BLACK AMERICAN
MOGULS
BLACK ON PURPOSE TV: CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE
Business & Lifestyle Magazine Premier
Ovnio CEO
Jason Swanston
This Music Mogul Now Makes TV Interactive & Social
Ex-Felon Shaka Senghor's Media Empire
MEET OUR BLACK Humanitarian of the Year
Rasha Media CEO Rahiem Shabazz
THE NEW BREED of Female Bosses
WOMEN
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Who Are Winning!
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Plus Millionaire Toys & Joys including $7500 Sushi and $25,000 a night hotel suites. Along with articles, side hustles & cultural insights to help you improve your business swag.
Special Report Prison Wars Ex-Con CEOs CRUSHING The System
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R.A.M. Foundation
Scholarship
Rebuilding African Minds is all about the re-education of our community towards economic development and prosperity.
An End To Personal Struggles Is In Sight
The R.A.M. Foundation realizes that our community continues to suffer largely due to poor choices and social ills such as mass incarceration and homelessness along with the inability to get unstuck from the political games played in the greater society. It would seem that many in the community have become a permanent under-class; a life-long victim class that may never realize its fullest potential unless we use our gifts to intervene.
Being A Part Of The Solution The R.A.M. Foundation wants to disrupt the trends of poverty in our communities by offering opportunities to those who have found themselves recently released from incarceration or presently residing in a transitional center (half-way house). Upon release from the system, it is often difficult to become acclimated and productive because of how you are perceived by society. Something as simple as a job flipping burgers can become an impossibility. You’ve done your time. You have shown you can be trusted. You deserve an opportunity to prove yourself. But you gotta be hungry!
There Is No Free Lunch. You Gotta Earn It. If you have ever dreamed of becoming an Entrepreneur and taking charge of your own life upon re-entry into the greater society, we would love to get to know you. We are offering Entrepreneurial Scholarships to a select few individuals who can demonstrate their hunger for success and their thirst for changing their lives. It takes effort on your part. We aren’t going to give you a job. We are giving you an opportunity to take your life back and to create a new life for yourself and your family.
Apply Yourself
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We hope you are as excited as we are about meeting you. Surrounding yourself with good vibes and good people is only the beginning. Learning new things and pushing yourself beyond the limits of your own mind. If you feel that you qualify or know someone who does, visit our website www.RAMTechnologyPartners.com for more information and to apply.
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LINKEDIN CONTACTS: WHAT’S MORE IMPORTANT – QUALITY OR QUANTITY? they are connected with on social media, the more important they are. To be blunt – it’s about numbers, not substance. Because I use LinkedIn on a regular basis I’m shocked at the people who ask to connect with me. Given that LinkedIn is more professional that other sites such as Facebook and Twitter, I like to inquire why people want to connect and what I can do to help them. To my dismay, very few ever respond to the question of ‘how can I help you in your business?’ When I tell my colleagues I like to inquire about people’s interest in connecting with me on LinkedIn, they tell me they rarely question potential contacts. They simply click to connect or dismiss the individual. I choose to connect and then I raise the question. Would you believe more than half of the people don’t respond? Others give an answer like, ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I’m not sure at the moment.’ Like I said, when you’re an entrepreneur, you have to be intentional in what you do. Social media isn’t about the number of people you have in your contacts, it’s about the quality of people you have. Here are a few tips for you to consider when sending out a request to people on
By Dr. Sinclair N. Grey III There are many entrepreneurs who use social media to promote their product and/or services. In fact, any entrepreneur who isn’t using social media in one way, shape, or form is missing out on a fortune. The days of traditional advertising are fleeting. As an entrepreneur, I love meeting people, whether it’s in person or via social media. Because I have a vision for what I want to accomplish, I’m very serious about connecting with the right people. In addition to that, I don’t mind helping people and pointing them to the proper resources. Let’s face it – every contact is not a client. Just helping people reach their goals gives me true satisfaction. Those who dare to become an entrepreneur should have a clear idea of what they want. Unfortunately, many have not thought out this process carefully when it comes to connecting with people. In a real sense, too many assume that the more people
LinkedIn: 1. Know why you want to connect with someone. If you don’t have a plan, then your intentions will not be taken seriously 2. Don’t try to sell the person on the other end 3. Make sure you have a professional picture of yourself. No images. No logo. People want to connect with a face 4. Respond within 24 hours. If someone asks why you want to connect, the quicker you respond with a logical answer, you’re more likely to be taken seriously Dr. Sinclair Grey III is a speaker, author of The ABC’s of Making Business Networking Work For You and success coach. Contact him at www.sinclairgrey.org, drgrey@sinclairgrey.org or on Twitter @drsinclairgrey
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MOGUL BITES The branches of seasonal plants are arranged daily to highlight the beautiful imperfections mother nature produces, offering a unique perspective from all angles. Many diners have described eating at Masa as an experience “out of this world!”
Masa Sushi New York City Upscale Planning a business trip to New York? Then making your way to the Upper West Side is a must. For the baller with bank, Masa is an excellent choice for dinner and drinks with business associates and friends. Critically acclaimed Chef Masayoshi Takayama’s dinner for two will cost on average $1,300 as this is New York City’s priciest sushi restaurant and one of the most expensive restaurants in America. Masa is also the only 3 Michelin Star sushi restaurant in New York. So, bring your titanium, black or platinum card to the table please. The New York restaurant requires reservations and takes only 26 diners at a time. The restaurant is generally booked up 3 weeks in advance. Masa operates on Omakase mode which means the patrons do not choose the menu. But Chef Masa is definitely not one to disappoint. The menu is full of high-end, exotic ingredients like Kobe beef which is the most expensive beef in the world. Truffles are the most expensive food items of any kind in the world. Masa also keeps a record of what his individual guests have enjoyed so that he can perfectly craft a more personable meal the next time you make a reservation. The restaurant itself surrounds diners with pure opulence as the sushi bar is crafted from rare Hinoki wood from Japan. The sushi counter is sanded daily to a soft, porous state providing both visual and sensual satisfaction the moment one enters.
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Sample Prices The following are priced per person and represent a simple starting point for your meal. 1. Standard Omakase - $698 2. Standard Omakase plus truffle ice cream - $722 3. Standard Omakase plus Ohmi beef - $811 4. Standard Omakase plus Ohmi beef and truffle ice cream - $885 Reservations Are A Must Getting together with other power players at Masa is the ultimate flex of conspicuous consumption. But even Sean “Diddy” Combs needs a reservation. A party of five or more requires a deposit of $200 per person at least one week prior to the reservation. And be sure you that have time to spend as the Chef asks that you please allow approximately two hours for your dining experience. The dress code is casual and comfortable. Call 212-823-9807 to secure your table. It is important to note that gratuities are not expected or accepted at Masa. Reflecting the Japanese custom, exceptional hospitality is an integral part of the Masa dining experience and is provided to every guest without requiring tipping. The restaurant’s address is 10 Columbus Circle Time Warner Center, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10019.
The Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT The Millionaire’s Choice in Self Driving Cars When it comes to luxurious cars, Rolls Royce is the brand that sets the pace. They are at it again with a concept car they have code named Rolls Royce 103EX. The luxury car company says that it has refused to accept that the transportation of the future will be a bland affair intent on efficiency. The 103 EX is a concept of what the luxury car of the next 100 years should be like for those who like something truly unique. It is a bespoke car that reflects the unique tastes of each individual offering a private sanctum to retreat in a world where time is becoming a scarcity.
