BDPA Foundation Executive Director Wayne Hicks about 2017 BDPA Technology Conference

Technology Expresso hosts a conversation with Wayne Hicks, Executive Director for BDPA Education and Technology Foundation about the BDPA Technology Conference held in Cincinnati on July 26-29, 2017. Listen and get all of the details!

Message from the BDPA Cincinnati Chapter President

Dalric Webb

Spring is in the air and the BDPA team of volunteers are busy as bees!

I represented Cincinnati Chapter at the 2015 BDPA Midwest Region chapter president's meeting held in Chicago on March 21-22. The meeting allowed us to leverage best practices, lessons learned and networking with other key leaders including National BDPA president Pamela Mathews and vice president Mike Williams. As the second largest chapter in the nation (out of 46 chapters) Cincinnati was tapped to host the 2017 Midwest Region president's meeting! We look forward to hosting all the leaders here in the 'Queen City'!

Congratulations to all the students who completed the 12-week computer camp held at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (CinState)! Your commitment, dedication, determination, and positive attitudes made helping you learn the 'code' of technology that will change the world, an awesome experience for all the instructors! Please visit our computer camp website to see some of the fine work these up and coming technologists have developed. We move on to the second phase of the training program with a smaller team invited to compete in both the regional and national High School Computer Competitions. Our team should be prepared to compete for trophies and college scholarships at the 37th annual BDPA Technology Conference in Washington DC.

We had a FANTASTIC 'meet and greet' last month at Margaritaville. The event was well attended and everyone in attendance had a great time. We appreciate BDPA member Malik Spencer for sharing his Salsa line-dancing expertise with our attendees.

Babacar Guisse

BDPA Cincinnati chapter successfully celebrated its 10th Annual Awards Luncheon this weekend! All of the chapter's corporate sponsors from 2014 were recognized. CinState earned the award as '2014 Corporate Sponsor of the Year' -- the highest award given to any corporation. Babacar Guissé was named '2014 Member of the Year' -- the highest award given to any member.

Other winners announced during the event included:
- Michael Pulliam (Quest Diagnostics) was named '2014 Director of the Year'
- Wayne Hicks (Hicks Enterprises) was named '2014 Executive Officer of the Year'
- Frank Hill (Cincinnati State) won the '2014 Community Service Award'
- Deborah Prince (xpedx) won the '2014 Spirit Award'

I encourage you to attend our next monthly program meeting on 4/15/15 to join our discussion on '3D Printing: The Promise of Tomorrow'. We will have a 3D printer on hand to provide examples of this new technology. Light refreshments will be available.

Shelton Graves

Our board of volunteers continues to grow as we welcomed Shelton Graves (North American Properties) on as our chapter's Marketing Department director. Shelton seeks to enhance the marketing presence of the BDPA chapter – making BDPA a household name in Cincinnati. There are still a few more volunteering opportunities that can use your support. Send me an email or  give me a call on (513) 549-6991 and let’s chat about it.

2015 is off to a FANTASTIC start! Membership continues to grow with the chapter growing over 200 members during the first quarter of the year. We hope to continue that trend with the active engagement of our members. Remember, this is YOUR organization. What are you looking to get out of it? What are you putting into it to obtain those results? Are you engaged? Did you attend the last program meeting? The last social? The last computer camp session? Have you chatted with President-Elect Shawnda Peterson about her thoughts and plans for her upcoming presidency in 2016-2017? The chapter is ACTIVE in our communities – we’d love to have you be active with us.

Looking forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming events!

Sincerely,
Dalric Webb, President
BDPA Cincinnati Chapter

Believe in Ohio Program to Establish Urban STEM Network

As part of its “All Hands on Deck” Inclusive Competitiveness strategy to reach all Ohio high school students, the Believe in Ohio (BiO) program of The Ohio Academy of Science today launched a statewide campaign to create the Urban STEM Mentor Network. Inclusive Competitiveness is an interdisciplinary framework of policies, strategies, practices and metrics to improve the performance of underrepresented Americans in the Innovation Economy.

The Urban STEM Mentor Network will support Ohio’s next generation of innovators to create new products, services and jobs through the application of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). BiO is the only statewide Ohio student education program to integrate entrepreneurship and innovation as pathways to job-creation.

Based on the principle of “Each One Teach One,” over the next six months, beginning in Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati, the BiO Urban STEM Mentor Network campaign will recruit mentors from African American, Hispanic and other STEM business professionals and entrepreneurs, educators and college and university students. The goal is to increase dramatically the number of mentors in Ohio’s urban areas for the 2015-2016 school year.

