Out On The Town: Super Bowl 50 | $75M Donation to SF General | MoAD Opening Reception and more.....

Feb. 19. Super Bowl 50 Business Connect @ Scottish Rite Auditorium, Oakland, CA.  This Business Connects links the Bay Area's diverse business community to contracting opportunities to Super Bowl 50, the largest annual sporting event in the world.  This year it takes place in our own backyard, at Levi Stadium on February 7, 2016 and there will be weekof events starting Feb. 2nd.  The Business Connect 's goal is to increase contract opportunities for minority, women, disabled veteran and the LGBT owned business enterprises to conduct Super Bowl business. The application deadline  to be considered for these Super Bowl contracts is April 30th and you must have be certified.  Details and application process can be found at Super Bowl 50 Business Connect.  And go!

 

 

Feb. 12.  Hearts After Dark, A fundraiser for San Francisco General Hospital Foundation. 

Hearts After Dark brings takes place at AT&T Park and over 1,000 young professionals gather under a covered tent with music, complimentary drinks, unlimited desserts and the best small bites from various San Francisco restaurants.  The atmosphere of celebration is in the air given the recent announcement of a $75M donation to the hospital from Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook CEO) and his wife Priscilla Chan.

This event, in combination Heroes & Hearts, generates the Foundation’s largest source of unrestricted revenue which is used for improved patient care and have the potential to develop sustainable funding.   Read more about Hearts After Dark. {Photo: Franchesca Allan, 7x7 Magazine (Middle)}

 

Feb. 12. Ernst & Young's Annual Black History Month Executive Roundtable.  It's a rare chance to have a fireside chat with C-Suite executives to hear their journey of how they landed their positions.  EY creates a platform for young professionals and veteran executives to hear these dynamic and inspirational stories.  Through panel discussions, the audience heard stories of the career paths and achievements of several successful Black professionals, while participating in thought-provoking discussions and taking advantage of an abundant networking opportunities.  Moderator: Gracelyn Hodge – Partner, EY. Panelists: Daniel Boggan, Jr. – Interim Chief Executive Officer, Alameda Health System. Sheila Talton – CEO, Gray Matter Analytics, James White – CEO, Jamba Juice.

 

Feb. 3.  MoAD's Opening Reception - Artist Marie Johnson Calloway: Legacy of Color.  MoAD's exhibits are becoming more and more intriguing for me and certainly their opening receptions of new exhibits are 'must attend' events.  I had NO idea the legendary, talented and very graceful Marie Johnson Calloway was not only an Oakland resident, but the most exhilarating 94 years young woman I've ever met.  All the stops were pulled when celebrating Ms. Calloway's exhibit, 'Legacy of Color', during this opening reception and more than 300 attendees were thrilled to meet Ms. Calloway and happy to see many of her friends including Belva Davis, Willie Brown, Anette Harris, Pam Moore and the list goes on.

From vibrant painting to textile assemblage, Marie Johnson Calloway (b. 1920) uses various media and techniques to convey her experience as a Black female artist. Inspired by her family and the Bay Area, Calloway represents the rhythm and spirituality of Black life through color. With a life spanning over nine decades, Calloway’s contributions are celebrated as an educator and an artist.  Over the years, the artist has been actively involved in civic and civil rights activities, such as serving as president of San Jose, CA branch of NAACP, frequent lecturer and advisor on art and civil rights issues, participant in the Selma March, and serving on numerous civic and human relations advisory committees as well as public art selection committees.

Marie Johnson Calloway's exhibit is open at MoAD until April 5th. You will miss a treat if you don't see it before it's gone.  And go!

Photos from MoAD Opening Reception by Glass House Communications.

"Want more? Visit the THE BUZZ  for events and photos at theREGISTRYBayArea.com"

Out On The Town: Rev. Jesse Jackson - Holiday Parties - MoAD, Diversity Council and more. It's Round-Up Time Again - Dec. 15th

Dec. 6th - Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) Re-opening.  After six months of construction and renovation, costing close to $1.3 million, patrons can now enjoy a refurbished entryway, which has been transformed into a multipurpose space with more natural light, as well as an L-shaped hallway that’s been reworked into an Emerging Artists Gallery. On the museum’s second floor, two previously permanent exhibitions have been replaced to make room for two new galleries, a performance space, and a small theater. There were speeches from Executive Director Linda Harrison, Harvard Professor Dr. Alejandro de la Fuente, Los Angeles artist Lava Thomas and City Administrator Naomi Kelley. There is no party without The Honorable Willie L. Brown Jr., who officially announced MoAD's status as a Smithsonian Affiliate which gives it access to the larger museum’s exhibitions and works. Visit MoAD and enjoy its two current exhibits: “Lava Thomas: Beyond,” which focuses on a local artist, and “Drapetomania,” a survey of the Afro-Cuban Grupo Antillano. {Photo Vanessa Mason (MoAD Vanguard), Brenda Wright (Wells Fargo and Former MoAD Board President) and Tyra Fennell (MoAD Vanguard)