Out of this world
The 103 EX is truly out of this world. It is a coupe with the shape of a floating spaceship. The car is 5.9 meters long with a look that is successfully both retro and futuristic. Rolls Royce says the Spirit of Ecstasy that has long guided the luxurious design must have a heavy influence hence the retro look in her respect. Inside the car is a show of pure opulence. Each owner will be allowed to pick his/her choice of luxurious upholstery. The concept model features a pure silk sofa that is surrounded by pure Macassar wood. The feet will be enveloped in pure woollen carpet that is lit from underneath by red LED lights to give a red carpet look when the guest arrives. The car will stand 5.2 feet high on 28 inch wheels that are hand made from 28 separate pieces of pure aluminium. The wheels will be hidden by spats to give the sensation that the car is floating instead of moving on rotating wheels.
Pure intelligence The 103 EX will be purely driverless unlike many models that feature a steering wheel just in case. The car will be controlled by an Artificial Intelligence program that will be interactive through virtual assistant Rolls Royce is calling Eleanor. This is the muse who inspired designer Charles Sykes of the Spirit of Ecstasy that stands on the grill of every Rolls Royce. The AI assistant will do more than just drive the car. Eleanor will take over personal diaries and schedules of the guests (as RR calls these futuristic passengers). She will move the car along the most efficient routes, drop and park the car as well as make a dazzling display of LED lights if the guest wishes to arrive in style. For now, the 103 EX remains just a concept. The final make has an estimated price tag of somewhere between $1 million and $1 billion depending on the bells and whistles you drive away with on deck. www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
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Writing His Wrongs Shaka Senghor’s Success After Prison Shaka Senghor is a 43-year-old convicted American murderer, author, college lecturer and one of the directors of the MIT Media Lab. As of 30th March 2016, he became the New York Times bestseller. Oprah Winfrey described the interview she had with him as one of the best she has ever done in her career. In addition to that, his TED talk video has over one million views. In 1991, he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was convicted for 19 years, 7 of them in solitary confinement. Five years later after he completed his term, he has become a vocal advocate for prison reforms and among the issues he’s been tackling is the problem of mass incarceration in a way no else had dared to. Shaka Senghor has become one of the popular celebrity faces behind the national initiative titled #cut50. The aim of the initiative is cut the massive two million American prisons population by half over the next 10 years. Although it seems like a dream, Senghor believes that it’s possible and if people are given a second chance, they can become better. Despite the challenges he has faced in his life, he can still afford a smile that
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acts as a reminder of his goofy childhood. Contrary to what most people would assume, he operates with ease and is a caring human being. As of Oct 2015, he started teaching a class at the University of Michigan as part of the Atonement Project, which is a partnership between the University and the MIT Media Lab. In March 2016, he published his memoir titled, “Writing my Wrongs.” His work experience at the University of Michigan has made him a celebrated writer, activist and public speaker who doesn’t shy away from talking about the ordeals he has gone through. His book talks about the Chronicle child abuse he had to run away from at the age of 14, crack houses, the feeling of being shot during his childhood, the depression and the fatal drug deal gone wrong that led to his conviction. His story then takes readers and listeners through the horrifying encounters of being stabbed and raped in prison which affected him physically and mentally. His thirst for learning and an obsession with reading and writing is what saved him from the prison life trauma. Besides that, his son and the god mother of the man he killed have also influenced his life in a major way by forcing him to face toll of his actions. He narrates a story no one else dares to talk about, and he’s passionate about changing the prison system. The successful author continues to be a beacon of hope and light for others to pursue their dreams against all odds.
Mogul Travel
Introducing The $53,000 Hotel Suite Your Escape to Raj Palace Hotel in Jaipur, India When one reaches true Mogul status, dropping $53,000 on a luxurious hotel suite in the beautiful country of India is par for the course. That is what it will cost you to spend a night in the Shahi Mahal suite at the Raj Palace hotel in Jaipur, India. The hotel website has this to say about this hotel suite. “Being restored since 12 years continuously at The Raj Palace, the best designers and architects of the world are blending a real to life Palace of the 17th century Rajput Maharaja’s luxurious lifestyle combined with 21st century most modern conveniences provided by technology.” The above blurb may be modest but that is far from what the Shahi suite is all about in modesty. The Maharaja pavilion is enormous, with 4 floors and 4 bedrooms. The first floor holds the luxurious lounge and a fully stocked bar. The choicest wines and whiskies are to be found here including the highly touted Macallan and Glenfiddich whiskies costing over $50,000 a bottle. The second floor holds a private museum showcasing the luxurious lives of the Maharajas and their opulent possessions. The third floor has the reading room and the dining room. The top fourth floor has a private terrace and a rooftop swimming pool where guests can enjoy their luxurious lifestyles overlooking the city of Jaipur. The hallmark of the Shahi suite is a massive double room that is covered with the purest red velvet and spans 25,000 square feet. It is extensively decorated with
gold and ivory motifs. There is a huge (solid) gold chandelier and lots of other gold inlays. The gold in this suite would easily fill a 2 ton truck. 12 years is a long time fixing gold in one place!
City of Royals The ancient Indians were very mindful of royals and royalty. The city has 4 main palaces and other numerous forts. The Raj Palace hotel is a short distance from the 4 main castles which are Amer, Jaigarh Fort, Nahar Garh Fort and the City Palace complex. The Raj Palace hotel is proud of this legacy of the Maharajas. The private museum in the Shahi suite will speak as much. Apparently, the Maharajas were great kings who believed they possessed worldly and divine power. This belief was kept up with the Maharajas seeking to possess all the fine things in the world and holding ornate displays of opulence. Their palaces were full of treasures in gold, diamonds, rubies, silver and other precious items. The Shahi suite is indeed a modern day experience of the life of the Maharajas. And it can be your experience as well. For reservations visit www.RajPalace.com www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
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Culture success. There is work that we should feel compelled to complete as we strive to create prosperity among our communities. So let’s offer food for thought on why we should embrace this change and allow the plethora of successful moguls in this magazine to provide you with sound financial advice. When expounding upon the costly expenditures that are plaguing our community, one can reference events such as losing those in positions of power without so much as a thoughtful explanation. Sheila AbdusSalaam's name may be one that is familiar, she was the first African-American woman to be appointed to the New York state Court of Appeals. In April 2017, she was found dead in the Hudson River. Her death was quickly ruled as a suicide despite evidence that suggests otherwise. In order to appease questions, investigators flagged the case as suspicious to only later close the case on May 4, with the standing ruling of suicide. Later in May, we would find similar circumstances in an ongoing investigation for Federal prosecutor Beranton Whisenant Jr. who was found dead on a Miami Beach. There are countless other incidents which provide evidence of the true expenditure to live in the modern day United States; from not listing the fatal death of a graduating Bowie State University student as a hate crime to all of the police officers who fail to receive indictments and convictions for murdering our people.
