Social Learning Summit 2011

Sure, Facebook and Twitter are hot topics today, but blogging is still at the heart of social media and online communication. This panel will explore the how and why of blogging for today's students, and explore how blogging itself can be used to learn from each other and with each other.

Featuring:

• Kaitlin Carpenter, Student, American Unviersity - 
• Jessica Darmawan, Student, American University - Jessica Darmawan is a budding international blogger from Jakarta, Indonesia. With her passion for travel, she blogs about the world's largest archipelago, Indonesia, and its unique culture, natural landscape, traditional cuisine, and people. Within 6 months, her blog has grown to over 5,500 followers from all over the world. She hopes to work with Indonesia's Department of Tourism in the future to further expand her blog. Jessica is a Junior in the School of International Service at American University, and she hopes to use social media to promote causes.
  
• Winston "Stone" Ford, Owner and CEO, Couch Sessions (@couchsessions) - Recognized as an international music tastemaker by industry insiders and musicians "in the know," Stone (aka Winston Ford) is the creator of The Couch Sessions, the premier online destination for alternative urban music and culture.Stared in 2005, The Couch Sessions has been recognized worldwide for exposing new and emerging talent. In 2011, Stone branched out to create his own Artist Development company under the Couch Sessions brand in addition to a new marketing and branding firm. He lives in New York City.

• Andi Narvaez, SMCEDU Advisory Board Member (@andinarvaez) - Andi Narvaez is a social media and public relations professional. She currently serves on the advisory boards of Social Media Club DC and Social Media Club Education Connection, she is public relations chair for DC Twestival and works for Citizen Effect, a philanthropy startup dedicated to providing citizens with the tools and support they need to work directly with communities in need around the world. She is originally from Quito, Ecuador but moved to Washington, DC in 2009 to pursue a masters degree in Public Relations at University of Maryland. You can read her blog at andinarvaez.com and follow her on Twitter @andinarvaez.
  
• Chris Richards, Pop Music Critic, Washington Post (@chris__richards) - Chris Richards is the pop music critic at the Washington Post. His work appears regularly in the Post's Style section and even more frequently on Click Track, the Post's pop music blog. Before arriving at the Post, he was editor of The Fader magazine and a member of the Washington post-punk group Q and Not U.

Some have suggested today's youth are a generation of "slacktivists". Activists in name only, using the "like" button and tweets as forms of protest. Is this generation of students less motivated to truly act than in the past? Or are they simply armed with different tools?

Featuring:

• Moderator: Tyler Gray, Social Media Associate, Bivings Group (@tylergray) - Tyler works as a Social Media Associate at The Bivings Group, a D.C. based website development and media monitoring agency. His background in online activism includes work with corporations, small businesses, non-profits and political organizations / candidates for local, state and national office. While a student at George Mason University (class of 09’), Tyler’s most memorable achievement was working with Students for Barack Obama to bring then Senator Obama to a rally at GMU one week before he announced his run for president in February 2007.
• Angelo Carusone, Campaign Director, Media Matters for America (@StopBeck) - Angelo Carusone is Campaign Director at Media Matters for America. He received a bachelor’s degree in American Studies from Fordham University in 2004 and a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2010.  During law school, Carusone founded the StopBeck effort.  Organizing participants via social media, the StopBeck effort has helped hold Glenn Beck accountable by successfully convincing sponsors to cease advertising on Beck’s show.

• Christie Garton, Editor and Blogger, USA TODAY (@universitychic) - Christie Garton is the editor and blogger for USA Today’s "Kindness" community, dedicated to philanthropy and corporate responsibility coverage. An award-winning social entrepreneur for her work in founding a music volunteer non-profit at the age of 19, Garton is also founder of UniversityChic.com, an online magazine and community website for college women nationwide and author of best-selling guide for college women, U Chic: The College Girl's Guide to Everything. Garton graduated magna cum laude from the University of Kansas with a double degree in Business Administration and French in 2001 and then went on to secure her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law in 2006. She lives in New York City with her husband.

• Asher Huey, New Media, New Partners (@asherhuey) - Asher Huey is a new media political consultant based of out Washington, DC. He has a background as an organizer and works to use online tools as organizing resources. He is a graduate of American University. To learn more about asher: http://newpartners.com/about-us/asher-huey.php

• Sarah Kessler, Reporter, Mashable (@sarahfkessler) - Sarah Kessler is a reporter at Mashable, a top source for news in social and digital media, technology and web culture. Before joining Mashable in 2010, she was the editor-in-chief of global education magazine Abroad View. Her articles have appeared in Sierra Magazine, Inc. Magazine, CNN.com, and USAToday.com.
• Josh Koster, Managing Partner, Chong and Koster (@JoshKoster)
• Alan Rosenblatt, Associate Director for Online Advocacy, Center for American Progress Action Fund (@drdigipol) - Alan Rosenblatt, Ph.D. develops and implements Social Advocacy strategy at the Centerfor American Progress and CAP Action Fund. He founded and convenes the InternetAdvocacy Roundtable; teaches course on internet politics at Johns Hopkins, Georgetown,and American Universities; blogs at TechPresident.com, HuffingtonPost.com, and KStreetCafe.com; serves on the boards of directors for E-Democracy.org and EnlightenedCitizenry; and serves on the editorial boards for the Journal of Information Technology& Politics and the Journal of Political Marketing. He taught the world’s first internetpolitics course at George Mason University in 1995. Find him on Twitter, Sledeshare.net,YouTube, Facebook, and across the web at DrDigipol.

• Megan Yarbrough, Online Campaigns Associate, M+R Strategic Services (@misshealth) - Megan Yarbrough, public health advocate, is an Online Campaigns Associate and Social Media Guru at M+R Strategic Services, where she works with nonprofits to develop effective online advocacy campaigns. Prior to joining M+R, she helped manage the youth advocacy program at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. She is a graduate of American University.

We've all reached that inevitable moment in our lives when we're faced with a huge decision. Whether to accept our parents friend request on Facebook. Older generations are constantly becoming more involved in social media. This panel will discuss the alleged "generation gap" in social and digital media. Does it exist? Does it matter? Our panelists, including Chanelle Schneider, Debbie Weil, and American University student Miranda Gale, will explore those questions and more.

Featuring:

• Moderator: Chanelle Schneider, Creator and Chief Contributor, ThereFromHere (@writerchanelle) - Chanelle Schneider is a Social Media Strategist, a Blogger, an Editor, and a Designer. Identifying a need in social media to eliminate perceived barriers in the intergenerational workplace, Chanelle initiated an ongoing, virtual conversation among generations. That conversation, #GenYChat, has turned into a popular chat – and brand – on Twitter, with hundreds of tweets each week. Chanelle also created and is chief contributor to ThereFromHere, a website dedicated to illuminating inconsistencies in popular societal memes surrounding generational and cultural marketing. In addition to being interviewed by MSNBC and NPR, Chanelle’s blog posts have appeared on YouTern, iGrad, Pongo Resume and many more.

• Miranda Gale, Director of Online Operations, AU Social Media Club (@mirandagale) - Miranda is an effervescent and innovative Public Relations and Marketing senior at American University in Washington, D.C. Originally from Golden, Colorado, her broad interests include hiking, the performing arts, social media, marketing, event planning, and the cupcake craze. With experience on the hill, in documentary production, marketing, and public relations, Miranda is continually looking for new opportunities and frontiers to explore. Miranda will be graduating with honors in May, with a B.S.B.A. in Marketing and a double major in Public Communications.

• Patrick Foster, Digital Solutions, USA TODAY College (@mrpattyfoster) - Patrick Foster works on digital solutions for the USA TODAY College and Business Development teams. He has a deep background in journalism and music as well, having spent more than a decade contributing to publications like The Washington Post, Time Out London and SPIN. He runs the Twitter accounts@USATODAYCollege and @mrpattyfoster.

• Alejandra Owens, Blog Managing Director, AARP (@frijolita) - Alejandra Owens is the Managing Director of AARP’s 5 year old blog. She is also a member of AARP’s Social Communications team providing strategic advice on the use of various social platforms. Alejandra is also a food blogger, regularly posting recipes on her own site One Bite At A Time and contributes to the neighborhood blog Boderstan.com as a food writer. She can be found on Twitter at @frijolita.
• Debbie Weil, Social Media Consultant (@debbieweil) - Named one of the Most Influential Women in Technology in 2010 by Fast Company, Debbie Weil is a rare species - a baby boomer who is a digital native. She launched her first website in 1995, has been blogging since 2003 at debbieweil.com/blog and is the author of one of the first and most definitive books about business blogging: THE CORPORATE BLOGGING BOOK. In addition to consulting and writing, she has spoken at conferences all over the world, including China and Dubai. Debbie is a Washington DC-based corporate social media consultant and speaker who has helped a range of clients including GlaxoSmithKline and the American Camp Association embrace and execute social media and blogging. She also blogs for the Huffington Post. She was named by Washingtonian Magazine as a DC Top 100 Tech Titan and is a Top Twitterer in DC @debbieweil with more than 10,000 Followers. Debbie has a unique background as a former journalist with corporate marketing experience. She holds an MBA degree from Georgetown University, a Masters in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin and is a graduate of Harvard with a degree in English.

