Speaker Spotlight: Tyrha M. Lindsey of L.A.I. Communications

Tyrha M. Lindsey is the Managing Director for L.A.I. Communications. She has over 14 years experience in public relations with a highly diverse communications background that covers multicultural and mainstream public relations, promotion, entertainment and targeted marketing disciplines.  

Prior to joining UniWorld Tyrha ran her family’s retail and communications agency, L.A.I. Communications.  Specializing in promoting women’s empowerment and health issues, Tyrha created strategic public relations solutions for a number of non-for-profit and corporate institutions. She has worked closely with the National Speaking of Women’s Health Foundation, which was funded by Procter & Gamble.  Based on a P&G Fund grant, Tyrha developed “Universal Sisters,” a national multicultural diabetes awareness initiative.  This program was supported by its Women’s Health brands (i.e. Olay, Secret, Tampax, Crest and Actonel) and Wal-Mart partnered with P&G in the overall program.  Her clients  have included Colgate, CVS, Ford, Western Union and the US Marine Corps. 

You can meet Tyrha at Blogging While Brown 2012 in Philadelphia. She is a featured panelist during our Business of Blogging Symposium on Friday, June 1st on the “Blogs and Brands” panel. Speakers will discuss, and answer your questions, about how bloggers can partner with brands and what brands look for when collaborating with bloggers. 

Regular registration for Blogging While Brown ends May 7, 2012. Register today!

Speaker Spotlight: Ashley Hicks of Black Girls Run

Ashley Hicks, co-founder of Black Girls Run was a featured panelist on MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry show on Saturday. Ashley along with ESPN columnist Jemele Hill and author Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon, discussed the impact of Title IX on women athletes.

Ashley was named as one of the best black bloggers by TheRoot.com and recognized as one of the best health and fitness bloggers by Shape magazine. She was also featured in Ebony magazine's 2011 Power 100 list. She is currently working on a Master of Science in Communication at Columbia University in New York. Ashley is a lover of all things creative and outdoors. From the hours of nine to five she spends her time producing and editing documentaries. When she isn’t working, you can find her scouring the shelves of Home Depot for new home improvement projects, experimenting in the kitchen or brewing her own beer, Hicks Lite.

You can meet Ashley and her partner Toni Carey at Blogging While Brown 2012 in Philadelphia June 1-2, 2012 when they present Blogging without Bounds: Taking Your Blog Offline into Local Communities. This thought provoking presentation will discuss what to consider when implementing an offline component to your blog, how to integrate a grassroots movement into your blog, how do you gain buy-in from existing readers, how to create blog loyalist and how do you further extend your blog brand offline.

Follow Ashley and Toni on Twitter @blackgirlsrun and to get involved in a Black Girls Run Group near you visit www.BlackGirlsRun.com.

Regular registration for Blogging While Brown ends May 7, 2012. Register today!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

 

Meals with Mentors @SXSW

We would like to thank everyone who made our first Meals with Mentors (MWM) a success. The brunch took place Sunday, March 11th during SXSW Interactive in Austin, Texas. Our mentor and distinguished guest was B. Bonin Baugh, Vice President of Global Digital and Consumer Engagement for Kraft Foods.

Mentees in attendance included:

Donell Creech, Griot Media

Elizabeth Bert, Total Leadership Ventures

Kiratiana Freelon, Principal at Eunique

Lemu Coker, MBA Candidate Ross School of Business at University of Michigan

Mary Pryor, Digital Audience Development & Engagement Manager at Black Enterprise

Gina McCauley, BWB Founder

Aminah Hanan, BWB Executive Director

What did we discuss? Find out for yourself. Stay tuned for the next announcement in our MWM Series.

Clarence Wooten was unable to attend. We look forward to working with him in the future.

BWB Presents Meals with Mentors

Blogging While Brown is proud to announce our new Meals with Mentors series. These small intimate meals are a chance for guests to have informal discussions with some of the greatest minds in business and technology.

In conjunction with Blacks in Technology or inaugural meals will take place during SXSW Interactive in Austin, Texas. Our two distinguished guests will be B. Bonin Baugh, Vice President of Global Digital and Consumer Engagement for Kraft Foods and Clarence Wooten, Entrepreneur, Venture Catalyst and founder and CEO of Arrived, Inc.

Interested in being a guest at our first Meals with Mentors brunch during SXSW? Just fill out our reservation form for a chance to be selected. The brunch will take place Sunday, March 11, 2012.

Interested in being a guest at our first Meals with Mentors brunch during SXSW? Click here to fill out the reservation form for a chance to be selected. The brunch will take place Sunday, March 11, 2012

Hope to see y'all in Texas.

BWB 2012 Panels & Speakers

Who's Speaking @BWBConference 2012?

Blogging While Brown is a little more than three months away. Have you registered yet? We hope to see you in Philadelphia, PA, June 1-2, 2012!

