Tag: Blogalicious

Remembering Digital Sister Susan Niebur, One of My #DSFierceLiving Sheros

Posted by on in Digital Sisterhood Sheroes, Digital Sisterhood: A Gen X-er Memoir of Life & the InternetLeave a comment
Susan Niebur speaking @ Be Blogalicious, The Movie event, Jan. 2011

This morning I dedicated my yoga practice to Susan Niebur, an amazing digital sister and #dsfierceliving shero who inspires me tremendously.  After yoga, I wrote in my journal and discovered I was writing the dedication page for my book, Digital Sisterhood.  Susan’s name appeared.  Here’s why.

I heard Susan share her breast cancer journey at BlogHer in New York City in August 2010.  Click here to watch a video of her talk.  Her words moved my spirit.  They made me think of my two grandmothers who lived with breast cancer.  When I returned home from BlogHer, I started following her blog, Toddler Planet and became inspired by her fierce living spirit, heart, and courage.  She quickly became one of my digital sister sheros.

In January 2011, I met her in person at the Be Blogalicious movie event in Silver Spring, Maryland (photo above was taken of Susan at the event).  That was a game changing moment because I had a chance to tell her how much I was inspired by her BlogHer talk and blog.

In October 2011, I listened to Susan share her journey at the Blogalicious Conference held at the National Harbor in Maryland. Later in the day, I was able to hug her and say how much I appreciated her story and work.  Susan made her transition on February 6.  Her hug is now a priceless gift I will always treasure.

Through Susan’s blog, I was able to witness the power of how one woman used social media to document and share her health journey, build community with like-minded people, give and receive support, and promote breast cancer awareness.  She caused me to look for other women who were doing similar things with social media.  I found plenty.  These women along with Susan inspired me to dedicate Digital Sisterhood Month 2011 to women’s health.

I am so grateful for the presence of Susan in my social media life.  Her fierce spirit, heart, and courage will always be remembered. Today I am sending love and light to her husband, sons, family, and friends.  She will be deeply missed.

Visit  her Toddler Planet blog to learn more about her amazing life and journey.

PS: Join Digital Sisterhood Network on February 8 for a special #DigitalSisterhood Wednesday Twitter tribute to Susan.  Follow @digitalsisterhd and check out the #dsfierceliving Pinterest board.

Happy New Year! My Heart Belongs to Haiti This Month!

Posted by on in Digital Sisterhood Month, Haitian Disaster Relief Efforts, Heart of Haiti2 Comments

Happy New Year All!

It’s been a few weeks since I last posted.  Why? Digital Sisterhood Month!  31 days of celebrating women online and the connections they make, conversations they have, communities they build, causes they support, collaborative partnerships they establish, and commerce they engage in with women they meet online and offline. Visit the Digital Sisterhood Network web site to learn more.

This month my heart belongs to Haiti because I want to honor the resiliency of the Haitian people who experienced a devastating earthquake on January 12, 2010.  Last year I taught an online yoga class for Yoga Day USA that was dedicated to the people of Haiti. At the beginning of the class, I asked viewers to donate money to Doctors Without Borders to support their work in Haiti. Click here to watch the video.

This year I am serving as an ambassador for the Heart of Haiti campaign, a Macy’s partnership that was created to provide sustainable income to Haitian artisans impacted by the January earthquake.  Read my November 29th post to learn more. Also, listen to the following December episodes of Digital Sisterhood Radio that mention my work with the Heart of Haiti campaign:

  • December 20th show featuring ‘Digital Native’ Lauren Thomas, founder of Digital Aftershock: I discussed how I met Lauren Thomas, former Digital Coordinator of Everywhere, at the Heart of Haiti booth during Blogalicious 2010 and had a powerful conversation that convinced me to sign up for the campaign.  I also shared how I interviewed Lauren about the Heart of Haiti campaign with my cell phone for my Cinchcast audio blog at Blogalicious.
Water Carriers by Dr. Lois Mailou Jones, Haiti 1985 - acrylic, 25 ¼ x 19 ¾ in.

