Sheree Adams

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Sheree is a loving wife and busy mom to three amazing and energetic kids. She is a work-at-home mom, registered nurse, blogger and speaker who loves all things related to health. Currently, she is a regular contributor for Black and Married with Kids, Hilton Mom Voyage (Hilton Hotels) and Saratoga Mama Magazine.  When she's not traveling or blogging, this self-proclaimed foodie is always plotting her next 30 minute meal to cook and post on her own blog, Smart & Sassy Mom:  www.smartnsassymom.com

 

Kristen Bolton-Keys

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Kristin Bolton-Keys is an experienced Mobile Product Manager, responsible for both mobile web and mobile app user experience and strategy. She has an Economics degree from  Spelman College, and an MBA from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. Her passion for teaching and helping others is what led her to create the Digital Moguls blog in 2011. Kristin is a digital media fanatic, active in many tech community initiatives, enjoys playing coed flag football and is training to become a visual practitioner. She currently resides in Dallas, TX. 

 

Tiffany "The Budgetnista" Aliche 

 

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Tiffany “The Budgetnista” Aliche is a speaker and passionate, award winning teacher of fun financial empowerment. Since 2008, The Budgetnista has specialized in the delivery of financial literacy education that includes seminars, workshops, curricula and trainings. Tiffany is also the bestselling author of the book, The One Week Budget (#1 Amazon / budgeting).
Tiffany is the financial literacy expert for City National Bank and she and her financial advice have been featured on the TODAY show, PBS, Pix11 Morning News, News 12 New Jersey, The New York Times, ESSENCE Magazine, FORBES, PBS, The Star Ledger, Ebony Magazine, Fox Business, MSNBC, Redbook, CBS MoneyWatch, Black Enterprise, USA TODAY, as well as numerous online publications.  She also blogs about personal finance, for The Huffington Post.

Elisa Camahort Page

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Elisa Camahort Page co-founded BlogHer, Inc., in 2005 with Jory Des Jardins and Lisa Stone, and serves as the company’s COO. With Elisa leading the BlogHer conference business, it has grown from a single conference hosting 300 attendees in 2005, to many diverse events that hosted more than 5,000 attendees in 2013. Elisa’s work leading consumer insights and public relations has resulted in coverage from many leading media outlets, including USA TODAY, New York Times, Washington Post, Advertising Age, Forbes, Fast Company,CNN, TODAY Show, the Wall Street Journal, and more.

BlogHer, Inc. was named among the AlwaysOn OnMedia Top 100 for 2010-2013, as one of America’s Most Promising Start-ups by BusinessWeek, and as Innovator Of The Year by InfusionSoft. BlogHer’s flagship site, BlogHer.com, was named one of the Top 100 Websites for Women by Forbes for 2010-2013.

Together, BlogHer’s co-founders were named among the Fortune Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs in 2013, the Ernst & Young Winning Women Class of 2011, the most influential women in Web 2.0 and technology by Fast Company, and the seven most powerful people in new media by Forbes Magazine. In 2011, they were jointly awarded the PepsiCo Women’s Inspiration Award and in 2008, the Anita Borg Institute Social Impact Award. Elisa has also been honored as an AlwaysOn Power Player, an NCWIT Hero and as one of the AWM's Sixty@60.

Elisa is a founding Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research and serves on the Board of Directors of the 42nd Street Moon Theatre in San Francisco, the programming advisory committee for SXSW Interactive and SXSW V2V, Advisory Board for Food on the Table, the Board of Advisors of the Anita Borg Institute, Advisory Board for Our Hen House and is a Member of the Digital Hollywood Women's Entertainment and Technology Board.

Prior to co-founding BlogHer, Elisa ran a marketing consultancy, Worker Bees, which was among the first companies to integrate corporate marketing strategies into the social media environment. Before bringing her marketing expertise to the Internet industry, Elisa was a senior-level high-tech marketer, helping develop digital infrastructures for voice, video and data delivery. Her last corporate position was as Senior Director of Product Marketing at Terayon Communication Systems, where she managed a team of product managers and five product lines.