We've all seen the impacts of social networks in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya. This panel takes an international perspective on social media, and our panelists will explore these issues and more. Kendall Byl, an American University student, will even be joining us from China to provide her insight from abroad!

Featuring:

• Moderator: Amanda Zimmer, VP of Communications, AU Social Media Club (@ayeemzee) - Originally from Lexington, Kentucky, Amanda is a junior currently working towards a B.A in Broadcast Journalism with minors in Marketing and Multimedia Studio Art at American University. She is an avid sports fan and has tailored her career path to Sports Journalism. She has interned with iHigh.com, the Washington Wizards/Mystics and is currently with ESPN 980 radio.
• Kendall Byl, Student, American University (@Kendallbyl) - Kendall Byl is currently studying abroad in Beijing, China, where she is interning for Ogilvy PR, working specifically on social media marketing among other things.  A Junior at American University, Kendall is working towards a degree in Business with Marketing, International Relations, and Religion thrown in to mix things up a bit.  A social media fanatic, she has travelled the world over and can usually be found with her nose in a book, out on a run, or hitting the ski slopes.  Check out her linkedin profile or follow her blog for more China updates.
• Tracy Johnson, Booz Allen Hamilton (@tjohns06) - Ms. Johnson is a senior consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton, a global strategy and technology consulting firm that works with clients to deliver results that endure.  She serves on the firm’s social media/Government 2.0 practice team, integrating social media into organizational strategies for clients across the public sector. She has developed and executed numerous outreach and communications strategies for clients leveraging social media as well as her background in communications planning, citizen engagement and public relations.  Over the past year, Ms. Johnson has been supporting the U.S. Navy, where she developed and is implementing their enterprise-wide social media strategy. Prior to joining Booz Allen, Ms. Johnson worked for ENC Marketing & Communications, developing marketing and outreach programs for clients including the Small Business Administration’s Business.gov program (now featured on WhiteHouse.gov), the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, IRS Human Capital Office, Microsoft Federal, and others. Ms. Johnson earned her B.S. with honors in Marketing and International Business from Villanova University.  She is an active member of Villanova University’s DC Alumni Chapter, the Social Media Club of DC, and Fashion Group International.

• Pallavi Kumar, Assistant Professr, AU School of Communication (@pdkdc) - Pallavi Damani Kumar joined the Public Communication division in 2009 as an assistant professor after teaching as an adjunct faculty member since 2002. In 2011, she was appointed associate division director of the Public Communication division.  She teaches a variety of classes in the PC core curriculum, and she piloted a graduate level social media class last summer.  An AU alumna, Kumar has more than 15 years experience in public relations. Most recently, she worked at Fleishman Hillard as a vice president in their social marketing practice. While there, she worked on a social marketing campaign for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy’s (ONDCP) National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. Previously, Kumar was an associate director of international public relations at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, where she led international public relations activities for several products. Prior to joining Wyeth, as vice president/account supervisor in Ketchum Public Relations' healthcare practice, Kumar was responsible for developing strategic communication plans, implementing consumer media campaigns, coordinating media events, serving as the client contact and managing an account team.

• Stefy Narvaez (@fairtradestefy) - My full name is Estefanía Narváez. I just moved to DC to pursue a career in international affairs and development. I have a BS in International Economics and International Studies from Trinity University where I attended as an international student from Ecuador. Among many involvements my greatest contribution to Trinity was heading the Fair Trade campaign for nearly three years. In response to the campaign a variety of Fair Trade products where introduced into the campus and this spring semester Trinity University will become a Fair Trade University. In my spare time, other than looking for a job, I help Ethix Merch, a sweat free purchasing organization based in Massachusetts, and Fair Bussiness Alliance, a Fair Trade consulting organization based in Edinburgh, expand their sales through personal promotional efforts. I am also beginning to help the Secretariat of Science and Technology of Ecuador to seek funding from entrepreneurs and philanthropists in the US for a new Institute of Genomic Biology in Ecuador which is linked with the progress and possible success of the Yasuni ITT proposal, an environmental international initiative of the Ecuadorian government in the amazon. I want to dedicate myself to defending human rights and hopefully become a successful advocate for sustainable resource management in the future. BUT when I am not doing THAT I am biking, running, salsa dancing and singing my little heart out.

• Nicole Pulley, Student, American University (@nicolepulley) - Nicole Pulley is is the Marketing Program Associate at the Fair Trade Federation. She is studying international marketing and public relations at American University, and loves social media! View here LinkedIn profile here and follow her at @nicolepulley.

Today's politicians have a lot to keep in mind when running for office. Our panel of experts and authorities will discuss today's "Facebook Candidates" and how the public world of social media has impacted modern political elections.

Featuring:

• Moderator: Sam Tift, Student, American University (@USMiddleClass) - Sam Tift has a young background in social media communication. As a political science major, Sam saw new media as an emerging component of grassroots campaigns. Sam spent much of his junior year at American University researching the impact of social media on issue campaigns, political campaigns and government transparency. Since November 2010 he has independently operated social media accounts targeting union members and progressives. He hopes to see greater democratic participation through social media in the future.
• Krystal Ball, Democratic Strategist (@KrystalBall1) - Krystal Marie Ball is a 29-year-old Democratic Strategist and former Virginia Congressional Candidate, in addition to being a Certified Public Accountant, software engineer, small business owner and mother. Krystal was recently named by Forbes Magazine as number 21 on the magazine’s “Most Powerful Women in the Mid Term Elections” list.  The Week magazine rated her as one of the Top Eight Political Stars of 2010, along with Marco Rubio, Scott Brown and Chris Christie.  Although Krystal is a committed democrat, she is passionately dedicated to civility and to improving the quality of political discourse.  Profiled all over the United States for her innovative use of Social Media in politics, Ball's compelling political vision for her party has been featured as far away as The China Post. Krystal was the Democratic Nominee for US Congress for the 1st District of Virginia in 2010. Although she did not win, her electoral performance was exceptional given the overall climate for Democrats in 2010. Her campaign displayed an unusually strong fundraising prowess and excelled in the use of social media in politics. The campaign raised over $1M as a first time candidate from more than 6,000 donors in all 50 states. Follow her at @KrystalBall1.

• Asher Huey, New Partners (@asherhuey) - Asher Huey is a new media political consultant based of out Washington, DC. He has a background as an organizer and works to use online tools as organizing resources. He is a graduate of American University. To learn more about asher: newpartners.com/about-us/asher-huey.php and follow him at @asherhuey. 

• Alan Rosenblatt, Associate Director for Online Advocacy, Center for American Progress Action Fund (@drdigipol) - 

• Alan Rosenblatt, Ph.D. develops and implements Social Advocacy strategy at the Centerfor American Progress and CAP Action Fund. He founded and convenes the InternetAdvocacy Roundtable; teaches course on internet politics at Johns Hopkins, Georgetown,and American Universities; blogs atTechPresident.com, HuffingtonPost.com, and KStreetCafe.com; serves on the boards of directors for E-Democracy.org and EnlightenedCitizenry; and serves on the editorial boards for the Journal of Information Technology& Politics and the Journal of Political Marketing. He taught the world’s first internetpolitics course at George Mason University in 1995. Find him on Twitter, Sledeshare.net,YouTube, Facebook, and across the web at DrDigipol.

• Susan Page, Washington Bureau Chief, USA TODAY (@susanpage) - Susan Page is the Washington Bureau chief for USA TODAY. She's interviewed the past eight presidents and covered the last eight presidential campaigns -- from an era of faxes to the advent of email and now tweets and Facebook postings. She has a bachelors degree from Northwestern and a masters from Columbia. Follow her at @SusanPage.

