Passionate Producer | Program
Developer | Prompt Engineer | Virtual Production Specialist �
Over a decade of dynamic content creation experience fuels my drive to transform ideas into captivating visual experiences. My journey, a continuous evolution, reflects diverse roles that mirror my unwavering passion for innovation and storytelling.
� 2012-2014: Global Impact - As a Sahaja Yoga Yogi and Yuva-shakti, I mentored and taught mental health-aligned spiritual practices across Asia and Europe, impacting communities in China, the Philippines, England, Italy, and Austria.
� Spring & Fall 2018: Guiding Creativity - Presiding as SMC Mediamakers Club President, I empowered students in impactful projects, crafting videos for events like Urban Tech Connect, Digital Hollywood, and AT&T SHAPE. Collaborating with Dakar Foundation honed networking, presentation, and sponsorship skills.
� 2019: Shaping Arts Education - Endorsed by Dakar, I joined LA County Arts Commission's Youth Advisory Council, collecting pivotal data for the Regional Arts Education Plan. Aiding in designing regulations and funding guidelines for K-12 and college-level students.
� 2016-Present: Pioneering with Dakar - Under Dakar Foundation's guidance, I managed media teams, orchestrated event coverage, and conceptualized projects. Evolving into a partnership, I co-founded ETC "Expressive Technology Coalition" with my mentor, fostering innovation in the film and media industry.
� Present: Nurturing Artistry in AI Era - As the co-founder of the Expressive Technology Coalition, my focus lies in safeguarding the human essence amidst the rapid evolution of AI and technology. I conceive programs that honor the soul of art, acting, and expression, seamlessly bridging the chasm between innovation and tradition.
� Empowering Creative Visions - Serving as CEO and Founder of Zelqium Productions, I leverage Unreal Engine and Ai workflows to elevate creative visions. Unleashing the future of film making with green screen-powered virtual production to craft realistic and immersive cinematic experiences. Transmuting raw footage with seamless transitions, dynamic effects, and impeccable sound to produce spellbinding stories. Igniting ideas into blazing visions that are meticulously brought to life! Be it music videos, skits, vlogs, ads, and films, I Strive to Empower Creative Visions.
Born Kayla C. Williams, I am a graduate of Grambling State University. During my time there, I sat in on a few recordings of Grambling’s own talk radio show, KGRM. Though I have never voiced anything on air, I noticed that I developed a spark of interest in the radio culture during this time.
Outside of my main career goal, to become a medical doctor, I always fantasize other ways I can offer my talents in various cultures or communities.
I may be at a disadvantage by not having a background in radio, however, my conscientiousness, sociable personality, and my ability to be autodidactic will bridge the gap. I came to Dakar from the Brother Hood Crusade as an apprentice to move my agenda, and the Brother Hood Crusade’s.
I'm Damone Williams, a California State University Northridge student studying film, television, and graphic design. While as a kid, I imagined myself behind a camera or in the director's chair screaming "action" but these days I'm not so sure. During my time with the Dakar Foundation, I've managed to get some experience shooting and editing footage from events. This coupled with a few of my more recent courses has allowed me to become at least somewhat familiar with the Adobe suite, namely Premiere and Media Encoder. I've also gotten some perspective on the different kinds of jobs there are in the entertainment industry that don't get as much spotlight as a director. So at this stage, I'm just trying to figure things out. I becam the first Dakar apprentice, referred by my professor, Anna Marie Piersimoni , Cal State Northridge University
I’m Mariah. I’m a proud South Central LA scholar, and I’m a pioneer in the filed on IT Cyber-security, as I plan on obtaining all of the skills necessary to master the tools of tomorrow. I graduated from a HBCU, Hampton University where I obtained a Bachelors degree. I advanced my career breceiving a Masters degree in Cyber Security and Leadership from the University of San Diego this past May, 2023.
I’ve been an apprentice with Dakar Foundaton for the past 7 months and I’ve learned accountability, confidence, and collaborative skills in supporting my fellow apprentices,, Damone, JP, Skyler, and Daniel.
