Website/Blog: www.blackfounders.com

Bio

Born in South, moved to SF to be a lawyer. I fell in love with Startups all by accident. I fell into Black Founders in a similar way.
I was close friends with two black entrepreneurs. We discovered that many black entrepenuers did not know that there was someone like them. Initially, when we started Black Founders it was with a goal to connect entrepreneurs of color. Very quickly we discover that there was a need for more than just connection but also education.

What most people do not know about me is that prior to law school I was a teacher. I also come from a household filled with educators. I love the fact that BF is creating quality educational events that help blacks succeed. I love the fact that we are giving a broad group of people tools to help them move forward.

What motivates you to become successful?

I want to leave a legacy that matters. I want to know that the world is better because I have been here. Both my legal work, Black Founders and my future non-profit motivate me.

Website/Blog: drebarnes.com

Bio

Andre Barnes shares a passion for the art & technology and public service similar to various acclaimed dignitaries associated with Atlanta including Ethel Waters and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Andre’ began pursuing his passions from a very young age by obtaining formal education in art and independent sketching. This rudimentary training served as the catalyst for his ultimate proficiency in web development and graphic arts. Presently, Andre’ is adept in a plethora of technological applications and programming languages.

Currently, Andre’ is the Technology Director at !mpact Church in Atlanta, GA. Andre and !mpact church were featured in a CNN segment called “Social Networking In The Church”. In addition, Andre’ is the Software Engineer for a much talked about startup, which is soon to be released into public beta called Gokit. Gokit with other tech startups are featured in the Black America 4.

What motivates you to become successful?

Innovation and making the wheel better motivates me to become successful. Also, working with passionate individuals really motivate me to worker harder.

Website/Blog: http://bit.ly/AndersonatLarge

Bio

A Stanford lawyer-turned-new-media-practitioner, Faye Anderson focuses on the intersection of social media and social change. Faye was recently named one of the top ten race and civil liberties bloggers on Twitter. She was nominated for the 2011 Women’s Media Center Social Media Award. Her blog, Anderson@Large, is included in the Harvard University Web Archive Collection, “Capturing W omen’s Voices.”

Faye is the founder of Tracking Change, a web-based platform to foster participation in the policy making process. She is chief evangelist for the Cost of Freedom Project, a citizen-led initiative that is developing location-based apps to provide voters with information on how to apply for a voter ID.

Faye will demo the Cost of Freedom App today during a panel discussion on social media and voter ID that she organized for Social Media Week Washington, DC. The event will be live-streamed. Viewers can join the conversation via Twitter (#CAPVoterID).

What motivates you to become successful?

Activism is in my DNA so my metric of success is not material possessions. I’m a tree-shaker not a money-maker. I’m motivated by the belief that one person can make a difference. I’ve been involved in a wide range of public policy issues, including minority business inclusion, education and technology, open data, civic engagement and voting rights.

I’m also motivated by personal reinvention. The emerging market for civic apps gives me an opportunity to mash up issues that I’ve worked on over the years and pivot from minority business advocate to minority founder.

Website/Blog: http://baratunde.com

Book: How To Be Black

Bio

Baratunde Thurston is a technology-loving comedian from the future who cares enough about the world to engage with it politically. Yes, he votes. Regularly. With an ancestry that includes a great-grandfather who taught himself to read, a grandmother who was the first black employee at the U.S. Supreme Court building and a mother who took over radio stations in the name of the black liberation struggle, Baratunde has long been taught to question authority. It helps that he was raised in Washington, D.C. under crackhead Mayor Marion Barry.

His creative and inquisitive mind, forged by his mother’s lessons and polished by a philosophy degree from Harvard, have found expression in the pages of Vanity Fair and the The UK Independent, on the radio waves of WNYC, where he is a regular contributor and on the screens of news networks such as CNN, MSNBC, BBC, Al Jazeera English and This Week In Tech. He even hosted his own show on Discovery Science called Popular Science’s Future Of.

Far from simply appearing in media, Baratunde is also helping defining its future. In 2006 he co-founded Jack & Jill Politics, a black political blog whose coverage of the 2008 Democratic National Convention has been archived by the Library Of Congress. For the past four years, he has helped bring one of America’s finest journalistic institutions into the future, serving as Director of Digital for The Onion. In 2011 he was a judge for the Knight News Challenge, a media innovation contest which funds experiments in the future of news. His book, How To Be Black, will be published by Harper Collins in February 2012.

His most significant expression, however, is probably his own creative experimentation with new digital platforms. He was named Foursquare Mayor of the Year for holding a real-world rally to defend his virtual mayorship. Every year he live hate-tweets the Twilight movies to his 100,000+ Twitter followers, and in 2009, he embodied the swine flu with a Twitter account of that name.

His wide range of experience and activity has earned him an equally wide range of praise. The ACLU of Michigan honored him “for changing the political and social landscape one laugh at a time.” He was nominated for the Bill Hicks Award for Thought Provoking Comedy. The Root added him to its list of 100 most influential African Americans. Fast Company listed him as one of the 100 Most Creative People In Business. Then-candidate Barack Obama called him “someone I need to know,” and YouTube user “mooospot” referred to him as a “dumbass liberal crackhead welfare sucker.”

When he’s not staring at a glowing rectangle, Mr. Thurston, which he goes by near the end of his bio, travels the world, speaking and advising on the subjects of our digital future and storytelling, satire and democracy, and race and politics. In the past two years alone he has spoken at South by Southwest, Google Atmosphere, the Online News Association Conference, Netroots Nation, the Mashable Awards, Web 2.0 Expo, Personal Democracy Forum, Internet Week NY, Social Media Week, TribeCon, the ACLU Annual Dinner (Mass., Mich. and Okla.), Surf Summit 14 (Mexico), The AtlanTech Dinner (Paris), The FD Summit (Amsterdam) and Digital Directions (Australia). In May 2011, he spoke at the presidential palace in Tbilisi, Georgia (the country) on the role of satire in a healthy democracy.

Baratunde performs standup comedy regularly in New York City, resides in Brooklyn, lives on Twitter and has over 30 years experience being black

Video Interview

What motivates you to become successful?

Website/Blog: Flanboyant Eats™: Latin Fusion & Global Cuisine. FlanboyantEats.com

Bio

Bren Herrera is a Renaissance woman and natural artist in the fields of music, food and fashion. She’s a classically trained cellist and vocalist, having toured in Spain and performed in stages in Mexico, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and other notable cities. Having a deep-rooted passion for haute lifestyle and enjoying a cultured life, Bren began expanding her creativity in 2005 to other realms of interest. She’s been cooking Latin and fusion cuisine for 18 years, and professionally for 7, having developed a passion for entertaining at an early age. Cooking for friends and family has always fascinated her and brings her much joy. In 2008 she launched her critically acclaimed food blog, Flanboyant Eats™. The blog’s popularity has landed her TV gigs appearing with Emeril Lagasse, a private stodge and demo with Chef of the Century, Joel Robuchon and continues to do TV having recently appeared on CNN Español, reaching over 30 million viewers. Bren is a full-time private chef, food, travel and fashion writer, having written food columns for LATINA Magazine, Dean & DeLuca, Cuisine Noir and has been published in various print publications covering culinary trends, restaurant reviews, global cuisine and excursions. She’s been featured in Black Enterprise, The Washington Post, Daily Candy, The AJC and other notable publications. She authors a culinary and fashion blog which document her approach to life. Sexy and delicious!

What motivates you to become successful?

I’m always motivated by my natural passion for enjoying the wonderful things life has to offer; not the material things, rather the intangible experiences. I want to provide for myself and my family (parents and siblings) with experiences the average person isn’t able to. If I’m able to impact and inspire someone else to pursue their dreams through my work, then I’m successful.

Website/Blog: playd.it

Bio

Anthony Frasier a native of Newark, NJ is the co-founder of mobile startup Playd and the award winning gaming site TheKoalition.com. Anthony was also profiled on Black in America: The New Promised Land – Silicon Valley as being one of 8 minorities diversifying the tech scene. Upon returning to Newark, Anthony has started BrickCity Tech, a group dedicated to developing a tech scene in his hometown. In 2012 Anthony was listed on NBC The Grio’s 100: Making History Today list for his acclaimed work.

What motivates you to become successful?

What motivates me most is my family, and the thought of me being able to take care of them one day the way they have taken care of me. Secondly is people with a passion for what they do. No matter if its business, sports, art, anything. If I see someone achieving their dreams and changing their lives doing what they love, it energizes me to get that same high they have.

Website/Blog: www.succeedasyourownboss.com

Bio

Melinda F. Emerson, SmallBizLady, is one of America’s leading small business experts. She is an author, speaker and small business coach whose areas of expertise include small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. As CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, Melinda develops audio, video and written content to help her Fortune 500 clients engage small business customers. She publishes a resource blog, www.succeedasyourownboss.com and hosts a weekly talk show on Twitter called #Smallbizchat for today’s entrepreneurs. Forbes Magazine named Melinda Emerson one of the Top 20 Women for Entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. Melinda has been featured on MSNBC, Fox News, NBC Nightly News and in The Washington Post, New York Times, Fortune, Essence and Black Enterprise. She is also the author of the bestselling book “Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works.” She writes a monthly column for www.secondact.com, and is an instructor for the Black Enterprise Small Business University. Melinda is a graduate of Virginia Tech.

What motivates you to become successful?

My mission to end small business failure motivates me everyday. If
I’m successful we are all successful.

Website/Blog: brothatech.com

Bio

Terrance Gaines has been interested in technology ever since he can remember. He realized his passion for technology of all kinds when he worked at an electronics store selling Audio/Video gear to make some extra money during college.

In 2008, he decided to share his techie background and unique writing skills, and created BrothaTech.com. Where he writes about the latest technology trends, does gadget reviews, and writes about the technology he uses everyday. In addition to his blog, Terrance has also written technology news that empowers the African American community for BlackWeb20.com & AtlantaPost.com (now apart of Madame Noire), and currently writes mobile app news and reviews for AppScout.com, small business mobility and productivity articles for SmallBizGoMobile.com. Several of his technology articles have been published in print for Uptown Magazine and he can be regularly found guest posting for various sites like BlackWeb20.com, BlackandMarriedwithKids.com…and anybody other site that needs a fresh (and a little witty) technology perspective.

Terrance’s latest tech travels include reoccurring appearances as a mobile app specialist on the “Mario Armstrong Show”, XM ch. 169 and his future plans include Apple Certification, speaking, and a weekly technology podcast.

What motivates you to become successful?

It’s pretty simple for me: Being around other successful people. By far the most rewarding attribute I get out of networking with other entrepreneurs and professionals is listening to what they are currently doing, the plans they have for the future, and how they are executing on their goals. The energy, the passion, and the resiliency in everything they do is something I admire in successful people, so I try to hang around them as much as possible in order to keep me motivated in my own endeavors. “Birds of a feather flock together” is pretty cliche…but so true.

Website/Blog: drgoddess.com

Bio

Kimberly C. Ellis, Ph.D., is affectionately known as Dr. Goddess,” and a true Renaissance Woman. She is a Scholar of American and Africana Studies, an Artist, Activist and Entrepreneur who loves Technology and Social Media. A published academic author, popular blogger, playwright and issues and electoral campaign winner, Dr. Goddess has become a staple at such conferences as Netroots Nation, Blogging While Brown, Blogalicious, Black Thought 2.0 (Duke University) BlogHer and South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi). Welcome to the Cult!

Topics
Women and World Change, Women’s Studies
American History and Literature
African American History, Literature and Black Theatre
Organizing 2.0, New Media Liberation for the Every Generation,
Tweeting the Revolution, The Bombastic Brilliance of Black Twitter
Instructional Technology and the Academic Experience

Qualifications
Doctorate, American Studies, African American Literature and History
Assistant Professor, DePauw University, University of Houston, Univ. of Pittsburgh
New Organizing Institute Participant, State of Pennsylvania Rootscamp Organizer Community Benefits Agreement Movement
Raise Your Hand! No Casino on the Hill Campaign

Awards
One of the Most Influential Black Women on Twitter, For Harriet Digital Magazine
Exquisite Women, The Black Man Can
Nominee, Women’s Media Center Social Media Award
Top Ten Creative Women in Social Media, Liberated Muse
Fab 40 Under 40, New Pittsburgh Courier Award
Thomas Merton Center, New Person Award
YWCA Racial Justice Award

Major Speaking Engagements
Black Thought 2.0, Duke University, 2012
South by Southwest Interactive Conference (SxSW) 2012
Netroots Nation, 2009, 2010, 2011
Blogging While Brown 2011
BlogHer 2011
Blogalicious, 2010
National Trust for Historic Preservation 2011

Target Audiences
High School and College Students
Academics
Women aged 18 – 65, Men, aged 18 – 50
Black and Latina women
Activists, organizers
Theatre Lovers

What motivates you to become successful?

Knowing all of the sacrifices that have been made for me, especially by my mother, is a primary motivating factor for me to be successful in my endeavors. I also intend to live as free as possible, so it’s important for me to focus and do well. Otherwise, whenever the sun is shining and the waves undulate across the landscape. That’s enough for me!

Website/Blog: aislefinder.com

Bio

Curtiss started his technology career coding and designing web sites and software for companies like Yahoo, Microsoft and Installshield.

His current role is as Founder/CEO of AisleFinder, an app that matches items on shopping lists with aisles within supermarkets (Google maps for supermarkets).

Curtiss’ company AisleFinder was selected to be one of the startups selected for the first class of NewMe Accelerator in 2011.
At 29 years old he is one of the youngest black entrepreneurs within the tech sector. He often shares his views on entrepreneurship,design and motivation on blogs such as VentureBeat ,Hacker News, Black Enterprise, and has been featured in sites such as:TechCrunch,ReadWriteWeb,VentureBeat, ,CNN.com,PC Magazine and CNET.Curtiss was born and raised in Silicon Valley where he still resides.

What motivates you to become successful?

In life: I would have to say my wife motivates me, she has been on this ride with me since the beginning. Her support allows me to stay motivated when things don’t go the way I plan. She is a tough little Nigerian woman that brings out the best in me.I call her my co-founder for life!

In business: Other startups and their founders motivate me. I love the raw and unfiltered premise of a new startup ready to take on the challenges of building a business.I also get motivated by helping them to overcome challenges that I myself have faced as an entrepreneur.

Website/Blog: www.Iamdtech.com

Bio

A graduate of College of Notre Dame of Maryland, Christine is the Founder of DiversiTech, an organization that provides educational programming, networking opportunities and access to resources for minorities in technology. DiversiTech is based out of the Baltimore/Washington area and has national partnerships with like-minded organizations working to change the look of the technology startup landscape. No stranger to the startup culture, she has been the driving force behind the success of the national model for technology transfer and commercialization showcases for the nation’s top seed/early-stage funding company since 2001.

Ms. Johnson’s background includes owning a successful event planning and marketing company that serviced various tech and non-profit clients, creating a visual arts gallery and education program, being published in a number of poetry journals, contributing to business and creative publications/blogs, and facilitating healing arts and women in entrepreneurship workshops. She has been recognized as an outstanding woman entrepreneur by Morgan State University’s Entrepreneurial Development Assistance Center (EDAC).

Ms. Johnson is presently on the board for The America21 Project, an open, collaborative and innovative platform that fosters solutions-based approaches to 21st century community economic development. She is also a member of the Emerging Technology Center (ETC) Ambassador Council, an award-winning incubator in Baltimore, MD. Her previous service includes a national advisory committee member for the National Association for Blacks in Bio; board member for A Step Forward Rehabilitation Facility; committee member for Prince George’s County (MD) Business Summit; and board member for Youth Warriors Environmental Justice Organization.

Ms. Johnson has been interviewed on various topics by Sophie’s Parlor on WPFW (DC), BriefCase Radio on WEAA (Baltimore), Mario Armstrong’s Digital Lifestyle Show on XM Radio, Technology Today and WomanSphere by Amina on Blogtalk Radio.

These days she spends much of her time developing relationships with, and advocating for, amazing minority technology entrepreneurs.