 

I almost forgot to mention that I organized a Digital Sisterhood Month field trip for DC area  women in social media to visit the National Museum of Women in the Arts on December 3 to see the “Lois Mailou Jones: A Life in Vibrant Color” exhibit.  During her lifetime, Dr. Jones (born November 3, 1905 – died June 9, 1998), a Howard University art professor (one of my favorite artists), created a body of artwork that was inspired by Haiti and her marriage to Haitian artist Louis Vergniaud Pierre-Noel.  One of my greatest treats was showing the women who attended the museum field trip some of my favorite Haitian-inspired paintings created by Dr. Jones.  Check out the amazing “Water Carriers” painting on the left side of the blog post.

What do you think?

I LOVE IT and HAITI!

Drop by my blog this week and next week for more posts about my passion for Haiti and work with the Heart of Haiti campaign!

Enjoy your day and week!

Opening Your Heart to Haiti: I am a Heart of Haiti Ambassador

Posted by on in Heart of Haiti6 Comments

Happy Sunday!

Guess what?  I am a Heart of Haiti Ambassador!  You may be wondering what is the Heart of Haiti?  The Heart of Haiti campaign is a Macy’s partnership that was created to provide sustainable income to Haitian artisans impacted by the January earthquake.  Through the partnership, the artisans create artwork that is sold as the Heart of Haiti collection in Macy’s stores.  The sales from these hand-made products including quilts, metalwork, paper måché, painting and jewelry generate the sustainable income and provide trade instead of aid to the Haitian artisans.  The Clinton Foundation inspired Macy’s to create this amazing partnership.  Macy’s is selling the Heart of Haiti collection at 25 stores including the Metro Center location in Washington, DC  (for all my DC area folks) and on macys.com.   

Ananda holding Haitian artwork at Heart of Haiti booth at the Blogalicious Conference held in Miami, FL in October 2010

I learned about the Heart of Haiti campaign during the Blogalicious 2010 Conference held on October 8-10, 2010, in Miami, Florida. During a speed networking session, I met Danica Kombol, a managing and founding partner at Everywhere, who introduced me to the Heart of Haiti Campaign. Click here to listen to my interview with Danica: www.cinchcast.com/anandaleeke/100144.

Later that morning, I listened to a Heart of Haiti campaign presentation featuring Willa Shalit and two Haitian artisans.  They discussed the powerful work they are doing to create artwork and support Haitian artisans as they rebuild their lives after the January earthquake.  That’s when I fell head of heels in love with their work.

After the presentation, I visited the Heart of Haiti booth in the Blogalicious Exhibitor Hall to learn how I could support the campaign. Lauren Thomas, former digital coordinator with Everywhere, gave me more information about the artwork and campaign.  My conversation with Lauren turned into an interview. Click here to listen: www.cinchcast.com/anandaleeke/100204.

A week after I returned to DC, I received emails from Lauren and the Blogalicious team about a local Heart of Haiti event at Macy’s at Metro Center featuring my favorite Haitian singer Emeline Michel. Visit www.emeline-michel.com.  I decided to attend and invite my dad so he could learn more about the campaign.  We were both impressed with the campaign and collection.  Click here to see photos of  the Heart of Haiti events I have attended: http://www.flickr.com/photos/anandaleeke/sets/72157625478398964.

My dad has become a big fan of the Heart of Haiti collection.  So has my mother! I plan on recruiting other family members, friends, and people who read my blog by serving as an ambassador!

Please support the Heart of Haiti campaign by purchasing a product from the Macy’s collection this holiday season!  See the links below for more information.