Jason Caston

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Jason Caston, Social Media and Technology Director at T.D. Jakes Ministries

Jason Caston is the author of The iChurch Method: How to Advance Your Ministry Online (ichurchmethod.com) and How to Get One Million Social Media Fans (OneMillionSocialMediaFans.com). He is an internet church strategist, digital platform strategist and developer for The Potter's House of Dallas (T.D. Jakes Ministries) and an avid blogger on digital ministry. Having worked with major ministries and built websites and social media properties that reach over five million people daily, Caston has proven that his cutting edge technological savvy and business acumen have made him a sought after Internet Church and Social Media Specialist. Caston has developed an innovative approach to helping businesses and ministries advance their online presence using The iChurch Method, a five part approach of Websites, multimedia, eCommerce, Social Media and Mobile. Connect with him on twitter @jasoncaston

 

Alicia Dixon

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Alicia Dixon is a Product Manager with a specialization in mobile software. Her expertise includes product development, product strategy, and market research. Throughout Miss Dixon’s career she has successfully produced enterprise and consumers products through positions held at leading companies including UPS, Dell, Blackboard, Fruit of the Loom, Nike & Toys R Us. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Howard University along with an MBA from Baruch College, CUNY and an MS in Marketing from the University of Alabama.  She is an active member of DC technology community and sits on the planning committee for ProductCamp DC.  Miss Dixon currently resides in Maryland.

Chip Dizard

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Chip Dizard is an entrepreneur with a passion for all things technology and media. In 2002, he founded the new media firm Absolute Presence, focusing on web development, video production, and media consulting for government agencies, non-profits, and religious organizations. That same year, he also founded Praizevision.com, an online streaming portal, where churches and ministries throughout the world can stream services live and on demand.

Alfred Edmond Jr.

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Alfred Edmond Jr. is Senior Vice President/Chief Content Officer of black enterprise. He is a content leader, brand representative and expert resource for all of the media platforms under the black enterprise brand. Edmond is responsible for overseeing editorial/content policies and enforcing quality standards for all of the major franchises and partnerships of black enterprise, including BlackEnterprise.com; black enterprise magazine; live networking events, such as the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo and the Women of Power Summit; and the Our World with Black Enterprise and Black Enterprise Business Report television shows.

 Prior to accepting his current position, Edmond was Sr. VP/Multimedia Editor-at-Large of Black Enterprise, overseeing content and circulation marketing for the company, while also providing brand and content leadership across media platforms. From 2008 through 2010, Edmond held the position of senior vice president/editor-in-chief of BlackEnterprise.com, responsible for the development of the Website’s content, as well as the hiring and overall supervision of the editorial staff. In this position, Edmond played an important leadership role in the transition of black enterprise from print magazine publisher to a digital-first multimedia content company.

 From 2000 through 2008, Edmond held the position of senior vice president/editor-in-chief of black enterprise magazine. During his tenure as chief editor of black enterprise (beginning in 1995 when he was named executive editor), the magazine’s circulation more than doubled to a rate base of 525,000 for 2008. In addition, the magazine earned nine Folio: Editorial Excellence (Eddie) Awards in the business/finance consumer magazines category, a Griot Award from the New York Association of Black Journalists, and more than a dozen other editorial and design awards under his leadership. An award-winning reporter and editor, he has been recognized by TJFR Business News Reporter as one of America’s 100 Most Influential Financial Journalists and was named to the Folio: 40 list of the most influential people in the magazine industry by Folio: Magazine in 2007.

 Edmond appears regularly on television and nationally syndicated radio, including serving as host of WVON 1690 Chicago’s The Urban Business Roundtable weekly radio show (2010-2012); host of Money Matters, a daily radio feature syndicated by American Urban Radio Networks; commentator on PBS’ Nightly Business Report; contributor to American Express OPEN Forum and The Doug Banks Show radio program; and guest expert on MSNBC’s Your Business and CNN. A nationally recognized expert on business and economic trends, Edmond is a highly sought-after public speaker and moderator. He is also an influential thought leader on several social media platforms including Twitter (http://twitter.com/alfrededmondjr) and Facebook (http://facebook.com/alfrededmondjr). Together with his partner, personal growth expert and individuality advocate Zara D. Green, Edmond leads A2Z Personal Growth Enterprises, producer of the Grown Zone multimedia initiative, including co-hosting the weekly Grown Zone Radio Show (BlogTalkRadio.com/GrownZone).

 Edmond is a member and former board member of the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME), and has served as a screener for ASME’s National Magazine (Ellie) Awards for more than a decade, including several years as a judging leader. He is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), a lifetime member of the New York Association of Black Journalists (NYABJ) and the Rutgers University Alumni Association, and a lifetime and founding member of the Rutgers African-American Alumni Alliance (RAAA). He is also a charter member of the NABJ Business Writers Task Force.

Before joining black enterprise as an associate editor in 1987, Edmond served as the senior editor of MBM/Modern Black Men Magazine (1986) and as an associate editor for the Daily Challenge (1985). He was also the managing editor of Big Red News (1983-1985, now the New York Beacon), a weekly, black newspaper in Brooklyn, New York.


