The Reinvention of Me: What Comes Next

Last Thursday I was invited to attend the Activism, Media, Policy (AMP) Summit at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.  According to their website, “People, empowered by technology, are changing everything — everywhere, all the time. The evolution of activism, media and policy never stops, and we must keep pace. The year-round AMP Summit Series will bring together leaders from around the world to address the most important topics of the day and continuing this important conversation.”

The agenda was comprised of a panel of keynotes and then a day of three different tracks: Persuasion, Activation and Empowerment.  These tracks allowed attendees to focus their attention on what was most important to them and their career or what piqued their interest, in regards to how social media is changing the face of the planet.  Since there was so much information to take in, I took to tweeting, instead of taking notes.  See my Tweeted notes below on each of the keynotes and sessions I attended.  What’s important to note is that these tracks are launch pads for continuing the conversation and fostering new ideas.

Keynote – Marc Ecko – President and Founder of Ecko Unlimited

Marc Ecko is a powerhouse in the world of urban fashion and now, he’s also a philanthropist, taking on a platform that has plagued children in inner city schools for decades: paddling.  Now, before you laugh, understand that kids that are routinely spanked, or “paddled” are far less likely to continue their schooling and thus, taking to abusing others.  It’s a serious issue that Marc has single-handedly taken on was there to talk about.  Below are my tweets and re-tweets from his keynote:

• “It’s not what you make, it’s how you make people feel” – Marc Ecko
• His new philanthropy is called Unlimited Justice
• Unlimited Justice has gotten three states to stop allowing paddling kids in school through the UnlimitedJustice app that was created
• “Young people want product.  They want relevant curriculum” – Marc Ecko

Why what he is doing is important: Through his app, as well as his social media strategy, he created an online movement to get the general population of cities and states to get a law passed, stating that paddling would be illegal.  It’s a bold move and it’s working.  Although not quite eloquently stated, Marc realizes that this generation of kids have a higher sense of entitlement to do what they want; what piques their interest, over the standard curriculum that you or I “suffered” through.  He feels that with the right mix of making education fun and not being reprimanded with physical punishment would make kids more successful in school.

Keynote – Joe Trippi – Father of Online Advocacy

Joe Trippi is a leading political strategist in Washington, D.C.  He is the author of  “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Democracy, the Internet and the Overthrow of Everything,” the story of how his revolutionary use of the Internet combined with an impassioned, contagious desire to overturn politics-as-usual grew into a national grassroots movement – and changed the face of American politics forever.

Below are my tweets from his keynote:

• “Best thing I’ve read is Glenn Reynolds’ (of http://instapundit.com) book, Army of Davids.”
• “We can solve a lot of problems by building sling shots and giving people the power to use them.”
• “Trippi says by 2016 there will be replacements for the two political parties. Do you agree?

Why what he is saying is important: Social media has changed the way in which information is disseminated.  It’s creating a powerful voice – a platform – for the way people express their opinions, even more so when it comes to political parties and ideas.  He even went so far as to predict that by 2016, it will bring about an entire shift in how political parties are viewed and defined.

Keynote – Matt Blunt – Governor of Missouri

According to Wikipedia, “Governor Matt Blunt was elected governor on November 2, 2004, carrying 101 of Missouri’s 114 counties. At age 33, he became the second youngest person ever elected to that office after Kit Bond. Blunt was the youngest governor in the United States until Bobby Jindal was sworn in as Governor of Louisiana on January 14, 2008. Blunt did not seek a second term as governor, announcing his decision in an address to Missourians on January 22, 2008.^[2] He was selected to serve as the president of the American Automotive Policy Council in 2011.“  His platform in office was to use social media as a “disruptor” to gain movement with his constituents and ultimately, with the state.

Below are my tweets from his keynote:

• “Big change often follows disruptions. Real change requires disruptors.”
• “Effective, innovative disruptors are changing things”
• Matt Blunt wanted to mobilize citizens to be a part of affecting change
• Matt Blunt says that these disruptive technologies are changing the face of how politics happen.
• “The ability to connect with as many people as we can today was non-existant six years ago.”
• “Public now has more tools than ever to engage in direct democracy and take power away from government.”

