Berry Gordy - The Man Behind the MOTOWN Sound

It’s August 18, 2014, 11:30 a.m. and Oakland’s Civic Plaza is packed with people waiting anxiously to see Mr. Berry Gordy emerge on stage to greet everyone.  Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson has proclaimed BERRY GORDY DAY in Oakland, California and the community could not be more excited and thrilled.  If that was not enough, the town is on fire about MOTOWN THE MUSICAL, adding yet another epic endeavor by the genius himself, Mr. Berry Gordy.

Mr. Gordy graced our presence looking ‘dapper’, as usual, wearing one of the most stylist pin-stripped baby blue suits one has seen a 84-year young man rock.  He is all smiles, in great health and happy to be in Oakland for the celebration.  Just about every elected official in Oakland from Congresswoman Barbara Lee to Fire Chief Teresa Deloach-Reed were in attendance in recognition of a man who gave the nation evergreen music that has yet to be compared.  Recognitions and acknowledgements from the Senate House to local government agencies were given to Mr. Gordy and he even received a ‘key’ to the City of Oakland, presented by Mayor Jean Quan.

The crowd then enjoyed several live performances from the casts members from Motown The Musical singing hits from Diana Ross, The Temptations and more.  The musical is currently playing at the Orpheum Theater in San Francisco, August 15^th – September 28^th.  Don’t miss it!

Diverse & Dynamic - An Emmy Nomination Celebration

When TV stars and industry executives arrived to the Dynamic & Diverse 66^th Emmy Awards on August 12th, they were not only celebrating the year’s biggest small screen accomplishments but said they were welcoming the “new golden age of television.” The event, held at the Television Academy in North Hollywood, highlighted every form of diversity.  Jason George, who serves as chair of SAG-AFTRA’s diversity advisory committee said that the differences should be enjoyed rather than seen as something that keeps us apart.

The celebration not only highlighted actors, but also showrunners and executives who make their appearances on the show possible. Many pointed to “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal” creator Shonda Rhimes for expanding the opportunity for people of diverse backgrounds.  For many of the night’s attendees, more diversity could be achieved on both TV and film. “Scandal’s” Jose Morton said there have been strides but there needs to be greater diversity in the storylines.

The Dynamic & Diverse event is in its second year, sparked last year by Kerry Washington’s nomination for lead actress in a drama series. Organizers said they wanted to once again set aside an evening to take note of diversity on television.  George closed the night’s speeches by excitedly announcing that Dynamic & Diverse celebration would now become an annual event during Emmy season.

And go!

10th Annual Fashion On The Square WEEK - A Huge Success!

The 10^th Annual Fashion On The Square (FOTS) WEEK ended on July 27, 2014 with a finale runway show at the InterContinental Hotel in San Francisco that did not disappoint.  The goal of FOTS Week was not only to showcase the best in fashion here in the Bay Area and honor trailblazers in the fashion and art industries, but it was a fundraising effort for FOTS+The Arts, a non-profit organization that gives grants and scholarships to students in the fashion industry who blend fashion and art in their work, whether it’s on the runway or in a visual representation. 

On Saturday, July 19^th FOTS Week kicked-off with a surprise FashMob in the middle of Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco.  A Sacramento dance troupe was a pleasant surprise to people standing around waiting for the ‘free summer music series’ to begin and the crowd really began to gather when they saw more than 15 models create an outdoor runway on the pavement in the middle of the gardens.  Even children who were not part of the fashion show found their way to the runway to take part in the festivities.  We were in, out and done all under 10 minutes. It was epic. 

On Saturday, July 20^th at Imagine Affairs in Oakland, the FOTS+The Arts Awards and Fashion Show was a phenomenal event and the awardees and attendees certainly made their red carpet attire appearances in style. From the vintage look in fashion by La Belle Moi (Ronita Wheatfall) to enjoying classical pianist and honoree Marcus McCauley, the evening was one that the Bay Area has never experience and it left everyone wanting more and more.  Other honorees who received FOTS+TheArts awards were Brownie Sims, Teresa Washington, Tevia Gray and Nana Kofi Nti.

On Wednesday, July 23^rd a VIP and Sponsor Appreciation Reception took place at the Jenkins Johnson Gallery in San Francisco and it was no stopping the designers that evening as they did not hold back on what they wanted everyone to see.  Guests, including FOTS Fashion Icon Awardee Wilkes Bashford and media mogul Dexter Davis, enjoyed sneak peeks from each designer of one of their signature looks that was going to be shown on the runway.  To add more enjoyment to the festivities, it was an entertainment surprise when ballerina Amanda Whipple tip toed her way down the staircase to the lower level of the gallery performing a very energetic routine while guests were nibbling on delicious miniature cupcakes and sipping Apple Pie wine by SF MEAD.

W San Francisco partnered with FOTS for their Inspire Series Luncheon on Thursday, July 24^th and the guest speaker Caity Shreve, Fashion, Fun and Fitness Blogger.  Caity shared amazing tips on ‘Work-Wear’ and it was enlightening to hear the tips and tricks of the best dress when transitioning careers and fitting into a new environment in the workplace.  It warmed my heart when W’s General Manager presented me with the W Inspire Award.  So excited!

