The BAG Collective is a global powerhouse of 350+ tech operators,
united in their passion for investing in groundbreaking startups. We
bring a unique blend of intellectual, social, and financial capital to
the table, giving founders the resources they need to scale their
businesses.
The BAG Collective is a global powerhouse of 350+ tech operators, united in their passion for investing in groundbreaking startups. We bring a unique blend of intellectual, social, and financial capital to the table, giving founders the resources they need to scale their businesses.
Arif Gursel is the Global Head of Product Partnerships for Youtube Music & Premium and a seasoned entrepreneurial investor with a unique blend of professional backgrounds. He specializes in technology strategy and business development while also leading creative ventures in music, film, and fashion. He is the founder of VIBEHEAVY, a US-based firm with offices in Accra, Ghana. VIBEHEAVY works with established brands to curate experiences across physical, digital & phigital spaces. He also leads investments for Investment GGroup; a private equity firm focused on real estate and early-stage tech investing.
Jim F. Anderson VP, Google Cloud NA Partner Ecosystem and Channels As an Executive on Google’s Cloud team and a board member for Altair (NASDAQ:ALTR), Jim has more than 25 years of experience with some of the world’s leading technology companies including Hewlett Packard (HP), Dell and Cisco. Jim works with customers and partners to leverage emerging Cloud, AI/ML and Data Analytics technologies to accelerate Digital Transformation through drive data-powered innovation. Jim is known for his experience in helping businesses, at an inflection point, take advantage of market transitions. He has been described as a thought leader with the agility to always make an impact that matters. Throughout his career (including 6 years with Global responsibility), Jim has been successfully running businesses that help customers leverage digital technologies to drive efficiencies and enter new markets. He has been selected as one of the “Most Influential Black Americans in Corporate America” (2020 Savoy Magazine) and a “Best of Biz 2015” awards winner in the Executive of the year category.Jim also served a two year term as a member of the GTM Advisory Board for CapitalG (Alphabet’s independent growth fund) where he helped emerging software companies transition from “start-up to scale-up.” He holds an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and a BS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Princeton University. He is also an All-Ivy athlete. He previously served as an Independent Board Director for the U.S. Olympic Synchronized Swimming as well as the Chairman of the Board for Make-a-Wish of Central Texas.
I'm David Pulliam, currently serving as the Vice President of Business Development & Partnerships at Capital Connect by J.P. Morgan. In my role, I collaborate closely with a talented and diverse team including engineers, UI experts, designers, and product managers. Together, we're dedicated to crafting a revolutionary digital platform that transforms the way private companies and their investors connect. Our platform offers a centralized space for networking among members, exclusive data access, and facilitation of fundraising and investments.Through my extensive experience, I've successfully led customer support strategies spanning multiple countries and demographics. Working alongside product teams, I've set visionary goals for user experience, defining key objectives and metrics to steer us toward that vision. With my background in cross-functional teams, cultivating organic pipelines, and implementing go-to-market strategies, I take pride in driving cross-departmental initiatives that fuel business expansion while pinpointing opportunities aligned with our strategic goals.Additionally, my role as a Global ERG leader and HBCU Graduate has enabled me to contribute significantly to corporate HBCU recruitment endeavors. I've played instrumental roles in enriching the candidate pipeline for HBCU graduates, reflecting my commitment to fostering diverse and inclusive talent pathways.
Global leader with a unique combination of entrepreneurial, business and technical ability, known for hands-on execution and owning solutions from the ground up. 10+ years experience spanning ML fairness, product management. program management, vendor management, operations, startups and adtech.
I am a Senior Analytics Engineer at Netflix with horizontal expertise in data analytics, database management, and web app development with vertical expertise in cloud infrastructure and computing. I have experience as an Angel Investor and LP at Ganas Ventures. I aspire to build my own venture capital fund at the intersection of climate tech, health tech and fin tech.
Jasmine is a Product Manager at Google working to help people get things done with Voice Assistant technology and AI. Prior to Google, Jasmine spent time developing and launching multiple products for Meta Reality Labs including Portal and Ray Ban Stories after pivoting from her role as Strategy & Analytics Manager at Genentech where she led the strategy to ensure patient access to life saving therapies. As one of the first in her family to make a corporate career, Jasmine learned the hard way that the road to success involves many challenges that require a strong network. This led her to start Gyals Network, a coalition of women professionals empowering members to reach their professional and social goals through educational programs, networking events, and philanthropic initiatives.In her spare time, Jasmine works on growing her e-commerce business, and enjoying nature with her dog Goomba.Jasmine holds a Masters degree in Economics from California State University - East Bay.
Olayinka Lawal is a strategic business development professional. Starting her career in strategy consulting, she has broad market experience in finance, agriculture, and technology; always aligning her work interest with her passion for social impact. She is a recent graduate of the NYU Stern School of Business and her graduating class' convocation speaker.
Charles Sherrard Jr. is an experienced technology leader with more than 10 years in the Cloud Computing space holding roles at Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud. A graduate of the University of Houston From 1999 – 2009 Charles worked and lived abroad in many cities including: The Republic of Macedonia, Thessaloniki Greece, Budapest Hungary, Kuwait City, Kuwait, and Dubai UAE.
MaShon Wilson is a sports enthusiast from Oakland, California, with a background in travel and sports. He has a passion for sports, fitness, and thrill-seeking, having a background in baseball, soccer, rugby, golf, and tennis. Wilson has a degree from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and a BS from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He has served in the U.S. Army and worked as a Growth Strategy consultant at Ernst and Young – Parthenon and Apple Strategic Deals and Business Operations. In his free time, Wilson is passionate about minority education access and veteran transition programs. He is also an avid whiskey connoisseur, particularly Speyside Scotch and Single Malt Kentucky Bourbon.
As the Regional Vice President of Enterprise Sales for Commerce Cloud at Salesforce, I lead a team of sales professionals who help organizations deliver differentiated digital commerce experiences to their customers. I have over ten years of experience in selling and marketing cloud-based commerce solutions, and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management with a focus on strategy and managing organizations.
Chanelle Hardy is a social justice, tech policy and civil rights executive, attorney and Head of Civil Rights for Google. She is responsible for leading the company’s civil and human rights program and engagement with multicultural, civil and human rights organizations. In 2016, responding to ongoing challenges in strengthening the diverse talent pipeline for tech policy roles in all sectors, she launched her passion project: the Google Next Gen Policy Leaders learning community, to identify, equip and engage the Nation’s emerging multicultural leaders in tech, social justice and public policy. Today Next Gens are amongst the nation’s leaders in these fields, holding key roles across disciplines and sectors. Prior to joining Google, Chanelle served as a Chief of Staff on Capitol Hill, SVP of Policy for the National Urban League and Director of the National Urban League Washington Bureau, and Chief of Staff to Mignon Clyburn, the first woman Chair of the Federal Communications Commission. She is an alumna of Teach for America and former 5th grade DC Public Schools teacher, and a former Consumer Reports Policy Fellow. Chanelle serves on multiple policy and civil rights boards, including the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy and the Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights Business Council.
Brand Marketing leader with 10+ years of award-winning work creating impact and delivering strategic and culture-shaping campaigns for iconic global brands in the highly competitive and fast-moving Sports, CPG, and Food & Beverage industry. Digitally fluent and experienced across the entire consumer brand marketing landscape – Retail, In-store, D2C, Social, Mobile, Community, Influencer, Activations, Experiential, Partnerships and Traditional Advertising. *Excels in leading vision and strategy and bringing new ideas and innovation that reaches new consumer markets and delivers brand revenue.
Candice creates inclusive strategies for GV and its portfolio companies, and helps the firm expand diversity across the entrepreneurs it funds.Candice was the first Head of Inclusion & Diversity at Pinterest, where she spent over four years leading strategy and programs to drive diverse talent, policy and product outcomes. Prior, Candice spent a decade honing her expertise in diversity strategy and practice at Catalyst, based on Wall Street and in Zurich, Switzerland. Her clients were F1000 global organizations across a range of industries (from technology, professional and financial services to healthcare, oil & gas, and consumer goods). Candice was awarded Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business and The Root's 100 Most Influential African-Americans of 2017.A New York native and Stuyvesant alum, Candice holds a B.S. in Psychology and Business minor from Carnegie Mellon University, and a M.Sc. in Cross-Cultural Psychology from Brunel University in London.
Steven Dalton joined NVIDIA Research in July 2014. He completed his Ph.D. in computer science at UIUC, where his research focused on mapping irregular operations on sparse matrices related to algebraic multigrid (AMG) methods to GPU architectures. He holds two Bachelor of Science degrees from Georgia Institute of Technology in the areas of Physics and Computer Science. During his time at Nvidia he has worked on accelerated graph algorithms and numerical primitives for GPUs, reinforcement learning, and secure computing.
Dr. Setor Zilevu is a senior user experience researcher at Meta on the Generative A.I. team, where he is one of the lead researchers for developing Meta A.I. across Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, and smart glasses. He is also a professor at New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering, teaching Applied UX Research and User Experience for Artificial Intelligence. Dr. Zilevu brings his computer engineering, computer science, and human-computer interaction expertise to research and design innovative solutions that merge human and artificial intelligence to empower humans. Dr. Setor Zilevu’s work and inspiration stem from his father, who suffered from a stroke beyond which he decided to embark on the journey to pursue his Master's and Doctorate. Dr. Setor Zilevu researched, designed, and built A.I. apps to transform how stroke survivors receive care in the hospital and at home. His dedication and commitment to improving the lives of stroke survivors earned him recognition as a 2022 Innovator Under 35 by MIT Technology Review. Through his work on developing assistive interfaces for the world's first cyber-human system for stroke survivors and a framework for empowering humans through UX and Al, Dr. Zilevu has demonstrated his ability to merge the fields of UX and AI seamlessly.
Stanford MBA with 20 + years total experience; 14 in operational turnarounds and operational leadership roles for large multinational Tech, Finance and CPG companies as well as 4 years consulting experience for a top tier global strategy consulting firm across Asia, Europe, South America and North America. Deep expertise across multiple Human Resources domainsSpecialties: Strategic Planning and Development, Human Capital Management, Financial Analysis, Bench Marking, Cost Reduction and Process Improvement, Supply Chain Optimization and Corporate Valuation
I am a Security Specialist at Microsoft. I have worked in cybersecurity/cloud for over ten years. I have experience in developing security strategies for various platforms. I am passionate about creating innovative solutions that help people stay safe. I enjoy exercising, traveling, and spending time with my family in my free time.
I have a 25+ year career at MS serving in various leadership roles in Sales,Licensing, Services, and now Customer Success. Helping others realize their potential gives my life meaning and purpose. I am a motivational speaker and public speakingCoach. I am using my platform, influence, and network to harness the power of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging to change the tech world.
I am an executive with a passion for solving critical problems through the use of technology. I have nearly 30 years of experience gained on three continents, working as a product and technology leader for some of the world's leading brands including Apple, Comic Relief, Google, IBM, Marks and Spencer, National Geographic and now T-Mobile.I am Chief Digital Officer (CDO) for T-Mobile USA, America’s supercharged "Un-carrier", a Fortune 40 company, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative nationwide 5G network that offers reliable connectivity for all. T-Mobile’s customers benefit from its unmatched combination of value and quality, unwavering obsession with offering them the best possible service experience and indisputable drive for disruption that creates competition and innovation in wireless and beyond…I have a bachelor’s degree in Management & IT from the London Guildhall University, and a master’s in Management from the University of Cambridge. I'm also a Fellow of the British Computer Society in recognition of my work as a CIO and CTO.In my spare time, I enjoy traveling the world with my wife, being chased by my cat, volunteer charity work, board advisory roles for tech startups, and playing computer games, especially MMORPGs.I am experienced investor and hold a number of advisory roles and non-executive directorships, and I always look for opportunities to combine my love of innovation and technology.
Augustine Wiah (he/him) is a Product Operations & Strategy Lead on YouTube Core Experiences team focusing on Impact metrics and organizational process improvement. He’s an Angel Investor focusing on technology for good with a global reach and was recently selected into the BLCK VC Scout Network program, backed by Lightspeed Ventures and Sequoia capital. He is a member of Allbirds AllGoodCollective community of Global Leaders creating change. Augustine graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a BA in Marketing and started his career in Technical Recruiting. Augustine led the Black@ YouTube and Africans@ Google Employee Resource Groups as a Global Lead. He is passionate about empowering people and providing access to education, especially in his home country, Liberia.
I am currently an Customer Success Account Manager with a diverse background in project management, account management, sales and business development that has help to frame my unique perspective. These experiences have helped me to think strategically in my approach to working with my customers.
Danielle Romain currently serves as the VP of Trust, leading a team responsible for collaborating with Google's consumer product teams and other stakeholders on solutions to enhance user privacy and trust. Prior to her current role, Danielle served as a VP of Strategy and Operations for Google Ads, and held roles across Google's Finance organization. Danielle graduated with distinction from both Harvard College and Harvard Business School.
Kimathi Marangu joined Visa in 2012, and is currently the Global Head of Prepaid. In this role, he leads a fast growing business serving fintech, government, gig economy and digital wallet clients around the world. He holds two U.S. Patent Office awards.Before joining Visa, Kimathi was a fintech entrepreneur, co-founding Cartera Commerce, which runs merchant-funded rewards websites for 5 of the top 10 U.S. credit card issuers and 4 of the top 5 U.S. airlines. Cartera was purchased by Rakuten.In 2006, Kimathi led a team that designed and launched the official Cyber Monday website for the National Retail Federation, helping to put the once fledgling shopping holiday on the map for merchants and consumers alike.Cyber Monday has consistently set online shopping records ever since. Early in his career Kimathi was trained as an investment banker at J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley. He brings to Visa an “intrapreneur” mindset and is passionate about the digital transformation of payments. Kimathi holds an A.B. in Economics from Vassar College and an M.B.A. from Stanford Business School. A strong advocate for the value of education, Kimathi has served as Chair of the Vassar Fund, and as President of the Stanford Business School Alumni Association.Kimathi was elected to the Board of the American Red Cross Bay Area in March 2020, where he serves on the Blood Services committee. Visa and Visa Foundation are the 2023 Philanthropic Company of the Year.In July 2022 Kimathi was appointed to the Board of SamCERA, a $6 billion pension fund serving San Mateo public employees.
My name is Harold Buisson and my expertise is in Network Infrastructure. I contribute to Google's Global Network team as a Metro Lead for DCNet, supporting Google PAs.I’ve also held the co-lead position for the (BGN) Atlanta chapter for the last four years and will be transitioning out of this role by the end of Q1’24. My passion lies in next-generation solutions that address critical global challenges. I am particularly interested in initiatives that promote environmental sustainability, data security, and advancements in space exploration.
Suezette Yasmin Robotham joined Salesforce in October 2022, to serve as our first ever Senior Director, Executive Recruiting Equality Strategy. Suezette has nearly 20 years of experience working at the nexus of her passion and her purpose - creating equitable access and opportunities for folks from Historically Underrepresented Groups. Her prior experience includes Google, Meta and Gartner; and she cut her leadership chops in the education reform arena working in the human capital space for organizations like Teach For America. Her professional tagline is: Talent is My Expertise, Connecting is My Gift, Culture is My Passion, and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion is My Ministry. In her spare time, Suezette enjoys taking solo vacations around the world, shopping at premium outlets (perhaps also a bad habit), watching all things Real Housewives, attending live music events, finding new ways to get centered like meditation, and savoring a glass of good bubbles with the great people in her life. She is a proud first generation American (Jamaica to the Wurl), who was raised in Florida and currently lives, works, and plays in Brooklyn, New York.
Jason Scott is the Founding General Partner at FiveTwoFive, a global-focused, early-stage venture fund. Prior to launching FiveTwoFive, Jason was a Partner at ANIM and led Google's startup developer ecosystem, and has been responsible for launching and running startup programs for Google worldwide, including Google's Accelerators for Black-led, women-led and climate-focused companies. Jason is also a co-founder of the Black Angel Group, XA Network | Africa, and Net Zero Angels. Today, in addition to his role leading FiveTwoFive and his various angel collectives, Jason remains an active Google for Startups partner, Techstars Investor-in-Residence, and startup / angel investor advisor.
Jackson Georges is an Operating Partner at CapitalG where he leads the firm’s growth team, which advises their late-stage portfolio companies on strategies that help them scale their business and boost their top-line revenue. Jackson establishes and manages an advisory network of Fortune 500 and Global 2000 executives, subject matter experts across Google and Alphabet and transformational leaders at prominent technology firms to provide tactical and strategic advice to the CapitalG portfolio across all functional areas. Jackson also co-leads CapitalG’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. In this role he advises the firm and leaders across Alphabet and CapitalG's portfolio on strategies to increase representation and inclusion within the venture and tech ecosystems. Outside of CapitalG, Jackson is an active angel investor and one of the founding members of the Black Angel Group. Jackson is a proud New Yorker, born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens.
Cherizza Lundy is the Vice President of Strategy and Chief of Staff to the CEO at Stitch Fix. In her role, Cherizza is responsible for developing and driving the company wide corporate strategy, managing the overall execution of the company strategic plan through OKRs and cascading the strategy to the organization and the board. In addition to her role leading strategy, Cherizza manages the day to day operations of the Stitch Fix executive team, provides direct support to the CEO and leads all internal communications. Prior to Stitch Fix, she worked as a cross functional strategy & operations lead in the Office of the CEO at Google where she co-led. Google’s 2020 Racial Equity Commitments. She has deep expertise in managing and executing scalable solutions and operations. She’s been a Chief of Staff to a CEO, CHRO and CDIO and has held senior strategic operations positions.She’s spent time in old tech, growing up at Intel and pursued her passion of driving DEI in senior roles at Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation (nee Lean In) and Code2040.Cherizza holds a Bachelors degree in Human Resources from Michigan State University and a Masters degree of Policy Management from Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy where she focused her coursework on healthcare policy. She lives in Washington DC and you can find her enjoying the latest food, drink and art scene.
Moe is a Senegalese-American Technologist and Investor. He is a Cloud Architect at Google building the planet's #1 Gaming Cloud, and Principal at SY, LLC - a private investment and research firm providing intellectual, financial and social capital to high-growth technology companies
Tiara is a global brand media and content creative director with 9+ years of experience across marketing and PR, leveraging visual media and data-driven insights to drive engagement and impact with B2C and B2B audiences. With specialities in content creation, social media and digital and offline experiences, Tiara has helped enable 35+ teams across EMEA and globally to creatively land business and user-first messages. Her work has touched the fashion, CPG and tech industries, and has scaled across borders from the US to Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Khadijah A. Robinson has led an impressive career, not only as a lawyer, but as an entrepreneur and innovator in the tech industry. She was born in Montgomery, AL and raised in Savannah, GA, in a household that centered Black culture and issues – and she never lost that love of community. Her life is a manifestation of the Issa Rae phrase, “I’m rooting for Everybody Black.”After graduating from Spelman College, Khadijah received a MSc from the University College London and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. She practiced law in Washington, D.C. for several years at premier law firm Covington & Burling,In 2019, Khadijah started The Nile List. Nile, a digital platform connecting consumers with Black-owned brands online, as an extension of her passion for community. The site focused on modernity, accessibility, and informative context to make it easy and convenient to buy Black online. In June 2021, The Nile List was acquired by Sean “Diddy” Combs through Empower Global, to build a curated marketplace to discover and shop the world’s best Black-owned brands and art. Khadijah served as the CEO of Empower Global for almost 2 years, overseeing all operations and development for two years, scaling the team, building the MVP product, and creating revenue-generating partnerships.She tackles topics such as the dearth and death of diversity, technology and its impact on the lives of minorities, early-stage entrepreneurial life, fundraising, building a profitable business, and more.After leaving Empower Global in 2023, Khadijah consults with a wide range of entrepreneurs, coaches early-stage founders, and is the Chief Operating Officer for The Majira Project, a business accelerator, backed by Boston Consulting Group, for underrepresented founders. She also serves as a COO/consultant to other minority-led startups, helping with building operational efficiency and go-to-market strategies. She also founded CustomQuo, a company creating a seamless technical solution for customers to order bespoke custom-made clothing that they design virtually.
As the Global Director, Head of Business & Product Equity Partnerships & Programs at Meta, I lead a team that drives accountable, inclusive and ethical business practices across the company's products and partnerships portfolio. I have over 20 years of experience in the tech and financial services sectors, spanning across the emerging markets, the US, and Europe.My core competencies include business development, partnerships, strategy, and operations. I have particular focus in privacy, integrity, regulatory compliance, encryption, diversity and inclusion, equity, governance, and compliance by design. I thrive in building zero-to-one initiatives, systems thinking and driving scale. I am passionate about building innovative solutions that solve the "how" of strategic and existential challenges related to businesses, products, or people.
Devin Graham is the Head of Hiring Equity for Cloud, YouTube, Marketing, and CALA (Canada and Latin America) at Google. Her team is responsible for building inclusive and equitable hiring systems, processes and capabilities across hiring stakeholders and participants. Devin has held a variety of roles across Google Recruiting, hiring for profiles across both Cloud Customers and Technical Infrastructure, including Executive Recruitment. Prior to joining Google, she was a Vice President in Campus Recruiting at J.P. Morgan, responsible for undergrad and MBA recruiting for the Wealth Management Business. Devin works out of the New York City office, is a proud Ohioan, and is a co-lead for the Black Googler Network NYC Chapter. Outside of work, Devin is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and is on the board of the Buckeye Leadership Fellows.In addition to her work, Devin loves to travel, cook, spend time with family and friends, and listen to music & podcasts. Devin also has her WSET Level 2 Award in Wines.
Obinna Anya is a Senior UX Researcher at Google working on enterprise cloud AI solutions. He is also the Co-founder and Executive Director of VarsityMentor. He was previously a Research Staff Member at the IBM Research Center, Almaden, and prior to that, a Research Scientist at Liverpool Hope University, UK. He received a PhD in Human-Computer Interaction and an MSc in Distributed Systems from the University of Liverpool, UK, and a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Nigeria. His research interests include context-aware interaction, big data analytics, enterprise collaborative systems, and usable AI. Obinna's work has shaped the design of products and services in e-health, future work design, enterprise AI, ethical social robotics, cloud service compliance monitoring and usable machine learning, and has been published in high-quality peer-reviewed journals and academic conferences. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Future Generation Computer Systems and on the program committee of the pan-African conference on Human-Computer Interaction. He currently lives in San Jose with his wife and three sons.
