Our Board of Directors

Kedma Brown

Chair
SVP, Operations & Project Management
Zenith – A PublicisGroupe Solution

Kedma is a digital veteran with over 20 years experience in advertising and marketing. She currently launched Mélange Media Group LLC, an integrated multi-platform lifestyle media company dedicated to producing culturally inclusive & diverse content for women and continues to consult with various agencies. She recently held the title of VP, Integrated Production and National Lead, Diversity & Inclusion at Saatchi & Saatchi NY. As the head of Integrated Digital Production group, she oversaw key initiatives for multiple client brands within Procter & Gamble, General Mills and Lenovo. As the Diversity & Inclusion lead, she managed internal and external community outreach and educational programs in partnership with organizations like the American Advertising Federation, AdColor, OneClub, etc, whose missions are to help to increase the positive and diverse images of people across the Diversity & Inclusion spectrum. She’s a Brooklyn native, a mom of three and mentors those who looking for opportunities within the advertising and digital space.

Susan Cheng

Vice Chair
EVP, Technical Operations, Content Mgmt & Production Technologies
Warner Bros. Entertainment Group of Companies

Susan Cheng leads content management and distribution technologies, collaboration and workflow tools, data and analytics solutions, and master data governance with digital asset management for Warner Bros. During her tenure at WB, she has led various teams, including master data governance, supply chain planning and strategic sourcing for marketing and global fulfillment categories. Before joining Warner Bros. in 2006, Susan was the Director of Strategic Procurement for Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products and Neutrogena, heading up a bi-coastal organization and leading transformation into a regional structure. Prior to that, she spent several years with The Walt Disney Company and Procter & Gamble, all in supply chain and optimization functions. She currently serves as Vice Chair for the Digital Entertainment Group and is an advocate for several non-profit organizations, including Game Theory Academy and the Children’s Bureau. Susan holds an MBA from Yale University in Corporate Strategy and Non-Profit Management and a Bachelor of Business in Finance from the University of Michigan. In her spare time, Susan continues to hone her skills in sorting LEGO pieces and is always in search of the best sushi joint.

LaSharah Bunting

Treasurer
Director of Journalism
The Knight Foundation

LaSharah S. Bunting is a Senior Editor for digital transition at The New York Times. In this role, she develops and implements digital strategy and programming to advance the digital transformation across the newsroom. Previously, she worked as the digital editor for the National desk at The Times, where she oversaw the department’s online report, multimedia projects and social media profile, and as the National news editor, managing breaking news and the daily report. Ms. Bunting has previously served in a number of editing roles for the Metro and Culture desks since joining The Times in 2004. And, since 2009, she has served as senior faculty for the New York Times Student Journalism Institute, an intensive two-week program for college journalists around the country. Before coming to The Times, she was an editor at The Dallas Morning News. Ms. Bunting is a 2000 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is also an alumna of Maynard Media Academy at Harvard University, Chips Quinn and the Dow Jones Editing program. She grew up in Omaha, Neb, and lives in Harlem.

Tracy L. Lawrence

Founder & Immediate Past Chair
Managing Director
Tracy L. Lawrence Associates, LLC

Tracy L. Lawrence is a management consultant who works with both nonprofit and for-profit organizations on executive assessment, leadership coaching and organizational development. Prior to founding Tracy L. Lawrence Associates, she led the Los Angeles-based Consumer industry practice at Russell Reynolds Associates, one of the world’s largest executive recruiting and assessment firms.

Unique among her peers, Lawrence is one of the select few human capital consultants with real-world senior level management experience. She is a veteran of the cable television industry, having served as General Manager of Fox Family Channel. Prior to this, she was Vice President of Affiliate Marketing for Nickelodeon Networks and Director of Marketing for MTV Networks. Lawrence began her career in brand management at Kraft and later worked as a Category Manager at Nestle Brands.

Throughout her career, Lawrence has been committed to diversity and founded Digital Diversity Network in 2012. Her accomplishments have earned her numerous awards and recognition. Lawrence earned her BA in Economics from Stanford University and her MBA from Harvard Business School.