• Greg Pinelo, Partner, GMMB (@gregpinelo) - Greg Pinelo is a Partner in GMMB’s Washington office. He is an award winning political and communications strategist for a wide-ranginggroup of corporate, nonprofit, national association, government and electedclients.  During his diverse 18-year career at the firm, Greg has founded GMMB’s Creative Group, run the Los Angeles office and now helps lead the firm’s campaign consulting team. Greg was a key member of the media team for Barack Obama’s historic campaign for the Presidency, writing and developing many ads that aired nationally and in battleground states during both the primaries and the general election.  He was also part of the speaker preparation operation at the highly successful Democratic National Convention in Denver. Greg developed advertising for Jim Webb's upset victory in the 2006 Virginia Senate race, Mark Warner’s winning campaigns for Governor and the U.S. Senate and multi-state efforts for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Greg’s work extends well beyond the political realm, with a clientele that has included the Save Darfur Coalition, CTIA – The Wireless Association, the Motion PictureAssociation of America, the Directors Guild of America, the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, to name a few. Greg was instrumental in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Covering Kids & Families campaign, for which GMMB received the prestigious David Ogilvy Award recognizing outstanding research-driven creative. He also coordinated the development of advertising for the foundation's Cover the Uninsured Week. A native of Kentucky, Greg received a B.A. from Oberlin College, where he majored in both history and political science and lettered in varsity basketball.

• Dave Stroup (@davestroup) - Dave Stroup is a technology professional and online activist from Washington, D.C. In January 2011, he successfully led a grassroots effort to draft Bryan Weaver for D.C. City Council. Dave is a former editor of DCist and presently advises the Weaver campaign on social media and online organizing strategy. Follow him at @davestroup.

80% of today's jobs come from networking. Do you think social media plays a role in your future? This discussion will focus on strategies and stories of how social media can impact your future career.

Featuring:

• Moderator: Megan Ackerman, Vice President, AU Social Media Club (@MissMeganEmily) - Megan is a social media enthusiast, entertainment junkie and lover of all things pop culture from Los Angeles, CA. Before coming to American University, Megan received her Associates Degree in Marketing from Santa Barbara City College in 2009. Megan is now a senior at AU, working on her Bachelors Degree in American Culture and Media, an interdisciplinary study she created which combines Broadcast Journalism, Public Relations, and American Studies.

• Brittany Cooper, New Media Strategies (@brittanycooper) - Brittany is an accomplished recruiter and communications strategist specializing in digital and social recruitment, and cultural engagement. Her recruitment experience spans across multiple verticals, including promotions and community engagement, crisis communications, public affairs, corporate brand management, design and creative, healthcare, technology, and sales/business development. Brittany regularly consults and trains individuals and local organizations on how to best utilize social media for networking and job placement.  She can be found online at @brittanycooper and linkedin.com/in/brittanyacooper.

• Heather Coleman, Strategic Communications Specialist, CorpComm, Inc. (@heathercoleman) - Heather Coleman, MBA, has worked in government communications for 10+ years managing mass media campaigns, website design and most recently helping clients develop social media strategies. She is the social media lead at CorpComm, Inc.and researches new tools and tactics that can be used by clients. She supports outreach for the Army Contracting Command's ArmyHire.com website and helped them win an inaugural NVTC Social Media Award for Best Use of LinkedIn in 2010. This recruitment website regularly showcases career opportunities within the Army Contracting Command. Heather is also a Top 100 member on GovLoop, the social network for government and has a featured blog, "This is Govable". She also is a contributing blogger for OhMyGov!. Heather can be found on Twitter (@heathercoleman) and on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/heathermcoleman.

• Greg Cypes, Director of Product, Clearspring (@gregcypes) - Greg Cypes joined Clearspring as the Director of Product to help the company develop and execute on its vision to bring user-centric sharing to the AddThis network. Before joining Clearspring, Greg served in several lead technical roles for AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) product suite. At AOL, Greg was credited with transforming AOL's client software from a self-contained entity to one of the most robust and powerful open messaging and peer-2-peer networks in the world. He’s well-known in the industry for pioneering next-generation communication tools that have enabled people to better connect and share via the social networks they love like Twitter and Facebook through the AIM platform. Greg's spoken at tons of industry events, including SXSW, Web 2.0 Expo, MashupCamps, Future of Web Apps, Techcrunch 50 and W3C, and has been quote and contributed content to today’s leading business and technology trade publications.

• Jason Parker, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Brazen Careerist (@jasonhparker) - Jason Parker is the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Brazen Careerist, a DC-based startup. Jason creates partnerships with universities to provide opportunities for alumni and students to participate in virtual recruiting events with Fortune 500 employers. Prior to his work with Brazen, Jason was a successful recruiter and then marketing manager for a DC-based IT recruitment firm. Simply put, Jason helps get great people great jobs.

• Charles Purdy, Senior Editor, Monster Careers (@monstercareers) - Charles Purdy is the senior editor of Monster; he has appeared on CNN’s “Your Bottom Line,” Fox Business News, and Wall Street Journal Radio, and his career advice has appeared on Forbes.com, CNBC.com, CBS SmartMoney.com, and many other financial sites. He is also the author of the book “Urban Etiquette” and a former managing editor of “Macworld” magazine.

• Scott Talan, Assistant Professor of Communication, American University (@talan) - Scott Talan, MPA, has worked in media, PR, and communications in four distinct fields: TV News, Politics, Nonprofits and Higher Education. Scott worked at the United Nations, Harvard University and the New Mexico Legislature. He recently served as the Director of Communications for the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs. Talan has worked as a writer at ABC News Good Morning America for hosts Diane Sawyer and Charlie Gibson. He's also reported on-air for local TV news stations in several states (Florida, New Mexico, California) covering politics including the 2000 presidential recount story. Before news, Talan was as an elected city council member and Mayor of Lafayette, California. His first career was in nonprofit communications working for the March of Dimes. 

Social media can do a lot more for the environment than just saving paper.  In this discussion we explore how social media has been used and can used as an effective outlet for environmental and scientific causes and advocacy.

Featuring:

• Moderator: Dr. Jamie Vernon, Science Advocate (@jlvernonPHD) - Dr. Vernon is a highly-motivated and creative leader with broad skills and knowledge in molecular biology, science communication and policy. He has more than a decade of training and experience in academia performing cell and molecular biology discovery research and project management. He has developed gene-targeting systems using ribozymes and adeno-associated virus. He is currently developing a vaccine to protect against HIV infection. He has published articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and he is co-author of a gene-targeting technology patent. He is also an award-winning science educator. Jamie is deeply involved in science policy and science communication. He has two years of freelance and volunteer experience in state and national science policy efforts. He is NSF-trained to communicate science to the public. He is creator of multiple organizations focused on science policy and public engagement for science, including Austin-based "Science in the Pub". He is also author of a popular science blog. He is currently a Science Policy Fellow with Scientists and Engineers for America. As a policy Fellow, he seeks to engage the scientific community in the policy process. In 2010, he co-led a focus group of policy interns on science communication. He has organized educational and networking opportunities with major policy players including Andy Reynolds, Science Adviser to the Secretary of State. Jamie also consults teachers, scientists, non-profit organizations, businesses and academic institutions on ways to effectively communicate their science to target audiences. 

• Stacy Baker, Staten Island Academy (@stacycbaker) - Stacy Baker is the Biology Teacher and Social Outreach Coordinator at Staten Island Academy in NYC. She is a pioneer in the integration of technology into the classroom.  She has won awards for both her classroom teaching and online outreach. She received her B.S. in Zoology at Washington State University. Baker's students maintain a class blog, Extreme Biology, where they blog about current research in science. Students write articles and create podcasts, animations, and videos. Several of her students have been chosen to blog for Nature Publishing Group because of their work on Extreme Biology.
• Kelly Barrett, Spectrum Science (@kellyalysia) - Kelly Barrett. Digital Associate at Spectrum Science Communications. Kelly currently works as the sole digital accounts associate at Spectrum, assisting the health and science-focused PR agency's digital accounts through overall digital strategy, web design, copywriting, and analytics, earned and paid media outreach and social media asset management. During her senior year at American University in 2010, Kelly focused on courses related to environmentalism and pursued an independent study on food sustainability, which she explored through a blog that incorporated her personal attempts at eating locally with her professional research and interviews conducted for her health columns at The Eagle. Kelly has guest blogged on Greenfudge.com, her blogs have both been featured on 'Top Green Blogs for Students' and she was awarded SOC's Best in Visual Strategy upon graduation for her original concept and design for "Growing Relationships Between Farmers and Consumers."

• Danielle Brigida, Digital Marketing Manager, National Wildlife Federation (@starfocus) - Danielle Brigida works as the Digital Marketing Manager for the National Wildlife Federation. She actively engages a wide range of constituents using a mixture of online tools and social networking sites. An early adopter of social media with creative, engaging campaigns, Danielle has been recognized as: 10 Green Women We Love by Greenopia; one of the 75 Environmentalists to follow by Mashable; Top 50 green people to follow on Twitter by Greenopolis; A featured Changemaker by Change.org; A Measurement Maven of the Month by Katie Paine.