The profession I then want to pursue is a Digital Forensics Analyst. What a Digital Forensics Analyst. I want to learn how to apply AI and Machine learning to my profession, as I learn to analyze compromised systems to determine how the incident happened and assist in responding to the attack. They collect data to help with the prosecution of criminals. By this time next year, I plan on being part of an team that creates solution for security breaches, and protecting intellectual property for a client, but in the mean time, I plan on learning, and supporting Dakar in any capacity.
My name is Garren Bercero. Awarded in digital filmmaking at LBCC, I have shot content starting from a young age at 18 when my church would ask me to shoot their events. From there I continued to work on my craft and gain experience through personal relationships and more serious events as I grew older. I am now 25 years old
I grew up in Long Beach, California and attended high school at Long Beach Poly. My father was a photographer who also shot weddings and learned a lot of tips from him growing up. Him and my mom also had me interested in sports as I played volleyball and basketball growing up. I made the team at Poly for volleyball and is one of the best memories I ever made! Very grateful to grow up in Long Beach and living there has made me the person I am today.
As time went on I started to begin an interest in weddings and big events. Weddings are (if not) the best day of a couple’s life and become a big responsibility in capturing such a memorable event. I’ve become more confident within each wedding and continue to grow in my work. I thank one of my best friends and roommate Erik Valenzuela to help me with these events captured. Without him it would be difficult to capture everything going on as a lot happens within minutes of an important memory of someone’s special day.
Then I met Kevin Clark through Erik and have shot 2 concerts so far. Kevin is a marketing genius and works well with us and can’t wait to work on more with him!
Kevin has led this charge with an emphasis on governance for student voice and agency while providing wrap-around services through the Department of Rehabilitation, the City of Los Angeles, and The County of Los Angeles Work-force boards and youth Ambassadors programs. He has sat in special interest groups with employers and CBOs to assist in developing policies to ensure compliance and effective operations for growth in recruiting and outreach for the Governor's goal to reach 500,000 apprenticeships by the year 2029.
Kevin Clark is the designer of a dual registered Department of Labor, and State of California Department of Apprenticeship Standards Apprenticeship program. He represents Black and Brown business, labor, education, economic development, and other local workforce system stakeholders who seek to build bridges to create parity, access, and workforce training dollars and best practices disinvested communities to create a smart-pipeline to high-growth, high-tech careers in non-traditional apprenticeships with an emphasis on STREAM and generative AI and machine learning.
Kevin provides thought leadership in accessing federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs and services of pre-Apprenticeship and apprenticeship in the Arts Media and entertainment sectors. He has been an advocate for youth for over 30 years in the State of California as a public and Private Foundation for 18-30 year old marginalized students K-12 in the 84 LA County System, The 116 community college districts, and the 23 CSU’s in the State of California.
Kevin’s mission is to build a world-class workforce through strategic alliances with business, economic development, education, government, labor, and community organizations that ensure a skilled workforce and a healthy economy in all SPA’s of Los Angeles County.
Kevin Clark has a newly formed group of parties interested in the development and expansion of non-traditional apprenticeship programs. His network of business, educators, workforce professionals, government representatives, and others have joined together to advance the
Tony Baylis is a senior leader, partner, and international advocate for Diversity, Equity, and inclusion (DEI). For over 30 years, he continues to champion access and diversity in scientific and technical environments, operational and business areas. He has worked in project, program, technical, and organizational management, and led the human resources department at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois.
In 2005, he joined the computational directorate at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) as a workforce and student program manager. He was promoted as the Laboratory’s DEI Director in 2013. Currently, he collaborates with LLNL’s senior leadership on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accountability (IDEA) strategies for the organization. He leads and executes LLNL’s efforts to build a more inclusive culture and workforce. He represents LLNL on speaker topics such as DEI, science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) outreach, and K-12 programs. He is also a senior advisor to the Department of Energy Office of Economic Impact and Diversity and serves on several organization committees, nonprofit and academic boards. Tony is responsible for our participation this years event as official press/media, aka Dakar SCOOPS.
