PLATFORM

Alex Rivera, Filmmaker, Digital Media Artist Alex Rivera has been telling new, urgent, and visually adventurous Latino stories for the past 15 years. Rivera is a Sundance Fellow, Rockefeller Fellow, and was named one of Variety Magazine’s “10 Directors to Watch.” He was born in 1973 to a native of Peru and a native of New Jersey. He’s professionally based in New York, but lives in Los Angeles.

Group discussion with journalist Harry Allen Harry talks with session speakers about the power to create. He delves into what it takes to put pen to paper to bring to life vivid and inclusive futures that have the potential to impact our current course.

Tananarive Due, Author, Screenwriter, Producer, Educator The winner of an American Book Award and a NAACP Image Award, Tananarive Due is the author of twelve novels and a civil rights memoir. In 2013, Due co-produced a short film, Danger Word, with her husband, Steven Barnes, and director Luchina Fisher. Alongside such luminaries as Nobel Prize-winner Toni Morrison, Due received the “New Voice in Literature Award” at the Yari Yari Pamberi conference co-sponsored by New York University’s Institute of African-American Affairs and African Studies Program and the Organization of Women Writers of Africa. Due has a B.S. in journalism from Northwestern University and an M.A. in English literature from the University of Leeds, England, where she specialized in Nigerian literature as a Rotary Foundation Scholar.

Group discussion with Van Jones While wealth, power and influence are changing hands, not everyone as joined the struggle. And those that are not engaged in the revolution are at risk of not having a seat at the table when the final treaties are signed.

A Conversation With Jesse Jackson, Founder and President, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition The Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. is one of America’s foremost civil rights, religious and political figures. Over the past 40 years, he has played a pivotal role in virtually every movement for empowerment, peace, civil rights, gender equality, and economic and social justice. Currently, Jackson is speaking out about a lack of diversity in Silicon Valley. He talks with Platform founder Hank Williams about what needs to happen to close the gap.

Group discussion with radio and TV journalist Maria Hinojosa The old cliché’ is that leaders are born, not made. But is that true? So, what is required to effectively lead technological revolution? Maria Hinojosa talks to session speakers about what they think.

Janelle Monáe with Chuck Lightning and Nate ‘rocket” Wonder, Wondaland Productions Janelle Monáe is a Grammy Award -nominated singer-songwriter, performer, producer and CoverGirl spokesperson. Monáe is known for her unique style and groundbreaking sound. In 2010, Monáe released the highly anticipated and critically acclaimed album The ArchAndroid, which earned her two Grammy Award nominations. In 2013, her celebrated album The Electric Lady reached No. 5 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart. The video for the album's first single, “Q.U.E.E.N.,” received a coveted MTV VMA Moonman. In 2013, Monáe received Billboard’s prestigious 2013 Rising Star Award. After moving to Atlanta, Georgia in 2001, she met OutKast's Big Boi, and then founded the Wondaland Arts Society with some like-minded young artists, releasing her first EP The Audition in 2003.

David Ortiz, Founder and CEO, Deuces Digital David Ortiz is a creative business leader with 18 years of experience in the entertainment and digital media industry. His proficiency is in strategy, creative leadership, and business development to deliver industry leading experiences, distribution, and technology. Ortiz’s executive production experience translates well to many genres of media development, be it game development, web development, film development, technology development, or product development. He has taken Deuces Digital from launch to acquisition in three years. This company is pioneering in the real time sports prediction market of fantasy sports and sports betting. Ortiz was named #29 of the top 100 Most Influential People in Gaming. He’s also won multiple “Gaming of the Year” awards.

Ben Jealous, Partner, Kapor Capital, former CEO, NAACP Ben Jealous stepped down from his post at the NAACP at the end of 2013. The youngest president in its history, he began his career at age 18 opening mail at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Jealous has been a leader of successful state and local movements to ban the death penalty, outlaw racial profiling, defend voting rights, secure marriage equality, and free multiple wrongfully incarcerated people. He has been named to the 40 under 40 lists of both Forbes and Time magazines. He is #1 on TheRoot.com’s 2013 list of black leaders under 45. He holds a BA from Columbia University and a MA from the University of Oxford , where he was a Rhodes Scholar.