A Diddy Crop approach to Financial Emancipation A celebration of independence is near! Whether you participate in Juneteenth or the Fourth of July, as people of color in America one thing that we still need emancipation from is poverty. Until we begin to take ownership of our status as a collective body, our individual successes, while just as important offers no solace in the establishment of generational wealth. Often, we associate being poor with not having the financial resources to live at a status on par with the rest of society. However, the state of those who are impoverished provides evidence that poverty still cloaks us and is currently suffocating our liberties. I think James Baldwin prophetically summarized this dilemma stating, “Anyone who has ever struggled with poverty knows how extremely expensive it is to be poor”. America’s money trail has superseded all of its ideals; money defies justice, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Consequently, we continue to incur such expenses because we support a system every day where our money circulates more in other communities than our own. Our monetary decisions have a direct correlation to the amplification of our voices. Thus, until we address how we spend our money; until we root ourselves in Ujamaa, Cooperative Economics, we will not have collective
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These are just a few of the serious risks that we fall casualty to when refusing to participate in economic practices that benefit our community. Freedom from poverty is not just about having money but also having the financial fortitude to demand justice in a land where it remains auctioned off to the highest bidder. I think when it comes to practices of collectively building in our communities, in these times it requires selectively removing those who aren’t beneficial to the end goal. I suggest that we take a lesson from Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs and Diddy crop those who are not being an asset to our community by supporting black business whenever possible and choosing to crop out those businesses and individuals who don’t have a positive invested interest in us. We are not in competition with ourselves, rather we are players in a system that does not cater to our communities. However, this puts us at an advantage when we are equipped with the knowledge and resources to build strong empires using the confinements to work for us in every way possible and creating systems of our own whenever we find ourselves at a disadvantage. This is a culture that will lead to us being able to sustain ourselves and being able to challenge the status quo for years to come with a monetary backing. Evan McCullough is a young CEO, Community Activist, and the brainchild of STOP (Students Talking Out Problems). He spends his time being a part of the solution. Follow him on Instagram @ stop_inc
Perspective
A Movement Towards Rebuilding Black America “Although, the only real power in this government is politics— and money. The only thing that people recognize is power and money. Power—that’s all they recognize. That’s why I say, in Mississippi, you can love all you want. They don’t recognize love; they recognize power. Power. You can love, look how long you’ve been loving, that’s proof of it. You’ve loved them like a blind…”-Malcolm X The Lox, a 1990’s rap group, made an entire album in 1998 titled, ‘Money, Power, Respect.’ The lyrics included: it’s the key to life; what you need in life; when you eating right; help you sleep at night; money, power, respect! Some scholars noted this tied into sociologist Max Weber’s, three-component theory of stratification. The three-component theory of stratification is wealth, prestige, and power. Weber explains it by the ability to possess power derives from the individual’s ability to control social resources. He goes on to state that class is a person’s economic position in a society based on birth and individual achievement. Status refers to a person’s prestige, social honor, or popularity in
society; power relates to a person’s ability to get their way despite the resistance of others. When focused, this can be various segments of the black community in action. A real litmus test of leadership is one’s ability to get things done within many environments, their ability to negotiate, and willingness to compromise. You cannot beg your way into prosperity nor can you protest yourself into better days. It takes the use of resources, capital, intelligence, networks, and a variety of other items to build a better tomorrow, today. Malcolm X detested many so-called black leaders calling them sellouts who worked to sabotage black progress. “We have to let the people in Mississippi….. as well as New York, and elsewhere know that freedom comes to us either by ballots or by bullets. That’s the only way freedom is gotten. Freedom is taken by ballots or bullets,” Malcolm X said. “These are the only two avenues, the only two roads, the only two methods, the only two means—either ballots or bullets. And when you know that, then you are careful how you use the word freedom. As long as you think we are going to sing up on some, you come in and sing. I watch you, those of you who are singing—are you also willing to do some swinging?” Black people have become very predictable. Each injustice that happens, people take to social media, create hashtags, hold www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
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This simple formula is often ignored because it takes hard work and it’s not sexy. There is no social media cheer for this within Black Twitter. And, it definitely won’t get you any sexual play. But that’s all well and good. A major problem that we have in the community is forever inaction, always lecturing and planning. Planning without execution is just futility in action. Every year, we see many people wanting the vote or support for their platforms, but after they get in office, they are more concerned with ‘getting along to get along’ or ‘I can’t anger these folks.’ The fire and spark die out and goes away which was phony from the start. Exercise your power with your dollars, support black-owned businesses or if that’s not possible look for companies that hire residents. A local firm should have ties to the community with employment or involvement. There is only so much money to go around with government resources; the community has to start to pay for what they want.
protests/marches, have redundant town hall meetings and then you see the black elected officials and appointed leaders come out of nowhere. These leaders will make deals on behalf of the community that are nothing but symbolism just like creating more studies, funding for useless organizations, and holding a community block party or promises of change. It takes more than that. We as people will not be taken seriously until we start playing chess and understanding the rules of the game. Too many of us are more focused on listening to relationship gurus or these pseudo business experts, but all they are doing is wasting your time. Some of these folks will derail and distract you on foolishness such as making sure you are getting laid or taking care of children that you did not create. These folks are more focused on winning online arguments, creating childish memes, playing dress-up like an African (dashikis, flip flops, shea butter) or engaging in YouTube gender warfare. While the community burns and stands still, these folks just want their fragile egos protected. No jobs created, no wealth generated nor any problem solved. Just a bunch of social media chaos. They’ll only quote Malcolm when it suits their gender war or talks about how much of an attitude problem Dr. Claude Anderson has. Anderson of Powernomics pointed out the ‘Five Pillars’ to building communities. First, you have to create businesses to set up and circulate wealth within the community eight to twelve times. Then, with the capital, people should buy, rent or lease every politician in their respective neighborhoods. From there, the politicians work on legislation, revisions, and repeals of laws to benefit the people who will keep the courts and police in check. Then, media tells the story that you want out there and provides a place for businesses to reach the masses. Finally, you’ll have the school system having no choice but to comply with your wishes and demands.
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Case in point, many landowners, opt for self-taxing community improvement districts to fund various public projects such as additional police, economic development efforts, beautification, and infrastructure. In other areas, individuals create strategically placed non-profits with the purpose of tackling various problems. The IRS code provides numerous statues of how these entities are supposed to work. Yes, there's more than just the 501c3 out there. These groups stay in their lanes and develop action plans to resolve matters. We’re talking business associations, educational foundations, Keep America Beautiful affiliates, neighborhood groups, and the list goes on. These groups are full of concerned stakeholders who are putting together connections to create possibilities. It’s all about not waiting on someone else or the government. “We have to lift the level of our community, the standard of our community to a higher level, make our society beautiful so that we will be satisfied in our social circles and won’t be running around here trying to knock our way into a social circle where we’re not wanted,” Malcolm X said. Why wait for someone else to come in and fix your community. It’s obvious that your pastor is not interested in this. But we bet your bottom dollar that they want those tithe checks. You can’t complain about gentrification in your community when you have done nothing yourselves. We write this from the angle of empowering the black man as the buck starts and stops with him. Yes, there are plenty of things to hold the women accountable for, but as leaders, we have to grab the bull by the horn and get to work. We know that folks are looking for various loopholes to get out of working with us so, let’s build for ourselves and our children’s children. “It’s time now for our people to become conscious of the importance of controlling the economy of our community. If we own the stores, if we operate the businesses, if we try and establish some industry in our community, then we’re developing to the position where we are creating employment for our kind,” Malcolm X concluded. “Once you gain control of the economy of your community, then you don’t have to picket and boycott and beg…….” Dominique Huff is the Executive Director of the South Fulton Business Coalition and President and Founder of Tenth Amendment Media Group in Metro Atlanta.
Getting Started Flipping Houses with No Credit Nowadays, flipping houses has become a common trend in the real estate market. Most people attribute this trend to the rebirth of the American real estate business, but most people think that you must have money or credit for you to flip houses. Flipping houses with no credit is very simple provided you know how to go about it. It’s the process of buying a house that needs repairs, renovating it and then selling it at a higher price. Here are three ways to flip houses with no credit:
1. Private Investors For you to buy a house, you don’t necessarily need to get a loan from a financial institution. Instead, you can look for a private investor who is not affiliated with any business or bank and who’s willing to invest in your project. When looking for a private investor, you simply start by talking to your relatives, friends, coworkers, club members, churchgoers, and many others. They are the people who have disposable income they are willing to spend to make good returns on their investment.
