Give students access to new opportunities
Ask Me Anything Fridays is a virtual and in-person interactive event where speakers and guests can discuss different topics. Our main goal is to have speakers from diverse industries explain their journeys to students.
high-school interns
college and university interns
experience interns
pronounced (Puh—taa), Ptah is an African American Reverse Engineer, Builder, x Founder now Angel Investor based in Miami, Fl. Fun fact: He tells people he speaks 10+ languages
Katleen Francois is an Associated Press award-winning producer that earned a degree in Journalism and discovered her love for venture capital, community building, and technology. She enjoys producing and curating content on different mediums, geared toward diverse audiences. Her superpower is helping companies creatively grow their operations and communities through program development, community management, and project management
Jonathan Fils is a graduate of the University of Central Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Finance. Jonathan currently serves as a Senior Auditor with Deloitte and Touché LLP. Prior to joining Deloitte, Jonathan has gained extensive experience in the personal finance space as a financial advisor with Fidelity Investments.
Daphne Dilbert has over 20 years with AT&T, her current role is a Lead Channel Manager for AT&T’s CUSTOMER ADVOCACY & SERVICE MANAGEMENT organization, serving as a Subject Matter Expert & Consultant for AT&T’s Public Sector supporting overall market development goals.
Weidner Maxime obtained a Finance and Accounting Degree at Jacksonville University. Completed the Financial Analysis Certification and Masters in Taxation at Florida Atlantic University. Accumulated subject matter expertise with over 10 years of experience (6 years at the IRS and 5 years at a “BIG 4” Public Accounting) to serve clients with passion and professionalism.
Student’s are able to understand and learn what it takes to go into that profession.
Students are able to get life experience from people with their dream jobs.
Impacting the bottom line is our goal with our courses and online media. Nothing makes our firm happier than knowing our clients our managing successful business. We are in the long-term business and want to ensure our clients reach their full potential. We are currently working on our first course to provide resources to our clients.
These AMAs are networking at the core so students get to know people who may be their mentor or boss in the future
Being able to get industry advice such as schools to go to or jobs to start with can give students a headstart in the workforce.
Magnitax.com and their advisors have been a trusted partner in my financial life for more than 5 years. Their preparation of my personal tax returns was accurate each and every time.
I was able to gain his knowledge and wisdom. He really opened my eyes to how short life is and how you really have to push through any obstacles that come, showing me that anything is truly possible. Ptah made something as bad as partially losing your vision to something amazing that builds his persona. He shows how you can keep getting up after a low blow.
Ptah was a great speaker. He gave me a lot of insight on life as well as confidence and optimism for when times are rough; it was much needed. He reassured me that web developers would still be needed, and he also added me on LinkedIn so that if I ever needed to I can try to reach out. I would like to attend one of his seminars in the future and improve my network.
The things I gained from attending the AMA with Ptah Dunbar was knowledge about where to learn how to code. I learned there are different coding languages. Also, I learned that there are classes I can take to learn more about coding.
I gained a lot of insight into what to expect in the future of technology. It opened my eyes to many different opportunities and outcomes. It showed me that technology is the way to go.
The AMA helped me identify how to succeed in forming a community and using those bonds to my advantage. I was able to figure out how to solve roadblocks and overcome certain situations that might be holding me back. It guided me on what I need to do next to accomplish my goals and hopefully achieve or experience some of the things that Ptah has been able to. I’m very grateful that I got the chance to speak with him.
The information that I gained was seeing how Ptah Dunbar faced many different challenges while entering his career. He talked about his lifestyle, the things he saw, what he’s done, etc. He also answered some of the questions that I wanted to know and what made him choose his career path. He talked about the great success he made after facing hard challenges throughout his life.
I gained helpfully and empowering business knowledge and motivation during the AMA with Katleen. The environment was joyful, and welcoming, Katleen provided us with a comforting space to ask questions about her background and how she started out working on her jobs, and what drove her to express her creativity in the workspace. Katleen made tons of good points and had good explanations for questions asked, and advice given.
