Mr. Ford is the President and co-founder of Enlightened Inc., an award winning IT consulting firm specializing in Management Consulting, Cyber Security, and Systems Integration services.  Enlightened serves clients such as the US Navy, Office of Personnel Management, Department of Veteran Affairs, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the US Department of Labor to name a few.  At Enlightened, Mr. Ford’s responsibilities include Corporate Vision and Direction, Business Development, Strategic Planning, and Corporate Innovation.

In addition, Mr. Ford currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the DC Chamber of Commerce.

In 2007, Enlightened Inc. was awarded a “Top-Five” honoree at the Excellence.gov awards by the Industry Advisory Council (IAC) for JUSTIS, a system developed by Enlightened on behalf of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC).  The award gave recognition to the system’s superior performance in the areas of collaboration and transformation.  In 2006, Enlightened Inc.’s growth and success were chronicled in a front-page article in The Washington Post.  Enlightened was named “2005 Small Business of the Year,” by the DC Chamber Of Commerce.  In 2004, Inc. Magazine named Enlightened one of the fastest-growing companies in America in its 23rd annual issue of the Inc. 500 list, ranking Enlightened 264th. Entrepreneur Magazine stated in its November 2003 issue, “Enlightened Inc. is one of the best and brightest companies in America.”

Mr. Ford is heavily involved in his community and was a founding member of Myth Men, a non-profit organization with the objective of destroying negative myths about young Black men.  He also serves as the following organizations:
•    Board of Directors for the Downtown Clusters Geriatric Day Care Center
•    Presidential Council for the US Black Chambers
•    Board of Directors for On Ramps to Careers
•    Presidents Circle for the US Black Chambers
He also serves as the Executive Assistant to his Pastor at his Church and working with the Teen and Youth Ministry at his church.  Mr. Ford also works with large non-profit organizations like The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and The American Heart Association in Washington, DC.  

Antwanye Eric Ford is a proud native of Washington DC. He received a B.S. in Computer Science and Information Systems and a M.S. in Information Systems with honors, both from The George Washington University (GWU).

Mr. Ford’s corporate philosophy is based in his faith, “to whom much is given, much is required”.

Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce (BCBCC)

President/CEO (2001 – Current)

Responsible for growth and direction of the BCBCC which has resulted in a 140% growth in 12 years.

Responsible for a diverse workforce that consists of 9 housing counselors, 2 vice presidents, and office manager, and a marketing person.

Responsible for the budget and accounting of all funds that are received and allocated for expenses.

Partner with the city, county, and state with Atax funding to promote tourism to support our businesses.

Responsible for the implementation of our micro loan program with USDA.

Support the South Carolina Housing Authority program which is a contract to help unemployed and underemployed citizens avoid foreclosure.

Gen-X Consulting Group

Principal Consultant

Born and raised in Nashville and currently residing in Murfreesboro, Susan Vanderbilt is native to Middle Tennessee. A graduate and post graduate of Tennessee State University, she studied social science and speech and hearing science, and proceeded to hone her knowledge and skills as a communication specialist.

Passionate about helping people grow and connect, her transition to business development and diversity inclusion was a natural fit. With encouragement from project executives of several local, national, and international construction management firms, Susan started Entrée Savvy in 2013. She has had the pleasure of performing successfully as the diversity inclusion manager on the construction management teams for the Music City Center Project (Nashville’s newest convention center), the First Tennessee/Nashville Sounds Ballpark Project, and the New Nashville Criminal Justice Center Project.

Her natural leadership is evident, as she has been nominated for the 2019
Best in Service & Philanthropy Power Moves Award, named to 100 Leading Women 2018 by Nashville Business.net, she has been awarded as a 2017 Nashville Business Journal Woman of Influence, a 2016 Nashville Black Chamber Rising Star, is a member of the SBA Emerging Leaders Class of 2017, and she is a 2018 ATHENA International Leadership Award Nominee.

About the Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce:

The Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce is the membership of choice for African-American businesses and business professionals in the Nashville Metropolitan Area. Founded in 1998, the Chamber is designed to assist business owners with the ability to take their businesses to new heights by connecting with the right networks, staying abreast of industry trends and resources, creating sustainable jobs, and advocating for business-friendly economic development and change.