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ABOUT THRIVE INTEGRATED STRATEGIES

With our diverse team of experts, Thrive Integrated Strategies advises foundations, mission-based financial institutions, and governments on meaningful change and growth.  We have experts in Economic Development, CDFI Leadership, Executive Management, Nonprofit Management, Talent Acquisition, Grant Writing and more.

112

Years

Experience

28

Strategic

Projects Led

8

Industry

Verticals

4

C-Suite

Executives      

Our Team

Meet our dedicated team of experts.

the team

OUR TEAM

Anthony Young

Anthony Young is a husband, father, entrepreneur, community and economic developer, with a passion for revitalizing communities and facilitating the growth of local economies. Currently, he serves as the President of Thrive Integrated Strategies, a management consulting firm. As President, Anthony leads the organization’s vision in partnering with communities to provide mission-driven strategic planning, organizational evaluation, and ecosystem mapping to foster a more inclusive economy. Prior to his role at Thrive Integrated Strategies, Anthony served as President of Southern Bancorp Community Partners, a nonprofit loan fund CDFI headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. As President, Anthony led the organization’s vision in providing flexible lending options, asset-building strategies to help families and communities build wealth, and public policy advocacy. Proceeding his work at Southern Bancorp Community Partners, Young spearheaded ecosystem-level capital deployment as Director of Capital Programs for Epicenter, the entrepreneurship hub of the Greater Memphis region. In his role, Anthony connected entrepreneurs to a variety of capital types and helped to ensure equitable access to capital across the Memphis community.

 

 

 

Tiffany Taylor

Tiffany Taylor joined C3 Fund in January 2021. In her role, Tiffany leads strategic planning and capital raising for C3 Fund to revitalize quality, affordable housing in historically disinvested communities.

Most recently, Tiffany served as the Community Reinvestment Act ("CRA") Investment Officer for Wintrust Financial. In that role, Tiffany managed a portfolio of over $250 million in investments across multiple asset classes, such as Loan Pools to CDFIs, Small Business Investment Companies, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Equity Equivalent Investments, etc.

Tiffany also served as the Loan Committee Chair for Community Investment Corporation ("CIC") 1-4 Unit Loan Commitee and was also a Loan Committee Member for CIC's Multifamily Lending Program.

 

 

 

Janie Ginnochio

Janie Ginocchio is a principal and co-owner of Arkansas Nonprofit Initiative (ANPI), an organization with a mission to accelerate charitable organizations' effectiveness, impact, and sustainability through technical assistance, capacity building and public policy advocacy. Prior to co-founding ANPI, she championed systems and policy change for vulnerable populations as director of public policy and advocacy for Southern Bancorp and Southern Bancorp Community Partners, as lead policy and program analyst for the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC), and as the coordinator for the Arkansas Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resilience Workgroup. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Georgetown University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Arkansas – Little Rock, as well as certifications in trauma awareness from the Community Resilience Initiative.

 

 

 

Ron Brooks

Ron Books, founder of LeadFi Consulting Solutions, a dynamic consultancy dedicated to empowering small to mid-sized banks and community development financial institutions with innovative leadership, strategic partnerships, and digital transformation, is a seasoned banking professional and community development leader. LeadFi offers tailored strategies to enhance efficiency, foster meaningful collaborations between banks and CDFIs, and navigate the complexities of technological advancement.

 

 

 

Brittany Gray

Brittany Gray, a dedicated human rights activist, has tirelessly addressed a wide range of issues such as labor, politics, race, education, economic democracy, justice, criminal justice, mass incarceration, hunger, climate justice, and poverty. With a history of national, state, and regional organizing roles in prominent nonprofits and political campaigns, including those of President Barack Obama and the late Mayor Chokwe Lumumba, Brittany is deeply committed to her community. Her extensive involvement in various organizations and programs reflects her strong work ethic and pursuit of liberation. Advocating for people across races, genders, ethnicities, locations, and social classes, Brittany combines research and practice to achieve her mission. Rooted in spiritual insights, she collaborates with individuals from diverse backgrounds to foster seeds of change and respect for human life, aligning with her personal values. Currently serving as the Regional Organizer for Community Change, an adjunct professor at Mississippi Valley State University, a member of the Mississippi Black Leadership Institute, and a doctoral candidate at Mississippi State University, Brittany wears multiple hats. Brittany obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Mississippi and a Master of Arts degree in Political Science from CUNY-Brooklyn College. Additionally, she founded CommuniTEA, a company focused on herbal remedies for healing alternatives in communities. As the founder of Black Girls Solutions, a consulting firm from the Mississippi Delta, Brittany provides expert solutions, and she is a member of the Kappa Alpha Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

 

 

 

Ann Boland

Ann Boland is President and Co-Founder of the Boland Group a WBE retained executive search and management consulting firm specializing in recruiting leaders for mission-driven, community based nonprofits. The Boland Group focuses on identifying CEOs, Executive Directors, CFOs and COOs who reflect the community served, and whose values are aligned with the client organization’s mission. Clients served include Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs), Certified Community Behavioral Healthcare Clinics (CCBHCs), United Ways, YMCAs, community-centric Foundations, select Higher Educational institutions and municipal/county governments committed to wholistic community development. A living kidney donor, Ann is a Certified Group Exercise Instructor, and passionate about dance and strength training.

 

 

 

Kandi Ibaka

Kandie Ibaka, a seasoned Corporate Banking and Business Strategy Consultant with over 9 years of experience at prestigious institutions like JP Morgan and Citi Bank, is also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. Specializing in compliance and risk management, she navigates complex financial regulations with finesse, ensuring meticulous adherence to policies. Kandie's expertise extends to screening payments and global guidelines, with a comprehensive understanding of financial transactions. Outside banking, she is dedicated to fostering inclusivity and diversity, evidenced by her involvement in initiatives like the Kooler Kids Project and Reel Influential. Kandie's commitment to community extends to her participation in Nextdoor's AMP initiative, leveraging her diverse experiences to enhance relationships within Black and Brown communities. With a dynamic career spanning compliance, corporate banking, brand strategy, and community engagement, Kandie is poised to make significant contributions as a Banking and Brand Strategy Consultant.

 

 

 

Lou Evans

Lou Evans is a seasoned Retail and Business Banking associate with over 16 years throughout the Mid-South. Evans received her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Mississippi in 2008 and has a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Strayer University.

 

An Accomplished Sales Manager with an extensive background in small business lending, cash flow analysis, financial consulting, and strategic management. Industry experience includes sales management, outside sales, and business development. Lou has a proven track record in Consumer and Commercial Lending, in the Memphis Market and success in various roles in Banking and finance. Relationship Manager -Business Banker, particularly at First Bank, Southern Bancorp, and Regions Bank demonstrating her ability to contribute effectively to the objectives of this company and focusing her attention and objectives on minority business owners to be a resource with creating capital to build generational wealth. Being from an underbanked and low to moderate-income area, She learned at an early age how important credit, savings, education, and homeownership are to building a family’s wealth.

Outside of banking, she is dedicated to being a mother to her son, Jere'miah. Evans has spent a great deal of time partnering with Junior Achievement in Memphis to teach financial literacy to children. She volunteers extensively with the Mid-South Food Bank, helping fight hunger in the city. She is on the board of the Young Actors Guild in Memphis, Tennessee.

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