I gained a lot from attending that zoom call with Katleen. She gave fantastic advice to us based on what we wanted to do in our lives. Also, the advice Kathleen gave us was pretty good and very moving. I learned about entrepreneurship, and what it’s like working with small businesses. Kathleen accomplished a lot in her career as someone who started small. I think it’s inspiring.
What did I gain from the AMA with guest speaker Kathleen Francois is more knowledge on the entrepreneur spectrum learning about what I should do beforehand to get ready to take the next step I learned more about NFT’s that I didn’t know of before and I’m glad she was talking about real-life issues that we people go with, it’s nice that she was our guest speaker.
In the AMA with Katleen Francois, there was a great deal of detail and an in-depth discussion on a topic I am very interested in. As a result of this course, I learned about venture capital and its importance to startups and businesses, especially those in the tech sector. Additionally, I learned how important it is for me to research more about the tech industry and make use of the knowledge that is available right now. Having the opportunity to participate in this AMA gave me a lot of insight into a career field that appealed to me.
Authenticity and significance were the hallmarks of Katleen Francois’ presentation today. As a result of this experience, I learned the importance of playing to your strengths. Make the most money you can out of what you’re good at and proud of. Throughout my experience, I have learned the importance of knowing as much information as possible. Become a participant in programs, information sessions, consultations, etc. However, today I learned that everything I do, I must do with an entrepreneurial spirit.
I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of being able to learn from a black, female entrepreneur who is also an associated press award-winning producer and helps multiple companies. I liked how she explained what venture capital is, why she does it, and her results so far. I also like the fact that she stressed and was able to connect the importance of technology to community building. Lastly, I found it interesting that she was talking about her “superpower” and how it was able to creatively help her and grow countless businesses’ operations.
I really enjoyed this AMA. Katleen was very energetic and took a very personal approach. She spoke one-to-one and was very wise in many different areas. Even the advice that applied to specific areas could be used in other fields.
In the meeting today with Katleen Francois, I learned that you can be a black woman and have your own successful company. Some of the things I took from the meeting is that you don’t need to know everything about what Field you want to go into. Whatever field you want to go explore you will need to reach out and talk to people.
From attending the AMA with Katleen Francois I learned that in order to be an entrepreneur you must have different connections and work at multiple things. Getting in contact with business leaders can also help you guide yourself and get help from a mentor. Katleen also told us about her journey of getting a press award for her work starting from Haiti to being co-owner of a company. She was also born super savvy in technology. She paved the way for women in the technology field and gave us all tips if anyone wanted to be an entrepreneur.
The presentation from Mrs. Francois was very inspiring. It was comforting to hear that she doesn’t have everything figured out and is simply just learning as much as she can while doing what she loves. There are many times that society will tell us that we have to achieve these great milestones at a set time and know exactly what we’re doing along the way, so it was refreshing to have someone speak on what life and their career is like. I also loved that Mrs.Francois spoke to the students she highlighted the fact that she is a minority ethnically and racially but she is still out here paving her path and one for many like her who have the same dreams and aspirations. Mrs. Katleen Francois taught me to persevere through all aspects of life, to continue learning as I grow, and to lead a way for the generations that will follow.
Katleen taught me that I should immerse myself in all of my interests. I don’t have to just stick to one thing. If I plan on making money off the things I enjoy, I should also try to educate myself about them. She also taught me that I should learn about the new things arising in technology.
Learned about the basics of Venture Capital, with its connection with the development of a company. Progress milestones, when certain firms take interest for future profit, and possible profit margins a venture capitalist can return.
Learned about WebThree, a quicker, smarter AI-technology implemented version of digital tech.
Learned about non-fungible tokens, digital assets, and the difference between official ownership and someone taking a screenshot of the asset.
Learned about gender inequality in the market, with women-led companies receiving only 2% of total venture funding.
