Experiencing a Seat At The Table | A celebration of the culture & achievement of rising talent in Milwaukee

/ Saint Kate Arts Hotel/

A “Seat at the Table” is a concept I know all too well.

It has been a theme in young, BLACK [& Brown], “professional” rhetoric over the past decade that has created a dialogue about the scarcity of rooms that allow for a new type of leadership to take the reigns. It is the same concept that inspired Issue Eighteen of CopyWrite Magazine, where I professed my distaste for gatekeeping and other “legal” methods of disenfranchisement. So when it was brought to my attention that an event where there is a goal “to unite, honor, and engage young promising leaders with a night of elegance and inspiration”, I had no choice but to accept the invitation. Not only media, but a “Young Professional” stakeholder in the grand scheme of things.

On Saturday, July 29, 2023, at Saint Kate Arts Hotel, Brandon Ramey & Braylen Stevens hosted an inaugural Seat At The Table event showcasing a room of young rising leaders in the Milwaukee community, a culturally exquisite performance from Malik Johnson [a grammy nominated cellista], and an intimate discussion with C-Suite executives Andres Gonzales [MCW and Froedtert Healthcare], Sherilyn Whitmoyer [Quad], Maudwella Kirkendoll [Community Advocates], and Lashonda Hill [ABM Industries].

Host Brandon Ramey & Braylen Stevens

This perfectly programmed experience also included a cocktail hour/reception, a full course dinner, music and entertainment by DJ Dub Deezy. Again, I state the Seat At The Table event was perfectly programmed because it kept its demographic in mind. What shows a true reflection of young professional spirit? Strategic networking in an environment with a poppin aesthetic & vibe? Check. Dinner courses that are Instagram worthy? Check. Old head executives [with all due respect] that are willing to be transparent and spit helpful game? Check. A 360 booth, drinks, and a DJ spinning all the party hits? CHECK, CHECK, and CHECK!

But with Brandon & Braylen being rising leaders in their own right, their intentionality is a note to the capacity and care young professionals have when granted agency in any space. Both MKE Fellows, which is a co-sponsor of ALIVE Inc. [a partner of the event], they have both been successful in navigating the corporate climate and securing positions of influence in their fields. It is tempting to run down their credentials with both being young Black men with college degrees, working at high profiled institutions *Cough, Cough, QUAD and Cough, Cough Google* but it is more important to note that they both are passionate about community and the nuances of belonging, inclusivity, and equity.

It is with this same intentionality that they had the ability to create an experience that was carrier oriented without being stuffy. No one seemed to feel out of place. People looked amazing in their interpretation of formal wear [you know suited & booted], attendees greeted each other with warm smiles and even warmer compliments, the buzz of conversation spread throughout dinner that ranged in subject and even seasoned guest who came to show support offered perspectives of comfort with little judgment [and that is refreshing]. The attention to detail like the C shaped table layout, the custom menu table placements with each guest name on it [you know I had to take that jawn home], the branded step & repeat for pictures, the #satt2023 hashtag, the branded boxed cookie gift at the end. . .

Stop playing with these young folks! They got now, next, and later!

Even though I am innately critical of executive roles in large institutions [& yall already know why], I even found myself resonating with advice from the panel presented through their anecdotal accounts of finding their voice in a world full of “haters”.

Brandon, Maudwella, Sherilyn, Lashonda, Andres, Braylen

Here are a few gems they shared paraphrased through shorthand [which I despise so much lol].

Andres said:

  • Seek a mentor and as a mentor open doors.

  • Conflict Management, Problem Solving, and Communication are great skills to have in any field.

  • Build your board of directors [for your professional development]. Have mentors, have coaches, & have sponsors.

[Side bar: I am looking for a sponsor right now. Please bet on me!]

Sherilyn said:

  • Be engaged, have a good work ethic, and be flexible.

  • There is pressure to have a direct linear career /life path. Quit it! You don't have to have it all figured out. When you need to Pivot!

  • She also noted how some people treat motherhood as a barrier in the workforce. Be an advocate for women in that space because humanity matters.

Maudwella said:

  • Soft skills are something that he see’s declining in younger job candidates. So really think about it, can you communicate in whatever setting you are in?

  • Invest in yourself.

  • Treat yourself well [because if you don’t nobody else will].

  • Treat the community well.

  • Don’t assume. Build relationships.

Lashonda said:

  • Curiosity, Agility, and Self Reflection are good tools to have in your repertoire.

  • Be louder. Say the thing you need to say when you have the platform to say it.

  • In that same breath. Challenge what is put before you.

  • Millennials and Gen Z have lived through so much. They have experience and perspectives that the generation before did not.

  • [And my favorite] Take up Space!

Of course, these are just tidbits of the wisdom shared and stories told. What narrative you find here should make you curious of what the bigger picture might bring into focus.

If you know. . .you know | Braylen, Nyesha of Carvd N stone, Lexi of copywrite mag, vedale of vedale’s art studio

I believe that Brandon, Braylen, and anybody else in invested equitable seat placement at the ever morphing table should be supported in whatever comes next. As a community we must be mindful of the leaders we await, when in reality they walk amongst us, they need us, and they are us. This year's Seat At The Table event again reassured me that the talent I see in Milwaukee is not a figment of my imagination, that the will of the young is still burning strong, and that the future is absolutely in good hands.

So let's not wait for the torch to be passed. Let’s pull up, get more chairs, and break bread.

We are ready.

Lexi S. Brunson | Editor-in-Chief /CW

Proof of a /CW Approved good time!