Founder’s Bio

Billeka Palmer is the Founder and CEO of The Billee Group (TBG), a workforce development and contracting company dedicated to removing barriers to entry into the skilled trades. Her mission is to restore access, dignity, and opportunity in communities that have been historically excluded from legacy-building work.

Her background bridges community service, business strategy, and workforce infrastructure. She began her professional journey as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer with the Lawndale AMACHI Mentoring Program, serving children affected by incarceration in her native Chicago. That early experience shaped her lifelong commitment to equity, second chances, and investing in people.

Over the years, Billeka has held roles in finance, human resources, and organizational development, including supporting the multibillion-dollar Abbott–AbbVie corporate split. She has built systems for hiring, onboarding, compliance, DEI, and leadership development—skills that now fuel TBG’s apprenticeship pipeline and operational model.

She has also served as president of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) and Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity at Roosevelt University. As the founder of a resume-writing firm, she has supported underemployed professionals seeking entry into stable careers. Her leadership credentials include certifications from the National Society for Leadership and Success (NSLS) and extensive experience running youth and workforce programs across nonprofit and faith-based settings.

TBG is the culmination of her lived experience and professional expertise. For Billeka, infrastructure is more than physical—it is generational and deeply restorative. Through TBG, she is building a pipeline of skilled tradespeople, restoring access to legacy careers, and laying a foundation that communities can build on for generations.