Why what he is saying is important: Governments need to realize that the power of social media is allowing for more transparency between the state and its constituents.  It’s allowing faster movement of getting things done and more real-time interaction.  He used the example of an app that was created to allow people to connect with MDOT to alert them of potholes in real-time.  He encourages more states to take these “risks” of getting on board with technology that virtually everyone uses.

Track 1 – (Activation) Mobilizing the Crowd: Better Grassroots Engagement

Speakers include: Jason Oxman, VP of Industry Affairs, CEA; George Atallah, Assistant Executive Director of External Affairs, NFL Players Association; Lukas Biewald, Co-founder, CrowdFlower; John Davies, Founder & CEO, Davies Public Affairs

The track gave attendees the ability to listen to live case studies of how social tools are empowering movements amongst people.  The mainly focused on a live case study of the NFL and how their Twitter campaign effectively ended an otherwise prolonged lockout.  Below are my tweets from the session:

• NFL players assoc. Think Twitter is the most effective online tool
• @crowdflower says email campaigns are most effective tool for online grass roots campaigns.
• Rep from Blaze agrees in email as well
• Discussing NFL lockout and need to mobilize. Important for fans to stay in loop
• Players were key to mobilizing during lockout. It impacts fans, businesses and NFL.
• NFL Assoc. Using Twitter campaign as means of transparency while layering messages – “Let us play” campaign.
• No one is using mail and phones anymore. Engagement level over the phone? 86% “yes” rate
• I think it’s safe to say that consumerism is driven by soc. media and B2B is driven by more traditional outlets still
• To justify a strategy – you need to have a “why”.
• “Campaign managers need to be on #Facebook and #twitter to make it a successful campaign in #2012″ – DigiMediaMavens
• A smaller company has much more freedom. Blogging is best for activation and participation.
• “What’s the point of using a tool if it’s not interactive?” George from NFL Assoc.

Key takeaways from this session: Use the tool that best aligns with the campaign, as well as the audience you are trying to reach.  Tools are cyclical – you will hit a saturation point that causes you to have to hit a “reset” button, thus why Twitter is hot and email is as well right now.

Track 2 – (Activation) Social, Mobile, Location: The Future of the Web

Speakers include: David All, Chief Creative Officer of the David All Group; Andy Ellwood, Director of Business Development, Gowalla; Eric Kuhn, Social Media Agent, United Talent Agency; Nick O’Neill, Co-Founder & CEO, Holler; Adam Sharp, Manager, Government and Political Partnerships, Twitter

The track gave insight into what the power of the web really holds for people: telling stories.  These days, it’s more about listening that sharing.

• Listening to Adam Sharp from Twitter – talking about explosion in mobile tweeting 40% growth QoQ!
• Andy Ellwood now speaking on behalf of Gowalla – story telling transcends industry, age, gender and industry
• Nick O’Neill – founder of Holler – talking about infrastructure to build technologies to connect is huge
• Eric Kuhn – United Talent Agency – deemed “Justin Bieber” of social media by Vanity Fair.
• Eric Kuhn talks about working with social media on global scale and hyper-local scale
• Eric Kuhn – social media intelligence (SMI) is better than TMI – we need to spend more time listening
• Twitter will not take down parody accounts until you request it.
• Are we crowdsourcing our news through #twitter to save time?
• “We’ve gotten to the point where we don’t know what’s really #awesome or #epic. via @AndyEllwood” - CityGirlBlogs
• On a clear parody account, twitter does not mediate content or get in the middle of it
• People will “like” something during a campaign and “unlike” it by a week after it’s over. Do you do this?
• Social media is like a big party but at the core of it, you’re in the backyard, hanging with just your closest friends.

Key takeaways from this session: People are looking to Twitter for a quick source of news.  However, in order to sift through the “noise”, people need to spend more time listening to the conversation before forming an opinion.  At the end of the day, we are over saturated with news and thus, while we might “follow” or “friend” a few thousand people, only a very small selection of people are those we really “listen” to.

