"We have a responsibility to lead not just based on profits, but also on morals.
I want to affect the type of change that emboldens us to speak up 
and call out hypocrisy that is suffocating our ability to prosper."
— Tawana Bain

DERBY DIVERSITY & BUSINESS SUMMIT
AWARD RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
THE PROJECT TO PRESERVE AFRICAN AMERICAN TURF HISTORY &
THE LEGACY EQUINE ACADEMY

Louisville, KY (April 28, 2021) – The Derby Diversity & Business Summit (DDBS) is proud to announce the award recipients of the third annual DDBS Awards. Rebranded this year through their partnership, the DDBS Isaac Murphy Legacy Awards are in partnership with PPAATH & Legacy Equine Academy. The awards ceremony and dinner is one of the featured events to take place the week of the Derby Diversity Business Summit on Thursday, April 29 from 5:30-7:30 pm at Black Jockeys Lounge (630 S 4th Street).

Recipients of the 2021 DDBS Awards are individuals and corporations that exemplify outstanding excellence and achievement in improving diversity for People, Processes or Products & Services that have had a positive impact on the workforce, supply chain or community and quality of life. DDBS has acknowledged the hard work, compassion, and efforts of leaders around the world who are working towards a diverse, equitable, and inclusive future for all.

2021 DDBS Award Recipients:

People:

Francine Griesing, Founder & Managing Member, Griesing Law

Deana Cheney, Founder, Bosisi Designs

Processes:

Gene Waddy, CEO, Alpha Business Solutions

Jonathon Brown, Director, Development, Programs and Partnerships, LEO Events

Products & Services:

Genesis Fisher, Founder and Principal Attorney, Fischer Law Practice

Tammy Williams, CEO, Envision2bWell Inc, a Public Benefit Corporation

Corporation of the Year:

Accenture, Nedra Dickson, Managing Director, Global Supplier Inclusion & Sustainability and Europe Procurement Market Lead

Diverse Owned Business of the Year:

The Mobile Cigar Bar, Joey Mac Dizon, Co-founder, CEO

Government Partner of the Year:

Aaron Thompson, President, Council on Postsecondary Education

Non-Profit/Non-Government Organization of the Year:

Sponsor 4 Success, Butch Mosby, President

Established in 2011 by the Project to Preserve African American Turf History (PPAATH) and presented as a part of the Kentucky Derby season. The Isaac Murphy Legacy Awards celebrates lifetime achievement of people of color in the categories of Business, Education, Entertainment, and Sports.

2021 Isaac Murphy Legacy Award Recipients:

Shirley Mae Beard, owner of Shirley Mae’s Café and founder of the salute to the black jockeys who pioneered the Kentucky Derby event to educate African Americans about their rich roots in the Kentucky Derby and to give them their own Kentucky Derby event to celebrate those roots during the Kentucky Derby festival.

Ed Hamilton, famous sculptor from Louisville whose most famous work The Spirit of Freedom, a memorial to black Civil War veterans, that stands in Washington, DC.

Jean Cruguet, a retired French-American thoroughbred horse racing jockey who won the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing and famously rode horse Seattle Slew to the Triple Crown win.

Legacy Equine Academy is proud to present this honor to this year’s leading advocate for creating diversity and inclusion in the Thoroughbred industry by recognizing the trailblazing history of the Black Horseman. "Honoring our Heritage...While Blazing a New Trail."

2021 Legacy Legend Award Presented by Legacy Equine Academy Recipient:

Alicia Hughes, Director of Communications, The National Thoroughbred Racing Association

Churchill Downs is a proud sponsor of the Derby Diversity Business Summit and the awards ceremony. More information about the summit and how to purchase tickets for the awards can be found on their website www.derbydiversity.com.

About DDBS
The mission of the Derby Diversity Business Summit (DDBS) is to drive innovative strategies to attract diverse consumers while promoting the utilization of best-in- class diverse business leaders within the Executive Workforce, Global Supply Chain, and Sports. DDBS has an international draw and exists to bring together the world’s top diverse suppliers and executives - inclusive of ALL diverse groups (Minority, Women, LGBTQ, Veteran & Disabled) on a national scale to network, develop, and enjoy the Derby. A portion of the 2021 proceeds will be donated to GEDDI in support of black owned businesses. Learn more about GEDDI by clicking here.
 

ABOUT US: The Global Economic Diversity Development Initiative (GEDDI) is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit foundation seeking donations to afford its fund development arm the ability to make grants to non-profit and for profit recipients focused on building economic wealth for the black community in the following areas- workforce opportunities,  economic empowerment, supply chain opportunities, leadership and development and business acceleration. In cases where GEDDI is solely the grant administrator for a targeted or restricted gift, GEDDI will abstract an administrative fee.  Through GEDDI, donors are assured their gift is going to vetted organizations serving the needs of the black population over the next 5 years.


GEDDI previously known as CLIFH, INC., officially spun off their year-round equity programming with the Derby Diversity & Business Summit (DDBS) in June 2020 to further the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work DDBS started back in 2017, DDBS will now become an annual program of GEDDI. Our foundation is 100% Black-founded and predominantly Black-led.

OUR MISSION: To establish a fund that serves as a worldwide giving choice for Racial Equity and Economic Justice initiatives to create generational wealth that meets present and future needs through creative and well-thought-out grant-making perpetually.