2. Partnerships Partnerships are common when starting companies and they are formed by two people who decide to work together to achieve the same objectives. In a housing project partnership, one of
the partners can choose to meet the initial costs needed for the renovation of the house before it’s resold. On the other hand, you as the other partner can handle the logistical responsibilities such as hiring contractors to renovate the house. After the repairs are completed and the house resold, the profit is then shared on a fifty percent basis.
3. Hard Money Lenders Hard money lenders operate the same way as banks; they give you a loan and expect you to pay back with interest after a set period. However, unlike banks that ask for information on your income, assets or credit score, hard money lenders don’t ask for such information, they want to know that the housing project that you are investing in will make a profit. In addition to the interest they charge on their loans, they also charge ‘points.’ For every loan a hard money lender gives you, they charge between five and six points. Instead of using your credit score or income to assess whether they should give you a loan, they use the property you wish to purchase as collateral. However, before going for this option, you should know the scope and cost of the project so that you don’t end up making losses. For more information on flipping houses email freedominvestmentslv@gmail.com
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OVNIO
Changing The Way You Watch TV- Swan Simpson The revolution will not be televised, it will be socialized. And that is not to be taken lightly. Jason Swanston is a genius. He is Ivy League educated, he attended Columbia University, and the CEO of Ovnio, a startup cable social network based solely on the internet. When I had the opportunity to catch up with Jason whose nickname is Jae Nasdaq, the conversation was more of a brainstorming than an interview. We talked about the need for more Black Entrepreneurs to solve the problems of our community without the reliance upon anyone else. Our political and social core lined up nicely as we both are passionate about serving humanity with our gifts and talents. And although Ovnio is still in its startup stages, Jason is no stranger to business. He is a former music industry executive who's worked with some of the biggest acts in the game. Artists such Sean “Diddy” Combs, Usher, TLC, KC & JoJo of Jodeci, as well as Death Row Records. He left the industry after coming to the realization that “novices” in the music industry were unwilling to embrace technology. Even with his massive intellect, polished communication skills, and affluent formal education, Jason knew he could not go out and tinker with file-sharing and other hacks that have since revolutionized music and entertainment. If he spent time in his parent’s garage just simply cranking out his ideas like those of the Facebook kind, “The color of my skin would have put me underneath the jail.” Thus he waited.
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Technology is a fascinating part of his background as he did an internship in 1993 at an animation studio which fostered his curiosity. He eventually learned coding coupled with his Ivy League education and branched out to start Ovnio. Ovnio is all about Millennials who embrace technology and the idea of multitasking between a split screen on their mobile devices. No more watching one show at a time.
Disrupting the status quo Ovnio is a network positioned in cyberspace that allows viewers to watch their favorite shows and content while engaging on popular social networks….all within the same application. This goes beyond the simplicity of streaming content. This is disrupting an entire industry. The platform itself is like Netflix on steroids. Viewers can watch their favorite cable shows while socializing with their friends anywhere in the world. And will eventually be able to purchase products seen on shows in real time. Other features allow you to watch two screens side by side with Facebook and 30 other social networks deemed popular in other countries as well. Ovnio offers a combination of popular movies and shows as well as a large network of original programming curated through relationships with content providers. Content providers can lease channels within the network, and build audiences on the platform. Specialty channels stream content exclusively for
specifically targeted audiences such as an LGBT channel, Lifestyle channels, an NAACP channel, and a Strp channel (which is not just strippers, but reality based shows, pilots of strip club shows, and all things strip club related which may have been pitched to traditional networks, but did not get picked up or green lit). The network gives creators and producers a new platform by which they can reach millions of viewers and remain in full control of their content. Content providers make money by appealing to advertisers using data that Ovnio provides about its audience.
Fox News calls Ovnio the “the next Uber of cable television….. http://video.foxbusiness.com/ v/4179469662001/?#sp=show-clips Offers have come in to buy the Ovnio Network for as much as $500,000,000. The company remains privately held with stock being offered to a selective few. I liken Ovnio to a diamond in the rough disguised as a piece of coal. If one has no idea where diamonds come from, you will never be able to recognize one in its purest form. Streaming television is just as disrupting as streaming music has been to entertainment. And Jason has positioned his company in front of the shift. Beyond that of his intellectual genius, Jason grew up in Harlem a community welcoming and celebrating diversity. His mother was a disco queen. It is this appreciation for all of humanity’s gifts that pushed him to start a television network of sorts. Ovnio is all about people controlling their own narrative. You get to tell your story, your way. The content on the network ranges from sexuality, politics, music, banking. There is a Religious Rap channel featuring both Islamic Rappers and Jewish Rappers. And even an ethnic LGBT channel. Ovnio celebrates cultural differences in major genres. What I like about the network is the authenticity of the shows. Unlike Hollywood which is controlled by one group who decides how other people’s stories get to be told; and which stories are worthy of telling, Ovnio puts the REAL in reality and allows content creators and producers to just be you!
How To Get Your Own Show The process for getting your own show or channel requires a pitch and a plan. Perspective producers must pitch their shows and demonstrate the value in their content to be monetized. This model makes more sense for a true Boss in the game. If you pitched to a major tv network or cable network they would control your content and your creativity for pennies. Then after 3 or more successful seasons, give you a raise. It’s modern day slavery wrapped up in the sexiness of being on television which is in and of itself a dying medium. According to the most recent Nielsen reports in summary, between 2011 and 2016, Q4 traditional TV viewing by 18-24-year-olds dropped by almost 10 hours a week, or by roughly 1 hour and 25 minutes per day. In percentage terms, Q4 traditional TV viewing by 18-24-year-olds was down by 7.1% year-over-year and has now fallen by 39%
since 2011. In other words, in the space of 5 years, almost 40% of this age group’s traditional TV viewing time has migrated to other activities or streaming.
Filling a need, solving a problem Younger people are leading the revolution to change the ignorance and the enslavement of people’s minds by the traditional mainstream that is the American media. “The stifling of creativity and the control of resources by one group’s monopoly of media and entertainment is a form of slavery that we can no longer accept in passing. It’s time to control the narrative which is ours to begin with, without gaining the necessary permissions to do so. Along with mass incarceration, the distorting images of people of color is the deadliest of sins committed against Black America in recent history.” - Swan Simpson Publisher Black American Moguls Magazine Jason Swanston has birthed a platform and a medium that gives freedom to all. A true voice to diversity and inclusiveness in American media. His network is viewed in over 150 countries with an average channel having more than a 100,000 subscribers. In North America, Ovnio is free and the experience is completely customizable to the type of content you want to view. Viewers can freely choose content that mixes with their values, interests, and tastes. Visit www.Ovnio.tv to subscribe. Swan Simpson has been publishing Black Moguls brand of digital magazines since 2014. She is the CEO of Swan Simpson Media Group. www.SwanSimpsonMediaGroup.com Follow her on Twitter @ SwanSimpson www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
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MOGUL TECH STARTUP
Jimmy Odom,
Founder & CEO WeDeliver
DEFYING CHICAGO’s FAKE NEWS NARRATIVE While some people are shooting and killing each other in the ghettos of Chicago, there could be a better solution for this displaced aggression. Believe it or not, the majority of the city is not in turmoil. The few inmates who are leading the killing of other Black people and the terrorizing of one of the nation’s leading financial hubs, tend to be running the asylum while Jesse & Al fatten their pockets with the spreading of this propaganda and fake news reporting. But does the mainstream media outlets ever focus their reporting of Black America’s triumphs and successes? Chicago was once called America’s first “Black Mecca”. This has long since passed with the increase in urban unrest and the expansion of ghetto warfare. “The best way to rise up in America is to rise up to your own community responsibility and self-reliance.” - Swan Simpson, Publisher Black American Moguls Magazine This leads us to a growing startup being birthed in the midst of turmoil, WeDeliver. Does the name Jimmy Odom ring a bell in your head? People describe Jimmy Odom as passionate, energetic, optimistic, dynamic, inspiring and someone who is driven by vision and purpose. He is the founder and CEO of WeDeliver, a startup formed in 2012 that keeps growing year after year. He has worked for approximately five years in leadership roles with Apple Retail, as a logistics manager and bagged several National Start-up Awards, and he keeps transforming the experience and expectations of other entrepreneurs who look up to him. WeDeliver has won many local start-up awards and has helped Odom stay grounded with other Black entrepreneurs in Chicago. WeDeliver is focused on building a brand whose main goal is to bring transformational experiences to the people rather than making transactions. He is also the Director of Inclusive Entrepreneurship at ChicagoNEXT, the tech arm
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of World Business Chicago. Odom has previously held different government executive positions. One of the most important positions he held was Senior Policy Adviser for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. His role as Director of Inclusive Entrepreneurship is to work with the ChicagoNEXT IE Council’s Blackstone Challenge. The initiative has allocated $3 million as grants to organizations that recruit and support diverse entrepreneurs from immigrants to veterans, to women and communities of color over the next three years. Jimmy has been applauded by several business specialists around the world for his exceptional leadership style and the advice he offers on management. He’s very passionate about what he does and continues inspiring other entrepreneurs to become recognized globally. By February 2014, at 32 years old, Odom had already made over $800,000 with WeDeliver. This success came after the company introduced a free app for Android and iPhone. In May 2017, he announced his resignation from his position as acting Assistant Director of the Illinois Department of Central Management Services. When asked about his resignation, he said that the state hadn’t allocated adequate resources and wasn’t paying attention to minority business development. Odom attributes his success as an entrepreneur to his mom who always told him to treat other people the way he would also like to be treated. He always takes time off his busy schedule to interact with clients, and he believes it has guided his subconscious the entire time.