Nathalie Walton is the Exited CEO and Co-Founder of Expectful. She achieved incredible results in her 28 months at Expectful, concluding in the sale of Expectful to Babylist, the leading vertical marketplace for baby. In her time at Expectful, she led a team of 50 employees, contractors, and medical providers, doubled revenue, built a cult-following brand with 175K followers on IG and 125+ press mentions, created viral relationships with influencers and celebrities, as well as raised millions in VC from top-tier VCs. Her accomplishments have earned her recognition in Techcrunch, Vogue, Goop, Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Fortune.Nathalie's impressive track record was recognized by Babylist, who acquired Expectful in early 2023. In addition to joining their team as a Board Advisor & (Interim) VP of Brand & Social Impact, she has extensive experience in leading M&A activity, business development, fundraising, and brand building for Gen Z/Millenial audiences. Prior to Expectful, she gained valuable insights from leadership roles at Airbnb, Google & eBay involving product partnerships, business operations & strategy. Nathalie led global initiatives and teams within the US, EMEA, APAC & LATAM, negotiating over 50 first-in-kind deals; and launching multiple new products. Her ability to form strong insights and connections across tech, marketplaces, and investors has been pivotal to her success.Nathalie Walton holds an MBA from Stanford University and a BA in Economics from Georgetown University.
With over 13 years of experience in B2B technology sales, I am a Director Specialist Data & AI at Microsoft, where I engage with strategic accounts and collaborate with senior engineers, architects, CTOs, and CIOs to deliver business value and overcome technical objections using the Azure platform. I have a proven track record of exceeding quotas, managing sales cycles exceeding 50 million dollars annually, and closing deals as an Account Executive. I have in-depth knowledge of cloud technologies, including SQL, Cosmos, Azure, AWS, GCP, Synapse, Hadoop, Data Warehouse, Java, Python, Apache, and Spark, and experience in selling SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS.I am passionate about technology and continuously seeking to stay ahead of the curve, with a particular interest in the integration of A.I. in business. I hold an MBA from Georgetown University, an MBA in Cybersecurity from Grand Canyon University, and a Microsoft Certified: Azure AI certification. I am also a mentor, a founder, and a council member, committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace and in the STEM field, and founder of my non-profit organization ITech Inc. I believe in inspiring and empowering others to reach their full potential. Follow my STEM program at www.itech0.com.
Charity Hemphill-Frierson is a Product Manager with expertise in building in highly regulated spaces. She currently leads a team that focuses on data privacy in ads and previously led the instant and faster payments work at USAA, the financial services institution that focuses on current and former military members and their families.Over the course of her career she has been able to work in high impact roles at premier organizations in the private and public sectors including the Boston Consulting Group
Almost 25 years in the tech industry at Microsoft. I have a strong background in the support of technology and enterprise customers, as well as strategic program development. I am results oriented and a passionate leader with experience designing and delivering global programs with individual and business impact.
Anastacia is a Principal at Google on YouTube's Strategy, Analytics & Finance team. The team rolls up to the CEO of YouTube and the CFO of Alphabet and serves as YouTube’s corporate strategy arm, advising the c-suite on growth strategy challenges and opportunities. More specifically, Anastacia leads strategy for YouTube’s Creator org (e.g., Fan Funding, Creator Studio, RevTube - Creator Revshare & Payments). Her expertise is a combination of finance, product / growth / monetization strategy, and operations within media, creator economy, and consumer tech. Prior to joining YouTube, Anastacia spent her career in three primary domains: consulting / strategy & corporate development, early-stage startup operations, and venture capital. She was a founding team member at a now acquired Y-Combinator and Andreesen Horowitz backed startup where she led user growth and created the playbook that drove acquisition for the hiring marketplace's first 25K members. She has also led investment due diligence, business case development, and strategic decision making in various capacities at YouTube, Booz Allen Hamilton, Kapor Capital, Comcast Ventures and more.Anastacia earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School. She was born in Jamaica but raised in New York City, where she still currently resides.
An established program manager with over 14 years of experience in successfully managing and executing business strategies. I started my career with NASA, then a stop at Nike, Inc., before landing at Google. I am also heavily involved in the community by continually volunteering with several non profits nationally, including siting on several boards.
Quiana designs and activates client initiatives and strategic alliances that bring corporations, government agencies, and small/medium businesses together to build and launch innovative customer experiences, products, and services that strengthen market growth and brand impact globally.She brings the lessons learned and forward-thinking perspective gained from 25 years of global technology and business consulting leadership to each space that she enters. Her executive advisory expertise and creativity have influenced global business decisions and innovation for clients across Financial Services, Legal, Public Sector, Tech/Media/Entertainment, and Consumer industries. Quiana has built strategic growth models from the ground up and has managed global partnerships and client pursuits with Salesforce, Adobe, Microsoft, SAP, Accenture, Deloitte, PwC, and KPMG. Quiana is also a former entrepreneur with a passion for advising and providing paths to new market development and revenue growth for small/medium business owners and creatives. She currently serves as a Strategic Relationship Advisor for the EY Private Equity Entrepreneurs Access Network and on the Advisory Board of the George Washington University Business School Customer Experience Program.In addition to her professional achievements, Quiana wears her passion for community and youth development on her sleeve. She devotes time to evangelizing the value of STEM education to young girls and to investing in the emotional and mental well-being of children who lost parents at a young age. Professional Specialties:Corporate Development | Strategic Alliances & Brand Partnerships | Deal Strategy & Contracts Negotiation | Design Thinking & Innovation | Product Development | Customer Experience Personal Interests:Interior Design + Architecture | Music | Art | Travel
Fonda Ingram is currently employed as the Vice President of Technical Program Management at Voltron Data. As the Vice President of Technical Program Management, she helps drive company strategy, align teams, collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders, and deliver on multiple complex projects across the company. In her previous role, she worked at Nvidia for 4 years, as the manager of a team of AI Technical Program Managers. Prior to working for Nvidia, Fonda worked as a Capital One Customer Success Manager for H2O, a Machine Learning start-up in Silicon Valley. In addition, Fonda worked for SAS for 10 years. During her tenure at SAS, she worked as a Senior Product Marketing Manager, a Senior Systems Engineer for Financial Services and as a Patent Engineer supporting all R&D.
Distinguished tech program manager with nearly a decade of experience at Google, specializing in go-to-market strategy, scaled user engagement, and operational excellence. Passionate about leveraging the power of storytelling as a filmmaker and educator to inspire, empower, and transform audiences.
Brandon Lindsay is a seasoned professional with experience spanning strategy, operations, and business development. He currently serves as the Google Consumer Devices Product Partnerships Strategy Lead, developing value proposition and unique approaches to partnerships from our he supports the VP of BD in a Chief of Staff capacity. Prior to this, an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company, where he managed teams and executed strategic client engagements across a number of industries including B2B software, Energy/Utilities, Manufacturing, various industries. He also has experience in the Payments and Payroll software space in Corporate Strategy at Automatic Data Processing, Inc., where he contributed to resource allocation and divestiture decisions. Brandon is a native of Cincinnati Ohio, and currently resides in Brooklyn New York. He holds an MBA from The Wharton School and a B.A. from Vanderbilt University in Economics and Spanish.
Torrence BooneVP - Global Client Partnerships & NY Office Co-LeadAs VP - Global Client Partnerships, Torrence drives Google’s strategy and multi-billion dollar business across a portfolio of the world’s largest global advertisers, spanning the tech, health/beauty and CPG verticals. In this capacity, he leads a team focused on global strategic partnerships that deploy diverse Google products to achieve business transformation and breakthrough marketing results. Torrence also co-leads Google’s New York office, the second largest in the network, and serves on Google's Global Business Hiring and Promotion Committees.Prior to Google, Torrence held senior positions with WPP, Publicis and Bain. He received a B.A. in Economics, with honors, from Stanford, and a M.B.A. from Harvard. He serves on the board of Macy’s, Inc. as a member of the Audit and Nominating & Governance Committees. He also co-chairs the Macy’s Digital Innovation Advisory Board focused on next generation digital transformation.
My career has traversed construction management, IT/healthcare IT/financial/startup/real estate/strategy & operations consulting for small and large companies and for myself and systems implementation. Technical background with an operational and systematic mindset, and a bit of dabbling in personal startup ventures.
I am a dedicated human resources professional with a passion for fostering a positive workplace culture and facilitating employee development. I am currently an Integration Strategy Lead in the Mergers & Acquisitions People Team at Google. For the past 3 years, I have guided Business and HR leaders on Integration best practices, including cultural integration, employee experience, and change management for various Google acquisition deals.Within my 8+ years at Google, I have had a wide variety of People related roles, including my role at X, the moonshot factory. At X, I helped stand up a new Alphabet entity, Loon, which was aimed at expanding internet connectivity with stratospheric balloons. Prior to Google, I worked at Goldman Sachs in the Benefits and Wellness Team - supporting the overall administration and oversight of the firm’s U.S. Health & Welfare Programs, while also managing the wellness programs for the company.
Uzo Amuzie is a dot connector and multihyphenate. His life’s mission is to unlock digital innovation as a pathway to autonomy and self determination for historically disadvantaged communities. Uzo is the Founder & Managing Partner of Cliffwood Ventures, where he provides fractional CFO and technical consulting services to early-stage startups and SMBs.Uzo graduated from Columbia University with a B.S. in Computer Science. He started his career at Goldman Sachs (GS), digging deep on the intersection of technology and finance. He most recently ran a $32mm FICC electronic trading business as employee #1 of the Marquee sales team, increasing revenues 50% by scaling electronic trading volume and x-selling Marquee's leading-edge SaaS & API products. Before Marquee, he previously shipped Goldman's first customer-facing app for GS-spinoff Symphony.com (unicorn status thru Series E) as a software engineer and grew into a technical relationship manager within the firm's $400mm Prime Brokerage business. After GS, Uzo founded Small World: a pre-seed social tech company whose automation software converts your network into net worth. He completed the /dev/color x Concrete Rose Capital (now Westbound Equity Partners) Entrepreneur Accelerator and an Entrepreneur-in-Residence term @ Antler VC. As a solo founder, he built a waitlist of 500+ people, onboarded 100+ users in alpha & beta testing, and raised $15,000 total of non-dilutive funding before winding down the company.Uzo is an active angel & real estate investor and has served on the Board of Directors for the National Society of Black Engineers, William Ross Jr Education Foundation, and other non-profit organizations. He is also an award-winning spoken word poet. At Columbia, Uzo was a Cisco Scholar & General Motors Foundation Buick Achievers Scholar. He is a proud member of /dev/color and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
From implementing cloud solutions to leading enterprise transformations, I'm a technology sales executive & thought leader with 20+ years of success driving revenue, building high-performing teams, and delivering client success with Cloud, AI, and Machine Learning. My experience spans both sides of the table, giving me a unique understanding of customer challenges and the power of cloud technology to achieve them.
Jeff Henry is a Senior Program Manager on the Global Affairs team at Google. He supports a portfolio of programs that aim to strengthen trust in Google by ensuring the responsible use and access to Google's products and platforms through the balancing of individual and societal rights. His focus areas include: Generative AI, Authoritative Information Sources, Violent Extremism, and Election Integrity.Prior to joining Google, Jeff established and led the Corporate Communications function at Chime, a consumer fintech company. His diverse portfolio of work there included but was not limited to: executive communications for the C-suite, preparing the company for public offering, and leading multicultural communications efforts with brand partners such as 21 Savage. Jeff also notably worked at Airbnb, a consumer travel company with a presence in 191 countries. During his time there, he created the companies external engagement program for trust and safety and built several other global programs to fulfill Airbnb’s commitments to environmental sustainability, and diversity and inclusion. These programs have become industry benchmarks for excellence. Additionally, he led global crisis communications and established the external diversity communications program at the height of Airbnb’s platform anti-discrimination challenges.Jeff has been at the forefront of addressing some of the most complex challenges of 21st century technology and its impact on society, specifically the intersection of emerging technologies and their impact on marginalized groups such as women, ethnic minorities, and LGBTQIA+ individuals.Jeff has also worked at organizations such as Apple Inc., The Clinton Foundation, The Economist, Press Office of First Lady Michelle Obama, and Facebook. He is a graduate of UNC-Charlotte (B.S. Political Science) and New York University (M.S. Public Relations & Corporate Communications) and is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.
Born and raised in New York City, Christina transitioned from her role as Executive Director at Goldman Sachs to become a successful startup founder, launching and scaling businesses across Europe and the U.S. Following the acquisition of her video marketing technology company in 2021, Christina shifted her focus to the investment landscape, targeting the challenges in the European startup ecosystem's funding dynamics. To maximize her impact, Christina has directly mentored over 50 startups, invests as an operator angel, and serves on the boards of accelerator programs, venture capital funds, startups, and government entities. In order to scale the learnings she has garnered on both sides of the fundraising table as entrepreneur and investor, Christina crafted the ‘Borderless Brilliance’ curriculum designed to help founders identify and secure their ideal investor. This curriculum is built on a proprietary technique that uniquely integrates a founder's values and vision with the practical realities of venture funding, enabling the creation of a precise psychographic profile of the ideal investor.
Kirk Morris is a Program and Strategy Lead at Google, where he leverages expertise in tech, operations, and strategic partnerships to negotiate deals and drive product adoption at scale. In addition to his role at Google, Kirk is a Venture Fellow with an emerging AI fund and an Associate at Black Angel Group, conducting due diligence across sectors like AI, DevOps, logistics, SaaS, and media. His commitment to empowering others and fostering creativity extends beyond tech, serving as a board member at BAYCAT, a nonprofit film studio. Kirk began his career managing e-commerce advertisers at Meta and holds a Bachelor of Science in marketing from the University of Maryland College Park. He resides in New York City, pursuing interests across venture capital, technology, and the arts.
Gerald Jean-Baptiste hails from the great city of Miami and is of proud Haitian descent. Gerald had the privilege to study at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and received his Bachelors in Fine Arts (BFA) in Film and Television in 2012. After Gerald completed his studies at NYU, he felt impassioned to return to Miami to improve the education system in his hometown. Gerald was then inducted as a 2012 Teach For America Miami-Dade Corps Member and placed at Miami Edison Senior High. He had the fortune of teaching English Language Learners at Miami Edison, many of whom were recent Haitian immigrants. Gerald then received a master's degree at the Harvard Graduate School of Education with a focus on Arts in Education. Gerald currently works at YouTube, as a Video Producer in the YouTube Support Solutions Organization. As the Consumer Video Production Lead for YouTube Operations, Gerald creates visual content to enhance consumer understanding for YouTube TV, NFL Sunday Ticket, and YouTube Premium.
Arthur Deane is a CISO with nearly 20 years of experience building security programs and teams at multiple global organizations. He currently leads security at Amazon Healthcare, which includes the Amazon Pharmacy and One Medical businesses. Arthur was previously the Vice President and CISO of the Card business at Capital One, and prior to that held security leadership roles at Google, AWS, and PwC, as well as security engineering roles at various U.S. Government agencies.Arthur holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and a master's degree in information security from the University of Maryland. He's an Adjunct Professor at American University, a member of RIT's National Council, and a member of the Computer Science Advisory Board at Howard University. Arthur holds numerous industry certifications and is also the author of CCSP for Dummies and co-author of The Official (ISC)2 CISSP CBK Reference, 6th Edition.
Ishvaraus is an engineering leader, social entrepreneur, and tech equity advocate with a hunger to serve the public interest. He currently works at Fieldguide leading multiple teams applying AI to the audit and advisory space. Previous to that he worked at Meta where he led and launched several highly impactful projects that touched over a billion users across Facebook and Instagram. Between these roles Ishvaraus spent a year working on emerging tech policy, especially regarding underrepresented communities, in Congress through a TechCongress fellowship.
Danielle Brown is a seasoned marketing leader with over a decade of experience at Google, spanning roles across Search, Google Cloud, and Brand Studio in Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, and London. Currently serving as a Global Influencer Marketing Lead at YouTube from her hometown of Baton Rouge, LA, Danielle has a proven track record of driving impactful campaigns. Most recently, her influencer activation at the 2024 Paris Olympics drew a record-breaking 850 million viewers to Olympic content on YouTube. Her innovative talent strategies have also fueled significant subscriber growth for YouTubeTV, including a 3 million subscriber surge in 2023 driven by her social-first approach to marketing NFL Sunday Ticket in its inaugural year on the platform. Danielle's work has garnered industry recognition, including an AdAge "Best Ads of 2024" award for her talent casting in the YouTube TV/NFL Sunday Ticket "Migration" Super Bowl commercial, and she was recently recognized as a Baton Rouge Business Report's Forty Under 40 honoree.
I’m a former startup investor and founder based in London. I spent the last four years at Octopus Ventures, where I helped invest £60-100m annually into preseed to Series B software startups across Europe. Before that, I founded an e-commerce company focused on premium gifts for new parents. I've also spent time on the trading floor at Citi, working with major corporate clients. I speak six languages and working with founders in areas like Future of Work, Consumer Social, Creator Economy, and AI. Excited to connect with the community!
A visionary leader with over 20 years of exceptional experience in construction, engineering, and operations. Throughout my career, I have consistently delivered outstanding results by overseeing multimillion-dollar projects from inception to completion, surpassing client expectations. My expertise lies in strategic planning, operational optimization, and profitability enhancement, known for transforming teams into high-performing units through motivational leadership and a commitment to fostering a culture of innovation.
As a seasoned professional and passionate advocate for African entrepreneurship, I bring over a decade of diverse global experience spanning Consulting. manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, and retail sectors across Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and the United States. In my role as a dedicated consultant and mentor, I have had the privilege of guiding more than 300 African women-led startups over the past seven years, helping them navigate challenges, scale their operations, and access vital resources for growth. My educational background includes an MBA degree, and I am a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), which has equipped me with a solid foundation in business strategy and project execution. Outside of my professional endeavors, I am an avid traveler, always eager to explore new cultures, people, and places. I am also a devoted supporter of both the Dallas Cowboys and Manchester United, consistently following and cheering for my favorite teams. Through the BVI program, I look forward to enhancing my investment acumen, building meaningful connections, and contributing to the growth of Black-led startups globally.
Antwane Owens is the co-founder and CFO of Arete Health, a Black Founder led company dedicated to "Revolutionizing Access to Healthcare" by creating affordable coverage pathways for underrepresented and underserved working populations. With leadership experience at Chewy and Amazon, Antwane has a proven track record of scaling multi-billion-dollar businesses and driving transformative initiatives. At Chewy, he led the company to its first profitable year and increased recurring revenue by $2.25 billion. At Amazon, he oversaw the $13.7 billion Whole Foods post-acquisition integration and helped expand global operations.As a seasoned limited partner investor, Antwane focuses on ventures addressing emerging market needs in sectors like healthcare, wellness, and consumer goods. He currently serves on the boards of Arete Health, Flooring OS, and DTLoans, providing strategic oversight and leveraging his expertise in financial strategy, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance.Through the Black Angel Group, Antwane seeks to connect with founders, general partners, and other investors who share a vision for fostering innovation and equity in venture capital. He is particularly interested in opportunities to invest in promising companies, potentially secure funding for Arete Health, and contribute to portfolio companies through board service or strategic advisory roles.Antwane’s leadership style is collaborative and results-driven, with a strong focus on aligning financial strategy with long-term growth and sustainability. He is an Executive Leadership Council member, Member of the BLCK VC BVI Cohort 8 Program, graduate of the 2023 Black Boardroom Initiative through Deloitte and Perkins Coie, and holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.Antwane welcomes opportunities to explore partnerships, investments, or roles where his background can help drive impactful growth and innovation.
A trusted adviser to the President of the United States, U.S. Senators, and CEOs, I've helped facilitate more than $15 billion in deals across 4 continents. Three Fortune 100 companies, a professional sports league, and officials at the highest levels of government have sought my guidance on labor relations, contract negotiations, internal investigations, crisis communication, and high stakes litigation. I build and lead teams with empathy, inspiration, a focus on talent development, and a relentless drive to accomplish strategic objectives.I bring my full life experience to every deal I negotiate, every team I lead, and every client I represent. I am a Morehouse Man, an Ivy League trained attorney, and a proud native of Compton and South Central Los Angeles. I wake up each day with a commitment to weaving civil rights and social justice advocacy into my work. Before I'd ever appeared in a courtroom or boarded a flight to negotiate a deal overseas, I internalized two powerful lessons: (1) only advocate for people whose values I share and (2) only work for organizations with a mission I support.
Shawn Vaughns is the Managing Director and co-founder of Square One Technologies Inc. (Cybersecurity Specialists). Shawn Vaughns has held technical leadership positions at World Bank Group, International Finance Corporation, Lockheed Martin, and Booz Allen Hamilton. Mr. Vaughns has expertise specific to blockchain technologies, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud security, application security, and solution architecture. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Tennessee State University. He also holds an M.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Central Florida. He also earned an MBA from Webster University. Additionally, he earned a Doctor of Management from the University of Maryland University College. Shawn is also a participant in Black Venture Institute (Cohort 8). Shawn has earned the Certified Information Systems Security Professional(CISSP), GIAC Web Application Penetration Tester (GWAPT), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), and Oracle Certified Professional, Java SE Programmer (OCPJP). His hobbies include cycling, poetry, hiking, music, sports, history, and traveling.
Oladele is a Strategy and Operations Manager at Google. Oladele has experience advising companies on sales, marketing, and partnership strategy across both healthcare and technology companies. Oladele has published a white paper with Venture Capital firm Rock Health advising pharmaceutical and digital health startups on how they should best partner. Oladele has helped Sales Directors at LinkedIn enhancing the sales process resulting in 60% year over year growth. Oladele is excited to apply my operational and strategic expertise to support and advise early stage companies and members of my community while also learning from them. Outside of work, Oladele loves to travel and has traveled to over 25 countries and enjoys the benefits of having a trilingual partner to explore the world with. Oladele is an avid life learner and currently learning how to play the alto saxophone and speak Spanish.
Kina Guyton is a seasoned marketing professional with a track record of driving growth for brands. Currently, Kina is Vice President - Experience Strategy at RAPP , a division of Omnicom.A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, she has dedicated her work to fostering a culture of belonging. Kina has crafted the brand strategy for not only some of the world’s most recognized brandssuch as Colgate and Walgreens but also innovative, emerging or start-up consumer brands in consumer, fintech and productivity spaces. She is a brand strategist who specializes in delivering exceptional consumer products and experiences that exceed company goals. Her commitment to social responsibility extends beyond the workplace, as evidenced by her volunteer work with women-led non-profits. Kina holds an MBA from The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.
A visionary technology leader with 10+ years of experience transforming IT organizations and driving digital innovation at high-growth companies. As the first IT leader at multiple successful startups, I've built world-class teams from the ground up, implemented cutting-edge AI solutions, and prepared organizations for scale and public market readiness. My approach combines strategic thinking with hands-on execution, whether it's developing multi-year IT roadmaps, leading digital transformation initiatives, or optimizing enterprise systems.I'm particularly passionate about:-Building and scaling high-performing IT organizations-Leveraging AI and emerging technologies to drive business efficiency-Implementing enterprise-wide digital transformation initiatives-Creating sustainable, cost-effective technology solutionsBeyond my day-to-day, I'm an active angel investor focused on technology that positively impacts lives, a street photographer, and a dedicated networker in the global tech and cybersecurity community. Open to connecting with fellow technology leaders, investors, and innovators.