Macy’s Heart of Haiti:

http://bit.ly/heartofhaiti
Heart of Haiti on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/heartofhaiti
Heart of Haiti Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/HeartofHaiti
Fair Winds Trading:  http://fairwindstrading.com
Willa Shalit on Twitter: http://twitter.com/willashalit
 
 
 

 

Ananda’s New Book Title News – Digital Sisterhood: A Gen X-er Memoir of Life & the Internet

Posted by on in Blogalicious, Digital Sisterhood: A Gen X-er Memoir of Life & the InternetLeave a comment

Blessings All,

So many wonderful things have happened since I started my Kickstarter.com fundraising campaign in September. The first wonderful thing that happened was online and offline support for my fundraising effort. So many people used Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tumblr, blogs, email, web sites, other social media tools, the telephone, and word of mouth to spread the news about my efforts. I am so grateful for everyone’s support! Many thanks!

The second wonderful thing that happened was receiving $547 in pledges from 17 generous people in less than a month. Gratitude and deep humility are the best words to express my thanks to these special people.

When I started my Kickstarter.com campaign, I had a goal to raise $500 by December 23. It was a conservative goal that I thought would help me taste the Kickstarter.com fundraising process. Well, as you can see, I have been blessed abundantly. So I decided to relaunch my fundraising campaign today with an additional goal of $1,053 to meet my overall goal of $1,600 by December 23. This money will be used to cover the cost of my self-publishing and mailing fees.

The third wonderful thing that happened was gaining clarity about my book title while attending the Blogalicious 2010 conference on October 8 to October 10 in Miami, Florida. While I was at Blogalicious, I co-moderated an open-mic luncheon and conducted audio interviews with women bloggers about digital sisterhood. My great takeaway from these experiences was the power of the phrase “digital sisterhood.”

After I returned home from Blogalicious, I began hosting a weekly event called #STB10 #DigitalSisterhood Wednesday where women in social media are encouraged to celebrate, promote, and tweet about their favorite digital sisters on Twitter. The Twitterstream from the October 13th and October 20th events produced an “aha” moment for me about moving forward on changing the title of my book project. So today, I am proud to announce the new name of my next book: Digital Sisterhood: A Gen X-er Memoir of Life & the Internet. Let me know what you think about the title. I am open to your feedback!

As a side note, I have reserved “digital sisterhood” as a web site, Twitter account, and WordPress blog:

Look for more news about these digital properties going live in 2011.

One last thing … Join me in getting the word out about my fundraising efforts online and offline. Please make a donation too! Click on the link to donate $1-$25: http://kck.st/avHVlu. Thank you in advance for your support!

Gratitude and Joy,

Ananda Leeke
Author of Digital Sisterhood: A Gen X-er Memoir of Life & the Internet (December 2011)
www.anandaleeke.com

Latinas and Web 2.0 – The Sweet Spot Session @Blogalicious 2010 was inspiring to me!

Posted by on in Blogalicious, LATISMLeave a comment

Before I attended Blogalicious 2010, I interviewed my LATISM hermanas Julie Diaz-Asper and Elianne Ramos about the Latinas in Social Media Bloguera (blogger) Survey on the October 5th episode of Blogatique with Ananda Leeke on BlogTalkRadio.  Click here to listen to the amazing show. Julie and Elianne confirmed what I already knew: Latinas are a powerful force online and offline! FYI: I also witnessed the power of  Latinas at BlogHer 2010!

Side Note:  I met Julie and Kety Esquivel at She’s Geeky DC held at the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) in November 2009. They convinced me to attend and teach yoga for social media users at the LATISM DC conference in December 2009. While at LATISM DC, I met LATISM’s co-founder Ana Roca Castro, Elianne, and so many other members of the Latino social media community.

Kety Esquivel - Photo Credit: Carol Cain
Latinas and Web 2.0 session panel - Photo Credit: Carol Cain

Kety moderated the Latinas and Web 2.0 – The Sweet Spot session on October 8 at Blogalicious.  The session featured four of the key Latina Web 2.0 influencers:  Veronica Arreola, DeAnne Cuellar, Aurelia Flores, and Maura Wall Hernandez.  Each of the panelists shared some great points. See my takeaways below.