THE AGENDA Odom says that WeDeliver’s goal is to help small-scale businesses and to be the go to Delivery Company for mom and pop retailers. Nothing would give him more joy than being one of the pieces that sparks change in people’s behavior and spending.
Entertainment Moguls
5 Female Bosses Who Are Winning!! Publisher’s Words
Channing Dungey
In 2017, we still can see discrimination against Black women in every career path there is to be taken. We often hear that certain careers are not suitable for a person just because you are a woman. That seems to magnify if you are a woman of color. Black women carry the burden of both racial and gender discrimination. Looking at gender, race and ethnicity combined, all groups, with the exception of Asian men, lag behind white men in terms of median hourly earnings, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data. White men are often used in comparisons such as this because they are the largest demographic group in the workforce at 33% in 2015.
industry. These women are not out front or on stage as part of the hired help. They are running companies and making board room decisions. Being women of color has not stopped these female Bosses from breaking down doors and breaking through glass ceilings to make their dreams come true. In fact, the rat race has given them motivation, courage, and strength to be the decision-making women they are today. These women are pushing the envelope beyond a paycheck. They are building empires and wealth, which should be the shift in focus for all Black women. “They” may not give you a job. “They” may not give you an equal paycheck. But no one can stop you from building wealth with the earnings you make.
White and Asian women have narrowed the wage gap with white men to a much greater degree than Black and Hispanic women. For example, white women narrowed the wage gap in median hourly earnings by 22 cents from 1980 (when they earned, on average, 60 cents for every dollar earned by a white man) to 2015 (when they earned 82 cents). By comparison, Black women only narrowed that gap by 9 cents, from earning 56 cents for every dollar earned by a white man in 1980 to 65 cents today. Asian women followed roughly the trajectory of white women (but earned a slightly higher 87 cents per dollar earned by a white man in 2015), whereas Hispanic women fared even worse than black women, narrowing the gap by just 5 cents (earning 58 cents on the dollar in 2015).
Here are 5 Female Bosses who are winning BIG in the entertainment industry.
The numbers are even more staggering in the entertainment industry where the majority of people working in the industry are men and the majority of those are white. We all know that the entertainment industry is under a stronghold. And even though it is rare and may be quite strange to hear, but there are some very strong Black women who are actually bossing in the
Channing Dungey – is the first Black president of a major TV broadcast network. Dungey is the first African-American to become ABC Entertainment Group's president in 2016. She replaced the previous President, Paul Lee who resigned under pressure. Before becoming the executive president of ABC Entertainment, Dungey was a company Executive at Walt Disney for more than a decade. She has helped to develop ABC hits program such as “How to Get Away with Murder” and “Scandal”. Her early career in entertainment was as a Development Assistant at Davis Entertainment. She then joined as a production executive at Warner Brothers where she supervised and helped develop a series of successful films. Besides being the President of ABC Entertainment, Dungey also taught at UCLA. She also the founding member of Step Up Women’s Network which is a national nonprofit organization. The organization believes in strengthening a community for girls and women. Estimated net worth $3 Million. www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
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Sylvia Rhone
Sylvia Rhone – Started in the mailroom at Atlantic Records. Her early career was actually a job at Bankers Trust right after graduating from college. As her passion is in music, she pursued her dream job by getting a job at Buddha Records as a secretary in 1974. Her success followed as she held positions at Ariola Records and ABC Records. In 1986, Rhone was credited as helping the success of Atlantic’s black music. She was once responsible for handling A&R and Marketing. She was later promoted to Promotions as General Manager and Senior Vice President. In 1994, Sylvia Rhone became CEO and chairman of Atlantic/Elektra Entertainment Group. With her success, Rhone has been credited as the most powerful woman in the music industry. Estimated net worth $20 Million. Yvette Noel-Schure – is one of biggest behind the scenes Powerbrokers in the music industry. She has been shaping American pop culture for years. Yvette’s early career was editor of Black Beat magazine for eight years. Then she moved to Sony and became a Publicist for more than 20 years. She was behind the success of great superstars such as Adele, Mariah Carey, John Legend, Prince, Jessica Simpson, John Mayer, Will Smith, and Beyonce to name a few. She has been the one to masterfully shape the career of those superstars since 1994. Arriving in America as an immigrant from the Caribbean, Yvette believes in hard work. She found the passion for journalism when she became the editor at City College of New York. The seeds she found as a young girl has helped to makes her one of the most successful Publicists in the music and entertainment business. Estimated net worth $250 Million. Mona Scott-Young – is the CEO of Monami Entertainment, a multi-media entertainment company which is famous for producing VH1 reality show franchise, Love & Hip Hop. Born to Haitian parents, Scott once worked at Radio City Music Hall. While working there, she approached a Brooklyn group, TrackMasters, and become their manager. Together with Chris Lighty, she founded the management company and record label Violator. For the twenty years span, the company has helped revamp and launch the careers of celebrities such as 50 Cent, Ja Rule, Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot, and Fantasia to name a
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Yvette Noel-Schure
Mona Scott-Young
few. In 2005, she moved into television and began creating her well known reality tv show franchise. Besides television, Scott is also the chief of marketing and part owner of a Moscato brand which is a fusion with Nicki Minaj. In addition, Scott also serves on the board of Haitian Roundtable which known as The GrassRoots Foundation and The RSQ Foundation. Estimated net worth $30 Million. Carmen Murray – is the founder and CEO of Title 9 Production, Inc. Title 9 Production is an entertainment company with focused full-service management, traditional artist development, content publishing, television, and music production. The name Title 9 was inspired by a piece of legislation which supports the right of young women to get an equal education as well as scholarship opportunities in sports. As the main mission of Title 9 is to empower women, the company uses the entertainment industry as a place to help women to focus on self-empowerment through a number of different outlets. The success of the company continues to thrive with deals and partnerships with Universal Republic, Rondor Music Republic, Roc Nation, and more. Estimated net worth $1.3 Million.