Allison Alexander is a Co-Managing Partner at The Marathon Fund, where she is primarily responsible for developing the venture capital firm’s strategy and portfolio selection process, facilitating investment transactions, and managing the firm’s investments and operations. For decades Allison has focused her investment and legal career on supporting entrepreneurship, especially in historically undercapitalized communities. Allison is experienced in venture and private equity and was previously a corporate and securities attorney at DLA Piper.
Bonita C. Stewart brings extensive consumer technology and operational experience as her career spans over four decades of digital transformation across multiple industries, including executive roles at IBM, DaimlerChrysler, and two entrepreneurial ventures. Since joining Google in 2006 she has driven adoption of digital technologies within the C-Suite in the US and globally. Currently, Ms. Stewart serves as Board Partner for Gradient Ventures Google's early stage venture capital firm specializing in AI-enabled startups. Most recently she spent the last seven years overseeing partnerships for the largest US publishers across search, news, media/entertainment, commerce, and mobile apps. She is the co-author of A Blessing: Women of Color Teaming Up to Lead, Empower and Thrive and the annual Women of Color in Business Cross-Generational Survey©. Ms Stewart is a director on the Deckers Brands [NYSE:DECK] where she Chairs the Corporate Governance committee, PagerDuty [NYSE:PD], and Volta Charging [NYSE:VLTA] boards. She was recognized by Crain's in 2014 as a Woman to Watch in Tech. Ms. Stewart also pioneered the concept for Howard West now recognized as the Tech Exchange, a computer science immersion program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, powered by Google. Her civic interests include the New York Women’s Forum board, and the American Ballet Theatre Advisory Council for Project RISE. Ms. Stewart graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts from Howard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Kwasi is a seasoned tech leader with nearly 25 years of experience working as software executive. He's a master at navigating the sales, marketing, and product development landscape, and has consistently exceeded business outcomes for his teams.Throughout his career, Kwasi has built strong relationships with clients, forged valuable partnerships, and successfully launched new products. He's conducted business with C-level executives in both the public and private sectors, helping clients achieve their business goals.Kwasi has held senior leadership roles at Fortune 500 companies, the White House, and venture backed startups with successful market exits. He graduated from Wake Forest University with a degree in Computer Science and earned his MBA from UNC School of Business.
Donald Martin, Jr. is the founder and Head of Societal Context Understanding Tools & Solutions (SCOUTS), Responsible AI at Google Research. He focuses on the equitable, safe application of AI in high-stakes domains through community-based problem understanding and knowledge production. Donald holds a BS in Electrical Engineering and a US utility patent for "problem modeling in resource optimization." He has over 30 years of technology leadership experience and has held CIO, CTO, COO, and product manager positions.
Nolan S. Code is a solutions architect and engineer based in Smyrna, Georgia, with over a decade of experience in cloud computing and data engineering. He holds an MBA in Global Business from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a BA in History from Morehouse College. Throughout his career, Nolan has held various roles, including Data Engineering Specialist at Accenture and Applications Consultant at Capgemini, where he provided web application and cloud computing solutions to Fortune 500 clients. His technical proficiencies encompass cloud platforms like AWS, GCP, and Microsoft Azure, as well as programming languages such as Java and Python. Nolan's certifications include Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, and AWS Certified Solution Architect Associate. Nolan S. Code is a solutions architect and engineer based in Smyrna, Georgia, with over a decade of experience in cloud computing and data engineering. He holds an MBA in Global Business from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a BA in History from Morehouse College. Throughout his career, Nolan has held various roles, including Data Engineering Specialist at Accenture and Applications Consultant at Capgemini, where he provided web application and cloud computing solutions to Fortune 500 clients. His technical proficiencies encompass cloud platforms like AWS, GCP, and Microsoft Azure, as well as programming languages such as Java and Python. In August 2021, Nolan established his own company, Nolan S. Code LLC, registered at 612 Vinings Forest Court SE, Smyrna, GA, 30080. Nolan's certifications include Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, and AWS Certified Solution Architect Associate.
Mr. Anthony (Tony) Grant is responsible for business integration and policy deployment for AllClear Aerospace & Defense. Mr. Grant joined AllClear Aerospace & Defense (Kellstrom Aerospace & Defense) as Vice President of Business Transformation in April 2014 and has played a pivotal role in the transformation of the AllClear Aerospace & Defense group of companies into a cohesive, customer facing organization with full integration of the global facilities and business infrastructure.Tony has over 25 years of experience managing complex businesses and cross functional teams for high-profile public and private-equity backed aerospace and defense companies. He is an accomplished leader with expertise in Mergers & Acquisition (M&A), business integration, restructuring, turnarounds, P&L management, and program management. Mr. Grant previously served as Vice President of Corporate Development and Interim President for the Engineered Products Business at AllClear Aerospace & Defense. In these roles, he was responsible for driving operational margin expansion, new business growth and M&A growth. Prior to joining AllClear Aerospace & Defense, he was an executive with CIRCOR International from 2008 to 2014 where he drove vertical integration through restructuring projects and drove companywide margin expansions. Prior to CIRCOR International, Mr. Grant held multiple roles of increasing responsibility with Honeywell Aerospace from 2001 to 2007 including an expat assignment in Suzhou, China. Mr. Grant began his Aerospace & Defense career with United Technologies where he worked as a manufacturing and project engineer on the International Space Station Program.Mr. Grant holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Howard University and an M.B.A. from The Barney School at the University of Hartford.
15+ years of information technology experience in Database Administration, Data Modeling, database Architecture, Data Warehousing and Business intelligence. Extensive experience in data architecture and High availability solutions in distributed database systems, ETL processes and database administration best practices on different platforms and environments. Drive innovations by keeping current on emerging technology in the areas of efficient data structures, streaming data and web services. Avid tournament chess player
Courtney Bass Sherizen is the Chief Talent and Culture Officer at The Wikimedia Foundation, the organization that hosts Wikipedia and several other free knowledge sources. Prior to joining Wikimedia, she was a Director of People Operations at Google, where she supported global teams across talent management, people operations, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. While at Google, Courtney created the HR crisis management response team supporting all of Google’s 130,000+ employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. She was also a Lead People Partner, coaching and advising over 100 senior leaders across the organization. Courtney began her career as a public school teacher in Philadelphia through Teach For America (TFA), and later worked at Teach for America as their Managing Director of Strategy, Talent and Operations. Courtney has organizational strategy and management consulting experience from her time with The Monitor Group (now Monitor Deloitte), and is a board member of the Donors of Color Network and Beta Financial Services.Courtney received her undergraduate degree in History with a certificate in African Studies, and as well as her Masters in Business Administration (MBA), both from Harvard University. She also has a Certificate in Organizational Leadership and Coaching from Northwestern University.
Renée is an attorney at Google where she has managed the company’s global competition compliance program since 2012. In addition to her legal work, Renée is passionate about issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has served as a member of her team’s Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Council helping to develop pipeline initiatives, design effective recruiting and retention programs, create a more inclusive working environment for team members, and push to increase diversity across the legal profession. Renée is the current co-chair of the Youth Speaks Board of Directors and she was a 2015 Fellow with the Aspen Institute’s First Movers Program. She graduated from the University of Michigan Law School and received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University
I'm a media and entertaining executive in tech, with over 20 years of experience in customer service, sales, and managing large organizations across multiple countries. I speak English, Portuguese and Spanish and I'm a lover for traveling, food and culture.
Alvin Addo is a Ghanaian-American creative based in Los Angeles, who also works as a Digital Operations Manager for YouTube. He’s a self taught music producer, photographer, creative director, and storyteller, specializing in the intersection between culture and technology. Born and raised in Oklahoma City, he grew up with an affinity for art and technology and began producing music at the age of 18. He attended Stanford University and was a Pre-Med majoring in Human Biology, all while continuing to get more involved with music production. This time was pivotal – wanting to create and put out his own music was the catalyst for him to explore other creative avenues like graphic design, poetry and songwriting, recording & mixing, and brand identity. Alvin graduated from Stanford in 2012, and decided to get more involved in entertainment through the intersection of music and technology, which led him to Google, where he’s been able to further cultivate his professional and creative skillsets through various projects. As a second generation Ghanaian-American, Addo has always been interested in hip hop culture, fashion, and storytelling from different lenses, and these are themes that continue to be sources of inspiration. His primary mission is to empower creatives and use content creation and curation to elevate culture. “I want to be able to create memorable work and enable a generation of creators to tell their stories in the best ways possible.”Alvin is a member of the Los Angeles chapter of the Recording Academy (GRAMMYs) and serves on the Black @ YouTube core team in the Global Brand Strategist and Southern California Lead roles.
Wayne Kimball, Jr, currently serves as Principal, Corporate Development (Cloud M&A) at Google. He is also a real estate investor, angel investor, and startup advisor, specializing in go-to-market strategy, enterprise transformation, and global expansion. Passionate about the landscape of education and eradicating poverty through access, exposure and opportunity, Kimball currently serves as a Board member for various nonprofit organizations and educational institutions. He lives in Los Angeles, CA with his wife, Savannah.
Lookman joined Google in March 2021 as VP of FP&A and Strategic Finance for Google Cloud, following more than 20 years of industry experience in finance, product management, analytics and business strategy. In his role, Lookman leads the Central Finance, M&A and Strategic Finance, and Analytics function. Prior to Google, Lookman was at Amazon Web Services (AWS), where he spent eight years in various finance leadership roles - the most recent being the Head of AWS Insights, Planning and Analytics team, which included Central FP&A, Business Analytics, and Product FP&A for some businesses. He was also a key finance leader responsible for various CEO mechanisms, financial systems, and people development strategies and execution for the $50B business.Prior to Amazon, Lookman worked at American Airlines in various finance, strategy, and product management roles, with his last rotation as the FP&A leader for the airline's $2.6B Technical Operations and Engineering org; and at Dell as a product management consultant. Before business school, Lookman spent his first 5 years of professional experience in Nigeria, first as an IT entrepreneur and then later on as a project management consultant, engaging in various IT and internet connectivity projects for Universities and Colleges of Education in Nigeria. Lookman has an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin (class of 2007) and an undergrad degree in Materials Engineering from the University of Lagos, Nigeria 2000). He's married, has two teenage daughters, 13 and 15, and is a pet-dad to a 2 year old maltese dog, Ollie. Outside of work, Lookman enjoys travelling and experiencing different cultures and cuisine, cooking and grilling, spending time outdoors e.g. hiking, kayaking, golf etc., and binges a lot of World War 2 history. He is currently based in Seattle/Kirkland, WA.
Julio is leading the Global New Business Sales organisation at Airdna. Prior to that, he built and scaled a new outbound SDR team at Google Cloud. Julio has extensive sales experience in SaaS sales with SMB, Mid-market and Enterprise customers at large enterprise companies as well as at start-ups/scale-ups.
Rachel Spivey has worked at Google for the last twelve years, promoting various dimensions of diversity, equity and inclusion. She is currently the Head of the Stay and Thrive Team, focused on ensuring retention and progression rates are at parity across race and gender lines throughout the company. Rachel is passionate about leading this team aimed at helping Googlers stay and thrive at the company. Previously, she held the role of Internal Community Advocate where she served as a Diversity Team liaison between the Black and Hispanic Employee Resource Groups. During her time at Google, she has also worked as the Project Manager for Google’s race initiatives, helped launch a diversity engagement platform and continues to advocate to increase our investment in HBCUs. The highlight of her career has been elevating Google’s racial justice agenda by organizing a Hoodie March for Trayvon Martin, Day of Support for the victims of Charleston shooting and vigils for Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. Rachel graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science from Hampton University.
As a Growth PM at YouTube, Larry helps drive product strategy + execution and user growth for YouTube's premium media subscription service. Prior to this role, Larry owned outcomes related to strategy, organizational planning, and special projects as Chief of Staff at YouTube TV & Sports. Prior to joining YouTube, Larry worked as a partner at Andreessen Horowitz and sourced early stage startups across consumer, network marketplaces, SaaS, and fintech. Larry remains active in the startup ecosystem by leading the Black Angel Group (a collective of investors across Google and Alphabet focused on supporting early stage startups with operational expertise and capital), advising the Decelera (a European-based accelerator program focused on startups building a more sustainable world), and angel investing in consumer, enterprise, and web3 startups.EducationLarry graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and completed coursework in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (Oregon State), Economics of Blockchain and Digital Assets (Wharton Executive Education) and Product Management (Reforge). When Larry is not meditating, hiking, or BBQ'ing he’s spending time with his wife, 9month old daughter, and rescue dog (Bayo, which means “Joy has arrived” in Nigerian).
Merlin is an enthusiastic Technology and Architecture visionary with a wealth of experience in co-innovation.As Lead Solution Consultant at Google Cloud, Partner Engineering, his primary role is helping companies to drive Digital Transformation leveraging best in class Google Cloud technologies across numerous domains such as Distributed Cloud / Edge Computing, The Internet of Things, Big Data, Smart Analytics, Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning, 5G, Web3 & Metaverse. Before joining Google, Merlin was Chief Innovation Architect at SAP where he led SAP Intelligent Technologies strategy, GTM and Solution Architecture. Merlin is a 25+ years veteran in the High Tech industry and also earned a Master degree in Database Management System and in Economics from the University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis in France.
Lauren is a seasoned professional with nearly 20 years of experience as a trusted advisor, strategist, and facilitator. She is currently an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Partner at GV focused on providing advisory and coaching support to portfolio companies. Before GV, Lauren spent close to eight years at Google in HR business partnership, diversity and inclusion, and HR strategy consulting roles for Alphabet companies. Lauren has a decade of experience in public and private sector management consulting at Booz Allen Hamilton and Deloitte Consulting, primarily focused on human capital management, organization transformation, diversity and inclusion, leadership development, learning design, change management, and communications. Additionally, Lauren is a seasoned executive and leadership coach for both Fortune 500 companies and startups, working with leaders in various industries, including technology, finance, pharma, media, and advertising.Lauren holds a BA in Psychology and French with honors from Harvard University, an MBA in Marketing and Strategy from Duke University, and a Certificate in Human Resources Management from George Mason University. She received her coaching certification from the Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) and holds an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) accreditation from the International Coaching Federation.
Jeremiah focuses on all stages of capital formation and deployment and building an inclusive and diverse investment community. Jeremiah is the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of CapitalG. In this role, he manages all legal, regulatory and compliance matters for Alphabet’s independent growth fund.Jeremiah co-leads Alphabet’s effort to invest $100M in Black-led startups, investment funds and organizations. To support this effort, Jeremiah serves on the limited partner advisory committees of Noemis Ventures, Reign Ventures, Plexo Capital and Zeal Capital Partners.
Amari comes from a background in marketing and media strategy, having worked on the Beats By Dre, Apple Music, and Infiniti brands. She’s developed innovative and effective media strategies for her clients designed to grow sales and brand equity in over-crowded and highly competitive markets including luxury automotive, consumer electronics, and music streaming. She completed her MBA at the UCLA Anderson school of Management and after a stint at Amazon, Amari leads Partner Marketing for Google TV at Google.
E.J. Stancil, a Houston native now residing in Los Angeles, is known for constantly challenging convention and having a bias towards action. With a background in producing world-class marketing content and DE&I programming, he aims to bring a fresh perspective and a collaborative approach to each team he’s a part of. E.J.'s experience is rooted in the management of digital marketing campaigns for a variety of Fortune 500 companies across telecommunications, CPG, retail, entertainment, and technology. The scope of his past work ranges across social & digital media campaigns, retail experience innovation, new consumer product launches, and web development.Currently, E.J. serves as DE&I program manager for Android at Google. In this role, E.J. works to operationalize the ideals of DE&I into the core workflows of the business by establishing shared accountability in the creation and maintenance of a more equitable and inclusive culture for Android’s teams and products. E.J. first established his roots in advocacy through the 4A’s Multicultural Advertising Internship Program (MAIP) and ADCOLOR FUTURES, and has since become a recognized champion for historically excluded communities. He serves as an acting member on the ADCOLOR Advisory Board and received the Unsung Hero award for his contributions to the ADCOLOR organization. In addition, his leadership in R/GA’s corporate DE&I efforts was acknowledged when he received three separate company awards for innovation, collaboration, and culture for breaking down silos and establishing space for meaningful and inclusive conversations around race relations and gender inequality. In his spare time, you can find E.J. twirling on a dance floor, eating at a Michelin-starred restaurant with an emergency bottle of hot sauce, or digging through the crates of your favorite music streaming service.
Matthew Forsythe is a Product Management Director in Google's Devices and Services. He leads a team that builds post purchase experiences for the Google Store - Google's only first party channel to see phones, wearables, smart devices (e.g. Nest), and more. Matthew has an extensive backgroud in ecommerce, fintech, and identity management. He's worked at several companies across the globle. He holds a BSE and a MS degree from the University of Michigan and a MBA and M.ED from Stanford University.
Chukes is a finance professional at Google who has helped oversee the marketing spend of Google's most notable products such as Chrome Browser, Chromebooks and Play. Prior to supporting Marketing Finance, Chukes worked within Google's Fixed Asset Accounting and Alpha Analytics (Finance Strategy) teams. Chukes is a second generation Nigerian American that lives by the motto "lifting as we climb".
Halimah DeLaine Prado serves as General Counsel at Google. Prior to joining Google, Halimah practiced media law and products liability law at Dechert LLP and Levine Sullivan Koch and Schulz (now Ballard Spahr). She also clerked for the Honorable Mary A. McLaughlin of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.Halimah graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in Political Science and later obtained her J.D. from Georgetown.
Dwight is a results-oriented marketing professional from Ohio, highly regarded for 12+ years of experience improving brand awareness and ROl. They are recognized as a leader with expertise in media strategy and product marketing.Dwight is the owner of Philia, a cannabis brand. Additionally, they are a Product Marketing Team Lead for YouTube Ads.
Arielle Dulberg, (she/her) is a Diversity Program Manager for YouTube, whose role is to increase overall representation at YT to contribute towards Google’s current needs and future aspirational goals. She has worked at Google for 4+ years, is a NYC Lead for Black@YouTube and a Co-Lead for the Advocacy, Community Engagement Committee for the Black Googler Network. She has a passion for creating access to economic opportunities that empower women and communities of color. She received a Bachelor of Science from University of Pittsburgh and a Masters in Public Administration and Policy from NYU Wagner. Outside of work Arielle loves to travel often and learn as much as she can about personal finance and natural wine - though they don’t tend to align!
Rahael is a Senior Counsel at Google leading a team of product counsel supporting Google's internal business functions and Corporate Engineering organization. She also serves as an independent director on the Board of Directors of CME Group Inc. Prior to Google, Rahael was a corporate associate at Morrison & Foerster in San Francisco and Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York, specializing in mergers and acquisitions. Rahael clerked for the Honorable George B. Daniels in the Southern District of New York, earned her JD from Yale Law School, and her undergraduate degree from Stanford University.
Tiffany Black has worked as a marketer and journalist for 20+ years. She has always been passionate about great storytelling and reaching the right audience, at the right time with impactful stories.Tiffany is currently the Global Social Media Lead for Google Cloud where she leads the development and implementation of creative social media content, social selling programs, employee and leadership activation, and measurement strategies. Tiffany oversees the positioning, strategy, and development of content and programs for Google Cloud’s social channels, managing social media managers and designers to ensure growth in awareness and engagement in key markets.Prior to Google Cloud, Tiffany was a Senior Marketing Manager at Airbnb responsible for merchandising homes and experiences that will give guests a magical travel experience. She also worked at Ancestry as the Director of Influencer Engagement building a network of influencers to share their stories of personal discovery through DNA and family history research. She has previously worked as the Global Head of Influencer Content Marketing at eBay, an Associate Director of social media at Deep Focus on the Pernod Ricard portfolio (Absolut, Jameson, Malibu, Kahlua, etc), Social Media Manager for CBS Sports, Senior Producer at Inc.com, Editorial Producer at InStyle.com, Producer at Sports Illustrated, Sports Producer at the New York Times, just to name a few. Tiffany has also taught Writing and Editing for the Web, Intro to Blogging, Intro to Social Media, Advanced Social Media, and Blogging Essentials at MediaBistro.com.Tiffany describes herself as a North Jersey born New Yorker with a heart of Carolina blue. But whatever you do, don't call her a Cali-girl.
Nathalie Sajous is an ESG and Technology expert. She is a veteran in Digital Media, having spent over 25 years in the Tech industry, mostly in the B2B space with Blue Chip companies like Google, NBC Universal, Disney and Microsoft. She has led teams and advised partners through different stages of digital transformation to unlock sustainable growth. Nathalie has spent the majority of her decade-long tenure at Google helping Publishers navigate the evolving online consumer trends. She advised CEOs, C-suite members and senior leadership teams of large media companies to unlock margin efficiency within their P&L as the industry experienced dramatic shifts. She has partnered with F1000 retail companies on digital media activation strategies, new business development, and on data intelligence capabilities. Driving sustainable growth through diversified business streams is also something that Nathalie experienced first hand while at United Online Services, an ads and subscriptions based ISP, leading the acquisitions and retention Marketing business.Nathalie combines her skills leading frontline sales teams, with her experience in developing the go-to market strategies for scaled businesses. Whether leading the launch of a global billion dollar Reseller Publisher business within Google, or working with the Small Medium Sized Businesses segment to help them understand and leverage the power of direct and brand advertising with Google and YouTube, Nathalie has expertise in building the commercialization plan and influencing across organizations to launch. Unlocking growth opportunities and innovation within or across organizations has been consistent across her time at Disney, NBC Universal and Microsoft in their Digital divisions bringing new technologies and offerings to life.Nathalie is a strong advocate of DEI, mentoring many young women and black professionals. She is co-vice chair of the Black Leadership Advisory Group at Google, a group that advises senior management on building inclusive and equitable systems.Nathalie holds a French Baccalaureate, a BA from Harvard and an MBA from UCLA. She resides in New York.
