Fonzworth Bentley and Tai Beauchamp Inspired Charlotte Students During UNCF’s Empower Me Tour Presented by Wells Fargo

FONZWORTH BENTLEY AND TAI BEAUCHAMP INSPIRED CHARLOTTE STUDENTS DURING UNCF’S EMPOWER ME TOUR PRESENTED BY WELLS FARGO

Day-long event motivated youth to excel in academic, financial and personal responsibility

Charlotte, March 12, 2014  – The UNCF Empower Me Tour Presented by Wells Fargo- a free, traveling college-and-career readiness roadshow sponsored by UNCF (United Negro College Fund) featured entertainer and host of BET’s “Lift Every Voice” program Fonzworth Bentley and local media personality Tonya Rivens as co-hosts for the Charlotte tour stop this past weekend. Other participants included Tish Norman (Founder/CEO, Transforming Leaders Now, Inc.) as moderator, along with Tai Beauchamp (TV Personality/Entrepreneur), Janine Davis (Executive Director, Girl Talk Inc.), Dr. Alex O. Ellis (Motivational Speaker), Michael E. Parker (Founder, You Are A CEO) and Amir Windom (Music Executive) as speakers and workshop leaders.

The UNCF Empower Me Tour was created in partnership with Wells Fargo to prepare students to go to and through college and inspire them to take control of their future by using education as the foundation for achieving their goals and dreams.

“Wells Fargo is always excited to team up with UNCF for the Empower Me Tour,” says Gigi Dixon, Director of Strategic Partnerships for Wells Fargo. “Education is a great equalizer in our country, and it is one of our passions at Wells Fargo. We aim to ensure that students have access to higher education. This tour makes the possibility of college real to young people across the nation.”

The Charlotte tour stop featured entertainers, educators and entrepreneurs who shared their personal academic and business journeys with participating high school and college students. During the day, attendees participated in the Empower Me Tour Zone, an interactive experience for students, parents and educators. The Zone provided an opportunity to engage with college recruiters regarding scholarship and internship opportunities. The Empower Me Tour also provided students and their parents with a full day of exhibits, college and career workshops, and engaging panel discussions with special guests and celebrities.

The 6^th annual UNCF Empower Me Tour has visited St. Louis, New Orleans, Dallas, The San Francisco Bay Area, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Detroit, Memphis and Atlanta in 2013. The tour concludes in Chicago on March 21, 2014.

For more information on the UNCF Empower Me Tour go to http://www.EmpowerMeTour.org

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.5 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 9,000 locations, 12,000 ATMs, and the internet (wellsfargo.com), and has offices in 36 countries to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With more than 264,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States.  Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 25 onFortune’s 2013 rankings of America’s largest corporations.  Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy all our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially.  Wells Fargo perspectives are also available at blogs.wellsfargo.com.

Editor’s Note: Photos captioned for editorial use

Photo Credit: © Lawrence Cook Photography

Wells Fargo Senior Vice President, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Georgette Dixon facilitated a panel discussion with (L to R) Fonzworth Bentley, Tai Beauchamp, Amir Windom and Tonya Rivens during the UNCF Empower Me Tour during the Charlotte tour stop.

Fonzworth Bentley teaches students the proper way to tie a Windsor knot at the “Tied to Greatness” workshop during the UNCF Empower Me Tour presented by Wells Fargo in Charlotte, NC.

High school and college aged males showed up strong at the UNCF Empower Me Tour presented by Wells Fargo in Charlotte, NC.

From L to R: Tai Beauchamp, Tish Norman, Janine Davis and Tonya Rivens engaged attendees with a candid conversation: Girl Talk: Image a Future during the UNCF Empower Me Tour presented by Wells Fargo in Charlotte, NC.

Charlotte students, parents and educators listened attentively during workshops and panel discussions and were inspired by exhibits during the UNCF Empower Me Tour presented by Wells Fargo.

UNCF Empower Me Tour guest hosts and panelists posed for a photograph with Wells Fargo and UNCF leaders following the successful day-long event in Charlotte, NC.

Wells Fargo leaders Dewey Norwood and Georgette “Gigi” Dixon photographed with two Charlotte students who received Mack, Wells Fargo’s commemorative 16oth anniversary pony during the UNCF Empower Me Tour.