Board of Directors
Carlton Semple
Board President
Carlton has a career in Software development. At present, he is helping build software in and around autonomous vehicles. Carlton began his career at IBM before transitioning into the automotive world, joining Ford Motor Company and then Lyft. He’s also co-founding a company with a focus on helping minority-owned businesses.
Born and raised in Syracuse, NY, Carlton went on to obtain his Bachelor’s of Science in Computer Engineering at Syracuse University. Lessons learned post graduation related to financial advancement and career advancement inspired Carlton to want to share with the younger generation advice that would allow them to make advantageous decisions earlier in their lives.
Layvon Washington
Board Vice President
Mr. Layvon Washington is a technical and programmatic support professional, with direct service experience, committed to maximizing the expansion of research and development (R&D) programs throughout the Federal Government. He currently provides program and financial management support to the Department of Navy’s (DoN) Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) Program. He also provides program support to the National Science Foundation. Prior to supporting the DoN’s HBCU/MI program, Mr. Washington supported the Department of Navy’s Naval STEM Coordination Office, within the Office of Naval Research (ONR). In this role, he provided naval policy recommendations, evaluations, and assisted in the coordination of programs across various naval commands. Mr. Washington also supported the Defense Health Agency’s Analytics and Evaluation Division (J-5). In this capacity, he assisted the division in building a financial dashboard to track funding obligations and expenditures.
Mr. Washington serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Excelsior Technical Group, where he works with disparate stakeholder groups to develop actionable solutions. He is currently a Public Policy and Administration PhD Candidate at George Washington University. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Siena College and a Master of Public Administration from The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He also holds a Project Management Professional certification from the Project Management Institute.
James Jackson
Board Treasurer
A native from Syracuse, New York, James Jackson received his Bachelor of Science (BS) in Business Administration from the University at Albany, in 2015 and his Master of Business Administration from Niagara University in 2020. Currently, James serves as an experienced HR Talent Consultant for M&T Bank as well as the Director of HR for International Child Advancement, an international non-profit with a mission to empower orphans and underprivileged children to become self-sufficient through education, vocational training and mentoring. James understands that people are your most valued asset; when they feel empowered, desired outcomes are obtained.
James has served in a volunteer capacity in many different ways in Western, NY including supporting the youth involved with Buffalo Promise Neighborhood schools/programs, being a site Team Leader for the United Way of Buffalo Day of Caring as well as a Say Yes to Education (Buffalo) Mentor. He has made it a mission to not only support the communities he lives in, but the communities that reflect the true need for change and support.
He believes that Minority Wealth Collective will not only help move the wealth inequality gap needle by giving underrepresented youth the resources and; training to help them get to the next level; it will provide them encouragement, wisdom and drive to make a difference in their lives & the lives of the people they care about.
Tofunmi Akinwale
Board Secretary
Tofunmi Akinwale is a Technical Solutions Specialist at IBM. She supports the IBM Analytics portfolio focusing on Business Intelligence and Analytics to help clients within the distribution industry drive meaningful insights from their data to address unique business problems and remain competitive.
She was born and raised in Nigeria but has spent most of her formative years in Upstate New York. Growing up her father instilled in her the value of education and she went on to obtain her Bachelor’s of Science in Computer Science at Syracuse University. This decision has created opportunities for her to travel the world and be financially stable. As she continues to advance in her career and life, she’s passionate about instilling those values in the younger generation and believes Minority Wealth Collective will accomplish that.