Makini is the Director of Finance for the UK and Ireland where she leads the finance function supporting the Global Business Organization for the UK and Ireland. Before joining the UK team, Makini led the Global Business Revenue Analytics in Global Ads Finance. Prior to joining Google, she spent almost 14 years as an analytics and finance leader in digital and multi-channel retail. Her experience spans both start-ups and global brands. She holds a bachelor of science degree from Cornell University and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Cassandra is a pragmatic and focused operations and functional support Business Transformation Leader who transforms organizations, people, processes and system capabilities to drive efficiencies, increase profitability and provide a competitive advantage through strategic planning and execution. She formulates vision and strategies that drive best practices and navigates diverse cultures and legacy mindsets to build thoughtful, productive and profitable operations. Cassandra is forward thinking and an impactful leader at the forefront of organizational change. She empowers high-performance teams, develops executive level relationships and fosters collaboration among key decision makers to create enterprise buy-in throughout the global organization. She is recognized for deep end-to-end operations, customer centric and branding knowledge, multi-dimensional capabilities & for her expertise in strategic planning, supply chain, customer service, contact centers, communications & marketing. Cassandra has held top management positions at Visa Inc., AIG, The Home Depot & Federal Express and other Fortune 500 companies. Cassandra's current role is VP of Customer Care & Vendor Management Office for Google Devices & Services. She is responsible for managing a global network of vendor management and contact centers and key strategic BPO partnerships across the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Asia – helping to support Google’s hardware and services business portfolio worldwide with an organization and support infrastructure of +10,000 FTEs, 50+ countries, 50+ languages and in excess of +650M annual interactions. She is a member of the Devices & Services Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Leadership Council as the Executive Sponsor for Supplier Diversity and Hardware for Everyone initiative and serves as the Global Executive Sponsor for Google’s Employee Resource Group - Black Googler Network (BGN) and a member of the Black Leadership Advisory Group (BLAG) and Women@Google Global Co-Chair. Most recently, Cassandra was SVP, Global Customer Care Services for Visa, Inc. Supporting Visa’s global business, Cassandra managed a multi-market network of contact centers with more than 4,300 associates within Visa and strategic BPO partnerships across the US, Europe, Latin and Central America and Asia. Her responsibilities included customer service delivery B2B and B2C, all channels of operations efficiency, social media service, compliance and technology and tools infrastructure development, implementation and execution. In addition, Cassandra was the Visa Black Employees (ViBE) Austin Executive Sponsor and co-Chair of the Global Client Support Services Diversity & Inclusion Council. Cassandra has also led the Global Risk Control Services as Executive Head for Americas for AIG. The Compliance Services division in Global Consumer Operations was tasked with independent control testing service to ensure that the Company's Compliance Programs were carried out in an effective and efficient manner while providing oversight to AIG Property Casual supply chain management. The breadth and scope of the team's global support and impact included approximately 450 internal policy systems, 26,000 associates, 250 sites, 50+ countries, 50+ languages and in excess of $460M annual budget. Cassandra holds a BS degree in Industrial Engineering and a minor in Industrial Psychology from Georgia Tech, a MS degree in Industrial Engineering from the Univ of Toledo & an Executive MBA from the University of Tennessee. She has served previously on various boards including Network of Executive Women (NEW), Grady Health Foundation Ambassador Force Executive Board, youthSpark BOD (Board Chair) & Girl Scouts Camp CEO. Cassandra is a member of Leadership Atlanta Class of 2015, recipient of UPTOWN Magazine's Corporate Executive Catalyst Award and member of G100 Women’s Leadership Acceleration Program. Cassandra is a proud mother and resides in California.
Bernard Greene is currently a Senior Technical Program Manager at Google. In this role Bernard is responsible for leading and managing complex technical programs in the Education focus area, including Google Classroom and its 150 million plus users. Before coming to Google, Bernard was an Executive Director at Comcast where he spent seven years in various roles of increasing responsibility. He led a global 40+ person software development team responsible for geographic information system (GIS) technologies, applications, and analytics. In previous roles at Comcast, Bernard led broadband syndication implementations for domestic and Canadian customers and launched the X1 for Hospitality product found in the Four Seasons Philadelphia hotel. Bernard also spent twelve years at Day & Zimmermann in various leadership roles. He performed enterprise strategic planning, business planning and business analysis, needs analysis and business risk assessment, and consulted with executive business unit leaders to shape demand and determine how to best support the business through the effective use of technology. He was responsible for web and mobile application development as well as customer relationship tools that supported business development. Bernard was also a technology consultant with SAP and PricewaterhouseCoopers. He received both his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering and his Executive MBA from Drexel University in 1999 and 2014, respectively. He is very passionate about increasing diversity in technology and giving back to his community. Bernard is the Senior Pastor of Mt. Olive Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ in North Philadelphia. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Philadelphia YMCA and is Vice Chair of the Drexel University Alumni Board of Governors. Bernard enjoys the opportunity to mentor several junior resources in both formal and informal capacities. Originally from Washington, DC, Bernard lives in West Philadelphia with his wife and two daughters, ages 16 and 14.
Rodney is an experienced entrepreneur and technologist with 20+ years of experience leading and operating within technology companies at all levels. His industries of involvement have included enterprise software, ad tech, mobile, crypto/web3 and IoT to name a few. Rodney's spends most of his spare time playing/watching basketball, binging great shows and podcasts and spending time with his wife and kids.
Ryan Swann is Vanguard’s Chief Data Analytics Officer. Before joining Vanguard, Ryan led data and analytics organizations in the private and public sectors. In the private sector, he was a Chief Data Officer (CDO) at Collibra Inc (a late-stage startup) after serving as the CDO at E*Trade Financial, where he developed and implemented an enterprise data strategy. Before these private sector roles, Ryan was the CDO/Director of Data Analytics at the Office of Government-wide Policy during the Obama Administration. While in this role he co-founded the White House Data Cabinet and co-authored the first Federal Data Maturity Model after serving as senior data leader at the U.S. Department of the Treasury during the 2008 financial crisis for almost a decade. Ryan is also an angel investor and board member, investing and advising early-stage startups in the data/AI/ML, cybersecurity, blockchain, and sustainability spaces.Mr. Swann earned a B.A. in communication with a minor in mathematics and computer science from the University of Maryland at College Park, an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, and an M.P.A. from Harvard University. During his undergraduate years, Ryan also served in the U.S. Marine Corps where, after a tour in Iraq, he received several medals and commendations for outstanding service.
Richard is a London born father of two who cares deeply about uplifting underrepresented community groups.He leverages experience in Ad Tech spanning from over a decade working within numerous global corporations, by advising and investing in Tech startups. A community builder, who founded the Inspirational tech Founders series of events and documentary which provides a platform to showcase the businesses and talents of Black Founders. Richard serves as a Trustee on charity boards for Behind Every Kick and DINN, and is an advisor to UkBlacktech.
Joseph “Joe” Brown is Head of Strategy & Ops for North America Financial Services at Google Cloud. He has over 14 years of experience in Financial Services, Tech, and Consulting. He has honed his leadership skills and functional expertise across consulting, management, marketing & sales, GTM strategy & planning, operational projects, capital markets, et al.His career path includes roles at McKinsey, LinkedIn, and Morgan Stanley. Joe holds a BBA in International Management & Economics from Pace University Lubin School of Business and an MBA in Management & Entrepreneurship from Columbia Business School. Born and raised in New York, Joseph now lives in Atlanta, where he is active with local professional, investor, and cycling communities. He is also a member of National Black MBA Association, ATL Tech Angels, Bonafide Riders Cycling Club, and a Management Leadership for Tomorrow MBAP/PD/CAP alum. He enjoys spending quality time with his wife Ebony, family & friends, as well as, economics, history, blockchain & cryptoassets, soccer & cycling, nutrition & fitness
Jeremiah is a business leader with functional experience across partnerships, strategy, operations, and finance - spanning industries including tech, commercial real estate, commodities, and banking. Currently, he leads strategic partnerships and initiatives for Google ChromeOS. Prior to Google, Jeremiah worked at Meta (formerly Facebook) where he built out the Meta Business Partners program for Messenger and WhatsApp. Earlier in his career Jeremiah spent nearly a decade at JPMorgan Chase, joining the company as part of the Finance Associate Leadership Program in New York City after completing his MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He went on to lead the Strategy, Planning & Analysis team for the Global Commodities Group before joining the Business Strategy team helping to transform the Commercial Real Estate Group. Jeremiah began his career as a Financial Institution Specialist for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) upon graduating from Winston-Salem State University.
Tamba Balde is an entrepreneur, investor and Business Operations and Strategy specialist. He has experience in IoT & data infrastructures, Payments , Web3 and Ad tech. He worked at Google X on the Operations team of the driverless car project testing facility prior to the inception of Waymo. He Assisted in the development and testing by collecting data on real world driving conditions for the vehicle to make smarter and safer decisions.He is a co-founder of Sweep, an Analytics and data processing platform for enterprise . He developed business strategies for big data and IoT analytics systems across industrial and commercial verticals landing enterprise clients including Frito Lays, Gerdau, Morningstar and partnerships like Intel . He served as partner at Vorderman US , a boutique growth marketing and business strategy firm in March 2020. Vordermann has a proven track record of propelling the growth of a variety of companies in the EU and US, including Leica, Ethos 8, Pet Food Express, and Vienna Tourism to name a few. He is currently a partner at Omnimerchant, a payments solution for automating billing operations, reconciliation and subscription management leading business and product strategy.
Manny Ojobaro joined Google in 2014 and is a Finance Director for Google Cloud, focused on Infrastructure Global Expansion. Manny has extensive experience and passion for Renewable Energy, and led Google's Finance clean energy investment team for many years. He also has VC investment experience, as he lea Capital G's Finance organization, spending 3 years with the fund. Beyond this, Manny is highly involved in Alphabet's DEI initiatives, as a co-founder of BGN-Finance, lead of Finance Diversity Working Group, and Finance Director DEI Council.
Francis Ebong serves as Managing Director at X (formerly known as Google X), where he focuses on scaling early stage projects to solve some of the world’s hardest problems. Previously, he was Director of Global Operations & Partnerships at Facebook, where he oversaw consumer operations for Emerging Services, a global team responsible for the launch and engagement of emerging products and businesses (including FB Live, Marketplace, Messenger, ‘M’ Artificial Intelligence, & Workplace). Before joining Facebook, Francis held key leadership roles in operations and business development at Apple and led operations, partnerships, and go-to-market teams at Postmates. Prior to Apple, Francis worked as a management consultant for both public and private sector clients at Deloitte, where he focused on go-to-market strategy & operations. Francis started his career living in Japan, East Africa, and Washington D.C. serving as a Naval Supply Officer, leading teams in global operations, contract negotiations, and supply chain management with local businesses and governments; he also served as an air traffic controller for helicopter landings during global humanitarian missions. Francis serves on the Board of Directors for Arch Capital Group [NASDAQ: ACGL] and the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula. He holds a B.S. in General Science from the United States Naval Academy and an MBA from The George Washington University School of Business.
Strategic human resources executive focused on building human capital capability by aligning organizational structure, talent, systems and processes to drive growth, innovation, and continuous improvement. Results-oriented, proactive leader with demonstrated accomplishments in a wide array ofdisciplines including HR Business Partner; Employee & Labor Relations; EEO/Diversity; Workforce Strategy; Talent Acquisition; HR Analytics; Talent Management; and Compensation. Awarded 2016 Human Resources Professional of the Year by SHRM New Mexico and recognized with a SpecialRecognition Award at the Women of Color STEM Awards.PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCEGoogle, Inc.21qaZChief Diversity Officer & VP, Employee Engagement April 2019 – present• Responsible for advancing Google's global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion strategies and driving large scale engagement and culture programs. Lead a global team across the enterprise to increase representation in hiring, progression & retention and to drive a more inclusive and equitable culturethrough influencing, partnering and re-imagining pathways to tech. Influence and support leadership, managers, and employees to increase and reflect global diversity across Google and in our products.Director, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion July 2018 – March 2019• Responsible for the development and implementation of programs and services promoting diversity, equitable outcomes and a culture of inclusion and belonging. Accountable for strategic partnerships, diversity narrative and company wide objectives.People Operations Director May 2017 – June 2018• Lead people and talent strategy for Google Cloud’s COO & 24/7 organizations which include the following: Corporate Engineering; Global Capacity Delivery; Cloud Support; Google Data Centers; Hardware Operations; Network Operations and Site Reliability Engineering.• Manage a team of global HR Business Partners to align people strategies to business drivers and growth strategies• Lead working team supporting strategic Headcount planning across the Cloud Product AreaSandia National LaboratoriesChief HR Officer / Vice-President, HR & Communications Jan 2015 – April 2017• Led human resources & communications for Sandia National Laboratories, a $2.9B FFRDC, supporting over 10,500 employees spread across five domestic locations. Led team of over 300 employees.• Responsible for developing, implementing and executing the people & communications strategies for the laboratories. Collaborate with NNSA, DOE & parent company, Lockheed Martin.• Significant involvement in Board-level compensation, incentive plans, and governance committee.• Designed and introduced highly effective succession, talent assessment and leadership development programs utilized throughout the organization to unlock individual/team potential to a competitive advantage.• Catalyst for building strong talent pools, leadership teams, and top-tier performance culture.• Personally led the successful search for a new Laboratories Director under the direction of the Governance Committee Chair and the Board Chair.Lockheed MartinHuman Resources Director January 2013 – January 2015Human Resources Director supporting the MST Business Area• Led human resources for the MST Business Development & Legal functions and the $1.1B Undersea Systems line of business supporting 2000 employees spread across ten domestic locations.• Managed team of HR Business Partners to foster and strengthen the business alignment of the HR function to align people, process, and culture to business strategy• Served as the Human Resources Strategy Lead for the MST Business Area.• Served as an Executive Coach to high potential talent.Corporate Staffing Director January 2011 – December 2012Workforce Strategy, Acquisition & Analytics Director supporting the Electronic Systems and IS&GSBusiness Areas• Established competitive external and internal strategic programs that strengthened the organization’s ability to attract, assess, select and integrate an optimal blend of skills across all types of labor.• Worked with Business Area & HR Leadership to translate business strategies into human capital needs and overall strategic workforce plans.• Served as a trusted advisor to leaders on Workforce Planning, Workforce Strategy, and Talent Acquisition strategies. Supported the IS&GS Business Area in 2011.• Served as an Executive Coach to high potential talent.Talent Acquisition Director May 2009 – December 2010Talent Acquisition Director supporting IS&GS Defense, National and EIG• Ensured the Talent Acquisition Team recruited high quality candidates in a cost effective manner. Averaged over 3000 hires annually. Responsible for customer requirements associated with new business and proposal activity, incumbent capture, Task Order / IDIQ staffing and cleared professionals. Managed staff of 3 Leaders and 35 Individual Contributors. Managed operations for the recruiting centers located in Crystal City, VA; Tysons Corner, VA; and Highlands Ranch, CO. Served as an Executive Coach to high potential talent.Human Resources Manager June 2007 – April 2009Human Resources Lead for MS2 Mission & Unmanned Systems• Responsible for all aspects of human resources including employee relations, performancemanagement, talent management, staffing, compensation, EEO/Diversity and communityoutreach for 400+ employees across multiple regions. Provided strategic HR guidance to theVice-President and the leadership team. Ensured successful execution and alignment of HR initiativesto business objectives. Co-Led the Electronic Systems EEO/Inclusion Team.Strategic Staffing Manager January – June 2007Provided strategic leadership for the MS2 staffing organization• Developed recruiting strategies that attracted a qualified and diverse talent pool consistent withthe business needs. Responsible for driving and institutionalizing the recruiting strategy for thegroup. Managed a $4M relocation budget. Led virtual staffing team of six employees.Manager, EEO & Diversity Programs 2006Managed EEO Compliance & Workforce Diversity Programs• Successfully led Diversity & Inclusion initiatives which included noteworthy growth in diversitymaturity. Led development of a business area wide affinity group resource guide. Managed a$750K Diversity budget. Led EEO Compliance Programs and successfully closed two OFCCP audits.Provided oversight of school mentoring programs which included ~1K volunteers that mentored3,678 students. Managed and led a virtual staff of five employees.Strategic Staffing Manager 2005Provided strategic leadership for the MS2 staffing organization• Developed recruiting strategies that attracted a qualified and diverse talent pool consistent with the business needs. Met and exceeded corporate and business unit staffing objectives. Provided oversight of New Employee Orientation Program. Served as a member of the Corporate StaffingAdvisory Board. Managed and led virtual staff.Human Resources Business Partner 2004 – 2005Provided HR Business Partner support for Undersea Systems Technical Operations• Supported the Technical Operations Organization. Utilized change management techniques toensure effective implementation of the MS2 transformation. Supported redesign of the orgstructure including de-layering, re-leveling, span of control and proper job code/control pointclassification. Led K-12 Initiatives, Mentoring programs, coordinated Talent Review and supportedsuccession planning.Compensation Analyst 2002 – 2004Managed compensation programs for the Undersea Systems line of businessHuman Resources Generalist 1998 – 2002Led several HR functions to include compensation, EEO Compliance, Diversity & InclusionStaffing Specialist 1997 – 1998Responsible for full life cycle recruiting for technical staffingEDUCATION• Villanova University, M.S., Human Resources• Hampton University, B.A., Mass CommunicationsCertifications• SHRM, SPHR Certification• Human Capital Institute, Strategic Workforce Management Certification
Stanley is a Vice President at CapitalG and leads Fintech, Web3, and International advisory efforts. He most recently led Health Product Partnerships for Google Search and steered COVID-19 Product Partnerships. Previously he co-founded a fintech startup in Area 120, Google’s internal accelerator, and connected emerging market startups to funding and expertise. Prior to Google, Stanley was an early team member of a government technology startup (acquired by Kofile) and led business development. He began his career at Goldman Sachs in New York and holds a BS in Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon University.
13 year Google veteran with technical consulting experience in Ads GBO and Cloud. Backgrounds in International Business and Computer Science. Startup mentor and technology company founder. Developer at heart. DEI ambassador. Married with 4 kids and based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Tony Effik is a Global Managing Director in Google’s GCS division, where he leads a team focussed on global product and sales activation for display, video and creative solutions. Tony is an accomplished global executive with decades of experience operating at the intersection of advertising, media, and digital technology, with a track record of building high performance teams around the world. Prior to working at Google, Tony was SVP, Client Strategy at NBCUniversal. Before NBCUniversal, Tony held leadership roles at major agency networks including R/GA, JWT, M&C Saatchi, Wunderman, and Publicis. Tony is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University's Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, where he has taught a course in digital business models for almost 8 years to graduate engineers.Tony has contributed to setting industry-wide best practices and standards in both the US and UK with the Internet Advertising Bureau in viewability and social media. He has been a speaker at the ANA, 4As, AdAge, and a judge at key industry awards, such as the Effies, Festival of Media, Jay Chiat Awards, and championed digital upskilling at the United Nations.Tony is a passionate advocate of diversity and inclusion, and the founder of the Black and Brilliant Advocacy Network - a volunteer organization dedicated to creating a more diverse workforce by upskilling and coaching high potential talent.
Sherice Torres is an inspirational leader with over 25 years of experience in marketing, brand management, strategic planning, and change management. She currently serves as Chief Marketing Officer at Circle, a global internet finance firm that provides payments and financial infrastructure to businesses of all sizes. Previously, Sherice served as Chief Marketing Officer for Novi, the fintech division of Meta/Facebook, as well as in several senior marketing roles at Google - including social responsibility, kids and family products, Google Pay and Google Shopping. Earlier in her career, she spent nearly 15 years at Nickelodeon in a variety of leadership roles across consumer products, strategic planning, digital video and paid apps. Sherice began her career in the change management practice at Deloitte Consulting. A mother of two boys, Sherice has a passion for revolutionizing the public education system and advancing academic and professional opportunities for women and people of color. She is a member of the Executive Leadership Council, an independent non-profit that opens channels of opportunity for the development of Black executives to positively impact business and our communities. Sherice serves on the board of Advance Auto Parts and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. Sherice graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University and earned her MBA at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She is also a graduate of the Stanford Law School Directors’ College, the nation’s premier executive education program for directors and senior executives of publicly traded firms.
TaQia has 20 years’ experience leading Human Resources within a range of industries working for companies such as Bloomberg, Disney ABC Television Group, L’Oreal, LVMH, and Coty. She joined Google in 2019, leading HR strategy for business development teams. During her tenure at Google, TaQia has partnered with various executive leadership teams within GBO, Global Partnerships. In addition to leading full cycle HR for the navigation app, Waze. In her current role, she leads the HR People Partner function for the YouTube Chief Business Office.TaQia holds a Masters Degree in Human Resources and Organization Development from Eastern Michigan University, and currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.
Jerry currently is on the Cross-Company Strategic Initiatives (CSI) team at Meta where he drives high-priority projects/programs, develops and executes business strategies, and coordinates large cross-functional teams. Prior to Meta, he held a series of strategy and operations roles at multiple technology companies ranging from large legacy companies (HPE), to start-ups (ChargePoint). Early in his career, Jerry was an Air Defense Artillery officer in the US Army. Jerry has been Angel investing since 2018 and has a passion for structuring and accelerating early stage companies. Jerry has a B.S. in economics from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Throughout my journey as a serial entrepreneur, fundraising has never been easy. To overcome this, I developed a bootstrapping strategy that helped me launch, scale and lead two Internet startups to successful exits during major platform shifts with the acquisitions of ImageCafe by Network Solutions (Nasdaq: NSOL) and Progressly by Box (NYSE: Box).Today, as an executive and entrepreneur in residence at X, the Google Moonshot Factory, I continue to push the boundaries of startup building. While another technological revolution unfolds, I want to assist aspiring and experienced entrepreneurs do more with less by leveraging the ultimate bootstrapping tool: Generative AI.
Antwan Smith has over 14 years of experience in the telecom, SaaS, and Cloud industries excelling in sales operations, reporting/ analytics, customer engagement, and strategic business development. Prior to joining Google Antwan was the Senior Global Sales Operations Manager at Underwriter Laboratories, responsible for develop, implement and manage annual sales plans to achieve revenue goals. He is passionate about community involvement, specifically with seniors, health, and technology advocacy. Antwan holds a Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in international business.
Nikki D. Pope is the global head of AI & Legal Ethics at NVIDIA, where she leads the company’s Trustworthy AI Initiative. She also is the co-founder and principal executive officer of The Pruno Fund, Inc., a nonprofit that helps people who have been wrongfully convicted reclaim their lives after exoneration. Nikki co-authored the award-winning Pruno, Ramen, and a Side of Hope: Stories of Surviving Wrongful Conviction, narrated by Whoopi Goldberg and celebrated cast. Nikki holds a B.A. in economics from Carleton College, an M.B.A from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and a J.D. and L.L.M. in intellectual property from Santa Clara University School of Law. Nikki has been a frequent guest lecturer at the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University and at Santa Clara Law. She is present working on an adaptation of her book to film and her first work of fiction.
