Thu
Jan 26, 2017
4:00 am
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6:00 am
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About

MoAD Vanguard Presents: Discovering The Black Diaspora Through Travel

Are you a current jet setter or looking to set off on your first international trip? Do you spend more time abroad than you do in the states? Are you addicted to passport stamps or eagerly awaiting your first one?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then we have the perfect panel for you!

Join us for an evening of networking and conversations centered around the black travel movement. Guest panelists include Jena Pruit, founder of StreetSalad Co., Anitra Smith, founder of Don’t Trip Travel and Ashleigh Reddy, Owner of Stay Reddy Photography. Kumi Rauf, founder of I Love Being Black, will join our  panelists as the evening's moderator.

MEET OUR SPEAKERS:

Moderator // KUMI RAUF

Creator of the I Love Being Black Cultural Movement and Apparel Line, Kumi Rauf also believes in lifting as he climbs and giving back to the community by motivating others. Among many things Rauf is a world traveler, having spread I Love Being Black’s message of positivity, awareness and action to dozens of countries across the globe. He is also an accomplished social media strategist, taking the I Love Being Black Facebook fan page from zero to 6 million “Likes”. He believes in using forms of new media for entrepreneurial efforts, networking and simply to tell your own story. Today the page is the largest Black­ owned Facebook Fan Page in the world, edging out BET for the top spot. The I Love Being Black team also offers a wide array of social media strategy consulting services as well. Rauf has an ability to motivate people to learn, and often more importantly unlearn, specific things that will lead to an increased level of success in attaining life goals. He believes in visualization and manifesting what you need out of this life. Prior to becoming a full­time entrepreneur, Rauf spent six years in corporate America developing business applications, working with various programming languages and saving money. Since then he has created many applications that automate tasks, add functionality and enhance capabilities on social networking platforms. Rauf is an award­-winning businessman with several recognitions under his belt, including being an officer and chair for the National Society of Black Engineers; a recipient of the Urban League Top 40 Under 40 award; awarded most successful app developer by Novacoast; and collegiate track and field athlete. He has shared his knowledge and experience with a diverse mix of audiences via radio appearances, one­-on-­one seminars, conferences and more.

Panelist // JENA PRUIT

Passionately driven. From graduating with two degrees in Political Science and Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, to crafting a self-led backpacking trip across 5 continents, the activities Jena commits to are highly driven by tenacity, determination, and passion.  Jena is  the girl you never saw during the college study abroad trip because she was exploring alone. She is the girl that saves her pennies for international flights and has local connections before landing in foreign places. Jena believes in flexibility, and most importantly owning her  time--feeling empowered to make decisions that make her  genuinely happy.  As the Founder of StreetSalad.Co, she sends handwritten postcards around the world with images she’s taken internationally affront. On any given day, she is excited at developing last connections, fostering community, and connecting like-minded individuals to make greater impact on their world.

Panelist // ANITRA SMITH

Anitra is a California gal, culture enthusiast, and solo female traveler on a mission to inspire young people of color to get out and see the world via her travel blog, Don't Trip Travel. Anitra has traveled to 19 countries across six continents. She enjoys exploring the African diaspora through travel. Anitra's favorite stories come from people who recently collected their first passport stamp. Anitra has a passion for building healthier communities. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public health from the University of California, Berkeley.

Panelist // ASHLEIGH REDDY

Ashleigh Reddy is a travel, lifestyle, commercial and event photographer from Las Vegas, NV. Her love of photography started while taking a film photography class in high school. She attended the University of San Francisco and received a degree in psychology with minors in Sociology and African American studies. While in school, she traveled to many countries in addition to studying abroad and knew it was only the beginning.

While in college, she began photographing events on campus and sharing them with classmates. She became the go to documentarian for many on-campus events. Soon after finishing school (and against her family's wishes), she decided that she would pursue photography as a career. She worked at nonprofits by day and photographed in nightclubs at night.

Three years after graduating, Ashleigh found herself in a tough spot after being let go from her nonprofit job. She began doing professional makeup and continued her photography career concurrently. She also enrolled in photography classes at City College and felt like she was finally heading down a steady career path.

She also reignited her passion for travel and started traveling around the US for work and pleasure. She took international trips here and there which only fueled her desire to travel even more. In 2015, she booked her first travel client, Travel Noire, who took her to three continents and opened up a world of opportunities.

Ashleigh now travels internationally almost half time, while running her photography business in the states. She has national and international clients and continues to grow her business year after year.

Her client roster includes: Google, YouTube, Soulcycle, Adidas, Travel Noire, NBC, Mastercard, South African Tourism and more.

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS FESTIVAL AT SEA & THEOPOLIS WINE.

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