Membership in iThinkTank is by invitation only. Each iTT Member has been vetted using the following criteria: broad-minded intelligence, critical thinking skills, moral values, objective reasoning skills, analytic skills, knowledge base, experiential level, social conscience, social compatibility, ability to express oneself, IT knowledge, and work ethics.
iThinkTank Members
iThinkTank Members
(alphabetical order)
Will Hebler,
Education and Affiliations: B.S. I.T., University of Phoenix in 2008, Member and Webmaster of Inglewood Lions Club. A member of the Chambers of Commerce in Inglewood, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, and Hollywood. Member of the Travel and Tourism Marketing Association, the Los Angeles Hotel Association, and the Los Angeles Downtown Hospitality Forum.
Background: Marketing, Computer Graphics, Website Development, Videography, Project Management, Training, Geopolitics, Political Lobbying, Event Planning, Ethnology, Conflict Resolution, Arbitration
At 60 years old Will Hebler is the old man of the Think Tank. His spirit of adventure has driven him to live, and work, in many of the most exotic areas of the world. Will considers himself an amateur ethnologist. His thirst for knowledge, love of people, fascination with cultures, and aversion to boredom has driven him to explore a great deal of our planet.
- Will has ventured from high up in the Himalayas in Katmandu, Nepal, to below the Dead Sea in King Solomon's Copper Mines beneath Eilat, Israel.
- He has hitch-hiked through the Savannah in East Africa, and driven a Harley Davidson across the outback in Australia.
- Worked for sixteen years in the fast paced offshore oilfield industry, in the Gulf of Mexico and throughout Asia.
- Worked in Thailand as Construction Manager for Fluor Daniel, the world's largest engineering and construction company. Worked on Projects including the Shell Refinery in Map Ta Phut and the giant Proctor and Gamble Facility in Bang PaKong. Managed construction crews of up to 1,200 people.
- Fourteen years as a volunteer Consular Warden for the United States Embassy, State Department in Bangkok, Thailand, representing the Embassy in Southern Thailand.
- On May 12, 2002 Will and his wife Lamyong received a commendation from the US Department of the Navy for resolving an international dispute between the United States and the Kingdom of Thailand.
- Seven years as Senior Director of Sales and Marketing for Yellow Cab Co. in Los Angeles
- Hobbies include videography and video editing
More than forty years of travel, work and adventure have given Will a wealth of knowledge, a database of valuable contacts, and a unique global perspective.
Cynthia Manker,
Education and Affiliations: B.S. in Business Management, from the University of Phoenix, and Mediation Certification from the Asian Pacific American Dispute Resolution Center.
Background: Journalism, Public Relations, Public Speaking, Business Management, Gang Risk Intervention, Marketing and Education, Entrepreneur, Stand-Up Comic
Cynthia Manker is C.E.O. of CSK Communications. As a small business owner Cynthia is well aware of the challenges facing our local business community. She is currently contracted as the Assistant Editor of Inglewood Today, a weekly newspaper and online publication. CSK Communications has provided services for Inglewood Business Opportunity Network (IBON), World Literacy Crusade, Unity 1, and Allstate Insurance. Cynthia is very active in, and concerned about her community. She is on the Board for Healthy Angelino’s Living Optimistically (HALO), the Inglewood Area Ministers Association (IAMA), and RAFT Inc. She has also served as a Board Member for the Black Public Relations Society, and the Inner City Sports Festival. Cynthia has also worked with at-risk youths, as an Outreach Specialist of the Gang Risk Intervention Program (GRIP), through LACOE (Los Angeles County of Education). She has served as a VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) as an Education Coordinator for the Academic Center of Excellence, through the University of California, Los Angeles. Her most rewarding accomplishment, however, is being a mother of Shauntelle and Kiahna.
Chris McGee,
Education and Affiliations: B.A. in Accounting from Morehouse College in Atlanta, and M.B.A. in 2010 from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business.
Member of the Inglewood Lions Club, Chairman of the Inglewood Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Committee
Background: Investment Counseling, Business Management, Entrepreneur, Father of Five
Chris McGee is the founder and managing member of Candlelight Capital Management LLC. Chris has an extensive and diverse business background that spans corporate finance, RMBS/ABS trading and real estate development. In his previous position, Chris worked as a profit and loss analyst for the Trust Company of the West (TCW), a Los Angeles based asset manager with over $118 billion in assets under management. At TCW, Chris reported directly to the company’s CFO, and was responsible for reporting the profitability of each business unit, as well as the company as a whole. As a Trader for Countrywide Securities Corporation in Calabasas, California Chris actively managed, traded, and hedged positions of non-conforming, and agency securities on the Prime ARM trading desk. Prior to coming to Countrywide in 2007, Chris worked on Wall Street as an Associate with Merrill Lynch for four (4) years, where he analyzed, purchased, and securitized over $30 billion dollars in residential mortgage loans. Chris was the first and only African American Non-prime Mortgage Trader at Merrill. He served as the Lead Analyst on the MLMI-OWNIT and MLMI-SL securitization shelves. While at Merrill, he also served as the Lead Second Lien Analyst on the First Franklin Mortgage Company deal team, which was a $1.5 billion dollar acquisition. Before going to Wall Street Chris managed several municipal property tax lien portfolios, which at their peak consisted of 250 tax liens valued in excess of 12 million dollars.
William Perez,
Education and Affiliations: B.S. Business Administration, and M.B.A., Certification in Conflict Resolution from Loyola Law School, Paralegal Certification for Cal State Northridge. Member of the Inglewood Lions Club, Member of the Inglewood Chamber of Commerce and their Small Business Committee.
Background: Operations Management, Human Resource Management, Service Improvement, Loss Prevention, Regulation Compliance (OSHA), Productivity Improvement, Budgeting and Financial Analysis, Strategic Planning, Team Building and Leadership, Process Improvement
William is currently C.O.O., of West Coast Complete Auto Care LLC., D.B.A. Meineke Car Care Center in Inglewood.
As COO he is responsible for the strategic direction of West Coast Complete Auto Care and continued enhancement of the company’s relationships with its customers and consumers.
Perez has a diverse background in various business organizations. William has developed process and procedures to increase employee morale and efficiency. William has a back ground in team building and maximizing opportunities. He works to elevate service standards through efficiency analysis. William has worked for Bridgestone/Firestone, PCMall, Front Bridge, and Cedars Sinai. William is a result oriented individual.
Joseph Soto,
Education and Affiliations: Doctorate from the “School of Hard Knocks,” Member of the Inglewood Lions Club.
Background: Businessman, Entrepreneur, Insurance, Real Estate, Business Management, Government Relations, Political Affairs, Conceptual Thinker, Futurist
In Southern California Joseph Soto is considered a rarity. Unlike most SoCal residents Joseph is a genuine Southern Californian. He was born and raised right here in the Los Angeles area. As a business entrepreneur he has created and maintained several successful businesses. These businesses were mainly in the fields of insurance and real estate. Joseph is a Past-President of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Council No. 2007. He was involved in the 2010 Census, as Leader of the ICCC Business Sub-Committee.
As a Futurist, Joseph dedicates numerous hours each week to analyzing his environment and making projections as to future shifts and developments in the areas of economics, politics, and social concerns.
His vision for the future is simple: Give our citizens the opportunity to widen their horizons, and grow in all areas, for self improvement.