BDPA Cincinnati Announces Education Banquet Keynoter - Rodney Williams (LISNR)

Rodney Williams

BDPA Cincinnati Chapter is pleased to announce that Rodney Williams, founder and CEO of LISNR, will be the keynote speaker for its 19th Annual Education Banquet. The event will take place at Receptions Conference Center; 5975 Boymel Drive, Fairfield OH 45014 on Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 5:00 pm. Rodney was invited recently to the White House and honored for his innovation and entrepreneurship. He earned the 2013 Adage Top 40 under 40 and 2015 Upstart100. Rodney is a former P&Ger known for being the first marketer there to co-write digital patents. He earned four (4) degrees by his 24th birthday before working at Lockheed Martin and Department of Energy.

The banquet honors BDPA Cincinnati corporate sponsors and supporters along with the 20 students who participated in the local Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. BDPA has always been concerned with current statistics that show people of color lagging behind in the information technology arena. The goal of the SITES program is to provide a foundation from which high school students can explore their talents and promote interest in the Information Technology field.

BDPA Education Banquet chairperson Brenda Hogan notes, “Our annual banquet provides us the opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of the students, acknowledge the efforts of our volunteers, and thank our sponsors. We all have a crucial role in developing the next generation of IT Leaders. It is important to honor and celebrate those who are making a difference.”

2015 BDPA Cincinnati HSCC Team

The 2015 SITES students participated in a 30-week program that refined and enhanced their knowledge of computer programming, logical thinking, and presentation skills. Out of the program, five students were selected to represent Cincinnati in the 2015 National BDPA High School Computer Competition held earlier this year in Washington DC.

Your attendance is requested to support to the program. Tickets for the banquet are $40.00. Proceeds from the banquet will underwrite scholarships and educational opportunities for area youth. For more information on the banquet, SITES or BDPA Cincinnati chapter, call (513) 549-6991, email banquet.cincy@bdpa.org or log on to https://educationbanquet-cincinnati.eventbrite.com.

About BDPA:
BDPA is the premier organization for African American professionals in the information technology industry. For more than 25 years, BDPA Cincinnati has fulfilled its mission and worked to bridge the digital divide by providing career growth opportunities for its members. BDPA Cincinnati is the fastest-growing of the 47 chapters that exist around the nation.

BDPA Sponsor CincyTech Invests in Black-Owned Lisnr

CincyTech became a BDPA corporate sponsor as part of their commitment to increase the level of investment in the minority community within the IT industry. As such, BDPA is very happy to report that CincyTech has invested in the interactive audio start-up company Lisnr and referred it to Centrifuge, where it is the first tenant of the new innovation hub.

The founder of Lisnr is a brother ... Rodney Williams! His company is a mobile-based application that allows artists/labels to create exclusive content and for fans to change their otherwise passive listening experience into an experience that is interactive and engaging.

Using Lisnr's patent-pending technology, the app will hear the track and unlock exclusive content for the fan. Lisnr has identified three verticals in which its product can be used: in music, in live performances, and in broadcasts, and in three different types of interactions: with consumers, with brands, and with advertisers.

Founder and CEO Rodney Williams (shown above) left Procter & Gamble to launch Lisnr with Blackbook HR founder Chris Ostoich and developer Chris Ridenour. For more information about Lisnr visit Lisnr.