Movers & Shakers: Desiree Rogers Discusses Her New Role at Johnson Publishing

Unless you live under a rock, you probably know of Chicago power-broker, socialite  and personal friend of the Obamas, Desiree Rogers.  Before she filled the role as White House Social Secretary, Rogers was already a very accomplished woman with a more-than-impressive resume.  Now she can add her new role as  CEO of Johnson Publishing Co. to the list. 

Movers & Shakers: Jaylaan Ahmad Llewellyn of bluhammock music & bluhorse clothing

Jaylaan Llewellyn with her artist, Cary Brothers

The 29-year-old music executive and riding enthusiast Jaylaan AhmadLlewellyn, is bringing some new flavor to the table.
Jaylaan Llewellyn is the founder and CEO of bluhammock music and bluhorse clothing.

Bluhammock music is an indie record label based in New York City and is distributed by Sony’s RED distribution arm via MRI. Llewellyn has a roster of 8 artists on her label so far including: Virginia Coalition, Cary Brothers, Swati and Speech (yes, from Arrested Development), to name a few. All of her acts have their own unique flavor and have been featured on hit tv shows like The Hills and Greys Anatomy. This year there are plans to feature bluhammock music production in indie films.


Sister company, bluhorse clothing, was launched last summer and is a collection for hip, equestrian lifestyle-oriented individuals and represents relaxed luxury with an outdoor sensibility, and sporty, hip vibe. Her clothing line is gaining popularity on the equestrian set, here in the south and her products have sponsor at a few events. Now, I think it makes perfect sense that Jaylaan went into the equestrian clothing business. Those in the know, know that she's an avid riding enthusiast who participates in a lot of equestrian events, particularly here in South Florida, in Wellington and Palm Beach. Might I add, she's one of the few sistas competing in these events and she does quite well.
Jaylaan with her horse, Minute Maid

The Harvard University graduate is the daughter of Shahara and J. Bruce Llewellyn, currently chairman and CEO of the Philadelphia Coca-Cola Bottling Company.

P.S.
If you're in Florida this Sunday, February 17th, Jaylaan's throwing the blu Party, benefitting the US Equestrian Team Foundation and the John T. Petters Foundation in Wellington, FL

Movers & Shakers: Nerjyzed's Jacqueline Beauchamp

Instead of complaining about the depiction of negative stereotypes in Black culture, some Black-owned companies have decided to take action and provide positive cultural alternatives.

Jacqueline Beauchamp, President and CEO of Nerjyzed Entertainment Inc. is leading efforts in providing positive cultural images in digital media. Louisiana-based Nerjyzed is a privately held videogame, 3-D animation and publishing firm founded in 2003 by Ms. Beauchamp and three partners.

Nerjyzed’s founding members are all graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), in fact Ms. Beauchamp is a graduate of Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA where Nerjyzed is located. So, it’s not ironic that Nerjyzed’s flagship videogame is the Black College Football Experience (BCFX).

BCFX was released this past November and features teams from historically black colleges. It even features an interactive half-time battle of the bands and combines original recordings with fight songs played by the actual school bands. Players can hear and download music from BCFX’s constantly updated track list.

Jacqueline Beauchamp and Nerjyzed Entertainment are also set this month to release Historically Black, a documentary on the evolution of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The documentary explores the politics, challenges, organizations, environment and the future of HBCUs. Historically Black also features interviews from some respected and prominent HBCU personalities including Debbie Allen, David Banner, Ed Bradley, Tom Joyner, Doug Williams, Jacqueline Beauchamp and Lt. Gen Russel Honore.

Other Important Notes:
• Jacqueline Beauchamp moved Nerjyzed from Dallas to Baton Rouge because Louisiana offers a digital-media tax credit of up to 20% against expenditures.
• Ms. Beauchamp currently employs 45 people and plans to hire another 35-40 employees.
• Nerjyzed’s music and content division, NERSOUND, is creating public/private partnerships with HBCU’s to provide business development opportunities for aspiring artists and audio professionals.