Our Leadership
Meet our Governance Team
Ray has over 35 years of entrepreneurial experience and has founded over 10 businesses, including American Product Distributors, Inc., which, at the time, was one of the largest African American-owned businesses in the United States. Ray spent 25 years in the banking industry, becoming Executive Vice President of Operations for Southern National Bank, a predecessor to the current Truist Bank, Ray holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, an MBA from North Carolina Central University, and completed executive education at the Graduate School of Banking at LSU and the UNC Chapel Hill Executive Program.
Ray Kennedy
Co-Founder and Chairman of V.I.T.
Cy is a co-founder and CEO of VIT and has led the company since its creation. Cy is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of C-Suite experience. Prior to leading VIT, Cy spent many years as an executive (including 7 years as President of American Product Distributors, Inc., VIT’s former parent company. Cy also spent several years in corporate and investment banking with Bank of America. Cy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Morehouse College and an MBA with a concentration in Finance and Entrepreneurship from Wake Forest University.
Cy Kennedy
Chief Executive Officer
Eva is a co-founder of VIT and is responsible for the performance and ongoing development for the entire eLink platform. Eva was instrumental in the development of the eLink platform and its predecessor system. With 40 plus years of experience managing technology and operations teams, Eva is an expert at ensuring the timely completion of highly complex technical projects. Prior to joining VIT, Eva was SVP of Operations and Technology for American Product Distributors, Inc., VIT’s former parent company. Eva also spent approximately 20 years in technology and operations for Southern National Bank, which was acquired by BB&T. Eva holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Wake Forest University and is a graduate of the School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin.
Eva Dinion
Co-Founder & Senior Vice President of Technology and Operations
A dynamic professional with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of the West Indies. With extensive marketing management roles in firms and publishing, coupled with HR experience, she's a versatile talent. An adept entrepreneur skilled in marketing, operations, and ideation, Tamara has pioneered successful businesses. Her strategic marketing insights fuel brand growth and ROI. She excels in optimizing operations, fostering efficiency, and building collaborative teams. Tamara's innovative mindset has birthed several ventures spanning diverse industries. Her passion lies in transforming ideas into reality, driven by her motto: "Innovate. Create. Elevate."
Tamara Tyrell
Director of Operations
Juanita directs all technical support for VIT, its clients, and its vendors. Juanita has expertise in managing site uptime, vendor and customer integration, EDI management and configuration, managing off-site data, and AWS maintenance. Juanita has over 30 years of technical experience and holds a Bachelor’s degree in accounting from Kings College.
Juanita Richardson
System Administrator
Winslow is a small business advocate and VIT Sr. Advisor. Winslow was the Chief Counsel for Advocacy for the US Small Business Administration Washington, DC Office during the Obama administration. Winslow is currently Senior Advisor for Globalization and Head of Capital Markets for GENAESIS, LLC and is also the current Chair of the International Council of Small Business.
Dr. Winslow Sargeant
Senior Advisor to V.I.T.
Mark currently serves as the managing partner for Greenview Taylor, a firm that specializes in providing strategic direction, visionary leadership, and executive business development for companies looking to sell to government clients. As a successful entrepreneur for more than twenty-three (23) years, Mr. Newsome has founded and scaled a handful of small businesses that, collectively, earned over $100M in revenues. His expertise is achieving business objectives with limited capital, quickly pivoting business strategy, and avoiding existential threats.
Mr. Newsome holds a BA in Accounting from North Carolina Central University and an MBA from St. Ambrose University. He also completed executive education programs at the University of Texas at El Paso and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.
Mark Newsome
Senior Advisor to V.I.T.
Jonathan Nash, Jr., Esq. (UPenn Law Graduate 94 and teaching assistant at the Wharton Business School) Jonathan is a small business advocate and VIT Sr. Advisor. Jonathan is a business owner who has advocated for, advised, supported, started and/or invested seed capital in small businesses for nearly thirty (30) years.
Jonathon Nash
Senior Advisor to V.I.T.
Our Tech Team: Experience And Expertise At Your Service
GENERAL TECHNICAL TEAM INFORMATION
Our tech team is composed of skilled professionals with years of experience and a proven ability to drive innovation and excellence. We take pride in the diversity of skills and expertise that each team member brings to the table.
System Architecture Expert: Our System Architect, with a wealth of experience, is responsible for shaping the architecture of our cutting-edge eLink platform. With over two decades in the field, they have adeptly managed various aspects of IT, including Architecture, Development, Infrastructure Operations, Software Configuration Management, and Application Lifecycle Management. Their technical prowess and hands-on expertise make them an invaluable asset, enabling them to provide visionary leadership and practical management.
Lead Developer Extraordinaire: Heading our programming endeavors is our Lead Developer, who boasts 14 years of experience in the IT industry. Their role involves not only writing code but also supervising the implementation of code crafted by our team of developers. Their proficiency spans a wide spectrum of technologies, encompassing Java/J2EE, Web Services, Design Patterns, Struts, Spring Framework, and more. Holding a certification from Andhra University in India, our Lead Developer brings both knowledge and practical skills to the forefront.
Our tech team is committed to delivering results that exceed expectations. With years of collective experience and a shared dedication to pushing technological boundaries, we are here to transform possibilities into realities.