Kathy A. Johnson

COO
Digital Diversity Network

Kathy A. Johnson is an award-winning executive with extensive nonprofit and corporate leadership experience and a track record of success in building organizational capacity and infrastructure. Johnson was instrumental in the launch of Digital Diversity Network (DDN) and currently consults with DDN in the role of COO. She collaborates on development; financial management; governance; marketing; and strategic partnerships. Johnson also leads planning and execution of DDN conferences/events in New York, Los Angeles and Silicon Valley.

A staunch advocate for workforce diversity and inclusion, Kathy previously served as President of the National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC), a professional organization focusing on diversity in the cable telecommunications industry. Prior to joining NAMIC, she held marketing, sales and merchandise management positions with BET Networks, The Disney Channel, Times Mirror Cable and Bloomingdale’s.

A native of Des Moines, Iowa, Kathy received her BS degree in Broadcast Journalism, cum laude, from Boston University. She was a Consortium for Graduate Studies in Management Fellow and received her MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has also completed executive leadership programs at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.

Deserrie Forte-Perez

Senior Manager, Vertical Marketing
LinkedIn

Desiree Rollins

Director, Brand Marketing & Digital
NBC Entertainment

Detavio Samuels

President
iONE Digital and One Solution

At the age of 37, Detavio is one of corporate America’s youngest executives and has helped some of the world’s biggest companies (including Walmart, Chrysler LLC, NBA and Johnson & Johnson) build their brands and connect to consumers.

Currently Detavio works at Urban One, the nation’s largest distributor of urban content in the country. Urban One reaches urban enthusiasts through TV (TV One), digital (iONE Digital), radio (Radio One and Reach Media), social media and live events. There, he operates as the President of iONE Digital, the company’s digital media division, which operates sites like CassiusLife.com, GlobalGrind.com, HelloBeautiful.com, NewsOne.com, Bossip.com, MadameNoire.com and HipHopWired.com. He is also the President of One Solution, where he oversees the company’s cross-platform sales and integrated marketing groups. And finally, he oversees OneX, the firm’s branded content arm, which was conceived and built by Samuels from the ground up.

Detavio has been recognized for his work on both the marketing and personal development fronts with awards such as: New Vision Movers & Shakers (NV Magazine, 2017), 2017 Trailblazer Award (National Urban League-NY, 2017), MAAX Awards: Media Executive of the Year (2016), Next Generation Leaders (NAMIC, 2016), Best Selling Author (Amazon, 2013), 40 Under 40 (Crain’s Detroit, 2013), Men of Excellence (Michigan Chronicle, 2012), Power 30 Under 30 (The Apex Society, 2011) and Top Executives In Marketing and Advertising (Black Enterprise, 2011).

Jean Brewster

Executive Managing Director
Garth Group Consulting

Jean Brewster is an Executive Managing Director at Garth Group in Rye, NY where she is responsible for formulating go-to-market strategies, enhancing business models, and developing strategic partnerships for new businesses in B2B software, AI and digital services sectors.

Jean is a digital payments industry veteran with more than 20 years of expertise delivering strategic and technical leadership across global organizations such as Mastercard and American Express. She has led engagements in growth strategy, performance improvement, cost reduction, operating model and large-scale transformation and change programs.

Prior to Garth Group, Jean was VP, U.S. Sales Acquisition & Go-to-Market Strategy at Mastercard where she constructed innovative business development growth strategies and implemented aligned processes across revenue streams which enhanced customer experiences while delivering sustainable competitive advantage. Other notable accomplishments include: identifying expansion opportunities such as the acquisition of $520 million business that was critical to expanding value-added capabilities; and founding member of Mastercard competitive intelligence function, a center of excellence providing comprehensive macroeconomic, market information and insights critical to corporate development and strategic planning.