The weekend of fashion, fashion and more fashion took place July 25^th at W San Francsico with Fresh Faces of FOTS, July 26^th on Maiden Lane with the children and teen show which included two adult wear designers and then the finale show on July 27^th at the InterContinental Hotel.  Throughout the entire weekend, more than 5,000 people enjoyed FOTS fashion and it was amazing how the FOTS+TheArts t-shirts sold like crazy the entire weekend.  Designers included Cindy Quach, Rachel Riot, Christina Morgan Cree, Lauren Barisic, Ricky Lee, Jake Wall, Sebastian Threadz, Jordan Epstein, Soazig Kaam, Wesley Yu, Wenting Tina Yu, Kanyarat Tapeneeyakorn and others.

There is always very little time between ending a FOTS year and preparing for the next year.  The 10-year journey has been a solid stepping stone for what is ‘to come’ and the only common denominator that you will find in FOTS 2015 is ‘it will happen’.  Rest assured what is to come for FOTS and FOTS+TheArts next year is nothing that has been seen or done before.  And go!

Press Coverage of FOTS Week: Wear Your Voice {Pre FOTS} Wear Your Voice - FOTS+TheArts Awards FaFaFoom

Fashion Flash Mob - KICK-OFF Event - 10th Annual Fashion On The Square Week

The 10th Annual Fashion On The Square Week KICK-OFF event happens today, July 19th, at Noon at Yerba Buena Gardens (outdoors in the middle of the garden) with a FASHION FLASH MOB.  It was intentionally announced via social media today, 11 am - Noon as a surprise.  Hope you are near the area to join us.

The festivities continue all this week with events: July 20th: FOTS+TheArts Awards & Fashion Show at Imagine Affairs, Oakland, CA; July 23rd: VIP Sponsor & Supporter Reception at Jenkins Johnson Gallery; July 24th: W Inspire Series w/Caity Shreve; July 25th: Fresh Faces in Fashion, W San Francisco; July 26th: Children/Teens & Adult runway fashion show; and July 27th: event to children and teens rock'n the runway to the grand finale event on July 27th.  Visit fashiononthesquare.com for a complete schedule and tickets.  Purchase today as they are limited and will sell out!

See you on the runway!  And go!
Photo Credit: Crochet Couture which will be showing on the runway at FOTS.

BuildUp Continues The Conversation on Diversity in Technology

Are we having the honest and ‘elephant in the room’ conversations when it comes to Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) in the technology industry?  D&I is a buzz word these days, but who is ‘really’ doing something about making impact in this space and moving the dial in our own backyards before trying to tackle the ‘global game’.  On June 24^th, BUILDUP, a global impact firm designed to connect, mentor and educate technology entrepreneurs across the world, is spearheading that conversation and they started with bringing technology and D&I professionals under one roof at Impact HUB Oakland.  The panelists were: Barbara Williams, Director of Diversity & Inclusion at Oracle, Leah McGowen-Hare, Master Technical Instructor at Salesforce, Sarah P. Stuart, Manager – Global Diversity & Talent Inclusion at Google, Kiva Wilson, Diversity Program Manager at Facebook, Cedric Brown, Managing Partner at Kapor Foundation for Social Impact, Amy Schapiro, Director at CODE2040, Samantha O’Keefe of TechCrunch and the panel moderator was Kritina Omari, General Partner at BUILDUP.

Close to 100 people packed the room in anticipation of hearing from these technology and diversity leader professionals and the information they shared was insightful, hopeful and more importantly relatable. 

Kiva Wilson mentioned that the reason Facebook has not made their Diversity numbers public to date had everything to do with the company focusing internally on the dialogue and efforts  that are being made to ensure they are being impactful and effective when it comes to Diversity and further identifying their culture in that space.

Barbara Williams made it clear that she was on the panel representing her own views and not those of Oracle. With that said, her remarks started with that “unspoken” yet ‘wandering” question about being hired to ‘fill a quota” as opposed to because of your talents.  Barbara’s light hearted comment about a company getting a “2fer” when hiring a woman who is African American caused for laughter among the audience but at the same time it appeared to be very relative as though everyone In the room knew of it either happening to them or to someone they knew.

Cedric Brown gave a very pointed and effective solution to what needs to happen to move the dial on creating an inclusive technology ecosystem and he framed it as the 4P’s: Perception: as Oakland’s journey of thriving in the ‘tech’ space and becoming an attractive city to technology companies, investors and corporations, making sure Oakland kept the essence and origin of what the city is known as - ‘Soul by the Bay’; Partnership: collaborations are critical as no one corporation, individual or group can make a significant impact without support from the leaders in the technology industry; Pipeline: there has to be an intentional effort to not only just build a pipeline of talent but ensure there is diversity within that pool of individuals who are tapped for success; and Policy: there has to be policy around affordable housing in Oakland to even begin to get the attention of a diverse pool of technology talent who want to live, work and start families in the city.

