Technology and Digital Leadership Expert Erik Qualman and Founder and CEO of Black Girls Code Kimberly Bryant to Headline 2017 CIEE Annual Conference
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We’re thrilled to announce technology and digital leadership expert and best-selling author Erik Qualman, and Founder and CEO of Black Girls CODE, Kimberly Bryant as the featured speakers for the 2017 CIEE Annual Conference, November 8-11, in Austin, Texas.
At the JW Marriott Hotel, Qualman and Bryant will present to an audience of more than 500 scholars, leaders, and influencers in international education their perspectives and experience on this year’s theme, Born Digital: Embracing Technology to Enhance International Education.
During the conference’s Opening Plenary on November 8, "Socialnomics” author Qualman will bring his expertise in digital leadership to the world of international education and explore how educators can harness the power of technology to reach the digital-native generation and increase experiential learning. Qualman educates audiences around the world with his talks on digital leadership and reputation.
On November 10, during the Annual Luncheon, Bryant will share the inspiring story of her journey pursuing math and science as a young minority woman to creating Black Girls CODE, a nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the face of technology by introducing girls of color (ages 7-17) to technology and computer science. Black Girls CODE is now an international organization with 10 chapters across the U.S. and in Johannesburg, South Africa.
This year’s conference theme, Born Digital: Embracing Technology to Enhance International Education, furthers the goal of breaking the barriers of cost, curriculum, and culture to increase access to study abroad by all students. Through its Generation Study Abroad pledge, CIEE is committed to providing $20 million in scholarships and grants to American students, to sponsoring passports for 10,000 students, and to offering an annual $20,000 grant to college faculty to support innovative approaches to custom study abroad programs.
Erik Qualman, Technology and Digital Leadership Expert, Best-Selling Author
Qualman is the author of six books, including “Socialnomics,” “What Happens in Vegas Stays on YouTube,” “How to Sell on LinkedIn,” “Digital Leader,” and “What Happens on Campus Stays on YouTube.” “Socialnomics” made Amazon's #1 Best Selling List for the U.S., Japan, U.K., Canada, Portugal, Italy, China, Korea, and Germany. “What Happens in Vegas Stays on YouTube” has been adopted by top universities and global brands and nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
Qualman has given innovative lectures in 47 countries to over 25 million people including employees at Coach, Chase, Sony Playstation, IBM, Facebook, ADP, Starbucks, Raytheon, Chrysler, TEDx, Nokia, Google, and others. He was an MBA Professor at the Hult International Business School and for the past 18 years has helped grow the digital capabilities of companies including Cadillac, EarthLink, EF Education First, Yahoo, Travelzoo, and AT&T. He is the founder and owner of socialnomics.com, which PC Magazine ranks as a Top 10 Social Media Blog and sits on the Boards of Manumatix, Bazaarvoice Inc., and WannaBeeSocial. Qualman holds a BA from Michigan State University and an MBA from The University of Texas. In 2011 Qualman was honored as the Michigan State Alum of the Year. He was Academic All-Big Ten in basketball at Michigan State University.
Qualman is best known for writing and producing the world's most watched social media video. His work has been highlighted on “60 Minutes,” The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, “ABC News,” Financial Times, Forbes, and The Huffington Post. He has been named a Top 100 Digital Influencer by Fast Company and put on Forbes’ Top 50 Power Influencer list.
Kimberly Bryant, Founder and CEO, Black Girls CODE
At a young age, Bryant developed a passion for math and science, which led her to study engineering at Vanderbilt University. In both her academic and professional life, she often found herself the only minority. Despite her vastly underrepresented status, Bryant went on to enjoy a successful 25+ year professional career as a leader in both pharmaceutical and biotech industries for various Fortune 100 companies such as Genentech, Merck, and Pfizer.
When her daughter Kai began to pursue an education in math and science, Bryant discovered little had changed since her days as a student. African-American women were still sparsely represented in the field of technology and opportunities were limited. Determined to “change the face of technology,” Bryant created Black Girls CODE, a nonprofit dedicated to introducing girls of color (ages 7-17) to the field of technology and computer science with a concentration on entrepreneurial concepts. As Oprah Winfrey describes it, Black Girls CODE is “the first organization of its kind.” Black Girls CODE is now an international organization with 10 chapters across the U.S. and in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Bryant serves on the National Champions Board for the National Girls Collaborative Project, and the National Board of the NCWIT K-12 Alliance. She has been nationally recognized as a social innovator for her work on increasing opportunities for women and girls in the tech industry. For her work supporting communities in the San Francisco Bay Area, she was honored with the prestigious Jefferson Award for Community Service. She has also been recognized by Business Insider as one of the “25 Most Influential African-Americans in Technology” and was named to The Root 100 and the Ebony Power 100 lists. Bryant is also an Apple STEM Partner, Aspen Institute Fellow, recipient of Smithsonian’s American Ingenuity Award in Social Progress, White House Champion of Change, and Toyota Standing O-Vation.
To learn more about the CIEE Annual Conference, visit www.ciee.org/conference.