Innovation Summit - Meridian International Center

Speaker Biographies
Warren Brown left a career practicing law as a litigator for the federal
government to found CakeLove bakery in 2002. He has grown his organization
to include 6 retail storefronts and has been recognized for his entrepreneurial
spirit by local and national media including the Oprah Winfrey show, the
Today show, NPR, and national advertisement campaigns for American
Express and Dell computers. From 2005-2007 Mr. Brown was the host of
the television show “Sugar Rush” on the Food Network. He is the author of
three cookbooks to encourage others to bake from scratch: CakeLove in the
Morning which celebrates weekend brunch (2012), United Cakes of America
featuring recipes from every state in the Union (2010), and CakeLove-how to
bake cakes from scratch (2008). Mr. Brown serves on the board of Kid Power-DC. He partnered with
them to start Cookie-Time which is a seasonal cookie bakery operated by the youth in Kid Power.
Ambassador Johnnie Carson was sworn in as Assistant Secretary
of State for the Bureau of African Affairs, on May 7, 2009. Prior to this he
was the National Intelligence Officer for Africa at the NIC, after serving as
the Senior Vice President of the National Defense University in Washington
D.C. (2003-2006). Ambassador Carson’s 37-year Foreign Service career
includes ambassadorships to Kenya (1999-2003), Zimbabwe (1995-
1997), and Uganda (1991-1994); and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary
for the Bureau of African Affairs (1997-1999). Earlier in his career he had
assignments in Portugal (1982-1986), Botswana (1986-1990), Mozambique
(1975-1978), and Nigeria (1969-1971). He has also served as desk officer in
the Africa section at State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (1971-1974); Staff Officer for the
Secretary of State (1978-1979), and Staff Director for the Africa Subcommittee of the US House
of Representatives (1979-1982). Before joining the Foreign Service, Ambassador Carson was
a Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania from 1965-1968. Ambassador Carson is the recipient of
several Superior Honor Awards from the Department of State and a Meritorious Service Award from
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. The Centers for Disease Control presented Ambassador
Carson its highest award, “Champion of Prevention Award,” for his leadership in directing the U.S.
Government’s HIV/AIDS prevention efforts in Kenya.
Stephen Cashin is the founder and CEO of Pan African Capital Group (PACG).
Mr. Cashin was founder, Managing Director, and head of the Washington
Office of Modern Africa Fund Managers, LLC from 1998-2004. Mr. Cashin
was employed by Equator Bank, a member of the Hong Kong and Shanghai
Banking Corporation from 1984-1996. He began his career as a Peace
Corps volunteer from 1979-1981 in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Mr. Cashin serves
on such boards as International Bank (Liberia) Limited, DataBank (Ghana),
Feronia Inc, DiscoveryTel, Africare, Better Way Foundation, and the Jesuit
Refugee Service/USA. He is also a member of the Trade Advisory Committee
on Africa (TACA), the Council on Foreign Relations and the Bretton Woods
Committee. He was a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and speaks
at numerous events focused on the development of Africa’s financial markets.
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