• Chris O'Brien, Director of Sustainability, American University (@GreenAU) - Chris O'Brien joined American University in 2009 as the university's first Director of Sustainability. Previously, he directed the Responsible Purchasing Network at the Center for a New American Dream, and earlier served as Managing Director of the Green Business Network and the Fair Trade Federation. He is Treasurer of the Fair Trade Resource Network, and co-owns the Seven Bridges Organic Brewing Supply Cooperative. In 2006, Chris authored the award-winning book Fermenting Revolution: How to Drink Beer and Save the World (New Society Publishers, 2006). He blogs about his passion for all things related to sustainability and beer at www.BeerActivist.com, and twitters about greening the American dream at twitter.com/GreenAU. 

• Margaret Rubega, University of Connecticut (@ProfRubega) - Margaret Rubega is an Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut, and serves as the Connecticut State Ornithologist. She also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation, a family foundation driving positive environmental change by recognizing and fostering a diverse network of *environmental leaders. *Dr. Rubega studies how birds are built, and how that limits their ability to adjust to environmental degradation. She has used biomechanics and behavior to understand the effect on birds of oil spills, water diversions, and light pollution, in addition to publishing work on their ecology and evolution. Recent work in her lab includes projects to determine whether birds spread invasive plants around, and how to keep Monk Parakeets from nesting on power poles. As a 2005 Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow she was trained to communicate science to the press, policy makers and the public. She frequently consults with, lectures to, and advises all three. She teaches science communication to colleagues and graduate students in the Life Sciences, while also teaching journalism majors how to effectively extract stories from scientists. An early adopter, she pioneered the use of Twitter as a way to engage college students in the wonders of bird biology (at #birdclass) before the irony of tweeting in a bird class became clear. She also briefly blogged on the intersection of parenting and biology at Momecology, until she realized she was too busy being a mom and a biologist to keep up her posting rate.

There are many ways to use social media, but some activity is risker than others. With social communities growing, so are the potential dangers. This discussion will provide insight to how to do social media safely and responsibly.

Featuring:

• Moderator: Tracy Brisson, Founder and CEO, The Opportunities Project (@oppsproject) - Tracy Brisson is the founder and CEO of The Opportunities Project, an organization that helps young professionals meet their career goals quickly and confidently. One of Tracy's specialties is helping job seekers use social media to build their credibility, expand their communities and find opportunities. Before launching her own company, Tracy worked in recruitment for more than a decade and her career advice has appeared in the New York Post, The Star Ledger, and on Monster+HotJobs, and The Ladders.  Tracy has a BA from Syracuse University, an MPA in Public Finance from New York University and is finishing her doctorate in Educational Leadership at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University. She is also a Certified Professional Coach and a graduate of the Kauffman Fast Trac NewVenture Program for early stage entrepreneurs.

• Jessica Darmawan, Student, American University - Jessica Darmawan is a budding international blogger from Jakarta, Indonesia. With her passion for travel, she blogs about the world's largest archipelago, Indonesia, and its unique culture, natural landscape, traditional cuisine, and people. Within 6 months, her blog has grown to over 5,500 followers from all over the world. She hopes to work with Indonesia's Department of Tourism in the future to further expand her blog. Jessica is a Junior in the School of International Service at American University, and she hopes to use social media to promote causes.
  
• Jill Foster, LiveYourTalk (@jillfoster) - Cited by ForbesWoman as one of 30 women entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter, Jill Foster is principal of Live Your Talk; her work has been in conversation in The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Guardian UK, Washingtonian Magazine, and a range of media outlets. Believing strong communities come from strong conversations (and thus public speaking skill), Jill specializes in helping professionals in technical fields engage through public speaking.

• Andy Hasty, Honors Paralegal, Federal Trade Commission - Andy Hasty is an Honors Paralegal in the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, where he supports numerous policy and enforcement efforts.  Focused primarily on technology-related consumer protection issues, Andy monitors and reports on developments in interactive technology, and works on matters related to the emerging mobile marketplace.  In addition, Andy helps manage OnGuardOnline.gov, a joint effort between the federal government and the technology industry to help computer users protect their personal information, secure their computers, and be on guard against Internet fraud.  As part of the OnGuard Online team, Andy also participates in numerous government, non-profit, and industry events around DC.  He holds a B.A. from the University of Virginia, and plans to go to law school in the fall.

• Andi Narvaez, SMCEDU Advisory Board Member (@andinarvaez) - Andi Narvaez is a social media and public relations professional. She currently serves on the advisory boards of Social Media Club DC and Social Media Club Education Connection, she is public relations chair for DC Twestival and works for Citizen Effect, a philanthropy startup dedicated to providing citizens with the tools and support they need to work directly with communities in need around the world. She is originally from Quito, Ecuador but moved to Washington, DC in 2009 to pursue a masters degree in Public Relations at University of Maryland. You can read her blog at andinarvaez.com and follow her on Twitter @andinarvaez.

• Eric J. Novotny, Senior Vice President, CRDF Global - Eric J. Novotny is presently Adjunct Professor at SIS in the International Communication program.  He is also Senior Vice President of CRDF Global, a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to international cooperation in science, technology and innovation.  He is a graduate of Georgetown University and the University of Oxford.

• Alejandra Owens, Blog Managing Director, AARP (@frijolita)- Alejandra Owens is the Managing Director of AARP’s 5 year old blog. She is also a member of AARP’s Social Communications team providing strategic advice on the use of various social platforms. Alejandra is also a food blogger, regularly posting recipes on her own site One Bite At A Time and contributes to the neighborhood blog Boderstan.com as a food writer. She can be found on Twitter at @frijolita.

• Keith Petri, eBrandingMe (@ebrandingme) - Keith Petri, founder of eBranding Me and avid blogger, is a graduate of Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. His studies in business, economics and studio art, along with an affinity for marketing, technology and entrepreneurship, have led to his current passion for social media and the new rules of digital networking. Through his prior entrepreneurial pursuits, blogging and extensive networking, Keith has seen the need for educating his peers on creating a positive online presence. eBranding Me is the culmination of his efforts.

In a catch-up-or-catch-you-later environment, social media's involvement in business is vital. Business is increasingly social, and we'll be joined by some outstanding DC startups who are doing it right. Come join us in discussing how social media can be leveraged by today's generation of business entrepreneurs.

Featuring:

• Moderator: Greg Saperstein, Student, American University (@gsaperstein) - Greg Saperstein is currently a student at American University in their School of Communications. He is expected to graduate in May of 2012.  His interests include social media (he is a member of the American University Social Media Club for Education), working on cars, photography, web design, and reading about law enforcement and organized crime. In the future, he hopes to become a police officer in his home state of New Jersey, and upon gaining experience in law enforcement, he wishes to open his own private security firm.
• Andrew Bates, EyeTraffic Media, (@andrewbates) - Andrew Batesis a strategic interactive marketing programs and technology subject matter expert with over a dozen years of web and business technology management and consulting experience.  At EyeTraffic, he is responsible for developing and managing client-specific interactive marketing strategies as well as evolving ETM’s new media services.  Prior to joining EyeTraffic, Andrew spent two years with internet leader, Network Solutions, developing infrastructure and services for search engine optimization (SEO) and social media, and preparing search marketing strategies for groups like XO Communications, Rosetta Stone, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Earlier, he served as Director of Sales at Lore Internet Systems, where he managed sales, marketing, and branding efforts.  For the last 7 years, Andrew has been an avid member of the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC.org) serving as a founding member of both the Tech Innovations and Social Media Committees.  Andrew attended the University of Virginia where he studied social statistics, and is a frequent speaker on the topics of Internet Marketing and Social Media for both businesses and nonprofits.

• Allen Gannett, Splash Networks (@allengannett) - Allen Gannett co-founded Splash Networks, a social education start-up that has been mentioned in TIME, Newsweek, CNN, Mashable, and more. He has appeared in Entrepreneur Magazine, was a cast member on season two of MTV's Movers and Changers, and is a former Wheel of Fortune contestant. He started his first website at age 11, his first business at age 15, and rang the bell of the New York Stock Exchange at 19. Most importantly, he's a big fan of pumpkin pie.

• Chris Golden, Founder, MyImpact (@chrisgolden) - Chris Golden is the Executive Director and co-founder of myImpact.org, an online platform for volunteers to record, share and track their impact. An avid social media user, Chris has served for two years as official Twitter Correspondent for the National Conference on Citizenship andwas selected to join a Twitter delegation to the launch of STS-133, SpaceShuttle Discovery. A native of Coventry, Connecticut, He is a 2010 graduate of AmericanUniversity in Washington, DC where he holds of B.A. in InterdisciplinaryStudies from the School of Public Affairs.

