers. These dryers are 60 feet long and 12 feet in diameter. Wet cake enters one end of the dryer and dried distillers grains exit the other. The dryers slowly rotate as steam heated tubes dry the product. Corn, LP had increased dryer throughput, but the steam flow was bottlenecked by the original rotary joints, which were beyond capacity. SOLUTION ​Corn, LP worked with Kadant Johnson to replace the existing 8” rotary joints with 10” self-supported ELSN™ rotary joints (pictured above). Torque restraint pedestals were also designed and installed with the rotary joints to prevent damage to attached flex hose piping. RESULT The larger 10” self-supported ELSN rotary joints have approximately 70% more flow capacity than the rotary joints they replaced, allowing Corn, LP to increase drying capacity. With the increased dryer capacity Corn, LP can increase ethanol and distillers grains production without the large capital investment of an additional steam tube dryer.​

CONTRIBUTING RE.ENGINEER LaKeisha LeBlanc CHALLENGE As a proponent of differentiated learning, LaKeisha LeBlanc, a former Principal of the Channelview Independent School District had an idea of approaching teacher learning in the same manner. Through careful thought and creative processes, the campus leadership team successfully implemented differentiated professional development on their campus. ​  SOLUTION In previous years, the team spent thousands of dollars bringing trainers into the school, and also sending teachers out of the district for teacher training and development. The sessions were mostly “cookie-cutter”, and the mode of presentation was “sit and get”. Mrs. LeBlanc realized that educators deserve the same careful thought and planning when it comes to their learning. As a result, a comprehensive plan was created to differentiate professional development. The leadership team identified several focus areas from their campus improvement plan and reviewed interest surveys that matched their teacher’s knowledge and strengths. RESULT Professional development was successfully differentiated, and it resulted in approximately $3,000 a day in savings . Six scheduled professional development days a year, at $3,000 a day, equals $18,000 value creation! A byproduct of utilizing the talents and skills at the local level is growing future teacher leaders.   Impact:  $18,000

Each of us have a unique blend of knowledge, skills and abilities that complement both of our purposes.  As partners, parents, and professional leaders, it is important for us to be bonded in love, respect and legacy. The Stephens When both members of a couple are focused on a common goal, their personal and professional lives can blossom into force to be reckoned with.  So what makes a “Power Couple”?  A power couple is created when two extraordinary people who are passionate about succeeding in their respective careers, come together in a relationship and empower one another to greater success than if they pursued it alone.  Of course, we all know of many celebrity Power Couples like Jay-Z + Beyonce, Will Smith + Jada, or Barack + Michelle Obama, but what about the couples that are blazing trails in their careers and life but are not on such platforms as these icons?  Who is telling their stories?  Well wait no longer, Re.engineer to the rescue!   In our first Re.engineer Power Couple series, we feature Marie and Shadrach Stephens.  Let's dig deeper to what makes them a POWER COUPLE! Marie is a results-driven, innovative visionary with experience in project management, policy development, program development, training and financial reporting. As Divison Manager for the City of Houston Airport System (HAS), Marie functions as a Learning and Development Manager that develops crosscutting, competency-based programs for professional, supervisory and leadership development though the use of instructional design systems and principles to meet the development needs of the workforce. She is responsible for maximizing HAS performance by training and continuously improving the competencies of approximately 1,200 employees within four divisions. As a passionate leader, she seeks out opportunities that contribute to the betterment of human capital and her areas of focus include organizational development, performance management and workforce planning. Marie places high value on service quality, organizational viability, continuous improvement and strategic planning. She believes that the world of work is ever changing. Whether it is evolution or revolution, there is always a more efficient way of doing things. Shadrach is the Global Improvement Leader and Reliability Director for the Environmental Technology Center at Dow Inc.  He  has made an impact within his profession by creating value in every role that he has served in.  As a Reliability, Maintenance and Engineering Leader with 20 years of industry experience, he develops and energizes teams that are committed to changing the current reality and are focused on delivering value to the company’s future expectations.  Throughout his entire career, his improvement teams have generated over $85 million of value creation.   Together, they have started a new initiative called, Re.engineer, which is an open source community of professionals that collaborate, share and leverage value added solutions and innovations.  They aspire to create a radical collaboration movement that leads to more value creation in the world of STEM (Science, Technology, Mathematics, and Engineering), Diversity & Inclusion, and Continuous Improvement. ​Q: Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you two met and how you got to where you are today?  The Stephens:  We actually first met in elementary school.  We both attended Sharon Hills Elementary and since both our last names begin with S [Smith & Stephens], we sat next to each other in every class.  “Because she had long, beautiful hair, I use to pull her ponytails in class to get her attention!” – Shadrach.  We lived in the same neighborhood, went to the same high school and college but we didn’t start dating until after we had graduated with our bachelor's degrees from the HBCU Southern University.  We were always good friends but we had the chance to see each other mature into young adults as we matriculated through our undergraduate studies.  Our long distance relationship stood the test of time and we got married about two and a half years after our first date. ​Q:  Power couples empower each other for success.  How do you support each other at home or through your career? The Stephens: Moving from city to city, late nights studying for exams or reviewing each other’s business related presentations, we have always respected and supported each other’s careers.  Time management is such a difficult thing to do because someone or something gets less than the desired attention, so our alternative is "Rhythm" management.  We prioritize our schedules to meet the demands of  whatever situation demands full attention for that moment.  That way 100% is applied to the situation vs. some split percentage.  ​Q:  What’s the best perk of having a partner that is an Engineer or an Industrial Psychology Practitioner?   The Stephens:  The best perk of marrying an Engineer is having someone that is innovative and a forward thinker.  Someone that looks beyond the surface to bring the most value to all situations [Marie].  The best perk of having a partner that is an Industrial Psychology Practitioner is having a methodical way of problem solving and managing life.  Someone that brings solid reasoning to overcome challenges.  Marie does an awesome job in structuring improvements in a way that allows us to receive the most from opportunities [Shadrach]. ​Q:  Has your definition of success changed since you two meet? The Stephens:  Success for us is ever changing but it is centered on our faith, family and purpose.  Whether or not it’s volunteering in our church, starting a family, attaining a 2nd or 3rd degree or securing a new job, we tend to think of success in the micro and macro sense in all areas of our lives; what are going to achieve this year and also the next 3-5 years.    Q:  We’ve all heard the cliché that opposites attract.  What are the biggest similarities between the two of you? What are the biggest differences? The Stephens:  We are definitely both analytical in our approach to life, I [Shadrach] may be more laid back than Marie but we both apply reason and sound logic before making decisions.  We are very different when it comes to our personalities, I [Marie] have outgoing characteristics while Shadrach is more reserved.  Q: What’s your approach to balancing your careers and raising a family? The Stephens:  Family comes first.  We invested in each other for several years before starting a family which gave us time to travel, acquire more education, and build our careers.  Now that we are in leadership positions and our kids are young, we can devote more energy into building a legacy for them to follow.  Q:  What are some of the benefits to being a “Power Couple”? The Stephens:  One of the major benefits is having someone close to you that can also serve as a sounding board.  It’s refreshing to be able to have a likeminded partner that supports you but can also challenge you.  Not as a competitor but as a catalyst.  You grow, they grow, we grow, and then repeat.  Q:  Looking toward the future, what is on the horizon for the Stephens?  The Stephens: We are focused on building our legacy so that our kids can have more options than we did.  As we approach the mid-way point of our lives, it is important for us to prepare them so that they have a strong start to theirs.  Everything else is secondary.  The decisions that we make [daily] are a reflection of what type of life we want to provide for them.

Be content with being different.  Think outside of the box.  Look for problems to solve and start a business that promotes the solution. America’s primary and secondary education system is facing numerous challenges, such as: overpopulated class sizes, poverty, bullying, lack of parental involvement, underpaid educators as well as a lack of passion for teaching and building our future.  These challenges, which pose no proven solution as of yet, has the world baffled to find a starting point.  But there is one Re.engineer that is not backing down from the call. Meet Pamela McCray, doctoral candidate, 2x HBCU Alumna, Teacher of the Year, keynote speaker, and devoted wife and mom.  We were very fortunate to have the opportunity to sit down with Mrs. McCray to capture her story and discuss youth and leadership from her perspective.  Read on and we at Re.engineer are sure you will be blessed by her amazing testimony! A native of Kansas City, Kansas, Pamela McCray is a proud graduate of Bishop Ward High School and a two-time graduate of the #1 HBCU in the nation, Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, LA.  While there, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a dual Master’s degree in Education and Supervision.  She also became a part of the most Divastating sorority on the yard, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.  Mrs. McCray then went on to complete all required coursework towards earning her Educational Doctorate degree through Walden University with a 4.0 GPA.  During her tenured decade in the classroom Pamela impacted the lives of so many Kindergarten-5th grade students in both East Baton Rouge Parish and Fort Worth ISD, many of which she still keeps in constant contact with today.  