What motivates you to become successful?

What motivates me to become successful? – My spirit and the belief that there is nothing I can’t do. When I see there is a need in the world and I get a “spirit tug” to create something that will make a difference, I act. In the end, it’s all about the people you touch and the amazing ways that touch changes you.

Website/Blog: bostontweetup.com/

Bio

A passionate Internet Marketing Consultant with 20 years of computer technology experience. Add my 10 years of Online Marketing experience and 12 years of Business Development experience, and you get a powerful combination that is rarely seen in this new media market. His passion and focus is working with small/midsize businesses, organizations and entrepreneurs to best leverage Internet technologies to systematically reach their financial and/or growth goals.
He specializes in wrapping marketing around technology to help grow his clients’ businesses in more efficient ways. He’s known in the corporate world for his resourcefulness, and since going digital, have has earned online recognition and a reputation for these skills as well. His way of finding information and adapting new technology enables his to quickly access opportunities for growth and provide several easy-to-understand tactical plans based on his clients overall strategy. Early in his career, I was highlighted in a full page ad for the work he contributed to Herman Miller saving over 1 Million dollars.

As a first generation Dominican American, many extraordinary life experiences allowed him to analyze opportunities from various, unique perspectives. He has traveled extensively across the United States and around the world. His previous business endeavors have taken him to places including three months in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and six months in England, Sweden, Norway, Germany, France and Spain. His international experiences gives him a strong foundation from which he has developed global marketing campaigns for my clients.

Throughout his life he has worked with and been a part of many community organizations including the Boys Scouts, Lawrence Boys & Girls Club, Inroads, and NSBE. Most recently he developed a marketing plan for the fastest growing and largest professional Latino membership site in Massachusetts history, have co-founded both BeScene Marketing, which provides Social Media Strategies for the Entertainment Industry and BostonTweetUp , which provides people in the Boston area a central resource to learn all about local Tweetups. He has also been selected as a connector for the Mayor of Boston, Boston World Partnership initiative.

Via BostonTweetUp, which he has been focusing the majority of this time now on, he created MegaTweetUp. MegaTweetUp is the largest non-branded tweetup in the world, uniting people of all ages and disciplines to network and learn more about how to best leverage social media for their businesses.
He is a strong believer of, “Do what you do best and outsource the rest.” He embodies this by championing the Kolbe A index, an index that measures one’s strengths. By knowing one’s natural strengths they are able to focus on what they are most effective at, and find other people who complement them to join their team. His Kolbe results say that he is a forward thinker and has a great ability to conceptualize what could be, and to picture how things work. His expansive technical and marketing knowledge combined with my ability to intuitively visualize possibilities allows him to not only create solutions quickly but more importantly, find a better way of doing things in the process. He has a keen eye which allows him to detect discrepancies and adjust procedures in any project.

He has posted his Kolbe results on his company website and his blog. He invites people to read his results and learn his Modus Operandi, and encourages people to go to the Kolbe site and find their unique strengths.

Since he has a strong understanding of myself, He begin each of his projects by having an honest conversation with each of the team members to determine the most effective use of everybody’s skills and natural instincts, maximizing the effectiveness of the team.

He devote several hours a day to learning the varying trends in business and technology such as the new platform of ever changing Social Media. He provides his clients with the best and most current information to make a decision that will have the greatest impact on their business. He continuously researches and networks to bring his clients the very best resources available.

As the founder & lead consultant of LITBeL Consulting, He brings all of my experience, knowledge, and resources together. One of the strengths he brings to his clients is the ability to handpick the perfect team, one created from the skills and talents of the clients’ current team accented by the best of the resources of LITBeL Consulting. Using this strategy he is able to create great teams of professionals which are completely customized based on the individual clients needs.

What motivates you to become successful?

“What motivates you to become successful?” My Mother who came to this country on the sheer notion that this was the land of opportunity. I also work hard/smart on behalf of those that came before me, that that can’t themselves and those that will come after me.

Website: http://about.me/brettanitra

Bio

Brett is an assistant professor in the Department of Management and Global Business at Rutgers University. She is the very first Entrepreneurship PhD graduate from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. Her expertise is in geographic clusters, technology entrepreneurship and new venture performance. Her research was awarded a Kauffman Dissertation Fellowship in 2004, and was later selected as a finalist for the Heizer Award, which is given by the Academy of Management’s Entrepreneurship Division for outstanding dissertations in entrepreneurship.

In 2009, Brett was chosen as a Kauffman Junior Faculty Fellow, which is awarded to emerging entrepreneurship scholars. Of the 10 recipients to date, she is only the second woman to receive the award and the only African-American. Her expertise on clusters and technology entrepreneurship landed her a two-year gubernatorial appointment as an advisory committee member to the Texas Emerging Technology Fund from 2008-2010.

Brett’s research is currently published or forthcoming in several top management journals, and her most recently accepted manuscript, “Creative Destruction: Identifying its Geographic Origins” has been one of the top 10 most downloaded manuscripts in the Social Science Research Network for Entrepreneurship & Economics, since the manuscript’s release in December.
Brett teaches a Technology Ventures course to undergraduate and graduate students, and has also taught courses on creativity and innovation as well as general entrepreneurship. Students who have taken her courses are currently exploring ventures in industries as diverse as construction services, education, fashion and social media.

What motivates you to become successful?

I am motivated to be a good steward of the gifts and talents God has given me, and to use them to the best of my ability to fulfill my life’s purpose. ‘Success’ has been the natural byproduct of doing those two things, not really something I can say I consciously work to achieve.

Website/Blog: nbifestival.org

Bio

Rob Fields is the Founder and Chief Curator of the Festival of the New Black Imagination, a platform for forward-looking, global black culture that launched in 2011. The Festival is a natural outgrowth of the work that he’s been doing on his black alt music and culture blog Boldaslove.us.

What motivates you to become successful?

A belief that a fresh conversation about what blackness means in the 21st century is not only good for black people, but for the country as a whole.

Photo Credit: Ed Marshall Photography NYC

Website/Blog: kollectivemobile.com

Bio

Sian is CEO & Founder of Kollective Mobile, and brings 15+ years of experience in digital development and leadership to the mobile marketplace. She has a passion for creative information design, a strong technical background, and a talent for developing a team culture of user experience innovation and effective product development. Her skills, excellent client relations, and drive and determination have made her a well-respected force in the industry.

Sian started her career as the dotcom boom was changing the fundamental way that we communicate, share ideas, and bring products to market. A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, she studied Film & Television but soon became enthralled by the incredible artistic and social potential in web technology; She went on to earn a Masters degree in Interactive Media Design from Middlesex University in London.

In 2010, she founded Kollective Mobile, a mobile development agency based in Oakland, CA. Kollective helps agencies and start-ups design and grow their mobile business, by providing strategy consulting and building great apps. Currently, Sian leads client relations and drives strategy and product development, including ArtKollect, our mobile and web solutions for art professionals.

What motivates you to become successful?

What motivates me to become successful is my core belief that information is power. We are living in an unprecedented time in history.We have access to so much more information that our ancestors did. What we do with it today will determine the tomorrows of generations to come. I am passionate about bridging the ‘digital divide’ and ensuring that our communities aren’t left behind. It is my hope that with with so many black tech entrepreneurs and start-ups with black founders that we can reach back and help those who are less fortunate than we are. It’s great to market apps and products to early adopters but it is critical that we remember our own communities as well.

Website/Blog: http://about.me/will_lucas

Bio

Will Lucas is the founder and CEO of AWLCo that houses web projects such as thankyouaga.in (http://thankyouaga.in), a mobile application that helps users “collect the good”, vinyu (http://vinyu.com), a mobile check-in application that enhances the consumer shopping experience, and Classbag (http://classbag.in), an educational web platform. Lucas founded Creadio (http://creadio.com), a custom Internet streaming service that develops custom radio and television stations for brands to promote their products and services in-house in 2007. It produces custom networks for some of the worlds largest brands.
A musician, innovator, and former radio DJ, Lucas is also curator for TEDxToledo, and a respected speaker on technology, entrepreneurship, and social issues.
He is a husband and father of one.

What motivates you to become successful?

“I want to fulfill my maximum potential. That’s really it. Success is just a byproduct of that. I heard someone say ‘You judge yourself based on what you know you can do, others judge you based on what you’ve done.’ I want to make it matter that I lived.”

It’s that time of the year again, the emails have been sent and the list has been made! February is black history month and for the past two years I’ve posted a series called 28 Days of Diversity.

The History

As someone in the technology/web/social space, I often travel and attend various events in the industry and notice a huge lack of diversity, and when it comes to getting attention from mainstream media/tech blogs it’s almost impossible(in 2010). That’s why I started 28 Days of Diversity on SocialWayne.com in 2010.

The goal of 28 Days of Diversity is to feature someone new everyday for the month of February for just being awesome in their own right. The list will include some leaders in the social web space, startups, bloggers, conference organizers, IT professionals and friends NOT ranked in any particular order. Each post will include a picture, bio, social media profiles provided from the selected individual and this paragraph. It’s my simple way of giving back.

via About 28days of diversity

Since 2012 is a leap year that means it’s 29 Days of Diversity. Like the previous years I’ll cross post the profiles here on SocialWayne.com, the 28daysofdiversity.com, weekly recaps on BlackWeb20.com and this year on google+ along with sharing the post on twitter and facebook. The hashtag for this year is… #29DaysofDiversity

I’m excited about the 29 individuals selected for 2012. Last year I asked each participate “How can we use technology to close the digital divide?” The question for 2012 is “What motivates you to become successful?” I’m looking forward to the responses.

As always, thank you for the support, friendship, following on social networking sites and reading SocialWayne.com. Have a great 2012!

Website/Blog: Navarrowwright.com

Bio

Navarrow Wright is the CTO of Interactive One, Interactive One is a digital and print media company
focusing on the African-American and urban market. As CTO Wright is responsible for the technical strategy
of all the Interactive One online properties which include Hellobeautiful, The UrbanDaily, NewsOne, Elev8
and BlackPlanet. He is also responsible for the technical management of the Radio One Network’s radio
sites.

With more than 18 years experience in the technology and media industry, Wright has established himself as
someone who can conceptualize and develop advanced technology solutions for leading global organizations.
Wright’s unique understanding of the Internet space and ability to marry those technical advances with
consumer demand has placed him as one of the premier technology experts in Internet and media. He prides
himself on showing youth how technology can enable them to achieve their dreams. He speaks to youth
groups up and down the east coast for various organizations and was recently given a commendation from
the city of Newark for his work with events that have a positive impact on young people. He has made it
his mission to be a voice for technology adoption in underserved areas and to ensure that the entrepreneurial
spirit is developed in urban youth. Wright currently blogs about these issues on his site Navarrowwright.com.
His blog posts have been featured on blackweb20.com and the huffingtonpost.com. You can also follow him
on twitter @navarrowwright.

Navarrow Co-founded with Hip Hop Mogul, Russell Simmons to create a social media site catering to
the hip-hop perspective, Global Grind.com. With funding from Accel Partners, the primary investors of
Facebook, “Global Grind’s mission is to be a platform that allowed the urban audience to show its
depth and breadth,” said Navarrow Wright, founder of Global Grind “by allowing its talented and diverse
members a place to find all the content that’s important to them, and giving creative entrepreneurs a place
to monetize their content and showcase it to largest audience possible. This network will be a significant
value to advertisers who are eager to reach this unique audience in a targeted and meaningful way.” Wright
successfully launched the product and raised the series A round of capitol. Wright also launched a vertical ad
network and celebrity blogger network while at Globalgrind.

Before joining Global Grind, Wright was SVP of Technology for Medical Broadcasting Company, a division
of the Internet marketing firm Digitas Inc. Prior to that, he served as CTO of Viacom’s BET Interactive. At
BET.com he created and implemented new technologies growing the Web site 300%, making it the leading
entertainment online destination for African Americans. It was during his tenure at BET that Wright realized
there was a need for a platform to showcase and promote all the creative content that is available on the net,
as well as promote content that is most important to them in a unique way. Which began to shape that idea
that eventually became Globalgrind.com

Navarrow Wright has appeared on Run’s house, Irv Gotti’s show Gotti’s Way NPR’s News and Notes and
the Steve Harvey radio show. He was picked by Network Journal Magazine as of the their “ 40 Under forty”
professionals to watch in 2009 and selected by the Innovation Generation as one of the nation’s top 100
GenerationNEXT and Information Technology leaders. Wright holds a Bachelor of Science degree from
Rider University in Computer Science.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

I have believed for some time now that the key to closing the the digital divide is by working to increase adoption and showing African Americans that there are relevant experiences for them online. I believe many people don’t know the advantages that exist for them in the areas of education, healthcare and career growth online and if we were able to promote those things to this audience that would definitely make a difference. The way I believe to best use technology to achieve this is by utilizing the technology medium that is most prevalent among African Americans, wireless devices. Even though less than 50% of african americans currently have adopted broadband Internet at home, we are extremely active on mobile devices. It has also been proven that when we find experiences that appeal to us we can have significant impact on them like we have had on Twitter. So I believe if we created more products to increase engagement which can also encourage us to want to enjoy those experiences at home. Then we will see the divide begin to narrow.

Website/Blog: www.BlackEnterprise.com

Bio

Marcia is a multimedia content producer focusing on technology at Black Enterprise
Magazine. Before joining BlackEnterprise.com as an interactive reporter in 2008, she
freelanced with Black Enterprise for several years while working as the technical editor
at Prepared Foods magazine. There she further honed her writing skills and became
an authority on food ingredients, including ingredients used in food fortification and
enrichment. Her freelancing helped keep her stay current on issues pertaining to the
financial and business welfare of African Americans.

Marcia has a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture with an emphasis in food science
from the University of Minnesota, and a Master of Science degree in journalism from
Roosevelt University in Chicago. En route to her secondary degree, she served as the
editor-in-chief of the Roosevelt University Torch, a weekly, student-run newspaper.

An avid photographer, Marcia is one of several employees at BLACK ENTERPRISE
who interned for the publishing company as a college student.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

In many ways technology is both the great equalizer and the great divider because with
technology (WiFi, broadband, and a laptop or computer) low income individuals and
racial minorities are not limited by the boundaries of their habitations.

With these tools access to government forms, news, and services is easier; listings for job
openings are more equitably distributed; and it helps (to a small extent) to even out the
playing field for small disadvantaged businesses competing against huge multinational
corporations.

At the same time, even if the National Broadband Plan is successful in connecting
America through high speed internet that alone will not solve the racial inequities of
career advancement in the technology sector, which in my opinion is the real digital
divide. African Americans, Hispanics, and women are disproportionately represented in
the roles of scientist, engineer, developer, patent holder, and chief executive at our most
prominent technology and social media companies. If you don’t believe me, take a look
at this picture.

The solution doesn’t involve technology as much as it involves policy. Yes, of course,
we need more computers, better science labs, and more tech-savvy teachers in urban
schools, but I do not doubt that the number of capable, high achieving, unemployed
African Americans with computer science, engineering, or physics degrees is higher than
it should be. There are too many minorities and women with world-changing ideas and
inventions who can’t get the capital or the connections for startup funding, let alone a job.

In order to close the digital divide we need to crack down on banks who aren’t loaning
to small minority businesses. We have to stop taking the nonchalant attitude that the
banking system can do whatever they want to us and our communities. We need to keep
tabs on our local banks and make sure that some of the $30 billion in the Small Business
Lending Fund is going to innovative, small and disadvantaged businesses. We also need
to wage a campaign to stop the SEC from discrediting micro-lending institutions as that
door has recently been open to help launch many women and minority-owned businesses
globally.

In addition, we need to hold companies like Facebook and Apple accountable by not
only requiring that they have chief diversity officers, supplier diversity programs, and
that they disclose the demographic makeup of their entire workforce, but that they also
achieve racial parity within their technology divisions. And when they give us the excuse
that there aren’t enough talented black and Hispanic scientists or engineers we need to
first reject that notion, and then point them towards our HBCU’s or towards programs at
predominantly white institutions like the University of Maryland Baltimore’s Meyerhoff
Graduate Fellows program. Finally, we should follow-up with our disdain for their lack
of diversity by closing our pocketbooks to their products until they make the changes we
demand.