• Peter Lamotte, President, GeniusRocket (@peterlamotte) - Peter LaMotte is President of GeniusRocket, a Curated Crowdsourcing company. The Curated Crowdsourcing model relies upon a vetted community of experienced and professional production companies, writers, and advertising veterans to deliver high quality commercial video content at a fraction of the cost of traditional means. Peter previously worked at Corporate Executive Board, IBM, and Apple. He holds BA in International Business from Rhodes College, and MBA from Vanderbilt University. 

• Dr. Gwanhoo Lee, Associate Professor, American University Kogod School of Business - Dr. Gwanhoo Lee is an Associate Professor of Information Technology Management in the Kogod School of Business at the American University, Washington, D.C. He is also the Director of the Center for IT and the Global Economy (CITGE) at the American University in which senior IT executives from the public and private sectors engage in collaborative research programs. Dr. Lee’s research areas include social media and Web 2.0, IT-enabled open collaboration and innovation, project management, software development agility and complexity, distributed software teams, technology adoption, and CIO leadership. In various capacities, he has consulted and worked closely with senior IT executives from numerous organizations including 3M, A.G. Edwards, Amtrak, American Red Cross, Cargill, Computech, CSC Consulting, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Deloitte, Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Communications Commission, Freddie Mac, General Motors, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, IBM, LG CNS, Marriott, Medtronic, Northwest Airlines, Pillsbury, Samsung Electronics, Samsung SDS, SAP America, St. Paul Companies, and the World Bank.

• Michael Mayernick, Co-Founder, Spinnakr (@mmayernick) - Michael is the co-founder of Spinnakr, a social media optimization application. He is an active member of the DC startup community, a co-founder of proudlymadeindc.com and a co-organizer of DC Tech Meetup.

• Matt Zimmer (@mattzimmer) - Matt Zimmer has over 20 years experience in technology product definition, launch and marketing. Recently, he has focused on bringing the power and reach of social media to small businesses to generate demand and create presence. He takes a practical approach to producing video, web based and social media campaigns.

Want to change the world? Some say social media is helping us do just that. From building peace to managing crises, social media is playing a key role in making the world a little bit better place. This panel will talk about how it's doing this, and how you can get involved in the process.

Featured:

• Moderator: Jessica Darmawan, Student, American University - Jessica Darmawan is a budding international blogger from Jakarta, Indonesia. With her passion for travel, she blogs about the world's largest archipelago, Indonesia, and its unique culture, natural landscape, traditional cuisine, and people. Within 6 months, her blog has grown to over 5,500 followers from all over the world. She hopes to work with Indonesia's Department of Tourism in the future to further expand her blog. Jessica is a Junior in the School of International Service at American University, and she hopes to use social media to promote causes.
• Daryn Cambridge, Director of Knowledge & Digital Strategies, International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (@daryncambridge) - Daryn Cambridge is Director for Knowledge & Digital Strategies at the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict.  He is also an education and training consultant and an adjunct professor at American University, where he teaches Education for Peace and Conflict Resolution and Education for International Development. Daryn has worked for several social justice and education organizations, facilitating trainings and workshops for learners of all ages and from all across the world. He has done consulting work for organizations such as One World Education, LearnServe International, and the United States Association for the University of Peace. He served for three years as Assistant Director of the Democracy Matters Institute and then Director of Youth Programs at Common Cause, designing and facilitating trainings for youth and young adults on how to do grassroots organizing around pro-democracy issues. He has also been a Program Supervisor and Instructor with the Close Up Foundation – the nation’s largest civic education and engagement non-profit – where he taught civic engagement workshops for young people from all across the United States, the Middle East, North Africa, and Eurasia. He has also been a teacher for Putney Student Travel’s Excel Program at Amherst College where he taught the History of War and International Relations; an urban crew leader with the Student Conservation Association, working with DC area youth in conservation, trail building and environmental education; and a consultant for Project Agape, the internet company that designed the Causes application on Facebook. Daryn has a B.A. from Middlebury College, a M.A. in International Training and Education from American University, and a professional certificate in International Peace and Conflict Resolution, also from American University.  To learn more about Daryn's work you can visit his professional blog at daryncambridge.com.
• Craig Hayden, Assistant Professor, AU School of International Service - Dr. Craig Hayden is an assistant professor in the International Communication Program at American University’s School of International Service. His current research focuses on the discourse of public diplomacy, the rhetoric of foreign policy related to media technologies, as well as the impact of global media and media convergence on international relations. He is particularly interested in the comparative study of public diplomacy and media culture as a pivotal resource for international relations, as well as the impact of communication technology on international influence. Dr. Hayden received his Ph.D. from the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Southern California. Dr. Hayden's previous studies include analysis of media framing of the United States in pan-Arab media content, as well as analysis of media-based public argument by US presidential advisors prior to the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

• Nick Martin (@ncmart) - Nick is the co-founder and President of TechChange. As President, he oversees all strategy and programming for the organization. Nick is an educator, technologist, and social entrepreneur with significant international peacebuilding and development expertise. He currently teaches courses at the United Nations University for Peace (UPEACE), and has given a number of guest lectures and speeches on the role of technology in peacebuilding, development and humanitarian work.
• Anand Varghese (@vargheseanand) - Anand Varghese works in the Center of Innovation: Science, Technology, and Peacebuilding at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP). The Center develops innovative strategies for applying science and technology to the challenge of peacebuilding in fragile states, active conflict and post-conflict societies. Varghese has authored USIP reports on topics such as new media, online discourse, and science diplomacy. He graduated from Georgetown University with a masters degree in Democracy & Governance. He grew up in Bangalore, India and pronounces the “h” in “herbs.” 
• Ashleigh Zimmerman, Seeds of Peace - Ashleigh Zimmerman is an accidental technologist and Director of American and Graduate Programs for Seeds of Peace. Seeds of Peace brings youth from regions of conflict to develop the leadership skills necessary to advance reconciliation and coexistence. Ashleigh is the Director of the Seeds of Peace Graduate Association which serves as a vehicle for all Graduates, in their diversity, to network, encourage and create local and regional initiatives to end conflict and promote cross-border opportunities. Prior to joining Seeds of Peace Ashleigh worked with NGOs in the field of Peace and Conflict Resolution for over four years. She traveled and conducted research extensively in the Middle East and Arab world, including research at the University of Tehran and the American University of Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. She has remained a strong advocate for the power of youth to make change in their societies and spoken on the topic at the United Nations and International Youth Forum in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

Running for office is one thing, but governing is a whole different story. This panel takes a look at today's Gov2.0 and how social media is changing the way our politicians actually try to get things done. From open data to today's "transparency", this panel will cover the broad spectrum of issues at the heart of governing in a new media world.

Featuring: 

• Moderator: Sam Tift, Student, American University (@USMiddleClass) - Sam Tift has a young background in social media communication. As a political science major, Sam saw new media as an emerging component of grassroots campaigns. Sam spent much of his junior year at American University researching the impact of social media on issue campaigns, political campaigns and government transparency. Since November 2010 he has independently operated social media accounts targeting union members and progressives. He hopes to see greater democratic participation through social media in the future.
  
• Wayne Moses Burke, Executive Director of the Open Forum Foundation (@wmburke) - Wayne Moses Burke founded the Open Forum Foundation here in DC to establish a meaningful connection between citizens and their government. Among other things, this means that I work with federal agencies, technology developers, and Congressional staff to help them grasp the fundamental culture change that is necessary to leverage the power of social media. I've done a lot of other things before I got into this, but you'll have to track me down on Twitter or LinkedIn to learn about that!
  
• Rory Cooper, Director of Communications, The Heritage Foundation (@rorycooper) - Rory Cooper coordinates The Heritage Foundation’s external messaging and internal communications, manages its entire digital communications and social media portfolios, and develops partnerships with new media. Cooper also serves as executive editor for The Foundry, Heritage’s blog of public policy news and commentary. Among its features is Morning Bell, one of Washington’s most widely read and influential morning e-newsletters. Before joining Heritage in 2008, Cooper served for more than seven years in the administration of George W. Bush as a senior policy adviser at the Department of Energy. Between 2001 and 2004, Cooper was an aide in the Bush White House, first as associate director of policy and plans in the newly formed Office of Homeland Security, then as associate director of intergovernmental affairs for the Homeland Security Council. Cooper was instrumental in formation of the Department of Homeland Security and production of the first National Strategy for Homeland Security. Cooper also served at NASA as the first director of the space agency's newly created Division of Outreach and Intergovernmental Affairs, following an assignment with the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission. Before his government service, Cooper worked for the political division of the National Republican Congressional Committee and for the Republican Governors Association and two Presidential Inaugural Committees. He also participated in countless political and grassroots campaigns. 