Track 3 – Brands as Publishers: Interactive Content and Video

Speakers include: Matt Lira, Director of New Media, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s Office; Dan Beckmann, Co-founder, IB5k; Andrew Foxwell, Marketing and New Media Director, iConstituent; Colin Moffett, Senior Vice President, Digital Communications, Powell Tate | Weber Shandwick

This conversation was more about the power of video and the goal to spark emotion to initiate “movement”.  Several examples were shown, as to how powerful video has become to people – how it is used to tell a story.

AMP Summit After Party

After a great day with some informative sessions, attendees and speakers were invited to the AOL/Huffington Post after-party at L2.  Guests were treated to an open bar and some delicious hors d’ oeuvres and desserts, as well as a great DJ to dance the night away.  Some pics are below:

With Stef Woods and Lindsay Kin

Tiffany Carter and Luke Radlinski

Many thanks to Lauri Tamney (Digital Media Mavens) for the invite!  Shout outs also go to: Lindsay Kin (Lukes Wings), Stef Woods (City Girl Blogs), Masha Tatianina, Mark Drapeau (Microsoft), Tiffany Carter (RepEquity), Luke Radlinksi (Kettler), Michael Woestehoff (The Washington Lobbyist), Kate Michael (K Street Kate), Shelley Tidmore (Tidmore Group), Lisa Byrne (DCEventJunkies) and Angie Goff (NBC4)

I have written a post for K Street Kate on this event here.

Enjoy some of the pics below!  Many thanks to Washington Life Magazine for the invite.  Shout outs go to: Tiffany Carter, Pharrell Williams, Lauri Tamney, Cheryl Romero, Fran Conole, Luke Radlinksi, Michael Clements, John Arundel, Jacqueline Hall and Shaundel Berwick.

Some of you were also asking about my outfit (below).  It’s all about mixing up the fabrics and not afraid of being just a bit bold when it comes to thinking outside of the box in DC.  I chose black sequined shorts from Express, a sheer ivory blouse from Old Navy and paired those with a black lace bra, my long strand of pearls, a black fitted suit jacket and my black Kelsi Dagger heels (which I live in).

Luke Radlinksi, Tiffany Carter, Fran Conole

Pharrell with some new fans

Me with Cheryl Romero and Lauri Tamney

Me with Michael Clements of Washington Life

Me with Tiffany Carter and John Arundel

This past weekend, the man behind The Washington Lobbyist, Michael Woestehoff, celebrated his birthday at the downtown chic spot Zola.  Guests included: Constance Christakos, Lauri Tamney, Tommy McFly, Chris Brown, Brendan Kownacki and many more!  Happy birthday Michael!

Courtesy of Constance Christakos: Lauri Tamney, Michael Woestehoff, Constance Christakos, Nichole Devolites

Courtesy of Constance Christakos: Tommy McFly, Nichole Devolites, Brendan Kownacki

Photo Courtesy of Pamela Sorensen with Heather Guay, Pamela Sorensen, Amy Senger and Nichole Devolites

On Wednesday night, I accompanied a good friend to Pamela Sorensen‘s fundraiser for LLS: Light the Night Walk at L2 Lounge.

According to the LLS website:

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light The Night Walk funds lifesaving research and support for people battling cancer. Friends, families and co-workers form fundraising teams and millions of consumers help by donating at retail outlets. These efforts culminate in inspirational, memorable evening walks in over two hundred communities each fall across North America.

Anyone can take part – children, adults and seniors are all welcome. This is a casual fundraising walk with no fitness requirements. There are many ways you can help. You can register to walk individually or as part of a team; just make a donation online; or become a volunteer or sponsor/partner. See local walk sites for time and date information.

Back in the 80′s, I had a cousin who was diagnosed with Leukemia at a very young age and thankfully, she beat it!  Considering this was 20 years ago, the funding to support better cures and medicines to support longer lives is much more advanced and it’s because of the donations of generous people who have been affected or feel compelled to help.

Good luck to Pamela in raising funds to help beat this form of cancer!

Spotted: Amy Senger, Tommy McFly, Brendan Kownacki, Pamela Sorensen, Heather Guay and many more!

Pictures can be found here.

Me with K Street Kate on the red carpet

80,000+ of the world’s elite.   80+ of the world’s finest locations.  80+ benefiting charities.  All in 24 hours around the world.