Sarah Glover

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Sarah Glover is the social media editor at NBC10 Philadelphia. Sarah manages NBC10's social media portals, shoots photos and videos, and writes stories for NBC10.com. Her daily photo blog, "Daily Exposure," is a visual snapshot of her daily travels. Prior to joining the station's digital team, Sarah worked as a staff photographer at The Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News, where she worked on the Pulitzer-Prize winning "Tainted Justice" series. Follow Sarah: @skyphoto

Jullien Gordon

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Jullien Gordon is Creator of SideHustla.com and B.P.A.I.D.—an online MBA program for side hustlas. He foresees side hustling becoming the new career path for young workers. He defines side hustling as the practice of capitalizing on one’s gifts, talents, strengths, and skills to create and capture value in the world through who we are and what we do. Through his trainings at Fortune 100 companies such as Pepsi and PwC, speaking at colleges nationwide, and his website SideHustla.com, Jullien is igniting the entrepreneurial spirit of what he calls “The Incomes Generation.”

 

Jullien believes that employees create jobs too. Through his inquiry-based "innerviewing" technique and trainings, he helps professionals bring more of who they are to what they do. He has innerviewed hundreds of professionals and discovered that most have an entrepreneurial spirit and if they don’t feel free to exercise it at work, then they are likely doing it through a side hustle. Someone with a side hustle sees their employer as their biggest client, but not their only client or source of income.

Jullien's work began in the talent recruitment and development industry in 2007 with his work as the Associate Director of Talent Recruitment for Management Leadership for Tomorrow where he recruited diverse talent at the college and MBA level. From there, he went on to start his own leadership development company called The Department of Motivated Vehicles (which is now New Higher). As the Founding Parter of New Higher, Jullien uses his interviewing process to help companies and colleges understand what motivates their employees and students at a deeper level. New Higher’s introspective techniques, trainings, and tools seek to motivate, engage, and retain talent to increase presence, productivity, and profit.

Jullien trained at the Stanford Graduate School of Business where he focused on organizational behavior, high performance leadership, strategy, and entrepreneurship. Jullien is also the author of four books on career advancement, finding purpose, goal achievement, and closing the college-to-career gap to help young professional discover their life's work and make their highest contribution to the world through their daily work.

Will Hatcher

 

Comedian, Social Entrepreneur and Author- Will Hatcher aka Willie Dynomite is on a mission to change the trajectory of comedy through technology and at the same time change technology through comedy. His mission to make people laugh by any means necessary has led him to being featured on MTV, BET, CNN, the Huffington Post and several national commercials. In 2007 Hatcher launched Delicious Bath Water, a tech driven sketch comedy site and production company. Since then Delicious Bath Water has generated over 26 million hits on the web. Ever since the age of 3, Will has been on a quest for total world domination by tackling the world of stand-up comedy and in the span of two years was named one of the top college comedians by Rooftop Comedy, an NBC Stand Up for Diversity Finalist, and Winner of the South Beach Comedy Festival. Hatcher is the author of the book “Look Like a Man, Act Like a Bitch”. In his personal time will enjoys reading, playing the piano and training for the zombie apocalypse.

  

Marsha Horton Barnes

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Marsha Horton Barnes, a corporate trainer by trade and a devout finance coach 24-7, Marsha has over 11 years of finance experience, she is the founder of Financial Empowerment, a non-profit organization based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

 Marsha is dedicated to providing financial education and coaching to women, young adults, and children. Financial Empowerment offers educational programs, seminars, and sessions covering various personal finance topics to include: Saving, Budgeting, Debt Management, Credit Control, and Small Business-Consulting.

Committed to Financial Empowerment and its mission, Marsha has taken a holistic approach in her community and beyond by making appearances on WCCB-Fox News Rising, Fox News Carolinas Channel 4, and as a contributor to Single and Living Fab, Founding Editor Jacque Reid, and on Steel Leather Lace Elephant created by pRoy.

 Marsha holds both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Management and Leadership, she is a Certified Financial Education Instructor, and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.  In her free time, Marsha enjoys spending time with those dearest to her heart (her husband and son).

Miriam Nicole Huffman

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As founder of One Loop Consulting, Incorporated, Miriam Nicole Huffman, Esquire, “The Lifestyle Plan Strategist™,” provides Lifestyle Blueprint Business Consulting Programs for entrepreneurs of start-ups and small businesses. Miriam Nicole’s services are designed to help her clients achieve business success that can only be found through building a strong foundation where their individual faith, family, and finances work in harmony.  It is her belief that one cannot labor in freedom when the foundation is in chaos.  In an effort to avoid a future collapse, Miriam Nicole strives to assist the entrepreneur in establishing a firm footing from the start.