She has been an Instructional Specialist of Literacy for 6 years. Some of her achievements include: Top 10 Teacher in North Texas, Teacher of the Year, keynote speaker at Charleston Southern University, where she enlightened administrators and district heads about the importance of growing their own leaders.  In 2017, Mrs. McCray founded Kneesentials (which is a non-profit organization, created to assist the underserved) and is currently the CEO of Mind Mogul, Inc., an educational powerhouse that offers premier literacy remediation and enrichment services for K-12 students. She also served as a keynote speaker at the Bring Back the Passion 2019 conference. Mrs. McCray has been married to her husband Jeremy for 11 years and they share 2 beautiful daughters, Zoey and Savannah. Q:  What inspired you to pursue a career in education? Pamela: Go back with me to 1985….I was sitting on the carpet listening to my Pre-K teacher read The Boy Who Cried Wolf.  While she was reading, a little boy reached over and snatched a barrette from a little girl’s hair, and began to laugh hysterically.  Her piercing scream scared everybody.  My teacher jumped up to handle the situation.  She took the remaining barrettes out of the little girl’s hair and escorted the little boy out of the classroom only to reappear two minutes later with him covered in crocodile tears.  My teacher had placed all the barrettes in his afro and demanded that everyone laugh at him.  Everyone laughed…………..except me.  My teacher noticed and was not happy.  She headed straight towards me.  She was furious.  My palms were sweating and my legs were noodles.  Before she could even ask why I was not laughing an unfamiliar voice from within screamed out so clear and strong, “Nothing about that is funny!”  She snatched me up and into her office we went.  She paddled me but tears didn’t fall.  She continued but nothing.  She tired out and pushed me back out with the class.  I ran to the little boy and embraced him.  My teacher reemerged from her office.  My eyes cut her and she watched in silence as I removed all of the barrettes from his head and returned them to their rightful owner.  It was in that moment that a teacher was born.  I didn’t know the first thing about teaching but I knew there had to be a better way and I needed to set out to find it before more children were hurt….. Q:  How has your matriculation at an HBCU helped you to become a better leader amongst your peers? ​ Pamela:  Enrolling AND graduating from an HBCU brings out G.O.A.T. traits and characteristics for all that choose the HBCU path.  One of my proudest memories was looking around on the first day of class and being the majority, for once.  Coming from a high school graduating class with only five African-Americans to attending the largest HBCU in the country, Southern University and A&M College, you already know this was a big deal for me and I was going to ride this thing until the wheels fell off.   ​ Majoring in Education, I had professors that knew my name and my hometown and commonly called me by one or the other.  I was not a number.  My professors lit fires of confidence and pride under all of their students.  These same professors taught me that problems are complaints if they don't come with a proposed solution.  My professors made it clear that we were going into a field that could make or break a child’s outlook on public education and it was not to be taken lightly.  I applaud my professors for teaching us how to make something out of nothing.  I remember watching coworkers that graduated from a state university in tears on the first day of teaching because the kids did not “act” like the case studies in the textbooks they read.  I had all my systems in place on day one because my professors made it known that kids come to school every day ready and in search of that moment they can catch you slipping because you were unprepared, then they'd take over.  Thanks to my HBCU professors, I was overly prepared for the classroom! Q:  From the outside looking in, it seems as though we have some major opportunities to overcome with respect to our youth and their development. Please share how you are making a difference to close the educational gaps.  ​ Pamela: While a classroom teacher, I pushed a term I coined, Power of “Real”ationship (POR). I never taught a class of students because in my eyes we were a family and they were my children.  Everything I did in my “family room” was with strong relational intent.  For example, I never paid attention to the placement cards that teachers received at the beginning of the year that gave a behavioral snapshot of each student on your roster. By not viewing these cards, I single-handedly eliminated pre-judgement and created a clean slate and equal playing field for ALL my children.  I gave my kids the fresh opportunity to show me who they were and over a span of 10 months introduced them to many tools, avenues, and values that they never knew existed.  Relationally, I was tapping into and shaking up their little worlds and they didn’t even know it.  As I type in this moment, I am reflecting back on one child of mine that had lost his mom in a car accident and had zero paternal support.  He would tell me at random times throughout his 3rd grade school year, “You do something to my heart from 8 to 3 and I can’t really explain it. You make my heart feel funny.”  I chuckled every time and told him that funny feeling was love and it was OK to experience that feeling.  Sadly, he would go on to be my first child to ever bury, at the ripe age of 19, but relationally he taught me more in 10 months than I could’ve taught him in a lifetime.  On the first day of class I always apologized to my kids for all of the teachers they may have had before me or would have after me that put them down, singled them out, or made them feel less than.  