The Society of Entrepreneurs and Epicenter Memphis recently presented “Protecting Your Brand”, a panel on harnessing your skills to bring the best product to your customer while also knowing when to say no to protect the integrity of your brand. This panel features Susan Stephenson of Independent Bank, Shannon Briggs of Campfire Collective, Lisa Toro of City & State, Bartholomew Jones of Cxffeeblack, and our moderator Mike Bruns, retired Founder of Comtrak Logistics. We hope that you will enjoy this podcast featuring this very informative presentation.
Susan Stephenson is a passionate Memphian, proud mom of four and grandmother of 12 perfect grandchildren. This is her 44th year in banking—the last 25 years at independent bank (i-bank) the company her partner and she founded in 1998. She serves on several local boards, including the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis, New Memphis Institute, and is the current President of the Society of Entrepreneurs.
Shannon Briggs is the founder and head trailblazer for Campfire Collective, a Memphis-based agency that specializes in igniting marketing and public relations campaigns for community-based organizations. Shannon serves on the board of the DeNeuville Learning Center for Women, Shelby County Drug Court Foundation, and East Buntyn ArtWalk. She is a graduate of Leadership Memphis and is an active member of the Greater Memphis Chamber ambassador program, The Society of Entrepreneurs Insights Group, and PRSA Memphis. Additionally, she was named the “2022 PR Executive of the Year” by PRSA Memphis and is a member of the 2023 Memphis Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 class.
With over 20 years of experience and expertise in brand development and digital marketing, Lisa Toro has helped numerous organizations and businesses, including her own, craft their unique brand identities. Her expertise lies in developing comprehensive strategies that go beyond aesthetics and logos, delving deep into the essence of a brand and its authentic expression.
In addition to her professional achievements, Lisa is deeply committed to giving back to her community. She actively mentors aspiring entrepreneurs, helping them develop their skills and nurturing the next generation of small businesses. Her dedication to fostering growth and empowering others has earned her respect and admiration from fellow business owners and mentees alike.
Bartholomew Jones is an educator, emcee, avid coffee nerd, and native Memphian. He is also the co-founder of cxffeeblack, a renowned thought leader in matters regarding the African origins and diasporic future of coffee, and a key creative disruptor within the specialty coffee industry.
Bartholomew Jones, along with his wife Renata, intended to reinstate the origin, purpose, and integrity of cxffee through the knowledge of its Black history and being a part of its Black future, creating Cxffeeblack. As the movement, Cxffeblack, continues to press forward to educate community about the history of cxffee through the lens of Blackness; it also seeks to inspire the uniqueness, authenticity, and future of Black people.
