Disruption Now

Should we ban TikTok? Is it really as dangerous as some say, or is it just a strawman argument to distract us?  Listen to our discussion. Let's hear from James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana.

Group Black is dramatically transforming the face of media ownership and investment. Kerel Cooper is President of Advertising at Group Black, where he leads Group Black's revenue operations, revenue strategy and planning, and insights teams. What You Will Learn Why Black Creators are underpaid for the value they bring Why equitable distribution of Advertising Dollars matters How to Thrive as a Bla...

Joshua Ogundu is an advocate of equity, as he believes that it starts with everyone. The common belief that most successful startup founders began their journey from poverty and worked their way up to the top creates unrealistic expectations and makes true equity harder to achieve. Joshua Ogundu explains why this narrative needs to stop and suggests ways to launch a venture capital-backed company,...

"THE WORLD IS CHANGING FAST, but it doesn't have to be scary." Iliana Oris Valiente (IOV) is an optimist for the future of tech and society. IOV wants to encourage humans to live happy, healthy, and purposefully designed lives in a world of endless possibilities. She believes the key is to embrace the ever-shifting technological trends and chaos, actively shape the future, and thrive together. #di...

Kalista Zackhariyas isn't just envisioning a social media future centered on genuine human interactions – she's crafting it. As the dynamic CEO of SparkSeeker, she's pioneering the way. Learn more at https://sparkseeker.com/

Meet Aswad Thomas , the indomitable Alliance for Safety and Justice Vice President. Once on the cusp of a glittering professional basketball career, a devastating gunshot wound forever altered his destiny. Yet, the injustice didn't end there. In his darkest hour, he was wrongfully labeled a criminal by the system that should have protected him. His is a tale of survival, rebirth, resilience, and r...

As innovations surge forward, so do the questions about A.I.'s inner workings. Our guest on Disruption Now is Javier Viaña Pérez, the co-founder of Rezon.ai and a Postdoctoral Associate at the MIT Kavli Institute of Astrophysics and Space Research. His Ph. D. research revolved around the conception of novel transparent algorithms that provide accurate predictions and human-understandable justifica...

In 2020, over 2 million people were employed by the justice system, with an annual expenditure of a staggering 300 billion dollars in the United States alone. But what has all this investment achieved for victims of crimes? Our guest, Lenore Anderson, is co-founder of the Alliance For Safety and Justice and author of the eye-opening book, "In Their Names: The Untold Story of Mass Incarceration and...

Cessiah Lopez is an Affiliate of the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy. She is a serial entrepreneur & web3 degen with proven experiences in growing small businesses & creating digital products that elevate self-improvement. Holding an LLM from the University of East Anglia, her thesis focused on the applicability of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the Internation...

Diamond Doll is a highly skilled leader who excels at problem-solving and generating effective solutions. Her experience at Microsoft and Juul Labs demonstrates her commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and social responsibility in the workplace. As the founder of NFT CLT , she has taken her expertise and passion for Web3 education and onboarding to the next level, advising organizations on their...

Larry Brinker Jr. is an award-winning entrepreneur, impact investor, and mentor. He serves as Chief Executive Officer and President of Brinker, a group of family-owned and operated commercial construction service companies responsible for over $4 billion in construction projects, which plays a critical role in the transformation and revitalization of Detroit. He also serves as the CEO of the Brink...

Mark is the CEO, co-founder, and chairman of Direct Digital Holdings, a Houston-based and founded adtech company that brings state-of-the-art buy-side and sell-side advertising platforms for clients (specializing in middle-sized markets) under one umbrella. Mark can speak to Direct Digital Holdings’ (DDH) success story and how he and the company are disrupting the adtech industry for companies in...

Tyra joined the Ohio Justice & Policy Center team as a paralegal in Jan. 2018. After several months of successful outreach on OJPC’s behalf, Tyra’s role adapted to better describe her gifts and passion: She became OJPC’s first Community Outreach Strategy Specialist. Before joining OJPC, Tyra spent 23 years incarcerated for murder and robbery, crimes she did not commit. Tyra used her time in pr...