We are proud to announce the first wave of programming for our 5th annual conference.  More speaker announcements coming soon. View full speaker bios on our Speakers Page.

 

Your Personal Brand: It actually IS all about you! 

Scott Hanselman, Scott Hanselman's Computer Zen

Luvvie Ajayi, Awesomely Luvvie,  Red Pump Project

Adria Richards, Adria Richards

 

Building & Managing an Online Community

Lamar Tyler, Black and Married With Kids

Akotoa Ofori-Atta, The Root

 

Netroots, Blackroots, Grassroots:Social Media and Social Change Five Years Later 

Tamika Mallory,  National Action Network Executive Director

Naomi Christine Leapheart, Congreso

 

More than words: The Power of Video & Imaging 

Aymer Jean Christian, University of Pennsylvania, Aymer Jean Christian

Erin Bailey, Scandalous Beauty

 

Social Media & Technology: What's Next?

Marlin Page, CEO, Knowledge Brokers and Diversity Recruiter for Microsoft 

 

The Brothers of Blogging:  Making it in a Woman’s World

Shawn Williams, Dallas South News,  ShawnPWilliams.com

Slim Jackson, Single Black MaleThe Real Slim Jackson

Wayne Bennet, The Field Negro

Darryl Frierson, From Ashy to Classy

 

Love is a Battlefield: Navigating from the Trenches 

Kaneisha Grayson, Kaneisha Grayson 

Damon Young, Author of Your Degrees Won’t Keep You Warm At NightVerySmart Brothas

Michelle Talbert, Black Love Rules  

 

Blogging Without Bounds: Taking Your Blog Offline into Local Communities

Toni Carey & Ashley Hicks of Black Girls Run

See these speakers and more by registering today!

National Action Network Executive Director Joins BWB 2012

Blogging While Brown is proud to announce that Tamika D. Mallory, Executive Director of Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN) will be a panelist at the 2012 Blogging While Conference that will take place June 1-2 in Philadelphia at the Chemical Heritage Foundation.

“We are thrilled that Ms. Mallory will be participating in our political activism panel in a very important discussion amongst those who use social platforms and their influence to be catalysts of change within their communities. The panel will be a dialogue between traditional civil organizations and younger activists during a presidential election year. Mallory has continuously demonstrated that our individual voices can be powerful when joined together and social media makes such a collective effort an effective means to peacefully organize political and social action,” stated Aminah Hanan, Blogging While Brown Executive Director.

BlogHer Returns to Blogging While Brown 2012

Blogging While Brown is proud to welcome BlogHer back as a sponsor for our 2012 conference. Founded in February 2005, as a labor of love, by Jory Des Jardins, Elisa Camahort Page and Lisa Stone, BlogHer’s mission is to create opportunities for women online to pursue exposure, education, community and economic empowerment. BlogHer creates opportunities for more than 34 million women via annual conferences, a Web Hub and publishing network of more than 2500 qualified, contextually targeted blog affiliates and their ad network .

Committed to supporting other grassroots events born of passion and commitment BlogHer is proud to sponsor Blogging While Brown for the fifth consecutive year.

BWB’s First Annual Holiday Cocktail Party

Thanks to everyone who came out to our first annual holiday cocktail party and coat drive Friday at Red Kiva in Chicago. Special thanks to our partners Afrobella, The Red Pump Project and Swish Dreams.

We sipped cocktails courtesy of Alize, munched on cupcakes and indulged in trivia for iTunes gift cards. There were even free beauty products compliments of Afrobella.

Photos by Aminah Hanan

Cocktails, Convos and Coats

 

Tis the season for giving! Join Blogging While Brown as we team up with The Red Pump Project, Swish Dreams and the fabulous Afrobella for a holiday party and coat drive! "Cocktails, Convos and Coats" is our way of partying with a purpose this holiday season and giving back to those less fortunate.

Come for an evening of good music (DJ Niena Drake will be on the ones & twos), drinks, conversations, games and charity. Please bring gently-used to new winter gear you no longer want or need with you to donate. All items donated will be given to local shelters. 

Event information

When: Friday, December 30, 2011; 6-9pm

Where: Red Kiva Lounge (1108 W. Randolph, Chicago, IL 60607)

Who: @BWBConference@RedPumpProj@SwishDreams and @Afrobella

Free cover all night, but we're accepting suggested donations of $10.

Click here to RSVP.

2012 Call for Ideas

The Call for Ideas for Blogging While Brown 2012 is now closed. Programming for the 2012 conference will be announced in February 2012. Thanks to everyone who submitted their ideas and we hope to see you all in Philly!

