Man Behind the Brand (MBTB)
MBTB profiles the new school of leaders in the marketing and advertising industry.  2-3 minute episodes of MBTB will be available on our YouTube channel found at: http://www.youtube.com/marcusgrahamproject The full length interviews will be made available on “The MGP Network.”

Episode 1: Torrence Boone, Google
As Managing Director of Agency Business Development, Torrence Boone is responsible for driving Google’s relationships with marketing and advertising agencies across the Americas. In this capacity he leads a team that partners with diverse agency constituents to craft innovative ideas and campaigns leveraging the Google product portfolio to deliver business-building results for agencies and their clients.  Check it out here:

Prior to Google, Torrence was global CEO of Enfatico, a full-service, integrated agency start-up built by WPP to serve the global marketing needs of Dell, its founding client. Prior to Enfatico, Torrence was president of Digitas Boston, where he led the agency’s flagship region and was a leader in the retail, healthcare and CPG practice areas. Previously, he was VP/GM of Avenue A (now Razorfish), where he was in charge of strategy, account management, media, and creative services for the New York operation. Before his tenure in advertising, Torrence was a senior manager at Bain & Company, where he advised a broad range of clients on corporate and business unit strategy, mergers and acquisitions, new product development, and interactive strategy.

Torrence holds a B.A. in Economics, with honors, from Stanford University, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.  He serves on the board of the Joyce Theater in New York.

The Marcus Graham Project has been featured in an EBONY special report: “The State of Today’s Black Men,” exploring the true status of Black males in media, religion, relationships, education and politics.  The story, written by Margena A. Christian, discusses the impact that MGP is making in the media space and includes comments from co-founders Jon Goff, Larry Yarrell and Lincoln Stephens.  Please pick up a copy, now on newsstands and turn to page 109.  Please share with a friend!

Thank you Ebony Magazine for helping us tell our story!!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dallas-Based Nonprofit Makes History in the Media Industry
Summer Program Preps Young Leaders from Across the Nation to
Become Trailblazers in Advertising, Marketing and Media

June 20, 2011 DALLAS — On June 6 the Marcus Graham Project (MGP) began its 3rd annual iCr8 Summer Boot Camp. Eleven young professionals were selected from across the nation to participate in the boot camp program, forming a real-life integrated marketing communication firm – Bippitus – to train them to become trailblazers within the advertising, marketing and media industries. In an effort to introduce fresh perspectives to the media industry the students are documenting the 10-week experience, and sharing it via a live Ustream show entitled The Drum and YouTube web series called The Us.
“We began the Marcus Graham Project four years ago to equip racially diverse young professionals with the training and exposure necessary to become successful in the media, marketing and advertising industries,” said Lincoln Stephens, program director of MGP. “Each year our program gets a little better. This year we have some amazingly talented students, great clients and several projects planned to prep our students to become future industry leaders.”

In addition to receiving mentorship from industry professionals, this year’s students will complete varied assignments across the U.S. for their agency’s clients: AT&T, Grammy Award-winning artist John Legend’s nonprofit organization The Show Me Campaign, signature natural bath and body care line forplai by Lamman Rucker, lifestyle website Neo Soul Cafe and Dallas-based retail marketing agency TPN.
MGP doesn’t guarantee students job placement, but in past years as a result of the program, students have earned jobs with Ohio State University, Wieden+Kennedy, RAPP and The Richards Group.
Each year MGP performs a nationwide search to identify candidates for its iCr8 Boot Camp.

This year the following 11 candidates were selected: Phillip Cunningham, 28, Toledo, Ohio; Timothy “TJ” Foster, 22, Waco, Texas; Erin Jordan, 25, Houston, Texas; Matthew Hayes, 24, Houston, Texas; Johari Huggins, 26, Chicago, Ill.; Daniela Jimenez, 22, Tampa, Fla.; Johnnie Lovett, 22, Chicago, Ill.; Vinson Muhammad, 22, Macon, Ga.; Darren Nesbitt, 23, St. Louis, Mo.; Theo Nishimura, 22, Stockton, Calif.; Jeremy K. Smith, 29, Cincinnati, Ohio.

The iCr8 Summer Boot Camp is sponsored by 4A’s, Deutsch Inc., The Omnicom Group Inc., Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners, RAPP, TPN, Wieden+Kennedy and Y&R.

Documenting History
In an effort to share the Marcus Graham Project experience with the world, the members of Bippitus were each given cameras to document their personal journey through the program. The students release their footage as a web series entitled, The Us. New episodes are posted every Monday at 3 p.m. on YouTube, www.youtube.com/bippitus.

In addition to The Us, Bippitus hosts a live web series entitled, The Drum. This is a venue for the members of Bippitus to share their experiences and give book reviews on required readings from the MGP curriculum. The show is interactive and viewers are encouraged to call and tweet in to have their questions answered during the show.  The Drum is broadcast live on the Bippitus Ustream page at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bippitus-agency-live at 2 p.m. every Friday.

Meet the “Us” in Bippitus
Every Friday throughout the summer Bippitus will host The Lemonade Stand, a social networking event held at the MGP Dallas headquarters, 1409 S. Lamar St., Suite 1021. This event will provide the media and public an opportunity to meet this year’s boot camp team.

To arrange an interview, or for more information about Bippitus please contact Marcus Graham Project program director, Lincoln Stephens at 972.897.9985 or Lincoln@marcusgrahamproject.org. Visit the official website at www.marcusgrahamproject.org.

About Bippitus
Bippitus is an integrated marketing communication agency specializing in advertising, public relations and retail marketing. It’s composed of 11 young professionals ages 22-29 from across the United States. The students were selected through a rigorous portfolio and video submission process. The agency will function for 10-weeks as an extension of the Marcus Graham Project, under its 2011 iCr8 Summer Boot Camp Program.  More information about Bippitus can be found at: www.bippitus.com

About The Marcus Graham Project
The Marcus Graham Project is a national network of diverse professionals who have purposed themselves in developing the next generation of thought leadership within the advertising, media and marketing industry.  The vision of The Marcus Graham Project (MGP) is to provide long-term access to information, technology, financial and people resources that will strategically develop a viable pool of talent and leadership within the industry. The Marcus Graham Project is a 501 (c) 3 organization. More information about MGP can be found at: www.marcusgrahamproject.org.

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