Dr. Topeka K. Sam spent time in federal prison and, upon her release, vowed to fight on behalf of the women she left behind. Topeka founded The Ladies of Hope Ministries, whose EPIC Vision is to End Poverty and Incarceration of women and girls globally. She was among the first to publicly highlight Ms. Alice Marie Johnson’s story and fight for her freedom, first during the Obama Administration’s h...

MNTN (pronounced Mountain) built the first-of-its-kind, self-serve software for buying connected TV that puts performance first. The MNTN platform makes it easy for brands to buy connected TV ads across the top 150 streaming networks like Discovery+, ESPN, CNN, Hulu, PlutoTV and more. Intuitive Self-Service Platform: MNTN’s platform makes it easy to buy, manage, optimize and measure your CTV campa...

Darnell Smith is a CPG and alcohol industry veteran and cannabis entrepreneur, innovator and advocate. Smith is the founder and CEO of MXXN, a non-alcoholic, cannabis-infused spirits brand that is evolving today’s cocktail culture and disrupting the alcohol and cannabis industry. MXXN is the first product launch of MOJO Ventures, which is part of the digital + creative consultancy MOJO he founded...

Mirthell, is the Founder and CEO of the Onyx brand. For years, he worked as a pastor and marriage & family therapist, but it was his dream to one day work with his family. One day in 2015, he took the giant leap and quit his job; he never looked back since. Now, the family has a multi-million dollar enterprise, which includes a YouTube Original talk show, Onyx Family Dinner (featuring guests s...

Also, the host of the hit podcast, Wrongful Conviction features interviews with men and women who have spent decades in prison for crimes they did not commit, some even sentenced to death. He started his journey to fight the system's injustice last 1993 when he helped a young kid win his case for a non-violence first offense cocaine possession charge for which he served 15 years to life. He also s...

Steve is president, special counsel to the CEO of Comcast Cable. He works with executives on a number of important initiatives, including leadership development, strategic planning, diversity, equality, and inclusion, and digital equality. He has enjoyed many affiliations, including his recent board service with Hormel Foods, Shaw Communications, and W.W. Grainger. Steve is active in the academic...

Laws criminalizing HIV must be changed to Cathcart up to facts and science. What you will learn: How Fear Drive modern HIV Laws in Ohio Why Current HIV Laws are against public health Interest How marginalized communities are hurt by HIV criminalization Why current HIV Laws in Ohio aren’t aligned with Science 

 Isoul Harris is the Editor and Chief of EDTION. Edition’s mission to uplift and amplify Black creatives across industries. Isoul brings a vast array of expertise in the space – from serving as a multimedia content producer, to fulfilling award-winning journalist roles in which he was able to tell powerful stories disrupting cultural narrative. Prior to joining EDITION, Isoul served as the editor-...

Kern Alexander is a veteran turned business mogul. Learn about his  unexpected Cannabis journey and how his passion for helping veterans lead to a multi million dollar business. US Military Veteran Kern Alexander discusses how he founded and scaled The Higher Collection, an Oakland-based cannabis distribution and delivery company.  

As Founder and Managing Member of Genesis Companies, Karim oversees the firm and it’s strategic direction. Karim enjoys focusing on forging new partnerships and pushing innovation in our operations and investment approach. Karim’s experience as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs and a private equity investor at General Atlantic Partners, allowed Karim to develop the investment...

Alexys Feaster is the Founder and CEO of The Kinship Advisors, a strategic advisory company launched in January 2021, focused on creating alliances within the sports, entertainment, and other industries, who are committed to personal development, social justice, strategic business expansion and sustaining impact in underserved communities. The Kinship Advisors provides intentional collaboration to...

Phaedra Ellis Lamkins is the CEO of Promise, a payment technology platform that simplifies how people manage government payments like utilities, child support, parking tickets and more by offering customizable plans and providing digital payment options. The organization has secured funding from a wide array of investors including Roc Nation, Starbucks, Bumble, Kapor Capital, XYZ, First Round, and...