Furthermore, the money we don’t spend with them should be invested in minority tech
companies or at the very least with companies that respect diversity and inclusion in their
laboratories.

Website/Blog: www.woodsidemediagroup.com

Bio

Amani is the Founder of Woodside Media Group, a Digital PR Firm specializing in Emerging Media and Technology. The company is most active in training people and Fortune 500 organizations on the numerous tools available on the web and within social media. Award winning authors, musicians, restaurants and hotels are a few of the clients that Woodside Media Group continues to support. Amani has also used his expertise to cover many social media topics for Black Web 2.0. Looking ahead, Woodside Media Group will continue to cover emerging media and technology for people and organizations of all demographics with the goal of educating everyone on how to stay ahead of the technology curve.

Amani is also an Area Sales Leader for Marriott International where he is responsible for managing hotel revenue of over $186 million dollars and a team of ten (10) sales executives. Amani has recently been selected to be an exclusive member of a small cadre of people creating an engaging online inter-company social network for the sales discipline within the entire Marriott corporation (300,000+ associates).

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

The two main thoughts that come to mind is access and inspiration. It is our responsibility to seek out opportunities to share our technological wealth with the less fortunate people and communities. This can be done through donating old smartphones, computers, tablet PC’s and other gadgets. Even better is the donation of time and energy. Spending time with two main age groups – the youth (21 years old and younger) and the Baby Boomers are most important in my opinion. Providing time to show the youth of today that working and learning about technology is cool and definitely a legitimate career choice is crucial. Aspiring to be an athlete, actor, or musician is acceptable. However, it is also acceptable to strive to be a video game designer, a Chief Technology Evangelist for a Fortune 100 company or a startup maven. Opening the mind of our youth to different career possibilities and then watching them pursue these options can be exhilarating.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we need to continue to share and develop the technology skills of the baby boomers in minority communities. Their life experience and wisdom combined with newfound technology skills can only help to close the digital divide. Many people truly discover their passion in life during their second or third career choice. I look forward to the day when I discover a minority 60 year old who is a first-time CEO of a startup company.

Therefore, with increased access and exposure to technology, we can inspire people to join the movement to close the digital divide. It is time for us to become entrenched in our less fortunate communities and bring people with us on our technological journey through life.

Website/Blog: pamperrypr.com

Bio

Pam Perry is a PR Coach and Social Media Strategist delivering online branding and marketing solutions for best-selling authors, nonprofits and entrepreneurs. She was voted the Top 100 “Savviest in Social Media” by the StartUp Nation, one of the Top 25 Urban Professionals to Follow on Twitter by BrandMakerNews.com and one of the Top 50 Black Business Women Online by ww.mybbwo.com. She is an internet radio host of several popular shows including the Chocolate Pages where she has interviewed authors such as Kirk Franklin, Rev. Run, Demond Wilson and Yolanda Adams. Pam Perry is also a local Detroit Emmy-award winning TV producer, a columnist with Gospel Today magazine and blogs for MyBlogalious.com, Examiner.com on banding, marketing and public relations 2.0 tactics.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

We must continue to pound the digital pavement with relevant information to the “JOE BLOW person on the street” that the internet in not the future – it is now. And it is a lucrative economy. We must make our appeal and approach to our African American communities fresh, fun and SWAG. Create music videos if we must! We must quit being so “techy” and start showing how technology is really part of our lifestyle and not just for those who work in the computer/internet industry. Real people where they are – and bring them up. And once we do that and really break it down to folks, they’ll come in and add their FLAVOR.

Website/Blog: careersters.com

Bio

Kalimah Priforce discovered his calling to “transform children’s lives” after his 18 year old younger brother was shot and killed right behind their old elementary school in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York. Since then, his life work has been dedicated to the advancement & self-betterment of kids and young adults through innovation in and outside the classroom. At 22, he founded the Thurgood Marshall Club of America, a youth-led venture between the Gallup Organization, the CUNY Institute for Virtual Enterprise, and the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund that focused primarily on student capacity-building through leadership incubator programs at 45 predominantly Black institutions of higher learning with an overall student population of more than 200,000.

Kalimah considers himself a “Hackademic” by seeking to build breakthrough applications that use technology and education to close the achievement, opportunity, and aspiration gap that exists among youth in under-served communities. His latest venture, Careersters, is a web-based Career Matchmaker for Kids launching in 2011. Careersters gives 12-21 year olds a running start in discovering their personal mission and actualizing their dreams using the web beginning with the inspirational stories of professionals sharing “how-to” video walkthroughs of their success. From there, users can create digital portfolios of their work, collect points and merit badges for “checking-in” to unique locations related to their career path, follow a mini-feed on their homepage that provides relevant news tailored to their purpose-filled journey, and explore opportunities to join groups and interact with other users with shared interests. Careersters recently joined the 33needs crowd-funding platform for social enterprises and is currently recruiting new talent to join the Careersters advisory board and management team. Kalimah Priforce was recently selected as a 2011 Echoing Green semi-finalist for his work on bridging the online and offline worlds of young people and connecting them with digital role models providing resources, mentorship, and advice through Careersters.

Kalimah’s adventures as a young minority tech entrepreneur are chronicled in his blog, “Hackademia,” and he remains a lifelong advocate of diversity and opportunities that allow historically marginalized populations to demonstrate their gifts to the world. He recently moved from Brooklyn, New York to Oakland, California to be closer to the technology ecosystem in Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

It takes a digital village to raise the 21st century child. Closing the technology gap begins with our most promising upstarts – today’s at-risk youth. I tell kids all the time that “poverty” can be a gift, not a curse, and that it all depends on how they perceive what their role in this big universe of ours is. I believe “at-risk” kids can become “positive risk-takers”, but their creative minds require training and platforms that allow them to demonstrate their untapped potential to others. My work involves using technology to engage the imagination of young people by exposing them to terrific industry insiders showing them the ropes. We close the digital divide by dismantling the mental blocks of what minority youth believe to be impossible.

The problem is that there are critics who believe that everything that can be done for marginalized populations – has been done. They use terms like “hand-outs” to label any pipeline that provides resources to them. I grew up in a group home in Brooklyn, so I’ve seen just about every well-funded bad idea to “save youth” you can imagine. The best ideas that I’ve seen that “worked” were the ones that involved a lot of self-guidance, strong mentorship, exposure to new learning environments, and opportunities for them to present and demonstrate their work through a competition or fair. Initiatives like these are being consistently cut from school funding.

Closing the digital divide starts with youth and culminates in the development of leaders within the technology sector. Andrew Carnegie backed Booker T. Washington in the formation of the Tuskegee Institute, just as Eleanor Roosevelt supported the wonderful work of Mary McLeod Bethune. We need more cross-sector partnership and angel investors willing to push innovators from backgrounds that are under-represented in the technology sector. When you build up the RIGHT leaders, they’ll take care of the rest. I think in America we’ve become as anti-leadership as we’ve become anti-intellectual. If we are going to compete with emerging economies and economic superpowers we need to be much more inclusive than we’ve been in the last two decades, and that means empowering those with limited access and knowledge to technology tools.

My recommendations are that there we (1) establish minority-led startup incubators, (2) encourage major tech companies to build recruiting networks at universities that predominately serve women and minorities, (3) support social clubs like the National Society of Black Engineers and business skills-building initiatives that target urban youth like BUILD or Citizen Schools, (4) develop early-intervention internship programs for middle school youth that exposes them to under-represented fields in sciences and technology, and (5) continue to support STEM programs and to honor and recognize investors and philanthropists with an interest in supporting diversity in tech.

Website/Blog: tiffanybbrown.com/

Bio

Tiffany is a Web Opener with Opera Software where she works to ensure an open, standards-compliant web. Prior to joining Opera, she worked for six years as a web developer with Georgia Tech and Armchair Media in Atlanta, Georgia, and with a small cadre of freelance clients. Tiffany received her B.A. from American University in Washington, D.C. She lives in Los Angeles.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

I think that’s the wrong question. The digital divide isn’t
really a technical problem. It’s a cultural, political, and economic
problem.

If our entire country had affordable broadband access tomorrow, that
doesn’t mean we’d suddenly have millions more game developers. We’d
have more people watching HD YouTube videos. This is much more about
our priorities as a culture and nation.

I think the right question is “How do we eliminate the cultural,
political, and economic barriers to building a media literate,
technically competent, technically creative public?”

Politically, let’s be pro-active about getting programming and
computer engineering classes in our schools. Start a community program
to teach adults digital media literacy or web development. Demand more
access to computing resources in schools and libraries. One hour of
internet surfing time on a locked down computer isn’t going to make
you a software engineer.

Culturally, we need to prioritize creative tech purchases over
consumption-optimized ones: buy a computer instead of an Xbox. Or if
you do buy an Xbox, discuss video game story development with your
kids. Encourage them to think up their own game concepts. How about
you and your child both learn how to href="http://openkinect.org/">hack a Kinect? Learn how to build a
computer then install Ubuntu, a
free operating system.

Now, I do think technology and technologists can help solve the
economic angle of the digital divide. For us, the follow-up question
is “How do the design and implementation decisions I make reinforce or
reduce these cultural, economic, and political barriers?”

For example, is your employment application process is entirely
online? That sets an expectation of technical literacy even for
low-skilled jobs. And it’s potentially discriminatory against poor
people and older workers. So what if you provided an SMS-based or
interactive voice response service? Almost everyone has a phone, even
if it’s a land line. What about a paper-and-OCR or tablet-and-stylus
solution? Applicants can still write their responses, but it’s then
digitally stored?

Do you design hardware that can be upgraded by its owner? Gadgets are
expensive. Not everyone can afford the newest and greatest computers
and phones. But they may be able to afford more RAM or a new
motherboard. Do you design software that can run on a less-expensive,
lower-powered CPU so that your users don’t have to buy new hardware to
use your software? Does your service run well on a mobile phone or
small screened laptop? Do you follow long-established accessibility
principles? Does your web application compensate for high network
latency or instability?

Substantive change will require sustained public pressure on
government and industry. But in the meantime, we can take action in
our own communities to educate, inform, and empower. And we can take
action in our business lives to ensure that we are not a part of the
problem.

Website/Blog: www.iluvblackwomen.com

Bio

L Martin Johnson Pratt has created marketing solutions to reach the African American Demographic through different forms of media such as: radio, print, tv, mobile, and social media.

Mr. Pratt has focused his attention to social media marketing for media outlets, book authors and small businesses. Mr. Pratt has several large clients such as: TheSIAC.com, WHCR 90.3FM, and Rollingout Magazine.

Mr. Pratt also writes for Rolling Out Magazine. Rolling Out Magazine does 1.2Million papers per week in 25 cities. Mr. Pratt was recently ranked #16 of Top 50 African Americans Technology Tastemakers in USA by HP and BlackWeb20.com Mr. Pratt also established the ILUVBLACKWOMEN Brand in 2008 which has grown into an online social media movement with over 16,000 followers on twitter and 4,000 on Facebook. Mr Pratt has worked full-time for 22yrs in Technology. Mr. Pratt serves on the Board of Directors for The Hurston/Wright Foundation – the nation’s resource center for writers, readers, and supporters of Black literature. Mr. Pratt is also a regular guest on “The New School” on SiriusXM Radio Channels 110, 130 and 169. Mr. Pratt is also the Editor at Large for Live News section for BlackBirdHome – http://www.blackbird.com/alpha the only web browser designed by and for African Americans which runs on MAC or PC can be downloaded at: http://www.blackbird.com/.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

In order to answer that question i would first like to discuss the evolution of the phrase over the years the The Digital Divide has evolved as a definition. The Digital Divide in the 90s was defined by then Vice President Al Gore and Darien Dash former CEO of People of Color Inc was White House cheerleader for changing the have vs have nots or those who had a computer and those who didnt have a computer. Then in the mid 2000s the Pew Institute via their website www.pewinternet.org defined it as those who have broadband internet access and those who do not. In my opinion the Digital Divide was and has always been about those who have the access to knowledge and tools to create.vs those who do not. Never before in technology hisstory has the barriers to access to knowledge and tools to create been lower! Take for example creating Iphone Apps the digital divide for creation used to be the Cost/Access to instruction. But today there is either very low cost or no cost / just the $99 to be an Apple Developer.
Google has uploaded the necessary instructions to program in Andriod OS. for free. Once again the Digital Divide to learning how to develop or create in one of the top programming languages in the world is free. What is needed to benefit from the newly broken barriers is: We need our programming community to be willing to mentor and give back as a Knowledgebase. And this i believe can be the model or template used to fully erdicate the digital divide today and in the future.

Website/Blog: http://DeniseJacobs.com / CssDetectiveGuide.com

Bio

Denise R. Jacobs is a web industry veteran with over 13 years of experience, ranging from software localization project management, enterprise website implementation, and web design/development technical training. Currently, she is finally doing what she likes best: being an Author, Speaker & Educator, Web Designer, and Consultant. Denise wrote The CSS Detective Guide and is a contributing author to Interact with Web Standards: A holistic approach to Web Design. In addition to writing about the web, Denise presents at various conferences worldwide, develops curricula for the Web Standards Project Education Task Force (WaSP InterAct), and is a member of the Social Media Club South Florida organizing committee. Denise was nominated for .Net Magazine’s 2010 Best of the Web “Standards Champion” award. Through consulting on web strategies and solutions, Denise helps individuals and businesses transform their web presence by increasing their knowledge of current web technologies.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

The first place to start is with creating a major shift in perspective. Many don’t even see the need, much less the value of bridging the digital divide, be it on a local scale or a global scale. Before we can think critically about how to use technology to close the digital divide, there needs to be a process of raising awareness about the importance of and issues around the digital divide, an assessment of what are and to how to best serve the needs of those on the other side of the digital divide, and then how to best deliver solutions to those who need them the most. Once the needs of the audience in question are assessed, then the appropriate technologies of both delivery and devices can be chosen and implemented. Creating or increasing access to the devices and delivering technologies is the next step once this is accomplished.

Website/Blog: http://balanon.com

Bio

Henry Balanon create iPhone and iPad apps for his company Bickbot (http://bickbot.com). Most recently, they’ve completed an app for Stryker (http://stryker.com), a Fortune-500 medical technology company.

He is a national speaker on mobile technologies (mostly iPhone/iPad). Most recently TEDx, #140conf, and 360iDev. Every so often he’ll show up in some newspapers like the Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, and the New York Times.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

I think the a big challenge with the digital divide is education on digital technologies. Digital technology is still tough to understand for people who aren’t exposed to it on a regular basis.

The traditional approach is to offer more training to those who need it but the real issue is a technology’s user interface and user experience.

Most people don’t seek out education on technology.

If people don’t know how to use something, they’ll resist using it.

If people hate using something, they’ll stop using it.

A few weeks ago, I saw an 18-month old find her favorite game on her mom’s iPad, and she knew exactly how to interact with it. I’ve heard similar stories about elderly and non-tech people becoming digital citizens when they received their iPads or iPhones.

We’re seeing all sorts of demographics enter the digital ages because people can use these tablets and smartphones with little or no effort to learn how to use it.

We will see the digital divide close very fast as we see more technology user experience improvements and user interaction improvements.

Website/Blog: http://MamalawMediaGroup.com

Bio

MamaLaw Media Group (MMG) is  the parent company of the Blogalicious Weekend Conferences, The b-Link Marketing Network, My Blogalicious.com and Mamalaw, the blog.  MMG’s mission is to raise the profile of women of color online, all while networking, building relationships, and promoting inspiration and success for the multicultural blogging community.  MMG was founded by Nadia Jones, Nyasha Smith, and Stacey Ferguson, otherwise known as Justice Jonesie, Justice Ny, and Justice Fergie.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

We can use accessible technology, such as mobile devices, to expose our community to the possibilities of the Internet and other high-tech services. In addition, we can push for the integration of technology based learning tools in our schools.

