Dion Dodson from Deluxe Transportation Group LLC; and Catina Taylor from Dreams KC

Deluxe Transportation Group LLC – Dion Dodson (ddodson@deluxetransports.com)

• BIO & OVERVIEW: Deluxe Transportation Group is a luxury chauffeur service that was founded by Dion Dodson in Kansas City, Missouri in 2019. After owning and operating Turf Tiger (a commercial landscaping company) for 9 years, Mr. Dodson decided it was time for a change. In an effort to combine some of his passions for networking, luxury vehicles and formal wear, Mr. Dodson decided to enter the luxury chauffeur industry. After selling his landscaping company for profit, he purchased his first fleet vehicle and set out to start what is now known as one of the best transportation companies in the area.  Deluxe Transportation offers full scale transportation service to the entire KC Metro and surrounding suburbs. With the national and local decline in private passenger vehicle use, Deluxe Transportation Group wanted to provide a livery option for the distinguished customer. With the rising use of on demand transportation or "transportation for hire" service in Kansas City, Mr. Dodson noticed scarcity as it pertained to the luxury vehicle options for hire. Deluxe Transportation Group was founded with a goal to provide additional concierge services to customers that traditional rideshare companies like Uber/Lyft did not. Since 2019, Deluxe Transportation Group has grown by leaps and bounds with more than 11 staff members and 6 fleet vehicles. Every reservation with Deluxe Transportation Group is designed to give customers a memorable experience.

Dreams KC – Catina Taylor (ctaylor@dreamskc.org)

• BIO: Catina K. Taylor, JD founder of DREAMS KC is an entrepreneurial nonprofit leader working to significantly improve child literacy rates in the United States.  Catina has lent her voice, gifts, skills and talents to assist in reshaping education as a teacher, speaker, workshop facilitator, consultant, edprenuer, community organizer and volunteer. Trusted by her community and those within the education ecosystem, Catina is called upon to source talent for the profession, assist parents in advocating for the needs of their children, coach educators, tutor students, and aiding institutions as they evolve for the future.  When she speaks, people listen, and change happens.
• OVERVIEW: At DREAMS KC, our journey is a beacon of hope and empowerment, dedicated to liberating  young minds and Restoring Hopes and Dreams to an entire generation. With the guiding philosophy that Literacy is Liberation, we are committed to equipping parents and caregivers with the tools to shape the futures of kindergarten through 3rd-grade students.  Our mission at DREAMS KC is profound and impactful: to empower parents as the fundamental and most influential educators in their children's literacy development. We offer comprehensive training, essential resources, and unwavering support, enabling parents to cultivate the essential literacy skills within the nurturing embrace of their homes. By fortifying the parent-child bond and providing parents with the expertise to impart these vital skills, we expand children's horizons, fostering cognitive, emotional, and social growth that lays the foundation for an empowered future.  Through the lens of Literacy is Liberation, we envision a world where literacy isn't just a skill—it's a pathway to breaking barriers, enabling individuals to forge their own destinies and grasp the boundless potential that awaits.