Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH recently held a Wall Street Project Economic Summit to bring together the power of Main Street, Wall Street and Silicon Valley.

Hosted at the Sheraton Times Square in New York City, the weeklong convention featured Steve Ballmer, new owner of the Los Angeles Clippers; World Bank President Dr. Jim Yong; National Newspaper Publisher Association President John W. Rogers Jr.; Ariel Investments CEO & Chief Investment Officer Cloves C. Campbell Jr.; and Black Enterprise President and Chief Executive Officer Earl G. Graves Jr.

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“We have the power to make great change, and by connecting everyone in the sectors of capital, tech and corporate American, we can create solutions to some of the world’s greatest problems,” said Jackson.

Jackson has already been instrumental in getting Silicon Valley tech titans to publicly share their statistics on diversity and inclusion and has successfully helped Intel lead the way in a $300 million commitment to the cause over the next five years.

Intel Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer Rosalind Hudnell said her company is at the forefront of change.

“We are committed to changing the landscape of Silicon Valley and by committing dollars to pipelines that contribute to the diversity of our company and the world of tech is a step in the right direction,” she said. “It has been amazing having a partner in the Rev. Jackson and Rainbow PUSH.”

“We are excited about capital commitments, Intel’s role, and we expect to see jobs created and more under-represented people employed,” said Butch Wing, Rainbow PUSH’s Director of Communications.

“What we are seeing today is once again more a matter of economics,” said author and economist Dr. Julianne Malveaux.

“Racism still exists, but if we can eradicate the economic disparities, we will see great change,” she said.

Black Enterprise publisher Earl “Butch” Graves Jr. hosted a luncheon at the convention honoring its top “40 Best Companies for Diversity.”

The publisher also presented copies of the magazine’s January 2015 edition, highlighting each company. “We must celebrate companies that are ensuring that our community receives more opportunities, and inclusion is a large part of their platform,” Graves said.

Shawn Granberry, CEO of Watch Now Networks, Inc. attended the convention for the first time and hosted a press conference and panel discussion on the Business of Hip Hop.

“Hip hop is a multi-billion dollar business, and Hip Hop TV will be at the core of developing high-end content for the industry and developing revenue streams for artists as well as harnessing the power of hip hop as a voice for change in the world,” he said.

For more information visit: rainbowpushwallstreet.org, hiphoptv.com, or hiphopunion.org.

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