Alvin V. Cheeks (born September 27, 1967) in Chicago, Illinois, minister, entrepreneur, author, motivational speaker, philanthropist and conservative civic activist. As the seventh of eight children raised in an impoverished single-family home in the Chicago suburb of Harvey, Illinois, he showed ambition at an early age: being elected in 3rd grade as student body president of his K-6 elementary school; operating his own in-school candy delivery service; and, consistently performing five or more years above his grade level.

Lack of money forced Mr. Cheeks to drop out of college and enter the workforce full-time (though he later continued his studies at Northwestern University, Illinois Institute of Technology and Johns Hopkins University and earned several undergraduate and graduate degrees). Not too long after leaving school, his entrepreneurial fervor re-emerged as he started several businesses. However, his efforts resulted in failures. Never to be deterred, Mr. Cheeks continued to persevere and in 1993 founded pharmaceutical research firm ClinDev Global Inc. at the age of 25. The company expanded to over 14 countries and several subsidiaries all providing research and/or operational support to the pharmaceutical industry. Mr. Cheeks later founded strategic advisory firm A.V. Cheeks & Associates and Hinchcliff Financial LLC, a diversified financial services firm that includes traditional and alternative asset management units with focus on broad markets as well as emerging industries such as nanotechnology and biodefense.

Mr. Cheeks has been actively involved in promoting higher education, particularly in the African American community, including the award of over $1,000,000 in scholarships since 1997. His ministry, Call To Glory Ministries, continues to develop health centers staffed by rotating volunteer medical staff in francophone West Africa.

In 2005, Mr. Cheeks enlisted a number of pharmaceutical industry veterans to join him founding the Chartered Clinical Trialist Institute [1111] as an organization that would provide for the clinical trials indusry a standard of education and integrity that would ensure the safety of pharmaceuticals worldwide. The organization would develop and administered a rigorous charter examination program and ethics oversight panel for the clinical trials industry. Mr. Cheeks also serves on the boards of several arts and community service organizations.

Mr. Cheeks has authored 3 books (Blame The CEO: Paid To Lie, All Aboard: Culpability in the Boardroom, and Old World Order: Resource Allocation in the New World) and numerous articles and essays on pharmaceutical development, finance and religion. He has spoken before numerous industry and religious gatherings both domestically and abroad and participated in numerous television and radio panels.