Through our yearly Blogalicious Weekend conferences, as well as our series of monthly webinars called “Blogalicious Bytes: Lessons in Social Media,” we aim to educate, inform and inspire our community about the wealth of resources that social media presents and how the multicultural community can benefit.

Website/Blog: http://www.marveloper.com

Bio

I am a son of God and a follower of His Son. I have 2 children and I have been married to my lovely wife since 2002. For the last couple of years I have been working at Dell as an Inside Sales Rep. I was promoted to the Social Media Marketing Department for the K-12 arena. My passion of technology helped me at my job at Dell. This is a love my father has put into my heart when he brought home a Tandy TRS-80… yes I am that old.

My other love is gaming. I began working with the group Studio IL (http;//www.studioil.com) around January 2009. We have managed to put out two iPhone games at the time of this writing. Along with Studio IL, I have done work for several other companies such as GarageGames and a lot of work for several different local Austin,TX gaming companies. I was able to work for InstantAction for a few month before the company closed its doors in November 2010. I have been in the gaming scene for quite sometime and I owe a great deal of my gaming success to Jay Moore (linkedin). Even more so he has help me develop professionally overall.
The latest update to this ever changing bio is that I am now working for myself. Building the company that I have always wanted to work for and do the things I love doing. I am now fully immerse in the Video Game industry and could not be happier. I think my journey on this section of my life is just now starting and should be a good show to watch and you can you watch it unfold here www.marveloper.com

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

I think the best way to close the gap would be to continue efforts like OLPC (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Laptop_per_Child). I find it funny how we no longer hear about the project itself or anything else like it. In the states we have the ‘smart classroom’ or ‘connected classroom’ we need to focus on research that would allow us to create a connected classroom in a third world country for a similar cost structure as the OLPC project. Another focus we could look into is education. In our own country as well as the rest of the world, children are not being taught the needed skills to function in a connected world.

We also need to realize that the digital divide is a multi-faceted challenge and there isn’t necessarily a “one size fits all” solution. Economics and infrastructure are key barriers but social, cultural and political factors come into play as well. So the digital divide has different implications in each community. We could use technology as a tool to explore this issue and share ideas. We need to leverage digital media and social media to tap into the insights, knowledge and experiences of people from a wide variety of backgrounds including: arts, education, entertainment, marketing, science, anthropology, sociology and, of course, technology. If we leverage technology to communicate about this challenge, crowdsource ideas, and collaborate on solutions, we can take a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to better understanding the digital divide and closing the gap.

Website/Blog: http://digitalaftershock.com

Bio

Lauren Thomas is a digital marketing strategist with a passion for connecting with people through social media, storytelling, and travel.

She launched her marketing career at Grey and then went on to work at Everywhere, an Atlanta-based firm specializing in social media strategy and content development. Lauren was a member of the Everywhere team when it secured a nod in the Guinness World Records for #BeatCancer, a pro bono campaign that raised $70,000 for charity in 24 hours. She is currently a digital strategy analyst at Nurun, a global interactive marketing agency.

Lauren also speaks about new media and social media marketing and has spoken at events including the Atlanta Food Blog Forum. During the inaugural Social Media Atlanta, she served as the co-host of #DigitiniATL, a special event that celebrated the diversity of women in social media.

A recovering English major, she writes about online marketing for Examiner.com and explores the wild Web on her blog, Digital Aftershock. She is currently developing a project that will help new media newbies learn to navigate the social web.

Lauren has lived in five different countries including Ecuador and Egypt. She uses social media to remain connected with friends and followers around the world.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

In many ways socioeconomic inequalities are recreated and perpetuated online. That cycle contributes to the digital divide. Around the world, there are communities that lack access to technology tools and education. Those who don’t understand or have access to these tools are at a serious disadvantage. So how can we address this challenge? 

We can look for—and create—opportunities to provide greater access to technology tools and education. We can raise money to get technology into the hands of more people in more communities. We can also support organizations that are addressing this challenge. For example, the City of Seattle has a Community Technology Program that has a mission to “ensure digital inclusion for all.” The program provides public access terminals, supports community technology centers, offers educational resources, and provides other digital equality initiatives. There are also non-profit organizations like Computers For Youth that provide children with free computers in order to improve the learning experience at home. We can share our time and talents to support these organizations or launch new initiatives to serve our communities.

We also need to realize that the digital divide is a multi-faceted challenge and there isn’t necessarily a “one size fits all” solution. Economics and infrastructure are key barriers but social, cultural and political factors come into play as well. So the digital divide has different implications in each community. We could use technology as a tool to explore this issue and share ideas. We need to leverage digital media and social media to tap into the insights, knowledge and experiences of people from a wide variety of backgrounds including: arts, education, entertainment, marketing, science, anthropology, sociology and, of course, technology. If we leverage technology to communicate about this challenge, crowdsource ideas, and collaborate on solutions, we can take a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to better understanding the digital divide and closing the gap.

Website/Blog: http://BrentLeary.com

Bio

Brent Leary is a crm industry analyst, advisor, author, speaker and award winning blogger. He is co-founder and Partner of CRM Essentials LLC, an Atlanta based CRM advisory firm covering tools and strategies for improving business relationships. In 2009 he co-authored Barack 2.0: Social Media Lessons for Small Business.

Recognized by InsideCRM as one of the 25 most influential industry leaders, Leary also is a past recipient of CRM Magazine’s Most Influential Leader Award. He serves on the national board of the CRM Association, on the advisory board of the University of Toronto’s CRM Center of Excellence, and on the editorial advisory board for The Atlanta Tribune. Leary writes a regular online column for Inc. magazine, and serves as Blogger-in-Residence for TheSocialCustomer.com. He blogs at BrentLeary.com, and can be found on Twitter at http://twitter.com/BrentLeary.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

The latest social tools and mobile technologies have dramatically lowered the cost and complexities of business creation. And because certain barriers have been lowered, more people are exploring ways to start a business – which means more people will be competing for the hearts, minds, and dollars of today’s socially-empowered customers.

Technology is evolving at an accelerated pace, which means we need to be vigilant in perpetually understanding how we can best take advantage of it. The Digital Divide can quickly shrink if we permanently embed technology into our business and personal lives. But it can expand at the speed of light today, if we turn our head for just a moment. Knowing what’s available to us today may not help us be as competitive as we need to be tomorrow. So it’s imperative to continually be up to date with how technology is changing, and how those changes impact business models, as well as customer relationships. We should also be ready, willing and able to drive those changes wherever possible.

Anil Chawla

Twitter: @anilchawla

Website/Blog: http://anilchawla.org

Bio

Anil Chawla is a software developer, aspiring entrepreneur, and the founder of ExactByte, LLC. Anil started programming at age twelve and has been in love with computers and technology ever since. Until recently, Anil was a software engineer in the Emerging Internet Technologies team at IBM. After nearly six-and-a-half years in the corporate world, he decided to pursue his passion and start his own software development company. Anil’s current projects include social media applications tweetymail (http://tweetymail.com) and TheFriendMail (http://thefriendmail.com) which provide comprehensive email integration with Twitter and Facebook. When he is (rarely) not writing in code, Anil blogs about the impact of technology at http://marriedtoageek.com and his personal entrepreneurial journey at http://anilchawla.org.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

The digital divide is a strange phenomenon because technology is both at the heart of the problem and the solution. Two of the central issues seem to be 1) Affordable access to technology, and 2) Enough knowledge and understanding to effectively utilize technology. Although there is still tremendous economic disparity, I find the first issue to be much more straightforward. After all, one of the greatest strengths of technology is it’s ability to lower costs. The One Laptop per Child (http://laptop.org) program is a great example of how technology is coming increasing closer to overcoming some of the economic barriers.

So how can we better spread knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of technology to close the divide? The Internet has evolved from simply “connecting people to information” to “connecting people to each other”. I believe that this is the key. The ability to interact and share with each other gives us the opportunity to learn from and inspire each other. As the economics of technology continue to fall into place (particularly in terms of mobile devices), I believe that we will see communities grow to stretch across the divide and gradually bring people together towards a more equal standard.

Varsha Chawla

Twitter: @VarshaChawla

Website/Blog: http://varshachawla.com/

Bio

Varsha works as a Product Manager at SAS in Cary, NC. She currently oversees email and mobile marketing, Business Intelligence, and mobile BI products. In addition to attending key marketing and social media events and conferences, she has been involved with local tweetups, the local chapter of the Social Media Club, and un-conferences such as BarCamp, ProductCamp, and AnalyticsCamps for the last few years. She recently participated in the STEM project, which encourages younger students to become involved in science, technology, engineering, and math. (Link to SAS’ STEM video). Varsha just presented her first workshop on using social media as a tool in the job hunting process, together with Anil, at the Meredith School of Business. In her spare time, she also writes blog posts internally at SAS, on http://marriedtoageek.com/ and on her personal cooking and recipe blog, http://varshachawla.com/. She is looking for a partner to help her launch the Raleigh-Durham chapter of Girls in Tech, so please reach out to her if you are interested in helping out!

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

Answer: Many people are betting on mobile (specifically, smartphones and tablets) to provide easy access to the Web to those who still don’t have the opportunity to get online. I think that mobile will definitely be part of the answer, especially in areas where mobile has traditionally been spreading rapidly, such as Asia Pacific. I also think that closing the gap needs to start in schools. Of course, the lack of funding prevents many schools from purchasing computers and getting access to the technology they need to educate children. However, just as kids sell Girl Scout cookies and wash cars to get the funds they need to participate in extra curricular activities, they should be raising funds to start technology clubs and get hands-on technical training outside of the classroom that will serve them well in years to come. This means that school principals need to be made aware of the benefits and need for technical education. It also means that key influencers, such as successful tech entrepreneurs and executives at high tech companies might have to spend some time educating our teachers and local leaders – those who can make a difference. An excellent example of an initiative that I fully support and believe in is STEM. I think the gender gap will continue to close over time and am less worried about this than I am about children getting a leg up in the digital world. If minorities continue to show what they’re capable of, hopefully it will encourage more of us to try to make a difference.

Website/Blog: growyourventure.wordpress.com

Bio

Kurt Merriweather is Director, Digital Media Business Development and Strategy, Discovery Communications, Inc. (DCI). Merriweather oversees strategy and business development for Discovery’s web properties and mobile businesses. Merriweather developed business plans to successfully launch Discovery News and TLC Cooking web properties. He also led digital media team participation in the acquisition of HowStuffWorks, the largest digital media transaction in Company history. Merriweather is current leading Discovery’s social TV initiatives

Before joining Discovery in January 2007, Merriweather was Business Director for AOL Music Now and was responsible for AOL’s premium music business operations. Merriweather joined AOL in 2004 to lead product management for AOL’s anti-virus services. Merriweather joined AOL Digital Services in 2005 and was instrumental in defining AOL’s video search strategy. Merriweather has held a variety of product marketing positions at Silicon Graphics, Digital Island and Cable &Wireless.
Merriweather received his MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from The Ohio State University.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

The digital divide has historically been driven by lack of access to high-speed broadband connections in the home. That gap has begun to close for people of color. A breakthrough is on the horizon as people of color lead the way in mobile usage. In fact, Latinos and African-Americans lead the general population in the use of mobile internet and mobile applications (http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Mobile-Access-2010/Part-2.aspx). Edison Research reports that African-Americans drive 25% of all US Twitter usage while making up 12% of the US population. Furthermore, Latinos overindex at nearly the same rate with Latinos driving 17% of Twitter usage while making up 10% of the population. These numbers are shocking to most people when they hear them. People of color are indeed trailblazers in the consumption of media on emerging digital platforms.

However, a divide still exists as we have not yet moved to be creators of content at scale. We need more Tyler Perrys and Oprah Winfreys. The 2010 Census shows that growth in younger age groups is multiracial and multiethnic. This means that stories must be told from new points of view in order to resonate with tomorrow’s audiences. People of color must master the technology to create and distribute content in addition to consuming it. This will guarantee that stories yet to be told will be authentic, showcasing the rich experiences of a diverse people for all to see.

Website/Blog: sociia.com

Bio

Every time someone calls L. Danielle Baldwin a geek she smiles. That is because to Danielle, being called a geek is a compliment. Danielle Baldwin is a graphic designer, code-crazy developer and social media Maven who works with small businesses, non-profits and individuals to create a well developed social media presence online.

Danielle Baldwin is also an insomniac. How else would she be able to juggle a full time job as Web Manager for University Relations at UNC Greensboro, and full time duties as founder and lead designer/developer of her company Sociia Internet Communications? Danielle is also involved in social media at UNCG as a part of a solid social media team that covers all things social media for the university including tweeting for the university under the ID @UNCG. She also finds time to tweet for over 8 other individuals and companies weekly. All this while she also enjoys a full schedule of conferences, social media related activities and creating her own line of jewelry. Danielle is a “Jane of all trades” and uses her knowledge of all things social and the Internet to provide well rounded solutions for her clients.

Danielle’s most important goal is finding new and unique ways to excite young girls and women about technology, social media and all things Internet related. One of the tools she uses to connect to young women is WordPress, a free and open source blogging platform that is more than meets the eye. Danielle is passionate about spreading the news about WordPress and how non-profits and small businesses can use it to help increase awareness about specific causes, products and services.

In 2011 alone, Danielle has 2 books, 2 conferences, and a host of other workshops specifically targeted towards women and girls interested and involved in technology and science in the works. You can also find Danielle online talking about WordPress weekly with members of Web Services at NCCU’s podcast about all things tech called Room 3026 via BlogTalkRadio.com

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

So many products and services dealing with technology today focus on early adopters and the have and have nots, meaning you either have the latest and greatest or you fall in with the have nots. Many times, this focus on the HAVE’s is also a focus on those that can AFFORD to be the first one in the office with the latest phone or the first one on the block with the latest gaming system. Those that cannot afford the latest in technology are often left out or left behind until that technology becomes cheaper, which also means older. This older technology often finds its way into our classrooms and learning centers or bypasses these places of learning altogether and goes straight into the landfill. Instead of our children having the latest in technology to help them learn and compete with children in other countries, our education system is filled with computers that are at best 5-8 years old, defeating the purpose of having technology in the schools at all.

If we really want to do something significant about bridging the digital divide between our country and other countries, specifically in the subjects of math, science and computers; we must start filling our schools with the latest in technology, staffing our schools with those that can teach our children how to use and benefit from this technology and we must do it often and early. We can do this in a number of ways, including:

• teaching students how to develop websites and applications that can better their lives and the lives of others,
• remembering that technology is for everyone by bringing newer and improved technologies into inner cities and urban centers so that we can reach children from socioeconomically diverse backgrounds,
• showing students how to use computers to do research for classroom projects to broaden the learning process,
• getting more young girls excited about and involved in math, science and technology, the building blocks for becoming the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates or just a great coding geek like some of the women I know of and follow.

We always say that the children are our future but when was the last time we actually put technology where our mouths were? When was the last time we invested in our futures by investing in technology to ensure they would have a future brighter than our own?

I challenge every woman out there interested in technology to find one girl and get her excited about learning how to blog or how to develop a website in CSS, HTML and PHP. I challenge every man out there interested in technology to do the same for a young man they know. Start with one, impact a few.

Website/Blog: www.socialtalklive.com

Bio

Serial Entreprenuer, and Business Strategist. Elijah has been involved in the startup of 18 businesses, and teaches entrepreneurship to teens and adults through his company Young University. Elijah is currently the Co-Founder of Social Talk Live, a social training company giving clear direction to brand on how to not only strategize, but implement their social campaigns online.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

I’m already seeing entrepreneurs decreasing the digital divide in two ways. First, by creating low cost mobile carriers, lower income families are getting the benefit of broadband mobile internet as an affordable price. Second, these carriers are starting to release smartphones on their networks, so now the vehicle for mobile browsing is beginning to spread through communities that haven’t had access.

The digital divide is closing quickly through innovation and competition within the mobile markets especially. Countries have chosen to completely skip the ‘laptop’ age that the US has gone through and utilize mobile to bring their countries up to speed in much less time than it would have taken if they had followed the US’s lead with the laptop age.

