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Curtis T. Jewell, II – Co-Founder & CEO, MyCypher.com

Curtis brings over 12 years of technology management, creative production, and international business experience to MyCypher.com, a Global Hip-Hop venture that allows artists to upload audio directly from any cell phone. After graduating with honors from Case Western Reserve University in 2001, he worked as a Technology Consultant for Accenture in New York City . Following his departure in 2005, he became an Independent Technology Consultant in Manhattan, working for a range of media clients, including large-scale multinationals (Sony BMG) and non-profit organizations (National Black Programming Consortium). In 2008, he earned his MBA from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and co-founded MyCypher, Inc. the same year. A polyglot and spoken word performer, Curtis rhymes in English, French, Portuguese and Japanese.

Jeremy White – Chief Smooth Talker (Co-Founder & Chief Marketing Officer)

Jeremy has extensive experience in entertainment and digital marketing. While earning a B.S. in Computer Science at Pepperdine University, White produced mix-tapes for his classmates and local aspiring artists. Jeremy later worked at Universal Music in Artist Promotions and marketing, with MCA recording artists Common, The Roots, and Mos Def. After returning to the University of Southern California (USC) to earn his MBA, White worked for Microsoft’s X-Box Group as a Global Product Developer and Marketing Manager, where he helped develop and execute the marketing plan for Halo 3.

Kayode Owens – Chief Imaginator & Senior Smack Talker (Chief Operating Officer)

Yode brings extensive new media, entertainment, and financial experience to MyCypher.com. Most recently, he worked as the New Media Acquisitions Advisor at Flavor Unit Entertainment, which was formed by Hip-Hop Pioneer and Oscar-Winning Actress Queen Latifah. At Flavor Unit Owens developed and implemented strategy for the historic Hip-Hop brand branching out into Film, TV, and Digital Media. After graduating cum laude from Harvard University, Yode spent 10 years working in financial analysis at Morgan Stanley, strategic planning at MasterCard International, and e-commerce strategy at American Express.

Jami Rahman - VP of Rational Thought (VP, Content)

Jami Rahman is a graduate of the University of Michigan. Jami serves as MyCypher.com's VP of Content & Editorial and is a life-long Hip-Hop Head with extensive experience in marketing and promotion. While at Michigan, Jami majored in Hustle: working as a deejay, organizing a concert series featuring up and coming (at the time) artists such as Eminem, Proof, Bizarre and Swift-E of D-12, and becoming Michigan's 1st Urban College Marketing Rep promoting the likes of Timbaland, Brandy, and Twista. After taking a brief hiatus from freshness to get his JD from the University of Minnesota School of Law (where he still managed to plan and organize a local Hip-Hop concert series) and practicing as an insurance and business litigator in Los Angeles, Jami came back to Hip-Hop and uses his creative insight to manage MyCypher's blog and video strategy & content.

Andrew Kaklamanos – VP of Making it Rain (VP, Artist Management)

Drew manages MyCypher’s connection to up and coming Hip-Hop artists as well as the company’s live events. After graduating from Tufts University and playing basketball overseas in the professional ranks of the Greek league, Drew hung up his Jordans and decided to pursue a career in his other life-long passion, Hip Hop music. He relocated from South Florida to Los Angeles, where he worked at indie label Avatar Records in A&R and at Tribune Interactive Media before joining Warner Music Group and, currently, the MyCypher Team.

Matt Lawler – Chief Bottle Popper (VP, Online Promotions)

Matt has a passion for promoting the MyCypher message online and off. Matt develops and executes marketing strategies that increase awareness of the MyCypher brand and its relevance to the world-wide hip-hop community. Matt has been a Hip-Hop enthusiast and dance machine since 3rd grade. Since he couldn’t be DJ Quik, he decided to snag a B.A. in Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics (PPE) from the University of Pennsylvania before returning to LA to work for Warner Bros. With over 6 years in television & entertainment marketing experience at with Warner Bros., Matt's focus is aligned to online promotions and digital marketing initiatives.

Matt Friedman – Chief Visual Sociologist (Director, Video Content)

Matt is pursuing a career as a documentarian and is MyCypher’s Director of online content. Matt has been working in the entertainment industry for the past 4 years as a production assistant for various film production companies. After interning on the Tavis Smiley show, he moved to the program development department, helping to build and fund TV shows. After leaving KCET, Matt wrote, directed, and executive produced a hip hop television show for USC's Trojan Vision TV. Matt is also a partner in his own endeavor, Fun Little Movies, where he produces, and licenses short comedy videos for distribution on mobile phones, the Internet, and portable devices worldwide.

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ADVISORY BOARD

Toni Blackman - U.S. Hip Hop Ambassador (via U.S. State Department)

Toni Blackman is an international champion of hip-hop culture, known for the irresistible, contagious energy of her performances and for her alluring female presence. She is a one-woman revolution of poetry and microphone; all heart, all rhythm, all song, and all power. An award-winning artist, her steadfast work and commitment to hip-hop led the U.S. Department of State to select her to work as the first ever American Cultural Specialist who was a Hip-Hop artist by training. She has already served in Senegal, Ghana, Botswana, and Swaziland where her residencies include performances, workshops, and lectures on hip hop music and culture.

Jody Armour – USC Roy B. Crocker Law Professor

Jody Armour is an expert in both law and Hip-Hop Culture, and in 2007 organized “Rap, Race, and Redemption,” a USC-based Hip-Hop forum showcasing performance and scholarly discussions with Ice Cube, Saul Williams, and an eclectic mix of Hip-Hop performers and scholars. Before joining USC Law in 1997, Professor Armour practiced law in San Francisco and Pittsburgh. He also taught at the University of California, Berkeley, Indiana University and the University of Pittsburgh. He is a graduate of Harvard University and earned his law degree at Boalt Hall School of Law at UC Berkeley, where he was editor of the Black Law Journal.

Justin F. Beckett - Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Fluid Audio Networks

Justin Beckett founded Fluid Audio Networks (FAN) in 2004 with the goal of fusing his passions for music and convergent media enterprise. After spending nearly two years researching digital music applications, Beckett developed the concept of an online digital music distribution method as a way to promote democratization in the music industry. In March 2005, FAN was granted licensing rights from American Idol co-producer and licensor, Freemantle Media, to create American Idol Underground. A 20-year entrepreneurial veteran with diverse work experience, during the past five years Beckett has focused exclusively on Internet-based consumer product applications. He currently serves as CEO of FAN.