In addition to her role as a lifestyle plan strategist, Miriam Nicole is the author of The Girlfriend Code: Ten Secrets to Living Happily Ever After…After a Break-Up and Peaceful Pain: 7 Truths to Help You Heal from Divorce.   She is the creator and host of The Quip: Hot Entrepreneur and Law News Radio Show and has appeared as an expert guest on shows including NPR Radio’s WEAA 88.9 FM’s BriefCase Workshop, The Terri Craig Show, and The Business Marketing Podcast.

A Houston native, she holds a journalism degree and Juris Doctor from the University of Texas at Austin.  A licensed attorney since 2001, she is certified in family and business mediation and the founder and director of Our Daughters and Sons’ Keepers, Inc. which is a nonprofit dedicated to preventing child abuse.  Miriam Nicole lives in Houston with her husband and son.

AISHA JEFFERSON

Aisha I. Jefferson is the editor of Comcast's XFINITY CelebrateBlackTV.com,  the premier destination for the very best in entertainment.. She also writes a daily column, "Can't Stop Watching," where she opines about the latest in TV and film. Aisha has more than a decade's experience in media, having worked various beats throughout her career including as a lifestyle blogger for AOL’s BlackVoices.com and Atlanta contributor for The Root. Aisha got her start in journalism as a staff newspaper reporter, and has covered everything from politics and education to drug busts, child molestation cases and murders to some of the biggest commercial real estate deals in the country.  Her work has frequently appeared in Black Enterprise, Essence, Uptown Professional, Jet, Heart & Soul, O, The Oprah Magazine South Africa and their respective web sites.  Aisha also has interviewed a variety of subjects including Oprah Winfrey, Kevin Hart, Maya Angelou, Spike Lee, India.Arie, Tyler Perry and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. Follow her on Twitter: @AishaIman

Brandi Jeter-Riley

Brandi Jeter-Riley is the Sr. Manager of Community Relations at Collective Bias’ Oakland, California office. She is passionate about working with the thousands of bloggers who make up the Social Fabric community at Collective Bias. In her role, Brandi partners with clients and online influencers to create engaging digital campaigns, and has worked with national brands like Mars, Crayola, and Hallmark in her 2 years with CB. In addition to that, she is responsible for managing blogger engagement projects like the SoFab Champions ambassador program, and leads the Blogger Mentor program. Brandi has coached hundreds of Bloggers on everything from blog design to content and career planning. Brandi is dedicated to encouraging not only Social Fabric members but all women who want to share their stories online. In addition to working with Collective Bias, she writes for her own blogs, Mama Knows It All, BrandiRiley.com and is the co-founder of the authentic support blogger group, Pushing Lovely. Brandi is a happy newlywed, and anxious, overbearing mom to an outrageously adorable, soon to be kindergartener.

ARSHA JONES

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Arsha Jones has spent the last 15+ years in web design and technology fields. With a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University (Go Rams!), she began her career as the dot com bubble exploded and survived the burst unscathed.

In 2009, with her entrepreneurial spirit, Arsha created BrandBuildSell, a free online resource for beginners who want to get started online, without the fluff and used car salesman tactics.

 

She is now preparing for the launch of her first iOS app, The Big Chop, a natural hair makeover iOS app for brown girls.

www.brandbuildsell.com
www.arshajones.com

www.thebigchopapp.com

 

Michael Scott Jones

Michael Scott Jones (@mikescottjones)
Director of Multimedia, Interactive One

Michael Scott Jones has over 15 years experience in digital multimedia and communications, including strategy, production and distribution of editorial content, sales, marketing and promotional media for online, broadcast and print. He has managed multimedia development for large media companies and start-ups including Radio One, Interactive One, AOL/Time-Warner, HBO/Volume.com, MNN and GIANT Magazine. He holds a B.A. in directing and theatrical production from Rutgers University.
 

Nadia Jones

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Nadia is the CEO of the Niche Parent Network, a diverse network of digital influencers and bloggers. Through the network, she connects influential bloggers and online influencers to brands to drive online conversations, drive sales, and visibility to national advertising and marketing campaigns. As an experienced Social Media Strategist, she offers clients measurable, creative solutions for user generated campaigns and blogger outreach efforts. She has executed campaigns with global brands such as Sears, Whirlpool, Kitchen-Aid, Glade, HBO, Lexus, and many others both in the general market and multicultural segments. 

The Niche Parent is also the host of the annual Niche Parent Social Media Conference, the first social media conference devoted to the diverse and multicultural parent niche.

Nadia’s conferences and network have attracted brands such as Glade, GMC, P&G, Kimberly-Clark, Sears, Ford Motor Company, Strength of Nature, Whirlpool, and more.

Nadia has spoken on social media and blogging at BlogHer, Hispanicize, LATISM, and presented for small businesses and large brands to develop their social media and content marketing strategies.