  • Aurelia Flores: “Doing what I have done has actually not only underscored, but made very clear to me that every woman has a story… and an amazing story. And it is really really important that we listen to each other and tell those stories. And so for me online is a medium to do that.”
  • Veronica Arreola: “Be patient. Don’t jump at every opportunity. You need to be responsible… Our blogs, our social media platforms are very powerful… We are very powerful women using powerful tools. And we need to be responsible with that.”
  • Maura Hernandez: “Find your own niche and own it. It is so important to focus. If you find your niche, people will begin to know you as an expert.”
  • DeAnne Cuellar:  “If you start using a specific tool or begin an account with a specific network, and it doesn’t work, move on. It’s okay if you don’t want to tweet…Find what works for you.”

Watch the video (1 hour 10 minutes – totally worth watching!) below.

Miriam Muley’s Powerful Blogalicious 2010 Presentation on Marketing to Women of Color

Posted by on in BlogaliciousLeave a comment

Blogalicious 2010 began with a powerful presentation on marketing to women of color by Miriam Muley, President/CEO of The 85% Niche and author ofThe 85% Niche: The Power of Women of All Colors, Latina, Black, and Asian.  The title of Muley’s presentation was “Unleashing the Power of Women of Color.”

I learned so many  facts about my power as a woman of color in America (see below).

  • Women of color are incredibly entrepreneurial.
  • Women of color are the quintessential market.
  • 9 out of 10 out the new females in the last decade are Latina, Black or Asian.
  • Women of color have $1 trillion in purchasing power! That means women of color’s purchasing power is equal to Brazil’s gross domestic product. We got some deep pockets!
  • Black women are the crown jewel in the women of color purchasing power: $500 billion.
  • 56% of women of color are the prime decision makers in their households.
  • Women of color are increasingly well-educated: 43% Asian, 17% Black, and 11% Latina.
  • Businesses owned by women of color are the fasting growing segment of the US economy.
  • Women of color are pioneers in business.
  • 42% of a majority-owned businesses are owned by women of color.
  • Women of color businesses generate $230 billion in sales.

Check out the video (1 hour 3 minutes – totally worth watching) below.

Ananda’s speaking adventures at Ignite DC #4 on June 16, 2010

Posted by on in UncategorizedLeave a comment

039, originally uploaded by anandaleeke.


Happy Thursday!

Last night I spoke at Ignite DC #4. “Who lives inside of me?” was the title of my five-minute talk.  Visit www.ignite-dc.com to learn more about this amazing event. Click here to read a summary of my talk:  http://www.ignite-dc.com/speakers/369.

My talk was based on my eight archetypes discussed in my new book That Which Awakens Me: A Creative Woman’s Poetic Memoir of Self-Discovery (November 2009, Amazon.com).  Six-word memoirs, yoga, poetry, and my creative process were mentioned during my talk.

My dad “J” videotaped my talk. See the video below. The Ignite DC organizers will post the 16 speakers’ talks on Blip.tv in a few weeks. I’ll be sure to post the link when it goes live.

Ignite DC #4 was a great event. I saw so many friends and met many new people. I also took a lot of photos. Click here to see my Flickr photo set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/anandaleeke/sets/72157624167809241.

Many thanks to the Ignite DC organizers, sponsors, attendees, and speakers (amazing group of folks — I learned so much from them and laughed too!!!). A big thanks to everyone on Twitter and Facebook who mentioned my talk, took photos, and shared my links.

Enjoy your day and weekend!

PS: Blogging While Brown is my next social media event! Visit www.bloggingwhilebrown.com or http://twitter.com/bwbconference. Blogging While Brown begins on June 18 at the Washington Convention Center in DC. I will teach a yoga class for social media users from 8:15 am to 8:30 am on June 19. I am so excited about attending the conference. It will be my third Blogging While Brown conference! I am also excited about going to the Blogalicious/Red Pump Project meet up at Tabaq on June 19. So get ready for lots more videos, photos, and Facebook/Twitter posts!!!!

