Join us for the EEIC 2026 Summit — a full day of bold conversations, practical strategy, and the kind of community that was designed for this moment.
Registration opens April 20, 2026.
We believe that economic empowerment and faith are not separate paths — they are the same walk. The EEIC Summit exists at that intersection: where vision meets action, where community meets strategy, and where what God placed in you finds the tools to come forward.
We Were Built for This Moment.
Black Wall Street wasn’t an accident. Neither was the Harlem Renaissance. Both were built, deliberately and collectively, by people who looked at their circumstances and built something that history couldn’t ignore.
That same spirit is what brings us here.
EEIC will host the 2026 Summit at Kingdom Fellowship AME Church in Beltsville, Maryland. This is a full day built around one focus: economic empowerment. From building and scaling businesses, to financial strategy, to career advancement and wealth creation, every session is designed to give you something you can act on.
We’re bringing together leaders, entrepreneurs, professionals, and community partners who understand that this moment, as uncertain as it is, is also an opening. A moment to get in position. A moment to build. A moment to prepare, so that when opportunity comes, we’re ready.
The work being done in rooms like this one is how movements begin. We’re not here to talk about what’s possible. We’re here to start laying the foundation that future generations will point to and say: that’s when it shifted.
Rooted in faith. Driven by strategy. We were built for this.
Click any speaker to read their full bio →
Senior Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens · Founder, dfree® Financial Freedom Movemen…
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Interim CEO, National Black MBA Association · Former President, Holland America Line · Author
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President, SARCOR, LLC & Selene, LLC · Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Alumna
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Founder of Wealth Over Now
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Founder & CEO, Ideation To Valuation (i2V) · Author, The Growth Engine · Former VP of Strategy, Mid-States …
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Founder, CleanLines Advisory · Career Development Pillar Lead, EEIC
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Founder, Nu Solutions Business Services · Author, Level Up: Climbing the Ladder in Style
Read BioSenior Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens · Founder, dfree® Financial Freedom Movement · Former NJ Secretary of State
Dr. Soaries served as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens for 30 years, pioneering faith-based community development and founding the Central Jersey Community Development Corporation in 1992. In 2005, he launched the dfree® Financial Freedom Movement, which teaches financial self-sufficiency and was featured in a CNN documentary. He has authored 12 books, hosts a weekly SiriusXM radio show, and has served as New Jersey's first African-American male Secretary of State, chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, and independent director at Independence Realty Trust and Ocwen Financial Corporation.
Interim CEO, National Black MBA Association · Former President, Holland America Line · Author
Orlando Ashford brings over 30 years of leadership experience across Fortune 500 companies and global organizations. Appointed Interim CEO of the National Black MBA Association in February 2025, he previously served as Chief People Officer at Fanatics — growing the workforce to 22,000 employees — and as President of Holland America Line, where he revitalized the brand and transformed its culture. Ashford is the author of Talentism and How Did You Get That Job?, and has been named among Black Enterprise's "Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America" and Savoy's "Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America."
President, SARCOR, LLC & Selene, LLC · Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Alumna
After being laid off in 2010, Selena chose to search for contracts rather than a job — growing SARCOR, LLC from a one-person engineering firm into a team of engineers and management professionals. She later launched Selene, LLC, specializing in diverse spending tracking and business solutions, and operated a co-working incubator space in Birmingham's Uptown District. A Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses graduate and Alabama DOT DBE Consultant of the Year (2017), Selena is a passionate advocate for women- and minority-owned businesses, a domestic violence survivor and advocate, and a featured guest on PBS's nationally televised show Start Up.
Founder of Wealth Over Now
Keina Newell is the founder of Wealth Over Now, where she works with professional women and solopreneurs to create new possibilities with their money so they can save more, pay off debt, invest in themselves and stress less about money. She is passionate about her work and finds no greater satisfaction than helping her clients start managing their money with joy because they've learned to feel possibility where they once felt shame, guilt, overwhelm, and anxiety. When she is not coaching, Keina is spending quality time with friends and family and traveling.