Rodney Sampson, Founder and CEO, Opportunity Hub Rodney Sampson is a social innovator, serial entrepreneur, angel investor, published author, and consecrated bishop. Opportunity Ecosystem includes opportunity.HUB a co-working space, knowledge hub, coding school and accelerator located in downtown Atlanta. opportunity.HUB is home to opportunity.VENTURES, a new seed and early stage fund focused on making investments in early stage consumer facing, technology and disruptive social enterprise based companies that impact culture and beyond. Sampson earned a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Tulane University and a MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management.

Tiffany Norwood, Founder and CEO, Tribetan Tiffany Norwood is a serial entrepreneur, former investment banker, accomplished painter, a patented inventor and a competitive athlete. She is one of the pioneers of digital satellite radio; responsible for a Series A raise of nearly one billion dollars to launch WorldSpace/XM Radio; as well as, an early investor and collaborator in MPEG technology, later to be known as MP3 and MP4. Her company, Tribetan, is a start-up developing a universal platform for collaborative intelligence, with the vision of enabling millions of minds to create, invent, innovate or problem solve as one. Norwood has a MBA from Harvard and a Bachelor’s in Economics with a concentration in statistics and electrical engineering from Cornell University.

Paul Judge, Vice President, Chief Research Officer, Barracuda Networks Paul Judge is a serial entrepreneur, noted scholar and active investor. He has founded multiple companies that grew and resulted in successful acquisitions. Tech Square Labs is a company-building studio. In 2009, Barracuda Networks acquired Purewire Inc, a leading Web security-as-a-service company that Judge cofounded. He is an inventor of about 30 patented and patent-pending computer security technologies. Judge has spearheaded multiple research initiatives and founded the Internet Research Task Force’s Anti-Spam Research Group. Judge holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Morehouse College, and received his Ph.D. and M.S. in Network Security from Georgia Tech.

A Conversation with James Shelton, III For more than five years, James Shelton, III has been with the U.S. Department of Education. Currently as Deputy Secretary, he oversees a broad range of management, policy and program functions. He is a 1989 Graduate of Morehouse College.

Leading the Revolution Shellye Archambeau, CEO Metricstream Shellye Archambeau is a guest lecturer at her alma mater, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She is also a writer, co-authoring the book Marketing That Works and a regular contributor for Xconomy. At Metricstream, she oversees the Silicon Valley-based Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) and Quality Management software company that helps companies around the world improve their business performance. Archambeau has proven global business expertise combined with public policy passion. In April 2013, she was named the “#2 Most Influential African American in Technology” by Business Insider.

Mike Blake, former Deputy Associate Director, Office of Public Engagement, The White House Michael Blake often humbly refers to the words of his mother who remarked that the family had gone, “from no house to the White House.” His family emigrated to the U.S. from Jamaica seeking new opportunities. Blake is the director of Public Policy & External Affairs for Green For All, a national organization working to build an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty. He also is the senior advisor for Operation Hope. Michael served as the Senior Advisor for the Office of Public Engagement for President Obama’s 2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee. Blake is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Pamela Thomas-Graham, Chief Marketing and Talent Officer, Credit Suisse At Credit Suisse, Pamela Thomas-Graham has global responsibility for overseeing human resources, corporate marketing, and branding and advertising. She also is responsible for designing and developing market segment strategies to attract and grow client relationships in key communities, including women, African-Americans and the LGBT community. Thomas-Graham is the first woman to be appointed to the Executive Board of Credit Suisse in the bank’s history. Thomas-Graham graduated with an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a J.D. with honors from Harvard Law School, where she was a member of the Harvard Law Review. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude from Harvard University with a B.A. in Economics.

Carmen Rojas, Founding Executive Director, The Future of Work Action Center The Future of Work Action Center is an innovation lab for worker justice. As founding executive director, Carmen Rojas partners with social movement leaders, philanthropic institutions, technology entrepreneurs, and high road employers to support projects that significantly improve worker’s economic conditions and that have the promise to scale throughout entire sectors and geographies. Previously, Rojas was the Director of Strategic Programs at the Mitchell Kapor Foundation, where she oversaw the Foundation’s Green Access and Civic Engagement programs. Rojas holds a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley and was a Fulbright Scholar in 2007.

Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobile and Business Solutions Platform Summit 2014 opens with a candid conversation between Platform founder Hank Williams and Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobile and Business Solutions and Morehouse College Trustee. de la Vega has been with AT&T Mobility since Oct. 2007. Under his leadership, AT&T Mobility has become one of the world's leading smartphone and mobile Internet providers. He has received numerous awards recognizing his leadership, including inductions into the Atlanta Business Hall of Fame and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund's Alumni Hall of Fame. He also is featured in the HBO original documentary, "The Latino List," which profiles notable and influential Latinos in America. He is the author of the best-selling book Obstacles Welcome: Turn Adversity to Advantage in Business and Life (Thomas Nelson, 2009).

