Four distinguished African-American individuals spoke about their rise to the top, the challenges they faced and how others can succeed, as part of the Distinguished Business Leaders Panel following the Pioneer Breakfast in February.  The panelists included: Reginald Webb, franchise owner and operator of McDonald’s restaurants, and founder and CEO of Webb Family Enterprises Inc.; Howard Booker, foundation and corporate giving director of the In-N-Out Burger Foundation, and CSU alumnus; Kiesha Nix, executive director of the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation; and Celeste Alleyne, west region director of citizenship and public affairs for Microsoft.

The panelists answered a series of pre-selected questions related to their successes and challenges, such as what it means to be a leader and how they have handled and overcome racism. Audience members, consisting mostly of CSUSB students, were also given the opportunity to ask questions.