Nadia’s passion for social media turned into two successful endeavors changing the way brands market and connect with diverse and multicultural women. In 2009, she created and co-founded Blogalicious Weekend. In 2012, Nadia launched The Niche Parent Network & Conference.

Nadia, a recovering lawyer, started blogging seven years ago on MamaLaw. Today, Nadia shares her stories on her personal blog, JusticeJonesie.com, where she offers her readers tips, advice, and ramblings about motherhood, entrepreneurship, and healthy living. 

Nadia has been named a Top People of Color Impacting the Social Web, Top Bloguera by LATISM in 2012 & 2013, invited to Washington D.C. for a special White House Retreat for top Latina bloggers, and one of Top Ten Mompreneurs to Watch in 2013 by Mommy Noir. She’s been featured on Huffington Post Live, CNN Headline News, More Magazine, Southern Living Magazine, Latina Magazine, The Miami Herald, contributed a weekly column on CaféMom, and more.

Connect with her on Twitter @JusticeJonesie and @NicheParent. 

Jaha Knight

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Jaha Knight is an author, professional speaker, personal development and brand coach.She is the owner of Karasi Media Group; a company that excels in publishing, business branding and multi-media marketing.Jaha’s career in the marketing & design industry spans 17 years and she holds a bachelors degree in graphic communications.As a business owner, she began her first business in 2003, an african-american newspaper with extended distribution. 

While publishing the newspaper she was able to interview J. Anthony Brown, Darius Rucker and Anthony Hamilton. In 2006, she became a certified instructor of graphic communications and taught for a number of years.During that time, she developed a love of educating others but media was still one of her interests.Her interview with J. Anthony Brown had sparked the idea to create a radio show. In 2008, The Jackson Knight Show was born.It was a talk show for women, focused on personal development, business and goal setting. The show was a success, creating a platform on local radio that promoted positive production of self to the show’s demographic. 

It was this show that afforded her the opportunity to interview Abiodun Oyewole, one of her favorite poets.After a three year run on radio, Jaha relocated to Atlanta and took her platform to a worldwide stage by using podcasting, and blogging as her medium. She is now the published author of three personal development books, fiction novels and is the voice of four podcasts; Love + Sex + Cupid Podcast, Lady Entrepreneur Podcast, Crafting Your Ideal Lifescape Podcast and the Scandal Podcast.

Tola Lawal

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" You couldn't tell me that I wasn’t going to be Khadijah James from Living Single, and run my own FLAVOR magazine. I knew it was my destiny".

... but things don’t always go as planned.

Tola Lawal, native New Yorker and graduate of Pace University has the breadth and depth of experience of professionals twice her age. Having worked for media giant Viacom subsidiaries MTV and BET, and hip hop mogul Sean “P.Diddy” Combs’ wildly successful Blue Flame Agency, Tola has had the opportunity to create and lead successful public relations, traditional and digital marketing campaigns that have transformed brands into national media hallmarks. One of her remarkable accomplishments includes successfully launching the Digital Ambassador program while at the Blue Flame Agency, which increased the digital conversation surrounding the Cîroc Ultra Premium Vodka, and the Diddy Dirty Money “Last Train to Paris” album.

In addition, Tola has led her own SixOne7Creative imprint to secure a respectable client portfolio that includes Carol’s Daughter, VH1, Reality Star Tami Roman, Ryan Leslie, Super Producers The Olympicks, Columbia Pictures and a bevy of other known brands. With a specialization in strategic marketing for the youth, Tola’s work has truly shaped how firms market products to a younger generation of consumer.

When Tola is not strategically planning branding initiatives in her current position as a Manager in the Brand Solutions/ Ad Sales department at BET, she spends her time building her Marketing and Branding company, SixOne7Creative and on community activism through her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She currently lives and plays in NYC, DJ's when the spirit moves her, and is a serial domain and lipstick buyer. She owns over 45 domains and about 75 tubes of lipstick!

Sarah Milstein

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Sarah Milstein is CEO and co-founder, with Eric Ries, of Lean Startup Productions, a media company that teaches people how to build and scale startups. She is also co-author, with Tim O'Reilly, of The Twitter Book, and she writes regularly about race, gender and merit-based decision making. Her career has spanned the tech and media sectors, including hosting influential conferences like Web 2.0 Expo and Tools of Change for Publishing (TOC). During the first wave of the commercial Internet, she was a regular freelance contributor to The New York Times, among other outlets. Before that, she founded Just Food’s CSA in NYC program and helped children’s musician Laurie Berkner launch her record label.  She blogs at Dogs and Shoes, contributes to other sites, and splits her time between New York and San Francisco. She holds an MBA from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business and a BA from Rutgers University. Bonus fact: She was the 21st user of Twitter.