Dec. 6th - Winter Wonderland Holiday Party - MoAD Vanguard - The MoAD Vanguard is a young professional organization dedicated to fostering a long-term commitment to the Museum of the African Diaspora.  The Vanguard advances MoAD’s mission by hosting a variety of distinctive social, educational, and philanthropic events. Every year the party is held at MoAD and this year was even more exciting given the newly renovated space.  The 'plushed-out' winter white entrance definitely gave guests the feeling of class and elegance and the greeting they received from the Vanguard Leadership Team was outstanding.

A SOLD OUT event with close to 300 party-people, you can rest assured the complimentary alcohol and food were draws to be in the house, while, from my observation, a nice handful were very interested in the exhibits and went through the treasure hunt and enjoyed the 3rd floor exhibit. 

It was endearing to see so many bringing toys to donate to those less fortunate.  Although these donations entered guests into a raffle to win some 'fan-tastic' gifts, I could tell the spirit of giving was much more important to them.

Don't dare show up without wearing  'show-stopping' attire.  The ladies and gentlemen came ready for the camera and for some it was a 'mini' photoshoot session.  You could tell who took hours 'to figure it out' and those who just have it like that 'effortlessly'.  I knowwwwwwwwwwww, you're asking where is a photo of me and my 'smashing pink to-die-for dress'. LOL.  Well as you can see I was the photographer on this particular night, as for just about all the events I attend.  But don't fret, I did not disappoint, hehehe.  And go!

{Photo: Ingrid Roseborough, MD - Rahel Marsie-Hazen - Meaghan Mitchell.  Vanguard MoAD Leadership Council Member}.  I serve on the Advisory Council of MoAD Vanguard.

Dec. 9th - CA Diversity Council - San Francisco Chapter - End of Year Mixer.  I am SUPER EXCITED to be appointed as the Board VP for the CA Diversity Council, San Francisco Chapter. Our end of year mixer was held at PG&E in San Francisco and the energy in the room was high and promising  Organized in 2009, the California Diversity Council (CADC) is committed to fostering a learning environment for organizations to grow and leverage their knowledge of diversity.  Our next meeting is January 13th at Golden Gate University and whether you're a member or not, please feel free to attend and get to know us.  Upcoming Events: March 10 - Women in Leadership Symposium.   June 2nd - CA Diversity & Leadership Conference.  To join our email list and get updates on all events, just send me an email - yanad@glasshousepr.com.  Done and Done!

Dec. 10th - Intel Hosts Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Push Coalition.  Rev. Jesse Jackson has been demanding higher employment for blacks, Latinos and women in tech companies and Intel stepped up to the plate to host an honest conversation around the work they've been doing in this space for more than 10 years.  Rosalind L. Hudnell, Intel, VP Human Resources - Chief Diversity Officer - Video.  Tech companies have been targeted by the Rainbow Push Coalition, founded by Rev. Jackson, for not employing enough people of color at their companies.  Following pressure from the group, some companies like Google, Twitter and Facebook released employee diversity data which showed that their employees in the U.S. were predominantly white followed by Asians.  For many, as you can imagine, this was not a surprise, but rather just a larger disappointment of the reality.  We are far beyond the excuse of 'the talent among these diverse groups cannot be found' or 'these diverse groups are not applying for the jobs'.  When you have intentional targeted recruitment at, for instance non-HBCU colleges and/or predominately European population high schools, then yes your workforce would exhibit the same. 

Many of my colleagues who attended and several new friends I made at the event, are very anxious to 'see' the steps that are being taken to bridge this disparity, moving the dial beyond the 'conversation' to action, implementation and reported numbers that prove the same.  So many are hiding behind the 'it takes time' to develop the culture, get those at the top on board, and you can fill in the blanks on the rest.  However, I am very optimistic, and the results are already showing, that Rev. Jesse Jackson's efforts and passion behind this movement will hold those accountable to make the changes happen, not just for a time, but for the culture of these tech companies - Having Diversity and Inclusion is Having Good Business Sense.  Author: Y'Anad Burrell

{Photo #1: Rev. Joseph Bryant, Jr., West Coast Rainbow PUSH Tech Director.  Rev. Jesse Jackson, Founder.  Janice Mathis, Esq., VP Rainbow Push/Director, Atlanta Regional Office.  Martin King, Esq., Chairman, Rainbow PUSH Coalition}

{Photo #2: Linda Parker Pennington,  Talent & HR Advisor, Tech Futures Group