Carmen Murray
Special Report
Prison Wars In America THE INFAMOUS DATA Between 1980 and 2015, the number of people incarcerated in America increased from roughly 500,000 to< over 2.2 million Today, the United States makes up about 5% of the world’s population and has 21% of the world’s prisoners. 1 in every 37 adults in the United States, or 2.7% of the adult population, is under some form of correctional supervision. <CJ_ StopFriskRacial Disparities in Incarceration In 2014, African Americans constituted 2.3 million, or 34%, of the total 6.8 million correctional population. African Americans are incarcerated at more than 5 times the rate of whites. The imprisonment rate for African American women is twice that of white women. Nationwide, African American children represent 32% of children who are arrested, 42% of children who are detained, and 52% of children whose cases are judicially waived to criminal court. Though African Americans and Hispanics make up
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approximately 32% of the US population, they comprised 56% of all incarcerated people in 2015. If African Americans and Hispanics were incarcerated at the same rates as whites, prison and jail populations would decline by almost 40%. Drug Sentencing Disparities In the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 17 million whites and 4 million African Americans reported having used an illicit drug within the last month. African Americans and whites use drugs at similar rates, but the imprisonment rate of African Americans for drug charges is almost 6 times that of whites. African Americans represent 12.5% of illicit drug users, but 29% of those arrested for drug offenses and 33% of those incarcerated in state facilities for drug offenses. This section features 3 Ex-Cons who have made the decision to defy the data. “Nothing and no one can stop determination. Not even prison.” - Swan Simpson, Publisher Black American Moguls Magazine
LET’S TALK SOLUTIONS EX-CON CEOS Coss Marte His family of six lived in a tiny apartment, and as a child, his dream was to turn his life around. Whenever someone asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he would reply by saying, “I want to be rich.” He adored and looked up to the people who had the freshest clothes and rocked the biggest chains. At the age of 13, he bought his first ounce of marijuana and took it to school. Later on, he joined the guys selling around his block, and by the time he was twenty, he had already become the leader of a cocaine distribution ring. At the age of 23, in 2009 he was arrested, and unlike the short terms he did in the past to prison life, this time round he was sentenced to five years in jail. By the time he was incarcerated, he was excessively overweight and had high blood pressure. While in prison, a physician told him that he was at risk of dying due to his obesity. The advice struck him and from then on, he started working out in his cell using some of the exercises he had learned from correctional officers, ex-marines, and even his fellow inmates. Besides doing it for his own health benefits, he was kind enough to share his workout routines with the other inmates. In just six months he was able to lose 70 pounds, and he had helped over 20 inmates lose more than 1,000 pounds.
How This Ex-Con Turned His Daily Prison Workouts into a Successful Business Venture Life on the Lower East Side of Manhattan wasn’t favorable for first generation kids and youths, they were exposed to drug use and poverty at a young age. Coss Marte is one of those kids who had to dodge junkies who were using all sorts of drugs in his neighborhood.
After completing his five year prison sentence, and going back to the neighborhood where he had grown up, he became frustrated since no one was willing to hire him due to his criminal record. His frustrations gave him an idea of a workout program opportunity that existed in Manhattan’s Lower East Side using the workout style he used in prison, ConBody. That’s when he opened a fitness studio just down the block near the corner where he and his friends used to sell drugs before he got busted. Marte says that “not only is it a workout studio, but it’s also a community cornerstone where people can host events focused on health issues, prison reform and most of all a place that helps people discover their true purpose.”
THE MISSION His mission is to hire as many former inmates as possible and change the stereotyped attitude most people have towards former inmates. Check out the program at https://conbodylive.com www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
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Cedric Hornbuckle
Founder of Moved by Love Most people believe that prisoners are bad people who cannot turn their lives around, but the truth is that prison has the power to reform people and help them bring positive impacts to society. The story is not different for Cedric Hornbuckle, a 37 year old man who was sentenced to eight years in prison for drug trafficking. Unfortunately, he made the wrong choice when he became a drug dealer just like other youth who think that drug trafficking is the easiest way to become rich and didn’t know the illegal business would end up messing up his life. Spending eight years in jail can take a negative toll on most people’s lives and completely change their perception towards society. For Cedric, the eight years he spent in prison were a blessing to him since he was able to reform and develop a different entrepreneurship mindset. While serving time in jail, he joined Texas-based Prison Entrepreneurship Program, PEP which equips inmates with a wide range of skills. According to Lois Davis, a senior researcher at RAND Corporation, not only does the program teach hard concrete skills, but it also teaches soft skills that help inmates interact well with society. In addition to
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LET’S TALK SOLUTIONS - EX-CON CEOS cont...
successfully completing the PEP program, Cedric graduated while finishing his eight-year prison sentence. Speaking at the event to his fellow inmates, he told them that, “Business is good. This program gave me the discipline I absolutely needed.” Despite being glad that he was now a free man after spending nearly a decade in prison, Cedric knew that finding a job in the contemporary world would be difficult since he had a criminal record. Besides that, studies show that having a criminal record can cut your chances of getting a job by up to 50%. In 2008, he made the decision not to be bothered with more job interviews and business workshops since he was asked all assorts of “uncomfortable questions" and instead he started his own company, Moved by Love. In an interview conducted in 2011, Hornbuckle said that he’s always had the entrepreneurial mindset; it was just that he used it in less productive ways. He went on to say that he was conversant with profits margins and managing people, but had used his skills to sell drugs instead of building a business. In 2014, he was named PEP’s 2014 Houston Employer of the Year. Cedric was honored and recognized as a mentor and employer for creating several jobs with his moving company.
The Entrepreneurship Journey of
Frederick Hutson
Did you ever imagine that a former inmate could be the brains behind a startup in an underserved market? It’s true that our current situations can either make us better or worse depending on our perceptions. To better understand this statement, we can reflect on the life and encounters of Frederic Hutson, the co-founder and CEO of Pigeonly. As a teenager, Frederick had a passion for business, and at the age of 19, he already owned a window tinting business which was doing quite well and he sold it for $50,000. Two years later, when he was 21, he got into an illegal drug trafficking business his friends were into with a solution on how to easily move drugs across borders. However, in 2005 he was arrested and indicted for trafficking more than 3,000 kgs of marijuana, and that’s when his life took a sudden turn. While serving a four-year federal prison sentence, that’s when a new idea came to him. An idea that would help him change the lives of the people no one else had thought of, inmates. This idea led to the birth of Pigeonly, a social platform that enables people to connect and communicate with their confined loved ones. Contrary to what most people would expect of a prisoner, he spent most of his time in prison writing business plans and his inspiration came from the copies of Inc, Wired Magazine and The Wall Street Journal he read in prison. “One of the main challenges facing over 2.3 million inmates in
LET’S TALK SOLUTIONS - EX-CON CEOS cont...
the US is that they don’t have an affordable way of keeping in touch with family and friends. The only means of communication available in prisons is through snail mail or the phone” says Huston. Having experienced the pain of being disconnected from his family and friends who cared much about him, that’s when he realized an opportunity that existed in a market only a handful of companies had ventured into. One of the ideas he had when starting Pigeonly was to make prison calls cheaper since there were only a few companies that handled the communications in and out of prisons. Compared to bigger products like Skype, Pigeonly is more reliable since it uses algorithms to collect and analyze inmates’ data which is then transferred into useful information for the benefit of prisoners and society in general. Besides that, the platform also allows inmates to receive photos from their loved ones. Frederick is living proof that inmates can turn their lives around and have a positive impact on society.