Dr. Julian Earls

“If our state and country are going to continue to be prosperous, then all parts of our society need opportunities to become innovators and competitors in today’s Innovation Economy, including youth in Ohio’s urban areas,” said Dr. Julian M. Earls, Retired Director of NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and lifelong mentor and advocate for minority STEM education.

“For that to happen, however, we need accomplished African Americans, Hispanics and others in STEM from all over Ohio to serve as inspirational role models and mentors for our urban youth,” continued Dr. Earls, who is also President of Entrepreneurial Engagement Ohio, the collaborative partner with The Ohio Academy of Science of Ohio in the development of the Believe in Ohio program. “Students can be successful when they see people ‘who look like them’ who have made successes of themselves and are willing to help them.”

“For the sake of our children, their children, and our state, it is critical that this initiative be successful. To that end, we have assembled an extraordinary leadership team of community leaders to galvanize support across the state,” added Dr. Earls.

Mr. Johnathan Holifield (JohnathanHolifield@yahoo.com) is overall statewide director and coordinator for Believe in Ohio’s Urban STEM Mentor Network and served as subject matter expert for the Ohio Board of Regents Subcommittee on Inclusive Competitiveness. Mr. Holifield helped develop the BiO program and is a nationally recognized leader of Inclusive Competitiveness. He was founding Executive Director of CincyTech in Cincinnati, former Vice President for Inclusive Competitiveness at NorTech in Cleveland, and a founding partner of Scale Up Partners, a national Inclusive Competitiveness consultancy.

Ms. Mary McWilliams (pebchairelect@nsbe.org) is the Columbus Metro Inclusive Competitiveness Coordinator for Believe in Ohio’s Urban STEM Mentor Network. Ms. McWilliams is Electronics Engineer Team Leader for the Defense Logistics Agency of the Department of Defense, and Chair-Elect of the Professional Executive Board of the National Society of Black Engineers.

Mr. Wayne Hicks (wayne.hicks@bdpa.org) is the Cincinnati Metro Inclusive Competitiveness Coordinator for Believe in Ohio’s Urban STEM Mentor Network. Mr. Hicks is Executive Director of the Black Data Processing Associate Education & Technology Foundation, and the owner of Hicks Enterprises consulting firm in Cincinnati.

Dr. Bilal Bomani (bilal@bomani.com) is Cleveland Metro Inclusive Competiveness Coordinator for Believe in Ohio’s Urban STEM Mentor Network. Dr. Bomani is a Senior Research Scientist whose work has been featured in a TED talk.  He is Vice President of the National Technical Association – Cleveland Chapter that focuses on STEM opportunities in the Cleveland, Ohio area.

Click here to see the full bios and photos of these coordinators.

“Throughout my professional life, in the spirit of “Each One Teach One”, I have reached out at every opportunity to young people to encourage and mentor them to pursue careers in Science and Technology”, stated Dr. Earls. “Now, I am calling on my younger peers to do the same.”

The Ohio Academy of Science and Entrepreneurial Engagement Ohio developed the program entitled Believe In Ohio, A STEM Bridge to Ohio’s Innovation Economy of the Future, with support from The Ohio General Assembly and The Ohio Board of Regents. More information is available at www.BelieveinOhio.org

BDPA iRadio Show: October 28, 2014 (Wayne Hicks, Tonji Zimmerman)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is very proud to be the creator of the BDPA iRadio Show. You can listen to the archive version of the show using the widget shown in the right-hand sidebar of this blog. FREE download from the iTunes Store is also available for our listeners!

Check Out Technology Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with BDPA on BlogTalkRadio

---

The guest on the October 28th show:

Tonji Zimmerman - program manager, BDPA Mobile Application Showcase - Tonji Zimmerman is a senior technology consultant focused on e-learning solutions. For many years she served as the High School Computer Competition coordinator for BDPA Detroit chapter. She trained a number of high school students that earned both college scholarships and experiences that propelled them into colleges across the country. Tonji has taken on a new challenge for 2014-2015 ... she is the program manager for the National BDPA Mobile Application Showcase. This event allows both high school and college students an opportunity to develop a functional Mobile Application. The applications showcased will represent three different application categories (i.e. business, personal productivity, and gaming). The Showcase was piloted at the 2014 National BDPA Technology Conference with $19,000 in college scholarships being awarded by State Farm. Next year the goal is to have 40 students participating in the event. Tonji will have a lot to share with our iRadio Show audience!