This is how The Global Party describes well, The Global Party.  In order to gain access, you were shipped an invitation with two keychains, each etched with a different code that must be activated (and shown), in order to get into the party.

Not every city in the United States had this party – only a select few and this year, D.C. was given the opportunity to host some of the most elite at Lima Lounge.

Check out photos and coverage from the following sources: K Street Kate and Lima Lounge (to get complete coverage of the red carpet)

Shout outs go to: Hayden Panettiere, Taryn Manning, Kate Michael, Laura Chavez, Michael Woestehoff, Ray Regan, Tommy McFly, Tiffany Carter, Wendy Gordon, Donna Donella, Jeffrey Berkless, Fran Conole, Skip Crockett, Luke Radlinski, Mark Drapeau, Daniel Swartz, Pamela Sorensen, Andrea Hardison, Ashley Arias, Aba Kwawu, Tedd Davis, Brendan Kownacki, Dimple Shah, Danielle Jennings, Michael Clements, Anchyi Wei, Nicholas Camabata, Don Patron, Douglas Sonders and anyone else I met or may have missed.

I must say, I’m so, so blessed with so many wonderful friends.  If it weren’t for them, life just wouldn’t be as fun.

On Monday, August 15th, my dear friend Kate Michael threw me a birthday party at Lincoln.  Not expecting this whatsoever, I was so touched that someone would take the time to do this for me, as no one has ever thrown me a birthday party before!!

A small group of us dined on small plates, ate Kate’s homemade cupcakes (which I heard were fantastic – not just from the guests but the bartenders as well) and caught up.  Many MANY thanks goes out to Lindsay Kin, Moshe Zusman, Mark Drapeau, Raea Jean Leinster, Constance Christakos, Michael Woestehoff, Stef Woods, Vithaya Phongsavan and Kelly Collis for making my night so special!

With Moshe Zusman

With Lindsay Kin

Mark Drapeau, Kate Michael, Michael Woestehoff and Constance Christakos

With Stef Woods

On June 15th, there was a lot to celebrate – success, birthdays and good friends.

Moshe Zusman Photography – Grand Opening of Florida Avenue Studio

Moshe is a friend of mine and an amazing photographer (click here for my post on our photo shoot).  He has shot hundreds of weddings, commitment ceremonies, corporate profiles and the like.  On June 15th, he celebrated his tremendous success with the grand opening of his new studio on Florida Ave. and 14th St.  This state-of-the-art studio is a two-level, dramatic space that features high ceilings, some of his most compelling work, as well as chic furniture by Bo Concept.

Congratulations Moshe!

Shout outs go to: Laura Chavez, Maurisa Turner Potts, Alfredo Flores, Erika Litman, Martha Pheeny, Moshe Zusman, Ashley Zusman and their adorable son.  Those spotted but I didn’t get a chance to say hi to: Amanda Polk, Peter Abraham, Michelle Schoenfeld, Heather Shaw Menis, Denis Menis.

To view the pictures from the event, click here.

Happy Birthday Lindsay Kin!

Our second stop of the evening was onto Rugby Cafe in Georgetown for Lindsay Kin’s surprise birthday party.   About 30 of her closest friends and family were on-hand to yell “SURPRISE!”, as she entered the restaurant.

Shout outs go to: Fletcher Gill, Lindsay Kin, Vithaya Phongsavan, Lindsey Mask, Constance Christakos and Kate Michael.

Photo Courtesy of Vithaya Phongsavan

On June 1, I attended the dinner for the Sports for Social Change Awards for Street Soccer USA (read more about the organization here), at the Embassy of France and I couldn’t have been more wowed by what this organization does and who it affects.

Some people turn to homelessness because of drugs, or alcohol, abuse or even losing a job.  On June 1, we met two such individuals who have given themselves a second chance at life, with the aid of the Street Soccer USA program.

After the dinner portion, and the welcoming by Julie Donaldson of Comcast News, Lawrence Cann, Founder of Street Soccer USA, got up to speak about his foundation and what it has done for so many individuals.  He showed a short video of the players of Street Soccer and gave us a glimpse into the lives of those this program touched.