Tonya Rapley

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Tonya Rapley is founder and editor of My Fab Finance, an anthropologist, habitual do-gooder, and motivator. Possessing over 10 years of marketing experience working with some of the world's leading brands, Tonya founded the site in 2013 as a way to address the lack of financial information being disseminated to the African American community. Tonya is also active in the fight against domestic violence, creating programming and conversations around domestic violence, and ending violence against women in our communities. Ms. Rapley is a Charlotte, North Carolina native. She possesses a BA in Public Administration from Florida International University and Masters degree in Urban Policy & Affairs from Brooklyn College.

 

Keisha J. Reed

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Keisha J. Reed is a media strategist, writer and self- proclaimed techie living in Baltimore, MD. She is the founder of KJR Consulting, a web agency specializing in website strategy and digital media management. She blogs about social media and nonprofits at her self titled blog, Keisha J. Reed. (www.keishajreed.com

Additionally, Keisha provides her insight on urban life and technology at City Girl Goes Digital, where she is known to never turn down a good sci- fi show review. She's also a frequent contributor to BlogHer, the Web's leading guide to the hottest news and trends among women in social media.

 Trained in Public Relations and Communication, Keisha has presented on issues and trends surrounding digital communications and technology at numerous conferences over the years. They include: W.O.M.E.N Conference, GiveCamp, Women of The World, Heal A Women to Heal a Nation, among others. 

Raised in Washington, DC, Keisha's commitment to raising the awareness of the digital divide and placing more girls in STEM is a lifelong passion. When she is not settled in with a good book, she enjoys the company of family and friends around the dinner table.

Jacque Reid

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Journalist Jacque Reid is a long time journalists with a background in entertainment and news. Over the course of her career she has interviewed some of the most influential and interesting people, including James Brown, Tom Cruise, Jane Fonda, Will Smith, Sheryl Crow, Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, Aretha Franklin, Dave Chapelle and many more.

Currently, Jacque can be seen daily as a co-host on NBC 4 New York's much celebrated, celebrity and lifestyle show, New York Live. The show features the city's best food and fashion in addition to top celebrity guests.

Jacque is also a regular part of the nationally syndicated and hugely popular radio program, The Tom Joyner Morning Show. Jacque reports on women and women's issues on her Inside Her Story segments. Jacque is also a regular guest pop culture panelists on CNN and the Joy Behar show. Jacque also served as a regular guest co-host for The View, was a contributor for Anderson Cooper's daytime talk show and has appeared on ABC's Nightline and CNN's Larry King Live. She also served as an anchor and host for the TV One network, providing coverage of Michael Jackson's public memorial, President Barack Obama's road to the White House, as well as the history making election of President Obama and his inauguration.

Jacque believes in giving back, and is doing just that with her non-profit, The Reid Group. The Reid Group gives a group of Clark Atlanta University journalism students the opportunity to spend the summer in New York City, working in select news internships and learning in workshops conducted by the nation's top journalists.

Jacque devotes her free time to speaking at universities and youth events across the country. Jacque is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, and the New York Alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Jacque serves on various boards, including the Black and Missing Foundation and Black Girls Rock.

Raised in Atlanta, Jacque honed her craft at Clark Atlanta University, where she received her BA in Print Journalism and further sharpened her skills at Northwestern University, receiving her MA in Broadcast Journalism.

On a personal note, Jacque is a huge animal lover, is a tv addict and enjoys cooking.

Markus Robinson

Markus Robinson has over 10+ years of Information Technology experience in a variety of different positions. Markus started his career as a computer support manager at Florida State University, where he was responsible for training and leading a team that provided support to over 40,000 students, faculty and staff members. After his tenure as support manager, Markus became one of the youngest Directors of Technology in Florida State University history, responsible for managing Information Technology for the universities’ Police Department. Markus also served as the Director of Technology for College of Human Sciences where he coordinated all aspects of technology including, procurement, application development, and support for more than 5000 students, faculty, and staff

Markus is co-founder of Black Web Media a network of websites targeted towards African Americans (Flagship site Black Web 2.0). While at BWM, Markus helped manage the day to day operations of the blog network, including writer management and the support and development of premium advertising for brands including; Microsoft and HP.

In 2010 Markus founded Robinson Innovations, a technology consulting firm, that provides a  wide range of technology and business services including web development, system administration, and IOS/Android application design and development for variety of different companies including; Politic365, Connxus.com, One Church One Child, and Radio One.

Markus now leads the Innovation Team at Interactive One, the nation’s largest network of sites targeting African American and Latinos with over 60 unique brands reaching 10+ million monthly uniques. Markus is responsible for leading a team of developers focused on using cutting edge technologies and techniques to ideate, design, and develop mobile and web applications.