Wayne Hicks - executive director, BDPA Education and Technology Foundation - Wayne provided an update on a number of initiatives taking place within the foundation.  He announced the names of the four students who won the 2014 Monsanto Scholarship for BDPA Students.  He also shared updates on successful grant proposals won by BETF from Creating IT Futures Foundation ($5,000) and GE Volunteers Foundation ($20,000).   BETF plans to participate in the #GivingTuesday fundraising campaign taking place on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (December 2, 2014).   The idea is to follow-up on Black Friday and Cyber Monday as events to galvanize the start of the holiday shopping season.   Finally, Wayne shared information about the BDPA Chapter Building Workshop series that is taking place in the BDPA Google+ Community.  Wayne can be found on Twitter - @BDPA

---

We hope you enjoy the insights and commentary on the show from each of these guests. Please take a moment to post a comment to let us know that you care!

Technology Expresso Cafe, 7/31/2014 (Wayne Hicks)

David Blackman and Jacqueline Sanders are the co-founders of Technology Expresso Cafe, a multimedia platform that promotes all aspects of the IT industry with a focus on BDPA programs, scholarships and services.

An Internet radio interview was conducted with BDPA Education and Technology Foundation executive director Wayne Hicks, however, due to technical difficulties, the show was never archived. David and Jacqueline were kind enough to post a complete transcript of the interview on their website.

Click here to read Part 1 & 2 of the interview.

Click here to read Part 3 & 4 of the interview.

Related articles

• Tech Expresso Cafe, 7/12/2014 (Dr. Craig Brown)
• Tech Expresso Cafe', 6/22/2014 (Josephine Reed)
• Tech Expresso Cafe: Derrick Brown (BDPA Atlanta)
• Tech Expresso Cafe': BDPA Atlanta Chapter Kickoff for 2014 Computer Camp

Wordless Wednesday: BDPA Atlanta Leaders Join BETF Executive Director (2007)

Grant Award: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America ($5,000)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is proud to announce that we received a $5,000 grant award from Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America (TEMA). The funding will be used the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program operated by our BDPA Cincinnati chapter.

This is an especially rewarding grant award because BETF executive director Wayne Hicks, BDPA Cincinnati chapter president Clarence Larcarte and BDPA Cincinnati chapter corporate advisory council chair Patrick Nelson met jointly with representatives from the TEMA funding team as part of this process. The people we met with were Northern Kentucky university graduate students who were learning about philanthropy at the same time that they were helping TEMA evaluate a number of grant proposals. That face-to-face meeting is a great equalizer for nonprofits that aren't as well-known as some others ... and we are very grateful to TEMA for giving us that opportunity.

The notification for the award came by e-mail and stated in part:

---

Dear Wayne,

Your grant application to Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America (TEMA) for support of BDPA Education and Technology Foundation's SITES Program was reviewed at TEMA's November Contributions Committee meeting. The committee has approved your grant request in the amount of $5,000. Before we will be able to process your request for payment, we will need a completed, signed W9.

The Northern Kentucky University Mayerson Project graduate students did a good job of presenting your grant application to our Contributions Committee. Dollar amounts awarded are strictly at the discretion of the Committee and are based on other requests received and the amount of funding dollars available. Because you were so kind to participate with the Mayerson Project students, they would like to invite your organization to attend the Mayerson Awards Ceremony on Thursday, November 29th from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at NKU's Student Union.

Thank you for the important work you do in the community and for your support of Toyota.

Sincerely,
Nila Wells
TEMA Contributions Program
25 Atlantic Avenue
Erlanger, KY 41018

---

BDPA Cincinnati chapter plans to use the funding in support of its upcoming 2013 Computer Camp. That program is now 'co-sponsored by TEMA' for the next calendar year!

We still need support to provide college scholarships to the seniors on next year's High School Computer Competition team in Cincinnati. Won't you consider joining TEMA as a supporter? You can 'make it so' by visiting our Brandon Berry Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Wordless Wednesday: BDPA Networking (Wayne Hicks, Pamela Sexton, John Harris)

SOURCE: Flickr

VIDEO: BDPA Technology Conference Introduction of 'Future Faces of Technology'

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) executive director Wayne Hicks introduced the young people who participated in the 34th annual BDPA Technology Conference held on August 1-4, 2013 in Baltimore, Maryland. Wayne had a great time ... and the young people had even more fun!



We hope that you will find a way to support the college and career aspirations of these BDPA student members. In fact, if you have time or inclination, please make a secure online donation in support of our Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship Fund.

Finally, we want to share a soul-clap with BDPA Dallas chapter president Stacy Stewart who took the time to edit this video!

