Board Members

Dr. Bertrand Fote is a board-certified emergency physician and a regional medical officer for North Carolina, South Carolina, and New York with one of the largest emergency medicine management groups in the nation, overseeing the operations of over 200 emergency departments nationwide. He obtained his medical degree at Howard University in Washington, DC, after earning a bachelor’s degree Magna Cum Laude in electrical engineering from the University of the District of Columbia. He also holds an MBA from Auburn University in Alabama.

Together with his wife, Laura, Dr. Fote founded The Gatsby Showcase Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit organization which aims to empower historically marginalized groups to achieve economic independence through education, business development tools, and a supportive network. Their shared commitment to fostering inclusivity and social equity drives the foundation’s initiatives, including scholarships, mentorship, and community engagement.

In addition to his medical career, Dr. Fote is an entrepreneur. Alongside Laura, he co-founded L&B Concepts, a company that provides rental services to corporate and private clients, as well as providing merchandising and wholesale solutions to clients through promotional items, corporate gifting, and import/export services. Their business is dedicated to delivering high-quality products and exceptional service, aiming to help ordinary people achieve extraordinary dreams.

Dr. Fote is also a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians and is a certified college advisor with multiple certifications in the financial planning arena. He has over a decade of leadership experience in various hospital systems and has provided medical leadership for emergency medical services (EMS). As a transformational leader, he has championed numerous initiatives to enhance growth, improve performance, and optimize clinical care in emergency departments, earning several leadership awards throughout his career.

In recognition of his extensive volunteer work and community service, Dr. Fote is a proud recipient of President Joseph R. Biden’s Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award. This honor reflects his commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of others through various philanthropic efforts, including organizing free health clinics to serve local communities in need.

Dr. Fote has a deep passion for giving back to the community, stemming from a life-changing experience when he received a scholarship for academic excellence, which allowed him to complete his high school education despite financial challenges. This experience inspired him to become a physician and has fueled his commitment to mentorship and scholarship initiatives, including creating a scholarship endowment fund for his high school alumni association that has helped to offer hundreds of scholarships.

A community leader and entrepreneur, Dr. Fote is active in various community organizing and volunteer activities. As president of his high school alumni association, he has championed initiatives for community service across chapters in the United States and Canada.

Dr. Fote is also an accomplished writer, having published several poetry books and contributed to anthologies. In addition to writing, he enjoys playing the keyboard, scrabble, theater, soccer, and golf, and is a lifelong Manchester United Football Club fan. He cherishes traveling and exploring new cultures.

​

Dr. Emmanuel Fombu is an internationally recognized authority on the convergence of digital technologies and healthcare. He is an award-winning and best-selling author, physician, Keynote speaker, investor, and entrepreneur with over 20 years of combined experience in clinical medicine, research and discovery, pharma, medical device, digital health, and innovative healthcare business strategy. Dr Fombu’s book, The Future of Healthcare, was selected by the National Library of Medicine and the NIH’s All of Us Research Program as one of the top 3 books in digital health in 2020. Dr. Fombu has played a key role in leading digital health innovation and strategy for some of the world’s leading organizations such as Johnson and Johnson, Novartis, Bayer, Apple, Amazon, Premier Inc, and Alira Health. Most recently, he was global innovation and strategy lead for Johnson and Johnson where we played a pivotal role in partnering with Apple Watch to launch its AFib algorithm. Dr Fombu has also advised and mentored multiple digital health start ups which have since become Unicorns e.g. Biofourmis, Omada Health, Science 37, Butterfly Network, Alivecor.

Dr. Fombu did his clinical training at Emory-Crawford Long Hospital and holds an MBA from both Cornell University’s Johnson School of Business and Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business. He also earned a certification in Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy from MIT’s Sloan School of Management and Computer Science Artificial Intelligence Lab. Dr. Fombu has authored multiple research papers and abstracts in world-renowned peer-reviewed journals. He serves as an external advisory board member at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s MIT.nano project.  He lives in New York City.

Dr. Lance London’s journey began in January 1996 when he founded and took on the role of operator for Big City Foods. His commitment to providing a distinctive taste of Southern cuisine has not only made The Carolina Kitchen a local institution but has also set the stage for future expansion plans across multiple cities in the United States.

Educational Background

A graduate of Morgan State University with a degree in Graphic Design, Dr. London seamlessly blends his creative acumen with his passion for culinary excellence. His dedication to continuous learning and innovation is reflected in the success and longevity of The Carolina Kitchen.

Community Impact and Leadership

Beyond the realm of culinary accomplishments, Dr. Lance London is a community leader with a profound impact on the DMV community. This Thanksgiving, he continued his longstanding tradition of generosity by providing turkeys to over 1000 underprivileged families. His annual Christmas toy drive brings joy to countless children in need, exemplifying his commitment to giving back.

Gatsby Showcase Ambassador and 2023 Appreciation Award Recipient

Dr. Lance London served as the Gatsby Showcase Ambassador in the previous year, and we were privileged to witness his dedication to the foundation’s cause. His passion for philanthropy, coupled with his unwavering commitment to making a positive impact, aligns seamlessly with the values of the Gatsby Showcase.

​

Dr. Shirley Ayuk-Takem is a Critical Care Medicine physician, philanthropist, published bestselling author and entrepreneur based out of the Houston, TX metro area. She is the C.E.O/C.M.O of Soleil Medical Group, Rêve Medical Solutions and C.E.O. of Lumière Business Ventures. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, AL obtaining a BS degree in Respiratory Therapy. She worked for a few years as a Registered Respiratory Therapist and continued to medical school at the School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona located in Mesa, AZ.

She went on to do an Internal Medicine residency in Detroit, MI and a Critical Care Medicine fellowship in NJ. Even though she typically sees critically ill ICU patients, she tries to educate and instill health maintenance, wellness, and disease prevention tips to her ICU patients in an effort to keep them from coming back to the ICU. She is currently pursuing additional certifications in Lifestyle and Functional Medicine. Additionally, she strives every day to bring compassion and empathy to her practice of medicine. Having been educated and lived all over the US, she has a love of traveling and a passion for medicine and health care. Besides traveling, when she is not busy in the ICU, she enjoys watching movies, cooking and writing.

Rev. Bishop Dr. George E. Holmes, Jr. has dedicated over 30 years to public service, supporting five U.S. Presidents and five District of Columbia Mayors across party lines. Honored with the “President’s Lifetime Achievement Award” by both President Biden and President Obama, he is renowned for his commitment to community building and policy development.

As the first member of the clergy trained by Congress, Bishop Holmes has facilitated thousands of meetings with local, national, and global leaders, driving initiatives that impact diverse sectors, including mental health, business, and community development. His leadership includes significant contributions to the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act and health care reforms.

In 2022, he was appointed Honorary Ambassador of Liberia. A prominent speaker, Bishop Holmes has addressed gatherings from the National Day of Prayer to international summits, and has been featured in media outlets such as CNN and Time Magazine for his contributions to faith-based and community initiatives.

He holds multiple degrees, including a Master of Divinity and an Honorary Doctorate. His work continues to inspire, proving that collective action can lead to transformative change.

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” — President Barack Obama