Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City: A Festive Year in Review

Name of Game Changer here

Story here. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed facilisis ipsum tortor, sed euismod magna finibus ac. Maecenas sollicitudin egestas neque ac aliquam. Morbi aliquet aliquet rutrum. Vivamus nec feugiat eros. Praesent finibus quam sit amet libero consectetur ullamcorper. Aliquam rhoncus sollicitudin nisi, eget posuere nisi rhoncus vel. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Integer malesuada tortor lorem, id ornare neque porttitor non. Praesent cursus id elit vel euismod. Ut ultricies odio vehicula eleifend ornare. Sed quis purus sit amet elit luctus commodo quis non nibh. Proin et vulputate est. Cras sed molestie neque. Fusce volutpat neque ex. Donec convallis, velit aliquam hendrerit lobortis, est augue mattis metus, nec volutpat mi nisl sit amet orci. Etiam congue, diam nec fermentum vehicula, dui sapien maximus dui, ut hendrerit lacus neque sed libero.

Name of Game Changer here

Story here. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed facilisis ipsum tortor, sed euismod magna finibus ac. Maecenas sollicitudin egestas neque ac aliquam. Morbi aliquet aliquet rutrum. Vivamus nec feugiat eros. Praesent finibus quam sit amet libero consectetur ullamcorper. Aliquam rhoncus sollicitudin nisi, eget posuere nisi rhoncus vel. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Integer malesuada tortor lorem, id ornare neque porttitor non. Praesent cursus id elit vel euismod. Ut ultricies odio vehicula eleifend ornare. Sed quis purus sit amet elit luctus commodo quis non nibh. Proin et vulputate est. Cras sed molestie neque. Fusce volutpat neque ex. Donec convallis, velit aliquam hendrerit lobortis, est augue mattis metus, nec volutpat mi nisl sit amet orci. Etiam congue, diam nec fermentum vehicula, dui sapien maximus dui, ut hendrerit lacus neque sed libero.

Name of Game Changer here

Story here. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed facilisis ipsum tortor, sed euismod magna finibus ac. Maecenas sollicitudin egestas neque ac aliquam. Morbi aliquet aliquet rutrum. Vivamus nec feugiat eros. Praesent finibus quam sit amet libero consectetur ullamcorper. Aliquam rhoncus sollicitudin nisi, eget posuere nisi rhoncus vel. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Integer malesuada tortor lorem, id ornare neque porttitor non. Praesent cursus id elit vel euismod. Ut ultricies odio vehicula eleifend ornare. Sed quis purus sit amet elit luctus commodo quis non nibh. Proin et vulputate est. Cras sed molestie neque. Fusce volutpat neque ex. Donec convallis, velit aliquam hendrerit lobortis, est augue mattis metus, nec volutpat mi nisl sit amet orci. Etiam congue, diam nec fermentum vehicula, dui sapien maximus dui, ut hendrerit lacus neque sed libero.

Name of Game Changer here

Story here. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed facilisis ipsum tortor, sed euismod magna finibus ac. Maecenas sollicitudin egestas neque ac aliquam. Morbi aliquet aliquet rutrum. Vivamus nec feugiat eros. Praesent finibus quam sit amet libero consectetur ullamcorper. Aliquam rhoncus sollicitudin nisi, eget posuere nisi rhoncus vel. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Integer malesuada tortor lorem, id ornare neque porttitor non. Praesent cursus id elit vel euismod. Ut ultricies odio vehicula eleifend ornare. Sed quis purus sit amet elit luctus commodo quis non nibh. Proin et vulputate est. Cras sed molestie neque. Fusce volutpat neque ex. Donec convallis, velit aliquam hendrerit lobortis, est augue mattis metus, nec volutpat mi nisl sit amet orci. Etiam congue, diam nec fermentum vehicula, dui sapien maximus dui, ut hendrerit lacus neque sed libero.