My name is Ruben Garcia and yes I used to work for Intel (Legal Department, Developer Relations, Content Group and Online Retail), Acer of America, Adaptec, InterTrust Technologies, Planet Vibe, Dakar Interactive until I formed RubyMoon Studios.
My primary focus these days is business development solutions for small to mid size businesses that seek back office and web based solutions that target mobile customers, e-commerce and marketing on the Internet in general for small retail stores, individuals, artists and targeting streaming media, video and audio.
I also have always been a musician, performing on stage and a composer recording with artists, producing and writing my own songs for my solo recordings and I have written and collaborated with many other artists over the years.
I worked for Acer of American and Intel Corporation early in my career. I formed a small start up, cashed out and have been a consultant and developer for the past decade helping businesses create solutions, mobile apps, media, commercials, products, SEO, more effective web sites, music, films and more.
Ruben has been the CTO of Dakar for over 20 years, and been evangelizing for Dakar on all platforms, known and future.
Shain's desire to give back and show appreciation lead him to becoming an entrepreneur during his youth.
As a child he advanced himself from one paid trade to the next. During his time at Rancho Cucamonga High School, Shain made the decision to pursue a professional career as an entrepreneur.
In 2004 during his junior year in High School, Shain officially started his professional career by becoming a California State Board Licensed Barber Apprentice. After quickly maximizing his potential in this trade, he furthered his professional career after highschool by becoming a Licensed Mortgage Loan officer with Global Equity Lending. After years of mortgage loans and learning the Real Estate market, Shain decided to further his professional career becoming a Licensed Realtor with the California Dept. of Real Estate.
Throughout his business endeavors, Shain learned that Network Marketing was a very effective distribution method as well as a great way to duplicate shared success. After achieving his highest success rate through
Network Marketing in his Real Estate business
During the course of Shain’s involvement with many Network Marketing companies he realized the importance of Online Marketing when striving to achieve high levels of success. After much time and effort studying and practicing Online Marketing, Shain developed the ability to use technology to create systems that would dramatically increase the overall success rate of both Traditional Business and Network Marketing Business also.
Shain’s goal is to help as many individuals and families become financially free and live an overall better life. He’s pasionate about creating leaders that share the same vision of helping people achieve their dreams.
Reena was born and raised in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California by her single mother, who hailed from the Philippines. She learned the values of diligence, persistence, and vision from a young age, which helped her overcome the daily challenges she faced.
Training with three of the strongest acting coach houses, the legendary Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, and with Sanford Meisner Playhouse West, her first acting job was working with the great Aaliyah, on the video production Journey To The Past, leaving her with a lasting impression. Her resume includes feature film roles and hit TV shows such as Married With Children, 7th Heaven, Clueless, Beverly Hills 90210, and iCarly, and national brand commercials for Adidas, Nike, Puma, Coca Cola, Intel, Samsung, Sprint, and others.
Co-writing Reena Clone Blog series sparked her interest in producing, editing, and acting in her own content, writing short stories and feature film length scripts. Earning a BA in Communication Studies and recognized with the 2014 Young Ambassador of Goodwill Award, 2017 Woman of Worth Award and the 2018 Astronaut of the Year Award from Mars Academy USA.
Flowing between her artist ateliers in Los Angeles and England and traveling to experience cultures, food and museums internationally, Tolentino’s style is truly a universal narrative having showcased artworks in contemporary galleries, Stone Malone, Skirball Center, and Wynwood for Art Basel Miami. Passionate about sharing art through public works, Reena’s installations include Hong Kong, Berlin, and personally meaningful large scale mural and billboard tributes for Kobe Bryant on the iconic Love Street and Sunset Blvd in her hometown LA. I n April 2022, Reena became the first Pacific Islander contemporary painter to lecture at Cambridge University at the Conference of Human Analog Space Missions, for analog astronauts in I.C.E space missions, inspiring the creation of The Ordeal, her largest scale painting from her Quantum Entanglement narrative.
