“My career in media, diversity & inclusion was sparked by Oprah, and fueled throughout my college and professional career.  My champion, Clayton Banks, played a very strong role in supporting my vision of utilizing ‘Big Data’ and access channels as drivers of inclusion, which eventually led me to start my own enterprise called Currency Shift.

First: Oprah. My mother introduced me to Oprah at a young age.  I grew up on the South Side of Chicago, and was veering onto the wrong path due to my fascination with what I saw as business and idolizing the wrong ‘business’ people.  My mom introduced Oprah into my life to provide a positive role model- a business-focused, successful woman who looked like me and set a standard for greatness.  I had said to my mother once, ‘I want to be just like you,’ to which my mom replied, ‘Don’t be just like me, be better than me.”  Then she paused and said, ‘No. Be better than Oprah.’

I went to school at UNC Charlotte and worked at the student newspaper. There I began to understand the power of media and the importance of representation. I quickly noticed there was no significant coverage around Black events, for example, those hosted by the Divine Nine Sororities and Fraternities or the Black Student Union. Since I was very involved on campus and a part of the Iota Rho chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., I was able to give visibility to events and learned that I could make an important impact on fair representation in media.

I went on to work in media sales at Time Warner Cable, where I wanted to continue making an impact around content, representation and the images portrayed in the media.  That’s where I met my champion and male ally, Clayton Banks.  

It was 2012, and I was on the leadership board for the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) the Carolinas chapter in Charlotte, NC. At that time I was the youngest person on the leadership team. I also deeply, instinctively knew social media and data would become the next big thing.’

Our chapter hosted an event around “big data” and the future of media. Clayton was on the panel and he said something I will never forget. He said: “Data and access are the future of everything.”

Just hearing him say those words, I felt we were connected in our visions. From there, we built a friendship.

Two years later, in 2014, I moved to New York.  I saw what Clayton was doing in New York with Silicon Harlem. He was in the first year of creating and launching the Silicon Harlem Tech Conference, all about technology, data, and making sure access to the Internet was provided in Harlem.

It was at this time that Clayton visibly and powerfully championed me in a few ways:

• With confirmation from his business partner, Bruce Lincoln, Clayton brought me onto his team to help plan the Silicon Harlem conference. He also listened when I said I wanted to strengthen my skills in public speaking. Clayton found me those first opportunities to speak. I hosted a panel at the Silicon Harlem Tech conference, and thereafter he found me another opportunity — serving as a panelist for an event at the NYC Javits Center — a huge stage for my first panel in NY!

• From Clayton’s mantra, “Data and access are the future of everything,” I saw a real opportunity to develop a thought process around Social Currency, which is the central focus of my podcast, Currency Shift. Social Currency is the value of your social media; personal networks; digital space; and how the interplay impacts you both online and offline.  

• From social currency as a concept, I decided that podcasting was the best way I could empower others to use their own social currency to have access and move forward in their careers or personal ventures.

• Clayton was the first person I reached out to when I launched my podcast, as a mentor and connector.  His influence, network, and passion for the topic meant he could help me with my launch plan for Currency Shift.  I approached him with an idea to host my launch party as an “after party” for the Silicon Harlem conference-I would be the after party sponsor. He agreed, and in doing so, was able to leverage HIS network of attendees as listeners for the first season of the podcast. The launch party became a celebration, marking both the conclusion of a successful conference, and the launch of my logo, brand, and podcast. 

• Clayton was also one of my first podcast guests!  He spoke on Season 1, Episode 2, to further the discussion about having access, which is the great divider: the only thing that separates us is the access to information and to resources. He helped reinforce our shared vision of data and access which is paramount to inclusion.

Clayton is a great connector — he has a knack for bringing together the right people to move the ball forward.  The reason he’s so effective at connecting people?  It’s because he has this understanding of access. When you provide and share information, it comes back to you tenfold.”

– Brittany S. S. Hardin, CEO & Founder, Currency Shift
New York, NY

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Brittany S. S. Hardin is CEO & Founder of Currency Shift, LLC, focused on shifting the conversation from meeting diversity quotas, to investing in and building the social capital of women and people of color in order to grow representation in positions of influence.

Ms. Hardin’s podcast is focused on showcasing and sharing insights from First, Only, and Disruptive (F.O.D.) individuals in various industries and communities around the world. These individuals are creating and carving new paths for women and people of color while building social currency and making an impact in their corporations and communities.