Welcome to Black Tech Week 2016! We are thrilled to be the media sponsor of an immersive week-long series of events that brings together the most innovative young minds, creative influences and thought leaders of color to learn from the best, exchange ideas and address common challenges through engaging workshops, thoughtful discussions, and social interchange. This cultural celebration will highlight cutting-edge technologies and entrepreneurial innovation. Black Tech Week kicks off Feb. 15 and runs through Feb. 20 in Miami, FL.
Lioness is introducing you to the fabulous women of the week. Check out the dynamic line-up and their tech credentials below:
Meet the Women of Black Tech Week
ARIEL LOPEZ
Founder, 20/20 Shift
Ariel Lopez is a career coach and entrepreneur with an expertise in digital media and technology. She has experience hiring marketing, advertising, and tech professionals for major brands and emerging startups. She is the founder of 2020Shift, a social enterprise designed to educate minority millennials on hybrid tech careers in AdTech. Her motto is turning passion into profit and helping others to do the same!
BIRAME N. SOCK
Founder of FlyScan, Inc
Birame N. Sock is a successful serial entrepreneur and currently theFounder of FlyScan, Inc, a newly developed Interactive Digital Marketing platform generating offers in realtime based on user’s social network status, location and brand preferences. Birame was the Founder of Third Solutions (acquired in 2012) and was the visionary and primary developer of MyReceipts, the leading digital receipts platform. As a result of her successes as an entrepreneur, Birame Sock received the 2010 North American Cartier Women’s Initiative Award, was named by the Huffington Post as one of the Top 2011 Female Tech Founders to Watch, is a member of the Young Entrepreneur Council and the World Entrepreneurship Forum. She has been featured in Marie Claire Magazine, the Miami Herald, Forbes Magazine, the New York Times and Billboard Magazine amongst others and has appeared on CNBC and Good Morning America, and has also spoken at many leading industry events.
DAWN DICKSON
Founder and CEO of Flat Out of Heels
Dawn W. Dickson is a serial entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in marketing and business development. She launched three successful cash flow positive companies since 2002, more recently she founded Flat Out of Heels, LLC, the creator of the innovative Flat Out rollable flat and Solutions Vending International (SVI), the creator of the Flat Out rollable shoe vending machine. As an entrepreneur she has won several awards and accolades for business plan and pitch competitions. Dawn also took home the $25,000 cash prize at Essence Festival 2015 for the PowerMovesNOLA ‘Big Break’ pitch competition. Dawn and Flat Out of Heels/SVI were featured in countless media outlets including Ebony.com, Lexus.com, Fab.com, Rolling Out, The Miami Herald, Women’s World Daily, and the CNBC/Yahoo series ‘The Biz Fix’ with Marcus Lemonis in May 2014. Additionally, Dawn was selected to participate in the NewME Accelerator program in San Francisco and recognized as one of the nation’s top entrepreneurs on the rise. Dawn resides in Miami, FL with her 11 yearold daughter, Nia.
EUNICE COFIE
Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Chemist of Nuekie
Eunice Nuekie Cofie is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Chemist of Nuekie, an innovative health and beauty company for people of color. Eunice was inspired to establish Nuekie after one day in college when her organic chemistry lab professor decided to teach her class how to practically apply organic chemistry to our everyday lives. Her company has garnered many awards such as 2013 Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce Start Up Business of the Year, 2013 Tallahassee/Leon County Technology Commercialization Grant award, and 2012 Access Florida Business Plan Competition. Eunice has been named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, Forbes 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa list, NewU Entrepreneurs/Ford Foundation Fellow, DiverseScholar National Association of Science Writers Diversity Travel Fellow, Florida Commission on the Status of Women’s Florida Achievement Award, Young African Leaders in International Affairs Top 35 Under 35 in Science and Technology list, Scientific American’s “What a Scientist Looks Like” list, 2012 Golden A.C.E Science and Technology award winner, and Tallahassee Democrat’s “25 Women You Need to Know in Tallahassee”. She is also the Founder of the I Am Not Excluded Project, the firstever national public health campaign addressing skin cancer awareness in ethnic minority populations.
