Gail Francis Johnson

Work Experience
Gail is a proven entrepreneur passionate about inclusive innovation, social impact, and equitable economic development. An established founder of powerhouse companies Cognitians and Talent One Advisors, she recently launched EquaPendence, a consulting firm dedicated to scaling startups and expanding access to capital for minority and women-led businesses from venture capital firms and financial institutions. A skilled strategist focused on developing high-impact teams and driving bottom-line results, Gail is a visionary executive dedicated to challenging the status quo and being a catalyst for change.

She has experience working in public, private, and non-profit sectors and her breadth of business knowledge includes sales and marketing, asset management, real estate, executive recruiting, staffing, judicial services, training, and development of diverse and inclusive workforces. Gail is very adept at breaking down complex sales channels and designing a sales process that produces consistent and scalable results, skills she acquired while in the role of Area Vice President for NCR Credit Corp/AT&T Capital. She structured multi-million-dollar leases for Fortune 500 companies nationwide while leading her top producing sales team to the Chairman Circle annually, achieving the company’s highest recognition and honors.

In addition to being an Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) at the EC, Gail is a business consultant with the Dayton Chamber Minority Business Partnership where she spearheaded the development of the national Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) incubator – Project Enginuity – including securing support for the initiative from JPMorgan Chase.

Gail resides in the Dayton area.