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“Can you thrive in Milwaukee, and what does that look like for Black and Brown folks?” Join the discussion on navigating Milwaukee and the nuances of how reaching success can be more attainable for residents. We explore these questions and beyond in this interactive meet-up that will allow you to share your thoughts and experiences

Our Speakers

Dr. Victor Amaya

President and CEO of Data You Can Use, Dr. Victor Amaya leads strategy and operations with a goal of helping the organization drive impact to improve conditions within the community.

Joanna Bautch
JoAnna is a community organizer and communications professional who has spent her career working with advocacy and nonprofit organizations. Growing up in Milwaukee, JoAnna graduated from Milwaukee Public Schools and received her Bachelor’s in Communication from Alverno College.

As the Executive Director of VIA Community Development Corporation, JoAnna works collectively and collaboratively to create a Milwaukee with healthy and equitable neighborhoods that empower all of our people to rise and thrive together. Committed to structural change, JoAnna believes we all deserve to live in a place that nourishes us with a healthy and sustainable environment, equitable economic opportunity, and grassroots community leaders.

JoAnna serves on the board of True Skool Inc., an arts-focused nonprofit collaborative dedicated to empowering youth and families, and Citizen Action of WI, an organization dedicated to economic, racial, and environmental justice.

Kellen ‘Klassik’ Abston
Kellen “Klassik” Abston is an award-winning Milwaukee-based musician, producer, songwriter, performing artist, and community curator.  Named the City of Milwaukee's 2021 Mildred L. Harpole "Artist of the Year", Klassik's jazz-saturated hip-hop/soul, informed by years of traditional jazz study and Milwaukee Public Schools arts education, has taken him from summer festival stages and crowds of thousands, to classroom settings inspiring youth of all ages throughout Wisconsin.  His 2019 LP "QUIET.", was named the #1 album of the year by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and was awarded Critic's Choice and Solo Artist honors at the 2019 Radio Milwaukee Music Awards.  2022 saw Klassik collaborating with both the Milwaukee Art Museum, producing the original composition and video performance "Nobody's Watching", and Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, producing and performing an all-original score for their production of Brian Quijada’s "Where Did We Sit On The Bus?".  A true "Klass Act", Klassik works to stir the souls of listeners into action with empathy, passion, and purpose through his own vulnerable and self-reflective sonic art.

Oby Nwabuzor
Oby Nwabuzor is a first-generation American millennial business leader, strategist, and entrepreneur.

As founder of Envision Growth, Oby leads and manages all operations and collaborations with the purpose of building healthy people and communities through real estate development. She has played a critical role in advancing equitable health policies throughout Wisconsin and became a national spokesperson on DEI efforts for the American Heart Association. Her notable accomplishments include $1.1M in enhanced SNAP access, $400K in healthy retail funding, and more walkable & bikeable neighborhoods.

She has held a variety of positions in which she worked directly with businesses and communities to build and deliver best practices in the diversity and equity arena with both internal and external partners. She is currently the DEI Leader for Landmark Credit Union and serves on several boards.

In 2022, she was appointed to Wisconsin's Public Health Council, where she advises on the state's public health strategy's implementation. Oby has been named a 2023 MBJ Executive To Watch, a 2022 MBJ 40 Under 40 honoree, and a 2020 WI Law Journal Diversity in Business Awards honoree. She is pursuing a Doctor of Public Health degree at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Advanced Public Health Practice and Leadership