JOCELYN BROWN
Managing Partner at Brown Intellectual Property Law Firm
Joycelyn S. Brown is the managing partner at Brown Intellectual Property Law Firm. Joycelyn has extensive experience in intellectual property and business law, as well as federal and state court litigation. After receiving a Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University, Joycelyn worked as an engineer in the semiconductor industry for several years. Joycelyn received her law degree from the University of Miami School of Law where she was a member of the Student Bar Association, Moot Court Board, Mock Trial Team, and the Order of Barristers. Joycelyn went on to serve as a law clerk to Judge Marcia Cooke on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Aside from the practice of law, Joycelyn serves as the PresidentElect of the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. Bar Association. She is also on the Board of Directors for EcoTech Visions, a business incubator and accelerator designed to assist entrepreneurs in creating, planning, and launching green manufacturing businesses in South Florida. Joycelyn is also an adjunct professor at MiamiDade College where she teaches Fundamentals of Law, Legal Writing, and Trial Practice and Appeals.
KATHRYN FINNEY
Founder and Managing Director of digitalundivided (DID)
Kathryn Finney is the founder and Managing Director of digitalundivided (DID), a social enterprise that finds, supports, and trains urban tech entrepreneurs. DID runs the highly successful FOCUS Fellow program, an accelerator/incubator program for black women founders/cofounders of tech enabled companies. In 2013, Kathryn received the Champion of Change Award from the White House for her work increasing inclusion in the tech industry. She also received the New York Business Journal’s Women of Influence Award, SXSW Black Innovator Award, The Grio 100, Ebony Power 100, Black Enterprise “40 under 40” list, and induction into Spelman College’s “Game Changers Academy.” She is a 2016 Eisenhower fellow, a fellowship given to exceptional young global leaders. On February 26, 2015, she was honored by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer with the “Kathryn Finney Appreciation Day.” From 20122014, she served as EditorAtLarge at BlogHer,INC. She was also one of the first lifestyle bloggers and founder of The Budget Fashionista Brand (sold to Speak Media). Kathryn and TBF were featured in over 1000 media outlets, including the TODAY show and the New York Times. The success of TBF has led to the book: How to be a Budget Fashionista (Random House) and partnerships with major brands such as Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, and TJ Maxx. Kathryn is an honors graduate of Yale University where she received numerous awards like the Courtland Van Creed Award, and Rutgers University where she was a member of the USA Today All Academic Team.
MELISSA JAMES
President and CEO of The Tech Connection
Melissa James is President and CEO of The Tech Connection, the premier marketplace for purpose driven, diverse technical talent. She has a strong track record of building high performing teams for elite companies such as Google, Teradata, and local Boston businesses such as RA Capital, and Sample6. At the root of her work is a passion for community service. On top of running her business, Melissa is the founder of the Black Tech Boston Meetup, a platform created to celebrate the impact of technology within African American communities. She has been featured in numerous news outlets such as the Improper Bostonian, Bay State Banner, Boston Herald, and Bloomberg Business. She recently received the U.S. Presidential Service Award and the 2015 Pursuer award from the African Youth Excellence organization for her relentless commitment to the community. Melissa was born and raised in Boston, MA and graduated with honors from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
SIAN A. MARSON
Sian Morson is an entrepreneur, mobile enthusiast, and author. In 2010, Sian founded Kollective Mobile to help other businesses and startups with mobile development and strategy. Sian lectures and speaks at conferences, universities and symposia worldwide including SXSW, ModevUX and the University of Ohio. She also writes about mobile strategy and entrepreneurship for a number of publications. A tireless advocate for equality and diversity in technology, Sian has a keen interest in bridging the digital divide. Apress recently published Sian’s book “Learn Design for iOS,” and her story is featured in the collection of inspirational stories about women in technology “Innovating Women” by Vivek Wadwha and Ferai Chedaya. Her new book Design for iOS with Sketch will be published in December 2015. In 2014, Sian was named one of the top women in tech to follow on Twitter by the Huffington Post, Craig Newmark, and CEO World Magazine.
VIOLA LLEWELLYN
CoFounder and Global COO of Ovamba
Viola Llewellyn is the Chief Operating Officer of Ovamba Solutions, Inc.Ms. Llewellyn oversees the execution of strategy, daily operations, marketing and new business development for Ovamba. She and her team also work closely with investors and African Civil Society Groups. Her previous consulting roles have been in the health care, technology, media, education, security and communications fields. Llewellyn has over 15 years of project management and consulting experience from the technology and Government sectors in the United States.
Don’t miss out! Get your tickets to Black Tech Week today.
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