THE FUTURE OUTLOOK Currently, Hutson leads a growing team of over 20 employees and says that Pigeonly aims to create job search engines and financial service products for their low-income customers.
www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
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BLACK HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR You can thank the Clintons for both the mass incarceration of Black Americans as well as the destruction of Black American progress at the root, targeting our children. Black children, in the midst of public education, hardly have a chance. The school to prison pipeline is not a conspiracy theory. It is a hard cold fact. So much so that Black Clinical Psychologists lead by Dr.Umer Johnson; and Educators Dr. Steve Perry and Dr.Boyce Watkins have made the subject a focus of their life’s work. And the NEA (National Education Association) ergo teacher’s union, had to openly address this as a matter of policy at their convention in 2016. The delegates to the 2016 Representative Assembly voted on a new NEA Policy Statement on school discipline and the schoolto-prison pipeline. NEA Vice President Rebecca S. Pringle and NEA Executive Committee Member Kevin F. Gilbert gave a compelling presentation to the RA delegation, encouraging the body to vote yes on the policy statement.
Rahiem Shabazz CEO Rasha Entertainment Unless you have been under a rock during the most recent American Presidential election, you are aware that Bill Clinton signed the infamous Crime Bill of 1994 which has led to the over policing of Black neighborhoods and thus the mass incarceration of Black people. The Clintons and The Clinton Foundation have made massive amounts of money and wealth lobbying for and in support of the private prison industry. An industry that has found a way through the legislative process to legally enslave Black people for profit. Mass incarceration has left our community in shambles. Police shootings and murdering of Black motorists and children is the apex of why the Clinton regime had to be shut down in 2016. But the deeper story buried within these diabolical laws that the Clintons supported and/or passed, is what many are overlooking. The school to prison pipeline is an “assurance policy” that private prisons will get the promised 90% incarceration occupancy that they have been guaranteed via the Crime Bill. The prison pipeline simply put…. utilizes the educational system starting at the elementary school level to identify, classify, label, and deliver Black children to the system through a series of mishaps and intentional miseducation.
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The policy stems from last year’s RA, which passed a New Business Item (NBI B) that directed the Association to combat Institutional Racism, and spotlight systemic patterns of racism and educational injustice that impact students—and to take action to enhance access and opportunity by demanding changes to policies, programs, and practices that condone or ignore unequal treatment and hinder student success. - Brenda Alvarez
Who is Rahiem Shabazz Rahiem grew up on the streets of New York learning life’s lessons the hard way. He found himself locked up with nothing but time to contemplate his life. He would soon realize that a majority of the people being locked up with him, were coming from the same neighborhoods. It’s not like they don’t have criminals in Yonkers, but I digress. His thirst for knowledge and curiosity caused him to pay close attention to what was happening around him. He went on to further research his ideas thus turning them into theories. He was like many in the community, feeling that education was a ticket out….. so he got his GED while being locked up. He then went on to college, but was stopped in his tracks when then New York Governor, George Pataki, suspended the program allowing inmates to earn college degrees. But of course, you could still get a religious education. So, Rahiem applied to a religious school. And through a rigorous process he was accepted. He eventually graduated in the top 5% of his class just days before his eventual release.
Responsibility = Respond To Your Ability It was now time for him to find his purpose and take responsibility for both his own life as well as what he saw
the Black American experience. For his boldness and his unapologetically Black deeds, we are proud to honor and recognize him as our choice for Black Humanitarian of the Year 2016-2017. Elementary Genocide has received numerous awards. And spent 3 weeks on Amazonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Top 10 Bestselling List both in the US and the UK. The film has been streamed by more than 1 million people around the world.
Pearls
happening to our community. He started Rasha Entertainment doing PR work within the entertainment industry as a way of telling our stories. I met Rahiem in 2006 when he was still in the early stages of his journalistic journey. After interviewing numerous subjects and people, researching places and patterns he decided it was time to document what he saw happening quietly in the background of American culture. The film Elementary Genocide: The School To Prison Pipeline was born. The research for this project specifically began in 2010. In 2013, the first film was released.
I asked Rahiem what 5 pieces of advice would he give political and community leaders dealing with the malaise of a system that has historically broken the backs of Black Americans. Here is what he offered: 1. Invest in the community. Train your successor. 2. Stop spending our money outside our community. 3. Build: Institution is something that lasts 10 years or more. 4. Purchase life insurance- Pass down wealth to your children if we care about the next generation. 5. Start a Trust or Living Will- Leave specific instructions for the money and the life insurance that you leave behind. Congratulate Rahiem on twitter @RahiemShabazz #BlackHumanitarian Purchase the films at www.ElementaryGenocide.com And share this article on social media to help us to bring full awareness to the prison pipeline and the mass incarceration of Black people in America.
The Elementary Genocide franchise of films follows the money and the game that has used Black people in America as pawns in a new form of American slavery. The series of documentaries reveal the players and the origins of mass incarceration all pointing back to the Clintons and the National Black Caucus members who played their roles in deceiving their constituents into supporting this holocaust of Black lives. Tracey D. Syphax, a Black power player based in New Jersey, appeared in the first film. When Tracey won a Champion of Change Award it became the catalyst for the film to blow up. Elementary Genocide was self-distributed by Rasha Entertainment and Rasha Vision. There are 3 documentaries rounding out the franchise: Elementary Genocide: The School To Prison Pipeline which introduces us to the intentional mis-education of our children in public schools. Elementary Genocide 2: Board of Education Vs Board of Incarceration which speaks to a little known fact about an 800% increase in Black women being incarcerated. Elementary Genocide 3: Academic Holocaust serves as the final installation to understanding how our children are systematically being singled out. Black Moguls Brand of Magazines chose to Honor Rahiem Shabazz for his fearless media coverage and journalistic reporting of political, civic, and social concerns on and about www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
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HOW TO USE TWITTER TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS A lot of companies still consider Twitter as merely a public interaction tool. However, Twitter is beyond just a means to advertise a new service or product. It’s a technique for organizations to swiftly connect as well as interact with clients, associates and workers as well as develop a faithful following. So how can you utilize Twitter to grow your business? Following are 4 revolutionary strategies to make use of the social networking website service that can benefit your business. 1.
Lead generation. “Twitter can be used by businesses to get leads” according to Brandon Hoffman, director of Online marketing , KEA Advertising. “For example, if you’re an automobile mechanic. You can search for phrases such as ‘need mechanic’ or perhaps ‘recommend automobile mechanic,’ searching for posters within ten miles of your company address.” After that you can “engage them as well as possibly get a new client.” An alternative way to get potential clients on Twitter is to look out for intent- based tweets. “300 million tweets are delivered every day as well as 2 of the most widely used keywords on Twitter are ‘I want’ together with ‘I need,’” according to Bernard Perrine, cofounder as well as Chief executive officer, SocialCentiv, a Twitter promoting tool. “ Analyzing Twitter for key phrases as well as geolocation, companies who represent products or services that respond to the ‘I want’ or ‘I need’ tweets have got a wonderful opportunity to respond with a customized offer and appeal to a new client.”
2. Market analysis. “ Are you wondering what clients would think of your new service or widget? Present it on Twitter with a customized hashtag and request for opinions,” according to Erika Taylor Montgomery, founder as well as Chief executive officer, Three Girls Media, a PR as well as social networking management company. “The system is a fast, simple as well as affordable method to acquire useful insight from a preferred target audience.”