Name of Game Changer here

Story here. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed facilisis ipsum tortor, sed euismod magna finibus ac. Maecenas sollicitudin egestas neque ac aliquam. Morbi aliquet aliquet rutrum. Vivamus nec feugiat eros. Praesent finibus quam sit amet libero consectetur ullamcorper. Aliquam rhoncus sollicitudin nisi, eget posuere nisi rhoncus vel. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Integer malesuada tortor lorem, id ornare neque porttitor non. Praesent cursus id elit vel euismod. Ut ultricies odio vehicula eleifend ornare. Sed quis purus sit amet elit luctus commodo quis non nibh. Proin et vulputate est. Cras sed molestie neque. Fusce volutpat neque ex. Donec convallis, velit aliquam hendrerit lobortis, est augue mattis metus, nec volutpat mi nisl sit amet orci. Etiam congue, diam nec fermentum vehicula, dui sapien maximus dui, ut hendrerit lacus neque sed libero.

Name of Game Changer here

Story here. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed facilisis ipsum tortor, sed euismod magna finibus ac. Maecenas sollicitudin egestas neque ac aliquam. Morbi aliquet aliquet rutrum. Vivamus nec feugiat eros. Praesent finibus quam sit amet libero consectetur ullamcorper. Aliquam rhoncus sollicitudin nisi, eget posuere nisi rhoncus vel. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Integer malesuada tortor lorem, id ornare neque porttitor non. Praesent cursus id elit vel euismod. Ut ultricies odio vehicula eleifend ornare. Sed quis purus sit amet elit luctus commodo quis non nibh. Proin et vulputate est. Cras sed molestie neque. Fusce volutpat neque ex. Donec convallis, velit aliquam hendrerit lobortis, est augue mattis metus, nec volutpat mi nisl sit amet orci. Etiam congue, diam nec fermentum vehicula, dui sapien maximus dui, ut hendrerit lacus neque sed libero.

Name of Game Changer here

Story here. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed facilisis ipsum tortor, sed euismod magna finibus ac. Maecenas sollicitudin egestas neque ac aliquam. Morbi aliquet aliquet rutrum. Vivamus nec feugiat eros. Praesent finibus quam sit amet libero consectetur ullamcorper. Aliquam rhoncus sollicitudin nisi, eget posuere nisi rhoncus vel. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Integer malesuada tortor lorem, id ornare neque porttitor non. Praesent cursus id elit vel euismod. Ut ultricies odio vehicula eleifend ornare. Sed quis purus sit amet elit luctus commodo quis non nibh. Proin et vulputate est. Cras sed molestie neque. Fusce volutpat neque ex. Donec convallis, velit aliquam hendrerit lobortis, est augue mattis metus, nec volutpat mi nisl sit amet orci. Etiam congue, diam nec fermentum vehicula, dui sapien maximus dui, ut hendrerit lacus neque sed libero.

Name of Game Changer here

Story here. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed facilisis ipsum tortor, sed euismod magna finibus ac. Maecenas sollicitudin egestas neque ac aliquam. Morbi aliquet aliquet rutrum. Vivamus nec feugiat eros. Praesent finibus quam sit amet libero consectetur ullamcorper. Aliquam rhoncus sollicitudin nisi, eget posuere nisi rhoncus vel. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Integer malesuada tortor lorem, id ornare neque porttitor non. Praesent cursus id elit vel euismod. Ut ultricies odio vehicula eleifend ornare. Sed quis purus sit amet elit luctus commodo quis non nibh. Proin et vulputate est. Cras sed molestie neque. Fusce volutpat neque ex. Donec convallis, velit aliquam hendrerit lobortis, est augue mattis metus, nec volutpat mi nisl sit amet orci. Etiam congue, diam nec fermentum vehicula, dui sapien maximus dui, ut hendrerit lacus neque sed libero.

Name of Game Changer here

Story here. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed facilisis ipsum tortor, sed euismod magna finibus ac. Maecenas sollicitudin egestas neque ac aliquam. Morbi aliquet aliquet rutrum. Vivamus nec feugiat eros. Praesent finibus quam sit amet libero consectetur ullamcorper. Aliquam rhoncus sollicitudin nisi, eget posuere nisi rhoncus vel. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Integer malesuada tortor lorem, id ornare neque porttitor non. Praesent cursus id elit vel euismod. Ut ultricies odio vehicula eleifend ornare. Sed quis purus sit amet elit luctus commodo quis non nibh. Proin et vulputate est. Cras sed molestie neque. Fusce volutpat neque ex. Donec convallis, velit aliquam hendrerit lobortis, est augue mattis metus, nec volutpat mi nisl sit amet orci. Etiam congue, diam nec fermentum vehicula, dui sapien maximus dui, ut hendrerit lacus neque sed libero.

