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Community Voting is done and The Great Social Enterprise Pitch is on to the next step: The Live Pitch. Five of the social enterprise ideas will move on and present idea to a panel of judges in an exciting Live Pitch on August 8 at 7PM to determine the winner of the Great Social Enterprise Pitch. All are invited to come and be a part of the first annual Live Pitch. It will be an exciting and historic evening. Reverend Julius Walls Jr. will be our guest speaker at the Live Pitch.

Julius Walls Jr. is a dedicated ordained minister, devoted husband, and dutiful father and is known for his preaching, teaching, and speaking. Rev. Walls is the pastor of Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church, a historical church in Yonkers, NY. Rev. Walls is also the President of Greater Centennial Community Development Corp., which engages in real estate development and management (housing/homeownership), youth programming, and financial empowerment.

Rev. Walls has worked in business, academia, and ministry. He has served as Chief of Staff of Greater Centennial Church, a 6000 member church; CEO of Greyston Bakery, a $7 million social enterprise; Vice President of Operations for Cocoline Chocolate, a $23 million chocolate manufacturing company; and as an adjunct professor at the business graduate schools at New York University and Bainbridge Graduate Institute. He serves on several local and national non-profit and government boards and has co-authored MISSION, INC., The Practitioners Guide to Social Enterprise, 2008. Additionally, he has developed life skills programs, affordable rental housing and homeownership opportunities, and performed strategic planning that have lifted individuals, families and organizations higher. In his various roles he has met with Presidents (Clinton and Obama), spoken at multiple universities including several Ivy League, served and serves on corporate, non-profit, and government boards as chair and member at-large. Rev. Walls has built businesses and consulted for others, coached executives, mentored students, and inspired thousands of people to be the best they can be.

In his current role as the president of GCCDC, Walls oversees the strategic and operational direction the 501(c)3, non-profit organization located in the city of Mt. Vernon. The GCCDC was formed in affiliation with Greater Centennial A.M.E. Zion Church to work with underserved individuals and families who reside in Mt. Vernon to assist them achieve economic stability and self-reliance. As he serves as pastor of Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church, Rev. Walls has participated in the historic 100 year-old church God-led resurgence launching programs that serve the community beyond the Sunday worship service with their after-school program, feeding program, and summer camp vacation bible school—all for free to the community.

We are excited to have Reverend Julius Walls Jr. as our guest speaker for The Great Social Enterprise Pitch!