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3. Customer support. “Several clients nowadays would rather get in touch with companies on Twitter for instant solution to their challenges,” states Susan Ganeshan, CMO, Clarabridge, a client experience management firm. “They will be able to save time instead of searching for a telephone number or email address as well as being required to wait on hold - additionally, it saves you money. Due to the fact they are disregarded these clients turn out to be ever more disappointed, strive for a technique that allows reply within 1 hour.” 4. Media relations. Harness Twitter to “find the journalists as well as publishers that are publishing articles relating to your space and start to follow them on Twitter,” according to Mark Karayan, media strategist, LEWIS, a worldwide communications firm. “ Pay attention to their discussions and jump right in to add your experience, respectfully, the moment it feels natural.” “Take advantage of Twitter for media outreach,” declares Meredith Warren, social media manager, Idea Grove, a Public Relations firm which specializes in B2B technology. “ A number of journalists might choose a tweet over a telephone call. As soon as you notice an active Twitter member on your media list, a customized tweet may be the ideal approach to get their attention.” Simply “don’t take the time to reach out through Twitter in the event that they haven’t published a tweet in half a year.” Twitter is an excellent way to retain connections with crucial media influencers as well as reporters,” according to Sarah Hilmer, Communications, BetterWorks, the creator of goalsetting software for businesses. “You can make use of Twitter to understand their likes, hates, tool preferences as well as writing style and humor by communicating with them, which provides you with an enormous advantage when you go to promote a story or business idea/product to them.”
Much Ado About Millennials The big question in the business world is how to retain top millennial talent. One in three American workers are between the ages of 20 and 36. In 2015, the Millennial generation surpassed Generation X and Baby Boomers as the largest population in the U.S. Workforce. It is said we have different needs and agendas than our Baby Boomer or Generation X’er parents. We don’t stay at any job longer than 18 months on average and we are always looking for the next best thing. Just like the anticipation of the next IPhone, we are always looking to move on to the next company that can offer us more than the last. So, is there anything that can be done to get and keep our attention? The book “Generation X” by Douglas Coupland is credited with popularizing the phrase to describe people born in the 60’s and 70’s. The name ‘Millennials’ was invented by historians Neil Howe and William Strauss, and includes people born between the time when Generation-X ends to 2000. The years are less important than the awareness that during these years’ children were exposed to an influx of technological advances and easy access to the world. There is a sense of urgency and even entitlement to succeed but also a great sense of responsible to sustainability. Millennials want to feel they are making a difference in the world and their work meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future. This is important when identifying the retention requirements for this generation. Millennials seek a company that is diverse not only in the corporate culture but in the mission agenda of the company’s goals. Philanthropic endeavors move us because we understand that we have a responsibility to contribute to the legacy of the world we live in. Companies should invest in nonmonetary compensation to encourage the Millennials within their workforce. Mentorship, autonomous supervision, flexibility, and encouragement are among the top ideals that millennials seek within an organization. Cultural diversity being one of the biggest factors since Millennials generation are the most diverse workforce ever present in the United States. It is important for companies to realize that as soon as 2019, less than 50% of live births in this country will be Caucasian. www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
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Champagne Wishes & Caviar Dreams The Lavish Store “Paparazzi” and “Red Carpet”. All packages are customized by Maurice who arranges and personalizes your arrival in style with real photographers clicking and a real red carpet laid out to make you look and feel like a true Hollywood Star
There was a time when Maurice Morris was working a regular job in the healthcare industry when a co-worker urged him to quit and start his own business. He did just that. He became a fashion designer with high profile clients like Sean Combs. His success in business and champagne taste prompted him to consider expanding into other avenues. The introduction of all luxury transportation for people of color was eventually born. Helicopter arrival to prom night? Rolling up in a Rolls Royce Black Phantom to homecoming? A Yacht ride on a beautiful lake with friends on your birthday? Arriving to your event in exotic lavish style whether classic sedans, helicopter, or boat is not exactly price-less, but the moment will be indelibly imprinted on your mind. Maurice is a business mogul who is taking luxury transportation to a whole new level. He is the owner and CEO of the Lavish Store, the world’s first Black owned, upscale transportation company. His company provides services to those who can afford a lavish, over the top, VIP experience. The Lavish Store offers A-LIST clients and others a first class, red carpet, top of the line transportation fleet of exotic sedans including Maybach, Bentley, BMW, Rolls Royce along with Magnum Helicopters, and water travel in pontoons and custom yachts. His business operates through a boutique where one can choose opulent tours or exotic packages with names like
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The Lavish Store originally started out as Magnum helicopters in Detroit back in 2008. When Maurice determined that he did not want to be known as just a helicopter service provider, he looked at the community and saw a void in luxury transportation. Hoping to capture the attention and the dollars of affluent people of color, Maurice expanded his business in 2012 to include an array of upscale transportation options, a lavish fleet of vehicles, and once in a life time types of experiences that are beyond that of conspicuous consumption. For clients who desire last minute availability, Maurice maintains a staff of professional chauffeurs, 5-star Chefs, Pilots and boat Captains on call 24-7. The company is headquartered in Detroit and Chicago with satellite locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri, and Georgia. Visit www.TheLavishStore.com to reserve an experience in advance. Story by Shelby Talley who is a freelance writer residing in Arlington, TX.
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FROM OUR PUBLISHER The Revolution Will Be WHEREVER YOU ARE “Tonight Gotta Leave That Nine To Five Up On The Shelf And Just Enjoy Yourself” -Michael Jackson There is a financial revolution going on and it will not be televised. It started happening right after the economic crash of our banking and housing systems in America back in 2008. You work 40 years and all it takes is someone outside of you to bring your entire life into peril. There is no greater motivation than being broke. Being broke and sleeping on friends’ floors and couches. Being broke and having your cars repossessed. Being broke and wondering if you have anything else left to pawn so you can buy a $5 foot-long at subway to eat on all day. Yes, that was my life. I learned the power of broke the hard way just like many others. And it ain’t pretty. Sending out hundreds of resumes only to hear you are over qualified or under qualified or some bullshit in between. Going to interviews and regurgitating all the right words so that people will like you more than the others acting like a one trick pony. Then getting offer letters from companies that are willing to pay you pennies in exchange for 50 plus hours of your time each week. And don’t forget getting up at some God forsaken hour so you can make it to work on time in crazy traffic. And if you’ve ever lived in Atlanta like me, you know if you have to be in the office at 8am. You got to leave home by 6am; which means you are usually up around 4am. Then back home around 7pm after a near two hour commute. No thank you! If you are still trying to determine why you should start your own business, I hope these words will give you the motivation to get in the game somehow, someway, today! You can be an Entrepreneur without going all in by yourself. There are opportunities everywhere for you to lay the rat race to rest. Sure keep your job to keep your cash flowing. But have an exit plan. Escape the mediocre life of living on someone else’s terms and begin the process of calling your own shots. More millionaires are being created in the “broke economy” than any other time in our history. Take those God given gifts and talents; dust them off, and put them to good use making yourself and your family super rich! Inside this issue you will find articles to keep you on track and stories to get you motivated in the right way! And if that’s not enough, here are some more ideas. These companies have disrupted the way we work. Get an un-job and create your own path to financial freedom by joining forces with one of the following: • Uber
• Freelancer
• TaskRabbit
• Postmates
• Etsy
• AirBNB
Partnering with these companies allows you to start that financial freedom account right where you are today with virtually zero investment. Let us know how you are doing. We would love to follow your progress and success. Tag us in a video or post on Twitter and Instagram @BlackMogulsMag or email me CEO@BlackMogulsMagazine.com and tell me all about your new journey. I want to share your story with the more than 2 million who read our magazine each quarter. You could be the reason someone else changes their lives. And that audience is rapidly growing (read more inside). Until….Let’s Get it! Let’s Go! Peace and Blessings Swan
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