Currently RT is developing an Artist in Residency partnership with BNG hospitality and the Revolver Group, as well as, designing immersive art fair experiences in Web 3 and tech activations. Inspired by giving back, Tolentino founded her non profit ARTE Youth Program to develop art in education opportunities for low-income youth.
In 2002, Valorie Jones (she/they) began working in cultural heritage at the University of Southern California's Institute for Creative Technologies, using 3D scanning techniques to virtually reunite the Parthenon and its sculptures. The
resulting depictions of the Parthenon were featured in the Louvre Museum, the 2004 Olympics, PBS’s NOVA, National Geographic, and the IMAX film “Greece: Secrets of the Past”.
Computer-generated worlds, however, only truly come alive when combined with realistic human inhabitants. Val developed new techniques to record dynamic facial and full-body performances with ICT's Academy Award-winning Light Stage, with publications, presentations, and demonstrations at SIGGRAPH and other conferences. These photoreal characters have been used by Digital Domain, MPC, Weta, Activision, and EA for over 15 feature films and games including "Avatar", "Logan" and "BladeRunner 2049".
As part of their Ph.D., Val designed new multi-user 3D display devices that no longer require stereo glasses, winning “Best Emerging Technology” at SIGGRAPH 2007. They later developed computational 3D display prototypes and optics software for MicroLED company Raxium. Val is proudest of their work on Dimensions in Testimony, the world’s first interactive 3D interviews. They led a team using 3D scanning and artificial intelligence to record over 16 interactive Holocaust testimonies for museums around the country.
Val is now CTO at StoryFile, a tech startup designing interactive video conversations to change how we communicate with each other and the past. Val believes that generative AI can make us better communicators and creators while still being true to our authentic selves. They are named as an author on 22 academic publications and 5 patents covering 3D rendering, displays, and interactive video.
Phillip is an award-winning Concept Artist and Artistic Director for film, music video, and television with a career that has spanned 16 years. He is also CEO and Co-Founder of 9B Collective, the first Black Owned Concept Artist Studio made up primarily of BIPOC artists. His client list includes the likes of Warner Bros, Sony, Marvel Studios, Netflix, Fox, Disney, DreamWorks, and many more. His work spans a multitude of blockbuster hits including Marvel’s Black Panther 1 & 2, Maleficent 2: Mistress of Evil, Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, Inception, The Greatest Showman, Jungle Cruise starring Dwayne Johnson, and the highly anticipated upcoming feature, Blue Beetle for WB/DC!!!
He has also Production Designed several music videos for artist such as Ariana Grande, The Black Keys, Panic at the Disco, Tiesto feat. Busta Rhymes, Travie McCoy, Fefe Dobson, Hot Chelle Rae, Saint Motel and the UK band The Blackout. A highlight of his work, in the music industry, is having completed 3 world tours illustrating costumes for Madonna under the direction of Costume Designer Arianne Phillips.
Phillip enjoys dedicating his time to uplifting young artists and giving back to his community. He is a frequent panelist at San Diego Comic-Con and often does talks at Universities like UCLA, USC, FIDM, Cal State Long Beach, Otis, and he travels once a year to Grand Rapids Michigan to participate in The Mosaic Film Experience which caters towards providing education about careers in the Entertainment industry to African American and Latino youths. He also partners frequently with non-profit organizations like The Bric Foundation and has been a seated executive board member of The Costume Designers Guild for the past 10 years.
Phillip currently lives in Valencia, CA with his lovely wife Jessica, daughter Alina (jellybean!), a cat named Frida Klawlo and a miniature Aussie named Cherry.
TRAYCE GIGI FIELDCOSTUME DESIGNER Costume Designer Trayce Gigi
Field is
known for her vibrant tastes in color and her quirky yet fun choices in style and texture. With over 30 credits to her name, her multicultural background helps her see the world from a broad perspective.
