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Conference Speakers

Jesse Morton

 

Jesse is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for McPhillips, Roberts & Deans, PLC (MRD).  MRD has been providing assurance, tax and advisory services to the Hampton Roads community for over 43 years.  The firm delivers long-term strategies aimed to capitalize on existing and emerging opportunities in their clients’ markets.  MRD serves a diverse array of industries including Government Contracting & Construction, Healthcare, Nonprofit, Real Estate & Hospitality, Retail and Dealerships.

 

Jesse directs the firm’s operations to include strategic planning, training & development, marketing & business development and information technology.  His role also includes managing MRD’s strategic alliance with BDO, the 5th largest firm in the world.  What sets the firm apart from other accounting firms is that they offer the advantages of a global organization, with the entrepreneurial culture of a local, Hampton Roads based firm. 

 

Jesse is proud of the awards the MRD has received over the years including “Best Places to Work” and two (2) Volunteer Hampton Roads, Corporate Volunteer Excellence awards, which recognizes the firm’s community service & employee volunteer programs.  In addition, for the past four (4) years MRD has ranked in the top 50 of over 500 firms across the country by Inside Public Accounting. 

 

For the past fifteen (15) years, Jesse has designed and implemented internship & externship programs as well as consultative skills development programs for the firms he has served.  In addition, Jesse has traveled to colleges throughout the country to deliver workshops designed to help students transition from the classroom to the board room.

Jibreel Salaam'14

 

From an early age, Jibreel Salaam choose the road less traveled, thus setting his sites on entrepreneurship. At the tender age of 10, Jibreel started his first company shining shoes at various conferences up and down the East Coast. However, it was not long until he embarked on much more lucrative business ventures. Hardwired with the mind of a hustler, Jibreel has since worked many jobs ranging from selling candy and cutting hair, to your typical 9-5 and retail. However, Salaam is most recognized for his mismatched colored truck holding an innumerable amount of wooden pallets, giving him the nick name, "The Pallet Man".

 

With a degree in International Business, Jibreel soon began his professional career in insurance and later non-profit organizing. As of recent, Salaam has began to delve in motivational/informational speaking by doing talks on "The 7 Things I Wish I Knew Before Graduating College". But just as when he was a boy, his heart yearned for starting his own company. Thus founding Red-Wing Pallets (2012) and Co-Founding MoJo Sports Entertainment(2015), with his best friend Mo Hassan.

Tanisha McNeil'13

 

 

"I am a Hampton Roads native. During my time at VWC, I was in the Honors and Scholars Program and a member of the 'NFamous' Step Team. I also participated in Marlins Read and helped with the On-Campus Winter Homeless Shelter. I graduated from VWC in the Spring of 2013 with my Bachelors of Arts in Business Administration and a concentration in Accounting. I then went to pursue my Maters of Accounting degree at William and Mary where I graduated in May 2014. I now work at McPhillips, Roberts, and Deans, a local certified public accounting firm, as an Assurance Associate."

 

Jason Barnes

 

Jason is the Owner/Operator of Chick-Fil-A of Haygood. He is from Hanover, VA and went to SUNY Broome to receive his Associate's. There he also played soccer, ice hockey and lacrosse. Barnes received his Bachelor's degree from Caron-Newman, and received his Master's degree from the University of Tennessee. Prior to running Chick-fil-A from 2002-2011, Barnes worked as a Teacher, Soccer Coach and Assistant Principal. He is currently married to his wife of 8 years, Breane Barnes, and they have two children. Barnes is an avid cross fitter and plays soccer twice a week. Barnes will be speaking on "Becoming a Professional" in a workshop format.

Mohamed Hassan'13


Mohamed also known as “Mo” Hassan is a charming 23-year-old Virginia Wesleyan Graduate, class of ‘13. After earning his degree, Mo soon landed an entry-level position with a DC based inside sales consulting firm, memoryBlue. It didn't take Mo long to dazzle his superiors with his fluid closing ability and excellent interpersonal skills. Surely after his employment, Mo was promoted into the executive Sales Team, thus becoming the second youngest person to do so in the company’s history.

 

Seven months into his new position, Mo was offered a lucrative position with General Dynamics Fidelis Cybersecurity, the second largest cybersecurity company on the planet. Accepting the offer, Mo is now apart of one of the greatest sales teams in the DMV area.  However, this was not enough for Hassan, he wanted more out of life and wanted to do something he was passionate about.  Thus co-founding MoJo Sports Entertainment with his best friend Jibreel Salaam in July of 2015.

 

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