Reflections on 2012 BDPA Technology Conference

National BDPA president Monique Berry adjourned the 34th annual BDPA Technology Conference last night. It was a truly remarkable 4-day gathering of information technology thought leaders from all over the nation. Here are some comments for those who were there in person.

1. Monique Berry (National BDPA president) -

   "Congratulations to all of our winners as well as every child that participated in the Youth Technology Camp and the High School Computer Competition. I'm very proud of each and every one of you."

2. Goldie Bonney (BDPA New Jersey chapter president) -

   "Had a GREAT time with my BDPA family at the conference. Shout out to all other chapter presidents who continue to do big things in their respective chapters. Congratulations to Renetta English on her Chapter of the Year win again for NY! See you all next year in DC!"

3. Perry Carter (BDPA Washington DC chapter president) -

   

   Congratulations BDPA Atlanta (2012 HSCC World Champions) and BDPA New York (2012 Chapter of the Year) for this year's accomplishments and for upholding the highest standards in community involvement and philanthropy in direct support of America's STEM initiatives! We hope to see greater achievements in Washington DC next year.

4. Dr. Curtis Charles (Fayetteville State University senior associate vice chancellor) -

   "I will like to express my sincere thanks to Perry Carter and the BDPA Leadership for allowing me the opportunity to participate in the BDPA HBCU STEM panel. Fayetteville State University and the Center for Defense and Homeland Security look forward to a long and lasting relationship with all BDPA Chapters. Please feel free to call upon me at anytime."

5. Yvette Graham (National BDPA past president) -

   "Just arrived back home in Chicago (Oak Park) from Baltimore Maryland where I attended one of the best conferences for NBDPA. Congrats to all winners (Sponsors, Members, and Students). A special shout out to the HSCC Team from the BDPA Atlanta Chapter for being the first team ever to receive a perfect score!!! Thanks to the NBDPA Leadership Team and the National Conference Team for a JOB WELL DONE!!!"

6. Wayne Hicks (BETF executive director) -

   

   "I just had a great time introducing over 100 young people who are the future face of technology at the Opening Ceremony of the 34th BDPA Technology Conference in Baltimore, MD. I can't begin to tell you how remarkable it was to see these bright young faces as they were being recognized by BDPA sponsors, leaders, volunteers and members. BDPA is such a truly remarkable organization. Another highlight of the event was the fact that we raised over $6,000 in about 10 minutes to increase the amount of college scholarships that we will give out to high-performing HSCC students. BDPA is truly 'Making Moves' and I'm grateful to be part of it."

7. Cedrick Moore (National BDPA career development director) -

   "I just returned from the 2012 BDPA Technology Conference in Baltimore, MD. I just want to let you know that the jobs recovery is REAL. Not since the early 2000's have I seen employers so anxious in seeking jobs candidates. Here are a few that truly demonstrated to me they are ready to hire today: GE, JP Morgan Chase, State Farm, Microsoft, MillerCoors, Johnson & Johnson, WellPoint, Wells Fargo, etc. Not minor players here.
   
   The funny thing is, I was consistently being told that YOU (minority I.T. professionals) DO NOT EXIST or in other words, you are hard to find and hire. They were certainly looking for YOU so....
   
   What do you think? Comments?"

8. Sharrarne Morton (Morton Media president) -

   "Just witnessed a room full of remarkable young scientists, engineers, mathematicians and technologists win thousands of dollars in scholarships at the BDPA National Conference in Baltimore, Md. Where were the TV cameras? There are brilliant young people doing spectacular things to ensure a brighter future for all of us. Congratulations to them all! We will see you at next year's conference in DC!!"

9. Stacy Stewart (BDPA Dallas chapter president) -

   

   "Hello BDPA family, I'm currently in the air returning from the 34th annual National BDPA Technology Conference that was held in Baltimore and I must say this was an exhilarating experience, from the opening ceremony to the formal gala held on the last day of the conference. The professional sessions, dignitaries reception and networking with other BDPA members across the nation was exceptional. Teams from seventeen chapters competed in the High School Computer Competition in which the Atlanta chapter won thousands of dollars in scholarship monies and received high-end HP laptop computers. The Youth Technology Camp produced and edited videos this year with one of our Dallas students on a winning team.
   
   Next year our National BDPA Conference will be held in Washington DC on August 14-17. I encourage all of our members to attend! If you have not experienced a National BDPA Conference you don't want to miss this one ... if you have experienced a National BDPA Conference before, then I know you will be there."

