Cuppa Jax - Andrew Leon Hanna

Cost $15 -- Breakfast provided by Village Bread Cafe

Wednesday, Jan. 11

8 a.m.- 9 a.m.

Riverplace Tower Skyline Room

Andrew Leon Hanna is a first-generation Egyptian-American lawyer, entrepreneur, and author from Jacksonville, Florida. Hanna’s book, 25 Million Sparks: The Untold Story of Refugee Entrepreneurs (Cambridge University Press, 2022), tells the stories of three Syrian women entrepreneurs in the Za’atari camp, and of refugee entrepreneurs around the world. It was named a Financial Times Book of the Year, and was awarded the Financial Times Bracken Bower Prize for authors under 35. Hanna is the co-founder and CEO of DreamxAmerica, joining storytelling and impact to highlight and support immigrant, refugee, and first-generation entrepreneurs. As head of DreamxAmerica, which was recognized on Fast Company‘s 2021 World Changing Ideas List, he has connected small businesses to $400,000+ in zero-interest loans during the COVID-19 pandemic and co-created/produced the DreamxAmerica documentary short film streaming on PBS, which was nominated for a Chicago Emmy® Award. He is also founder of Immigrant Love, a venture he founded at Stanford that invests in and showcases brands led by immigrant entrepreneurs, and co-founder of Sawa Impact Labs, a web3 venture that features underrepresented global artists.

Hanna earned his MBA with honors as an Arjay Miller Scholar at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he was a Knight-Hennessy Scholar and was faculty-selected as one of five Siebel Scholars in his class on the basis of academics and leadership. He received a J.D. with honors from Harvard Law School, where he was an Editor of the Harvard Law Review, and an A.B. with highest distinction from Duke University, where he was Senior Class President. He was named to the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 List, and his work has been featured in or on the BBC, PBS, Fast Company, Forbes, Financial Times, and more.

from San Marco Books

We meet at Riverplace Tower, also known as the Ameris Bank building. This is a walkable location along the Southbank Riverwalk and also convenient to JTA's First Coast Flyer and the Skyway's Riverplace Station.

There is limited free street parking, and paid parking is also available in a neighboring surface lot and garage.

Entering from the Riverwalk: take the stairs or elevator next to Village Bread Company up to the Skyline Room.

Entering from Riverplace Blvd: take the escalators and walk toward the back of the building, behind the Ameris Bank offices.

Entering from the garage: make a right at the first bank of elevators and another right into the hallway between the Ameris Bank offices.

Entering from the driveway between Riverplace Tower and the Doubletree: Walk down the hallway to the left, and make another left toward Village Bread Company. Take the elevator or stairs near Village Bread Company to the meeting space.

Cuppa Jax holds gatherings for neighborhood and community leaders that are open to everyone in Jacksonville. Join us on Wednesday mornings in the Skyline Room in the Riverplace Tower on the Southbank to discuss important issues facing our city.

Scheduled speakers will talk for 10-15 minutes. The rest of the time is spent with Q&A and discussion of relevant issues brought up by participants. We also encourage attendees to make community announcements at the beginning of the program.

No membership fee. Unlike many other discussion forums in Jacksonville, there is no membership fee to attend or participate in Cuppa Jax. We do ask attendees to cover the cost of coffee and breakfast provided by Village Bread Cafe. If you cannot attend due to the cost of the event, please email [email protected] with a request for a scholarship and we will be glad to cover your ticket.

Topical and timely. We are seeking local thought leaders who can discuss and educate about important community issues to speak at future dates. We don’t accept offers to speak about or pitch organizations. Cuppa Jax is non-partisan, and does not endorse candidates or issues. An offer to speak does not constitute an endorsement. It's simply an opportunity for the community to have a meaningful discussion.

Host or Publisher Cuppa Jax