Bryan Swann is currently the Head of Global Data Management Oversight at PayPal Inc where he manages and oversees the company global data strategy. Prior to PayPal, Bryan was the Deputy Chief Data Officer for the Department of the Treasury where he also led enterprise data strategy and governance. During his career, Bryan has held several other key leadership positions: White House Leadership Fellow, Senior Program Officer for presidential programs at the White House Military Office (under the Obama Administration), as well as leadership roles at the Department of Defense, Home Depot, and ING Investments. Additionally, Bryan earned his Master of Business Administration and Master of Public Administration from the University of Maryland College Park and Harvard University, respectively
Rashida Hodge is a technologist and executive leader at the forefront of AI and emerging technologies that are changing how businesses operate. She leads technology innovation strategy, develops diverse teams, and orchestrates global technology transformations.She lays out blueprints for never-before-seen functions and teams, collaborates across continents, builds relationships of trust, and delivers complex technology solutions from research to commercialization, at scale. Rashida’s differentiated leadership approach is grounded in her ability to connect deeply with teams and clients; and inspire innovation and new ways of thinking.Dubbed the “Superhero of IBM Watson AI,” Rashida led the commercialization and global launch of IBM Watson, where she influenced the development and scale of IBM’s most significant technologies and rose to be the highest-ranking African American woman executive.She designed an entirely new world-class AI professional services organization from the ground up and ushered in custom AI applications for clients. Her affinity with client needs and challenges influenced the product direction and evolution of the IBM Watson platform that exists today. Most notably, she led the implementation of IBM’s first major Watson AI engagements and delivered first-of-a-kind projects with prominent clients such as Banco de Bradesco (Brazil), Woodside Oil and Gas (Australia), Lotte (South Korea), Hyundai (South Korea) and GEICO (US). Her collaborative approach cemented IBM’s global thought leadership in AI and was the go-to executive leader for more than 70% of IBM Watson’s AI revenue.Currently she leads the Azure Data and AI Customer Success Worldwide Commercial Business at Microsoft accelerating data-driven digital transformation for customers through a differentiated and connected customer experience and leading the implementation of Azure OpenAI business applications.Rashida’s cultural fluency comes from traveling and doing business in more than 50 countries and relocating for international assignments in Shenzhen, China and Bratislava, Slovakia.Originally from St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, her Caribbean upbringing gave her respect for strong communities and mentorship. Knowing “we all stand on the shoulders of giants,” she is firmly committed to developing next-generation leaders and creating opportunities for women and minorities in engineering. In 2012, she founded the Real Hope for NextGen Engineers Endowment at her alma mater North Carolina State University. Focused on investing and amplifying female-led companies and advising early-stage enterprise companies, she is a limited partner in venture funds How Women Invest and Operator Collective.Rashida earned a BS and MS in Industrial Engineering at North Carolina State University and an MBA from Duke University Fuqua School of Business. She was named to Fortune 40 Under 40 in technology in 2020, NC Tech Women of the Year in 2021 and NC Triangle Women in Business in 2022.Rashida sits on the Boards of Girls Inc; Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands; North Carolina University College of Engineering Foundation; and formerly Misty Robotics and Duke University Fuqua School of Business Minority Advisory Board.
Anndréa Moore is an innovative product and marketing leader with expertise in leading teams to create and launch customer-focused solutions at Google, Apple, and Meta. In her current role, she drives development and marketing of Meta’s AI-powered eCommerce solutions, a portfolio that includes products like Advantage+ shopping campaigns and Advantage+ catalog ads (dynamic ads).An avid thought leader and speaker, Anndréa has shared her experience at numerous conferences and events, including SXSW, Clinton Global Initiative University, and Harvard Business School Women’s Leadership Conference. Anndréa holds a B.S. from the University of Cincinnati and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Dr. Sidney Bryson is joining NVIDIA as a Enterprise Integration Architect as of December 7, 2020. Sidney previously has worked at Capgemini, Nokia, and Alcatel-Lucent in various roles as a system architect, technology architect and sales solution architect for 22 years. Sidney has a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering with a focus in Machine Learning algorithms and computer vision. Sidney is married with three kids all twenty something in various stages of college. Sidney is an avid science fiction fan and technology addict who enjoys learning new technology and spending time with family and friends. You can always find Sidney tinkering with something new or engaging people about what’s next to drive us forward in technology.
With a proven track record of driving growth and innovation at leading FAANG companies, I excel in developing strategic direction and building high-performing project management teams. Currently, I actively shape the strategic direction of the organization while collaborating with senior leadership at my prominent FAANG company.Simultaneously, I am passionate about leveraging my background and expertise as an angel investor. Drawing on my experience at top-tier tech companies, I am committed to identifying emerging opportunities, fostering innovation, and driving value creation. Through strategic investments, I aim to support visionary entrepreneurs, providing capital, expertise, and mentorship to early-stage ventures.Balancing my commitment to my current role and my aspirations as an angel investor, I leverage my diverse skill set and perspectives to drive meaningful change within my organization and contribute to the entrepreneurial ecosystem.I am eager to connect with fellow investors, visionary entrepreneurs, and industry leaders who share a common drive for growth and innovation. Let's explore how we can create mutually beneficial partnerships and drive transformative change in our respective industries.
Gerard Andrews is a Sr. Product Marketing Manager focused on revolutionizing the way intelligent robots are developed, trained, tested and deployed through driving the adoption of the NVIDIA Isaac Robotics platform. Prior to joining NVIDIA, Gerard was at Cadence where he was Product Marketing Director, responsible for product planning, marketing, and business development for licensable processor IP. He holds an MS in electrical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and a BS in electrical engineering from Southern Methodist University.
Dr. Camir Ricketts is an alumnus of the Herbert Morrison Technical High School in Montego Bay, Jamaica and continued to study Microbiology at the University of Georgia. He earned his PhD in Computational Biology and Medicine from Weill Cornell Medicine with a focus in cancer genomics and has since joined NVIDIA as a Bioinformatics Scientist to continue his work in developing the next generation of healthcare technology. He is the founder of the MindsOf Initiative career mentorship platform operating in both Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. Camir is also recipient of the Prime Minister’s Youth Award for Excellence, the Ignite Caribbean 30 under 30 Change Makers Award, the Weill Cornell Medicine Student Outreach Award and the 2021 Commonwealth COVID-19 Hero Youth Award.
Breanna Zwart’s work is rooted in a clear mission: bringing partners together to enable digital transformation. Her leadership spans some of the largest companies in technology and civic innovation, drawing on her extensive background in public policy and international relations. Her achievements include leading private-public collaboration between Google, USAID, and the government of Liberia to bring high speed fiber to the capital city of Monrovia and launching the $100 million YouTube Black Voices Fund and an acquisition fund for leading voices in racial justice. Breanna is currently a Senior Director at Microsoft, Cloud for Industry and Global Expansion. Her team drives digital transformation for a wide range of businesses reinventing the cloud, one industry at a time. When not organizing, you can find her traveling the world, listening to Beyonce, or manifesting the life her ancestors deserved.
Jason Clemons (Senior Member, IEEE) was born in Michigan, USA. He received a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USA, in 2000, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in computer science and engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, in 2002 and 2013, respectively. In 2000, he joined Whirlpool Appliances, St. Joseph, MI, USA, as an Embedded Systems Engineer, where he was promoted to Senior Engineer while transitioning to the role of Motor Control System Engineer. Following the completion of his Ph.D. degree, he joined NVIDIA’s Architecture Research Group, Austin, TX, USA, where he is currently a Senior Research Scientist. His current research focuses on domain-specific computing, in particular the intersection of machine learning, computer vision, and computer architecture. Dr. Clemons is a member of ACM, the National Society of Black Engineers, and the Society of Women Engineers. He was a Co-Guest Editor of the IEEE MICRO Automotive Computing edition in January 2018. He has served on the International Symposium on Performance Analysis of Systems and Software (ISPASS), International Symposium on High-Performance Computer Architecture (HPCA), and the Design Automation Conference Program Committees (DAC PCs). He has also served on the external review committees for the International Symposium on Microarchitecture (MICRO), ISCA, HPCA, DAC, and International Conference on Artificial Intelligence Circuits and Systems (AICAS).
Jerome Johnson has over 18 years of full spectrum Information Technology (IT) experience. During his career, Jerome has worked as a developer, architect, and technical manager in the commercial and government industries. He currently is the Director of Solutions Architecture for the National Security and DoD Intelligence team at Amazon Web Services (AWS). While at AWS, Jerome has directly supported several Intelligence Agencies as a Solutions Architect supporting space programs, signal and geo spatial processing, and natural language processing applications. Prior to working at AWS, he worked at Booz Allen Hamilton as a Technical Manager/Chief Architect supporting several US Federal Customers including the Department of Labor and Federal Emergency Management Agency. He also has experience working in the financial industry supporting Derivative Trading, Bankruptcy, and Collection systems as a Lead Software Engineer at Bank of America. Jerome double majored in Computer Science and Mathematics while he attended Charleston Southern University and received a Master’s of Business and Administration focusing on International Business and Information Technology Management at Virginia Tech University. He specializes in Cloud Computing, AI/ML, Quantum Computing, Enterprise Applications, Microservices, Open-Source technologies, and Software Development
Marvin Paul is a Software Engineer and Manager at Google. Prior to joining Google in 2014, he founded a start-up which received VC funding in San Francisco and was ultimately acquired by InfoScout.Marvin was born and raised Haiti. He grew up speaking Creole, French, German and English. As a child, he was always interested in technology and tinkering with computers. In high school, he taught himself how to code and developed a website for his class, a first at his school at the time.After graduating from the Lycée Alexandre Dumas, a French international school in Port-au-Prince, he attended the Computer Science program at the Hasso Plattner Institute in Germany. He later finished his computer science studies at the University of West Florida.
A hands-on senior executive with strong analytical skills & sound judgment experienced in implementing a broad range of strategic & operational improvement initiatives to deliver return on investment in global product development & manufacturing operations. • Leadership – Articulate leader with proven track record & adept at executing complex operational excellence initiatives by influencing vice presidents, presidents, and Chief Executive Officers through presentation & communication. • M&A Experience – Conduct pre-acquisition due diligence of companies to identify potential savings in functional operations, global production footprint, procurement, and product portfolio. Experienced in post-merger integration, deploying tools and processes to address NPD, market segmentation, product positioning, pricing, & sourcing strategy. • Builder – Creator of organizational capabilities essential for executing the strategic vision through current state assessment, competitive intelligence, strategic planning, economic analysis, and program/project management. • Growth – Extensive management experience driving profitability and growth through execution of new product development, utilization of suppliers for innovation access, cost reduction, and time to market through early supplier involvement initiatives.
I am the General Manager for AWS Localization at Amazon. Prior to that I served as General Manager for Alexa Mobile Assistant at Amazon. Before Amazon, I was General Manager at Samsung Mobile, where I led product management for apps, services and smartphones. I have held successive leadership roles, and previously product and engineering roles at Amazon, Samsung and Motorola. I have an MBA from the University of Chicago, and a Masters in Computer Engineering and Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Outside of work, I love spending time with my family; my beautiful wife Alissa and three beautiful kids; Bola, Moyo and Shayo.
Dr. Terrell R. Bennett is a technical content developer at NVIDIA where he develops and delivers courses on data center technologies. Before joining NVIDIA, he was the faculty director for the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) program at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). He also served as the Chief Technology Officer at Le Vise Products, a startup company, where he developed wearable products for children’s safety and as an instructor for the MIT Introduction to Engineering and Sciences (MITES) program.Dr. Bennett was born and raised in Chicago, IL. He earned a SB degree in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2002 and earned his MS and PhD degrees in electrical engineering from UTD in 2007 and 2016 respectively. He was also a visiting researcher in the biomedical engineering department at Texas A&M University from 2015 to 2016. Professionally, he has worked in the technology space holding a variety of roles across engineering and technology development. His goal is to use engineering and technology to better the lives of humanity.
I am a software engineer at Google with 4+ years of experience building products and solving client problems using technology. Before software engineering, I was a Solutions Engineer in Google Ads, driving impact for large scale customers in retail.Outside of work, I actively invest in early stage startups from emerging markets and I am interested in anything relating to tech and the Caribbean.
Dayo Aderibigbe is currently a Product Manager at Google, most recently at Fitbit, where he managed the Heart, Health Metrics Dashboard, and Weight features. Prior to Product Management, Dayo was a Solutions Consultant in gTech where he helped design customer care strategies at scale for Pixel, Google One and Play. Outside of Google, Dayo also served as founder and CEO of Bounce Bay Area, a virtual fitness community that hosted workouts at various locations in Bay Area and partnered with major brands such as The W hotel, Project Juice and New Balance.Prior to Google, Dayo served as COO of Morris Strategy Group, a consulting firm focused on advising startups on commercialization, business development, and sales strategy. Before Morris Strategy Group, Dayo was a strategy consultant at Accenture, where he advised Fortune 100 business on their growth, operations and sales strategy.Dayo received his B.A from Duke University and his MBA from the Wharton School of Business. He currently resides in Brooklyn, New York, where he loves participating in running and conditioning workouts in the city.
Jerome Beard is currently a Strategic Sales Executive in the IBM Ecosystem organization. In this role he works with Software vendors, Global SIs and Cloud Providers. He also has extensive experience working with early-stage companies both in his role at IBM and as a founder, employee, consultant, advisor and angel investor to Start Up companies.He has over 25 years of experience in the technology industry with key leadership roles in General Management, Sales Management, Business Development, Strategy, Product Management, Competitor Analysis, Consulting, M&A, Enterprise Sales, Strategic OEM Sales and Divestitures.In his free time, he enjoys golf, tennis and skiing.
Aaron is a member of the Strategy & Planning team within GBO GTM. Before Google, Aaron was a Senior Associate at Cerberus Capital Management, a private equity firm, where he focused on acquisition target diligence and portfolio value creation. Earlier in his career, Aaron was an Engagement Manager with McKinsey & Company working on corporate strategy, growth, and organizational transformation topics with companies in the tech, media, and retail sectors. Aaron received his MBA from Wharton in 2019.
Katie Harris is a second-year MBA Candidate at Stanford Graduate School of Business committed to using technology, media, financial investments, and education to create meaningful social change, particularly in underserved communities. Before joining GSB, Katie worked for Google's Grow with Google initiative, focusing on empowering Americans with digital skills. She has also led Building Opportunities in Support of Sisters, her non-profit dedicated to nurturing the professional growth of high school students in St. Louis, Missouri. Since leaving Google, Katie has worked in both Management Consulting at Boston Consulting Group and in EdTech Venture Capital (VC) at Brighteye Ventures,the leading EdTech VC firm in Europe, and hopes to leverage these experiences to drive innovative solutions that bridge educational gaps and empower the next generation.
Chika Umeadi is a product manager at Google. He works on making sure advertisers have a great experience building and executing automated campaigns.He’s also the co-founder of tiphub, a firm specialized in supporting African and African Diaspora focused startups at the intersection of technology and impact. Since its inception in 2014, tiphub has engaged over 120 companies through programs, funding, mentorship, and technology assistance yielding to top partnerships with companies like the NBA, Uber, Google, and, State Farm and $80 million USD raised by companies to date.He advises and supports Cornell Pharma, a multinational pharmaceutical company with operations in Sierra Leone, Kenya, Nigeria, and the United States. Cornell Pharma’s mission is to bring cost-effective oncology and anti-infective therapeutics to underserved markets leveraging innovative manufacturing and delivery mechanisms.Chika received his MBA from the Kogod School of Business at American University and his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Informatics from The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.His personal interests include basketball, behavioral economics, data science, film, farming, music, and Arsenal.
In my current role, I lead the HCLS Go-to-market/Sales team for Central Enterprise at Alphabet’s Google Cloud where I am charged with driving growth and innovation initiatives in partnership with healthcare organizations (Provider, Payer, MedTech, and Life Sciences)Prior to joining Google in 2020, I spent 18 years in the digital health space at GE Healthcare, Cisco and Amwell, and have collaborated with health system leaders to determine new approach angles that leverage technology to deliver value, a better care experience, and good outcomes to patients.From stewarding some of the largest healthcare systems through the adoption of EMRs to evangelizing and implementing transformational data-driven decision support solutions, I have overseen the acquisition, development, and scaling of healthcare innovations in the provider, payer, product and bio-pharmaceutical markets - particularly serving communities facing the challenge of having very limited access to care. My personal and professional experiences at the intersection of healthcare and technology have collectively prepared me to lead through human-centered health technology innovation with a goal of continuing to evangelize the value of ethics, diversity and equitable access to healthcare - globally. I have a Master of Business Administration from The University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, a Master of Science in IT Management from Northwestern University, and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of Wisconsin – Madison (go Badgers!). Additionally, I completed the Executive Education curriculum in “Leading Digital Transformation in Healthcare” from Harvard University Medical School and “Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare” from MIT’s Sloan School Business. I call Chicago home along with my wife, Joline, son Miles (11), and daughter Riley (7). Outside of work, I’m an avid photographer (mostly travel portraits), love to read, and volunteer as a founder of a community group that seeks to serve and mentor at-risk youth in the inner city. I also spend time encouraging STEM education in minority pre-college students through mentorship.
Anita Lynch is an independent corporate board director for technology and data-driven companies. With a career spanning 25 years in tech, media, retail and financial services, she has played a key role in strategies for digital transformation through her constant pursuit of innovation. She is among the first African American women to serve as Chief Data Officer for a US public company.As a board director, Anita's expertise in technology and data provide insight to guide risk management and strategy. She believes that data-driven approaches are essential in a rapidly evolving business landscape, helping companies stay ahead of the competition and identify new growth opportunities. Her primary interests include the use of data, cybersecurity and AI to create a more trustworthy digital world through governance. She is certified in cyber risk governance and teaches data strategy in Management & Entrepreneurship at the Leavey Business School at Santa Clara University.Recognition and speaking engagements include: the San Francisco Business Times “Top 100 Most Influential Women in Business”; one of the “Top 8 Female Analytics Experts” in Forbes. In 2022, she received the Culture Shift Award for Technology, Innovation and Social Impact in Silicon Valley. Ms. Lynch holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School, a Bachelor degree in Economics from Northwestern University, and two patents for her work on trading system algorithms at the Chicago Board of Trade.
Biodun Awojobi has been in the Information Technology industry for over 15 years. He received his MBA and Master of Science in Cybersecurity from the University of Dallas. He also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electronic and Computer Engineering from Lagos State University in Lagos, Nigeria. He has worked in multiple IT software, networking, and security roles across several industries over the years. He worked at Microsoft for six years before transitioning to Google, where he currently leads a team of customer engineers focused on Infrastructure, Application Modernization, Data Analytics, AI/ML, and Security for the Google Cloud Platform. During his time at Microsoft, he worked in multiple roles. His last position being a Senior Technical Specialist for Security and Compliance, aligned with the Financial Services industry. Biodun is a Stanford Graduate School of Business LEAD graduate he also holds a Ph.D. in Information Science at the University of North Texas with a focus on Cybersecurity. His research interests are in Privacy and Security with the Internet of Things (IoT).
Mr. Surpris has over 25 years of professional experience in the Information Technology field. He is a Senior Cloud Customer Engineer at Google LLC, a major high-tech giant with over a trillion dollars in market capitalization. In this role, Mr. Surpris owns the technical end to end relationship of Google Cloud’s financial services clients. Prior to this role, Mr. Surpris was a Senior Manager in the Financial Services practice of French-based consulting giant Capgemini. He was previously a Director in the IT Quality Assurance Department at Healthfirst, an $8 Billion Managed Care Company based in New York City. He also served as the Assistant Vice President in charge of the Test Environment Management Group (TEMG) at Moody's Corporation, a major institutional credit rating agency. Mr. Surpris has held various roles in the Information Technology field such as systems implementation consultant, application support, application development, and application support management. He began his career at Deloitte & Touche where he implemented customized system solutions for various clients. He subsequently held various technical and leadership roles at McKinsey & Company, AIG, Fortress Investment Group, Barclays Capital, and JP Morgan where he was the Vice President of Private Equity Technology. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and mentoring college students to help them achieve their full potential. He regularly volunteers his time to give back to the community. Mr. Surpris received his Bachelor of Science and MBA degrees from the Stern School of Business at New York University. He previously attended the Anthony Robbins “Unleashed The Power From Within” workshop where he literally walked on fire!
I am a Software Engineer with an entrepreneurial spirit. I have worked on the Google Assistant for the 4 years and currently exploring LLMs. I also have experience developing websites and mobile apps and have graced the partnership of several startups and small businesses.
I’m a seasoned professional with 17 years of expertise in technology enterprise sales. My passion lies in the intersection of business and technology that has the potential to make a global impact. In my current role, I lead a team to guide and win customer’s cloud and technology partner decision to Google Cloud. I’m also a husband and father of two girls living in Atlanta, Georgia.
An accomplished Finance and Sourcing Leader with more than 20 years of experience across finance and procurement. Experience globally and across industries including technology, manufacturing, and aerospace.Active accredited investor and entrepreneur with a diverse portfolio of investments.
Max is a Strategic Partnership Development Manager at Google, leading 3p technology partnerships for the company’s Demand Side Platform (Display & Video 360), buyside Ad Server (Campaign Manager), and other key emerging buyside tools. His contributions have enabled an estimated $1.2Bln+ in incremental ad spend to non-Google owned publishers globally. He is a founding member of Google’s BGN@P (Black Googler Network within Partnerships) employee resource group, and is an ally to other employee resource groups promoting and supporting a diverse workforce.Max transitioned to Google from LiveRamp (NYSE: RAMP) when LiveRamp was a 90-person company owned by Acxiom (NYSE: ACXM, sold to IPG). He established 75+ partnerships for the company over a 2.5 year tenure. LiveRamp is a leader in data connectivity, helping the world's largest brands use their data to improve customer interactions on any channel and device.Prior to LiveRamp, Max worked as an Equity Research Associate covering the Hardline Retail sector at UBS Investment Bank. During his time at UBS, he obtained his FINRA 7, 63, 86, and 87 certifications and the team he was a part of was twice ranked as a top three Equity Research team for Retail coverage by Institutional Investor.
Jawann Graves is a seasoned professional in system development, currently serving as a System Development Engineering Manager. With a solid educational background in Computer Science, Math, and Psychology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, he further honed his skills through a Master's in IT in engineering management from Western Governors University. Jawann is pursuing a doctorate in engineering management from George Washington University, showcasing his commitment to continuous learning and academic excellence.In his dynamic career, Jawann has demonstrated exceptional leadership, successfully building programs from their infancy to fully operational states. His expertise lies in assembling diverse teams to tackle ambiguous problems, a skill set that has been integral to his role at Amazon Web Services (AWS). During his seven years at AWS, Jawann underwent four role changes or promotions, a testament to his outstanding contributions and adaptability in a fast-paced environment.Not only a leader in the professional realm, Jawann also led the HQ2 chapter of the black employee network and served as co-president of the global black employee network. He showcased his dedication to diversity, inclusion, and mentorship in these roles, having mentored two dozen individuals and conducted over 600 interviews.Despite his numerous achievements, Jawann remains grounded in his passion for helping people develop, grow, and solve challenging problems. His commitment extends beyond the professional sphere, as he is fervently dedicated to using technology to level the playing field for economically and historically impoverished communities worldwide.Jawann Graves is a visionary leader, an advocate for diversity and inclusion, and a driving force in using technology for positive social impact.