As a member of GLG Advisory Council, Jean regularly provides expert advice within financial services sector and top management and strategy consultancies (e.g., BCG, Bain Consulting) on a broad range of topics around the payments industry including Next Gen Platform & Data Best Practices, Real-Time Payments, Sales Incentives Best Practices, to name a few.

Jean has an MBA in Corporate Strategy and Finance from the University of Michigan and a BBA in Accounting from Hofstra University.

Karine Travieso

VP, Integrated Media
Major League Soccer

Kevin McFall

COO
Inner-City Computer Stars Foundation

Kevin McFall is the founder and managing director of Red Clay Digital, a digital transformation and sponsorship marketing agency. The team leads clients through digital transformation journeys and provides seamless connectivity of brands to audiences through both digital and experiential campaigns and activations to achieve impeccable business outcomes.

He is the former Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development, for Ebony Media Operations (formerly Johnson Publishing Company). He is an expert in leading content strategy, business development, digital marketing, and product development initiatives, while managing high performing teams of editorial, marketing, creative, software development, licensing, digital strategy, operations and sales professionals.

Kevin’s professional experience includes leading ecommerce and social media strategy initiatives for Sears Holdings; community and product development for the NewME accelerator, a multicultural focused technology startup bootcamp; enterprise sales for RLJ Companies diversity supplier and talent solution; and a senior executive to the IPO for the Professional Diversity Network (NSDQ: IPDN). Kevin has also led global business and product development for Cision, a leading PR and social media software as a service (SaaS) company; prior to which he co-founded, RushmoreDrive.com, an innovative search engine division of IAC. Kevin was the technology leader and head of product and partnerships for Zap2it.com, the entertainment program guidance brand for Tribune (now Gracenote). Additionally, he has led successful business and technology initiatives for the American Bar Association, Sara Lee Corporation & Digital Equipment Corporation (now HP).

Kevin holds a certificate in digital marketing from the University of Notre Dame Mendoza School of Business and Rutgers Business School, and an MBA from the Sperling School of Business at the University of Phoenix and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science & Mathematics, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Kevin has earned several awards and accolades including the Legacy of Service Award from the University of Illinois Black Alumni Network and the Monarch Foundation Award for leadership in Technology and Innovation. He currently serves on multiple campus and college boards affiliated with the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, including the Black Alumni Network (co-founder), the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Alumni Board, and the Urbana Campus Alumni Advisory Board. He remains active as an advisor and is a former board member of the Inner City Computer Stars Foundation. He is married to his beautiful wife Karin, and together with their brilliant daughter Nia, the family enjoys winter sports, cycling and all things Chicago. Kevin believes that the diversity of thought, ideas, and people in the digital media and technology industries, when combined with the practice of inclusiveness are integral to fostering the kind innovation that leads to the betterment of our society.

Kitt Grant

Director of Communications
STEMBoard, LLC

Two-time Emmy award nominated producer and NAACP Image award winner, Kitt Grant is a passionate and talented storyteller. She has traveled all over the world and produced stories and booked talent for CBS News, ABC News, BET, CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 and CURRENT TV. From technology, lifestyle, health and wellness to politics and business, Kitt is well versed on what audiences are talking about and introduces them to the latest trends, people and places.

Kitt has also worked with numerous C-suite executives and technology brands in shaping creative, smart and insightful content and communication messaging. She is comfortable working with a wide range of personalities, and has successfully created and maintained partnerships and strong relationships with her extensive media and PR contacts. She is known amongst communication professionals for being incredibly innovative, enthusiastic, and direct. Her true talent lies in her love of collaboration, which is complemented well by her outgoing and social personality. She thrives on big projects and small details. A native San Franciscan who attended UCLA, she obtained her BA in French language and an MA in Communication Studies. Kitt is fluent in French and divides her time between NYC and California.

Lo Toney

Founding Managing Partner
Plexo Capital

Lo joined GV from Comcast Ventures, where he focused on the Catalyst Fund, a group of investments in early stage technology startups led by entrepreneurs of color. He specializes in consumer technology investments, with an emphasis on mobile messaging, marketplaces, and e-commerce.

