Skip to content

2016 Access to Capital Galleries

FCC Commissioners' Luncheon-(2016)

Description: As he completes his last year as a commissioner in the Obama Administration, Federal Communications Commissioner Michael O’Rielly discussed important issues related to multicultural advancement with former FCC Chairman Reed E. Hundt. The bipartisan discussion centered on top issues for minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs) and multicultural consumers, including minority ownership, the set-top proceeding, privacy, diverse programming, the spectrum auctions, zero rating, inmate calling, Lifeline reform, and the open Internet.

Welcome Remarks: Kim M. Keenan, President and CEO, MMTC

Benediction: Bishop Steven Smith, Executive Director Public Policy Institute, Government Relations & Telecommunications Project, Rainbow PUSH Coalition

Moderator: Deborah Lathen, President and CEO, Lathen Consulting LLC; Former Chief, Media Bureau, FCC; Member, MMTC Board of Directors

Discussion:
Hon. Reed E. Hundt, Former Chairman, Federal Communications Commission; CEO, Coalition for Green Capital

Hon. Michael O’Rielly, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission

Wednesday, July 13, 2016 - View the video of the session here .

Tech in the City: DC Opportunity Hubs, Co-Working Labs, Accelerators, and Business Incubators

Description: Washington, D.C. is experiencing a startup boom as entrepreneurs and innovators collaborate and connect with cutting-edge startup strategies made available through DC’s growing tech infrastructure. During this session, special guests highlighted key tech initiatives for the District and other urban areas, the benefits for entrepreneurs, and the social impact that opportunity hubs, co-working spaces, accelerators, and incubators can have on a city’s most vulnerable communities.


Moderator: Brandon Andrews, Senior Consultant, Values Partnerships (Casting Agent for ABC’s Shark Tank)

Special Remarks: Erin Horne McKinney, Senior Advisor, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Greater Economic Opportunity, District of Columbia; Co-Founder, Black Female Founders

Panelists:
Ron Busby
, President and CEO, U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.
Herbert Niles, Deputy Director, Office of Cable Television, Film, Music & Entertainment, District of Columbia
Aaron Saunders, Founder, Luma Labs; Founder and CEO, Clearly Innovative, Inc.
Jason Towns, Managing Partner and Founder, The Towns Group LLC; Creator, Groundwork.vc Venture Fund
Alton Turner, Banking Program Monitor, District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking
Justin Vélez-Hagan, Ph.D., Founder and National Executive Director, The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce

Wednesday, July 13, 2016 - View the video recording of the session here .

MMTC Capital Pitch Competition - Sponsored by AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon

Description: MMTC presented its first-ever MMTC Capital Pitch Competition for idea phase and early stage multicultural startups in the areas of media, internet, telecommunications, and access to capital. Five multicultural- and women-owned startups pitched to a panel of judges for the chance to win the $5,000 grand prize. In addition to the first and second-place winners selected by the judges, conference attendees voted for the People’s Choice Award through the Twitter hashtag #CapPitch16.

Partners: AARP Innovation Lab; Black Female Founders; Office of the Deputy Mayor for Economic Opportunity for the District of Columbia, Groundwork.vc, and Luma Labs

Host: Brandon Andrews, Senior Consultant, Values Partnerships (Casting Agent for ABC’s Shark Tank)

Greetings: Kim M. Keenan, President and CEO, MMTC

Judges:
Anne Marie Paterno Kilgallon
, Vice President & General Manager, Enterprise Strategy & Innovation, AARP
Erin Horne McKinney, Senior Advisor, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Greater Economic Opportunity, District of Columbia; Co-Founder, Black Female Founders
Aaron Saunders, Founder, Luma Labs; Founder and CEO, Clearly Innovative, Inc.
Aaron Ting, Manager, Legal & Regulatory Affairs, Comcast
Jason Towns, Managing Partner and Founder, The Towns Group LLC; Creator, Groundwork.vc Venture Fund

Pitch Presenters:
Charlene Brown
, CEO and Founder, Reciprocare
Arthur Henderson, President and CEO, Telerra Communications
Jay Jackson, President, RYSE
Rachel Haffe, CEO, Adjacent
Wesner Jules, CEO, Hoosthere;
Tyrone Prather, CEO and Founder, HBCU Classic Sports LLC

Wednesday, July 13, 2016 - View the video of the session here .

Leveraging Multicultural Consumer Buying Power

Description: Nielsen Senior Vice-President of U.S. Strategic Community Alliances and Consumer Engagement

Cheryl Pearson-McNeil delivered a special presentation on how multicultural entrepreneurs can leverage the trillion-dollar buying power of communities of color. Following her presentation, McNeil engaged in a one-on-one interview with Politic365 Founder and Editor-in-Chief Kristal High.

Wednesday, July 13, 2016 - View the video recording of the session here .

