About Us

Kenneth White is the President and CEO of the Maryland Black Chamber of Commerce.  Prior to taking on this role, he held the position of Senior Vice President and Relationship Manager for Sandy Spring Bank.

Mr. White’s career in banking and economic development spans over 40 years.

He has held positions at Signal Financial Federal Credit Union, M&T Bank, Bank of America, Working for Success Economic Development Corp; The Washington Project; New Day Consulting; and Southeastern University’s Center for Entrepreneurship.

Mr. White serves on the Board of Directors of the following organizations:  Prince George’s County Board of Social Services, Montgomery County Black Collective and the Maryland Association of Social Services Board Foundation.

He is a former Board Member of the Maryland Black Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Prince George’s, Maryland Commercial Lenders Association, and FSC First.

He also serves on the Maryland State Comptroller’s Business Advisory Council.

Mr. White is a graduate of Potomac College with a BS in Management. He is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University, Carey School of Business, Minority Leadership Development Graduate Program as well as Leadership Prince George’s.

Mr. White was recognized in 2022 by The Daily Record with the Power 30 Business Leaders Award.

He has also been recognized for his community involvement with awards from Leadership Prince George’s, Prince George’s FSC First, Prince George’s Small Business Initiative Alliance, and the US Small Business Administration.

1^st Vice President, SBA Lending Team

38 years of lending to Small Business Investment Corporations(SBICs), Large Corporate, Middle Market, and Small Business Lending experience at money center and community banks.

Jerry T. Sanford is a seasoned professional with three decades of experience in corporate growth, public policy, public private partnerships, community engagement, external affairs, and economic development.  Mr. Sanford has strong connections with key business, government and community stakeholders throughout the Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD metropolitan areas with many additional key contacts nationally and internationally.  Jerry is known for being an impactful leader who gets results.

Nelson Davy’s 15-year career spans from one of the largest accounting firms in the world to the United States Senate, to serving as the Treasurer for the Maryland Black Chamber of Commerce.  He currently owns and operates a Commercial Health Insurance Brokerage and helps hundreds of business owners scale their companies to attract and retain employees by implementing alternative funding methods as well as wellness and risk management ideas to contain health care costs.  He’s an experienced leader who knows the ins and outs of what it takes to launch and operate a successful Start-up in this rapidly changing workforce and economy.

Sanita Alrey DeBose is the founder and owner of BrandUworld, a certified MBE woman-owned small business providing promotional products and custom brand solutions. She brings extensive corporate experience from working with Fortune 100 companies, where she managed domestic and global projects and gained expertise in product development, marketing, and business operations. Through BrandUworld, she partners with companies, organizations, and municipalities to create impactful branded experiences. Sanita is also an active community leader, serving on multiple nonprofit boards and supporting initiatives that strengthen local businesses and communities.

www.branduworld.com

| (240) 461-6477

Eddie Egesi currently serves on both the Montgomery County Advisory Board and the Marketing Committee for the Maryland Black Chamber of Commerce (MBCC). He is a brand consultant and founder of Apricot Branding, LLC, a strategic branding and design firm dedicated to empowering visionaries to amplify the impact and maximize the potential of their brands through strategic communications, design, and marketing solutions. He also recently launched Apricot Press, a new publishing imprint dedicated to guiding businesses and ministries through the self-publishing process so they can share their stories and connect with their audiences.

With more than 8 years of experience in the media and communications industry, Eddie brings deep expertise in branding, design, and marketing. He has authored over 50 articles on topics that range from marketing strategy to brand development. He has also partnered with the MBCC to deliver insightful presentations at events such as The Interactive Business Marketing Seminar, Business Leadership Academy: Cohort III and the M&T Bank Accelerator Program.

He is passionate about transforming meaningful ideas into lasting impact that helps organizations to grow and thrive. At Apricot Branding, he is committed to partnering with both small and large businesses to accelerate their mission through creative collaboration, content creation, workshops, seminars, and trainings.

David Smith is an experienced nonprofit leader and strategist with a strong record of advancing equity and economic opportunity through program innovation, coalition building, and stakeholder engagement. Currently the Director of Diversity Programs at the International Franchise Association (IFA), he has led national initiatives supporting diverse entrepreneurs, built high-impact partnerships, and driven policy advocacy across multiple sectors. Previously David has worked with the National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC) – the largest network of diverse-owned alternative investment firms, National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) and served as Chief of Staff at the US Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC). With over a decade of experience, David is passionate about empowering communities, mobilizing resources, and creating pathways for underrepresented voices in business and finance.