SPARK WORKSHOP
BlackOakTV: Building advocacy through entertainment
Friday, October 16, 2020
12:00–2:00 PM EDT
Webinar details will be shared in the confirmation email.
About two thirds of black people in the US pay for a subscription video on demand (SVOD) service, such as Netflix. But the underwhelming number of shows centered around black stories and characters contribute to the prevention of black viewers, who watch more long-form video content than any other ethnicity, from subscribing to SVODs at higher rates. For instance, of the current original scripted comedies and dramas aired on Netflix, only 7% have majority black casts.
Not only does this dearth of representation keep potential subscribers from committing to a streaming service, it also negatively affects how black people view themselves and how others in society perceive and interact with black people and black culture.
BlackOakTV is on a mission to super-serve black viewers around the world with entertainment and information reflecting their lives and experiences, while eliminating the under-representation and misrepresentation of blacks in media that promotes antagonism against blacks across the globe.
Join this interactive workshop to brainstorm innovative ways to deliver entertainment content that also addresses today’s societal challenges about race and social justice.
**Please note that this is an interactive workshop open to the community. No prior experiences required. Bring your ideas and curiosity!
Facilitator Bio:
Uzo Ometu '13BUS '06CC
Founder and CEO, BlackOakTV
Uzo is the founder and CEO of BlackOakTV, a subscription video on demand (SVOD) service exclusively providing black content for black viewers. Prior to BlackOakTV, Uzo spent over a decade in digital media publishing, strategy, content development, and advisory roles. His depth and breadth of experiences include Viacom, CBS Corporation, Morpheus Media, Associated Press, and Google. Most recently, Uzo worked on content partnerships at YouTube for the past four years.
He earned an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA from Columbia University.
Spark provides Social Innovators with an opportunity to explore resources, connections and potential solutions to help their social ventures. These workshops tap into the collective knowledge within Columbia University and the larger entrepreneurial and social impact community.
Spark is a platform for ventures to make valuable connections, as the audience is a self-selected group interested in the topic area. Ventures are also able to gather ideas through group brainstorming to help them address specific questions or problems within the business organization.
These workshops are free and open to all who are willing to bring their ideas, experience, and connections to help solve social and environmental challenges that social innovators aim to address.
If you are unable to attend the above event but would like more information on Spark, please register for our mailing list.
For more information, or if you would like to suggest a future Spark workshop, please contact socialenterprise@gsb.columbia.edu.