Ananda’s social media adventures at Blogalicious DC Meet Up on April 27

Posted by on in Blogalicious, Women in Social MediaLeave a comment

Ananda moderating Women in Social Media panel

I had the pleasure of serving as moderator for the Women in Social Media: Creating Your Digital Footprint panel at the Blogalicious DC Meet Up held on April 27 at the Washington, DC Economic Partnership. The following dynamic women served on the panel:

I was able to capture the amazing panelists, Blogalicious co-founders Nyasha Smith and Stacy Ferguson, DC Meet Up organizer/PR professional Xina Eiland,and Niambi Jarvis, Director of the Office on Women’s Policy & Initiatives, in action with my Creative Vado video camera. Check out the videos below.

VIDEOS:

1) Definition of Social Media – Part One by Rhea Brown, Terri Holley, and Michele McGraw

2) Definition of Social Media – Part Two by Rhea Brown, Terri Holley, and Michele McGraw

3) Meaning of Digital Footprint by Terri Holley

4) Blogalicious co-founders Nyasha Smith and Stacey Ferguson

5) DC Meet Up organizer/PR professional Xina Eiland

6) Niambi Jarvis, Director of the Office on Women’s Policy & Initiatives

Check out several photos from the Meet Up below (photo credit: Blogalicious co-founders Nyasha Smith and Stacey Ferguson). Click here to see more photos.

Blogalicious DC Meet Up Panelists

Blogalicious is planning additional meet ups and a party at the BlogHer conference in August.  Be sure to check out these events and webinars (recordings available).

Are you going to register for Blogalicious 2010 in Miami? I am!

Are you going to BlogHer? I am!

Happy February and Black History Month!! Read my new Examiner.com article about Black Digital Diva Pioneer Cheryl Mayberry McKissack

Posted by on in African American Women, Black History MonthLeave a comment
Cheryl Mayberry McKissack - Photo Credit: Carol Cain, NYCMama

Happy February! Happy Black History Month (which is every day)!

This year I am celebrating digital diva sheros in Black History.   Cheryl Mayberry McKissack, an entrepreneur with expertise in communications, research, and technology, is one of my top ten sheroes. In January 2000, Cheryl launched Nia Enterprises, LLC and gave birth to NiaOnline, one of the first online communities for African American women.   Two months later, I was inspired to create Kiamsha.com, LLC and web site (replaced by www.anandaleeke.com) to celebrate my creative and healing arts gifts during National Women’s History Month.   Since then, I have followed Cheryl’s entrepreneurial efforts and been inspired to further develop and share my gifts.

In October 2009, I met and interviewed Cheryl for Ananda Leeke TV at Blogalicious, the first inaugural conference for women bloggers of color.  That was a huge moment for me! Another huge moment happened yesterday when I wrote an Examiner.com article celebrating Cheryl’s tenth year anniversary as founder and President/CEO of Nia Enterprises.  Click here to read it.  Let me know what you think.

Who are your sheros and heros?

Enjoy your day and week!

Peace, Creativity, Compassion, Gratitude, and Pride for Black History Sheros and Heros,

Ananda

Ananda shares her Blogalicious 09 Recap on October 29th Episode of The Ananda Leeke Show

Posted by on in BlogaliciousLeave a comment

blogalicious heading

Hi Everyone,

I shared my Blogalicious 09 recap on The Ananda Leeke Show. Click here to listen to Episode 9 (10.29.09): www.talkshoe.com/tc/15820.  I will publish my first Blogalicious conference article on my DC Social Media Examiner column on Friday evening. 

On Saturday, I will launch the Blogalicious 09 Series on Sisterhood, the Blog Radio.  The first episode will feature an interview with Gwen Peake, Global Digital Communications Manager at Ford Motor Company and author of If It Walks Like a Duck…and Other Truths My Mother Taught Me. Click here to listen to the show: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/42015.  I will post the schedule of shows later this weekend.

Gwen served as a presenter for Blogalicious’ Plenary Session: Social Media and the Woman of Color. Follow Gwen on Twitter – http://twitter.com/gwenj.  Visit www.blogaliciousweekend.com to learn more about Blogalicious. Enjoy your day!

Peace and Creativity,

Ananda