Many tears were shed on the first day each year and though it was relieving for the kids, the reality hurt me so much because the tears confirmed what I already knew,  so many students, eyes filled with tears, had already been negatively impacted by poor teachers. It was my hope that each year thereafter, less students would cry when I apologized, as this would tell me that they had not experienced such pain so early in their educational journey.  Unfortunately, the number of tears increased every year and I learned quickly that hope is not a plan.  My instruction the first two weeks of class were the most vital of the entire year. All activities conducted were relational seeds and I incorporated the curriculum into it.  Trust was earned, expectations were modeled and praised, and rules were enforced without embarrassment.  My inner-city kids felt safe, they trusted me and by week three, day one, of every school year, we were ready to turn the educational bereavement gap into powerful educational laps in the area of student achievement.  Until the world understands that the key to our youth is getting into their hearts through relational means, until teachers understand that closing gaps require more than teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic, until educational leaders understand that the key is not found in a test, until parents understand that more than simply providing a roof and food (even inmates receive room and board) is required, there will continue to be a major deficit in education and a major disconnect from our youth.  Get Relational!  Q:  At Re.engineer we believe that collaboration and challenging the status quo is paramount to being an innovator. Your students have definitely demonstrated these values and I’d love to know how are you able to impact their lives the way you do? ​ Pamela: As an educator, I maximized the time I had with them daily.  I taught the whole child.  Yes, my kids were going to be taught the core content but they were also going to be taught about morals and values EVERY DAY!  We were a family and therefore I taught them the definition of family and how one functions.  Many of my kids came from dysfunctional households and I simply taught them that you can’t pick the hand that you are dealt in life but I can sure teach you how to play your hand and make it work out for your good.  I never once told my kids that the world is this one big garden with flowers and rainbows.  I let them know that it was waiting to eat them alive but only they could decide their fate.  I taught them that statistics did not fall in their favor but I gave them the tools needed to be the “exception”.  I still keep in contact with many of my angels today.  Even though I relocated to TX I went back to Baton Rouge every year for high school graduations.  This was a promise that I made to my children while I was their classroom teacher.  I cheered for them as they walked across the stage.  I had plans of attending college graduations in May but due to COVID-19 ceremonies have been cancelled. I have attended baby showers, attended D1 football games in support of my angels and even done a drive-by where I surprised my babies at their homes over Christmas break.  Believe it or not, I still have the same phone number because I promised my angels that I would always be just one phone call away. My angels tell me all the time that I impacted them in so many ways, and it feels good to know that my mission was accomplished!   Q:  What advice would you give to young professionals or entrepreneurs as they start their career or business? Pamela: Be content with being different.  Think outside of the box.  Look for problems to solve and start a business that promotes the solution.  When I first started teaching, there was a lack of parental support across my campus.  Many teachers complained about it and did nothing.  I immediately thought hmmmm, if they won’t come to me then I’ll go to them.  I held parent teacher conferences at night clubs.  I knew on Thursday’s all women got in free before 10. So I made sure I was there and met with them in their cars or inside in a small room.  We discussed their kid’s progress and concerns and I got my signatures. Not shocking that I had the highest parental support on my campus that year.  A few years later, I worked on a campus that was surrounded by apartments. My door became a revolving door around the first of every month when rent was due.  I would receive excuse notes on the back of eviction notices. I immediately thought hmmmmmm and I teamed up with a large financial company, and explained my problem and asked if they could help be a part of my solution by donating gift cards that could only be used towards rent. Every day that my kids showed up for class they were able to put their names on a ticket for a monthly drawing.  The mobility rate in my class slowed drastically that year.  So, young professionals and entrepreneurs, find a global problem and build a solid business that will combat or eliminate it!  Be content with being different.  Think outside of the box.  Q:  What keeps you up at night? ​ Pamela: Simple...Thinking about how much the world will change as soon as my feet hit the floor in the morning! From her very first formal experience in the classroom to her matriculation of her doctoral studies, Mrs. McCray has stood strongly for students rights and she has become a masterful seller of "HOPES & DREAMS".  Her passion about kids is shown not just by her talk, but in the countless number of students that find their way back to her, long after they were initially blessed by her gifts.  Join us in celebrating her journey as a dynamic, talented "REAL"ationship builder.  Mrs. McCray, you are a certified Re.engineer! Twitter: @PrincipalGone Facebook: @MindMogul