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Balancing academics, athletics, fashion and boys!
When you graduated from high school, what did you think you wanted to be as an adult?
An attorney.
Was there an event in the last 20 years that had a great impact on your aspirations and/or career path?
Attending Spelman College, an all-female historically black college.
Have you been mentored by (or had any significant interactions with) previous Forty Under 40 honorees?
Justin Christian, president and CEO of BCforward, is one of the sharpest businessmen that I have met. U.S. District Court Judge Tonya Walton Pratt, a fellow Spelman alumna, is a great mentor. Jimmie McMillian, a partner at Barnes & Thornburg, is a dear friend and former colleague.
Where/what do you want to be 20 years from now?
Ultimately, I want to live a life that is pleasing to God and according to His will.
General Counsel, Bucher & Christian Consulting Inc.
Age: 36
Since she became general counsel for Bucher & Christian Consulting (also known as BCforward) a year ago, Anika (ah-NEE-ka) Calloway has taken control of the firm’s legal matters while learning the ins and outs of the Indianapolis-based IT and staffing company.
“I do anything from reviewing a contract to dealing with HR to trying to figure out if we’re going to get a new water cooler,” she laughed, clearly relishing her duties, which include advising the company on issues such as equal opportunity, diversity and immigration matters.
Previous positions with Barnes & Thornburg and the shopping mall giant Simon Property Group prepared her to hit the ground running at BCforward, the state’s largest minority business enterprise, with 1,800 employees, mostly at client sites around the country.
The Evansville native always knew she wanted to study law; she excelled in speech and relished a good debate. She majored in economics at Spelman College in Atlanta and earned her law degree at Tulane University in New Orleans. She came to Indianapolis to clerk at the Indiana Court of Appeals nine years ago and soon found herself comfortably involved in the legal, and larger, communities.
Calloway served on the board of Flanner House when the Eastside Community Center was in danger of losing its United Way funding. She says being part of the board as it tried to rally the community and increase outside funding sources was an “intense” experience.
Her special interests are community service projects that help minority youth or women. Her activities range from organizing a visual arts showcase for local students for the Circle City Chapter of The Links Inc. to running information sessions on state government for the Indiana chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
Even something as lighthearted as a trip to the Oprah Winfrey show in 2007 turned into a frenzied drive to collect 500 new sets of pajamas for children in need, after a producer for the show contacted her with the challenge.
”When Oprah issues a challenge, you have to rise to it,” said Calloway.•
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