Website/Blog: christiecrowder.com

Bio

I used my real world experiences to cultivate a life I love. I ditched corporate America and my own successful project management firm to become a full time author/blogger, certified life coach, and now, certified social media consultant. Through writing and coaching, I help others discover their true passions and entrepreneurial spirit. The success of my coaching, blogs, online shows, and my passion for social media has caught the eye of big brands and I create digital marketing programs where women are the primary target market.
My first published book, “Your Big Sister’s Guide to Surviving College” debuted the Spring of 2007 and “A Book Is Born” (co-authored) was released in the Fall of that same year. I contribute to other online and print publications and I hope to publish my two fiction novels in 2011.

Like my many manuscripts, my life is a work in progress. I’m always looking for the latest, the greatest, and technologically advanced sanity savers that will help me be a better, healthier, and funnier woman… and (by extension) mom. The creative, clever, candid, and always heavily caffeinated contents of my imperfectly inspired life are spewed across my blog and live-streamed internet shows in a hodge-podge of misfit-mommy wisdom, ah-ha moments, soapbox chatter, and reviews of the coolest things I find that make my inner supermom, my inner “Solid Gold Dancer”, and my inner geek go ga-ga (not necessarily in that order). My methods are unfounded, if not unconventional, yet somehow I manage to enlighten people…or at least entertain them which works just as well. My overall mission is to put smiles on faces and if you’re not smiling right now, well, you haven’t had enough coffee!

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

Having a child in elementary school as well as being in a family where my mother, father, and sister are “educators” I have seen various “potholes” in the system where technology is concerned. From lack of funds, equipment, and time; to (believe it or not) lack of interest on multiple levels…parents, teachers, and administration…makes the term “digital divide” somewhat of an understatement from my perspective. I’ve seen schools where the community is craving technology education but the schools cannot afford it and I’ve also seen schools that have unprecedented technological resources that are collecting dust because of insufficient instructional time or just flat out refusal to use it.

I would like to see those with the interest and the resources (not necessarily financial) to come up with a “creative task force” to bring affordable technology education programs to schools. These programs would not only be for children. I believe that there should be systems in place to educate teachers and parents so that acceptance and learning can continue inside and outside the classroom.

The other “divide” I’d like to see bridged is within our own digital community. Too many times I have attended high-profile technology and blogging/social media conferences where the attendance as well as the panelists/speakers lacked diversity. It’s time that we realize that technology is not just a “man’s world” and it is very multi-cultural.

Website/Blog: influential1s.com

Bio

Mike Street is the Senior Digital Strategist for Syndicate Media Group. He has a passion for emerging media, technology & social innovation. Having spent 10 years in the digital space, Mike Street has worked with top tier brands such as Time Magazine, Rémy Martin, Oscar de la Renta, Lexus, Turner Broadcasting, and BET Networks. Prior to joining Syndicate Media Group, he served as the Director of Social Media Marketing for a boutique marketing agency which serviced clients such as Paul Stuart, Basil Hayden’s, and Courvoisier.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

Information is the gateway to success. The more we have access to information the more we can shape our futures for success. We have made great strides in closing the digital divide but we still have long roads ahead of us before we erase this divide forever. What we must focus on now is empowering communities of color to enter the tech space fully and become web enterprises. This is the next step in closing the digital divide and will will take all of us working closely together to help over come difficulties and to help fund the next Facebook, Twitter, or FourSquare.

Website/Blog: Kiratianatravels.com

Bio

The digital journey of Kiratiana Freelon has been a circuitous, but fruitful one. She became a blogger in 2005 when started writing Black Girl in Paris. The blog became a favorite read for women around the world who wanted to fulfill a dream and live in Paris.

When she returned to her hometown of Chicago in 2006 she sought a job that would allow her inspire people and travel around the world. She felt compelled to divorce herself from digital media for the sake of corporate America and let her blog, and facebook profile go dormant. She soon snagged a great gig working to bring the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games to Chicago. She worked there for from 2006 to 2009 promoting the Olympic movement among Chicago’s youth through marketing and educational programs.

During this time, social media exploded and the Chicago Olympic bid started using social media as a promotion tool. Kiratiana soon returned to her blogging and digital roots and started a corporate blog, opened a twitter account (@kiratiana) and diligently used the Chicago2016.org website, twitter, youtube, facebook and flickr accounts to capture the bid’s every move. Unfortunately, 95,000 facebook fans, 345 Youtube Videos, thousands of flickr photos and 1200 twitter followers could not convince the International Olympic Committee to bring the Olympic Games to the United States.

With idle time on her hands after the bid’s end, she dove further into the “social” part of digital media. She started, yet another blog, http://kiratianatravels.com, attended multiple digital conferences (Travel Blog Exchange, SXSW 10, Blogging While Brown, Blogher, Social Development Camp Chicago…). She even snagged a job in the field.

She now works as the editor and web content manager for BlackAtlas.com, a multicultural social media travel website sponsored by American Airlines. As the editor and web content manager she creates and implements strategy to increase registered users and traffic, optimize the brand’s social media, and to manage community on the site.

As an entrepreneur herself, she was prompted to pitch the “100% Viable, 1%Visible, Minority New Media Entrepreneurship,” by an article she saw on Black Web 2.0 and the lack of diversity she sees in digital entrepreneurship. She plans to use her 12 minutes in the Future15 series to address this issue and inspire minorities to jump into the digital jungle.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

Will the black technology entrepreneurs please stand up? The reason I pitched my SXSW panel, “100% Viable, 1% Visible, Minority New Media Entrepreneurship” is because I wanted to address this issue of few visible black technology entrepreneurs. Yes, we are out there, but do young black people know them?

I will tell you a secret. Before I started working full time with technology, I didn’t think I could be a technology entrepreneur. Now I realize that all it takes is an idea, a developer and designer. Do young black kids know this when they are downloading ringtones, when they are facebooking with friends, when they are sending text messages? Unfortunately they do not.

So if I, a person who went to Harvard, couldn’t even perceive of myself creating a technology company, then what do you think a poor kid in the hood thinks (excuse my language). Somehow I feel part of my destiny is to change that. We have to make minority entrepreneurs 100%VISIBLE so this won’t happen anymore.

And when young minorities start to take over their own destiny through technology entrepreneurship, the digital divide will disappear.

Website/Blog: saltriverstudio.com

Bio

Born in Jamaica, Robert has lived in Los Angeles, New York City, Atlanta, Miami and now Austin. Robert has worked at large and small interactive agencies such as razorfish and CREATETHEGROUP. Prior to entering the agency world, Robert owned a boutique agency in Miami’s South Beach servicing the entertainment and tourism industries. Murray has worked on international brands such as Amway, Armani, Burt’s Bees, Fendi, Royal Caribbean and Taco Bell. He has also worked on projects for the “World’s Fastest Man” Usain Bolt, Ultra Music Festival and the Official DJ of the Miami Heat, DJ Irie.

Recently, Robert shifted his attention to iOS development. Along with that, he is slowly shifting his focus from client applications to his involvement in startups such as http://www.passthenotes.com. Since moving to Austin in December of 2010, Robert has been working on two exciting startup projects that are slated to be released in Q1 of 2011.

Robert is the proud father of a 6 year old son.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

The biggest bridge that needs to be built to overcome the digital divide would be overcoming the access to technology. We have to work together to get technology in the hands of as many people as possible. Having a plan to connect rural areas, as well as making sure that underserved urban areas are well connected to the Internet is essential. In many parts of the world, cellular technology is being used to connect rural areas to the grid. We should work towards following Finland’s lead in making high-speed Internet in the home a right of the people.

As far as race and gender are concerned, we should work harder as a society to make sure that our children do well in math and sciences. Only through this will we lead have more diversity in technology fields. And only through having a diverse group at the table can we find better technological solutions that serve everyone more efficiently. This will, in turn, generate a cycle of involvement and interest in technology. I believe this process has already begun. As this interest continues to spread, we will see a more defined impact in the coming years.

Website/Blog: jaelssocialmedialife.com

Bio

I am a FT working mom raising four children ages range from teen to toddler. I started a small graphic and web design business in June 09’ and life’s been a hectic balancing act ever since. I work FT as Marketing Coordinator for an alternative weekly newspaper and I also handle duties within the Web Department.
I started blogging back in June 09’ to document my journey and follow my dream of becoming a mom entrepreneur and offer business resources to readers which quickly turned into a more personal blog followed by lots of social networking, social media marketing, serving as brand ambassador for many notable brands and building great relationships in the blogosphere. I’m really down to earth, drama free and a social butterfly by nature!

So with daily chaos, 4 children, FT Job, Small Business, Social Networking, Networking in my local community, and a partridge in a pear tree! Life is hectic! Honestly without chaos I’m not that productive. So, I guess I wouldn’t have it any other way! If I can manage to sleep in on Saturday mornings and sneak in some “ME” time on the weekend that’s bliss! Welcome to my world…

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

I think whether you are a child or an adult we (as a community) need to help gain the necessary resources and offer more courses to help people who aren’t familiar with using computers or software and at minimum teach them to use the internet and research information as well as help them set up an email address and show them how to use and manage their email account. We need to make sure computers are accessible, we need to help educate, and offer affordable or free software to people who aren’t fortunate enough to have these resources conveniently in front of them whether it be in low income communities, schools etc.

Website/Blog: youtube.com/soldierknowsbest/

Bio

I’m currently serving in the Army Reserves and I’m a Full-Time YouTuber with 40 million views for my videos covering the vast sectors on tech by providing reviews and demos and hosting a weekly Web show answering questions from hundreds of viewers. Basically, I’m a Geek living his dream.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

We need to get the simplest form of digital communication, whether it be email or Twitter, in the hands of those less fortunate so that they can have their voices heard throughout the world on a public stage. By blending how we communicate over the Internet, we all can feel each others joy as well as pain.

Website/Blog: TechTruffles.com/

Bio

Sherri L. Smith is a veteran journalist, blogger, and online community manager who has written for and supervised online communities for Fast Company, IncBizNet, PopGadget, ZiggyTek and Blackplanet.com. During her career she has interviewed Mary J. Blige, John Legend, Ne-Yo and Diddy.

Currently, she is the managing editor for Black Web 2.0 where she covers gadgets, gaming, social networking and web trends. She also provides content for BET.com. An avid supporter of social media. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin – you name it, she’s probably there.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

We can best close the digital by starting in the schools, ensuring that every child has access to a computer with high-speed Internet. By providing access in schools, students learn that computers are more than just another entertainment option, they’re a way to discover and interact with the world in ways that previously would have been impossible. However, we can not place the weight solely on schools. The community must come together to create programs that grants computer access to the community at large, further increasing the sphere of influence and education.

When I was in elementary school, my first exposure to tech began with a Commodore 64. I also had the benefit of a community program for grades 4-8 where engineers and people in IT industry would volunteer 2-3 hours of their Saturday mornings to teach kids how to really use the computer. From word processing to researching the capitol of Zaire to basic lessons in Auto-CAD, we were shown the tools that would potentially change our lives. During high school I spent a year at a charter school, with a technology-focused curriculum including desktop publishing, auto-tech, robotics, and audio/visual.

If programs similar to these could be modeled and disseminated areas where the community is low-income, rural, or underserved it would greatly lessen the effects of the digital divide as well as have the potential to create the next generation of leaders and innovators in tech.

Website/Blog: clarencewooten.com/

Bio

Coined a “serial entrepreneur” by Entrepreneur Magazine in February 2000, Clarence has launched and operated numerous technology-based companies since founding his first, Envision Designs, while initially studying architecture as an undergraduate student in college. In 1993, Clarence co-founded Metamorphosis Studios, an interactive multimedia development firm, where he served as CEO and Creative Director until early 1998 when the company was acquired by MediSolv, Inc. Immediately following the acquisition, at the height of the dot-com boom, Clarence co-founded and served as CEO of ImageCafe.com. Touted as the Internet’s first online superstore of customizable websites-to-go, ImageCafe was acquired for $23 million by Network Solutions/Verisign in November 1999, just seven months after it launched.
Clarence is currently founder and CEO of Groupsite.com, a leader in social collaboration with nearly 40,000 companies and organizations as customers. Additionally, Clarence is involved in other startups including: PhoneGreetings.com, where he serves as partner; Cultural Sponsorships as co-founder; and iReaders as co-founder. Just prior to founding Groupsite.com, Clarence co-founded and served as General Partner at Venturepreneur Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm. In his spare time, Clarence also enjoys advising the management teams of various other early-stage Internet companies. In each of his entrepreneurial endeavors, Clarence has been focused on product design, specifically user-experience, which serves as the catalyst behind the development of Groupsite.com and the other ventures in which he’s involved.
Clarence has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Forbes ASAP, and Entrepreneur Magazine and has been a guest on CNNfn and other media outlets. His entrepreneurial experiences are the subject of a Babson College case study.
Clarence has a B.S. in Business Management from the John Hopkins University and currently serves on the Dean’s Alumni Advisory Board for its Carey Business School. Additionally, Clarence serves on the board of trustees of Philadelphia University and several other non-profit organizations. Clarence is an avid supporter of the community and was awarded an Honorary Alumni by the University of Maryland in 2006 and was recognized as a distinguished alumnus of Johns Hopkins University in 2010.
In his personal time, Clarence enjoys playing with his daughters, spending time with family and close friends, and attending Maryland Terps basketball and Ravens football games.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

Access to technology not only has the potential to close the digital divide but also has the potential to close the education gap. The amount of free educational resources online is staggering. I’d personally like to see a free Internet for Education initiative that would provide free or subsidized broadband to low income residents in exchange for a certain amount of time each quarter spent on educational sites. Sites like khanacademy.org, wikipedia and others provide a wealth of knowledge for free.

Website/Blog: kristennicole.com

Kristen Nicole is the News Desk Editor at SiliconANGLE, a digital publication focused on the intersection of computer science and social science. She got her start with 606tech, a Chicago blog she dedicated to the social media space. She went on to become the first employee and Field Editor at Mashable. Kristen Nicole has also contributed to other publications, from VentureBeat to the The Industry Standard. Her work has been syndicated across a number of media outlets, including Yahoo! News, The New York Times, and MSNBC.

Kristen Nicole’s latest accomplishment has been co-authoring The Twitter Survival Guide, and she’s currently completing her second book, Tweetie Girl.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

The democratization of information has certainly lessened the digital divide gap when you talk about web access and devices. Laptops have become less expensive, while smartphones have delivered mini computers to a broad range of users. Young black adults in particular are helping to close the digital divide, with eMarketer reporting that about 64% of the community now has internet access. Females in particular are utilizing the web for a myriad of purposes, namely participating in online conversations, which can tap into community cohesiveness to collectively overcome the digital divide.

But the new digital divide is emerging on the web itself, determined in large part by the way the Internet is utilized, how information is accessed on the web, and the means by which that information access is provided. Social networks have contributed to this new digital divide, having a distinct correlation between its user bases and race. Over the past few years, whites have migrated to Facebook, deeming MySpace too “ghetto,” as its vast popularity extended to blacks and latinos.

The technology we now need to focus on includes software to optimize the web’s use. Now that the majority of the U.S. has internet access, the digital divide means something different all together. And we’re really talking about mobile devices a great deal here, as they’re the devices most commonly used for regular web access by minorities on the “wrong side” of the digital divide.

USA Today uses the example of filling out a job application online, using a mobile device. It’s not very easy, and many related websites have not fully optimized for mobile usage. A mobile website may be a primary channel for someone looking to advance themselves socially and economically.

The social tiers of the web are replicating offline structures, so further closing the digital divide means focusing on the ways in which Internet access is used. USA Today goes on to note that many blacks and latinos are using web forums like Twitter for entertainment purposes, largely consuming content, though a great deal of content creation is taking place as well. This is reiterated in marketing methods, which have long since recognized the patterns of minority demographics on mobile devices.

