Michelle Uchiyama, President and Founder of Charitable Connections, Inc., and President, Smokymountainstone.com has been empowering neighborhoods and communities for 20 years. She is actively involved in her civic association, Friends of Collier Park, Presbyterian Church USA's Committee on the Self Development of People, has served as the Mayor's representative on the People TV Board, is an advisor to the King for America Foundation, is on the Board of the Fuller Center for Housing of Greater Atlanta, been a board member of the Atlanta Women's Network, Life Member of the Houston Chamber of Commerce, a board member of Lea's Kids, Inc. and has been co-chair for the International Campaign for Victory Over Violence. 

Michelle was actively involved in the development of the Georgia Faith-Based Initiative Task Force and created campaigns for the Resource Mother's program of the Child Abuse Prevention Alliance. She has successfully worked with over 200 faith and community based organizations to facilitate their start-up and development utilizing the mechanism of collaboration to promote board and program growth. Michelle has also been a successful entrepreneur taking a company from ground up to 1785% growth in 18 months.

Michelle's degrees are from the Rochester Institute of Technology in Marketing and Communications and from the University of Houston in Corporate Strategies, Planning and Finance. Michelle has also received extensive marketing and sales training during her nine year career at International Business Machines.