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Media and technology are advancing at an ever-accelerated pace, creating a wider gap for underserved communities to traverse. Enter Create Labs Ventures - the vision of Abran Maldonado and Grady Spivey III - to develop cutting-edge technologies in partnership with socially impactful corporations and causes.
Entrepreneur, scholar and music industry veteran, Abran Maldonado is the CEO and Founder of the tech startup NuSkool, an online learning platform that converts pop culture and entertainment media into relevant curriculum for the classroom. He has spent over a decade addressing the needs of underserved youth as a developer of new learning technologies, public speaker and educational researcher. After several years in the entertainment industry, Abran decided to further explore digital media and its impact on the advancement of 21st century education. Abran is a Gates Millennium Scholar, an award given to future leaders in the community. He is currently completing a Ph.D. at New York University where he is working on a study on diversity in tech and the lack of Black and Latinx representation in the tech industry.
Grady Spivey III
VP @ Triller
Grady Spivey III is the CEO and Founder of Full Surface Management, an innovative marketing and consulting firm. As a digital and social entrepreneur, Grady has worked with brands such as Reebok, Under Armour, Nike, HBO, 20th Century Fox, Moet Hennessy, BET, MTV and more. Grady, has defined the careers of many multi-platinum recording artist, working along side his friend and business partner, grammy award winning producer Swizz Beatz. Grady served as Vice President of A&R for Full Surface Records, working with everyone from Kanye West, DMX to Mariah Carey. Grady currently works with artists, entrepreneurs and corporations on branding and marketing strategies and is also very active in the community, working to help bring new opportunities to underserved populations.
Leigh-Ann A. Buchanan, Esq. is a writer and strategic advisor. She supports leaders and communities bridge systemic access and opportunity gaps with a focus on cultivating REDI (racially equitable, diverse and inclusive) technology, innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems. She has advised innovation and technology leaders at Fortune 500 companies including Google, Facebook, Delta, P&G Ventures, AirBnB, HSBC and UBS. As a founder, she has launched ventures from concept to scale, raising over $4.5 million in equity free capital for various projects and ventures. Leigh-Ann is the Founder of Nyah Project and currently serves as the President of aīre ventures. She co-hosts the Innovation City podcast and produces storytelling projects.TOP 5 Inspirations:1) my mum2) my personal mantra- “people, purpose and impact”3) stories of the human condition (in all mediums, particularly audio, video and still photo)4)my faith + spiritual practice 5) visionary thinking