Ensuring that useful content is available and encouraged through web access is a big sticking point for me. I personally find the internet to be an advantage for anyone looking to grow their knowledge base on any subject, whether it’s studying for an exam, preparing a meal, repairing a broken object or merely learning more about the history of their neighborhood. All these things provide additional perspectives on a user’s life experiences, and can take them across the digital divide at any point in time. In essence, the web can help us all help ourselves, when used properly.

Mobile optimization has some promising advances with emerging marketplaces, like the iTunes App Store and Android Market, delivering software that’s created with a purpose. As apps and mobile devices become more integrated with consumer needs, the opportunities around individualized improvement will also become easier to recognize, and more accessible, just as hardware has become in the past decade. Who knows what the next iteration of the digital divide will be, but I’m hopeful that access to the world’s largest knowledge base can help us overcome it.

Website/Blog: http://www.triangle.com

Mike Williams is the Managing Editor of triangle.com, a local entertainment and things-to-do website in the Triangle owned by The News & Observer. He started at The N&O in 2003 as a page designer while still a student at North Carolina Central University in Durham. After graduation, he continued to design at the newspaper and often wrote stories for the What’s Up section (now called “Weekend”) and for the North Raleigh News. In 2007 he moved to the online operation and took over triangle.com.

Mike immediately brought excitement to triangle.com and, in 2010, led the website to new heights by tripling its traffic. He has sponsored community and charitable events and worked with other groups in the area to help capture the essence of the Triangle by encouraging users to share their photos and community news on the site. Mike is always looking to form new partnerships so feel free to contact him if you have a project in mind.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

Answer: It’s really already started with the emergence of the smart phone. Now, anyone with a basic smart phone has access to Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, etc. So you’re starting to see people from all walks of life participate in conversations over social networks giving their perspective. You also see cable television use technology to reach viewers. For instance, on ESPN, BET and BRAVO, viewers can tweet (or send FB message) to the host of a program and interact. This gives them a voice they wouldn’t have had otherwise. Once we do a better job of educating others about technology and new trends, we’ll see the gap start to get smaller. Sometimes all it takes is teaching someone about the different products and services that our out there.

Website/Blog: http://faydra.com

Faydra Deon was using the Internet before most of her family and friends even knew about the world wide web (yes, the Internet and the Web are two different things). She has been a webmaster and web designer/developer for over 20 years; six of which were as a soldier in the U.S. Army. For the past four years, Faydra has been a computer applications trainer in the Washington, DC, area, training others to use (X)HTML, CSS, XML, Javascript, AJAX, PHP/MySQL and Adobe applications, like Dreamweaver, Fireworks and Photoshop, to design/develop websites for personal, business and government use. Faydra uses social media on a daily basis and also teaches social media classes, which include “Social Media Overview,” “Marketing with Social Media,” and “WordPress for Blogs.”

On top of training, Faydra Deon writes six columns for Examiner.com. She is a DC Social Media Examiner, the National WordPress Examiner, the National Free Web Examiner, the National Free Web Tools Examiner, the National African-American History Examiner and the National Dreamweaver Examiner. She also hosts a weekly Blog Talk Radio show entitled “Wednesday WordPress Q&A,” which starts at 7p EST.

In 2010, Faydra Deon was named one of the 100 Most Powerful Black Women on Twitter by Black Web 2.0, and in 2011 she was featured on BlackVoices.com.

She has also started a journaling series called “30 Quotes 30 Days,” which is now up to three volumes, along with pocket companions to each volume (the quotes without the journal).

Her blogs, websites and social networking communities are numerous. Visit her at http://faydra.com to see her many spaces and places on the web.

Faydra Deon graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in African-American Studies from Howard University in Washington, DC.

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

African-Americans seem to have duplicated in the “cyber world” what they’ve done in the “real world.” We appear to be more consumers than producers. We’re overdoing the “social” in social media and not maximizing social networking for its potential to create wealth. Instead of playing every game on Facebook, create a game that everyone else wants to play and advertisers want to be associated with. Instead of trying to get some nonsense topic to trend on Twitter, be the catalyst behind a Twitter trending topic that adds value to the cyber world and the real world beyond. Don’t send me links to 100 zany videos on YouTube, but start your own video series on something that you’re passionate about. If you’re not looking for your own niche, stop paying “lip support” to those using social media and social networking to build a legacy and at least help others with theirs. There’s nothing wrong with being social, but make sure you’re not just talking and doing no walking. Your time, your talents, your gifts are no less special than anyone else’s. It’s time to act like you know that and be that.

Anjuan Simmons is an information technology consultant who helps companies understand and implement emerging technologies. He is currently a Director at Adverlyze, a company that provides online marketing services. Before joining Adverlyze, Anjuan worked as an executive for Fortune 500 companies like Accenture and Deloitte Consulting. He is also a freelance writer who writes for Black Web 2.0 (http://www.blackweb20.com/author/anjuan/) and other online publications. Furthermore, Anjuan is a public speaker who focuses on topics such as technology, business, and minority advocacy. He has appeared as a technology expert on national radio programs and has been quoted in several magazines and newspapers including USA Today, Black Enterprise, The Huffington Post, and Essence.

Anjuan has an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from Texas A&M University.

Anjuan’s speaking engagements in 2011 include giving a solo presentation at South by Southwest in Austin, TX, on March 12 (http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/6840) on “What Comic Books Can Teach Mobile Application Designers”, serving as the keynote speaker for the National Black Information Technology Leadership Organization (NBITLO) Technology Summit and Thought Leader Symposium, in Miami, FL, June 9 – June 12 (http://www.nbitlo.org/), and speaking at the Southern Regional Education Board’s Go Alliance Fall Conference in Atlanta, GA.

Anjuan lives in Houston with his beautiful wife and three amazing kids. His hobbies include reading, writing, social media, photography, travel, and exercise.

You can learn more about Anjuan by friending him on Facebook (facebook.com/anjuan), following his Twitter feed (twitter.com/anjuan), or reading his blog (AnjuanSimmons.com).

How can we use technology to close the digital divide?

While recent efforts by the FCC to limit the ability of technology gatekeepers like Comcast to not only maintain the digital divide but also profit from it show promise, I believe that government regulation is a limited solution. Although actions like the conditions mandated by the FCC when they approved the merger between Comcast and NBC-Universal that required, among other things, the supply of affordable broadband access and computer equipment to 2.5 million low-income households are necessary, the technology needed to close the digital divide does not reside in the hands of government agencies or media conglomerates.

The technology that will close the digital divide is the most advanced technology we’ve ever had in the history of mankind: the human mind. When that technology is combined with a will to help those less fortunate, then the opportunity and the motive for closing the digital divide can be leveraged. Minority technologists need to use their accumulated skills and experience to take an active role in closing the digital divide in the communities that produced them. This will require volunteering their time to work with what will probably be outdated equipment and with those who may initially struggle with some of the early foundational concepts. However, they will be rewarded by eventually seeing the investment they’ve made in their communities result in the production of minorities who are empowered to take hold of the digital future.

While government regulations can be effective, they are vulnerable to changes by future administrations. While new technologies can be revolutionary, they can be ineffective when the needs of minorities are not considered during the design and test phases. The best technology solution for the digital divide is the deployment of minority technologists to minority neighborhoods with a will to make a difference.

Last year for Black History Month, I started an online series called 28 Days Diversity where I would feature someone new everyday for the month of February for just being awesome in their own right. Even though it’s black history month, the goal for 28 Days of Diversity is to feature not just African-Americans but other minorities in the web/tech space. Also note that 28 Days of Diversity is not a popularity contest or an influencer list but a list of thought leaders in the social web sector, including entrepreneurs, bloggers, conference organizers, IT professionals and friends not ranked in any particular order who I have either met in person or followed online.

The feedback from 28 Days of Diversity 2010 was great and here are a few statics from 28 Days of Diversity 2010

Social Media Stats
For “28 days of Diversity” – 94 blogs mentions and 46 social mentions
For #28daysofdiversity – 114 Blog mentions, 696 social mentions and 246 comments.

Interviews & Press
Technorati: #28DaysofDiversity with Wayne Sutton
PR Week: Promoting diversity in Black History Month

Other 28 Days of Diversity Projects launched:
28 Days of Diversity in Design
28 days of black nonprofit leaders

http://socialwayne.com/category/28-days-of-diversity/
(February 1 – 28, 2010)
6,035 Visits
4,319 Absolute Unique Visitors
8,753 Pageviews

28daysofdiversity.comc(February 1 – 28, 2010)
780 Visits
493 Absolute Unique Visitors
2,305 Pageviews

For 2011 I wanted to not just feature individuals but also address a topic that affects everyone. For 28 Days of Diversity 2011 each post/person will answer the question “How can we use technology to close the digital divide?” For reference, I list the problem factors of Digital Divide in the following categories:

1. Location
2. Access to information/technology
3. Race
4. Income
5. Gender

What is Digital Divide:
The digital divide refers to the gap between people with effective access to digital and information technology and those with very limited or no access at all. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_divide

At the end of the month by answering this question we should have at least 28 ideas/ways to decrease the digital divide.

How you can support 28 Days of Diversity 2011

1. Follow, retweet the #28daysofdiversity hashtag on twitter

2. Add the #28daysofdiversity badge to your site

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3. Start your own #28daysofdiversity blog series (example 28 Days of Diversity in Design )

4. Write a blog post about digital divide and answer the question: “How can we use technology to close the digital divide?” and tag it #28daysofdiversity

5. Be positive and a mentor others

6. Host a meetup/event about digital divide

You can follow the status of 28 Days of Diversity 2011 on http://28daysofdiversity.com and http://socialwayne.com/category/28-days-of-diversity/

If you have any questions or feedback about 28 Days of Diversity 2011 I can be reached at wayne@socialwayne.com or 919-816-2230

Jeffrey Bowman is a Partner within OgilvyConsulting at OgilvyOne. Considered by some a leading multi-channel strategy expert, he is responsible for dissecting client’s business problems, developing 360 degree integrated communication channel plans, building customer and influencer relationship marketing programs, and developing demand generation programs across digital and traditional marketing channels. He is charged with connecting the creative with the brand’s business objective. He provides client services across technology, retail and consumer packaged goods verticals.

It was around 1999 when Jeffrey was peaking in his brand management career after experiences at Pepsi, P&G and the Miller Brewing Company (now SAB Miller). There TV, Radio, Print and Out-of-Home were the dominant communication channels and on-line was less than 1% of most Brand’s total advertising spend. He often wondered why Brands were not jumping into on-line channels. He made the decision to “go direct” at Dell where demand generation and marketing optimization were king across dell.com, call center, broadcast, catalog, e-circ, on-line display, search, affiliate, email, direct mail and radio channels for desktop, laptop and home entertainment verticals. There he led annual business planning, channel integration, dashboard reporting and budget planning & optimization. At Dell he was responsible for the Intel and Microsoft co-op relationships for the consumer group. After Dell he was complete and armed as a “true” multi-channel strategist with not only understanding how to drive business results but also the “know how” of building relationships within the digital and traditional communication channels.

Some ask what does he know about social media. His response would be “have you heard of the Conversation Prism by Brian Solis & JESS3? Conversation channels continue to emerge and expand today. These are the platforms where brands are being developed, built or destroyed. It is his job to make sure his clients comprehend what’s not only being said about their brands but make sure they understand their value proposition and how they are positioned across all relevant channels of communication whether in the form of digital, analog, text or video. His belief is to not necessarily start with the channels in building a brand but instead, start with listening, developing or refining the brand’s value proposition, plan the business, develop the brand’s messaging, activate and engage. His desire is to have his clients provide something unique to say or offer and build life-long relationships with customers and consumers. Jeffrey once again finds himself at an intersection where channels of communication are converging.

Before crossing over to the Ogilvy Red side, Jeffrey spent 15 years on the client side in marketing building brands within Pepsi, P&G, SAB Miller, Whirlpool, Dell and Sears. It is his passion and love for all things tech and digital that keeps him in tune with trends and tools used for communicating. He is active in the tech community and passionate about Blacks, Asians and Latinos In Technology. He holds a BS and MBA in Marketing.

Yvette Ferry is a recruiter, a small-business specialist, a human resources consultant, and a writer. After spending 10 years in the management-consulting industry as an administrative and human resources manager, she founded Ferry and Company, a professional network of service providers comprised of small businesses, entrepreneurs, and freelancers.
A natural communicator and people-connector, Yvette likes to quip that she’s been knee-deep in social media since 1852. In the early days of the Internet, she was a regular Usenet user and contributor and recognized its rich potential for engaging large audiences around specific areas of interest. She was a system administrator and moderator for CompuServe’s pets forums and moderated topical online chats in the earliest days of AOL Chat. She also blogs.
Yvette is a member of several new-media organizations and speaks regularly at local events about new media and social recruiting. She enjoys introducing existing and emerging technologies to small companies, for intra- and extra-organizational communications.
Today, Yvette is helping to create the South Florida chapter of Digital Media Alliance Florida, a non-profit media-industry association created to bridge digital media, digital arts, and digital entertainment companies, institutions, and professionals throughout the state.
She lives in Miami, Florida.

Digital Media Alliance Florida link: http://www.dmaflorida.org/

Damond L. Nollan is the IT Manager for Web Services at North Carolina Central University. He provides leadership to a team of developers responsible for the creation and maintenance of NCCU.edu. He has over 10 years of professional experience building and managing the web infrastructure for both private companies and public universities. Most notably, he served seven years with his alma mater Elizabeth City State University.

As a speaker, Mr. Nollan has presented at numerous professional conferences, which include ScienceOnline2010, Educause Southeast Regional Conference, Thurgood Marshall’s Member University Professional Institute, C. Rodger Wilson Leadership Conference, and the Middle Eastern Province Council Meeting.

As a blogger, Damond, along with close family and friends, started an online journal community known as The Labyrinth in 2002. The award-winning site helped to nurture a number of talented artists and musicians over the years. In 2009, after a three-year hiatus, he returned to blogging with his current project DamondNollan.com, where he writes about social media, fatherhood, IT management, and higher education.

Mr. Nollan holds a B.S. from Elizabeth City State University, an M.B.A. from the University of Phoenix and is presently working on the Doctorate of Business Administration from the School of Advanced Studies at the University of Phoenix.
Damond is an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. where he serves on the board of directors for the Middle Eastern Province, Chairman of the province training committee, and Chapter Polemarch of Smithfield Alumni.
In his off time, Damond enjoys watching movies, reading, and spending time with his family of five in Smithfield, NC.

Nichelle Stephens is a blogger, cupcake enthusiast, and social media strategist. She is the community editor of Pepsi We Inspire, a lifestyle blog for African American women. She is the founding editor of Cupcakes Take The Cake, a blog devoted the cupcakes. Nichelle is also the founder of KeepingNickels, a blog about small business bookkeeping and personal finance.

Nichelle will also be moderating a panel on March 12 at SXSW interactive (http://my.sxsw.com/events/event/676) and hosting a Cupcake Social (http://bit.ly/cupcakesxsw) on March 14.

James Andrews is the managing partner/co-founder of Everywhere specializing in the creation of digital strategies, online communications, and web content production. Everywhere is a strategic communications agency that focuses in helping brands and individuals navigate the social media and online space to build better connections with their audiences. Their clients include Delta, Macy’s, PGI, Promethean, Georgia Public Broadcasting, Actress/Author/Activist Jane Fonda, and Music Producer Jermaine Dupri. Everywhere is a Guinness World Record holder for the most widespread social media message within 24 hrs for #BEATCANCER (www.beatCancerEverywhere.com)

Before launching Everywhere, Andrews was Vice President, Ketchum Digital and directed global social media brand strategies for Monster.com, FedEx, GeekSquad, Nokia, Wendy’s and Newell Rubbermaid. As an internationally respected digital thought leader, Andrews helped start a Social Media practice in the Ketchum Brazil office and has been a keynote speaker in Sao Paulo, London and Norway. Andrews has been working in the area of interactive/new media and non-traditional marketing for 15 years holding senior titles at Urban Box Office, Columbia Records, Ecko Unlimited and Isobar/Carat. His experience with brands such as Current TV, Coca-Cola/Sprite, Truth.com and Proctor & Gamble places him in a unique category of entrepreneurs that understand the convergence of new media, content, social activism and digital lifestyle.