10,000 Innovators announcement with Hank Williams, Mitchell Kapor, Freada Kapor Klein and Dr. John Silvanus Wilson Jr. Platform, Morehouse College and the Level Playing Institute announce the formation of 10,000 Innovators. The program is focused on bringing more underrepresented minorities into the tech industry.

Deldelp Medina, Founder, Avion Ventures Deldelp Medina is the founder of Avión Ventures, a Latina focused accelerator for mobile platforms. This unique program is for U.S. born Latinas and Latin Americans. It’s a combination of in-person & virtual curriculum designed to grow the opportunities of Latinas in tech. Medina also is president of the Latino Startup Alliance where she is working to make tech entrepreneurship a priority in the Latino community. Medina’s family is originally from Barranquilla, Colombia. She has lived in the San Francisco Bay area since the age of eight.

Kesha Cash, Partner and Director of Investments, Impact America; Co-Founder and Fund Manager, Jalia Ventures In her role at Impact America, Kesha Cash oversees high growth companies that generate real financial returns while improving the well being of underserved communities and creating quality jobs in America. Impact America supports best-in-class, diverse entrepreneurs with a mission to serve low and moderate income consumers through scaling businesses focused on health and well being, education, essential services and financial security. In 2010, Cash co-launched Jalia Ventures. Her responsibilities include sourcing and evaluating investment opportunities, negotiating deal terms, and providing business support to portfolio companies. She received her BA in Applied Mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley and her MBA from Columbia Business School.

MC Means Move the Crowd Group discussion with author and journalist Nadira Hira Journalist Nadira Hira leads a discussion with session speakers about how we use our influence to engage in and impact a cultural, social and structural metamorphosis.

Paula Madison, Chairman and CEO, Madison Media Management Madison Media Management invests primarily in emerging media, entertainment and communication businesses. Madison retired from NBC Universal, where she had been executive vice president of Diversity as well as a vice president of the General Electric Company (GE), then the parent company of NBCU. During her 22 years with NBCU, Madison held a number of successful leadership roles, including president and general manager of NBC4 Los Angeles; Los Angeles regional general manager for NBCU’s Telemundo TV stations; and vice president and news director of NBC4 New York. Black Enterprise magazine named Madison one of the “75 Most Powerful African Americans in Corporate America” in 2005. Madison holds a Bachelor's degree in History and Black Studies from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY.

Lucinda Martinez, SVP Multicultural Marketing, HBO An industry-recognized sales and marketing expert with more than 18 years of experience in media and entertainment, Lucinda Martinez has a strong record of contributions in sales, marketing, new business development, new product launches, promotions and brand management. She has collaboratively led branding, acquisition and retention efforts in making HBO Latino the most recognized Latino premium channel on television, and has helped create meaningful, long-term connections to the HBO brands within the rapidly changing cross cultural marketplace. Martinez holds a BA from Columbia University.

Keith Clinkscales, CEO, Revolt Keith Clinkscales oversees an aggressive strategy to make REVOLT the new #1 name in music by focusing on building a network that is real-time, multi- platform and fueled by artists and fans. Part of his mission is to grow relationships with charter advertisers. Clinkscales comes to REVOLT with more than 20 years of experience creating content in the areas of sports and lifestyle. Clinkscales earned a BS in accounting and finance from Florida A&M University and a MBA from Harvard Business School.

Group discussion with Ty Ahmad-Taylor Ahmad-Taylor talks to session speakers about the successes and pitfalls of starting a new business with no hard and fast rules.

Dr. John Silvanus Wilson Jr., president, Morehouse College Dr. Wilson brings greetings and shares why the vision of Platform is so ably aligned with his vision for Morehouse College and why the City of Atlanta is the place for Platform conversations to take place. Hank Williams, Founder, Platform Summit 2014 For the second time in two years, Hank Williams has watched his vision come to life. He shares with the audience why he founded Platform and what he hopes to accomplish with Platform Summit and other programs related to his vision.