This went on to be an amazing opportunity to learn from such a leader, especially a minority like myself. I go on to view how she built a name for herself and went on to keep working while pursuing her dream. I went on to gain further insight about the community and about reaching the dream, not always learning to settle. I went on to learn about technology not being close-minded. About how to work with it rather than against it as it is a future. Lastly, one important thing that I learned is to go out there and sell yourself. To further look for opportunities and reach out to people and your cause.
What I learned from the speaker is that it takes more than what one would usually see to become an entrepreneur. Also, being an entrepreneur as a woman and black is extremely burdensome. It was such a great opportunity to meet Katleen and the skills that I need to become whatever I need to be.
I learned from Katleen Francois more information about NFTs and web 3.0, and how we should find profitable opportunities from new technologies. I also learned that being put or classified in a specific area of study does not have to dictate your path or profession, Katleen was studying journalism but she was still able to branch out in both the business and technology field. Lastly, I learned that consistency is one of the most important factors.
Some things that I learned from her was a couple of tip on how to run a business and what to do to be successful. She also told us to hustle and that It will not be easy. She taught me to ask for help when I need it by explaining how she needs to network with other entrepreneurs to receive advice from them.
I learned a lot about entrepreneurship. Her use of speaking with the students helped me because she was interactive. Katleen gave me advice on starting my own business, and I think that it helped me in being more confident. All-in-all, it was great having Katleen as a speaker because I learned about entrepreneurship, VC, and starting a business.
I enjoyed Katleen’s presentation and what I enjoyed was her story of how she came to decide that what she is working on is what she loves. The advice she gave to make your voice heard, and her story of someone she knows never apologizes when giving speeches because it shows that you know what you’re talking about.
What I gained from this AMA is more perspective on the entrepreneur side and technology. I learned how she helps small potential businesses scale and become successful. I also gained insight into how she got started in her career.
The information that I learned was the reasons for Katleen Francois’ focus on her career. She asked us questions about what we want to become in the future and the reason why we want to become that. She also talked about important information about how to run a business and the important tips that can help you succeed successfully. She talked about the challenges she faced while entering her career and things that she still wants to accomplish while in her career.
In this week’s AMA with Katleen Francois, I learned a lot about what I might do in the future. We need to build a community and put ourselves out there in business so that women can be heard. It also taught me that women may have doubts or may feel compelled to apologize if they speak confidently, but that we need to find a way to overcome those barriers imposed by society and our minds. As we are going to be the leaders of the future, we must understand the current state of technology. I learned a lot from Katleen, and I can apply some of her advice moving forward.
Attending the AMA with Jonathan, I learned a lot of helpful information about becoming and being an auditor. He also taught us a lot about numbers and doing the math that comes with viewing someone’s financial records. Jonathan also gave good advice to those who are in accounting, and advice to those in college. I enjoyed the meeting although it wasn’t perfect, it was a learning experience.
One of the most important pieces of information that I gained from Jonathan Fils’s presentation is time management. In the financial or accounting field there is a lot of work that you need to complete. It is crucial to manage your time and create an equal balance between work and personal activities. Another thing I learned is that attention to detail is key seeing as how you have to review reports and make sure that they are correct and legitimate.
I overall gained a lot of knowledge. Jonathan gave helpful finance information. I got insight into what it is like to be a financial advisor. I learned about some of the benefits and drawbacks of various financial careers. I learned about the different careers concerning accounting.
What I learned from the AMA with guest speaker Jonathan Fils is that Mr. Fils is an accountant as well showed us some tips and gave us advice about being an Accountant and the process of progressing and completing the work. He informed us about the school from which he graduated as well as his degree in finance. He also informed us about how an Accountant looks at the stats and the numbers to see how much money was paid on the credit card and that best buy will be receiving the money since you didn’t pay it all at once. Overall it was an amazing AMA even, especially since we were able to meet Jean’s brother.