Eddie Hill is the Director of Video Specialists & Sales Development Managers (SDMs), in Google's Global Business Organization. Eddie joined Google in May 2020, and is charged with the goal of diversifying the Integrated Solutions sector’s revenue mix via upleveling YouTube product skills within the sales teams and driving differentiated YouTube solutions across a wide array of blue-chip clients. In addition, the SDM team provides critical thought leadership, scaled narratives and custom research that drive incremental revenue across the sector’s business verticals.Prior to Google, Eddie held a variety of marketing and agency management roles at globally recognizable brands such as The Walt Disney Company, ESPN, Paramount’s Nickelodeon and BET, AMC Networks’ BBC America, WWE and American Express. Irrespective of the brand, Eddie has spent the majority of his career optimizing the media spend for television and movie launches, and supporting sales organizations' revenue growth via compelling marketing packages for client solutions, and Upfront narrative development.Eddie earned his MBA from The Anderson School at UCLA, and his Marketing degree from Georgetown University. He is a Queens, NYC native who currently resides in New Rochelle, NY with his wife and two daughters.
Charles is a senior sales leader with 20 years of sales experience, 15+ in Media, SaaS, and Sports Partnerships, with a focus on high-level strategic selling and sales coaching. Prior to Google he led sales teams in SMB, Mid-Market, and Enterprise sales orgs. Charles is a champion of DEI, building more inclusive teams and cultures, with a true passion for the work. He served as executive sponsor for DEI at Yelp, he helped build the DEI charter at Greenhouse Software, and in his time at Google, he's been a lead on GBO Navigate(2X), Starlight, ALCS DEI sector working groups (3X), and played a pivotal role in spearheading the push for onboarding to be an ALCS DEI pillar. He enjoys doing great work, with great people, and leaving things better than he found them!
Shadan Deleveaux currently leads the Global Partnerships Recruiting team at Google, his team recruits Strategy and Operations as well as Business Development talent for the organization. Prior to his current role at Google, Shadan spent nearly two decades in corporate America working across multiple functional areas including Marketing, Business Development and Talent Acquisition at some of the top companies in the world including Nestle Purina, Colgate Palmolive, and L'Oreal USA.Shadan has authored several articles on career and professional development for Fortune.com. He has delivered keynote speeches on the topic to global audiences including UC Berkeley’s Annual Next Opportunity at Work conference, the First Annual Grand Bahama Island Tech Summit, AFS Intercultural Programs’ Youth Assembly and more. He co-founded a not-for-profit, Technology for Families in Need (TechFIN), that has helped to close the digital divide by distributing thousands of computers to low-income families. He is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., is of Jamaican and Bahamian descent and is an amateur photographer.Shadan received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Rochester, a Master’s in Business Administration from Columbia Business School and is currently a doctoral candidate at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, his doctoral focus area is in Leadership and Innovation.
Name: Materson Edouard Contact information: Materson@Google.com Current location: Dallas, Texas LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/materson-edouard-73940572/I am currently a Field Sales Representative for Google Cloud with a passion for technology. I am a strong believer in the power of entrepreneurship to create change, and I am excited to be a part of the Black Angel Group community.I have been working in tech sales for the past 7 years, and I have a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing businesses in this space. I am also a creative thinker and a problem solver, and I am confident that I can bring a unique perspective to the Black Angel Group.In my spare time, I enjoy working out, golfing and hanging out with my close friends. I am excited to learn more about the Black Angel Group and to contribute to its mission of investing in and supporting Black entrepreneurs. I believe that the Black Angel Group is a powerful force for good, and I am honored to be a part of it.
Adeola is a global policy lead at Google, focused on monetization. There, she develops external facing policies and manages their end to end development and implementation, managing cross-functional partners such as product managers, engineers, product counsel, public relations, and enforcement teams. Prior to Google, Adeola was a public policy manager at Facebook focused on online safety. Adeola joined Facebook from the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group. There, she focused on comparative legal research, program strategy and management, and legal technical assistance on women’s economic empowerment and investment climate reform. Prior to that, she served as legal advisor to the Chairman of the Nigerian National Human Rights Commission, where she focused on electoral corruption, election monitoring, governance, rule of law, anti-corruption, and inter-ethnic conflict. Before becoming an attorney, Adeola worked on international advocacy for the former Soviet Union at the Open Society Foundations. She has a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, and a B.A, from the University of Southern California.
Black engineer with 17 years of experience, worked in several industries including telecommunications, finance, consulting, retail, and "big tech". Originally from NYC, living in Seattle. Interested in supporting and investing in promising start ups, specifically focused on improving governmental efficiency, improving healthcare outcomes, and exploring the boundaries of AI/LLM capabilities.
Tanaka works in Strategy & Operations at Google, where he brings over eight years of experience in entrepreneurship, venture capital, management consulting, and technology operations. In this role, Tanaka leads cross-functional teams & initiatives that drive incremental revenue to Google's Ads business, ensuring scalability and high return on investment. Tanaka's proficiency as a leader with high level quantitative analysis & complex problem-solving skills enables him to provide data-driven insights, foster consensus across all company levels, and ensure the achievement of business objectives.Beyond his core responsibilities, Tanaka serves as a Startup Success Manager within the Google for Startups Accelerator Programs, which are designed to support Black and African founders. In this role, he manages relationships between Google and the C-suite of numerous startups, offering mentorship and advice in areas such as business development, hiring strategy, and fundraising. His efforts help these businesses scale, gain access to Google's resources, and connect with mentors and investors.Tanaka is also an angel investor, focusing on AI-based startups in the fintech, healthtech, edtech, and logistics sectors, with a particular interest in emerging markets, especially Africa. He holds an MBA from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania and a dual degree in Mechanical Engineering and Financial Economics from the University of Virginia.
Denise Dagadu is a highly motivated and results-oriented Partner Manager at Google with a proven track record of driving business growth and forging strategic partnerships on a global scale. She has over 10 years of experience, beginning her career in consulting at Deloitte & Touche. With a dual degree from Penn State in Economics and Information Sciences & Technology, she has forged connections between business and the ever-changing world of tech throughout her career. Denise possesses a deep understanding of the tech landscape and partner ecosystems. She is passionate about fostering diversity and inclusion in the tech industry and has been recognized with multiple awards for outstanding contributions in business development and community engagement.
Aaron Sampson is a Program Management leader with 15+ years of experience in guiding complex transformations for global organizations. Currently at Google as a Global Process Manager, Aaron leads the HR Data & Document Governance function. He leverages expertise in governance design, stakeholder engagement, and process optimization to drive strategic HR initiatives. With a background in management consulting at firms like Deloitte and EY, Aaron has a proven track record of delivering impactful solutions and fostering continuous improvement across diverse industries and business functions. Holding a PMP certification and an MBA from Rice University, Aaron is passionate about leveraging technology and process excellence to achieve business objectives.Originally from Miami, Florida, and now residing in Houston, TX, Aaron maintains a strong interest in emerging technologies, particularly Blockchain and AI. Outside of professional pursuits, Aaron is an avid runner and enjoys participating in running events, from 5Ks to marathons.
Motivated by the intersect of Africa, technology and social impact, I have led business development and technology delivery practices to provide strategic direction across professional services, digital technology implementation, and marketing enablement. I’ve had the pleasure of leading cross-functional teams, delivering integrated solutions, cultivating client relationships, overseeing strategic analysis and improving operational processes on multi-million US$ projects across Africa (Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa), United States, Europe and South America. Highlights:- Accountability for annual revenue service delivery and direct oversight of +1000 software engineers across 6 African centers, embedded in over 300 global engineering companies.- Strategic leadership and insights on Pan-African socio-political complexities and guidance for geographic expansion in Africa. - Building talent development partnerships between technology companies (to date successfully trained over 80,000 learners in 50 African countries).- Strengthening relationships with governments, multilateral and bi-lateral agencies, and technology companies to build technology, and public private partnerships addressing talent development and youth employment.- Leading development of technology platforms supporting and enabling social impact and activism.- Presenting on ethical complexities in the advancements of modern online technology, the future of work, connecting talent development to employment at various conferences including the Obama Foundation, Jack Ma Foundation, and Charter House and many Women in Technology conferences.In my personal capacity, I provide advice and guidance to startups and technology companies in Kenya and the USA.
Zuri Kemp is an Engineering Director responsible for Tools and Services for Fuchsia, Google's home-grown, open-source operating system. During her 19-year Google tenure, Zuri has become well known for organizational transformation, leading teams in pan-Google, cross-functional efforts from ideation to globally scalable solutions. Her acclaimed work on Machine Learning training has been recognized by Forbes and CNBC and continues to be a pinnacle for ML education internally and externally. Zuri is a lifelong learner and has a Masters degree in Management and Systems from NYU and a Stanford Advanced Project Management certification. She is dedicated to sharing her knowledge through myriad mentoring, people management, and volunteer opportunities.
Supply Chain Sustainability / Net-Zero team at Google – focused on quantifying the carbon footprint of the Data Center hardware supply chain and developing strategies to minimize its impact.Educational background includes a B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan and an M.Eng. in Systems Engineering from Cornell. Professional experience spans life cycle assessment (LCA) and sustainability consulting, with roles at Sphera (thinkstep), Quantis (now part of BCG), and HP.Passionate about transformational technologies that drive environmental progress.
Seasoned product leader in the data services, cloud, and developer tools domain. I enjoy bringing teams together to solve meaningful problems for developers and non-technical users alike.Domains:- Data Platforms- Machine Learning Platforms- Product Analytics- Developer Productivity Tools- Data Engineering Toolkits- Data Privacy Management Systems
Vanessa Stephens, Esq., MPH currently works for one of the world's largest asset managers, partnering with portfolio managers investing private equity into the most promising mid to late-stage businesses, and negotiating the agreements that protect high-yields for clients. A former consultant, attorney, and startup advisor, Vanessa has worked in private equity for nearly half a decade which was a shift from her first career in healthcare administration. The desire to understand the regulatory frameworks of the healthcare system propelled her to then pursue law school. After exploring various internships and legal practices, Vanessa decided to start her legal career as a corporate merger and acquisition attorney for Kirkland and Ellis, the largest law firm in the world. Her practice of law is grounded in understanding how private funds are structured, the monetary incentives for investors and the general partners, the acquisition and management of portfolio companies, and ultimately the sale of fund assets. Vanessa’s life's work continues to expand. An active angel investor and startup advisor, she desires to build community through the shared goal of leveraging private capital to build financial wealth for all. She enjoys spending her time connecting, teaching, and mentoring anyone and everyone that she comes in contact with. Presently, she is writing a thesis that is focused on empowering women to pursue venture capital and private equity roles as investors and legal practitioners.
Ijeoma joined Jumia Nigeria in October 2021 as the Chief Commercial Officer. She is no stranger to retail and commerce with prior roles at Google, Target, and Nike focused on improving operational efficiency, identifying consumer insights, and capturing market opportunities. A native of Oakland, California, Ijeoma is also a Venture Partner for P1 Ventures. She is excited about the innovation coming out of Africa that will make people’s lives easier and looks forward to getting connected with startups that aim to change the world.A strong believer of giving back, Ijeoma is most passionate about working with underrepresented minorities to help minimize the achievement gap caused by socioeconomic disparities. She is a board member of Oakland Kids First, an Oakland, California based organization focused on developing youth leaders who are actively engaged in creating equitable public schools where all students can succeed. During her spare time, Ijeoma is inspired by travel and different expressions of art (dance, music, fashion, nails). Patronizing museum exhibits and concerts are her favorite pastimes. This inspired her to create Gallery Hub, an organization focused on building a community of people interested in connecting with art galleries in Lagos, Nigeria.
My name is Taofik Sulaiman. I'm currently a Product Manager at Google on the Privacy Sandbox team in New York solving global web privacy problems on Chrome. I'm an detail-oriented ex-engineer who loves entrepreneurship, building things, and working alongside people to solve hard problems. Seeking to grow skills/network in Product Management, Investing & Creative Directing. Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, I graduated from the University of Illinois in 2020 with an Electrical Engineering major, a Technology Management minor, and a passion for tech. I have impactful investing experience and also corporate experience in Cloud, Consulting & Gaming. I have made an angel investment in EventNoire (a fast-growing nationwide event management/ticketing platform) where I also helped raise ~$220k in funding by prepping investor due diligence packets and the seed round campaign. I've also made a separate multi-unit real estate investment in Chicago. Some hobbies include traveling, playing soccer, creative directing, videography, boxing, and my involvements in NSBE, Alpha Phi Alpha and MLT.
Loryn is entrepreneurial and understands how to scale an operation as well as ensure its profitability. She is currently a founder and has lead a line of business for the Messaging team at PayPal where she was responsible both for generating millions in revenue and in cost savings. Loryn has worked in various roles across her career, including roles such as ux designer, developer, and product manager, leading to the cultivation of a unique perspective at the intersection of design, technology and business. She has also worked across multiple industries, including healthcare, ecommerce, and fintech. Working for companies of various sizes, including early stage startups and large enterprises, has allowed her to gain a wide range of operational experiences. In addition to the experience Loryn brings, she also enjoys learning from and networking with others.
Kayra Hopkins is Executive Director of Black Coffee Community Empowerment & Economic Development (CEED) Foundation, a nonprofit championing new strategies to help historically marginalized communities achieve financial freedom. She is also a Software Engineer in Marketing Technology at LinkedIn. Kayra earned her bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at Spelman College before completing a master's and doctorate in Computer Science & Engineering at Michigan State University (MSU), where she developed machine learning algorithms for automated 3D skeletal animation. She is passionate about technical innovation and helping founders, which comes from her early career experience in intellectual property commercialization and evaluating startup potential of university research while working in MSU’s tech transfer office. Kayra’s investment interest include sports, health, gaming and XR.
I am a product-focused design engineer with experience developing consumer electronics, including tablets, earphones, security cameras, and thermostats. I possess a proven track record in driving innovation and successfully delivering products utilized by millions of customers.
A trusted strategist and advisor to C-suite executives, White House leadership, and global organizations, Crystal Brown solves complex problems and drives transformational change. Whether developing global user standards at Airbnb, negotiating high-stakes agreements with public and private sector stakeholders, or leading initiatives for the Chief Operating Officer of a federal agency, she is passionate about turning vision into impact. Her expertise spans strategy, policy, legal, operations, and communications. Crystal's professional background includes over eight years in senior leadership roles in the Obama Administration in the Executive Office of the U.S. President and U.S. Department of Justice, and over five years in leadership roles at Airbnb, from startup phase to public company. Crystal was previously a litigator at an international law firm in NYC and clerked for a federal judge in Philadelphia, her hometown. She holds a bachelor's degree in Public Policy Studies and African and African-American Studies from Duke University and a law degree from Temple University Beasley School of Law.
Phillip Denis is a seasoned revenue leader with a proven track record of driving exponential growth for companies, leading to multiple successful acquisitions by industry giants such as Oracle, WeWork, and Meltwater. Transitioning from a scientific background into sales, marketing, and technology, Phillip discovered his passion for scaling businesses and mentoring high-performing teams.
Jewel Burks Solomon is Managing Partner at Collab Capital, a $100M+ early-stage venture capital fund she launched to close the funding gap for Black entrepreneurs. Prior to leading Collab Capital, Jewel was Head of Google for Startups US, where she created initiatives that have deployed over $50M in non-dilutive capital to 350+ Black and Latino-led businesses since 2020. Jewel's passion for leveling the playing field for Black founders was born from her own experience. Jewel was the Founder/CEO of Partpic, a startup that was acquired by Amazon in 2016, which streamlined the purchase of maintenance and repair parts using computer vision technology.Jewel serves on the boards of The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, CallRail and the Center for American Entrepreneurship. She is a member of Class 29 of Kauffman Fellows and the 2019 Class of Henry Crown Fellows within the Aspen Global Leadership Network at the Aspen Institute. Jewel received a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Howard University. She currently resides in Atlanta, GA with her husband and son.
A people-driven leader, Miriam's career has spanned nearly 20 years in Silicon Valley - from startups to Google to SMBs and agency work in-between. She also moonlights as an author and voiceover actress. Originally from the Northern California bay area, Miriam grew up abroad in Singapore and South Korea, and looks forward to investing in new ventures that serve the rapidly evolving needs of our more diverse, global, and human-first society.
Ciara Stephens is an analytical, influential and outcome-focused entertainment and technology attorney with extensive experience successfully and creatively collaborating with thought leaders at YouTube, Google, DIRECTV and AT&T to resolve complex business challenges and tackle novel initiatives including product launches (DIRECTV’s Yaveo, YouTube’s YouTube TV and #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund), high-profile strategic partnerships (Nike, MLB, Turner Networks, Activision Blizzard), and innovation around traditional products and services. Ciara began her legal career as a Corporate Associate at Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher, where she focused on public and private mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financings and commercial transactions. Ciara’s professional background prior to entering the legal field was in music marketing and promotions, talent management and live event planning.
Bosun is a Senior Staff Software Engineer at Google, currently leading a team focused on recommended notifications from YouTube. Before this, he was a founding member of the Video Ads Brand Safety team which he led for 8 years to progressively improve signals and processes to protect advertisers from association with inappropriate videos. Bosun completed his B.Sc. and M. Eng. degrees at MIT, focusing his research on carbon nanotube growth before switching back to computer science and starting his professional career at Oracle. In his spare time, he indulges in board games and (pre-covid) dancing as much as possible.
Director of Program Management at Google responsible for the successful delivery of a multi-million dollar portfolio of software development projects. He has over 30 years of experience working at global brands such as Apple, Cisco, SanDisk, and Bloom Energy.Chatman holds a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from Louisiana State University and an MBA from the University of Colorado.Away from the office, Reginald is enjoying the empty nest lifestyle traveling to "anyplace warm" with his wife Arnell of 30+ years. Otherwise, you might also find him on a mountain bike in the summer or the ski slopes in the winter.
Software Engineer with 11 years of professional experience. I have worn many hats across the software engineering stack including infrastructure. I have worked at small companies, very large one and even startups. I have experience as an accredited investor contributing to 2 early age startups in the cypto and sports spaces. I would love to diversify more within the black tech space
Melesa is a Workspace Product Specialist on the Global Business Practices team and has been working at Google for 6+ years out of the NYC office. Prior to joining Google, Melesa worked in the areas of IT Strategic Sourcing & Vendor Management for companies such as The National Football League and New York Life Insurance. Melesa is passionate about mentorship, volunteering, educating and building community, both professionally and personally. In her spare time, she loves attending music concerts, traveling, reading and spending time with friends and family. A quote she lives by is - “The hope of the world lies in what one demands, not of others, but of oneself.”― James Baldwin
Biotech GM and Commercial Executive with experience in commercial launch planning and product launch in small and large biotech companies. I have 17 years of Pharma and Biotech experience from manufacturing to sales and marketing. I'm professionally passionate about healthcare, people leadership, and building organizations. Personally I'm passionate about education and supporting underrepresented minority population with access to opportunities to elevate themselves and their communities. We were angel investors in the the EdTech company Caribu.
Seasoned executive with broad technology industry experience. Lead legal and IP functions at prominent Silicon Valley companies operating at a variety of scales and growth stages. Expert at anticipating and managing issues at the frontiers of law, business and technology. Optimize legal and regulatory support structures for novel business models, products and services. Creative, adaptable strategist balancing first principles thinking with experience-based judgment. Trusted executive colleague supporting growth and managing risk across business functions. Empathetic people manager inspiring teams toward professional growth and high achievement. Big framework thinker with proven ability to operationalize and execute.
Scott Tomtania is VP and Head of Global Recruiting at Cloudflare, leading the organization's recruiting efforts since 2017; Scott has been instrumental in Cloudflare's growth, helping scale the team over the past half decade, notably prior to its IPO and through the COVID-19 pandemic when Cloudflare sped up its hiring while a vast majority of companies cut back. Over those past two years, he's helped grow Cloudflare's team 93% — and most recently to close out 2022, Cloudflare received more than 200,000 applications and extended just 1,455 offers while seeing a 92% offer acceptance rate. Prior to Cloudflare headed up international recruiting at Twitter and has also worked at Google and Facebook.
With an over 20 year career spanning employment litigation, recruiting, talent strategy and consulting, Helynn has been at Google for nearly 7.5 years. She currently leads a team of People Consultants, however, she has served as a POps People Consultant, a Portfolio Manager (Recruiting) and a member of the Decline/Xoogler team (Recruiting). Her approach to leadership is through radical transparency, disruption, innovation and simplicity. She is passionate about helping others see and find the best version of themselves. She believes in a strong network of people that inspire and aspire you to greatness. In her time in the GX organization, Helynn is seen as a human resources practitioner, a leader and a trusted advisor committed to optimizing every employee’s contributions and development. She is active in the greater Austin community through Board positions and volunteer opportunities. Helynn holds adjunct professorships at Villanova University in the HR Masters program and at the Thomas Jefferson University School of Business. She is a proud graduate of Tulane University Law School (New Orleans) and Spelman College (Atlanta). Helynn is a 5th generation Texan based in Austin where she spends a lot of time with her favorite people in the world - her two daughters (Sydney and Sloan), her Xoogler husband (Nekosi) and S’more the guinea pig.
I started my career in consulting and went on the traditional path to get an MBA and return to consulting for a short stint before leaving to join a Series A startup. The role at the startup gave me a nice taste of growth and scaling for a small company, and my consulting experience, coupled with my bias for action, allowed me to excel. I'm now in a General Manager role at DoorDash, owning and managing a P&L and driving it toward profitability while leading and developing a large workforce. I'm passionate about startups and the overall startup ecosystem, and I show that passion via angel investing and advising. Over the last three years, I've invested in 6 seed rounds and backed six founders of color, something I'm extremely proud of. In addition, I've informally advised 2 of the companies to write small checks, which has been even more fulfilling than check writing. Becoming a member of BAG will unlock more opportunities to co-invest with like-minded individuals and provide me with deal flow.
Consistently seeking to drive strategic impact, I began with foundational studies in international business, communications, and leadership, including a Fulbright Scholarship in Berlin. I connected revenue generating partnerships with diverse partners, mastered technical sourcing and program creation at Facebook (Meta), and built key partnerships in emerging tech at Root Inc. Currently, at Google, I lead strategic partner initiatives, leveraging my global perspective to connect strategic growth through Ads and Product partnerships. My goal: to lead in the evolving tech landscape, fostering innovation and invest in tech and sectors that shape the future.
