A sought after subject matter expert, Kathey is a frequent keynote speaker, panelist and workshop facilitator at conferences and events focusing on supplier diversity, small business development/entrepreneurship, women’s entrepreneurship and empowerment and diversity and inclusion and has addressed audiences at Fast Company, EY, Interise, Inc Magazine’s Inc 5000, ESSENCE Festival, Babson College BWEL and The Conference Board, to name a few.

An adjunct business instructor with over a decade of diversified teaching experience, Kathey has lectured at several universities and colleges including the University of Florida, Virginia Tech, Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD), Savannah State University, etc. where she has taught various undergraduate and graduate courses including Leadership, Professional Writing, Marketing, Public Relations, Intro to Business, Management, Entrepreneurship and Communications.

A nationally recognized business coach and small business strategist, Kathey has been a featured small business expert in ESSENCE magazine and is a business coach for several national business accelerators including Interise/Small Business Administration’s Emerging Leaders Program, National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), the Black Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (BWEL) Program at Babson College and Inc Magazine’s Inc 5000. Her online course, BusinessFAB© Academy, targets entrepreneurs looking to grow and scale their businesses with institutional customers. 

Kathey is the author of 50 Billion Dollar Boss: African American Women Sharing Stories of Success in Entrepreneurship and Leadership, which was a #1 new release on Amazon and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Non-fiction and Implementing Supplier Diversity: A Driver of Entrepreneurship, both published by Palgrave Macmillan. She has two books scheduled to be released in 2022.

She is a contributor to several local and national platforms including OPEN Forum (American Express) and has been featured in numerous media outlets including Ebony, Black Enterprise, The Huffington Post, Sirius XM, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Fox 5-DC. 

Kathey is a small business strategist and supplier diversity expert with experience spanning nearly two decades in marketing, small business development, supplier diversity and entrepreneurship. She draws on her years of experience in supplier diversity, small business development, procurement and consulting across a variety of industries including local/state government, higher education, K-12, corporations and the federal government, helping numerous small businesses win millions of dollars in contract opportunities to successfully support clients. Kathey was previously a marketing executive in the multicultural beauty industry working for organizations such as Revlon Professional/Colomer USA and Carson Products Company (acquired by L’Oréal) where she was responsible for new product development, in-market activation (advertising, promotions, sales) and financial management.

Kathey has provided instructional design services and facilitated workshops and trainings (live and virtual) for thousands of small businesses, industry practitioners and stakeholders for and/or in partnership with numerous organizations including the Jax Chamber, Greater Des Moines Partnership, University of Central Florida and Mid American Energy, to name a few.

She was appointed to the State of Florida Advisory Council on Small and Minority Business Development which advises the governor on issues impacting small businesses in Florida and was recognized as Advocate of the Year – Supplier Diversity by the Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council (FSMSDC).

A proud HBCU alum, Kathey received her BBA from Savannah State University, MBA from Georgia Southern University and Master of Science (MSE) in Entrepreneurship from the University of Florida. She is a graduate of the Babson College Symposium for Entrepreneurial Educators (SEE) Program and received her Certified Professional in Supplier Diversity (CPSD) credentials through the Institute for Supply Management (ISM).