Podcast: Download

Lakweshia Ewing / Biz Boom Apps  

A native Memphian has resided in Chattanooga, TN for 9 years. Mrs. Ewing is a graduate of Austin Peay State University where she majored in Psychology with a minor in Africana Studies. She also holds a Masters in Education from Tennessee Tech University and is currently an Organizational Leadership Doctoral candidate. Mrs. Ewing served a as the District Family Engagement and Community Partnerships Director for Hamilton County Dept. of Education for the past 7 years.

Currently, she most recently served as the Deputy Executive Director of UnifiEd a community led public education advocacy organization. As a national facilitator, she has given presentations at educational conferences across the nation. She holds memberships in several educational, civic, social, and religious organizations such as the National School Reform Faculty, Black Alliance for Educational Options, Pi Lambda Theta Honor Society. She also has served the Chattanooga community for years as an active member of the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Board of Directors, OnPoint Board of Directors, Chattanooga Cares Board of Directors , Junior Achievement of Chattanooga Board of Directors and Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy Board of Directors.

Mrs. Ewing has received many notable awards such as The City of Memphis Award of Merit, Girls Incorporated Pioneers, Leaders, and Role Models Award, University of Pennsylvania Research Scholars Award, and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville Ronald McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Award. Most recently Mrs. Ewing was selected as a Next City Vanguard 2014 Class member. This is a national Think Tank that selects 40 of the top 40 up and coming young leaders across the country. Mrs. Ewing is also the Co-owner of a national technology company Biz Boom Apps, LLC which has had such success and growth that it has received the Emerging Business of the Year Award for 2014 from the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga. Lakweshia is a licensed Evangelist Missionary under the International Church of God in Christ Ministry. She is currently a member and Teen Leader at The New Holy Temple Cathedral Church of God in Christ in Chattanooga, TN under the TN Eastern 2nd Jurisdictional Prelate Bishop James Marion Scott, Sr. Mrs. Ewing also serves as the Jurisdictional COGIC Young Women of Excellence Coordinator a mentoring program for young ladies ages 13-25 in Chattanooga, Columbia, Knoxville, Nashville, Murfreesboro and Johnson City.

She is married to Mr. Julian Ewing, they have no kids of their own, but they have adopted her two half-brothers Fredrick age 15 and Emerson age 12 upon the death of their mother in 2010.

Penny Hughey / AIM   

Penny Posey Hughey was born and raised in Dalton, GA and has lived in the greater Chattanooga area most all of her life. She currently lives on the shores of the Tennessee River in the new Cameron Harbor development of Downtown Chattanooga and loves having the vibrant downtown area as her back yard. She has 2 daughters, AnnaKate who is 9 and a 4th grader at Battle Academy and Kinsey who is 16 and a Junior at Collegiate High at Chattanooga State. Penny attended Presbyterian College in Clinton SC where she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a Minor in Music. Both Penny and her 2 daughters have a passion for music and all sing in their respective choirs at Christ United Methodist Church.

Penny began a career in the banking industry at 17 yrs old as a part time teller while in school and continued working for various banks for more than 25 years eventually earning the title of Vice President of Business Development. Throughout her banking career she won several sales and outstanding customer service awards and was awarded the Young Careerist Award by the National Association of Business and Professional Women. However, her career took a different turn in 2013 when she accepted a position as the Regional Relationship Manager for AIM Chattanooga. AIM is a nonprofit community organization whose primary purpose is talent development from early student interest – to linking them to careers – to ongoing career development. Penny was drawn to AIM because of their strong connection in giving back to the community and the availability that this job provides for her to help coach people, both students just graduating from school and adults who are going through the difficult time of being unemployed. Penny is a sought after public speaker on a variety of topics from effective networking to building a personal brand to making a lasting first impression and enjoys coaching students entering the workforce for the first time on workplace ethics and business professionalism. Through her work at AIM she is active in the local Society of Human Resource Managers (SHRM) group and the Talent Acquisition Network Search (TANS) group as well as the American Association of Training and Developers (ATD) group.

She loves working with students and serves as a volunteer and teacher for the local Junior Achievement Chapter as well as for several programs through the Chamber of Commerce Workforce Development area such as “Get A Job” and “Reality Check”. Penny is a very active volunteer for the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce serving as President Elect for the Ambassador program, Vice President of Membership for the East Brainerd Council and has helped organize the Chamber’s Annual Membership drive for the past 2 years. She is a graduate of the prestigious Leadership Chattanooga program sponsored by the Chamber. Not only is she active in the Chattanooga Chamber, but Penny is also active in both the Dalton and Catoosa GA Chambers as well, serving as a Diplomat for both of those groups and is a 2001 graduate of the Leadership Dalton program. She is also an active participant in the Chattanooga Technology Council and Women In Technology. She serves on the Information Technology Curriculum Advisory Committee for Chattanooga State Community College and as part of the Business Advisory Board for Virginia College.

She is a member of Chattanooga Women’s Leadership Institute and a graduate of the 2013 class of their Women’s Mentoring training program and currently serves as the Chair of the Women Mentoring Women Alumnae council. She is a founding member and current President of the Board of Directors for the local Women Mean Business networking group. She worked with the Catoosa County Chamber to form the Catoosa Women’s Network and serves as a speaker and on the advisory board. In 2013 she formed her own networking group called The 40th Hour Social Club as a place for business professionals to connect on a monthly basis in a casual relaxed environment.

After undergoing a bi-lateral mastectomy and total hysterectomy followed by 2 full years of chemotherapy at only 40 years old, Penny became an advocate for women’s health. She is an active volunteer with the local American Cancer Society as well as serves on the board for the Friends of Memorial council that focuses on raising money for the Mary Ellen Locher Breast Cancer Center and Memorial’s two indigent care community medical centers.