Thandi Young is a dynamic HR and talent management leader with a passion for cultivating high-performing, inclusive organizational cultures. Her expertise spans the full talent lifecycle, from strategic recruitment and onboarding to performance management, retention, and leadership development. Known for her data-driven approach, Thandi excels at identifying organizational needs, developing innovative solutions, and partnering with senior leaders to drive impactful change.Throughout her career, Thandi has held leadership roles at Google, CPA Global, and Bloomberg, where she has consistently delivered results in areas such as employee retention, talent acquisition, and change management. Her experience includes leading global teams, implementing HR technologies, and developing programs that enhance employee engagement and promote career growth. Thandi holds an MBA in International Business and is committed to creating workplaces where all individuals can thrive.
Annie Jean-Baptiste is the author of Building for Everyone, the first book about building inclusive products across the intersections of 12 dimensions of diversity. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with degrees in International Relations & Political Science. She formerly served as an intrapreneur in residence at the University Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education, a facilitator for Penn’s Chief Learning Officer Business Acumen program and a member of both the CTA Health Equity and Access Leadership (HEAL) Coalition and sits on the IEEE's Executive committee, Ethically Aligned Design committee and co-chairs the DEI committee. She’s been inducted into the Haitian Roundtable’s 1804 society as “One to Watch” and inducted as one of the 30 Black Stars for Face to Face Africa in 2019. Annie is a former American Heart Association spokesperson and a One Young World ambassador, focused on healthy lifestyles in underserved communities. She is also a former Hack the Hood mentor. Annie is also the Director of Product Inclusion & Equity at Google. She leads Product Inclusion strategy across the company and consults with various Alphabet companies, including consultation, communications, scale and research and created the movement over 6 years ago as a way to ensure historically marginalized users felt validated throughout the product design process.She formerly created programs related to Diversity talent management and career development within several technical product areas within Google. Annie is passionate about making the web work for underserved communities while ensuring that Google is a place where everyone shines for their differences. She’s been covered in Vogue, Essence Magazine, Business Insider, Teen Vogue, InStyle, MSNBC, CNBC, ABC, Cheddar, Business Insider, the Huffington Post, the Root, the Council of Fashion Designers of America Annual Report, The Miami Times, Bustle,Boston Globe and Fortune Magazine and was voted into Ebony Magazine's power 100 list for 2022 and ADCOLOR in tech award for rising up and reaching back.
Nia is a former litigator, product counsel and kids and privacy SME who is now co-leading an internal team at Google bringing to market a product that helps simplify privacy compliance for mobile app developers. She has extensive experience advising teams in the mobile space on legal and compliance issues.
As a seasoned leader in strategy and technology transformation with 8 years of experience in consulting, sales, and product management at Deloitte and IBM, I have developed a unique blend of skills that allows me to bridge the gap between technology and strategy, delivering real value to clients. My proven track record of leading business growth and implementing successful technology solutions span various industries, including healthcare, travel, and hospitality.Currently, I'm responsible for leading the go-to-market strategy and operations for the US Healthcare and Life Sciences Google Cloud Team, managing a $XXXM book of business. I develop the organization's strategy, business plan, and operating models while overseeing the tracking and performance measurement of the business.I'm thrilled to be joining BAG and bringing my industry expertise, professional network connections, and operational rigor to contribute to the success of the portfolio. In addition to my professional pursuits, I'm passionate about investing and have been an angel investor for several startups and a serial real estate investor. Outside of work, I enjoy traveling with my beautiful wife, Lola, and we call Chicago our home.
Robert Sorsby is an innovative leader with over 10 years of Fortune 10 experience across the adtech and commerce sectors. Currently, he leads and scales a $XXXM adtech sales team across the Consumer Electronics, Wireless and Office industries for the Americas Growth Ads division within Amazon, Inc. In this role, Robert creates and drives strategies to enable his team to navigate the complexity of the rapidly evolving advertising landscape to deepen customer relationships for accelerating revenue growth at scale.
Cavel Khan is the Chief Growth Officer of Group Black and is responsible for developing growth and revenue strategies for the company. Khan has close to 20 years of experience managing growth in advertising and client partnerships for many high-profile organizations and is widely recognized as a business leader, startup advisor, and board member in the tech and media space. Prior to Group Black he served as the CRO of Tumblr, the SVP of Client Partnerships-North America at VICE, a Senior Manager on the CPG vertical at Twitter, and in multiple roles at Microsoft over an eight-year period. Cavel is a 2020 Inductee into the American Advertising Federation’s Advertising Hall of Achievement, a 2020 Advertising Club of New York ICON Award recipient and a 2019 recipient of the America on Tech Innovator and Disruptor Award for Sales. He was a member of the advisory board for TechBeach and America on Tech, and co-chair of the advisory board of AdColor and on AdCouncil’s Diversity Leadership Group. He is an alum of Zicklin School of Business in New York where he earned his MBA in Marketing and he gives back as a member of the board for Community Roots Charter schools in Brooklyn where he resides with his family.
Fadzi Makanda is on the Corporate Development team at Google focused on Strategy, M&A, and Investments. Her previous roles include executing investment and acquisition opportunities at Sony Music and iHeartMedia, and leading content strategy for the "Netflix of Africa" iROKOtv, backed by Tiger Global. Fadzi began her career at Credit Suisse within the Equities division. She received an AB in English from Princeton University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Michael Jeter serves as Director for Google Cloud operations for Southern California. In this capacity he has overall responsibility for all customer operations within the business unit. He is a GTM leader with over 23 years in the industry across enterprise hardware, software and services. He has a proven ability to optimize revenue generation through creating and motivating high performing teams and establishing deep partnerships with his customers. Prior to joining Google, Michael served in a number of leadership roles including Regional Sales Director for AppDynamics where he built and managed the Southern California enterprise sales team and Regional Vice President at Oracle, where he led sales and operations for the Engineered Systems and Cloud business in the Southwest. He has a proven track record of building long term business relationships and advising customers along their digital transformation journey.
I am an experienced digital commerce and marketing leader with a strong background in e-commerce, merchandising, and product marketing. Currently, I work as a Product Marketing Manager, Web Lead at Google, where I drive digital marketing strategies, optimize web platforms, and enhance online consumer engagement.Before Google, I held leadership roles at Humana, The Land of Nod (Crate & Barrel), Revolution Dancewear, and Sears, where I led e-commerce growth, site merchandising, and digital brand strategy. Throughout my career, I have successfully managed cross-functional teams, leveraged data-driven insights to drive revenue, and developed digital experiences that enhance customer engagement.I am passionate about the intersection of technology, commerce, and consumer experiences.
Irvin DeAndrei (Dee) Drummond is the General Counsel, Vice President and Secretary for TEKsystems, Inc. Dee has acquired extensive experience in delivering counsel on complex commercial transactions, labor/employment matters and regulatory compliance, supplemented by additional experience in private practice and the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps. Dee began his law career as an Associate at Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger & Hollander where he was an Associate in the Business and Securities Section from 1999 until 2001. In 2001, Dee became an Assistant State’s Attorney in Prince George’s County, Maryland from 2001 to 2005. After his Army reserve unity was activated in 2005, Dee remained on active duty in the U.S. Army in the Judge Advocate General Corps from 2005 to 2009. In 2021, Dee retired as a Major from the Army reserves. Upon leaving active duty, Dee returned to Baltimore where he became an Associate at the law firm of Rollins, Smalkin, Richards and Mackie, LLC from 2009 to 2011. In 2011, Dee joined the legal department at Allegis Group.
I started my own company at 19, having previously being on the med-track, this was the catalyst to my investing experience. Since then I've done private equity, angel investing and am an LP in fund that recently had a port-co sell for $195M. My goal is to build generational wealth, help others like me and build a network of similar investors.
Breanna is a Product Marketing Manager at YouTube, the #1 ad-supported streaming TV video platform across reach and watch time, where over 2 billion monthly logged-in users come to share their voices and experience the world around them. Her commitment to redefining the status quo in advertising and media industries through storytelling, experiences, and authentic communications has helped brands and businesses reflect the world more accurately, resonate with today's diverse consumers, and drive results for their bottom line.As a leader, Breanna uses shared empathy to motivate and inspire those around her; confidence and charisma to break through and bring people with different viewpoints together, and determination and vision to make magic moments in culture happen.Breanna's career spans three distinct disciplines -- brand & integrated marketing, multicultural communications, and experiential curation & design - making her unique skillset critical to the future of the advertising industry.Breanna began her marketing career at multicultural marketing agency Commonground/Ten 35. There she managed Verizon's cultural brand moments and activation strategy. She later when on to manage brands like HBO Latino, Colgate-Palmolive at WPP, before becoming Manager of Brand Solutions at ESSENCE ® Communications - leading campaigns from brands like Cadillac, Nike, Facebook & YouTube, followed by her current tenure as Brand Moments Lead for YouTube Ads when she specializes in helping brands reach and resonate with diverse consumers to drive business growth. Breanna has been recognized for her breakthrough work both by the industry and her peers. Her career and campaigns have won accolades from BizBash, Event Marketer, AdAge and more.
Emmanuel M. Arriaga grew up in the inner city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From a young age, he was obsessed with fantasy and science fiction. Breaking the shackles of a low-income life, Emmanuel developed an interest in science, technology and engineering. He went on to graduate from Pennsylvania State University with a Master's in Information Science. He now works for Google after relocating to Silicon Valley with his wife where they are raising two boys. Emmanuel is also an award-winning sci-fi/fantasy author (Elevator Quest, Foundra series) with a love for travel, gadgets and volunteering,
Chad Payne is a Product Strategy & Operations Principal on the Google Cloud Infrastructure Team at Google, focused on Google Distributed Cloud. Prior to Google, Chad was a management consultant at Kearney Inc. based out of the New York Office. In this role, he worked on growth and organizational strategy projects for Fortune 500 companies across various industry verticals. Chad also has professional experience through internships and projects in sports, apparel, Web3 and blockchain, as well as venture capital.Chad Payne is graduate of the Wharton School's MBA Program and the Lauder Institute's Master of Arts in International Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Throughout graduate school, he made significant contributions as an MBA Fellow of the Toigo Foundation, an advocate for blockchain technology in Africa, and a leader in sports and foreign investment clubs on campus. Chad also completed his undergrad at Penn, graduating Cum Laude with a BSc. in Economics from the Wharton School. During his undergraduate studies, he was as a sprinter on the NCAA Division I Track & Field Team and held leadership positions in organizations dedicated to promoting diversity in business and enhancing Wharton student life. Chad was recognized with the Vice Dean's Award for Service to the Wharton School and the Cane Award, a senior honor bestowed by the President of Penn, recognizing leadership and on-campus impact.
I am a web developer currently working for Nutanix. I originally from Ghana, West Africa and would love to see more people like me flourish in the tech industry as we are few and far between. I am interested in the tech space and emerging technologies that help to advance mankind. My skills and expertise lie in front end web development, UX, Visual design and Accessibility. I am particularly passionate about enabling all people gain access to technology as it can enable us be better. In my free time I enjoy travel, gaming and the outdoors.
Shannon Gravette has experience as a founder, operator, and investor. Shannon obtained a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from University of Maryland and started his career at Northrop Grumman on a NASA program for the International Space Station (ISS). Shannon also co-founded Builda, providing intelligent enterprise mentoring software, and ultimately left his job as a space systems engineer to attend business school and focus on his startup. Shannon received his MBA from Georgetown University, where he served as DC Chapter President of The InSITE Fellowship for entrepreneurship and venture capital and won first place in the Global Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC). Builda went under at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, so Shannon shifted his focus towards growth strategy consulting at Monitor Deloitte for clients in technology and telecom, then later joined Google Assistant as a full-time operator. Shannon invests with Black Angel Group (BAG) because he is passionate about angel investing as a vehicle for helping early-stage founders solve challenging problems with impactful solutions.
Emmanuel Midy is an ad-tech veteran with stints at Pubmatic, Omnicom and currently at Roku. Prior to his current role at Roku, he was Glen Weyl's Chief of Staff working on scaling the RxC Foundation. Working closely with the RxC board on relevant crypto projects including a Gitcoin scholarship launch spearheaded with board member Vitalik Butterin. In his spare time, he is an avid reader and Chelsea fan.
Currently a Business Process Design Manager at Google in the Finance organization. Most of my experience has been working in Finance and Accounting org at a variety of startups at various funding stages. My experience ranges from helping small to medium-sized startups scale their Finance and Accounting operations to building financial models for a startup preparing for Series B funding.
A proven and experienced business leader whom leverages the power of technology to support business transformation Rashada holds 20years technology sales experience and has a record of accomplishment in delivering growth, supporting innovation and delivering value to global organisations as well as being a keen advocate for inclusion, diversity and equity practice.In a professional capacity Rashada is an Enterprise Technologist at Amazon Web Services where she seeks to take enterprise Customers on a digital transformation to the cloud. Prior to joining AWS, she held senior roles at organisations including Vodafone Global Enterprise and Cisco. Whilst at Cisco Rashada, was the only Black female on the highly competitive Sales Academy Programme which spanned across Europe. This experience led her to believe more needed to be done to bring more diverse and underrepresented talent into the organisation and wider industry. Rashada went on to co-found and launch the award winning Your Future, Your Ambition (YFYA) initiative in 2012 as a vehicle to help organisations and students connect and bridge the diversity gap in STEM. Today Rashada provides advisory expertise to a range of other initiatives including UKBlackTech, and the AWS BLACK Council. Rashada presently sits on the board of Trustees at Engineering UK, the African Gifted Foundation and Off The Curriculum charities. In acknowledgement for her work in the Technology industry, Rashada Harry has been listed in the Financial Times UK’s 100 Most Influential BAME Leaders in Technology, EMpower’s Top 100 Ethnic Minority Executive List as well as being acknowledged by ComputerWeekly as a top Female leader in Tech 2023. In recognition of contributions to the industry and encouraging more diversity in STEM, Rashada was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy from her alma mater London Metropolitan University in 2019 and graduated alongside the School of Computing and Digital Media.
Ruthie D. Lyle is a highly accomplished leader, expert on emerging technologies, and trusted advisor to CEOs and boards. The first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from NYU, she has 20+ years of experience leading cross-functional global teams through R&D and commercialization of new technologies. A constant learner and proponent of translating AI into real-world applications, Lyle helps organizations embrace artificial intelligence, unearth novel applications, and deploy AI to advance societal good and shareholder value. A registered USPTO Patent Agent and IBM Master Inventor Emeritus, she has 220+ issued and pending patents. With a strong background in public speaking, Lyle works to demystify STEM and innovation to empower underserved communities. She is a 2023-24 JOURNEY Fellow, guiding other diverse women leaders to scale their leadership and impact.
Lynette was born in Washington, DC and grew up in Alexandria, Virginia. She graduated from North Carolina State University with a degree in Business Management while running a nonprofit focused on closing the achievement gap for elementary students in Raleigh, North Carolina. Currently, Lynette leads Diversity & Inclusion and Employee Engagement at Epic Games.Prior to joining Epic, Lynette led Diversity and Inclusion at Golman Sachs and also at Google Cloud. Over her 5 ½ years at Google, she held other roles in People Operations where she led teams responsible for finding top candidates to join the Global Business Operations and General Administrative teams. Lynette’s work experience also spans other industries such as the retail and non-profit sector. Lynette held executive leadership positions at Target from 2006 to 2010 in human resources and community partnerships. Additionally from 2010-2014 Lynette held regional and national roles at Teach For America where she began working with an organization that was aligned to her greatest passion-- ensuring access and opportunity for children who come from underserved communities. Based in Houston, Lynette worked to ensure that all kids had an opportunity to receive a quality education regardless of their zip code for over four and half years both regionally and nationally.Lynette currently serves on the Advisory Board for Mainspring Schools where she continues her work in education by ensuring that children have access to an excellent early childhood education.
Kendra Desrosiers is a tech executive with a passion for social media, content and inclusion. She recently joined Twitch as the Senior Director, Global Head of Strategic Programs & Culture to lead the company’s collegiate eSports, social impact and creator diversity partnerships teams. Most recently, Kendra worked at Meta leading a media partnerships marketing team responsible for marketing tools that empower creators and media companies to build community and a business on Facebook App. Prior to that, Kendra spent nearly six years at YouTube driving global scaled partnerships programs and marketing initiatives that empower the next generation of multicultural, LGBTQ and women storytellers on the platform. Before joining the tech community, she worked as a multimedia journalist and marketer in music and entertainment. Kendra holds a B.A. in Journalism from Howard University and Master of Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Sadasia McCutchen is the VP of Community and Growth at CapitalG, Alphabet's independent growth fund. At CapitalG, Sadasia has built out the community function, becoming a trusted partner to the CEOs, founders, and executive teams across the portfolio. Through establishing direct relationships with these key audiences, she builds a deep understanding of their businesses and general needs to provide relevant advice and support. Additionally, Sadasia partners with the investing team in their due diligence by providing market insights, identifying sources of knowledge within the community, and leveraging relationships for industry expertise during the process. Previously, at Google, Sadasia was a People Operations Leader where she functioned as a strategic engagement partner, spearheading and building out relationships for C-suite programs. Sadasia is passionate about strategic relationships and communities.
Called an “impressive leader who plays an important role in our progress toward the mountaintop,” by former First Lady Michelle Obama, Janaye Ingram has spent her career empowering people and creating change. Currently, Janaye is the Director of Community Partner Programs and Engagement for Airbnb, a home sharing platform that connects travelers with unique homes and experiences around the world while creating economic and entrepreneurship opportunities for Hosts and communities. In this role, she leads the company’s global $100M Community Fund and also leads Airbnb’s multicultural community engagement initiatives. Prior to her role at Airbnb, Janaye served as the Head of Logistics and a lead organizer for the first Women's March on Washington on January 21st, 2017, in addition to being a co-founder of Women’s March, Inc. She has also held key roles with nonprofits in New York and New Jersey, including serving as the National Executive Director of the civil rights organization, National Action Network (NAN).
Sam Bright is a C-suite executive with nearly two decades of tech leadership experience building and scaling teams, experiences, and businesses both organically and inorganically spanning strategy, mergers and acquisitions, operations, strategic partnerships, product, customer experience, and general management / P&L ownership.He currently serves as VP, GM for Google Play where he leads a cross-functional team including engineers, product managers, UX designers, analysts, program managers, and the merchandising, retail, and go-to-market operations team, as well as dedicated partners in BD, finance, marketing, policy, and legal where together, we strive to serve our community of millions of developers and 2.5 billion monthly active users.Previously, he served as the Chief Product and Experience Officer at Upwork (NASDAQ: UPWK), the world's largest work marketplace, where he led an ~950 person globally distributed team located in 45 countries across Product Management, Design, User Experience and User Research, Talent Success, Customer Experience, Community Management, New Businesses, Payments, Risk, Trust and Safety, Business Development, and Analytics.Before Upwork, he led the Verticals team at eBay where at peak scope, he oversaw a) multi-billion dollar business units encompassing art and collectibles, business and industrial, electronics, fashion, home and garden, lifestyle, media, parts and accessories, sporting goods, and toys (>$30 billion in 2019 GMV) b) WHI, a global Software as a Service (SaaS) subsidiary focused on the automotive sector.Sam serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for TIAA, a Fortune 100 financial services organization and on the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum Advisory Council. He was a member of the Board of Directors at Benetech for 6 years and is a member of NACD. He has been named to Products that Count's inaugural 2022 Global CPO 20 list of influential and innovative Chief Product Officers around the globe, Black Enterprise's 2018 "List of the Most Influential Blacks in Technology,” Savoy Magazine's 2020 & 2022 lists of the "Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America," SIA's 2022 40 under 40 list, and The Agenda Diversity 100.
Marketing Leader, Real Estate, and Small Business investor. I have 15 years of experience marketing in multiple industries driving great results. I have consulted many small businesses and non-profits on how to incoporate marketing principles for revenue and funding growth. I'm looking to help other businesses understand their audience, identify opportunities in the market, and develop repeatable execution steps to continue growth.
Vic Wiggins - I started my career in the military after graduating from West Point, I served close to six years before transitioning to management consulting and later tech. I currently work in Googles Customer Value and Transformation Advisory group, where I do ROI analysis for cloud sales deals. I consider myself a lifelong entrepreneur starting at a young age, 4 years ago I launched an e-commerce brand on Amazon and love to analyze businesses.
Paola Ramirez is a talented and accomplished professional with over 14 years of experience in strategy, operations, and business development. She has a proven track record of achieving exceptional results in her fields, and she is also a strong communicator and problem-solver. In addition to her professional experience, Paola is also active in her community. She was a Member of 'Level', an organization which invests in multiracial women, she served on the Board of Directors of Next Wave in Business, a non-profit organization, and is part of the initial cohort of Google Employees building the LatinX Angel Investing Group. She is also a recipient of an Impact Award for her work supporting Women ERG at Google.
Jacob Aladejobi is a consultative and collaborative information technology leader with 15+ years of experience providing high quality client support that enables end-users to leverage technology and achieve organizational goals. A champion for excellency across matrixed organizations, Jacob is known for completing complex and critical projects while developing and cultivating strategic relationships with stakeholders at all organizational levels.Currently Jacob serves as a VP in Technology Operations at JP Morgan Chase where he works with senior leaders to develop strategies and solutions for new and existing technologies. He provides strategy and support to the Global Technology department while participating in student recruitment, interviewing & speaking engagements at partner universities and organizations.Jacob earned his B.S in Computer Science from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and obtained his MBA with a concentration in Information Systems from Howard University. He also serves on the IT Advisory board for organizations in DC providing workforce development strategies and coaching to underserved communities. Jacob has a passion for people and making an impact on the next generation. He resides in Washington DC with his family.
Product lead at Google driving operational efficiency initiatives for the Partnerships org. Cross-industry experience with Big Tech, Financial Services & consulting delivering business solutions for growth and operational excellence. Interested in investments, markets, healthcare accessibility and sustainability. Enjoy music, soccer and travel.
Experienced corporate and investment banking executive with experience working in North America and EMEA. Sector expertise in financial services, telecommunications and tech. Senior management executive with background Business Development, Corporate Finance, IPOs, Due Diligence and end-to-end transaction leadership.
Background | A Harvard-trained attorney and technology company manager, Jay was an Of Counsel attorney in the Reed Smith Venture Capital and Technology Transactions Practice Group and has had a long career advising startups on formation and fund raising issues. He was Twitter’s first full-time in-house attorney and has advised Oracle, Google, Splunk, and other leading technology companies on cloud, software development, and other legal matters. Jay ran the Silicon Valley office of the Texas Pacific Group/Jerusalem Global Bank-backed early stage venture capital firm, Yazam.Jay graduated from Williams College with a degree in Political Science, and holds two certifications in Artificial Intelligence from UC Berkeley. He is active in the Harvard Business School and Stanford Business School Silicon Valley entrepreneurial communities.Operational Focus | In addition to leading Let Point Partners’s operations, Jay is involved in deal-sourcing and structuring investor transactions.