Currently, Trayce is costume designing Chuck Lorre’s How to Be a Bookie for HBOMax. In addition to Rian Johnson’s POKER FACE for Peacock, her recent credits include Amazon’s A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, Apple TV+’s THE AFTER
PARTY and Netflix’s DEAD TO ME. In 2021, she was nominated for a Costume
Designers Guild Award for LIONSGATE’S BARB AND STAR GO TO VISTA DEL MAR.
She received acclaim early in her career for her iconic diner uniforms showcased on CBS’s 2 BROKE GIRLS.A native of Los Angeles, Trayce graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM).CDG
Diversity Committee Chairperson NAACP Image Awards Nomination
Committee Member CDG Comic-Con Committee Member
Two-time Emmy winning producer Sasheen R. Artis is Founder/CEO of Plenty of Pie, a curriculum-based talent incubator and media production accelerator that offers a complete ecosystem -- leadership development, practical producers skills training, mentorship, and access to production & distribution resources -- to emerging and mid-career creatives of color.
As former Chair of the Producers Guild of America’s flagship diversity initiative, Power of Diversity Master Workshop, Sasheen experienced firsthand the importance of access, opportunity, and mentorship to successfully navigate the insular world of Hollywood. With a number of Workshop participants finding success -- securing jobs, representation, project funding and critical acclaim, Sasheen is determined to provide a pathway for those who seek leadership roles in the entertainment industry.
For over 25 years, Sasheen has produced film, television, and live events -- including an impromptu Prince concert in five days and two national book tours that garnered two New York Times Bestsellers. Sasheen has worked with such newsmakers and celebrities as President Barack Obama, Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, actor/director Robert Duvall, and director Jonathan Demme. Sasheen’s latest film, Birthing Justice, addressing Black maternal health outcomes, debuted at the Congressional Black Caucus, and screened for 200 countries at the United Nations 1st Session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. It currently airs on PBS.
Invited by HRH Princess Rym Ali and the Royal Film Commission, Sasheen designed and led a week-long seminar for creatives in Amman, Jordan. Named a Wayfinder Foundation Fellow, Sasheen produced a webinar for creatives “Ground Zero: Narratives on Homelessness” to help change the depiction of homelessness in media. Getting her start in Marketing & Creative Services at Paramount Home Entertainment in 1995, Sasheen worked on blockbuster campaigns for Titanic, Mission: Impossible, Braveheart and TV series like Star Trek: The Next Generation and Nickelodeon’s Rugrats.
Sasheen is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the Producers Guild of America, and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Sasheen sits on the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation Digital Media & Entertainment Council.
Sasheen is originally from Harlem, New York and earned her BA in Psychology from Stanford University.
Mitchell James Richmond III is an American former professional basketball player. He played collegiately at Moberly Area Community College[1] and Kansas State University. He was a six-time NBA All-Star, a five-time All-NBA Team member, and a former NBA Rookie of the Year. In 976 NBA games, Richmond averaged 21.0 points per game and 3.5 assists per game.
Richmond was voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014. [2] His jersey No. 2 was retired in his honor by the Sacramento Kings, for whom he played seven seasons. Richmond was a member of the “Dream Team and won a Gold Medal in 1996, and won a championship ring with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2002.
You can now find Mitch @ ww.PlanetRoc.net as a player in decentralized content creation, and digital asset management, and a philanthropist and an activist in academia in Los Angels County, with his 501 © 3, Shane ED
Jay Tucker (’09) is a marketer, educator and technology leader with more than 20 years of experience in the technology, academic and entertainment sectors. At UCLA’s Center for Management of Enterprise in Media, Entertainment and Sports (MEMES), Tucker is responsible for the center’s vision, thought leadership, educational offerings and major events, including the annual PULSE conference and the MEMES Media, Entertainment and Sports Summer Institute.