A Conversation with a Media Mogul: Building a Successful Multicultural Multimedia Enterprise

Description: MMTC President and CEO Kim Keenan engaged in a one-on-one conversation with MMTC's 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year, Alfred C. Liggins, III, owner of Radio One, TV One, Interactive One, and other media properties. During the interview, Liggins shared the stories behind his rise to leadership and explosive growth of the nation’s most successful multicultural multimedia enterprise. Policy areas addressed included the impact of current FCC proposals, such as the "Unlock the Box" proceeding, on diverse content creators and the viability of their success.

Wednesday, July 13, 2016 - View the video recording of the session here .

30th Anniversary Awards Reception: A Tribute to the Platforms of Today and Tomorrow

Description: MMTC celebrated and reflected on thirty years of advocacy as MMTC leaders conferred the Entrepreneur of the Year, Corporate Diversity Leadership, and Extraordinary Service Awards, and inducted new members into the MMTC Hall of Fame.

Co-Hosts:
Kim M. Keenan, President and CEO, MMTC
Erwin G. Krasnow, Partner, Garvey Schubert Barer; Vice Chair, MMTC Board of Directors

ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD:
Alfred C. Liggins, III
, President and CEO, Radio One

CORPORATE DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP AWARD:
GrayTV
, Accepted by Robert Folliard, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel

MMTC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES:
Sherry Nelson, Managing Member and President, Legacy Broadcasting LLC
Ravi Kapur, Founder and CEO, Diya TV, Inc.

EXTRAORDINARY SERVICE AWARD:
Benjamin Wilson
, Managing Principal, Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.; Founder, DC Diverse Partners Network
Wednesday, July 13, 2016 - View the video recording of the session here .

Congressional and Legislative Leaders Breakfast-Access to Capital 2016

Description: Members of Congress and legislative leaders addressed how to introduce, promote, and enact access to capital legislation and regulations focused on increasing MWBE ownership and participation in the media, telecom, and tech industries. In addition, leaders focused heavily on the disparate treatment of minorities in the nation and referenced the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Special presentations included remarks on the upcoming Presidential election. MMTC conferred its Champion of Digital Equality Award upon the Congressional Black Caucus’s Tech 2020 initiative, accepted by Rep. G.K. Butterfield.

Moderator: Julia L. Johnson, Founder and President, NetCommunications, Inc.; Chair, MMTC Board of Directors

Introductory Remarks:
Hon. Cliff Stearns
, Congressman Emeritus, US. House of Representatives;
Hon. Ed Towns
, Congressman Emeritus, US. House of Representatives

Special Presentation (“What Government Programs Facilitate Diverse Ownership and Participation in Media, Telecom, and Tech?”): Nate Yohannes, Senior Advisor, Office of Investment and Innovation, U.S. Small Business Administration, The White House

Remarks:
Hon. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Member, U.S. House of Representatives
Hon. Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), Member, U.S. House of Representatives
Hon. Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Member, U.S. House of Representatives
Hon. Doris O. Matsui (D-CA), Member, U.S. House of Representatives
Hon. Gregory Meeks, Member, U.S. House of Representatives
Hon. Bobby Rush (D-IL), Member, U.S. House of Representatives

Thursday, July 14, 2016 - View the video recording of the session here .

Opportunities for Diverse Entrepreneurs in Infrastructure, Mergers, and the Supply Chain

Description: A diverse supply chain provides greater returns on investment, access to a broader reservoir of innovation and ideas, and a closer connection with a company’s customer base. In today’s competitive environment, it is imperative that telecommunications companies incorporate a diverse group of suppliers into their business processes in order to gain and maintain a long-term competitive edge. During this panel, experts from the wireless and broadcast industries shared their insights on supplier diversity, assessed its real-world impact on business, and highlighted success stories and best practices.

Moderator: Ronald Johnson, Chairman and CEO, Solutions4Change LLC; Treasurer, MMTC Board of Directors

Remarks: David Honig, President Emeritus and Senior Advisor, MMTC

Panelists:
Tim House
, Executive Vice President, Wireless Infrastructure Association
Robert Paige, Senior Vice President for Mergers and Acquisitions, Vertical Bridge
Thomas Reed¸ Director, Office of Communications Business Opportunities, Federal Communications Commission
Steven C. Roberts, President and Founder, Roberts Broadcasting Company
James L. Winston, Executive Director and General Counsel, National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters

Thursday, July 14, 2016 - View the video recording of the session here .

Brownout: The Impact of the FCC’s Spectrum Auctions on Minority Ownership and Other Policies on Diverse Ownership

Description: The nation is facing a spectrum shortage as consumer demand for data and bandwidth threatens to eclipse the available supply. The Federal Communications Commission has several legislative tools available to increase competition and ensure that spectrum licenses are disseminated in a diverse manner, including set-asides and bidding credits for small, minority, and women-owned businesses; however, these tools have at times been deployed in a manner that made it more difficult for these businesses to participate in spectrum auctions. Panelists discuss how the Commission should address competition and spectrum aggregation in light of these issues.

Moderator: Francisco Montero, Partner, Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth PLC; Member, MMTC Board of Directors

Panelists:
Ari Q. Fitzgerald, Partner, Hogan Lovells; Secretary, MMTC Board of Directors
Anita P. Stephens Graham, Co-founder and Managing Director, Graham Communications, Inc.
Ravi Kapur, Founder and CEO, Diya TV
Frank Washington, CEO, CrossingsTV

Thursday, July 14, 2016 - View the video recording of the session here .