The information I had gained from attending the AMA with Jonathan was what made him start studying finance in college. Also, what an Auditor does.
I gained insight into Jonathan Fils’s job and what his job as a senior auditor is like. I learned that time management is an extremely important skill. I also learned that a balance between work and home is needed and Jonathan Fils talked about careers that allow for this balance.
It was an honor being able to listen to Jonathan Fils speak, I learned a lot I didn’t know from him. First off, it was nice that he showed how he became involved in finance and the business world deciding to study finance at UCF. I also liked how he compared and contrasted the two different types of accountants in the industry he worked in. Not only that but he talked about the big 4 accounting firms and why he choose to work with Delloite rather than the other ones. He covered many topics in his presentation and kept me intrigued the whole time.
The AMA was very descriptive about Jonathan Fil’s career as an auditor. Throughout the AMA, I had difficulty understanding Jonathan Fils and his experience as an auditor and an accountant. He elaborated on the programs and techniques he used for his job. He showed the differences between an auditor and an accountant such as the stress and responsibilities that come with both jobs.
I didn’t fully enjoy the AMA with Jonathan. The part I enjoyed was the information aspect. I learn you can do a lot of different jobs with a finance degree. I learned that an auditor doesn’t have a fixed salary(it increases based on how well you do on the job). Lastly, I learned that studies in finances are based mostly on math.
Some of the things I gained from attending the AMA event with Jonathan Fils was learning new stuff about accounting. Jonathan talked about his roadblocks and the challenges he had to face while pursuing this career. I also learned that you can do company stocks.
I learned that Jonathan Fils is an accountant and he showed us some tips and tricks of being an accountant. First, he told us some of his background where he graduated with a degree in finance. Then he went to the Best Buy website and clicked on the monthly sales they had. He then explained that as an accountant he looks at the numbers and it shows how much money was paid with a credit card. He said that that’s the amount that Best Buy will be receiving monthly since the customer didn’t pay it all at once.
The Ask Me Anything presentation done by Mr. Jonathan Fils was very insightful. I know very little about finance, so it was very interesting to learn about Mr. Fil’s job as an auditor. Seeing the different positions that there are in the financial world did spark my interest in learning more about some of the work. I also loved hearing that he decided to go back to school and major in finance. He heavily highlighted doing what you’re passionate about in life, and you can tell that he does the same.
Jonathan taught me how much goes into accounting. As a business, it’s important to keep all expenses and sources of income tracked. Furthermore, doing so can ensure you’re receiving all the money that you’re owed.
This AMA event helped me understand the differences between being an Auditor and an Accountant, while personally being told the lifestyles, pros, and cons of both by someone who’s been there and done that. I even learned how college isn’t just a place of learning, but one of the best places to make and develop future connections.
I was pretty intrigued that we were going to be able to hear from a family member from the founder of Magnitax and WholsDesir. This went on to prompt great interest and both brothers have shown great promise and success. I learned further insight from the accounting industry and how Mr. Fils went through the process and his thoughts on it. I learned about corporate accounting vs. an auditor and the pros and cons of it. I also was able to learn about the programs and the amount of math that is involved with them. Overall, it was a great experience and I got to learn insider information about what it’s like to be an accountant.
I gained knowledge about what it’s like to be an auditor. He showed us how to view somebody’s financial records and he talked about his experience in college. He advised those who are maybe interested in taking that career path as an auditor.
I enjoyed the AMA with Jonathan because I learned a lot about accounting, especially being an auditor. I gained the knowledge of what an Auditor does, which is someone who verifies financial records. Jonathan also spoke about his time in college, which taught me about the types of courses I should expect to take, and how I can prepare for high school.
Jonathan’s AMA presentation was very interesting and brought a lot of new insight. Mainly I learned a lot of helpful information about becoming and being an auditor, like how the college classes are very math focused. I also learned that you learn a lot of new things being an auditor and how it is his favorite part of his job. Jonathan also gave the pros and cons of each job which I found very interesting, like how one job is easier and you can have more family balance, or how some jobs are very workload, and the pay each job brings. All in all, I think the presentation was very helpful.