“MEMES has been at the center of a number of important shifts in the industry landscape,” says Tucker. “We continue to see the rise of digital and internet-based content; the shift to mobile phones and tablets as primary devices for viewing, listening and playing; and new platforms and services that are changing the way people think about entertainment and its value. Our goal is to remain at the center of the conversation as the industry embraces new technologies and business models and finds new ways to monetize entertainment content.”
Previously, Tucker handled marketing and programs at the Institute for Communication Technology Management (CTM) at USC’s Marshall School of Business. He founded Silicon Beach @USC, a two-day event featuring a venture competition and a conference focused on innovation, investment and new ventures related to technology and digital content. He also partnered with executives at OgilvyRED to relaunch their Verge Summit, and with Variety magazine to launch the firstever big data conference in partnership with PwC.
“I am passionate about helping executives and entrepreneurs embrace disruption, drive innovation and build powerful solutions,” says Tucker. A seasoned technology leader, he has taught courses on technology management, technology convergence, digital media and media literacy to professionals at corporations and nonprofit organizations. He also serves on the board of the Southern California chapter of the Society for Information Management (SCSIM) and speaks at academic and industry events, covering digital technologies and media, technology startups and other topics.
Tucker holds an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, an M.A. in instructional and learning technologies from Columbia University, and a dual bachelor’s degree from Stanford University in political science and African and Afro-American studies. He resides in Santa Monica, California.
I’m Ted Milner and the Co-owner of Executive Temps, I have worked with the California Community college system for over 10 years in career preparation and coaching for the last mile in competing for placement in the ceative economy.
I’ve personally placed and been responsible for the career advancement of Emmy Award winning producers who started workin someone’s desk as admin. I’ve placed people at the major studio’s and production companies in Hollywood.
Executive Temps is a staffing and recruiting agency that provides employment services for the entertainment industry. Founded in 1989, Executive Temps offers temporary, contract, temp-to-perm, and permanent positions.
The agency has an interview process that includes resume screening and testing.
Executive Temps is located at 2321 West Olive Avenue, Suite F, Burbank, CA 91506. Their phone number is (818) 563-2939.
One reviewer said that it took over a month of calling Executive Temps daily to get placed at a major network, but that once they were placed, they received consistent well-paid work and made a lot of great contacts.
With over twenty years of experience as an Educator, Dr. Norris Rashe Dorsey is the embodiment of what it means to operate in your gifts. A University of La Verne Leo through and through, Dr. Dorsey has received his Bachelor of Science Degree with an emphasis in Organizational Management, his Master of Business Administration Degree with a Concentration in Information Technology, and his Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership. But more important than his achievements, is the journey that brought him here.
As a student athlete, his innate leadership skills were honed and led to his eventual Transition into Intercollegiate Sports as Head Basketball Coach for the Cal Lutheran Summer League Team (1999-2004). It dawned on him that coaching was simply teaching, on the court, so in 2001 he transitioned into the classroom and first taught Financial Planning and Labor Relations. Immediately, he felt at home in the classroom and became a resource for the Los Angeles Community College System, teaching all things Business Related. He also worked for the California State University System, at their Northridge campus, and for various University of Phoenix locations. As he continued to teach these varied business courses, one question would inevitably keep coming up, “How do you start a business.
Recently, The Dorsey Academy has partnered with various community organizations like: the Los Angeles Urban League, participating as a Keynote Speaker for their African American High School Graduation Celebration. Dr. Norris Dorsey is also a published author with the following credits to his name: The Art of Inclusion: Success Stories of African Americans in the Nonprofit Sector (2005); Financial Accounting Lecture Notes Workbook (2007); and The War on Legal Cannabis: Just Say Yes (2019). 4
He is planning to release more books in the near future. Dr. Dorsey believes that it is his gift to help others to uncover their natural talents, gifts, and abilities. Once they have discovered their unique purpose, each person is obligated to use what makes them special to make the world a better place. As a mentor, Dr. Dorsey has been helping youth and young adults to find their passion and to make an Impact, for decades. His passion is helping, and seeing others succeed is what brings him joy.