Access to Capital Awards Luncheon-2016

Description: MMTC presented a special reflection on its thirty years of advocacy and conferred its Distinguished Pro Bono Achievement, Champion of Digital Equality, and Digital Media Pioneer for Social Justice Awards.

Moderator/Emcee: Kim M. Keenan, President and CEO, MMTC

Keynote Remarks: Victor X. Cerda, Senior Vice President for Corporate Strategy, V-me TV

Champion of Digital Equality Award:
Victor X. Cerda
, Senior Vice President for Corporate Strategy, Vme TV

Excellence in Financial Services Award:
Syncom-Iridium Holdings Corp.
, Terry L. Jones, Managing Partner, Syncom Venture Management Company, LLC

Distinguished Pro Bono Achievement Award:
Sherry Bellamy
, Former Partner, Leftwich, LLC; Leftwich, LLC, Accepted by Hon. Marie C. Johns, Managing Partner

Digital Media Pioneer for Social Justice Award:
Lyle “Butch” Wing
, Executive Director, Silicon Valley Project, Rainbow PUSH Coalition

Thursday, July 14, 2016 - View the video recording of the session here .

Financing Forum: The Secrets to Selling Investors on Your Success

Description: Successful entrepreneurs, investors, and media leaders shared insider knowledge on how entrepreneurs can attract investment capital for various distribution platforms.

Moderator:
Nicol Turner-Lee, Ph.D., Vice President and Chief Research and Policy Officer, MMTC

Opening Remarks:
David Honig,
President Emeritus and Special Advisor, MMTC
Perry Sook, Chairman, President, and CEO, Nexstar Broadcasting Group

Panelists:
Jennell Lynch
, Vice President, National Association of Investment Companies
M. Tony Thomas, Managing Partner, SCI-Ventures, Inc.

Thursday, July 14, 2016 - View the video recording of the session here .

Art of the Deal: Syncom, Iridium, and the $50 Million Bet – A Case Study in Multicultural Investment Success

Description: The Iridium satellite system is best known for being the Star Wars of satellite systems. With a constellation of 66 satellites in polar orbit, you could call Tibet from Fiji in an instant. But months after Motorola launched it, Iridium’s promise made a crash landing with an $11 billion bankruptcy – at the time the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history. The Iridium story is told in a new book called Eccentric Orbits by John Bloom. But the Iridium story is also an MMTC story. During this special session, Syncom-Iridium Holdings Corp. investor group principals took the audience on a riveting and little-known case study of the investors of color who stepped up to the plate, investing over $50 million to save Iridium, and the major role they, and the FCC, played in one of the greatest deals of all time.

Moderator: Maurita K. Coley, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, MMTC

Panelists:
Hon. Tyrone Brown
, Consulting Counsel, Wiley Rein LLP; Former Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission
Terry L. Jones, Managing Partner, Syncom Venture Management Company, LLC

Thursday, July 14, 2016 - View the video recording of the session here .

Techquity: Tech Investing with a Gender Lens

Description: Traditionally, business practices and social customs have ignored gender considerations when allocating capital for new business investments, stifling innovation and contributing to significant imbalances in the workplace, C-suites, and boards in the tech sector in particular. Gender lens investing has emerged in response to the historic lack of gender equity in business. In this session, panelists explored why gender lens investing is important in the media and tech industries, and what some companies are doing to create a value proposition for overcoming gender investment barriers in the tech space.

Moderator: Nicolaine Lazarre, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, National Urban League; Member, MMTC Board of Directors

Panelists:
Sibyl Edwards, President, DC Web Women; Co-Founder, Black Female Founders
Christal Jackson, Founder, Head & Heart Philanthropy (via SKYPE)
Kim Kastorff, CEO, Kimpacto, Inc. (via SKYPE)
Hannah Lewis, Brightwood Capital Advisors

Thursday, July 14, 2016 - View the video recording of the session here .

Capital Pitch Awards Reception

Description: MMTC announced the inaugural Capital Pitch Competition Grand Prize, Second Prize, and People’s Choice Award winners. MMTC also presented its Champion of Digital Equality Award. The reception and 2016 conference concluded with a launch party for Technicolor DC, a new organization to connect entrepreneurs of color, hosted in partnership with MMTC.

Host: Kim M. Keenan, President and CEO, MMTC

Presentation of Pitch Competition Awards:
People’s Choice Awardee: Jay Jackson, President, RYSE
Runner Up: Wesner Jules, CEO, Hoosthere
Grand Prize: Charlene Brown, CEO and Founder, Reciprocare

Technicolor DC Launch Party:
Remarks:
Xina Eiland
, Co-Founder, Black Female Founders; President and Founder, X+PR;

Champion of Digital Equality Award,
Presented by MMTC in Partnership with Technicolor DC:
Aaron Saunders, Founder, Luma Labs; Founder and CEO, Clearly Innovative, Inc.

Thursday, July 14, 2016 - View the video recording of the session here .