Markus is an expert in Agile development techniques, PHP, MYSQL, Wordpress, Linux system administration, and cloud services such as Amazon Web Services, Linode, and Joyent.

Markus is a graduate of Florida A&M University where he received a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Information Systems, and he currently resides in New York.

Tiffani Robinson

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Tiffani Robinson is a rising entrepreneur with a passion for literary expression in the areas politics, culture, religion, and visual & performing arts, just to name a few. As a writer, her work has been featured in online publications such as Visit Black Dallas and the Dallas Visitors Bureau. She currently serves as Public Relations & Marketing Manager for MegaCare International, a non-profit, global humanitarian organization. Robinson’s mantra for life: “I can never be satisfied with my current state. It leaves no room for progression. I live to move forward.

Jorian L. Seay

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Jorian L. Seay is a journalist, writer and editor who is currently associate editor at the iconic EBONY magazine. As such, she contributes to the front of the book and writes feature stories on a variety of subjects, both topical to and resonant with the Black community. Outside of her role at EBONY, Jorian is founder of Live Life Posh, a website dedicated to motivating and inspiring young Black women to live their fullest lives and also contributes to MommyNoire, a digital destination for mommies of color. She resides in Chicago with her spirited miniature superhero, her toddler, Matthew. 

L. Michelle Smith

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L. Michelle Smith leads diversity corporate communications for AT&T, including eight multicultural and emerging segments. With more than 20 years’ experience, she has led teams of dynamic PR professionals for some of the world’s largest PR agencies, as well as her own boutique agency. She’s a former television news writer/producer with an insatiable nose for news, a precise insight for intelligent social engagement, and a curious interest for anything tech related. 

Stephanie Smith

Stephanie Smith is the founder of the popular food site 300 Sandwiches,  which tracks the journey between her and her boyfriend as they share experiences and emotions through food. The blog chronicles their adventures, arguments, holidays, special times and average days over the course of 300 sandwiches. The site includes recipes and cooking and entertaining tips, and has been featured on the Today Show, Good Day New York, CNN,  The Rachael Ray Show, GMA, Ebony Magazine, The New York Times and others. Stephanie has also written a memoir based on 300 Sandwiches to be published by Random House in February 2015. Stephanie, a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, has also written for People, Vibe, Playboy, Money, Women's Wear Daily and the New York Post.

Matt E. Stevens

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When he founded the website Prune Juice Media in January 2010, Matt E. Stevens combined his interest in politics with a knack for writing. He set out to share his views on both crazy and run-of-the-mill political stories, something not always found in mainstream media outlets. The formula worked well and the site has taken off as one to watch in liberal politics.

Prune Juice Media is an online destination that combines humor and facts with Matt’s unique spin on the day’s events. Political topics are presented in the way everyday people talk about them -- real, straight-to-the-point, and with a healthy dose of sarcasm. The readers range from political junkies to those who may have been turned off from politics in the past but now want to know more.

In other words, Prune Juice Media helps people “flush through” tough topics just like a glass of the real stuff.

As a result, Matt has appeared as a live guest on CNN Newsroom with Don Lemon to discuss current events. In 2013, he traveled to Washington, D.C. to cover the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Before that, he attended the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte as a credentialed blogger. Matt was also invited to cover two of President Obama’s appearances in Atlanta.

The material from Prune Juice Media has been referenced in popular political outlets such as Reuters, Crooks & Liars, and Jack & Jill Politics, as well as other radio and online outlets.

In addition to blogging, Matt conducts social media training for businesses and individuals. He has also worked as a part-time producer and board operator in the Atlanta news/talk radio market. His previous freelance writing includes work with Better Georgia, a state watchdog group, and over 300 assignments with Politic365. Prior to his blogging career, Matt worked for nearly six years helping major brands and nonprofits with public and media relations.

Matt earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from The Ohio State University. He also holds a Master of Mass Communication degree in public relations from The University of Georgia.

Visit www.PruneJuiceMedia.com for a sarcastic look at the day’s political issues. Also, follow Matt on Twitter at @PruneJuiceMedia, Instagram at mr_prune_juice, or via Facebook at www.facebook.com/prunejuicemedia.

Kara Stevens

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Kara Stevens is a life coach, writer, speaker and founder of the personal finance and lifestyle blog The Frugal Feminista, an online home dedicated to inspiring and informing women of color about financial empowerment, girl power, and “juicy” living.
In addition to being a columnist for Madame Noire, Black and Married with Kids and The Huffington Post, Kara’s money and lifestyle content has been featured on numerous online publications such as Healthy You Now, Abiola TV, Clutch Magazine, Hello Beautiful, and Black America Web.