The first award of the night was for Leadership in Sports, which was presented by Douglas Palmer, Mayor of Trenton, New Jersey, where the award recipient, Troy Vincent, is from.  Troy gave a wonderful speech on the impact of SSUSA and his involvement in the organization – fitting, as he is the VP of NFL Player Engagement Organization.

Troy Vincent

The second award was presented by Chris Lodgeson – a man who has gone through the SSUSA program and has succeeded.  He was homeless until he found SSUSA and through this program, that taught him leadership, responsibility and a myriad of other skills – he now works at Bloomingdales and contributes much of his time to giving back to the organization that helped him.  The twist to giving this award: He, himself, was given one, in the form of a grant, by Microsoft, to be trained technically and hired.  This grant was given by Mario Rebello, Community Director for Microsoft.

Chris and Mario

The award that Chris was giving was for Will Garofalo, a Senior at St. Alban’s, for Youth in Service.  Will spent his summer last year feeding more than 200 homeless soccer players for the summer world cup, as well as helping to set up the fields every morning.  Quoting Chris, “Food is everything. When you are homeless, you miss those home-cooked meals… they become so important.”  It’s why Will’s efforts were so appreciated.

Next up: Mark Ein, Owner of the Washington Kastles.  Mark has hosted SSUSA, to include over 600 people from 20 cities, including Russia.  This year, SSUSA will be held in the brand new Kastles Stadium from June 10-12 (click here for more information).

Sheila Johnson (investor) then came on stage to present the next (and final) award – The Salamander Award for Women’s Impact – to Lisa Wrightsman.  This, by far, was the most amazing story – one that left the room completely quiet, with all eyes on her during her speech.

Sheila and Lisa

Lisa was in jail 18 months ago in Sacramento, CA.  She used to be a professional soccer player for six years and when she was cut from the team, she turned to meth.  Everything came crashing to a halt when she was sent to jail.  When she was released, SSUSA convinced her to play again, something she was hesitant to do, as it was bringing back painful memories, associated with her downfall.  It started with kicking a soccer ball around, then it transitioned to her playing for the SSUSA men’s team.  As of today, she has started the first women’s league, called the Lady Salamanders – a name near and dear to Sheila Johnson’s heart, as it’s meaning is that these women can come back, can continue to grow and regenerate and never give up.

The women’s team is new.  It started with Lisa getting women involved by kicking around a soccer ball with other women, willing to learn.  Then their kids started banding together to play.  They’ve played with a few teams but haven’t won – it’s okay though, as these women are just happy to have something that is rewarding in their lives.  Still, this team has made such an impact that they have raised $90,000 to come to DC and play.

The evening ended with a live auction to send the SSUSA team to the World Cup in Paris, France.  To sponsor an entire team, it was $2000 -  a very inexpensive price.  By the end, they raised enough money to get the entire team there.

This event was, by far, one of the most extraordinary that I’ve been to.  To be able to see some of those that have actually been touched by this organization and the incredibly positive impact it has made, leaves you with a feeling that there are good people in this world who give everything they have to make a difference in one or two people’s lives, and how that turns out having an effect on many more than that.

Lawrence Cann has done something incredibly positive for the world, something that has shown others less fortunate that they are valued in this society and that there are people that do care about them.  In turn, it causes these very same people to spread this message to others.

To see some of these players go from having absolutely nothing, living each day only to survive, and then make the decision to turn their lives around through sports, is one of the most inspiring things I can think of.

To donate to or get involved with SSUSA, click here.

To view photos from the event, click here for K Street Kate’s or here for Washington Life’s, Courtsey of  Alfredo Flores.

UPDATE for this event: Hosts include Kenneth Cole, Maria Cuomo Cole, Sheila Johnson, and Ted Leonsis, honoring NFL’s Troy Vincent, Mark Ein of Washington Kastles, Sheila Johnson to Present Women’s Impact Award, Zach Leonsis to present youth service award, Honorary Guests include designer Kenneth Cole, British Premier League’s Emmerson Boyce, Nike’s Global Business Innovation Director, among other surprises.

If you have note bought your ticket, there’s still time to do so!

