As many of you may know, I was in Haiti with a dynamic group of nine digital sisters and one digital brother from February 25-28. My trip was sponsored by Everywhere, a social media company that represents Macy’s. The trip allowed me to visit Port-au-Prince, Croix des Bouquets, and Jacmel. So many wonderful things happened. That’s why I am going to take my time in posting photos, videos, and audio blogs about my travel experiences this week and next week. I thought you might like to watch a video of me sharing what I learned from being in Haiti. See below. It was filmed on February 28 in Jacmel, Haiti. For more updates on the Heart of Haiti trip, click here. Enjoy!
When I return from my trip, I will host a live chat on Vokle about my experiences on March 5 at 8:00 pm ET. Please join me. Click here to register and participate in the online chat.
One more thing — I began 2011 with a commitment to conduct digital advocacy and raise funds on Crowdrise.com for two Haitian organizations over the next two years (January 2011 – January 2013):
I am also raising funds for Renewal 4 Haiti with my “Open your heart to Haiti today!” CafePress.com site. Please consider making a donation to support these organizations. Your generosity is greatly appreciated!
I’ll be back to my social media schedule in March. Until then, enjoy February!
Last night’s Digital Sisterhood Radio show featuring a discussion about the digital advocacy efforts of Heart of Haiti Ambassadors “Mommy Niri” Nirasha Jaganath and ‘”Real Life Sarah” Sarah Pinnix was filled with insights on the power of giving back and supporting Haitian artisans through Macy’s Heart of Haiti partnership. See highlights from the Twitter conversation below. If you missed the show, click here to listen to the audio recording.
Twitter Highlights from 1/19 Heart of Haiti show on Digital Sisterhood Radio:
Today I am keeping the heart of Haiti beating by hosting a Digital Sisterhood Radio show about the digital advocacy efforts of my fellow Heart of Haiti Ambassadors. Click here to tune into the live show at 8:00 pm ET. You will have an opportunity to hear from the following Heart of Haiti Ambassadors:
This morning I listened to Amy Goodman’s Democracy Now! program and learned that former despot Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier” returned to Haiti yesterday. Anger filled my entire body. Why? I couldn’t imagine how “Baby Doc” was allowed to return to a country he had harmed deeply. I carried the anger with me into my morning subway commute. As I walked to work, I wondered what could I do to keep the Heart of Haiti beating today. So I decided to use my Digital Sisterhood Twitter account as a vehicle for sharing a message that asked my Twitter followers to join me in taking a deep breathe and sending love and light to Haitians at 12 noon. I am going to do it this week. Join me.
On January 15, 2011, I served as one of the keynote speakers for the Vision Quest Retreats’ Taking your Dreams from Design to Destiny: The Next Level Conference held in Washington, DC. My talk focused on the inner women who live inside of women (archetypes or personalities) and how they can help women shape their dreams and ultimately their destiny. Click here to watch the video of my keynote (19 minutes). Click here to read my speech which includes six tips on how to tap into your inner women (or men). The conference is an annual event organized by Dr. Nicole Cutts, a success coach and psychologist, and Marie-Isabel Laurion, an Ameriprise Financial Planner.
Photo Credit: Vision Quest Retreats
The women who attended the event were full of energy and enthusiasm. They inspired me to really explore my intention of creating and maintaining my home as a sanctuary during Dr. Nicole Cutts’ dream goal setting session.
As a Heart of Haiti Ambassador, I am on the look out for ways to keep the Heart of Haiti beating in 2011 and beyond. One way I discovered is to support local entrepreneurs who are raising money to fund projects that help rebuild Haiti. In early January, I discovered a set of fabulous set of recycled black rubber bangles from Haiti made by a DC based photographer Nicole Wolf – http://twitter.com/nicolewolf – in REDEEM, a boutique located in my 14th and U Street, NW neighborhood in DC. I bought a set of three for $10. The money I spent will help support Nicole’s Up from Under Facebook Cause, a Haitian home rebuilding project. If you are in the DC area, drop by REDEEM, 1734 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC to purchase a set of bangles. Visit http://redeemus.com for more information.
Nicole’s Haiti fundraiser inspired me to create my own using my art work from my novel Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One. Visit my Cafepress.com site for my “Open your heart to Haiti today!” fundraiser – http://www.cafepress.com/openyourhearttohaititoday – to check out t-shirt, cups and other items. Your purchase will help support Renewal 4 Haiti, a grassroots nonprofit organization that is providing medical care in Haiti. Visit http://renewal4haiti.org for more information.
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 