BDPA iRadio Show - April 24, 2012

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is very proud to be the creator of the BDPA iRadio Show. Our Internet Radio Show has been up and running for nine months with over 80 guests. You can listen to the archive version of the show using the widget shown in the right-hand sidebar of this blog.

Episodes of the BDPA iRadio Show are now available for immediate and FREE download from the iTunes Store.

Listen to internet radio with BDPA on Blog Talk Radio

---

The guests on the April 24th show:

Matthew Lampkin - chapter president, BDPA Hartford - Matthew Lampkin joined BDPA Hartford chapter in 2005.  Over the years he served in a variety of leadership positions including HSCC coordinator and vice president.  He currently serves as the chapter president.  His immediate goal is to increase the chapter’s membership, build relationships with students at area high schools\colleges, and provide area companies access to a pool of talented IT professionals. One of his biggest accomplishments was the establishment of the Computer Learning Program for the state Department of Children and Families (DCF). From 2006 to 2009, Mr. Lampkin forged an educational partnership with DCF that allowed for foster youth in Connecticut to receive 15 to 20 weeks of Information Technology training from experienced BDPA members.  The training culminated in 5-7 youth attending the National BDPA conferences in 2006 (Los Angeles) and 2007 (Washington, DC).  Although Matthew has spent the past 18 years of his life in the Mid-Atlantic and New England States, he is a native of Houston, Texas.  He attended Syracuse University and graduated in 1997 with a BS in Information Management Technology.  Currently he is employed by Computer Sciences Corporation in East Hartford, CT as a Security Administrator.  In addition, Matthew is one of the owners of OnPoint Consultants, LLC.  OnPoint has been in business for more than 10 years. Matthew used this radio interview to share his plans for growing the BDPA brand in Connecticut over the coming year.

Michelle Cooke - HSCC coordinator, National BDPA - Michelle Cooke has been working on the national High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships for a number of years. She has more than 10 years of experience in Software Quality Assurance and System Analysis with a strong background in full SDLC, implementation, testing, user training, and support documentation. Experience as the SME for QA testing related policies/procedures and helped enforce such policies/procedures. She stepped up to become the National BDPA HSCC Coordinator earlier this year. Her goal is to increase the number of students and chapters participating in the 2012 National HSCC Championship that will be held in Baltimore, MD. This will be the first opportunity for much of BDPA-Nation to hear directly from Michelle. She shared some unique insights into the importance of BDPA’s efforts to provide STEM-based experiences for young people that will help them to ‘win the future’.

Wayne Hicks - executive director, BDPA Education and Technology Foundation - Wayne has been a member of BDPA since 1989.  He has twice served as the executive director of the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation.  He has also been a chapter president (Cincinnati, 1999-2001) as well as a successful national BDPA president (2004-2005).  He provides a unique perspective to the value-proposition that BDPA offers to its stakeholders. 

---

We hope you enjoy the insights and commentary on the show from each of these guests.  Please take a moment to post a comment to let us know that you care!

Entrepreneurs Discuss 'How To Avoid 7 Common Traps' (BDPA New Jersey)

BDPA New Jersey chapter marketing director Derris Boomer is leading an aggressive effort to provide a monthly webinar series designed to advance the careers of African Americans in the IT industry from the classroom to the boardroom. The February 2012 webinar was focused on those BDPA members interested in moving forward as entrepreneurs or business owners. The guest speaker was Hicks Enterprises chief executive officer Wayne Hicks. The topic was 'Small Business Opportunities in a Down Market: How to Avoid 7 Common Traps'.

The back-and-forth exchange of ideas by the presenter and the online participants was both enlightening and educational. Here is the 14-page PowerPoint deck used by the presenter during the webinar:

Small Business Opportunities in a Down Market

View more PowerPoint from Wayne Hicks

Our hope is that BDPA members across the nation will review the webinar seminar series offered by our New Jersey chapter ... and add relevant webinars to your personal calendar. Ongoing professional education is an important part of the BDPA experience!

Wayne Hicks Shares 'Inspiration and Focus' on VoiceAmerica's 'What Matters' Radio Show

Former national BDPA president Wayne Hicks was interviewed last month by Certified life coach Mary Beth Lodge.  Mary Beth interviewed me on her VoiceAmerica Internet radio show, 'What Matters' in an episode title, Goals: Inspiration and Focus. 

The promo for the show read:

Discouraged about the impact you can have? Ever think that one person doesn’t have much influence? One person, focused and passionate, can make a tremendous difference! This week we are joined by R. Wayne Hicks, executive director of the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation. BDPA was founded in 1975 out of concern that minorities were not adequately represented in the workforce of the then emerging computer industry. BETF, the Education and Technology Foundation of BDPA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit charity established in 1992 to financially support student education and technology initiatives.

