OBJECTIVE
Senior attorney, strategist, and executive leader with extensive experience advising boards, executives, and institutions through complex transactions, organizational growth, and high-stakes decision making across corporate, nonprofit, and public-private environments. Provides counsel on enterprise governance, capital strategy, economic development, and wealth-building initiatives that align business objectives with sustainable growth and long-term value. Trusted advisor to governments, corporations, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs on structuring partnerships and initiatives in complex, capital-constrained, and regulated settings. Recognized for disciplined judgment, coalition building, and translating legal and strategic frameworks into measurable business and community outcomes.
EXPERIENCE
Founder, Managing Partner & General Counsel | The Solomon Group
2009 – Present
Founder and senior legal and strategy executive of an advisory and legal services firm focused on governance, capital strategy, and enterprise execution in complex operating environments.
- Founded and scaled a multidisciplinary advisory and legal platform supporting entrepreneurs, growth-stage companies, and public-sector entities in capital-constrained and regulated environments
- Serve as chief legal advisor and strategic partner to boards, executives, and public leaders on governance, financing structures, and enterprise-level decision-making
- Ledd complex corporate transactions, capital raises, real estate and land use matters, and public-private initiatives across multiple industries
- Advise executive teams on growth strategies that balance financial performance with long-term organizational stability and resilience
- Provide outside general counsel support to emerging growth companies, social enterprises, and multi-generational businesses, often operating as an extension of executive leadership
- Built and led cross-functional teams delivering legal, strategic, and economic development solutions domestically and internationally
General Counsel | Emergent Ethos
2024 – 2025
Served as General Counsel to an investment platform deploying capital across clean energy, sustainability, and emerging technology assets, advising leadership on governance, investment execution, and long-term stewardship in a highly regulated and evolving sector.
- Primary legal advisor to executive leadership and investment stakeholders on governance, fiduciary obligations, and investment structures
- Advised on diligence, structuring, and execution of investments, partnerships, and strategic initiatives across clean and renewable energy and sustainability-focused technologies
- Led legal review and documentation supporting capital deployment while aligning commercial objectives with regulatory and mission considerations
- Provided counsel to portfolio companies on governance, compliance, and organizational maturity as they scaled
- Established legal frameworks and operating processes supporting multi-jurisdictional investments and long-duration asset strategies
Chief Equity Officer | Bezos Academy
2023 – 2024
Senior executive leader for a national nonprofit delivering tuition-free, Montessori-inspired early childhood education in under-resourced communities. Member of the senior leadership team overseeing a $200M, multi-state education enterprise during a period of organizational growth and maturation.
- Member of the senior leadership team responsible for enterprise strategy, governance, and cross-functional decision-making
- Designed and led organization-wide strategies to strengthen workforce practices, community partnerships, and operational alignment across a rapidly scaling platform
- Built and launched enterprise frameworks, training programs, and measurement systems supporting consistency, accountability, and performance across 500+ employees and 1,000+ students
- Developed and executed a national community engagement strategy, establishing partnerships with community organizations, faith-based institutions, and civic stakeholders
- Led supplier and procurement initiatives expanding access to enterprise opportunities for hundreds of small and emerging vendors, including the creation of a structured small business incubator program
- Applied data-driven approaches, including analytics and AI-enabled tools, to inform leadership decision-making, track outcomes, and improve organizational visibility
Chief Economic Inclusion Officer & General Counsel | YWCA
2020 – 2023
Dual-role C-suite executive for a 150-year-old social enterprise, serving on the executive leadership team of a $44M organization with responsibility for enterprise legal affairs and the Economic Empowerment Institute, a multi-program operating portfolio advancing economic mobility and community stability.
- Accountable for a $12M operating portfolio spanning entrepreneurship, workforce development, housing access, financial capability, and digital skills initiatives, while advising the CEO and board on organizational decision-making, compliance, and enterprise stewardship.
- Built and established the organization’s legal department from the ground up, defining vision, structure, and governance while overseeing all legal, compliance, and enterprise risk functions
- Led the Economic Empowerment Institute, overseeing programs delivering annual outcomes including nearly 500 small businesses launched, sustained homeownership for approximately 80 families, and 250 workforce job placements
- Oversaw the integration and growth of StreetWise, strengthening its operating model and driving a 20 percent revenue increase
- Directed digital and financial capability initiatives, including the Innovation and Technology Institute and World of Money, expanding access to technology training and financial literacy for more than 1,500 individuals
- Partnered with public agencies, funders, and community organizations to strengthen governance, scale programs responsibly, and align mission outcomes with operational discipline
Partner | Greenspoon Marder
2018 – 2023
Partner responsible for building and leading the firm’s social impact and economic justice practice, advising startups, growth-stage companies, Fortune 500 corporations, and nonprofit organizations on transactions, capital formation, and strategic initiatives.
- Founded and led the firm’s social impact practice, integrating social responsibility, DEI considerations, and economic development strategy into core legal offerings
- Advised clients on mergers and acquisitions, venture and private equity financings, and strategic planning across multiple sectors
- Led transactions resulting in more than $7M in venture and private equity capital raised for client startups
Partner & Chief Diversity Officer | Quintairos, Wood & Boyer, P.A.
2014 – 2018
Partner with firmwide leadership responsibility for developing and implementing global diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy within the world’s largest minority- and woman-owned law firm, while advising external clients on governance, organizational strategy, and inclusive growth.
- Designed and led enterprise-wide DEI frameworks supporting organizational scale, leadership accountability, and talent strategy across a national law firm platform
- Served as a trusted advisor to cities, nonprofit organizations, and corporate clients on governance, legal strategy, and inclusion-focused organizational initiatives
Managing Counsel; Franchise Relations Officer & Ombudsman| McDonalds Corp.
2001 – 2014
Senior legal and enterprise leader with progressive responsibility across legal strategy, franchise relations, dispute resolution, and workforce programs within a global Fortune 100 organization. Served as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on policy, compliance, and complex operational matters impacting a $14B business unit and thousands of independent operators.
- Promoted from Senior Counsel to Managing Counsel and Franchise Relations Officer and Ombudsman, reflecting sustained enterprise leadership, judgment, and stakeholder trust
- Senior member of the leadership team accountable for franchise relations across a $14B business unit, overseeing relationships with approximately 2,800 franchise organizations nationwide
- Served as the corporation’s neutral, principal intermediary for franchise and franchisor disputes, guiding high-stakes matters toward fair, consistent, and durable resolution while preserving long-term enterprise relationships
- Led interpretation and application of corporate policy across a highly decentralized system, ensuring equitable treatment and consistency for all stakeholders
- Served as corporate representative to the National Black McDonald’s Owner Operator Association, advising franchisees on governance, business growth, and operational alignment
- Built and led the corporate workers’ compensation and employee reintegration function, delivering approximately $75M in cost savings over six years
- Designed and implemented a return-to-work initiative retraining more than 1,000 employees with disabilities, strengthening workforce outcomes and organizational resilience
- Modernized policies, practices, and performance metrics across workers’ compensation, personal injury, and EEOC matters, overseeing more than 3,000 claims and improving transparency and enterprise consistency
EDUCATION
Juris Doctor (J.D.) | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Bachelor of Business Administration | Knox College
Bachelor of Arts – Economics, Sociology & Anthropology | Knox College
AWARDS & HONORS
- Shining Light Award – McDonald’s Corporation
- Bridge Award – Chicago United Business Leaders of Color
- CLEO Edge Award – Council on Legal Education and Opportunity
- James Seaberry Award for Excellence – University of Illinois College of Law
- Hall of Fame – Distinguished Legal Alumni, Bloom Trail High School