Founder & CEO, Ideation To Valuation (i2V) · Author, The Growth Engine · Former VP of Strategy, Mid-States MSDC
Daryle L. Johnson "The Idea Guy" is the founder and CEO of Ideation To Valuation (i2V) and author of The Growth Engine, a framework and book that helps entrepreneurs, suppliers, and ecosystem leaders turn ideas into measurable economic outcomes. Across his career, DJ has delivered more than $43.6 million in combined personal sales and program-driven supplier impact, helped 780+ suppliers grow through programs he designed, and contributed to the creation of 141 jobs in underrepresented communities. As former VP of Strategy at Mid-States MSDC, he architected the Accelerate 100+ and ScaleUP / Capital Readiness programs and was named a 2025 Distinguished Business Achiever by Champions of Diversity. He is a graduate of executive education at Dartmouth Tuck and MIT Sloan, and a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Founder, CleanLines Advisory · Career Development Pillar Lead, EEIC
Marcus Wedge is the Founder of CleanLines Advisory, where he partners with business owners and executive teams to operationalize vision into execution. Marcus establishes the governance, structure, systems, and accountability required to scale. Drawing on 15 years of experience in corporate operations and executive leadership, he takes a practitioner's approach to helping leaders see clearly, decide confidently, and grow by design. Marcus leads the Career Development pillar of the Economic Empowerment and Innovation Center, where he builds workforce development programming for the community. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Morehouse College and an Executive Master's in Human Resource Management from Cornell University.
Founder, Nu Solutions Business Services · Author, Level Up: Climbing the Ladder in Style
Kena J. Bryant is a Business Strategist, author, and Founder of Nu Solutions Business Services, LLC. With over 25 years of experience in organizational development, tax management, and career coaching, she helps individuals and organizations gain clarity, stay compliant, and achieve sustainable growth. She is the author of Level Up: Climbing the Ladder in Style, a career journal designed to help professionals track their progress and confidently communicate their impact. A proud mother, grandmother, and community leader, Kena is passionate about mentorship, faith, and empowering others to lead with purpose.
Our inaugural conference exceeded every expectation. The room was full. The energy was undeniable. Attendees left equipped, connected, and activated — and the response made one thing clear: this work is needed, and this community is ready.
We launched new programs. We forged new partnerships. We watched people walk in uncertain and leave with a plan. Entrepreneurs found resources. Professionals found community. Families found a path forward.
Now we’re back — deeper, bolder, and built on everything we learned. The 2026 Summit is not a repeat. It’s the next chapter.
Registration, light refreshments & welcome
Greetings & Remarks · Plenary Speaker + Q&A
Calling, Competence and Courage: Aligning Faith With Vocation
Systems & Operations: Running Your Business Like a CEO
Breaking the Cycle: Financial Strategies That Make A Difference
Networks with Purpose: The Power of Collective Advancement
Scaling Your Business Without Burning Out
Your Next Move: A Financial Clarity Interactive Workshop
A featured address to anchor the afternoon
Lite Bites · Speaker tables · Hands-on, immersive networking
Thank you for being here.
Select one track per block and go deep. Each track begins with an expert-led insight panel, then returns in the afternoon for a hands-on working session.
How to Survive & Thrive in a Recession!
Your Next Move: A Financial Clarity Interactive Workshop
Systems & Operations: Running Your Business Like a CEO
Scaling Your Business Without Burning Out
Calling, Competence and Courage: Aligning Faith With Vocation
Networks with Purpose: The Power of Collective Advancement
Admission is free. Registration opens April 20, 2026.
The EEIC Summit convenes leaders, entrepreneurs, professionals, and community partners committed to expanding economic opportunity and strengthening long-term prosperity in our communities. Sponsors help make this gathering free and accessible while supporting powerful conversations, collaborative strategy, and leadership development across our region.
Your investment directly funds programming, resources, and access for participants who are building businesses, advancing careers, and creating economic momentum for future generations. We are grateful for your partnership.
Exclusive — or two sponsors at $10,000 each.
Organizations contributing $20,000 or more will be invited to offer brief remarks during the Summit program.
Please contact Tene Dolphin at tdolphin@kingdom.global to discuss sponsorship at any of the levels above. Custom partnerships are also welcomed.
Economic Empowerment and Innovation Center (EEIC)
A program of Kingdom Global Community Development Corporation
The Economic Empowerment and Innovation Center (EEIC) is a program of Kingdom Global Community Development Corporation. EEIC exists to activate economic advancement in underrepresented communities through education, strategy, and connection.
From entrepreneurship to workforce development to wealth creation, EEIC delivers tools and insight for immediate action and long-term legacy.
June 6, 2026 · Calverton, Maryland
Questions? Contact us at info@kgcdc.org
Economic Empowerment and Innovation Center (EEIC)
A program of Kingdom Global Community Development Corporation
