Built from lived experience.
Lorie Jean Akanbi is the founder of Two Shores Collective and a longtime advocate for small and diverse-owned businesses.
With 18 years of experience in the public sector, Lorie has worked to expand access and opportunity for small, minority, and women-owned enterprises. She has seen firsthand how preparation, policy, and strategic support can shape the trajectory of a business — and how gaps in those areas can quietly limit growth.
For nine of those years, her volunteer leadership has been rooted in economic development, focused on strengthening local economies and supporting enterprise growth within a growing city.
As a creative herself, Lorie understands the vulnerability and courage it takes to build something from vision. She also understands the discipline required to transform creativity into sustainable enterprise.
Now serving as Vice Mayor in her community, she sees even more clearly how interconnected economic opportunity truly is. Growth without inclusion leaves gaps. Development without preparation creates fragility. Sustainable progress requires capacity.
Her focus is clear: strengthen entrepreneurs through structured capacity-building so they are not only seen, but sustained.