2012 Program Tracks:

  • Building & Managing an Online Community: content creation, engaging readers, blogging etiquette & ethics, SEO, social media and technology
  • Monetization: creating an income stream from online content
  • Politics/Grassroots Activism: civic engagement, taking your blog offline - community organizing, using social media for good
  • PR/Brand Management: creating & managing your brand, marketing & promotion, working with brands
  • Social Media Clinics: Designed to introduce beginning bloggers to social media & technology

Announcing the 2012 Call for Ideas

We are proud to announce that the Call for Ideas for Blogging While Brown 2012 will open Monday, November 7, 2011. Submissions will be accepted until December 5, 2011 and programming will be announced in February 2012

Not interested in being a speaker? Want to suggest a program track, panel or speaker? There will also be an opportunity for you to submit your Blogging While Brown wish list. We encourage your ideas and invite you to help build the conference you want to attend.

Submissions will be accepted for the following program tracks:

  • Building & Managing an Online Community: content creation, engaging readers, blogging etiquette & ethics, SEO, social media and technology
  • E-Publishing: producing an e-book, marketing & distribution
  • Ethics & The Law: best practices for bloggers
  • Monetization: creating an income stream from online content
  • Politics/Grassroots Activism: civic engagement, taking your blog offline - community organizing, using social media for good
  • PR/Brand Management: creating & managing your brand, marketing & promotion, working with brands
  • Social Media Clinics: ad networks, tech tips, writing workshop, finding your voice, using Twitter & Facebook, basic design element, anything that encompasses blogging, social media & technology for newbies

All submission must include:

  • Panel name & description
  • Program track you are submitting for
  • Fellow contributing panelists & why
  • URLs to support your submission

Thank you in advance for your willingness to share your creativity and skills with your fellow bloggers. Let’s make the 5th annual conference a true celebration of Black Blogging Excellence.

Book Your Room for BWB 2012

The host hotel for BWB 2012 is the Omni Hotel at Independence Park. Just one block away from the Chemical Heritage Foundation and 10 minutes from Philadelphia International Airport the hotel offers high speed Internet, a luxury spa, fine dining and parking.

"Overlooking Independence National Historic Park and surrounded by Philadelphia’s Society Hill, stands the four-diamond Omni Hotel at Independence Park.  This is European-style luxury hotel in downtown Philadelphia offers elegance and style at its best - at its best – all within walking distance of the Liberty Bell, U.S. Mint, Independence Hall and the Benjamin Franklin House.  Situated just 10 minutes from the Philadelphia International Airport, the Omni Hotel at Independence Park offers the ideal Philadelphia hotel location."

Transportation options from the airport:

  • Taxi Service: Approximately $28.50 each way
  • Shuttle Service: Approximately $10 one way per person
  • Limousine Service: Approximately $75

The room rate for single/double occupancy is $199.00 per night. Call 215-925-0000 to book your room and reference BLOGGING WHILE BROWN.

Membership has its perks ... Become a Member of BWB Today

Since its launch in 2008 Blogging While Brown (BWB) has grown to become the premier social media conference dedicated to education, collaboration and innovation among bloggers of color. As we prepare to launch our 5th annual conference BWB is proud to introduce our new membership program.

Become a member of the BWB Family for the annual membership price of $50. BWB memberships are for novice as well as seasoned bloggers. BWB brings together Black social media experts, speakers and independent content creators to educate, inspire and expand their influence in social media and technology.

This is your chance to network year-round with members from our corner of the blogosphere.

BWB MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Meet Us In Philly!!!

Blogging While Brown is proud to announce that the 2012 conference will be held June 1-2 in Philadelphia, PA. Join us at the Chemical Heritage Foundation as we celebrate our 5th year. Registration is now open and we encourage you take advantage of the early bird rate of only $199. Before you register make sure to take a look at our new BWB Membership Program. Benefits include conference registration discounts and much more.

Register today!!!

Blogger Bootcamp ... Learn by Doing

Registration for the Beginning Blogger Bootcamp is now open!!!

This half-day intensive workshop covers the basic building blocks of blogging. With a focus on "learning by doing," attendees will walk in civilians and walk out blogger.

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Set up a blog
  • Post text, links, images, audio and video
  • How to use & install widgets
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
  • Microblogging
  • Social Networking

Along with technology, the workshop will delve into key facets of "the art of blogging" including strategies for driving traffic and growing an online community.

Blogging While Brown Beginning Blogger Bootcamps are taught by leaders in the blogosphere. Past instructors have included: Gina McCauley, the founder of Blogging While Brown, Michelle Obama Watch and What About Our Daughters, Carmen Dixon Rosenzweig of All About Race, Britni Danielle, Deputy Editor at Clutch Magazine and Scott Hanselman of Scott Hanselman's Computer Zen.

Seating is limited. Take advantage of our Early Bird Registration prices today.

ATTENDEES ARE REQUIRED TO BRING THEIR OWN LAPTOP COMPUTERS. FREE WI-FI WILL BE PROVIDED.