Christine St. Vil

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Christine St.Vil is a FLY mom expert & the Founder/CEO of Moms ‘N Charge™. A happy wife to an amazing hubby of eight years, and homeschooling mother of three, to teach moms how to FLY (First Love Yourself). She uses her corporate background to work with women who are ready to start a new business, accelerate their career growth & design a life they love. After going through her own battle of losing her identity to motherhood, she's on a mission to help moms to battle the mom guilt epidemic, so they can begin to put themselves first on their never-ending list of priorities. 

Lamar and Ronnie Tyler

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Lamar and Ronnie Tyler make up the husband and wife power pair behind Black and Married with Kids, the largest independent African American marriage and parenting site on the web. Fed up with the pervasive negative images of black marriage in the media, Lamar and Ronnie started the site to combat the negativity by focusing on positive messages about marriage in the black community. 

 

Armed with a passion for empowering married couples and a knowledge of how to leverage social media, Ronnie and Lamar have in six years taken Black and Married with Kids from a small personal blog to an international brand under their own Tyler New Media umbrella that also boasts four independently produced films and a social media presence that includes nearly 300,000 Facebook fans. 

Among their many accolades and accomplishments, in November 2012, for the second year in a row, Ronnie and Lamar were named one of Ebony Magazine’s Power 100, a list of the top 100 movers and shakers in the black community which lists President Barack Obama, Beyonce and Jay-Z and Tyler Perry among its ranks. 

Along with writing for and managing the Black and Married With Kids website, which now employs more than 30 regular staff writers, Ronnie and Lamar travel across the country screening Tyler New Media’s films and speaking on marriage, parenting and social media.

Lamar and Ronnie are the parents of 4 children and call Atlanta home. 

Kendra Webb-Scott

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Kendra dreamed of coming to NYC and landing a glamorous job in fashion. Instead, she became a technology geek and spent her days talking bits and bytes with IT Directors. Nevertheless, Kendra channeled her love of stilettos and the finer things in life into a fashion and lifestyle blog at www.ClosetConfections.com. This side project quickly grew into a loyal readership base and resulted in numerous collaborations with national brands and publications. The experience also prompted her to start a new career as the Founder and Chief Marketing Strategist at Ideazio, Inc., where she works with companies to develop and implement customized digital marketing solutions that deliver real results.  

 

Kendra’s passion is helping talented and innovative companies succeed through smarter marketing. Her personal guarantee to her clients is to exceed their expectations and to leave them better off than before they began working together. Kendra draws upon her unique skillset as a fashionista with strong B2B sales and marketing experience to write compelling copy for websites, press releases, social media, and email marketing.  Beyond waxing poetic about heel heights and hemlines, Kendra's passion lies in producing real results for clients - namely driving qualified leads, press coverage, and online sales. 

 

Kendra currently chairs the NYC Salesforce.com User Group which boasts over 1600 members and holds quarterly events on CRM adoption and best practices. She is also an authorized Constant Contact Local Expert in the New York Metro Region where she delivers workshops on Email Marketing and Social Media Best Practices.  She is a graduate of Columbia University and holds a B.A. in Psychology and American Studies.

 

When she's not glued to Twitter and Instagram, you can find Kendra either trying on new shoes or with her nose stuck in a good business book.

Tiffany Victoria Williams

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Tiffany Victoria Williams is dedicated to the empowerment of young people and their advancement. As a lead writer at My Fab Finance, she provides resources for financial and professional development for all, with a focus on women. Serving as a youth advocate in New York City, her experience is in leadership at some of NYC’s biggest non-for profit organizations, along with beloved grassroots movements and churches in South East Queens and Harlem. Victoria serves on the Executive Committee for Cents-ability, an organization designed to teach teens the fundamentals of finance. here she is responsible for educational partnerships. Despite personal finance not being taught in the NYC school system, Cents-ability has been able to teach undreds of oung people in communities across all five boroughs. For the past 10 years she has hosted Back to Basics with Oneness Pentecostal Church, a back to school fair where school supplies are provided to hundreds of families free of cost, in an effort to offer the tools for a successful education, despite a family's financial situation. Victoria believes that the root of many issues in our community is “lack of knowledge” and is committed to motivational teaching, and to educational, financial and community reform. 

Tiffany Victoria Williams Has been Featured on ABC 7′s Here and Now, Madame Noir, In her Shoes Blog, and with the Colin Powell Center for Policy Studies at the City College of New York. She has been awarded the 2014 Esther’s House of Hope; Leaders Among Peers award. he has received the National Presidential Service award and Letter from President Barak Obama, the New York City Excellence in service proclamation from Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Points of Light National Service Award from the White House.