Lo has held executive roles at both startups and global consumer brands. He was the general manager of Zynga Poker, the gaming company’s largest franchise, and held operating positions at Nike.com and eBay.

Lo received his MBA from the Haas School of Business (University of California at Berkeley), where he completed the Management of Technology program, a joint curriculum program with the College of Engineering. He received his B.S. from Hampton University in Virginia.

Malik S. Ducard

Global Head, Family & Learning
YouTube

Malik Ducard is YouTube’s Global Head of Kids and Learning, overseeing business development efforts in these content areas for the platform.

Previously, Ducard served as Head of West Coast Partnerships, managing film, TV and original content partners.

Prior to joining YouTube, he served as senior vice president of digital distribution for the Americas at Paramount Pictures and oversaw distribution of content to online, mobile and digital platforms.

A native of the Bronx, Malik earned his B.A. degree from Columbia University and his MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles, Anderson School of Management.

Maureen Carter

VP, Design & UX
BET Networks

Maureen Carter is an Emmy award winning design practitioner with over 15 years of industry experience working in visual design, interactive media design, user experience and brand strategy. Spending a considerable portion of her career working in the music industry, Maureen has led the creative strategy and online brand vision for platinum selling urban artists such as Usher, Outkast, Pink and TI for recording labels Laface Records and Arista Records. Maureen’s work history also extends to brands and building award winning digital design and product teams at Vibe, Refinery, Sony, Comcast, Adobe, and The White House.

Currently, Maureen is the Vice President of Design and User Experience for BET NETWORKS, DIGITAL.As the key user/audience advocate, ideating and collaborating on designing original, engaging products, as well as enhancing existing digital products are front and center for her.As the creative vision for the suite of BET’s digital products, Maureen focuses on staying on the cutting edge of digital trends and user experience conventions while leading the creation of immersive aesthetics for mobile web, desktop, apps and connected devices with focus on the “brand of the user”. Her role involves leading her team to produce visually compelling user interfaces and understanding that modern user experience is more than just skin deep while working alongside her linear, editorial and technology counterparts to ensure that the BET digital experiences engage, delight, inform and entertain.

Michelle Fisher

Founder & CEO
Blaze Mobile

Michelle Fisher is founder/CEO of Blaze Mobile. She is the company’s key innovator, responsible for setting strategic direction and overseeing the company’s rapid growth and leadership in mobile payments and health care. Michelle is the author of 45 patents, and growing, that cover the gamut from NFC mobile payments, mobile app purchases, and location based mobile advertising, mobile health care, and more written over a decade ago before the App store existed.

Prior to Blaze Mobile, Michelle spent nearly 10 years at Microsoft where she led the development of over a dozen new commercial ecommerce products taking them from conception to launch including the Microsoft Online Network in Europe generating over $16 Million in revenue, the Microsoft-BET interactive online services, and Microsoft consumer and business wireless services.

Michelle has received several notable awards including, recently named one of the Powerful Women of the Bay Area, Women Of Influence, and a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Operations Research Society of America.

She has a Master’s Degree from Stanford University and a Bachelor’s of Science from U.C. Berkeley.

Stella Park

VP, Talent Acquisition
HBO

Sandra Garcia Lowery

Founder
Encounter Marketing & Public Relations

Sandra is a sales, marketing, and brand strategist with experience working at organizations such as Clear Channel Outdoor, Time Warner Cable Media, PEOPLE, PEOPLE StyleWatch, CNNMoney.com, Money Magazine, and Fortune Magazine developing marketing strategies and compelling sales programs. She has also strategized for brands such as Toyota, L’Oreal, Almay, Estee Lauder, SnapChat, Apple, Verizon Wireless, Sephora, Pepsi, and American Express, among others.