So what’s next?  Where do we go from here?  Who is going to spearhead the ‘next conversation’?  Inquiring minds what to know.  And go!

For more information about BUILDUP visit www.buildup.vc

Motown The Musical - A Sneak Peek - SHN Orpheum Theater

I was determined to be on time for the 'sneak peak' of Motown the Musical at the Orpheum Theater yesterday.  From dodging $30 parking lots to backing up quickly to grab the last 'free meter on the street',  "I guess you'd say, what could make me feel this way".....MOTOWN!  As a child, I remember my Dad, who was a professional DJ at the time, had the hundreds of albums that were stacked on racks upon racks in the home, and the most memorable vision were those albums that had the 'blue, red and yellow' label.  More than 2000 people packed the theater in great anticipation of the performance and KBLX's own Nikki Thomas kicked things off with a ton of energy and excitement. She was definately in her Diana Ross moment, big hair and all.

Talk about 'evergreen' music, the stellar performance by the cast members took us down memory lane from singing Dancing In The Streets,  Diana Ross' To Love Again and the Temptations' I've Got Sunshine On A Cloudy Day to the point of a standing ovation. Then to watch the reenactment of Berry Gordy, Jr. and Diana Ross fall in love in Paris was 'butterfly fluttering' and you absolutely felt you were right there with them.

We know music is the bridge for all languages, cultures and even generations and this musical, as Motown Musical Director Charles Randolph Wright said last evening, has come at the right time for this nation.  Motown music inspires, gives hope, manifests dreams and brings back the memory of the Good Times.  Many times we have to be reminded of the simple things in our own lives which are, to so many others, a life of prosperity and abundance.

The San Francisco tour opens August 15th at the SHN Orpheum Theater and the tickets are definitely going to SELL OUT.  Go online and purchase your tickets now or else! And go!

Purchase Tickets

Kali 8 Productions/Kali Films and D Street Pictures to Co-Produce ‘GPS…’

(June 3, 2014 - New York City) Kali 8 Productions/Kali Films, the production company behind the critically acclaimed documentary “Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth” with appearances by Steven Spielberg, Whoopi Goldberg, Peter Guber and many more notables and directed by UK raised, Kenyan born director Pratibha Parmar, (“Nina’s Heavenly Delights”), has join forces to co-produce the romantic comedy ‘G.P.S….I Love You’ written my Ellen Gavin.

‘G.P.S…I love you’ is set to start production in Los Angeles in early 2015. It tells the story of Liberty Sanchez, an Irish/Latin American radio traffic reporter who sees her job as dead-end until she meets a charming, successful and socially conscious British entrepreneur who motivates her to do more, whilst having to deal with an overbearing boss and a friend who may or may not have her best interest at heart.

Parmar is at the helm to direct and had this to say about the collaboration.  “We are thrilled to be working with Dexter Davis who fell in love with the screenplay immediately, matching our own enthusiasm. I am excited about directing GPS…I Love You, a cinematic love song to the city of Angels.”

Dexter Davis will serve as Executive Producer and is CEO of D Street Media Group, the parent company behind D Street Pictures who will co-produce. “D Street is fortunate to have acquireed US theatrical rights for Pratibha’s beautiful documentary on the life, times and contributions of one of America’s most beloved literary giants, Ms. Alice Walker. To have the opportunity to co-produce Pratibha’s next film, ‘G.P.S…I love You’ which is a hilarious and quite relevant RomCom is icing on the Cake. We couldn’t be more thrilled.”

About D Street Media Group

Headquartered in New York City with offices in Berlin and Buenos Aires, is the holding company for D Street Releasing, D Street Pictures, D Street Medievertriebe GmbH in Germany and Americine SRL in Argentina. D Street Pictures’ The Reception, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2005 and the 2010 award winning Rivers Wash Over Me, played at more than thirty film festivals. Both films were distributed by Strand Releasing. In 2013 the company produced the Afrikaans film Music in the Background directed by Sallas de Jager and Somewhere Slow directed by Jeremy O’Keefe, starring Jessalyn Gilsig (Glee, Nip/Tuck) Robert Forster (Olympus has Fallen,The Descendants, Jackie Brown) and Denise Grayson (The Social Network, Citizen Jane) to be released by Screen Media in January 2014.  The company’s 2014 slate includes the international heist film The Blue Mauritius directed by 2014 Golden Bear nominee Edward Berger and starring Tony Award winning actress Anika Noni Rose (The Prince and the Frog, Dreamgirls) British star Ashley Walters (Get Rich or Die Tryin, Speed Racer) Amr Waked (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Syriana) and Latin American superstar Natalia Oreiro.  D Street is also executive producing and distributing Brazilian film Moto Anjos directed by Joe Tripician, shot on location in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Lone Hill directed by Sallas de Jager shot in Pretoria, South Africa. D Street Releasing will distribute South African features Stargazer, Music in the background and the acclaimed documentary Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth directed by Pratibha Parmar, which will have a special New York screening event hosted by the UN in October 2014.

Publicist for Dexter Davis
Y'Anad Burrell
Glass House Communications
E: yanad@glasshousepr.com

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