• Justin Herman, Phase One Consulting Group (@justinherman)- Justin Herman is a Government Innovation and Strategic Engagement advisor for U.S. Federal agencies, with diverse experience as a military officer, Congressional aide & health information technology wonk. He also plays horn in local DC funk band Bonjour Ganesh!
• Natalie Grantham Jennings (@capiappe) - Natalie is cultivating a community of political junkies on the wiki site WhoRunsGov.comby The Washington Post, as well as spreading the word about the site’s 2000+ in-depth profiles of lawmakers, federal government officials, Hill staff and political strategists among Beltway insiders. She joined WhoRunsGov in August after working as a Capitol Hill aide and in government affairs.
  
• Aaron Keyak, Director of Communications for Congressman Steve Rothman (@akeyak) - Aaron Keyak is the Director of Communications at the U.S. House of Representatives for Congressman Steve R. Rothman. Previously, he was the press secretary at the National Jewish Democratic Council. Keyak was also an associate at Rabinowitz/Dorf Communications, a media consulting and public affairs firm. He graduated with a B.A. in political science with honors from the Washington University in St. Louis.
• Daniel Morgan, Phase One Consulting Group (@dsmorgan77) - Dan Morgan is a consultant supporting clients in the Federal sector on Open Government and Innovation. His current client is the US Department of Transportation, where he focuses on driving the culture change and building the supporting processes that meet the President's Open Government Directive. Prior to this work, he supported the US Navy as a program analyst in the fields of human capital planning, IT governance, and logistics optimization. Transportation's an interesting field for studying the "right mix" of federal, state, and local government interactions in support of openness and the "new transparency."

• Rachel Van Dongen, Editor, WhoRunsGov (@whorunsgov) - Rachel is the editor of WhoRunsGov.com and a 17-year journalism veteran who served as political and web editor of the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call before joining the Washington Post in September 2009. A native of the nation’s capital, Rachel also spent five years covering the drug war and Latin American politics based in Bogota as the Colombian correspondent for The Economist and The Christian Science Monitor.

This panel will explore all aspects of social media behind the camera--whether that's on the set, on YouTube, or in public speaking when that recording light is flashing.

Featuring:

• Moderator: Megan Ackerman, Vice President, AU Social Media Club (@MissMeganEmily) - Megan is a social media enthusiast, entertainment junkie and lover of all things pop culture from Los Angeles, CA. Before coming to American University, Megan received her Associates Degree in Marketing from Santa Barbara City College in 2009. Megan is now a senior at AU, working on her Bachelors Degree in American Culture and Media, an interdisciplinary study she created which combines Broadcast Journalism, Public Relations, and American Studies.
• Caty Borum Chattoo, Assistant Professor, AU School of Communication (@CatyBC) -  Professor Borum Chattoo is a communication professional with multifaceted expertise in social change communication, integrated media campaigns, and documentary film and television production. Most recently, she worked as a senior vice president at a D.C. global communications agency, working in issues-focused communication and video production. She also worked in Los Angeles with producer Norman Lear through both the Norman Lear Center, a multidisciplinary think tank, and as a founding director of Lear’s Declare Yourself, a national youth civic engagement campaign. Prior to this work, she served as a program officer in the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Entertainment Media & Public Health program. In addition, Borum Chattoo has produced documentary film, TV, and short-subject advocacy videos for groups including the AFL-CIO, California Nurses Association, ICLEI USA, YWCA, National History Day, People for the American Way, and others. She co-produced the investigative feature documentary film, "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price," and served as a key media spokesperson; and she served as co-producer and field producer for an investigative TV documentary series about environmental social justice, "Sierra Club Chronicles," which aired on Link TV and the Sundance Channel.  She currently serves as a consultant to independent broadcaster, Link TV, on its next-generation social-change documentary platform, ViewChange.org. Follow her @CatyBC.
• Larry Engel, Associate Professor of Communication, American University (@engelfilm) - Larry Engel is an Emmy® award-winning producer, writer, director, and cinematographer with more than thirty years of filmmaking experience spanning all seven continents. He began his career in photography and studied with Walker Evans. He then moved to film. Currently, Engel is an associate professor in American University’s School of Communication, associate director of the Center for Environmental Filmmaking, and filmmaker in residence with the Investigative Reporting Workshop. He teaches several courses with field components including "The Practice of Environmentalism: Galapagos" and a summer session Classroom-in-the-Wild™ "Extreme HD: Alaska."Engel is co-author of “The Code of Best Practices in Sustainable Filmmaking.” (www.sustainablefilmmaking.org). A three-part series that he directed and shot, “The Human Spark” hosted by Alan Alda premiered on PBS nationally in January 2010 and won the 2010 AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award for In-Depth Journalism (longer than 20 minutes). To see some of his work in photography and film, and writings on HDLSRs please visit www.filmingmad.com
• Joseph Gizzi, Marketing Strategist, New Media Strategies (@districtjoe) - Joe Gizzi is a marketing strategist for top tier entertainment, technology and travel clients at New Media Strategies, the industry pioneer and market leader in social media marketing. He develops campaign concepts for a wide array of household names including Adobe, NBC, Disney, ABC Family, MGM Resorts, and Sony Pictures. He continues to build upon a communications career highlighted by work with the Special Olympics, International CES and Grammy Awards.
• Paul Klein, Assistant Manager, E Street Cinema (@ptklein) - Paul Klein is part of the management team at Landmark's E Street Cinema in downtown Washington, DC. He is currently studying film at The Evergreen State College. Paul is attracted to the disparate and vibrant communities that social media creates. He is the face behind the theater's @estreetcinema Twitter account and Facebook page.
• Tod Plotkin, Founder, Green Buzz Agency (@GreenBuzzAgency) - After four season guiding the Washington Wizards Video department, Tod Plotkin founded Green Buzz Agency, a full service corporate video production company. At Green Buzz Agency, Tod has produced video content for organizations like IN-Q-TEL, Junior Olympics, Washington Mystics, Blackboard, Athletes for Hope, Achievement First, George Washington University, Madame Tussauds, SIIA, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, RainKing, Morningside House and the American Medical Association. Follow Tod on twitter @GreenBuzzAgency or contact GBA at 1.888.GRN.BUZZ.

People can learn a lot through social media, including sometimes what they're learning in class. This discussion will showcase ideas and innovations incorporating social media and technology into today's modern classroom.

Featuring:

• Moderator: Scott Talan, Assistant Professor, AU School of Communication (@talan) - Scott Talan, MPA, has worked in media, PR, and communications in four distinct fields: TV News, Politics, Nonprofits and Higher Education. Scott worked at the United Nations, Harvard University and the New Mexico Legislature. He recently served as the Director of Communications for the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs. Before news, Talan was as an elected city council member and Mayor of Lafayette, California. His first career was in nonprofit communications working for the March of Dimes. Talan received his Master in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, studied broadcast journalism at Stanford after getting his BA from the University of California at Davis.

• Derrick Cogburn, Associate Professor, AU School of International Service (@derrickcogburn) - Derrick Cogburn is Associate Professor of International Relations at the School of International Service at American University. In addition, he is Senior Scientist and Chief Research Director at the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University. His research and teaching includes: global information and communication technology and socio-economic development; institutional mechanisms for global governance of ICTs; transnational policy networks and epistemic communities; and the socio-technical infrastructure for geographically distributed collaboration in knowledge work. Dr. Cogburn directs the Center for Research on Collaboratories and Technology Enhanced Learning Communities (Cotelco), an award-winning social science research collaboratory investigating the social and technical factors that influence geographically distributed collaborative knowledge work, particularly between developed and developing countries. Cotelco is an affiliated center of the Burton Blatt Institute, Centers of Innovation on Disability. Cogburn is the immediate past president of the Information Technology and Politics section of APSA, and of the International Communication section of the ISA.

• Sarah Kessler, Mashable (@sarahfkessler) - Sarah Kessler is a reporter at Mashable, a top source for news in social and digital media, technology and web culture. Before joining Mashable in 2010, she was the editor-in-chief of global education magazine Abroad View. Her articles have appeared in Sierra Magazine, Inc. Magazine, CNN.com, and USAToday.com.

