Tag: AfroTech

F.I.V.E Questions with Kami Simmons, Host & Producer, Noire TV

1. What were your biggest takeaways from the AfroTech 2018 conference?

Overall, my biggest takeaway from AfroTech 2018 conference was gaining tools to continue to work one’s plan. Learning more about prototyping tools for apps and web-based applications that founders use was a key part of learning how one can continue to work their plan. Also, connecting with people was another key factor.

In addition to meeting others, I think it is very important for one to see how they can genuinely serve the other person who they are connecting with and vice-versa. Key questions to ask oneself as they challenge themselves to have this mindset are: how can I solve the other person’s problems with the gifts and talents that I have? What does the other person really want? What other ideas and other new things can I bring to the table? What does this specifically look like? I believe all of these questions will help one see how they can overall better help the other person with your goals in mind.

2. What inspired you to pursue this career path and what is the most exciting thing about what you do (besides meeting Michelle Obama)? Why is it important for us (African-Americans) to tell our own stories and control our narratives?

What inspired me to pursue this career path as a media journalist, on-air media personality and network producer, is being able to continue to entertain, engage and inspire people through the video and other creative content that I produce. Not only on television, but also on social media channels and OTT networks. The most exciting thing that I do every single day is create content. The second thing, of course, would be meeting the former First Lady of the United States, Ms. Michelle Obama. I worked for her and her White House staffers during the Obama Administration, working on her Let Girls Learn Initiative and Leadership and Mentorship program. It is important as Blacks to tell our own stories and control our narratives because who else would be better to tell it? We are continuing to make a change in the social, political, economic and many other spaces. My goal is to continue to tell these stores in the technology, entertainment, and lifestyle space.

3. What’s your next milestone or goal that excites you the most and why is it important that you hit that milestone?

The next goal that excites me that most are continuing to produce work as an on-air host and video content producer for technology and lifestyle brands. I strongly believe brands within this space have an opportunity to expand and grow their brands in this capacity. I’m already in conversation with some media and news companies within the digital, TV network and OTT space. If you are reading this and are interested in learning more about bringing me on to help expand and grow your technology app, web-based platform, media and news company and or lifestyle brand, I would also be happy to talk more about what this looks like. It is important that I hit this milestone so that I continue to produce intimate and organic experiences for viewers that allow them to be engaged, entertained and educated by the content that they consume.

4. As a journalist covering a variety of stories, what is the most heartwarming or moving story you’ve covere?

As a media journalist, on-air media personality and network producer, I focus on covering stories in technology, entertainment, and lifestyle. The most moving story that I’ve covered was through a bite-sized segment and report that I produced. It was on a young motivational speaker and trainer who was also officially named as the former assistant coach to rapper Drake during the NBA All-Star game, who goes by the name Demarjay Smith.  

I continue to produce bite-size segments and reports for television networks, social media platforms, technology app, and web-based companies, OTT networks and more.

I also had the pleasure to produce in-the-field shoots at events such as the AfroTech 2018 summit:

5. What is the best piece of actionable advice you’ve received that continue to be a source of inspiration in good times and challenging times?

The best piece of actionable advice is to study your craft and be ready so that you don’t have to get ready! When preparation meets opportunity. In other words, when that opportunity does come, you are ready. So many people are so quick to say this but don’t expand on what this mindset really means. I would encourage professionals in all industries to ask themselves: what do you want to do? What are three goals that you want to accomplish to reach that main thing that you want to do? How are you going to achieve each of these goals? What do those steps look like? Set deadlines for each of your steps. These will look different for everyone, but at the core, these questions are essential. For me, I’m reading and writing every day, connecting with people on and offline, editing and posting videos, doing voice exercises, praying, getting to know myself more in the process, and doing it all over again.

16 Lessons from AfroTech 2018

When was the last time you basked in inspiration? For me, it was last week at the AfroTech conference in San Francisco, CA organized by the talented folks at Blavity. Being in a room filled with black executives, techies, creatives, movers, shakers, leaders, and learners felt right. I couldn’t have envisioned a better return on my time. I attended a few sessions in between networking and recruiting for Amazon. Below are 16 lessons I captured:

1. Daymond John, star of the hit TV Show – Shark Tank, delivered the closing keynote. He shared his 5 Shark Points inspired by his journey in building FUBU and his other successful ventures. Below are the summarized versions of the five points:.

  1. Set a goal. Goal setting is a tried and tested method of achieving great results. Goals give you direction and the ability to say no to things that don’t align with your goals. When you have clear goals, you can also come back to them when things get fuzzy or you take a wrong exit.
  2. Do your homework. Innovation can be finding new ways to deliver something so it’s better, faster, or lighter that what exists in the market today.
  3. Love what you do. When you love what you do, you make sacrifices. You also tend to take a long-term approach.
  4. Remember you are the brand. Can you summarize your personal brand value proposition in 2-5 sentences?
  5. Keep swimming, and remember to take care of your health. Get your health regular checkup because health is wealth. It’s hard to run the world from a sick bed.

2. In Everette Taylor’s talk, he encouraged the audience to resist impostor syndrome. He challenged everyone to believe in themselves, and just start and iterate as they grow.

3. According to Everette, one of the biggest mistakes startups make is forgetting to build a great product that solve specific customer problems. If you’re pushing a crappy product, no matter how good of a salesperson you are, you will not be successful in the long run.

4. Surround yourself with the right people because you’re only as strong as the people around you.

5. Do not underestimate the expertise you’re building in your current role. Find ways to turn your expertise into consulting engagements and start building clients on the side.

6. You know what’s as cool as entrepreneurship? Intrapreneurship. According to Wikipedia, Intrapreneurship is the act of behaving like an entrepreneur while working within a large organization. Rovina and Kim from Amazon captured this in their talk of how they built Amazon’s Textures and Hues by obsessing about the customer and applying Amazon’s leadership principles along the way. If you’re looking to embody the intrapreneurial spirit, they suggest you consider these thought starters to help you come up with ideas:

    • What is a customer experience that you repeat often?
    • Where are the pain points in the process?
    • Try to list ideas to eliminate these challenge
    • One of those ideas could turn into a thriving business

7. The founder of CodePath.org, Michael Ellison, implored the audience to work with people who are so good they intimidate you. And if an experience intimidates you, that’s a good thing.

8. Persistence is key to enhancing your ability to have more luck..

9. Paris Benson, founder of Wizely Financial, stressed the importance of having a board of directors. As a founder, the board is meant to hold you accountable not to be your friend. When selecting your board, strive to get diversity in thought which should include a mix of technical, operational, and financial experience.

10. It’s good idea to have a board member who is not an investor so they can provide an un-biased view.

11. Entrepreneurs should not trade equity for a short-term gain. Long term thinking is key to building lasting value.

12. It was encouraging to see the number of companies that attended AfroTech with the goal of recruiting. According to Sacha Thompson, Inclusion Marketing Lead at AWS, companies should go where diverse talents are. If you don’t have the pipeline, build the pipeline.

13. Many of the speakers had a common theme of defining what success means to you and not what the world says. Success shouldn’t come at the expense of your health or personal relationships.

14. Learn how to delegate so you don’t feel burnt out.

15. If you ever find yourself being the only one that looks like you in a professional setting, it’s your responsibility to do something about it. For example, you could find someone to mentor or refer someone to your company.

16. Hip hop is good for business. According to one of the attendees I spoke to, it was refreshing to hear a Drake song next to a Microsoft recruiting booth, and it wasn’t weird to dance up to the booth with your resume.

See you next year at AfroTech 2019 in Oakland, CA.