Anna Marie Piersimoni is a digital media specialist with experience in web production management, and marketing, committed to bringing innovative approaches to digital media in the arts, entertainment, and education. My focus is on the power of media and art for cultural social, and environmental benefits.
I teach "New Directions in Electronic (Digital) Media at CSUN, which surveys the history of computing and the Internet and basic communications theories and copyright law as a foundation to grasp the ways in which new technology affects our art and industry, from the wearables to gamification and immersive journalism.
As Director of Internet Communications for AFI, I was responsible for web production and Internet-based electronic publishing, eCRM, and supervision of institutional client internet support services. I was the first Director of AFI's Digital Content Lab and contributed to its K-12 Screen Education program.
Before my arrival at AFI, I was a Broadcast Writer/Producer of on-air promotions for network, cable, and public television at ABC Entertainment, E! Entertainment and KCET in Los Angeles. I was nominated for an LA area Emmy and won a cable ACE award.
I have presented at many industry events, including Digital Hollywood, IEEE Semantic Computing in Edutainment, BEA (judge), Promax/BDA, NAB, NAPTE, the Danish Film Institute, BAFTA: A Transatlantic Producers Forum, London.
In 2001, I was chosen one of the Top 100 Internet Executives in Southern California by Digital Coast Reporter. With professional voice-over credits in on-air promotion, I am a member of SAG-AFTRA. Anna Marie has been responsible for recruiting many Dakar Apprentices, and for that we’re humbly thankful.
Dr. Maya A. Beasley is the Founder and President of the T10 Group, an ESG, impact, and DEI consulting firm serving investors and corporations. A sociologist by training, Dr. Beasley is a research professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. She worked as a tenured Associate Professor at the University of Connecticut for eight years, serving on the Board of Advisors for the Africana Studies Institute. She earned her A.B. in sociology from Harvard University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in sociology from Stanford University. Her first book, Opting Out: Why America is Losing out on Its Young Black Elite, was published in November 2011 to rave reviews. She is currently finishing her second book, The Social Portfolio, which examines the occupational portfolios of female and minority professionals in contemporary American society
Dr. Beasley has consulted on a variety of issues in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. She has provided frequent interviews and opinion pieces for various outlets, including Huffington Live, The Baltimore Sun, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today.
Jeff Burke is a three-time UCLA alumnus (B.S., M.S., electrical engineering; M.F.A., film, television and digital media) who has produced, managed, programmed and designed experimental performances, short films, new genre art installations and new facility construction internationally for more than 18 years.
Burke has been a faculty member since 2001. In addition to his role developing technology and innovation strategy at UCLA TFT, his research explores the intersections of the built environment, computer networks and storytelling — in particular, how artists can participate in shaping the emerging digital means that they used to tell stories.
In 2004, Burke co-founded UCLA TFT’s Center for Research in Engineering, Media and Performance (REMAP), a collaboration with the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, which combines research, artistic production and community engagement. At REMAP, Burke’s research has been supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and NEA, Intel, Cisco, Trust for Mutual Understanding and the MacArthur Foundation, among others. From 2006 -2012, he was area lead for participatory sensing at the NSF Center for Embedded Networked Sensing, helping to define a new application arena for mobile device
Since 2010, he has been a co-PI and application team lead for the Named Data Networking project, a multi-campus effort supported by the NSF and an international consortium to develop a future Internet architecture, most recently supported through a joint Intel/NSF award for research on advanced platforms for augmented reality. In 2014, he received a three-year Google Focused Award on the “Future of Storytelling,” for work that will explore the intersection of storytelling and coding through research and production of original, interdisciplinary digital media works at UCLA TFT.
Burke was profiled in the UCLA Optimist campaign and is currently working on Entropy Bound, an original play incorporating machine learning, introduced in this UCLA Magazine article.