• Shannon Mouton, Topaz Consulting (@shannonrenee) - Shannon R. Mouton is a relationship marketing professional, with a passion for utilizing social technology for building business relationships, sharing information, networking and advancing the greater good, with over 20 years of public speaking, marketing and community building experience. Her experiences as director of Alumni Relations at Walden University and as the director of Alumni Education Programs for The George Washington University, combined with her years of political and not-for-profit work have afforded her unique opportunities to build communities where none existed, develop and launch innovative programming and bridge generational, economic and racial divides. Her blog, “Shannon’s blog about marketing, public relations, social technology, entrepreneurship and other things” provides practical information for novices and reminders for the seasoned professional. She serves on numerous boards, including The George Washington Alumni Association and the In Series, a Washington, DC performing arts organization. Her blog, “Shannon Sez So,” examines life's joys, pains and idiosyncrasies. Shannon is a contributor to “Women Grow Business” and is the Washington Redskins contributor to “Gridiron Gals.” She graduated from Mount Vernon College in 1990 and is a proud native Washingtonian. Shannon is the founder of Topaz Consulting, a DC based marketing consultancy with a nationwide portfolio of clients.
• Dr. Raul Pacheco-Vega, President, HB Strategies (@raulpacheco) - Dr. Raul Pacheco-Vega is the President of HB Strategies, a policy and social media consulting studio, and a Lecturer at the University of British Columbia's Department of Political Science. He is also a Vancouver-based independent researcher and up until February 2011 he was the Regional Director for Western Canada for the Canadian Institute for Environmental Policy (CIELAP). Dr. Pacheco-Vega has conducted research in environmental politics and public policy for over a decade and provides consulting and advice to companies in the field of social media implementation in politics, public policy, higher education and non-profits. 

• Jenn Pedde, Community Manager, MSW@USC (@jpedde) - Jenn Pedde is the community manager for MSW@USC, one of the nation's top Social Work graduate programs.  She is also the co-founder of the #CmgrChat on Twitter every Wednesday from 2-3pm EST, and it's a vibrant community of community managers.  Before life in community management, she was an ESL Teacher for 2.5 years in Seoul, South Korea.  

• Ethan Pew, Visiting Assistant Professor, AU Kogod School of Business (@ethanpew) - Ethan Pew is Visiting Assistant Professor of Marketing at American University. He studies financial decision making and teaches courses in Consumer Behavior and Marketing Principles in the Kogod School of Business. 

Today's world is all about new media and social media, but how does this impact the old media? This panel takes a look at how social media is--and has already--revolutionized the journalistic landscape.

Featuring:

• Nicole Pulley, Student, American University (@nicolepulley) - Nicole Pulley is is the Marketing Program Associate at the Fair Trade Federation. She is studying international marketing and public relations at American University, and loves social media! View here LinkedIn profile hereand follow her at @nicolepulley.
  
• Paul Brandus, West Wing Report (@westwingreport) - Paul Brandus is an accredited member of the White House press corps and the White House Correspondents Association and provides reports for a variety of media outlets. Prior to working as a White House reporter, he spent many years on Wall Street and in network television with NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, and Fox News Channel, and as a reporter for WTOP in Washington. He began his career as a U.S. Senate staffer.

• Glenna DeRoy, Social Media Analyst, USA TODAY (@ghderoy) - Glenna DeRoy is a social media analyst for USA TODAY's Digital Marketing team. She measures the success of USA TODAY’s social efforts and uses data to shape social media strategy and best practices. The rare journalist who isn't scared of math, Glenna is also working toward an MBA at American University. Follow her at @ghderoy.
• Hemal Jhaveri, Assistant Managing Editor of Digital and Social Media, POLITICO (@hemjhaveri) - Hemal Jhaveri is the Assistant Managing Editor of Digital and Social Media at POLITICO. Hemal is in charge of overseeing POLITICO’s social networking initiatives, SEO efforts and mobile strategy. She spent the last 4 years at AOL, where she was an editor and senior producer for AOL.com. There she covered news, politics, sports and entertainment. Before her time at AOL, Hemal served as the online managing editor of the now defunct D.C. Style magazine. She got her start in digital journalism as one of the early editors of the popular blog DCist.com and eventually went on to serve as managing editor there. Hemal graduated from James Madison University with a double degree in Media Arts and English. She has an MA in English Lit and Cultural Studies from George Mason University. When not working, Hemal spends her free time running and tackling DIY projects around her new home.
• David Johnson, Assistant Professor of Communication, American University (@darthcheeta) - Professor David Johnson is an American University professor specializing in digital journalism, interactive storytelling and convergence media. Before coming to AU, Johnson was chief technology officer of Scripps Media Center in Washington DC. He is also a founding member of the Media Bloggers Association. Johnson currently sits on the New Media Committee and Broadcasting Task Force at the National Press Club and consults frequently on niche and community site development. Follow him at @darthcheeta.

• Andrew Pergam, J-LAB (@pergam) - Andrew Pergam is an award-winning journalist and is now editorial director at J-Lab. A former television reporter and digital newsroom leader, has taken a keen interest in local online news and the future of journalism as a whole. He has won numerous awards for his broadcast reporting and recognition for his involvement in community organizations. At J-Lab, Pergam works with J-Lab grantees, commissions and edits training modules for the Knight Citizen News Network, helps reward innovations in journalism, and builds more resources for professional and citizen journalists who are launching news initiatives in their communities.
• Frank Torres, Digital Media Leader, NBC 

How much is "too much information" on social media? Where do you draw your line? We're bringing some of the most colorful people on the social web to talk about what they think is too much, and how you can set your own standards for your social media activity.

Featuring:

• Moderator: Lara Ramos, Assistant Director of Employer Outreach, American University Career Center (@laratherese) - Lara Ramos is a full-time Career Center employee and May 2011 MBA candidate at American University. Her background in recruiting, marketing, and outreach means that she has a natural knack for networking and she maintains active LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter presences with over 2500 unique connections, friends, and followers. Lara has curated her own beauty and lifestyle blog, The Glossarie, for over two years and she also blogged her way through wedding planning in 2009 and 2010. Adventures in beauty blogging have flown her to San Francisco, CA for video shoots with the shopping community, Kaboodle, and to New York City to cover backstage beauty for Ted Gibson, Stila Cosmetics, and Deborah Lippmann at New York Fashion Week. Follow her at @laratherese.
• Megan Ackerman, Vice President, AU Social Media Club (@MissMeganEmily) - Megan Ackerman is a social media enthusiast, entertainment junkie and lover of all things pop culture from Los Angeles, CA. Before coming to American University, Megan received her Associates Degree in Marketing from Santa Barbara City College in 2009. Megan is now a senior at AU, working on her Bachelors Degree in American Culture and Media, an interdisciplinary study she created which combines Broadcast Journalism, Public Relations, and American Studies. Follow her at @MissMeganEmily.
• DC Debbie (@dcdebbie) - Debbie has lived in the Washington, DC area for 12 years, working for non-profits in women's rights and health. She does not use Twitter for her day job, nor does she use social media for her own professional development and advancement. Instead, she uses social networks as a political outlet and for personal catharsis, tweeting about her experience living with the difficult burden of being  a caregiver to three mentally ill family members. After 2 years of tweets on politics and family struggles, she has accumulated nearly 11,000 followers and unexpectedly found her life drama followed by renowned political correspondents Keith Olbermann, David Corn and Alan Colmes, as well as world famous film critic Roger Ebert and NBA MVP Phoenix Suns player Steve Nash. Debbie was also a finalist in the 2011 Shorty Awards in the "Politics" category and won the Washington City Paper "2011 Best of DC" reader poll as the #1 DC Twitter. 
• Shana Glickfield, Partner, BeeKeeper Group (@dcconcierge) - Shana is a Partner at Beekeeper Group, a Washington DC public affairs firm, where she helps a wide array of clients with their communications and advocacy strategies, focusing on social media and online community building.  Shana’s previously was the Online Community Director of NextGenWeb.org, USTelecom’s multimedia website dedicated to exploring all of the innovative ways that broadband is improving our quality of life. Shana’s efforts on the project landed USTelecom, the broadband association, on the list of the Top 10 Organizations Using Social Media by Personal Democracy Forum. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University and a law degree from Temple University.  She was the founder and author of The DC Concierge, a renowned local blog from 2006-2010.  She was one of five women named “Up and Comers in Technology” in 2009 by Washington Post and made Washington Life magazine’s list of the most creative people in new media. She speaks frequently on social media topics, including on Capitol Hill.
• Stef Woods (@citygirlblogs) - Stef Woods is a writer and advocate from Washington, DC. She blogs about her datingadventures and offers advice to readers’ relationship and sex questions. For two years,Stef wrote anonymously as “City Girl,” in the hopes of protecting her career as anattorney.
  In 2010, she was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. Stef has openly shared herexperience with others via photographs, interviews, panel discussions and her blog toencourage early detection and raise awareness. Stef recently “came out” in the bloggingworld to allow her to do more advocacy work.