Growing up in Detroit, I quickly learned how to do research, seize opportunities, stand out, and strategize. I also learned the importance of entrepreneurship, work ethic, and giving back. I moved to the East Coast after getting my MBA, and have worked in several different facets of sales and marketing across various industries. I have 15+ years of experience at various companies including Google, Jaguar Land Rover, Volkswagen, Ford, Verizon and AT&T. My focus has been on developing marketing strategies, maximizing ROI, SWOT analysis, sales, loyalty, and new product introductions. I pride myself as being a consumer behavior expert responsible for championing change. I have a growth mindset and the ability to use actionable insights to create stories, pitches, narratives and thought leadership, and events that resonate with customers and maximized revenue growth and retention.In my spare time, I enjoy traveling, spending time with family, experiences, music, reading and giving back through mentoring young ladies and providing marketing consulting to new businesses. Additional details can be found on my website.
I’m a mission-driven Healthcare and Innovation Professional passionate about leveraging cutting-edge technologies to advance human health. I have over 20 years of experience in product management, innovation, and strategy, with a proven track record of transforming nascent ideas into market-ready products that drive growth. My experience spans healthcare, retail, e-commerce, online marketing, and banking. In my current role as Senior Director of Venture Design & Innovation at GuideWell & Florida Blue, a $30+ billion health solutions company, I manage a venture design studio responsible for launching new ventures and products taking them from early concepts to MVP, market launch, and scale. I also manage GuideWell’s health tech accelerator through the partnership with Plug and Play, a global business accelerator and venture capital firm leading due diligence for potential investments in early stage startups. I serve on several advisory boards providing deep advisory in healthcare, product and growth strategies.
My name is Tyler Scruggs, I am an Alumnus and Advisory Board Member of the Howard University School of Business. I am currently an Account Manager in Retail Media within LCS, focused on digital marketing strategy and sales enablement for 10+ networks generating over $150M in annual revenue. Outside of my day job, I am actively investing in real estate and currently have over $1M in AUM. I am interested in diversifying my investment portfolio by investing in early stage companies. I do not have angel investing experience currently, but possess a willingness to learn, invest capital, add perspective, and bring value to the network at large.
Current Product Manager and past Business Analyst in multiple industries. Outside of my corporate professional experience, I invest in real estate in and outside of the U.S. I have also invested some of my personal money into Fanbase Social App and have been a part of a Venture Capital Fellowship (powered by Laconia) to learn more about this space in general.
Patrick Bentley is a native of Savannah, Ga and currently resides in Huntsville, AL. He specializes in architecting Cloud solutions on Google Cloud and AWS. Patrick currently manages the Custom Training business for Cloud Learning Services at Google Cloud.
Stacy Brown-Philpot is the former CEO of TaskRabbit and has 18+ years of consumer technology experience, leading the growth and scale of large and small enterprises in the digital economy. During her tenure, Stacy built a fast-growing startup into a global business, charting the course in a new industry and launching local operations in more than 100 major markets in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, and Spain. In 2017, Stacy led the successful acquisition of TaskRabbit by the IKEA Group. In addition to shaping the future of work, TaskRabbit is now a core driver of the e-commerce and services strategy for the world’s largest furniture retailer with the mission of making everyday life easier for everyone. Prior to joining the company, she spent nearly a decade at Google heading online sales and operations. Stacy is a founding member of SoftBank’s Opportunity Fund, a $100mm venture fund established to invest in Black, Latinx, and Native American entrepreneurs. She is also on the Board of Directors for HP Inc, Nordstrom, Noom, StockX, Black Girls Code, and The Urban Institute. She holds a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of Business and an M.B.A. from Stanford University. Stacy lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two daughters.
As Global Lead for Content Partnerships at YouTube, Jennifer Clark directs teams across the US, APAC, and EMEA. She leverages over 12 years of experience in strategic communication and brand marketing, with deep expertise in the tech, CPG, and entertainment sectors. Jennifer is passionate about integrating diversity into holistic campaigns. Prior to Google, she spearheaded communications at Dropbox during its 2018 IPO and founded the PR firm Fresh Ink (later acquired), serving clients such as the NBA, Microsoft, Ford, Visa, Universal Pictures, and Sony.
GTM Strategy & Operations professional at Google, I specialize in collaborating with cross-functional teams to develop, implement, and enforce policies safeguarding our $200B ads business. My expertise spans program management, communication, stakeholder engagement, strategic analysis, and problem-solving, cultivated through roles in HR—specifically DEI Strategy & Operations and technical recruiting—both at West Point and Google.I draw on my in-depth knowledge of product policy, financial services, and elections to improve operational rigor, enhance the customer experience, and ensure regulatory compliance. I leverage storytelling to educate, inspire, and mobilize diverse stakeholders, driving impactful go-to-market initiatives and effective policy solutions.I received my MBA from NYU Stern, where I received the Tillman Scholar Award, and my B.S. in Political Science from West Point, where I served as Class President, have further strengthened my leadership abilities. Additionally, my passion for writing on leadership, national security, and DEI Strategy & Operations has led to contributions to esteemed publications such as The New York Times, USA Today, and NPR.ownership.
Carmen Mayali is the Director, People Development and is responsible delivering for integrated, strategic Talent, Learning, and Organizational Development solutions for over half of all Googlers. During her tenure at Google, she has supported large-scale organizational efforts such as Cloud’s Culture Transformation, developed top-rated senior leadership development programs, and coached and partnered with founders and VP+ to address their most pressing talent, leadership, and culture challenges. Prior to joining Google, Carmen was the Sr Director, Organizational and Talent Development at Sephora where she led a team responsible for Organizational Development & Change, Talent Development, Performance Management, and Executive Development & Coaching. Before Sephora, Carmen spent six years in the Accenture Strategy Talent & Organization Practice with her final role as a Senior Manager where her work with C-Suite executives covered change management and measurement, culture, leadership development, talent strategy, operating model and organization design with various Fortune 500 companies. She holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Southern California and an MBA from the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business. Most weekends, you can find Carmen in the garden, cooking, or traveling with her family (husband and two young boys) and friends.
Sales and marketing leader with nearly a decade of experience driving growth across hardware, software, and ad products at Meta and Google. Proven success with managing new product launches, overseeing multimillion-dollar retail partnerships, and bringing structure to the complex rhythms of go-to-market strategy. Known for building trust across teams, navigating high-stakes negotiations, and turning data into decisions that move the business forward.
A cardiologist, researcher and public health expert, Garth is the Director and Global Head of Healthcare and Public Health at Google Health/YouTube. He previously served in two US administrations as US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health and was Assistant Dean for Health Policy and Chief of Health Services Research in the department of medicine at the University of Florida School of Medicine. He also served as President of the Aetna Foundation as well as Vice President & Chief Community Health Officer at CVS Health. He currently sits on several boards, including the Advisory Council to the Director of the NIH, the National Academy of Medicine Board on Health Policy, and the board of the National Quality Forum. He previously served on the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Advisory Council.An elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, Garth obtained his MD at Yale University School of Medicine, MPH at Yale School of Public Health, Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Cardiology fellowship at Johns Hopkins. He holds three board certifications including internal medicine, cardiology and interventional cardiology. He also holds an honorary doctorate of laws from Regis College and an honorary degree from the Eastern Virginia Medical School. In 2021, the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine inaugurated the Garth N. Graham Distinguished Lectureship Award, which spotlights trail blazers who are leading the creation and advancement of health equity.
Seasoned cybersecurity executive with 15 + years leading global security, risk, and compliance programs for high-growth technology and Fortune 100 organizations, including Amazon, TikTok, Goldman Sachs, Accenture, and KPMG. An MBA graduate of The Wharton School and a Computer Engineering alumnus of Howard University, I translate deep technical expertise in cloud, identity, and AI security into board-level strategies that safeguard revenue and accelerate innovation. Renowned for building high-performing teams, streamlining governance, and championing customer trust, I have guided multiple enterprises to SOC 2, ISO 27001, and FedRAMP certification while reducing incident response times and vulnerability backlogs at scale. I now advise executive leadership on security strategy and am seeking CISO or VP-level opportunities where business goals require robust, forward-thinking security programs.
Chandler Cribe is a venture capital investor specializing in climate tech, energy innovation, and industrial transformation. He currently invests at GE Vernova Ventures, the corporate venture arm of GE Vernova, where he leads strategic investment efforts in technologies accelerating decarbonization, power generation, and tech modernization.His background spans startup operations, venture capital, and corporate strategy, with prior roles at Comcast Ventures and Twelve Below. Chandler is also an active startup mentor through programs like ERA, a Board of Directors for the non profit, The JOB Project and commits time to supporting underrepresented founders get VC ready.Based in Brooklyn, NY.
Amy Russ has over 12 years of experience as a data professional. She has held roles and responsibilities as a data engineer, data analyst, data scientist, and as an AI/ML developer. Her expertise spans multiple industries, including finance, supply chain, and market research. Her current interests are in the application of Web3 (distributed ledger technology, decentralized finance); and trustworthy and responsible AI/ML systems and technologies in the biotech, finance, and education sectors. She has an MBA from Auburn University; a Master of Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology; and a Bachelor of Arts, with Honors in Economics, from Oglethorpe University.
Nebiat Baarez is a Director in Google’s Legal department. She leads three Product Counsel teams made up of 20+ amazing lawyers counseling Google Search and News, Google Maps, and Waze. In previous roles, Nebiat also managed both product and commercial teams, served as lead commercial counsel for various Google products, and oversaw the counseling for Google Assistant and Gemini. Prior to Google, Nebiat worked at Bloomberg LP, Vinson & Elkins LLP and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP. Nebiat graduated cum laude from Howard University, School of Law. She earned her bachelor degree in African Studies from McGill University. Nebiat grew up in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, having emigrated there as a refugee when she was 5. She’s a mom to a middle-schooler, and usually spends her free time on the sidelines at his basketball games.
I am a business-minded commercial attorney specializing in multiple aspects of content licensing, notably in entertainment, media and sports. I currently live in the Washington D.C. area and serve as Legal Director at YouTube leading the Global Media Partnerships legal team. Prior to YouTube/Google I was in-house legal counsel in Comcast's Content Acquisition department. A graduate of the University of Virginia and Temple University's Beasley School of Law, when I’m not watching sports or movies "for work", I’m spending time with family, thinking about our next travel destination or trying, with mixed success, to improve my golf swing.
I'm Aaron Gabriel, a seasoned Program Manager with over a decade of experience leading complex initiatives across some of the world’s most recognized companies—including BMW of North America, Microsoft, and Google. My time in corporate strategy and operations has given me a deep foundation in systems thinking, execution, and leadership—skills I've since leveraged to launch into entrepreneurship and real estate investing.In the past few years, I’ve successfully acquired two service-based landscaping companies, each resulting in 2x–2.5x exits. These experiences cemented my belief in the power of small business ownership and operational efficiency as vehicles for generational wealth. I currently manage a portfolio of 7+ properties across the Florida and New York markets, with a focus on long-term value and impact.At the core of everything I do is a desire to build community—economically, socially, and structurally. Whether I’m leading a team, acquiring a new venture, or mentoring others on their path, I bring a passion for sustainable growth and meaningful impact.
My interest in the startup ecosystem dates back to when I first started learning how to code. I initially contemplated fully transitioning into the startup space during my first year at my current company. However, a pivotal moment came when I discovered the Startup Exchange program.Through this program, I had the opportunity to work for 12 months as a full-stack developer at Genesis while still employed at Citi. At Genesis, I built renewable energy trading platforms, an experience that deepened my fascination with the startup world.Even after the program ended, my entrepreneurial spirit persisted. In my current role at Market Accelerator, I work with a lean team of three, building financial technology solutions for trading desks across the market business. This role has allowed me to maintain a startup-like environment, as we operate with the agility and innovation typical of early-stage companies while developing solutions that have actual business impact.Recently, as a Fellow in Colorwave's cohort 10, I learned about BAG (Business Angel Groups) when Jason Scott was a guest speaker. I want to take proactive steps to learn more about venture capital and investing in startups. Additionally, I qualify as an accredited investor through my active Series 7 license.
Hashim Ibrahim is a venture builder and investor based in Brooklyn, New York, with a passion for innovation, and global impact. He has led ventures, product, strategy, and investment projects at BCG, helping launch and scale businesses across healthcare, AI, and financial services.
Maurice is Google’s global director of strategy and operations for the go-to-market team for theperformance and programmatic businesses. Yes, that is quite a mouthful!Prior to joining Google, Maurice Nicholson was a Partner in the consulting division of Kantar, where hewas a leader of its Innovation and Brand Marketing practice. Maurice has held senior leadership rolesboth client and agency side at companies such as American Express, Nokia, and WPP UWG. Maurice is aclassically-trained strategist, having spent the early part of his career at McKinsey & Company.Maurice received his undergraduate degree from Boston University, and his MBA from the HarvardBusiness School.Maurice loves to live life in the fast lane. He is an avid skier, runner, and holds a SCCA regional racinglicense. He’s also a working DJ and serves on his co-op board. Most importantly, he is a born and bredBrooklynite (where he resides with his son Marcos) and a diehard Brooklyn Nets fan.
Leniece Flowers is a Senior Global PM at LinkedIn and Founder/CEO of Compass Talent Group, a DEI consultancy that builds diverse and inclusive workplaces. Her firm has partnered with forward-thinking companies with annual revenues ranging from $2M to $36B leading audits and talent acquisition strategy. At LinkedIn she founded the first ever communities for Director+ Black and Latino leaders globally. She's a contributing writer for Vox, Quartz and The Plug known for not tip-toeing around issues of race at work.Leniece is a first generation college graduate that earned her street smarts from The Bronx and her book smarts from Columbia University. When Leniece isn’t advising startups through Techstars, serving on non-profit boards, guest lecturing or raising twin kiddos, she’s developing a thesis in collaboration with executives, entrepreneurs and investors on how to close the U.S. racial wealth gap. She's an alumna of BLCK VC, Cohort 7 and incoming Material Change Institute Fellow.
Nnaemeka is a product management consultant and specializes in the areas of product strategy, product design, product growth and innovation. He has worked at the strategic level leveraging the design thinking approach to problem solving as well as quantitative and qualitative data analysis to generate ideas for product innovation and growth. He has also worked at the tactical level leading agile software development teams in mission critical and complicated product build and delivery to drive large scale digital transformation initiatives. Nnaemeka is passionate about solving problems by leveraging technology to drive positive step change, achieve competitive distance and make sustainable enduring impact.
Erick Eigner is a seasoned technology executive with a broad spectrum of experience spanning multiple industries, with a special focus on analytics and monetization. Currently, he leads Microsoft's Azure Revenue Optimization and Applied Data Science initiatives, where he has pioneered significant innovations in pricing strategy and data-driven decision making. Previously, Erick directed decision science for Facebook's AR/VR marketing and managed mobile marketing data science at Groupon, substantially increasing revenue and operational efficiencies. With a Technology Management MBA from the University of Washington, Erick excels at integrating diverse perspectives to enhance operational efficiency and drive revenue growth.
Sales strategy expert with over 12 years of experience at startups and industry leaders such as Google and Twitter. Highly competent in financial forecasting and storytelling. Specialize in relationship building and securing new, beneficial partnerships. Energized by connecting with purpose-driven founders, evaluating social impact investments, and elevating opportunities in emerging markets.
Rich Cooksen is a Senior Engagement Manager (Director) at Accenture Strategy, focused on M&A strategy, operational and digital transformations. He has 15+ years of diversified industry and consulting experience covering synergy value identification and capture, operational and commercial due diligence, merger integration and carve-out planning and execution, program and product management, financial and operational restructuring, IT and digital transformations, strategic cost optimization and interim management (i.e., CFO, FP&A Director and Treasurer). He has extensive experience advising senior executives and deal teams for corporate and private equity clients. Prior to Accenture, Rich held strategy, M&A and value creation advisory positions at EY-Parthenon, FTI Consulting and Deloitte. Rich started his career as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs in the Private Equity Group (PEG) within the Asset Management Division. Rich is a founding member and General Partner at 1921 Ventures (angel syndicate), a Venture Scout with LVLUP Ventures, an investor and member at Black Angels Miami (BAM), a startup mentor with Techstars Powered by J.P. Morgan (Atlanta and New Orleans), and a mentor with The Venture Mentoring Team (VMT), a 501(c)(3). He also had VC fellowships at the Black Venture Institute (BVI) and Laconia Capital’s Venture Cooperative.Rich is an active startup investor, mentor and advisory board member. He has personally invested in over 20 deals, ranging from pre-seed through Series C. He has a deep network of tech founders, investors (VCs, angel and angel groups) and advisers (investment bankers, lawyers and consultants). While in graduate school, Rich was a Venture Associate with the Houston Angel Network (HAN) where he worked alongside the HAN Managing Director, board, angel and venture capital investors on due diligence activities for founders of early stage companies seeking financing (e.g., pre seed, seed, bridge, Series A) in the form of equity and debt. Rich is also a former founder of a mobile application startup focused on geo fenced communications and peer networking.Rich holds a BA in Economics (Honors) from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and an MBA in Finance (Honors) from the University of Houston. He is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA), Certified Treasury Professional (CTP), Project Management Professional (PMP), PMI-ACP (Agile Certified Practitioner), Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) and holds a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt certification.
I'm a current Google employee with an interest in all things at the intersection of technology, international development, and racial equity. As an immigrant from Uganda who has lived in the US for the last 20+ years, I've always been passionate about expanding the scope of who gets to benefit from technological advancements. My hope is that by joining this investing collective, I can leverage my background / expertise to help allocate capital to technologies and companies that will help build a more equitable worldProfessional Background- International Monetary Fund (IMF)- Boston Consulting Group (BCG)- Google - Business Operations & Strategy (BizOps)- Google - DSPA Central Strategy Scholastic Background- University of Maryland- Harvard Business School
Brian Norris has an impressive professional journey within the media industry, boasting extensive experience in sales, business development, and leadership roles across several renowned companies.As the Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer for The E.W. Scripps Company, Norris oversees advertising revenue across a vast array of Scripps properties, including local television stations, national news and entertainment networks, and CTV offerings.Prior to joining Scripps, Norris held key positions at notable organizations. His tenure at NBC Universal showcased his leadership in SMB growth, direct-to-consumer initiatives, and mid-market category sales, leveraging premium content and advanced advertising capabilities to facilitate business scaling beyond social media.Before his time at NBCUniversal, Norris contributed significantly to DISH Network and Sling TV, where he led media sales and played a pivotal role in launching DISH Media Sales’ flagship office in New York.Norris's career started with sales roles at Viacom and Lifetime Entertainment Services, marking his early contributions to the media landscape. Beyond his professional commitments, he dedicates time to academia, serving as an adjunct professor at Fordham University's Gabelli School of Business and engaging with Towson University's College of Fine Arts and Communication as part of the Dean’s Advisory Council.His active involvement in the International Radio and Television Society (IRTS) Foundation as vice chairman, his induction into the Hall of Mentorship in 2022, and his advisory role at GuiDANCE Autism underscore his commitment to nurturing future media leaders, fostering diversity, and contributing to philanthropic endeavors.Educationally, Norris holds a Bachelor's degree in Science from Towson University, as well as an Executive Master of Business Administration from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and IE Business School in Madrid, Spain. He is based in New York, serving as a dynamic force within the media industry while actively contributing to education, mentorship, and community initiatives.
Evan is an experienced analytical and strategic contributor with a passion for user safety, AI, and product policy. During her tenure at Google, she prioritized user safety in a $4B initiative to grow Google Ads. She possesses experience in due diligence and financial analysis and is seeking to deepen this expertise as an angel. As a budding investor, she is eager to explore early-stage opportunities in AI, healthcare, clean energy, and beyond. Her network includes professionals in Trust & Safety, Berkeley alumni, and Bay Area creatives, and she hopes to offer valuable insights for evaluating investment opportunities and develop connections within and on behalf of the BAG community!
I recently left NETGEAR, Inc where I served as president and GM of the connected home division. I spent over 20 years at NETGEAR, with the last 11 reporting directly to the CEO and leading the consumer business. I've led product, engineering, marketing, and sales teams. I have expertise in consumer electronics, retail/ecom channels, direct to consumer, and subscription services. Prior to NETGEAR I worked in enterprise software as a product manager for Siebel Systems (Oracle Acquired), and in consulting with Deloitte Consulting. Since leaving NETGEAR, I am advising companies and investing. I have not done any angel investments, but want to start. I'm excited to meet with founders and help them in their journey.
“The BAG leverages our collective expertise and network to help startups achieve their goals. BAG aims to invest in the top founders and startups while creating a new generation of angel investors. We are more than just a group of investors; we are a community built on a shared belief in the power of ethical, high-growth technology and acommitment to supporting founders from all backgrounds and walks of life. Whether it's seed funding or Series A, the BAG is there to help startup founders achieve their goals.”
"The BAG leverages our collective expertise
and network to help startups achieve their goals.
BAG aims to invest in the top founders and startups while
creating a new generation of angel investors. We are more than
just a group of investors; we are a community built on a shared
belief in the power of ethical, high-growth technology and a
commitment to supporting founders from all backgrounds and
walks of life. Whether it's seed funding or Series A, the BAG
is there to help startup founders achieve their goals."
Companies we've invested in.
"Encouraging a diverse group of tech professionals to mentor and invest in the next generation of tech entrepreneurs is the type of meaningful change that will hopefully improve equity across the startup ecosystem."
"Our founders have been eager to welcome the BAG to their cap table as a way to partner with diverse and highly skilled advisors to their product, customer and recruiting efforts. A seamless and true win-win."
"Inviting the BAG to invest early in Polar Signals was a strategic 'no brainer' Collectively, the group brings a wealth of experience, along with diverse perspectives that will be invaluable as we grow our business."
"Encouraging a diverse group of tech professionals to mentor and invest in the next generation of tech entrepreneurs is the type of meaningful change that will hopefully improve equity across the startup ecosystem."
"Our founders have been eager to welcome the BAG to their cap table as a way to partner with diverse and highly skilled advisors to their product, customer and recruiting efforts. A seamless and true win-win."
"Inviting the BAG to invest early in Polar Signals was a strategic 'no brainer' Collectively, the group brings a wealth of experience, along with diverse perspectives that will be invaluable as we grow our business."
Welcome to a new series where we dive into the minds of leading innovators and investors shaping the future of technology. We’ll be hosting insightful conversations with BAG Collective members an...
It has been 3 years since the launch of the BAG Collective. What started as a group of Googlers on a mission to increase Black Googler representation in the angel investing ecosystem has developed...
Welcome to a new series where we dive into the minds of leading innovators and investors shaping the future of technology. We’ll be hosting insightful conversations with BAG Collective members an...
It has been 3 years since the launch of the BAG Collective. What started as a group of Googlers on a mission to increase Black Googler representation in the angel investing ecosystem has developed...