James blogs at Fastcompany.com as an Expert Blogger as well as Huffington Post. Andrews can be seen as a regular contributor on CNN Weekend discussing current news and social media stories.

James Andrews attended UCLA, grew up in Silicon Valley, and lives in Atlanta with his wife and two children. His community involvement includes volunteer work at GCAPP, The Paideia School and Morehouse College.

DIGITAL REAL ESTATE

http://www.twitter.com/keyinfluencer

LIFESTREAM
www.jamesandrews.tv
Blog
http://www.thekeyinfluencer.com

http://bit.ly/VSV5w

http://www.facebook.com/jamesandrews

http://www.linkedin.com/in/keyinfluencer

http://www.fastcompany.com/user/james-andrews

April Davis is a tech savvy individual with a strong entrepreneurial spirit. A Jill-of-Some-Trades, her areas of expertise include Creative Project Management, Online Marketing, Writing/Editing and Web/Social Media Consulting. She has dabbled with self-employed since the age of 22. The desire to work for herself began as a freelance graphic designer where she realized the opportunities and experienced the benefits of working independently.

She is currently Publisher of AroundHarlem.com, and has other online properties currently in development. April also works with local businesses and arts organizations on social media initiatives.

AroundHarlem.com is an online magazine currently in the beta stage. The current blog (Blog-AroundHarlem.com) has local event listings and in depth articles focusing on and highlighting Harlem, African Americans, Latinos and other People of Color. The beta stage has been a phenomenal success with unique visitors reaching almost 30,000 people during it’s busiest month.

The final website will focus on Business and Finance, Health, Children and Parenting Concerns, Arts & Culture, Food and Style, Politics, and People. The latest digital technology including social media incorporation, podcasting and video interviews will be incorporated into the website. The site’s ultimate goal is to bring it’s readers information typically missing from contemporary urban/local media.

Prior to entering the publishing industry, April worked as Creative Director for Exceed Communications, the full service graphic design firm that she started in 1998. Concurrently, she worked as a consultant in the National Marketing Department of Ernst & Young, a global professional services firm.

A lifelong Harlem resident, April has always worked in the Harlem community on a personal and professional level. During the last 10+ years, she has worked with the New York Club of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc., a community service based organization that focuses on Health, Education, Employment and Economic Development. In addition to her active membership, she held positions as Membership Coordinator, PR Chairperson and eventually became President of the Young Adults Club. In the past, she was also a member of the New York Urban League Young Professionals.

Professionally, she has been a member of the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce and has also received training from two local entrepreneurial organizations, Project Enterprise and Workshops in Business Opportunities.

April has received several awards for her community service participation and entrepreneurial endeavors. They include an Appreciation Award presented by the New York Young Adult Club of NANBPWC, the Young Adult Community Service Award and Business Woman’s Award presented by the New York Club of NANBPWC, Best Business Plan Award presented by the Harlem Venture Group and she was also a Professional Women of Color Dream Grant Recipient.

“There are some great creatives out there. And some brilliant marketers. But the perfect blend of the two is what I strive for every day, for my team and for my clients.”

Gregory Ng has been living and working by that philosophy for the last 13 years. An award-winning creative director, designer, and direct marketer, he has developed effective, integrated, results-driven marketing programs for Global Fortune 1000 clients with an expertise in the high tech and financial verticals.

Gregory’s direct experience runs deep and includes working for clients like Dell, Bank of America, American Express, Fidelity Investments, the Salvation Army, Microsoft, DSW Shoe Warehouse, and Dunkin’ Donuts. Since 2003, Gregory has received over 40 awards for his direct marketing campaigns.

As an accomplished blogger in the tech, marketing, and parenting fields, Greg have published over 1000 articles online and has written on subjects ranging from hacking your iPhone to how to change a diaper. His articles and reviews have been covered by all the top Tech and Apple websites including: The New York Times, Wired’s Gadget Lab, The Unofficial Apple Weblog, Fake Steve Jobs, Daring Fireball, and iLounge.

Currently, he hosts a web show called Freezer Burns where he publishes video reviews of frozen foods as the self-proclaimed “Frozen Food Master” at www.FreezerBurns.com.

Greg is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design where he was classically trained in Graphic Design. He is currently VP, Creative at Brooks Bell Interactive, an online direct marketing agency based in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is also a husband, father of three, former Elvis impersonator, and lover of soy lattes.

ABIOLA ABRAMS is an author, media personality and social issues filmmaker who works in the lifestyles, relationships and pop culture journalism space. The self-declared “Goddess Passionista” has hosted TV shows such as BET’s The Best Short Films, HBO’s The Buzz and NBC’s Source: All Access hip hop news, appeared as a pop culture talking head on networks like FOX, and has interviewed celebrities from Chris Rock to Quincy Jones. Recently she played “Miss Picky” on Drew Barrymore’s VH1 reality series Tough Love, a show about deliciously messy romantic lives. She has given keynote talks on social issues such as the beauty myth, seeking joy and finding personal power at universities such as NYU, The New School for Social Research and Washington State.

Abiola’ Abrams’ debut novel Dare, published by Simon and Schuster was called an “empowering hip hop feminist tale” by AOL Black Voices, and has been taught in schools including University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Abiola’s essays on love, sex, dating and empowerment have been published in bestselling anthologies such as Behind the Bedroom Door and Dirty Words: A Literary Encyclopedia of Sex. Her writing on stopping violence against women and girls is also published in Eve Ensler’s anthology A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer. Abiola has also written for publications such as Self Magazine, and has been written about in publications from Gawker and The Huffington Post to Paper Magazine and Essence.

Abiola Abrams’ online chat show Abiola’s Kiss and Tell TV is a new spin-off of blackplanet.com’s The Planet Abiola Show, the popular online show that premiered in Spring ’08, with currently have about 150 episodes. For her fun online program she’s interviewed celebs from LL Cool J and Busta Rhymes to Patti Labelle with Abiola’s Kiss and Tell TV branded as an over the top, rock and roll good time of: Relationships, Lifestyle Adventures, Celebrity Interviews and Advice Vlogs. The show has become a key part of the marketing plan for urban celebrities and authors.

Abiola Abrams is a lead syndicated contributor (articles, video content, celebrity interviews, web series) in the areas of entertainment, love, sex, relationships and pop culture to several sites including: HelloBeautiful.com, Glam.com, Examiner.com and PepsiWeInspire.com. She is featured in the 2010 NYC Sex Blogger’s Calendar, and her monthly literary reading and performance series “Abiola’s Kiss & Tell” takes place at Madame X in New York City.

TV Big Mouth Abiola Abrams is also a social issues filmmaker whose short art films and documentaries ahave been shown in galleries, film festivals and museums in Germany, West Africa, South America and throughout the US. Her award-winning films explore issues such as relationship violence (Ophelia’s Opera), mental illness (Knives in My Throat) and sexual empowerment (Afrodite Superstar). Abiola Abrams is the creator of the Until the Violence Stops Film Festival at the Museum of the City of New York and Museum of TV and Radio for Eve Ensler’s VDay organization, and has participated in panels and workshops with similar organizations such as Hip Hop 4 Health.

In 2009 she was honored by NYC VDay with her motivational writings being performed by actors. Her documentary Knives in My Throat also recently won awards from the Pan African Film Festival and Reel Sisters. Her workshop at Casa Attabex Ache in The Bronx resulted in her being awarded as one their Women of The Year and Paper Magazine chose her as one of their 50 Most Beautiful People.

Abiola Abrams has a BA from Sarah Lawrence College where she studied sociology, theater and creative writing; and an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her Master’s Degree thesis analyzed the harnessing the power of pop culture to motivate through television, books, and film.

Andre Blackman is an agent of change and innovation within the public health community. He is very passionate about the role of new media, mobile technology and other useful innovations as it relates to health communications and public health in general – resulting in Public Health 2.0. Andre feels that public health and new media are focused on the people, so there should be parallels to how they both interact.

Andre’s background has involved work with science and technology organizations, health nonprofits and traditional public relations. Through his consulting/advising vehicle, Pulse + Signal, Andre aims to educate and provide strategy for public health focused organizations and projects who want to make use of the new social interactive landscape and innovative opportunities.

You can find his thoughts on public health and innovation through his blog, Pulse + Signal and via Twitter

Technology Blogger, Speaker, and Consultant Corvida Raven is looking at a very bright future. She is the voice behind SheGeeks.net, co-founder of EverythingTwitter and The SocialGeeks Podcast, and an Influential Woman in Technology. Corvida’s passion for sharing her technology insights, the best mobile tools, and what’s what in social media makes her blog contagious. Eager and dedicated networking skills make her a powerhouse in person. Her talents have been used by industry leading tech brands such as ReadWriteWeb, Guidewire Group, Mr. Tweet, and FastCompany. A great personality, not to mention gadgets, is putting this young lady in high demand. And there are no signs of Corvida slowing down.

Marcus Whitney CTO – Moontoast / CEO – Remarkable Wit
Mr. Whitney currently serves in dual roles as CEO of Remarkable Wit and CTO of Moontoast. Founded in September 2007, Remarkable Wit is a leading open source development company based in Nashville, TN. Remarkable Wit unique business model supports multiple local companies in the area of software development, website development, and creates its own products on an opportunities basis. We support companies that offer users friendly, stylish interfaces that link behind the scenes to industrial strength platforms that quietly and efficiently generate income.

As CTO at Moontoast, a “Social Commerce Network” launched in December 2009, Mr. Whitney leads product development and also engages with customers to design and execute marketing and merchandising strategies that best leverage the features of the Moontoast platform.
In addition to his current duties, Mr. Whitney is spearheading a new movement via his thought leadership relationships in the Open Source community called Enterprise LAMP. The movement is being introduced through a flagship event in November called the Enterprise LAMP Summit, which will feature industry leaders such as Red Hat Linux CIO, Lee Congdon and Assurion CTO, Robert “R0ml” Lefkowitz.
Prior to Remarkable Wit, Mr. Whitney was recruited in September, 2003 to email marketing firm Emma.

Marcus managed the redevelopment of a prototype into a scalable application, using Enterprise LAMP to build a framework similar to Ruby on Rails two years before RoR emerged. To accommodate Emma’s growing client base, which expanded from 250 clients to 10,000 during his four year tenure, Marcus built a mailer capable of sending one million emails per hour and supervised the addition of some 100+ features to the user interface. He rose to partner at Emma in 2004.

Prior to Emma, Mr. Whitney worked for Nashville-based Firesign, Marcus oversaw design, testing and installation of the company’s signature offering, dynamic digital signage that allows scheduled messaging and streaming of real-time data. Debuted at the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Frist Center for the Visual Art, the platform performed with zero downtime.

Recognized as an Open Source thought leader, Mr. Whitney has presented at PHP::Works in Toronto and contributed a column to International PHP magazine. For his Pro: PHP Podcast, which rose to a Top 100 slot among podcasts on iTunes, he interviewed top open source champions, including Andi Gutmans, CTO of Zend, and Rod Smith, Vice President of Emerging Technologies at IBM.

Locally, Marcus established a Nashville PHP Users Group and with colleague Dave Delaney established Nashville’s first BarCamp, a user- generated conference with open, participatory workshop-events for enthusiasts and professionals in design, technology and innovation, new media, digital music and entrepreneurship. The pair also organized PodCamp Nashville, an “unconference” for new media enthusiasts and professionals including bloggers, podcasters, YouTubers and social networkers.

Educated at the University of Virginia and the City University of New York, Marcus Whitney served in his early career as a content programmer for national health learning systems leader HealthStream and a systems architect for Anode, a marketing and branding firm specializing in visual information design and interactive media.

Board Positions:

Nashville Technology Council Advisory Board – Nashville Entrepreneur Center Interim Board Chair: Global Education Center – http://globaleducationcenter.net/
Marcus resides in Nashville, TN with his two sons, Tristan and Ciaran.
Nashville Business Journal:
http://nashville.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2009/05/18/smallb1. html
Read Write Web:
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/video_interview_with_venture _tech_firm_founder_on.php
Venture Nashville:
http://www.venturenashville.com/star-backed-nashville-startup- toasts-global-knowledge-cms-250
http://www.venturenashville.com/whitney-nv-techies-should-think- not-just-follow-cms-363
PHP|Architect:

http://www.phparch.com/podcast/index/20091019

Tyme is a twelve-year veteran writing about technology, business, and web interactions. Tyme founded a large gaming community, encouraging game developers and programmers to interact with their users. Establishing the community prior to the first internet bubble and participating in social interactions as they first began, gave Tyme a powerful advantage in understanding the importance of digital relationships for business and personal use.

As the previous co-owner of one of the first blogging networks, Tyme focused on helping writers with their sites and strengthening the bond community members had with the community. Working with members, potential members and interacting with users, Tyme realized there was often a gap between what the site owner wanted to accomplish and what was being accomplished. Trying to fill that gap, Tyme gave advice on how a site owner can create quality content and form long lasting relationships with users online.

Today, Tyme owns and authors Elixsir.com. Using the experiences mentioned above, along with her master’s degree in Business Management, she educates readers on how to have successful businesses online, discusses technologies that will aid users in accomplishing their goals online, assists writers in having quality content along with a user-friendly site and advice on how to live a successful and enjoyable life.

Wesley’s experience spans multiple facets of the technology industry, from manufacturing to product development. His passion for technology was fostered through over thirteen years of experience in technical and customer service support, field engineering, and digital media entertainment development. Recently, Wesley has become a rising player in the social media scene; he has been a featured guest on several web media outlets such as CNET and ManiaTV. As an AMD Evangelist he assists in the development of their social media strategy and helps discover new business partnerships.

Wesley’s previous employers include: Applied Materials, Integrated Devices, and Dell. Wesley currently works at AMD as a Product Development Engineer and Evangelist.

Ilina Ewen is a seasoned marketing and branding consultant. Seasoned, of course, is just another way of saying she wore neon leg warmers before they became a fashion “don’t” the second time around. For the last six years she has run her own marketing consulting firm, iFactor. Ilina acts as the voice of the consumer to ensure her clients’ positioning, messaging, and implemention resonate with their target audiences. She is a blogger and active social media butterfly. When she’s not working, tweeting, or writing, you can find her wrangling her two sons, building LEGO masterpieces, or whipping up something healthy and delicious. Ilina blogs at Dirt & Noise, WRAL moms, Foodie Mama, Deep South Moms, and Triangle Mamas.

Hajj Flemings is the founder of Brand Camp University (BCU) the premier personal branding 2.0 conference and author of ‘The Brand YU Life: Re-thinking Who You Are Through Personal Brand Management’. Currently he operates as a personal brand strategist, author, speaker and adjunct lecturer focusing on the topic of personal branding.

He has been featured on ESPN.com, BusinessWeek.com, BlackEnterprise.com, various blogs and travels nationally speaking. His clients include Walt Disney, Ford Motor Company, Skechers Footwear, U.S. Department of Defense, University of Michigan, Iowa State University, and Davidson College to name a few. His book was selected as one of Fast Company Magazine’s 2008 Readers Choice Business Books of the year. He is one of the authors featured in ‘Age of Conversation 3’ a collaborative book that brought together over 200 of the world’s best marketing, social media and brand thinkers which is due out in 2010.

As a college student he designed the Equator sneaker that was sold and distributed nationally through a Michigan based company named Mavade Footwear. Hajj was also a managing partner of the Broken Chains Design Group, a small graphical design firm whose ad work has been published in GQ, Men’s Health, and Detail magazines.

He received his Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University and his MBA from Lawrence Technological University. He is a former collegiate athlete turned adjunct lecturer at his alma mater, Michigan Technological University (MTU). In 2006 he wrote the personal branding curriculum at MTU which he currently teaches.

He recently started working with Michigan Technological University Online MBA as the Program Ambassador/Social Media Coordinator. In this position he manages the social media strategy while cultivating online and offline communities to build awareness in the program.

