Cherrise’s mission is to directly impact 1,000 small businesses in previously overlooked communities to help them with the structural foundation needed to scale their business by doing the following: gaining access to capital funding, additional lines of credit, securing a grant, or winning local, state, corporate, or federal contracts. Her goal is to elevate the financial game of micro and small businesses.

She is an experienced administrator with over 20+ years in the federal, state, local government, and private sectors. Ms. Wilks is the CEO of Affinity Consulting Group NEFL, a 13-year-old boutique management consulting firm providing government solutions and business advisory services to small businesses in the technology, construction, consulting, product development, and real estate development industries. She has helped dozens of business owners incorporate, secure business funding, and become certified for corporate and government contracting. Current contracts include assisting over 100 business owners through a partnership with Black Orlando Tech and the University of Florida Collaboratory for Inclusive Partnership as a Subject Matter Expert to help women, minority, and veteran businesses become State of Florida certified. Additionally, she oversees a contract with the Black Business Investment Fund (BBIF) Contractor Assistance Program. Her firm provides government certification and contracting services to more than 25 businesses registered in the program.

She has spoken and provided training to numerous businesses on government contracting, types of business funding, and business sustainability. Her most recent speaking engagements include two-panel discussions at the Orlando Veteran’s Business Expo and the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) 2nd Annual Take Flight Conference and Propel Her Pitch Competition. To date, her firm has successfully secured more than $84 million and managed $314 million in public and private funding.

Ms. Wilks was recently awarded the 2023 Entrepreneur Deeva award from Women on the Rise International for her work in central Florida, and in 2022 she was awarded a Six Figure Success Award from Traffic, Sales, and Profit in Atlanta. She is in the current Class #104 of Leadership Orlando, sponsored by the Orlando Economic Partnership. She serves as a corporate board member of Tech and Flow, Emisha Innovations, and Black Innovation Leaders of Florida.

In other roles, Ms. Wilks serves as a Community Development Expert with the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security-FEMA as a Reservist for select deployments. During prior deployments, she has co-developed two Arc-GIS databases for state/local governments housed on the Census website, authored a Local Government Solutions Grants Management Guide (May 2021), and helped states identify public-private partnerships and funding to assist communities with rebuilding after major hurricanes since 2017. Throughout her career, Ms. Wilks has directly managed local government budgets of $40+ million in general operating funds and identified over $5.7 million in operational cost savings.

Ms. Wilks has a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of North Florida and a Bachelor’s from Florida State University. She holds professional credentials in Community Real Estate Development, Contract Management, and Grants Management. She has experience with the Florida Department of Children and Families, the Florida House of Representatives, the City of Jacksonville, and the City of Tampa.