Social networks have become a phenomenal resource for really standing up for what you believe in--including civil rights and equality. We're bringing some of the best advocates around to talk about how social media can perhaps help bring about modern social civil rights

Featuring:

• Moderator: Ben Loeb, Treasurer, AU Social Media Club (@loebben) - Originally from suburban New York, Ben is a sophomore studying Marketing and Public Communication at American University. He has worked in a number of different communications and marketing outlets including a congressional office, political action committee, and marketing agency.

• Adam Bink, Director of Online Campaigns, Courage Campaign (@adamjbink) - Adam Bink is the Director of Online Campaigns at the Courage Campaign, an online organizing network that empowers more than 700,000 grassroots and netroots activists to push for progressive change and full equality in California and across the country. In that role, he manages Courage Campaign’s online organizing actions, with an added emphasis on building campaigns to advance LGBT equality. He also blogs at and manages Courage Campaign Institute’s Prop8TrialTracker.com.

• Regina Holliday (@reginaholliday) - Regina Holliday is a DC-based patient rights arts advocate. She is currently at work on a series of paintings and blog posts depicting the need for clarity and transparency in medical records. After the death of her husband, Fred Holliday II, on June 17th 2009, She began a large Mural Titled “73 cents.” This piece can be viewed at 5001 Connecticut Ave. Washington, DC 20008. This piece depicts Holliday family’s nightmare journey through the medical system during Fred’s cancer care. The painting became part of the national healthcare debate and was covered by the BBC, CNN, CBS, AOL, VOA, NPR, The Washington Post and the BMJ. Regina Holliday can be found on Twitter as ReginaHolliday and on Facebook as Regina Holliday, Wash DC. She speaks at medical conferences providing the patient voice in discussions about HIT.

• Asher Huey, New Partners (@asherhuey) - Asher Huey is a new media political consultant based of out Washington, DC. He has a background as an organizer and works to use online tools as organizing resources. He is a graduate of American University. To learn more about asher: newpartners.com/about-us/asher-huey.php

• Bradley P. Moss, Esq., James Madison Project - A 2006 graduate of American University's Washington College of Law, Bradley P. Moss received his undergraduate degree from The George Washington University in 2003 with a major in International Relations and a minor in Peace Studies. During his law school tenure, he co-founded the non-partisan National Security and Law Society, Inc., an international non-profit with chapters across the U.S. and the world. After clerking for the National Security Archive, Mr. Moss joined the Law Office of Mark S. Zaid, Esq. as a law clerk and became an Associate in January 2007. He joined the James Madison Project in June 2007 and continues to work in both offices. Mr. Moss is a member of the Bar of the District of Columbia and the State of Illinois, as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and the U.S. District Courts for the District of Columbia, the District of Maryland and the Northern District of Illinois.

• James Walker, Socially Diverse (@jaywalk1) - James S. Walker is a Gen-Y Communications professional interested in Public Relations, Diversity, Marketing and Social Media. Tagged with the nickname “jaywalk,” James is paving his own way through the streets of life, passing up traditional conventions in search of sensible, innovative and effective communication. His thoughts on all of these topics can be found at PRPrescriptons.com. In 2010, James combined two major interests of his to launch Socially Diverse, a six month online journey seeking out diverse conversations, discussion leaders and ways to connect through social media channels. After connecting with bloggers and online leaders in over 10 cities and 5 continents, his passion for exploring this topic has grown even more. He continues to chronicle this journey at http://sociallydiverse.posterous.com.  

• Shireen Mitchell (@digitalsista) - I was born in the 70's in New York's projects, fell in love with technology and almost lost my life in the 80's. Worked on creating tech firms and enhancing my education in the 90's. In 2000, I founded a nonprofit and became a huge advocate for women in technology, media and politics. Currently, I am known in social media as digitalsista, but I have also used geekette '84, hashtag diva, social media uhura, coder girl and a few others.

With an iPhone or Android in seemingly every pocket, today's popular mobile slogan is "an app for everything." Perhaps this applies for education, too. This panel will explore how mobile devices and technology fit into the classroom equation--if at all.

Featuring:

• Moderator: Greg Saperstein, Student, American University (@gsaperstein) - Greg Saperstein is currently a student at American University in their School of Communications. He is expected to graduate in May of 2012.  His interests include social media (he is a member of the American University Social Media Club for Education), working on cars, photography, web design, and reading about law enforcement and organized crime. In the future, he hopes to become a police officer in his home state of New Jersey, and upon gaining experience in law enforcement, he wishes to open his own private security firm.

• Ali Allage (@ali_allage) - Ali has 14+ years experience in the online space working as an entrepreneur, web developer, and web marketer.  Since 1996, using his diverse skill set, Ali has built four high traffic online social communities into industry market leaders, several website concepts, two web development consulting companies, and now a web marketing technology firm.
• Vince Buscemi, VP Client Services, Mindgrub Technologies (@VinceBuscemi) - Vince Buscemi is VP Client Services for Mindgrub Technologies, a Innovation Technology Agency located in Baltimore, Maryland. Vince has been an educator and web & mobile developer for over 14 years, spearheading mobile application development and social media integration for a multitude of applications including for Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore’s Blue Sky Factory, Sonoma County California and the University of Maryland (UMBC). Vince leads the charge to engage local and national communities in the facilitation of Location Based Experiences (LBE) and Instant Information travel and has been featured in several technical journals
• Glenna DeRoy, Social Media Analyst, USA TODAY (@ghderoy) - Glenna DeRoy is a social media analyst for USA TODAY's Digital Marketing team. She measures the success of USA TODAY’s social efforts and uses data to shape social media strategy and best practices. The rare journalist who isn't scared of math, Glenna is also working toward an MBA at American University. Follow her at @ghderoy.

• Aram Zucker-Scharff (@chronotope) - Aram Zucker-Scharff is the Community Manager for the Office of Student Media at George Mason University. He manages social media for the office and works with student media outlets to build their own online brands. He also works with the Mason community to find opportunities to use mobile and web technologies in the classroom. Aram's focus is on finding areas where narratives and communities can be enriched by creative technology use.

Washington, DC has some of the best examples of "hyperlocal" blogs--blogs covering one small, unique area in an in-depth an insightful way. We're bringing in some of DC's best hyperlocal voices to chat about why they do what they do, and how students can get more involved in their community, if they like.

Featured:

• Moderator: Alla Goldman, Bivings Group (@allagoldman) - Alla is a graduate of the University of Arizona and has been blogging and making websites non-stop since the days of LiveJournal and Diaryland. She currently works as a social media associate at the Bivings Group, focusing in digital strategy and front-end web development. Her personal blog is on Tumblr – a platform she is evangelically passionate about. Originally from Russia, Alla’s work background lies heavily in the public sector and foreign policy analysis, with previous jobs at the State Department and for the US Department of Defense.

• Amy Melrose, Free in DC Blog (@freeindcblog) - Amy Melrose is the creator of Free in DC an arts, culture, and consciousness blog highlighting free and low-cost events that are all Metro accessible in the D.C. area. Visit Free in DC at http://www.freeindc.blogspot.com and follow @FreeinDCBlog on twitter and Free in DC on facebook.
  
• Matt Rhoades, Borderstan (@borderstan) - Matt Rhoades is the editor and co-founder of Borderstan.com. He and his husband, Luis Gomez -- who is the co-editor -- founded the site in August 2008. Borderstan covers the Dupont-Logan-U Street area with a team of eight contributors and three editors. Rhoades works in the the corporate communications sector by day. He has a bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Illinois and a master's degree in public communication from American University. Gomez is a professional photographer who also worked as a photojournalist and has a degree in journalism/communications.

• Amos Snead, Famous DC (@amossnead) - Amos Snead is a communications professional with a proven track record of success on behalf of high-profile corporate, association and government entities. Amos plays a key role at Story Partners, providing clients with communications guidance that is informed by his in-depth experience working with leading print, broadcast and online journalists. He is also the founder of FamousDC, one of the most widely-read and talked-about blogs in the Beltway. We take a humorous look at politics, sports, entertainment and the goings on in the capital that matter most to our audience.

• Dave Stroup (@davestroup) - Dave Stroup is a technology professional and online activist from Washington, D.C. In January 2011, he successfully led a grassroots effort to draft Bryan Weaver for D.C. City Council. Dave is a former editor of DCist and presently advises the Weaver campaign on social media and online organizing strategy.

• Justin Young, ReadySetDC (@readysetdc) - Justin Young is a Washington, DC-area native. He studied fine art and graphic design at the School of Art in Design at Montgomery College and went on to found ReadysetDC, a local online magazine, and ReadysetCreative, a DC-based creative agency offering web, design, branding and marketing services, both in 2009. Through personal and client projects he seeks to create impact and shed light on DC's creative community.