Brand Camp University – Personal Branding 2.0 Conference

With a desire to be a major player in the personal branding industry he started the Brand Camp Personal Branding 2.0 Conference in 2008. He has taken a personal responsibility and a great deal of pride in creating one of most diversified social media conferences in the country.

Brand Camp is an interactive personal branding and social media conference. The conference features keynote speakers, topic driven panels and workshops that provide attendees with the tools, strategy and inspiration they need to compete in a global economy and share their passion with the world. One of Hajj’s goals is to take the Brand Camp to new markets and he is actively seeking strategic sponsors and partners to make this a reality.

He resides in Michigan and is married to his lovely wife, Kasandra.

Adria Richards is a “girl geek” dedicated to empowering people through technology. She shows you how to be more productive and grow your business based on the GTD workflow (that’s “Getting Things Done” for you nongeeks). In addition to blogging, Adria does public speaking, hands-on training and offers direct consulting services to businesses and bloggers. Adria started her career at Geek Squad® in 1999, is self taught and has 11 years of experience in the IT industry. Certifications include MCSA, MCDST and A+.

Butyoureagirl.com is Adria’s conversational blog chronicling the perspective of a female geek who simply wants to save the world. Via written and video blog posts, Adria talks about and demonstrates the latest social media tools, lifehacks (that’s a geek term for “shortcuts”), ways to save the planet and her adventures as a fearless consultant. She also does a weekly video show on technology at http://askadria.com. Adria values work+life balance, open source projects, cloud apps, equality for all, yoga and reducing our footprint on the environment.

Adria will be speaking at this year’s SXSW, “How Sci-Fi Shapes The Internet” and BlogHer, “Your Stats Are A Business Asset”. She will be attending several technology conferences including Drupalcon, WordPress San Francisco, WordPress Chicago, Blogging While Brown, RailsConf, Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) Of Women In Computing Conference, Blogalicious, Gnomedex, Web 2.0 Summit and TechCrunch50.

Rahsheen has been into computers and technology since he learned to program in LogoWriter in the 4th grade. He has a talent for solving problems and being able to explain the solutions to others. This is what led him to blogging and social media, eventually becoming lead writer at Black Web 2.0. While always trying to be everywhere at once, Rahsheen is also a rapper, singer/songwriter, and fitness coach.

Tiffani Ashley Bell is a twenty-something in pursuit of better living through software.

Tiffani is the co-founder of TwellWishes (http://twellwishes.com) which produces a Twitter app that keeps users from forgetting birthdays. TwellWishes features a virtual gift store that seems to have saved several people (already!) from forgetting a birthday and a gift.

Always looking for ways for code to impact somebody other than the typical nerds everybody else caters to, Tiffani is also the founder of Pencil You In (http://pencilyou.in) which allows beauticians to accept appointments online and via text message.

Tiffani also appeared on the radio in Philadelphia (Technically Speaking Radio with JC Lamkin) to talk about Ruby and Ruby on Rails (she’s a huge fan) and the greater social/access implications of free and open source software. In 2007, she spoke at the BDPA National Conference in Washington, DC to get IT professionals up to speed on Ruby on Rails with the talk “Getting Things Done–the Software Way–with Ruby on Rails.”

Tiffani graduated in May 2008 with a BSc in Computer Science from Howard University.

Come back tomorrow to see who’s next on the list. Also check out past entires on http://28daysofdiversity.com

J. is a professional web designer/developer, as well as a blogger and social media advocate. His customer/client-focused career includes work in human resources at University of Illinois, coaching HR professionals at Georgia-Pacific, and directing marketing/public relations for Michael Jordan’s Restaurant and 30 Georgia-area Denny’s.

Currently, J. is a web developer for WebMD, where he develops multi-level/high-volume sponsor programs using front-end web languages and refined skills in interface design and usability. Since 2002, he has created print, web and social media solutions for his own clients, ranging from corporate to arts organizations.

A pioneer blogger since the mid-90’s, his blog, thebrotherlove.com (now retired), was one of the first to offer a black, gay perspective. The blog’s popularity exploded in 2002, when Slate.com linked to a post bemoaning the famous Joe Boxer commercial. Additionally, J. has written for Washington Blade, Southern Voice and the National Black Arts Festival; with select blog posts appearing on Racialicious.com.

When not writing for the web and print, J. has moderated discussions on identity and diversity including a panel on television series The DL Chronicles and speaking at the inaugural Sex 2.0 conference. At SXSW Interactive 2010, he will moderate the panel Black Blogging Rockstars.

Lynne d Johnson is SVP, Social Media for the Advertising Research Foundation, where she is responsible for content, brand and social media development and strategy, as well as developing consumer insights, market research, and true metrics for the industry at large via the ARF Social Media Council. As a consultant, Lynne works with Web and media properties on content, brand, and social media development and strategy. She’s also a sought after speaker, and has presented keynotes and moderated panels around the world about the future of media, web 2.0, women in tech, African-Americans in tech, hip-hop and tech, and the intersection of music and technology.

A widely published author and blogger, Lynne wrote the foreward for Tactical Transparency: How Leaders Can Leverage Social Media to Maximize Value and Build their Brand, by Shel Holtz and John C. Havens (Wiley, 2008) and was the technical editor for Google Voice For Dummies, by Bud E. Smith and Chris Dannen (For Dummies 2009). Since 2001 Lynne has published Lynne d Johnson || Diary (Music, Media, My Life), the winner of the 2006 Black Weblog Awards Black Blogger Achievement Award. She also currently blogs for Jack Myers MediaBizBloggers.

Prior to the ARF, Lynne was Senior Editor & Community Director for Fastcompany.com where she oversaw both content and community functionality, wrote the Digital Media Diva blog covering technology, media & marketing, social media, and gadgets, and also built the foundation for the magazine’s expert bloggers’ network. Prior to Fast Company, Lynne served as General Manager, New Media for VIBE and SPIN magazines, where she and her team launched the first ever magazines for mobile devices.

Lynne is an advisor for BlackWeb20.com, Interactive One, and Girls In Tech NYC. She is also a co-founder of the The New York Android Software Developers Meetup. Lynne holds a BA in Journalism, an advanced certificate in multicultural studies, and an MBA in Media Management .

Maurice Cherry is a web designer whose work experience spans a number of different types of businesses, including federal government, Fortune 500 companies, and small businesses. In the past, he has worked with NASA, the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, AutoTrader.com, WebMD, AT&T, and YELLOWPAGES.com – just to name a few companies. Cherry has worked as a web designer, web developer, e-mail marketing manager, web content manager, and business analyst. Currently, Cherry runs his own web design and consulting company, 3eighteen media.

Cherry holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in telecommunications management, and brings a high level of strategic expertise, future-forward creativity, and agile problem solving to his clients. Cherry also does independent consulting work, public speaking at technology conferences, and has several years of project management experience under his belt.

Cherry’s passion for technology and good design is contagious. Aside from his web design business, he is also a freelance writer on the subjects of online marketing and branding. Cherry is also the creator of the Black Weblog Awards, which has recognized the best in the Black blogosphere since 2005. Just recently, Cherry completed a position heading up the social media and web presence for the Borders for Atlanta Mayoral Campaign in Atlanta, GA.

Jessica Faye Carter is the founder and CEO of Nette Media, a new media company that develops social media technologies focused on women and multicultural communities. Its “Nettework” of sites includes: Technicultr, The Suitespot, WomenSuite, and The Cloud. In addition to publishing, Jessica counsels businesses on social media strategy, implementation, policy development, and niche social media campaigns. She is a guest writer for Mashable, one of the Internet’s most popular social media blogs and has been involved with social media in various capacities since 2001.

Jessica is a nationally-recognized expert on cultural and gender diversity and the author of Double Outsiders (JIST Works, 2007), an award-winning look at professional multicultural women in the workplace. Her work has been featured in national media, including the Associated Press, Working Mother, MSNBC.com, and the National Law Journal.

She is a frequent speaker for Fortune 500 companies, organizations, and conferences on the subjects of cultural and gender diversity, as well as social media technologies and trends. She was previously a corporate lawyer and holds a J.D. and an M.B.A from Duke University, and a B.A. in economics from Spelman College.

Sonny is an experienced online marketer who has helped develop marketing strategies for large corporations, startups, and virtual companies ranging from the automotive to hospitality industries. Throughout his career, Sonny has always had a passion for the marketing world but has namely worked himself into the digital side through his dedication within the social media space.

He’s taken his career from launching, from the ground up, the social media arm for subsidiaries of COX Enterprises to his newest role in Higher Education as DeVry University’s Social Media Manager, which takes a truly holistic approach to social media and integrating it within all parts of the organization.

Sonny, who’s traveled from his hometown of Cleveland, to Virginia Beach, and back home again, now resides in Chicago, Illinois. He can be found actively engaging on Twitter, while continuing to produce content on his social media & community blog, www.sonnygill.com.

Come back tomorrow to see who’s next on the list.

Called “the Dean of Black Bloggers” and “a woman who’s on the cutting edge of the internet and social media,” Gina McCauley is one of the most influential African American digital media content creators in the world. In 2007, she was named to ESSENCE magazine’s list of the 25 Most Influential African Americans. She has written for ESSENCE magazine and ESSENCE.com, The Guardian, and The Observer.

In 2007 she launched What About Our Daughters?, a blog dedicated to combating negative portrayals of African-American women in popular culture. The blog’s mission is to be uncompromising,unapologetic, and unbowed in defense of Black women. The blog is most well known for its fight to combat negative portrayals of African American women in popular culture and violence against Black women and children, but has evolved into an influential platform, sitting perched at the intersection of pop culture, Politics, and current affairs. Her blog readers have successfully lobbied large advertisers such as State Farm, Home Depot, McDonald’s, New Balance, Disney, and Yum Brands to pull their advertising from content that demeans and degrades Black women and girls. However, her greatest achievement is using the platform that she built to battle irresponsible corporate media as a platform to highlight underreported cases of horrific violence against Black women such as the Dunbar Village case, Romona Moore, and Dorothy Dixon.

In 2008, she launched Michelle Obama Watch, a blog dedicated to monitoring the good, the bad, and the ugly media coverage of Michelle Obama. Within hours after its soft launch, MichelleObamaWatch.com was linked to by Salon.com and the Huffington Post. She has since been interviewed by the Wall Street Journal and quoted in the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune,Newsweek, The Atlantic, the Boston Globe, the Norwegian Business Daily and others about her work on Michelle Obama Watch. Her blog posts have been quoted or mentioned on CNN, Entertainment Tonight, and the CBS Morning Show. She appeared on PBS and NDTV, India’s largest private producer of news, to speak about Michelle Obama. She has been interviewed regarding my blog on several NPR shows, the Tom Joyner Morning Show, RTE Radio 1 in Ireland, and XM radio.

Her blog posts for the Guardian about the aftermath of Hurricane Ike were licensed to Cenage Learning and appear in the textbook Current Controversies: Disaster Response (vol. 1). In November 2009, Pacifica Radio launched her first syndicated radio segment on the show Woman, Body and Soul.

She is the managing member of the McCauley Communications Group, LLC and in 2008, in response to a lack of diversity at large social media and networking conferences, she founded Blogging While Brown, the first international conference for bloggers of color. In addition to designing and implementing the curriculum for digital literacy training, she is a frequent presenter at some of the largest social media conferences in the world, including Blogher and Blog World Expo. This year she’ll be speaking at SXSW Interactive and returning to speak at Blogher.

Amani Channel is an award-winning video producer, and specializes in traditional, and new media.

He is the content manager at Public Broadcasting Atlanta for the www.lensonatlanta.org social community. He is also the founder of a media consulting, video production company called Visual Eye Media. The company offers high definition video production services, media training, and social media solutions for companies, organizations, and individuals.

His content, commentaries, and reports have been featured on on NPR, APTN (Associated Press Television News), CNN, Headline News, BET, Black Family Channel, HDNews, local news stations and across the Web.

Channel also writes and vlogs at www.MyUrbanReport.com. HIs site focuses on new media production, tutorials, and urban issues. He’s produced hundreds of video podcasts, and mobile videos that are distributed across the Web. He shoots, edits, and is the talent for the videos. In addition, he is the host of on online TV show called www.mediaconnection.tv.

In 2009, Channel was honored by the Telly Awards and Marcom Awards for media projects he wrote, produced, and directed for Oglethorpe University and Metro Atlanta YouthBuild.

Channel also speaks at conferences, workshops, and universities across the country about traditional and new media. He’s taught video production at Hillsborough Community College, and the Connecticut School of Broadcasting in Tampa, FL, and Kennesaw State University.

He is currently working towards completing a Masters in Mass Communications from the University of South Florida.
His thesis is titled: “Gatekeeping and Citizen Journalism: A Qualitative Examination of Participatory Media.”

Website: www.visualeyemedia.com

Gwen is a communications and marketing professional whose career spans a number of industries, including publishing, education, automotive, fashion, television, stage, film, and communications. Gwen holds a BBA in Information Technology and dual-Masters degrees in Journalism/Mass Communications and Television/Film Production.

The award-winning filmmaker and nationally syndicated editor is also the author of the best-selling relationship manual for women, If It Walks Like a Duck…and Other Truths My Mother Taught Me.

Her work in the digital space has directly influenced over a billion social media impressions. Throughout her career, she has coordinated numerous social media integrations and brand alliances, most notably with the Martha Stewart Show and the Steve Harvey Morning Show. Additionally, her work has been featured in numerous web articles, and her expertise in the field has been sought out and quoted in the a number of nationally distributed publications.

As a member of Ford Motor Company’s corporate communications staff, Gwen holds the title of Global Digital Communications Manager, and helps navigate the digital & social media waters for the Fortune 10 company. Under the leadership of Scott Monty, she is part of the strategic execution team on all corporate social media and digital communications activities.

Blog: www.gwenpeake.com
Twitter: @gwenpeake
Facebook: facebook.com/gwenpeake
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gwenjpeake

Come back tomorrow to see who’s next on the list.

Tristan Walker has experience across a great number of verticals. After graduating as valedictorian with a 4.0 GPA at Stony Brook University, he went on to work as an oil trader for Lehman Brothers and JP Morgan Chase. Passionate about entrepreneurship, however, he went on to apply and be admitted to the Stanford Graduate School of Business, one of the top business schools in the world.

It was there where he gained an appreciation for tech entrepreneurship, and found his way into an internship with Twitter, Inc. There, He led a team of Stanford students to perform market research on business applications of the Twitter platform as an input for the company’s product roadmap and created original case studies from for both internal and external communications on best practices and compelling use cases for corporate Twitter usage, which became the foundation for a new website section on use of Twitter by businesses (“Twitter 101)

He is now head of Business Development at Foursquare Labs inc (foursquare.com) and responsible for some of the recent brand integrations on the platform, like Metro News (foursquare.com/metronews) and BravoTV (foursquare.com/bravo).

He loves his wife dearly!

Come back tomorrow to see who’s next on the list.

Angela Benton’s experience spans a variety of industries and roles.  She has worked at several InterActive Corp businesses including RealEstate.com, LendingTree.com, and RushmoreDrive.com.  Additionally she has held roles at Bizjournals.com, UPS, and Homes of Color Magazine.  Throughout her career she has worked in a variety of roles in design, marketing, development, and digital strategy.  Her expertise lies in New Media.

Presently Angela is the CEO of Black Web Media, which publishes BlackWeb20.com the leading online publication for African-Americans interested in Technology and New Media. Black Web Media’s mission is to be a catalyst for innovation and inclusive ideas on the web for African-Americans.

Angela also speaks on topics such as diversity in the web and media industries, web trends, web strategy, and web 2.0’s effects on urban media.  She was recently named as one of Ebony Magazine’s Power 150 in the Technology and New Media category along side David Drummond (Google) and Ray Ramsey (One Economy Corporation).

Angela graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communications with a specialization in Digital Design. She has also completed postgraduate coursework in Graphic Design from Savannah College of Art and Design.

Come back tomorrow to see who’s next on the list.