Felix Ortiz, CEO, Virdis Learning Felix Ortiz is passionate about entrepreneurship, having started several companies, including Visionary Trade & Export, which he founded at age 20. As CEO of Virdis Learning, Ortiz focuses an education technology that combines workforce education and human capital solutions for the middle-skill workforce. In 2008, Ortiz served on the National Finance Committee Council for then-presidential candidate Barack Obama, and was a member of the advisory group for International Trade & Economics on the Obama-Biden Transition Team. During the 2012 presidential campaign, Ortiz served as a national co-chair of Gen44. Ortiz served his country in the U.S. Army 18th Airborne Corps and JAG Corps, and then attended St. John’s University.

Pamela Thomas-Graham, Chief Marketing and Talent Officer, Credit Suisse At Credit Suisse, Pamela Thomas-Graham has global responsibility for overseeing human resources, corporate marketing, and branding and advertising. She also is responsible for designing and developing market segment strategies to attract and grow client relationships in key communities, including women, African-Americans and the LGBT community. Thomas-Graham is the first woman to be appointed to the Executive Board of Credit Suisse in the bank’s history. Thomas-Graham graduated with an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a J.D. with honors from Harvard Law School, where she was a member of the Harvard Law Review. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude from Harvard University with a B.A. in Economics.

Ty Ahmad-Taylor, Vice President, SmartTV Services, Samsung Electronics Ty Ahmad-Taylor has worked at the intersection of technology and media for the last 17 years, including time at the New York Times, Excite@Home, Comcast, Viacom and his startup, FanFeedr. As founder of FanFeedr, Ahmad-Taylor’s team created an operating system for sports content that delivered news and information for more than 4,000 sports teams and 55,000 players directly to social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, as well as mobile, web and television devices. He landed at Samsung after the company acquired FanFeedr in 2012.

Adora Udoji, Founder and CEO, Outloud Adora Udoji is an entrepreneur, angel investor, journalist and lawyer. Her company Outloud, is a startup focused on the stories we tell out loud. In 2013, she was selected as a Pipeline Fund Fellow, which focuses on angel investing. Udoji serves as a mentor for Women Innovate Mobile, a startup accelerator and she also advises several startups at the nexus of new media and technology. She holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Michigan and a JD from the UCLA School of Law.

MC Means Move the Crowd: Topper Carew has won more than 40 film and television awards, and eight Gold Medals for graphic design. He founded an independent production company, Rainbow Television Workshop, which produced content for PBS, HBO, Showtime, Nickelodeon and The Disney Channel. His prime time television series, Martin, enjoys the rarified distinction of ongoing off network syndication. Carew is the director of an Innovation and Inclusion Initiative at the Media Lab where he is working on the collaborative design, creation and launch of iCenters at a select group of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Carew has Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Environmental Design degrees from Yale University and a Doctor of Communications from the Union Graduate School/Institute for Policy Studies.

Van Jones, Founder, #YesWeCode Van Jones is a visionary leader at the forefront of the social, economic, environmental and racial justice movements of the last 20 years. He is the founder of #YesWeCode, a national initiative to help train 100,000 low-opportunity youth code to become high-level computer coders. Jones is also the president and co-founder of Rebuild the Dream, a platform for bottom-up, people-powered innovations to help fix the U.S. economy. A Yale-educated attorney, Jones has written two New York Times best sellers: The Green Collar Economy, the definitive book on green jobs, and Rebuild the Dream, a roadmap for progressives in 2012 and beyond. In 2009, Jones worked as the green jobs advisor to the Obama White House. He helped run the inter-agency process that oversaw $80 billion in green energy recovery spending.

Heather Hiles, CEO, Pathbrite Pathbrite is the world's first Portfolio Learning Platform. Launched in 2012, the company currently supports more than 500 schools, colleges, universities and companies. It’s headquartered in San Francisco, CA. Before founding Pathbrite, Heather Hiles built a solid career in education, workforce development and finance spanning more than 20 years. A successful serial entrepreneur, her leadership experience includes positions as founder or leader of several private and public sector organizations. Hiles received her BA from UC Berkeley in Economic Development and holds an MBA from Yale University, with a concentration in Finance and Strategic Planning.

Francesca Escoto, Founder and CEO, Startups for Social Impact and Innovation Lab Francesca Escoto started her first venture designing software to track the performance of aircraft engines in 1998, and has since started multiple businesses. Equipped with 15 years of strategic planning experience, and charged with passion for sustainable social change, Escoto is leading a new kind of revolution: To fight poverty by growing existing micro-enterprises through tech. She has an Industrial Engineering & Management degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and was born and raised in the Dominican Republic.