Wayne Hicks

An active leader in the organization since 1988, Wayne has followed his passion for education and applied his skill and dedication to expanding opportunities for disadvantaged youth across the country. Working at both the local and national level, Wayne is the embodiment of the ripple effect. Listen in and gain an inspiration for your own passion and purpose.

Click here to listen to the archived version of the radio show interview.

I was very happy to share the great works being done by BDPA under the umbrella of its Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program.  I informed Mary Beth and her audience about the great young people that BETF has been providing college scholarships over the recent years.

I found this video on Mary Beth's website and thought that you would enjoy it as well!




Anyhow, I hope y'all enjoyed the video and the radio show interview!

VoiceAmerica's 'What Matters' Radio Show Features BETF Executive Director Wayne Hicks

This blog is part of a web of social network platforms created by the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) to spread the gospel of BDPA. We seek to increase brand awareness so that more people get active with BDPA programs and services around the nation.

I guess it's working!  Certified life coach Mary Beth Lodge saw the persistent information being shared by BETF and determined that we would be worthy of having as a guest on her VoiceAmerica Internet radio show, 'What Matters' in an episode title, Goals: Inspiration and Focus.   The is broadcast live on Wednesday, January 25 @ 9:00 AM ET ... re-broadcast again at 9:00 PM ET ... then available for *free* download via iTunes.

The promo for the show reads:

Discouraged about the impact you can have? Ever think that one person doesn’t have much influence? One person, focused and passionate, can make a tremendous difference! This week we are joined by R. Wayne Hicks, executive director of the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation. BDPA was founded in 1975 out of concern that minorities were not adequately represented in the workforce of the then emerging computer industry. BETF, the Education and Technology Foundation of BDPA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit charity established in 1992 to financially support student education and technology initiatives.

Wayne Hicks

An active leader in the organization since 1988, Wayne has followed his passion for education and applied his skill and dedication to expanding opportunities for disadvantaged youth across the country. Working at both the local and national level, Wayne is the embodiment of the ripple effect. Listen in and gain an inspiration for your own passion and purpose.

I suspect that the discussion will focus on the work that we're doing to raise funds for BDPA ... with an emphasis on our mission of education. I will explain to the listening audience the great works being done under the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program umbrella. I will also talk about the great young people that BETF has been providing college scholarships over the recent years.

I found this video on Mary Beth's website and thought that you would enjoy it as well!






Anyhow, I hope that some of y'all find time to listen to the show live on Wednesday morning!

ConnXus Provides Opportunity for Black Technology Entrepeneurs to Connect with Corporate Decision-Makers

BDPA Cincinnati chapter president Clarence Larcarte and I had the pleasure of meeting earlier this month with ConnXus CEO Rod Robinson. Rod participated in the showcase at the CincyTech Annual Meeting last month.

You may recall that this blog expressed concern about the dearth of diversity at the event.  However, one of the pleasant discoveries for us was ConnXus (shown in above photo) ... a Black-owned online service that seeks to revolutionize supplier diversity by making it easy for minority- and woman-owned businesses to connect with corporations looking for diverse suppliers and offering real contract opportunities.

Here’s how it works:

• Corporations register as buyer members and indicate in which of the more than 100 product or service categories they have purchasing needs.
• Small, minority- or woman-owned businesses register as supplier members, indicating the product or service categories they provide, as well as creating a company profile highlighting their size, areas of expertise and representative customers.
• Suppliers request performance ratings from prior customers, and just like many consumer-focused websites, more and better ratings translate into better search results.
• Buyers can conduct searches for specific suppliers or post contract opportunities for suppliers to submit bids.

ConnXus co-founder Rod Robinson is a Fortune 1000 procurement expert and supplier diversity who created this company out of his own personal frustration trying to match his clients purchasing needs with diverse businesses who could supply them. Knowing all the ways technology is being leveraged in today’s business environment, he just knew there had to be a better way to connect buyers with diverse suppliers. He partnered with Chris Downie, founder and CEO of America’s #1 diet and fitness site SparkPeople, to develop ConnXus.

Since launching in December 2010, corporate buyer members have posted more than $75 million in contract opportunities for diverse supplier members on the site. All the supplier members who have won new business through ConnXus.com have said that they never would have known about the opportunities without it. Some have even been invited to bid on additional, larger contracts. Registered ConnXus members number close to 1,000, including small, woman- and minority-owned businesses representing hundreds of categories, along with corporate buyers responsible for more than $20 billion in annual spending.


