Board of Directors
| Chairman Calvin Flowers |
Shelley Hoyt-Anderson |
| Treasurer Opal Freeman |
Latrea Morrow |
| Director Thomas Ross |
Ouida Prater |
| Director Earnest C. Joseph |
Paulette Roberson |
| Secretary Dennis Daniels |
Close Up
Calvin E. Flowers
Chairman/President
With over 20 years of Professional work experience Calvin Flowers has a rich history of leadership guiding companies towards their goals. As Founder, Inventor, President & CEO of Tel-Lock, Inc, this accomplished corporate strategist and marketer’s vision and expertise in business performance have driven notable enterprise growth for the company from 1996-Present. He invented, patented and sold Tel-Lock’s primary product nationwide to stores such as Walgreens and Supervalu. Offering a rare blend of creative and operational strengths Flowers has launched an exciting company, serves as Director of Operations, oversees new product development and new product recruitment. He cut his teeth managing and clerking for F&F Auto Salvage/Renuit Auto Repair and the Chicago Housing Authority. From 2004- Present He has served as the Chicago 1st Black Inventors/Entrepreneurs Organization’s Founder, Chairman and Executive
Calvin received his Bachelor of Arts and Science-Mathematics in 2006 from Chicago State University in Chicago, IL
Awards and Volunteer Experience
- FaithCorp Fund 2002 Entrepreneur of the Year
- ABC’s Harry Porterfields “Someone you should know”
- Chicago 1st Black Inventors/Entrepreneurs Organization, NFP
- President of 8100 South Ada Street Block Club
- Who’s Who in Executives and Businesses 1998
- Served on the loan Committee for Metropolitan Family
Thomas Ross was born on a farm that his father owned in a little country town called Tibbs, Mississippi. After “graduating” from the farm in 1956, he migrated to Chicago at the age of sixteen and graduated from Englewood High School in 1961 and attended Wilson Junior (Kennedy King) College. He became employed at ER Lurey Sign Company as a Sign Screener and began working in the music recording industry in 1963. His career in the music industry included working with artists such as Betty Everett (The Shoop Shoop Song [It's In His Kiss], You’re No Good, Let It Be Me with Jerry Butler), Donald Jenkins (Elephant Walk and End of the Rainbow) and McKinley Mitchell (The Town I Lived In) until he was drafted into the US Army in 1967. After completing basic training and certification as a Morse Code operative, hewas stationed in Germany and eventually sent to Vietnam in 1968.
His trip to Vietnam was quite memorable as his plane was forced to the ground or hijacked by Soviet Union fighter planes at Yokota Island. They were guarded by the Soviet militia for three days and two nights before being released to proceed to Vietnam. After completing his tour of duty in Vietnam, Ross was discharged from the Army in 1969 and returned to the music recording business until 1990 when he authored and published “The Misguidance of Black America.” This work was the beginning of his need to become more involved in community economic empowerment movements.
On November 26, 1996, Ross received a patent for a Twin Gear Drive Assembly for a bicycle. The Twin Gear Drive Assembly can be assembled on a 10, 12 or 15 speed bicycle which will increase the bicycle’s speed approximately 5 to 7 miles per hour. The Twin Gear Drive Assembly reduces the stress and strain on the rider’s legs which is a real benefit for senior riders or people with a physical handicap.
In September 2003, Calvin Flowers, Napoleon Brown, Eddie Daniels, Leroy Jacobs and myself received a 501 ©3 NFP status to form the Chicago 1st Black Inventors/Entrepreneurs Organization. I strongly recommend to my fellow African Americans that we take advantage of this golden opportunity to join our organization.
Dennis G. Daniels
Secretary
For over 37 years Dennis Daniels has been providing leadership experience and direction in management to corporate America. Mr. Daniels spent an impressive 25 years with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago where he managed Compensation & Benefits programs for seven years including consulting with the Vice President of Human Resources in establishing long range objectives as related to the Bank strategic plans . Daniels vision and expertise earned him two Presidential Awards for coordinating all activities of the Bank’s Early Retirement Program and Job Evaluation Program. For over 10 years Daniels management business performance had a significant impact on growth and development of the Bank’s Communications Service Center where he managed all aspects of the Center which provides information and communication support to the offices of the President, First Vice President and Senior Vice Presidents of the Bank.
For over five years he provided his unique management consulting expertise to Shola Enterprises, Inc., including strategic planning, information technology and E-Commerce business solutions. He also developed and administered the company’s accounting system, customer relationship management database, Web site, Local Area Network (LAN), communications packages, business plans and management reports.
Mr. Daniels served as an Adjunct Faculty member at Olive Harvey College from 1996 to 2005 where he was the recipient of Olive-Harvey College’s 1997 President’s Award For Community Leadership. He developed curriculums for Writing Business Plans and using Marketing/Sales & Accounting databases to grow micro enterprise businesses with the College’s Entrepreneurial Training Program. Mr. Daniels is currently at Education Station, Inc. (formerly Sylvan Education Solutions) since 2004 as an Instructor.
Having a creative and high spirited nature, Opal Freeman embraced the opportunity to work with the Chicago First Black Inventors and Enterpreneurs as Treaurer. Some years ago she invented a product and did not receive proper direction. Her goal as Treaurer is to apply her financial and creative abilities to a unique organization that caters to the current and up and coming “Inventors”.
Ms. Freeman’s professional experience of several years, encompasses the areas of Finance, Investments, Marketing, Not-For-Profit, and Advertising. Armed with a Master’s Degree in Not-For-Profit Management and undergraduate studies in Finance and Management, she is able to apply both education and experience to CFBIEO.
She credits her diverse background to the valuable experience gained from organizations such as, Northern Trust Bank, Bank of New York, ABN AMRO, Ada S. McKinley, and the Abraham Lincoln Centre to name a few.
Other professional accomplishments include her role as Director-At-Large for the National Alliance of Market Developers, a consultant to Real Men Cook, and a consultant in the area of Small Business Development to several local up and coming enterprises.
Ms. Freeman’s goal as Treasurer of CFBIEO is to complement the Executive Board in their efforts to empower and educate inventors.
Advisory Board
Dr. Margaret Bourroughs
Founder, DuSable Museum of African American History
Constance A “Connie” Howard
Illinois State Reprensentative 34th District
Attorney Adam Kelly
Loeb & Loeb
Attorney Lisa Johnson
Holland & Knight
Freeda Muldoon
Onyx Distributors
Donna and Steve Bellinger
PCG Technology Services