She is now the founder of Encounter Marketing & Public Relations (EMPR) where she develops and executes strategies to elevate the presence of businesses, owners and visionaries. Sandra has led marketing teams at Clear Channel Outdoor and at Time Warner Cable Media developing strategic marketing programs for data-driven products. In her Product Marketing and Digital role at Time Warner Cable Media, she implemented digital strategies and go-to-market plans for all digital products: Online, Mobile, Social, Search, Addressable, and Video On Demand.

She also spent time at PEOPLE.com and CNNMoney.com, the financial website for CNN and the online destination for FORTUNE Magazine and Money Magazine. For 4 years, she managed her own event planning company, POSH Agency LLC. In 2012, she launched Afro-LatinaBeauty.com, an online destination for stories of Afro-Latinas sharing the same intercultural experience.

As a speaker, Sandra has spoken and moderated discussions at Google, Microsoft, Buzzfeed, General Assembly, Young and Rubicam and at institutions including New York University, Pace University, Dickinson College, Baruch College, and Howard University to name a few.

She served as the New York Chapter President of the National Association for Multi-ethnicity In Communications (NAMIC) from 2016-2018 and was awarded Chapter of The Year and Chapter Leadership Team of the Year. From 2017-2018, she also served on the America Needs You Young Leaders Board.

In 2018, Sandra received Digital Diversity Network’s 2018 Innovation & Inclusion Award in the Culture Catalyst category. She was also a 2016 Forbes 30 Under 30 nominee; and, in 2012, was recognized by Latino Leaders Magazine as a Top 25 Future Latino Leader (ages 25-35).

Albert Cheng

Head of Television
Amazon Studios

As COO, Amazon Studios, Albert Cheng oversees all of the studio’s global business operations and technology products. He leads a team responsible for business affairs, production, research, product management, release schedules, product and technology to drive business planning and operations for worldwide originals and content licensing for Prime Video. It is the only studio that accepts open submissions from anyone with a great story and invites the public to provide feedback on television pilots before going to series order. Since its inception in 2010, Amazon Studios produces Emmy-winning kids shows like Tumble Leaf, Emmy-nominated shows like Transparent, and films for theatrical distribution.

Prior to Amazon Studios, he was an executive at The Walt Disney Company for fifteen years in a number of roles. His latest position was as Executive Vice President, Digital Media and Chief Product Officer for Disney/ABC Television Group, where he was charged with general management and strategic oversight of digital media for ABC Entertainment, Oscars Digital, ABC News, ABC Daytime, ABC Family, Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Jr and SOAPnet. He led a team that oversaw product development, marketing and operations for the Group’s digital media content platforms, including video-on-demand, broadband, web-based and mobile platforms, as well as interactive television technologies. During that time, years before Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, Albert and his team were the first in history to put TV episodes on iTunes in 2005, stream top broadcast shows online in 2006, stream in HD in 2007, first to launch an app on the iPad in 2010, and first to offer live broadcast network feeds in 2013. They won four Primetime Emmys for their work during this period of time.

Albert has also held executive positions at Fox and board roles at BMI and Lifetime and was a strategy consultant with The Boston Consulting Group. Cheng earned a bachelors degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a MBA from Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration.

Dhanusha Sivajee

Chief Marketing Officer
XO Group

Dhanusha Sivajee joined XO Group in August 2014 as the EVP of Marketing where she oversees Marketing, Communications and Content. Sivajee joined XO group from AOL, where she served as Chief Marketing Officer for the AOL Brand Group and was responsible for driving audience growth across AOL’s portfolio of digital brands. Previously, Sivajee worked for Bloomberg as VP of Global Marketing for Bloomberg Mobile, where she launched a suite of Bloomberg Mobile products including the award-winning Bloomberg Businessweek & Bloomberg TV iPad apps. Prior, she worked for HBO creating cross-platform marketing campaigns and developed the go-to market strategy for HBO GO. Sivajee received a BS in International Management from the University of Manchester, England and an MBA from Duke University.