ConnXus recently announced a partnership with LexisNexis to offer their members a discounted price on sales and marketing information and are in the process of developing other partnerships that will offer value to their members.

My hope is that all BDPA entrepreneurs, BDPA business owners and BDPA corporate sponsors will take a hard look at ConnXus. Now is the time for us to leverage our own networks to build our businesses on a local, regional and national basis. The next step is yours -- visit ConnXus and let us know what you think!

BETF Executive Director Discusses 'The Art of Networking' at University of Cincinnati

I'm honored to be the guest speaker at the ADVANCE Networking Reception later this evening. The Networking Reception will take place on Tuesday, November 1st at the University of Cincinnati’s Myers Alumni Center form 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Located at 2906 Woodside Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45221.


ADVANCE is a student focused professional development organization that assists students, primarily African American, with making the transition from college to the work environment by developing and enhancing skills in resume writing, interviewing, networking, business etiquette, and understanding corporate/world of work cultures.

This reception was created by students in ADVANCE over 24 years ago as a pre-career fair activity designed to market the Diversity Student Career Fair, and to promote students’ understanding of the “Art of Networking.” Students also benefit by receiving insight on business protocol and work world dynamics.

The ADVANCE organization will host the Networking Reception. Following sign-in, there will be introductions, acknowledgement of sponsors, and a brief presentation on the do's and don'ts of the "Art of Networking." Immediately following this segment, light refreshments will be served and students will begin their interactions with corporate representatives. Please bring plenty of business cards as students have been instructed to collect cards from company participants. The dress for employers is business formal or business casual.

Art of Networking

View more presentations from Wayne Hicks

I look forward to my participation in this year’s ADVANCE Networking Reception. Wish me luck!

BDPA iRadio Show - June 14, 2011

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) successfully produced its first Internet radio show! BETF is extremely grateful to Franne McNeal who served as the host of the BDPA iRadio Show. Franne was able to smoothly handle all of the challenges of bringing the BDPA message out to an international audience via BlogTalkRadio.

Our plan is to produce BDPA iRadio Show on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month. We hope that you will support our efforts. Here is the first show for your enjoyment!

Listen to internet radio with BDPA on Blog Talk Radio

The guests on the June 14th show were:

Julius Clark & Wayne Hicks

Wayne Hicks:  executive director, BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (Twitter: BDPA) - focused on the evolution of BDPA and BETF over the past 35 years.   Gave life to the 'classroom to the boardroom' tagline by sharing story of BDPA member Stephanie Lampkin Brown who has gone from being a high school student learning about computers through BDPA to now being an IT professional with one of the largest technology corporations in the world.
 
Julius Clark: information security officer, Wells Fargo (Twitter: JuliusClark) - shared his passion for information security as well as some insights on steps that we should take to avoid being hacked.  You can learn more from his blog, Clark Thought Leadership.

Clifford Clarke

Clifford Clarke: president, C2 IT Advisors - discussed the technological revolution and its impact on employment in the IT industry.  Invited listeners to be part of the BDPA Entrepreneurial Fireside Chat taking place on June 15th.

John Malonson: chapter president, BDPA Los Angeles (Twitter: Malonson) - shared some tangible 'best practices' on chapter administration, youth education, strategic alliances, chapter website development and marketing program meetings.   There is a ton of information and referrals in this section of the program.

John Malonson

 Please share your feedback on the BDPA iRadio Show.  Any questions or comments on the information provided in this week's show?  What did you like?   What would you like to see added, deleted or revised in future shows?   Who would you like to hear as a guest on future shows?   What topics would you like to see covered on future shows?

We can only get better if we hear from you!   What say u?

First Annual BDPA IT-oLogy Scholarship Awarded to Charlotte High School Student

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) and the Consortium for Enterprise Systems Management awarded the first annual BDPA IT-oLogy scholarship to Jerron Jamerson.

Jamerson was selected based on the quality of his application, essay and letters of recommendation. In his essay, Jerron wrote, “Continuous advances in computer science have helped to make business processes more efficient and technology more cost effective for consumers, while computer applications become more and more user-friendly.” Jamerson, a senior at Phillip O’Berry Academy in Charlotte, North Carolina, plans use this one-time $2,000 scholarship to study Computer Science at South Carolina State University.

The scholarship was offered to student members of National BDPA. Applicants had to excel academically, show exceptional leadership potential and make an impact on their communities through service to others. Applicants had to be high school seniors from South Carolina or North Carolina or planning to attend a college in either of these two states.

