Yesterday I learned Influential1s.com included me in their first class of 2011 influencers. See the influential1s.com press release below. Click here to read my bio. What a honor! I am truly humbled to be in the company of many of the people I admire and learn from. Many thanks to Mike Street and Dupé Ajayi, founders of Influential 1’s web site.
NEW YORK, Jan. 11, 2011 – (influential1s.com) as a means to pay tribute to the many un-recognized influencers in the urban space.
Social media is driven by influencers, no matter what the tool is: Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare – their success is dependent on user buy-in. User buy-in is determined by early adapters: The Influential 1’s.
The Starting Class:
- Clarence Wooten – CEO of Groupsite.com
- Ananda Leeke – Author
- Louis Pagan – Managing Partner for Hispanicize
- Lynne d Johnson – Senior Digital Strategist for R/GA
- Baratune Thurson – Director of Digital for The Onion
- Dawton Thomas – Editor-in-Chief for Global Grind, Inc.
- Farai Chideya – Managing Editor of Pop and Politics
- John Andrews – VP of Development for Rethink Impact
- Jocelyn Harmon – Director of Business Development at Care2
- Kevin Powell – Activist, Writer, and Public Speaker
- Jeff Johnson – Journalist, Social Activist, and Political Commentator
“We are paying homage to the influencers who are shaping the urban/digital industry,” said Mike Street co-founder of influential1s.com. “In 1903 W.E.B. DuBois released his essay called ”The Talented Tenth.” DuBois was an influencer and he knew the importance of highlighting the best of the best. So 1/11/2011 marks a historic date for us as we pay tribute to the influential one’s who will carry on the tradition of being exceptional men and women and moving the urban community forward in erasing the digital divide.”
The list highlights the urban cultural influencers who made waves 2010 and will undoubtedly impact their core discipline areas in 2011. Dupe Ajayi, co-creator, commented, “Social media plays host to a wealth of valuable information. How can anyone decipher it all to yield that which is most relevant to them? These 11 have risen to the top with doing just that; filtering the noise so that people get what is most important to them in the most succinct way while peppering in dashing of their distinct personalities. They are ‘Heroes of the Web’.”
About Influential 1’s
Influential1s.com was created to pay tribute all year long to the people that are positively affecting our culture. The site will be updated on a regular basis and serve as a resource, directory, and hub for acknowledging the urban influencers who are shaping the culture, starting trends, launching businesses, and beyond. The site was launched on 1/11/2011 and is owned by Mike Street (@streetforce1) and Dupe Ajayi (@theajayieffect). For inquiries, contact info@influential1s.com.
Ananda Leeke 