Jay Tucker

Executive Director, Center for MEMES
Media, Entertainment & Sports
UCLA Anderson School of Management

Jay Tucker handles outreach and programs for the Institute for Communication Technology Management (CTM). Located at USC’s Marshall School, CTM is a think-tank focused on the communications, tech, and digital entertainment sectors. At CTM, Jay is responsible for communicating the Institute’s vision, thought leadership, and major initiatives to consortium members and the larger community. Jay also handles CTM’s forums and educational programs, including the semi-annual Executive Roundtable. In fall 2012, Jay launched Silicon Beach @ USC, a two-day event featuring a venture competition and a conference focused on innovation, investment, and new ventures related to technology and digital content. In 2010, Jay re-launched the Advanced Management Program, CTM’s flagship five-day educational experience for rising leaders. Jay also helped to co-author the strategic plan for the Marshall School of Business. Previously, Jay spent over 10 years building out network infrastructure, developing websites, managing IT support and teaching students and educators to use interactive media. He has taught courses on technology management, technology convergence, digital media, and media literacy to professionals at corporations and non-profit organizations. Jay also speaks at academic and industry events, covering digital technologies and media, technology start-ups and other topics. Jay holds an MBA in Marketing & Media Management from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, an MA in Instructional and Learning Technologies from Columbia University, and a dual Bachelors degree from Stanford University in Political Science and African & Afro-American Studies. He resides in Santa Monica, CA.

Kay Madati

Head of Content Partnerships
Twitter

Kay M. Madati is Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at BET Networks, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB). He leads the teams responsible for all aspects of digital, social and mobile strategy and oversees operations, content creation, technology, and product development across the suite of BET Network’s digital platforms.

Prior to joining BET Networks, Mr. Madati was the Head of Entertainment & Media at Facebook, Inc., charged with the growth and monetization of Facebook’s Entertainment & Media business, and ultimately responsible for positioning Facebook as a critical and foundational element of the digital and marketing matrix for all entertainment content publishers and distributors.

Prior to this role, Mr. Madati was the Vice President of Audience Experience at CNN Worldwide, overseeing the development and execution of a successful social media and consumer engagement + experience strategy across all of CNN’s distribution platforms, including television, digital, mobile, the social web and offline events.

Mr. Madati began his career with BMW of North America, where he held a variety of leadership roles in sales, operations and marketing; working on projects that highlighted innovation and creativity with leveraging technology and media to engage consumers.

Kiko Washington

EVP, Worldwide HR
Warner Bros. Entertainment

Marcelino Ford-Livene

Managing Director & Executive-in-Residence
Intel Capital

Marcelino Ford-Livene is the General Manager of Global Strategic Initiatives and Marketing in the Corporate Affairs Group at Intel Corporation. He leads a global organization charged with developing, managing and marketing strategic programs and alliances that advance the strategic direction of Intel’s worldwide corporate social responsibility agenda. Prior to this role, he was the General Manger of New Channels and Advanced Advertising for Intel Media. Prior to Intel, he was a senior member of TV Guide’s corporate development and planning team. He served for eight years on the board of the TV Academy, the organization that awards the prestigious Primetime Emmy for creative excellence in the television industry. Ford-Livene earned a B.A. in Economics from UC San Diego, a J.D./M.B.A. from the University of Illinois and has completed an Executive Leadership Program at Harvard Business School.

Sarika Doshi

VP, Strategic Partnerships & Business Development
Walmart eCommerce

Sarika leads strategic partnerships and business development at Jet.com and Walmart.com. Prior to this, she founded Rank & Style where she was CEO and led content, strategy, e-commerce, public relations, business development and fundraising efforts. In three years the company grew to become a trusted, recognized brand working with well-known brands, including Amazon, American Express, Nordstrom, and Refinery29 and was sold in 2016. Rank & Style was named ‘Best of the Web’ by InStyle and earned the ‘Founders of the Future’ award from Hearst and Sarika was listed as one of the “100 Most Creative People in Business” by Fast Company. Sarika spent five years at Axiom, a NYC based venture-backed growth company where she was responsible for growing and managing a $20 million business segment in London and New York. Sarika studied at Columbia University and the University of Michigan Law School.