IT-oLogy is offering this scholarship to continue to encourage more young people to look into Information Technology as a career. “Students who pick IT as their profession have the unique opportunity to pick any industry or type of business to apply their skills and help create the future,” stated Lonnie Emard, Executive Director of IT-oLogy.

“We hope to continue to impact on the advancement of our students into science, technology, engineering or math related careers and getting a degree in information technology is one way to get it done, " said BDPA Education and Technology Foundation Executive Director Wayne Hicks.

Blacks At Microsoft: Minority Student Day (Charlotte)

Over 130 High School & College Students throughout the North Carolina region attended the 20th annual Minority Student Day hosted in Charlotte, NC by Blacks @ Microsoft (BAM). A number of BDPA Charlotte chapter members were in attendance, including the chapter president Julius Clark and chapter president-elect Markus Beamer.

BDPA & BAM Leaders

BDPA Charlotte member John Hoffler conducted a workshop introducing the BDPA High School Computer Competition for the young people in attendance. Also, BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) executive director Wayne Hicks was honored for the leadership and excellence of his professional organization in the field of education.

Here is media coverage of Minority Student Day from local TV News Carolina 14 & Fox Charlotte News.








Minority Student Day was fully supported by the Microsoft executives in North Carolina. I encourage BDPA leaders from around the nation to find ways to connect with BAM to participate in this event next year! Minority Student Day is a wonderful way to create awareness about BDPA programs and impact on influencers in the field of education and technology.


BETF would like to thank BAM North Carolina co-chairs Kevin Robinson and Iona Wilson for their hospitality and vision. They are truly examples of why Microsoft is an Industry Leader in Technology, Diversity, Innovation and Corporate Citizenship.

BETF Executive Director Wins BAM Award for Excellence in Education and Technology in North Carolina

I was surprised and honored to receive the following notice from the Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) folks down in North Carolina.

---

You have been selected to receive the BAM Award for Excellence in Education & Technology, in celebration of our 20 Year Anniversary & BAM Minority Student Day (BMSD), which will be held February 11, 2010 at our Microsoft Charlotte Campus. Following the awards presentation, we invite you have lunch with our High School students from 12:00 Noon – 1:00 PM.

This Award recognizes four national and community leaders including yourself that have made significant contributions in the field of Education or Technology. Honorees include the following:

1. Dr. Ronald Carter, President, Johnson C. Smith University
2. Dr. Peter Gorman, Superintendent, Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System
3. Wayne Hicks, Executive Director,  BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF)
4. Johnny Taylor, President/CEO, Thurgood Marshall College Fund & Ebony Power 100 Leaders in America for Academia

BMSD is a Microsoft signature program that give’s high school students the opportunity to learn about careers in technology, listen to executive speakers, connect with Microsoft employees, participate in hands-on computer demonstrations, cutting edge technologies, and learn about High School Internships and College Scholarships. The ultimate purpose of the event is to expose students from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds to the exciting opportunities in the field of technology.

We anticipate 150+ High School students in attendance throughout the Carolinas Region, including media coverage.  As part of this event, we are also inviting students pursuing STEM careers from Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC), Johnson C. Smith University, and UNC Charlotte as participants.

One of our key highlights will be showing CPCC/UNC Charlotte as our Gaming & Simulation Division Winners of our Microsoft 2010 US Imagine Cup student competition. Imagine Cup is the world’s premier student technology competition hosted by Microsoft. Open to high school, college, and university students across the globe. Prior BMSD speakers have included: Bill Gates, Microsoft Executive Chairman & Co-Founder, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft; and Mike Rucker, Retired NFL Carolina Panther & Pre-game Commentator as examples.

Microsoft Charlotte is one of 4 large field campuses outside of our Redmond, Washington headquarters. Most of our 1,250 employees who live and work in North Carolina support Fortune 500 and other enterprise customers and partners to provide sales, consulting, and support services for many of our Flagship Products and Developer Technologies. We work with more than 2,665 partner companies that build technology tools and services on the Microsoft platform, creating jobs and revenue in North Carolina. Since 2003, we have given and matched employee gifts totaling more than $62.5 million in cash, curriculum, software and volunteer hours in North Carolina.

We are pleased to announce that North Carolina is the first state in the nation to adopt a Microsoft IT Academy in all 628 NC High Schools. The program will give students the opportunity to learn in-demand software and technical skills as well as earn industry-recognized certification as a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) or a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP).

---

I am humbled by this honor. I look forward to visiting with BDPA supporters in Charlotte for the BAM Minority Student Day in February 2011.