I gained knowledge an accountants experience in the industry. It showed me the pros and cons of working in that industry and how he got into finance. I also gained a better understanding of the work he does and why he does it.
Jonathan Files shared a lot of important information about his career choice. He talked about the different challenges in his career and other accomplishments he made. He also gave us kids high school advice on building up credit at a young age instead of trying at an older age.
From the AMA presentation, I learned how a financial advisor would essentially use information a company sends them to calculate their customer’s payoffs and how much they still need to pay to make sure they don’t lose revenue. I also learned that you could find how much a company made on their website for example you can find the one for the best buy on their site. One more thing that I was informed about was the difference between a senior auditor and an accounting manager.
At AMA with Jonathan Fils, I learned the pros and cons of different financial jobs. He showed me some of the responsibilities of being an auditor. He showed me how important it is for businesses to keep track of their finances.
During the AMA with Daphne, she gave a lot of information about AT&T and how they’ve helped out to provide devices and internet for those who were impacted during quarantine and didn’t have the necessities. I think it was heartwarming that AT&T was able to do something like that, and Daphne was a role in it. I also gained what it means to be a lead channel manager, and what the effects truly are. Overall, I find Daphnes’ job super interesting and worth considering when it comes to career choices. The opportunities seem amazing, and overall good vibes.
The knowledge and information that I gained attending Daphne Dilberts AMA are that she loves to help and give back to her community. She has spent years climbing up the ranks of her job at AT&T. She taught me the skills of having interpersonal skills to navigate through your career professionally. I also learned from Daphne that Networking with people is a smart move and has its benefits.
I gained a lot, I have learned what it is to work in a work environment as she did. I got more intel on how to act and be more professional in a work environment. The advice she got through her career that she shared with us was great. I loved how she was open when it came to answering the questions.
What I gained from the AMA with guest speaker Daphne Dilbert, was learning her story of how she came to be learning her highs and even her lows. She showed us how important it is to commit to something. She was very open when it came to her story. She gave not only me but the rest of my coworkers advice for the future, she also showed how if you develop social skills as well as self-control it can and will take you far. Overall it was an amazing AMA and it was great to learn about her.
I’ve gained a lot of information from attending today’s AMA with Daphne Dilbert. And my experience was great, I learned what a philanthropist is and how to become one. I also learned about the benefits you could get from volunteering in high school.
I learned the importance of committing to something. Daphne Dilbert talked about how she stayed with AT&T for over 20 years and it paid off with the opportunities that she was given. I also learned the importance of networking and how it can play a big role in your career.
It was an honor being able to listen to Daphne Dilbert in this week’s AMA. She has achieved many milestones in both her personal and professional life. She has worked for AT&T for years and was able to climb up the corporate ladder by demonstrating her commitment and hard work. I learned that with dedication like hers almost anything is possible. She is the lead channel manager at AT&T and has won the President’s Volunteer Service Award for her philanthropic work in the company. She has also taught me that it is possible to make big charitable actions even when working for her company. She has been able to raise over $250k in donations and worked with many organizations such as the Lotus House and the Cancer Institute. Hearing about her journey was inspiring and I will make sure to keep up with Ms. Dilbert on Linkedin.
An important thing I have learned from Ms. Dilbert is that your life and passion can change. Ms. Dilbert wanted to partake in a journalistic field but due to some circumstances, she acquired a job as a Lead Channel Manager. This is derived from Ms. Dilbert’s skills in networking and her promotions in positions regarding business and services.
Daphne came with great energy. She knew how to work for a crowd. She gave us multiple gems. One of the best gems that she dropped was that you need strong interpersonal skills to succeed in an occupation. Another gem was not to complain and to record everything.