This past week I was asked to cover Street Soccer USA, an amazing organization, founded by Lawrence Cann, which gives homeless teens a community in which to build a foundation for a solid life, through soccer.

According to Huffington Post, “When Cann was a young boy, his family’s house burned to the ground. Luckily, the Canns had a support system of friends and family to help them through tough times, but the experience made an impression on the 9-year-old. Cann realized how easily a turn of events can land young people on the streets.  

As an adult, Cann founded Street Soccer USA using his favorite sport to help homeless youth rebuild their lives. The organization provides a network of friends to provide emotional support, while helping teens and young adults set tangible goals to find employment and housing. “

In 2005, the first team was put together in Charlotte.  Today, the organization boasts 20 teams with even a Homeless World Cup, in addition to the Street Soccer USA Cup, being held at Kastles Stadium on the Wharf, on June 10-12, 2011.

In addition to this event, Street Soccer USA will be celebrating some outstanding men and women in this program on June 1, 2011 at the French Embassy.  It’s your chance to witness the true impact of this program on those individuals who have stepped up and made extraordinary strides to better their lives, and serve as inspiration for others.

To see some of these incredibly athletes, view their videos.

All the details of these events are below:

2011 Sport For Social Change Awards

Date: June 1st, 2011

Location: Embassy Of The Republic Of France

Time: 7:00pm – 10:00pm

Click Here for Tickets

For More Information & Sponsorship Levels Please Email Us Directly.

Street Soccer USA Cup: DC 2011 (June 10-12): Free to Attend!

Washington, DC is playing host to the SSUSA Cup for the 4th year in a row! Our friends, the Washington Kastles, have once again welcomed us into their stadium. This year in a new location, “Kastles Stadium on the Wharf” sits on the Potomac River with views of the Washington Monument in the background. With more teams, three SSUSA courts, open tournaments taking place in concert with the SSUSA Cup, the event will be larger and more exciting than ever before. 200 players from 20 SSUSA programs across the country will be on display. All have been training hard and achieving goals on and off pitch as part of their involvement with SSUSA. Come see them in action and be a part of sports for social change.

Friday June 10th: Opening Ceremonies @6:30pm, matches to follow until 10:00pm

Saturday June 11th: Games from 10:00am-8:00pm

Sunday June 12th: Games from 10:00am-4:30pm. Finals at 4:00pm

Location: Washington Kastles Stadium on the Wharf

800 Water St. NW. Washington, DC

Email volunteer@streetsoccerusa.org to sign up to volunteer!!

CLICK HERE to REGISTER YOUR TEAM For One of The Open Cup. The Open Competitions will be played in concert with the SSUSA Cup. Sign up your team and mark your calendar!

Youth: u10-u16  /   Adult:16 & Older  /   Coed: 16 & Older  /   Corporate Division

Last year, I attended the Washington Life Young and the Guest List party to help toast those individuals that Washington Life Magazine named as the best-of-the-best in D.C.  This year, I was honored to be named as one of them.

Like with any Washington Life party, a great level of detail (and hard work) is put into it and this party was no exception.

Held at Longview Gallery/Rogue 24, 600 fashionable guests stepped into a completely transformed space, complete with fully-stocked bars, a sushi bar, Rogue 24 food stations, a chocolate/champagne room (my favorite), bands, DJ’s and very chic decor.  It was the party of parties for the magazine – and a complete success.

If you were one of the lucky guests to be honored, you walked away with an amazing gift bag, full of products from: Michael Kors, Juicy Couture, Alessi Alessi, Lush, Kiehls, Alchimie Forever, Salon Daniel, Astor and Black and many more.  And, if you were one of the lucky FEW, you may have also received the keys to a Cadillac for a week!

Shout outs go to: Michael Clements, Kristen Thorne, John Arundel, Andre Wells, Kate Michael, Laura Chavez, John-Michael Scott, Fletcher Gill, Lindsay Kin, Cheryl Romero, Katherine Kennedy, Kirk Wiles, Christina Mohr, Ray Regan, Michael Woestehoff, Paul Wharton, Aureta Thomollari, Mary Amons and anyone else I may have forgotten.

Dress by BCBG Runway