The things that I gained from Daphne Dilbert in the AMA zoom call were that you should always take notes of the things you did and references. I also learned that if you work for AT&T you could retire in 25 years. One thing I took away from this AMA meeting with Daphne Dilbert was that you should never compete with your co-workers.
I learned that Daphne Dilbert started from the bottom and now she’s won awards on her behalf for feeding the homeless, hosting events, etc. She makes sure that now with all her resources and ability she has the power to prevent people from feeling starvation. She also had many bumps along the way such as being mistreated for her skin color. But she mentions to “document the things that happen, don’t complain about it”. And that’s what she did, instead of complaining about a person mistreating her she wrote down details about it and brought it up at meetings.
Daphne Dilbert’s presentation was very insightful and informative. I, for one, really enjoyed learning about her experience leading up to her working at AT&T as well as hearing how different the workforce was around that time. Her story highlights how important it is to get out of your comfort zone, network, and reach out to others. You can’t always just wait for an opportunity to come around; sometimes you have to go and find it. I also loved how she is a philanthropist and the story behind that; it’s very important to remember where you’ve come from and to give back to those who are less fortunate, and as seen in Daphne Dilbert’s work, so does she.
Today’s AMA with Daphne Dilbert taught me that I should never be afraid to get what I want. She emphasized how you can’t apologize for taking up space, and that everyone is human and on the same level. She also taught me that complaining won’t fix your situation, but action will. Lastly, I learned the importance of giving back to others. It’s good to give back to those who need help, as it will make a huge difference in their lives.
I learned and reinforced several things during this AMA session. Foremost is the core value of perseverance in the face of adversity. This speaker told an inspiring tale that went to emphasize the importance of sticking to your guns when needed, working hard, and never being intimidated by a challenge.
What I further gained from attending the AMA is her incredible story. This is due to viewing her as a role model who represents minorities and can also prove to be strong and come out on top and create her path with her own story and achievements. I also learned the importance of experience and the balance one has to have when it comes to education. I learned about branding yourself, putting yourself out there, and marketing yourself and your skills. Another important factor is the importance of social skills and how you need to be a people person and learn to communicate as well as deal with issues in the workplace professionally.
What I had learned from Daphne was that it takes a lot of courage to be willing to put yourself out, especially when you’re a young black woman. She also had a lot of courage to not get mad about being mistreated. She also gave a lot of information about AT&T that would have passed over my head. She has also won many awards and helped out in her community in many ways.
One last thing that was the most important to me was that she didn’t give up and it has brought her to many places I would have imagined.
My main takeaway from the AMA with Daphne Dilbert was that networking is essential. As she shared her story, she shared how her networking skills helped her progress in her career. As she did, she emphasized the importance of networking with confidence and how sometimes you might have to take a different route to achieve something, such as a job.
One of the most important lessons Daphne taught us was that you need strong interpersonal skills to succeed in an occupation, as well as control over yourself so that you don’t complain. You have to keep your smile on your face no matter what people say and do to you. As well as teaching us the importance of networking, Daphne also taught us that meaningful connections can be made through networking.
I enjoyed Daphne’s presentation. It was very organized and interesting. It was a pleasure to listen to her and she was very engaging. Her story of how she got to where she is was very informative and interesting, I wish she would have gone more into some of the struggles she faced as a woman of color. Daphne’s presentation taught me the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone and reaching out to others.
From this AMA today I gained insight into how she found her career and how she is so accomplished. I also learned that getting a college education is important. I also learned about her experience as a philanthropist.
The information that I learned about Daphne Dilber was her talking about her career choice in AT&T. She talked about her childhood and her lifestyle growing up. She also included the things from her past challenges that helped motivate her for a better future to want more for herself. Daphne even talked about the high school and colleges she went to as well.
I learned that computers were really expensive, $1500 in a world where every lux item did not pass $500. A computer knew how to hurt your pockets. I learned that you had to pay to make a call. I could live with that. I don’t call people, I mostly message, so if that required payment I would be in debt.
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