Name of Game Changer here

Story here. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed facilisis ipsum tortor, sed euismod magna finibus ac. Maecenas sollicitudin egestas neque ac aliquam. Morbi aliquet aliquet rutrum. Vivamus nec feugiat eros. Praesent finibus quam sit amet libero consectetur ullamcorper. Aliquam rhoncus sollicitudin nisi, eget posuere nisi rhoncus vel. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Integer malesuada tortor lorem, id ornare neque porttitor non. Praesent cursus id elit vel euismod. Ut ultricies odio vehicula eleifend ornare. Sed quis purus sit amet elit luctus commodo quis non nibh. Proin et vulputate est. Cras sed molestie neque. Fusce volutpat neque ex. Donec convallis, velit aliquam hendrerit lobortis, est augue mattis metus, nec volutpat mi nisl sit amet orci. Etiam congue, diam nec fermentum vehicula, dui sapien maximus dui, ut hendrerit lacus neque sed libero.

Name of Game Changer here

Story here. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed facilisis ipsum tortor, sed euismod magna finibus ac. Maecenas sollicitudin egestas neque ac aliquam. Morbi aliquet aliquet rutrum. Vivamus nec feugiat eros. Praesent finibus quam sit amet libero consectetur ullamcorper. Aliquam rhoncus sollicitudin nisi, eget posuere nisi rhoncus vel. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Integer malesuada tortor lorem, id ornare neque porttitor non. Praesent cursus id elit vel euismod. Ut ultricies odio vehicula eleifend ornare. Sed quis purus sit amet elit luctus commodo quis non nibh. Proin et vulputate est. Cras sed molestie neque. Fusce volutpat neque ex. Donec convallis, velit aliquam hendrerit lobortis, est augue mattis metus, nec volutpat mi nisl sit amet orci. Etiam congue, diam nec fermentum vehicula, dui sapien maximus dui, ut hendrerit lacus neque sed libero.

Name of Game Changer here

Story here. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed facilisis ipsum tortor, sed euismod magna finibus ac. Maecenas sollicitudin egestas neque ac aliquam. Morbi aliquet aliquet rutrum. Vivamus nec feugiat eros. Praesent finibus quam sit amet libero consectetur ullamcorper. Aliquam rhoncus sollicitudin nisi, eget posuere nisi rhoncus vel. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Integer malesuada tortor lorem, id ornare neque porttitor non. Praesent cursus id elit vel euismod. Ut ultricies odio vehicula eleifend ornare. Sed quis purus sit amet elit luctus commodo quis non nibh. Proin et vulputate est. Cras sed molestie neque. Fusce volutpat neque ex. Donec convallis, velit aliquam hendrerit lobortis, est augue mattis metus, nec volutpat mi nisl sit amet orci. Etiam congue, diam nec fermentum vehicula, dui sapien maximus dui, ut hendrerit lacus neque sed libero.

Name of Game Changer here

Story here. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed facilisis ipsum tortor, sed euismod magna finibus ac. Maecenas sollicitudin egestas neque ac aliquam. Morbi aliquet aliquet rutrum. Vivamus nec feugiat eros. Praesent finibus quam sit amet libero consectetur ullamcorper. Aliquam rhoncus sollicitudin nisi, eget posuere nisi rhoncus vel. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Integer malesuada tortor lorem, id ornare neque porttitor non. Praesent cursus id elit vel euismod. Ut ultricies odio vehicula eleifend ornare. Sed quis purus sit amet elit luctus commodo quis non nibh. Proin et vulputate est. Cras sed molestie neque. Fusce volutpat neque ex. Donec convallis, velit aliquam hendrerit lobortis, est augue mattis metus, nec volutpat mi nisl sit amet orci. Etiam congue, diam nec fermentum vehicula, dui sapien maximus dui, ut hendrerit lacus neque sed libero.

Name of Game Changer here

Story here. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed facilisis ipsum tortor, sed euismod magna finibus ac. Maecenas sollicitudin egestas neque ac aliquam. Morbi aliquet aliquet rutrum. Vivamus nec feugiat eros. Praesent finibus quam sit amet libero consectetur ullamcorper. Aliquam rhoncus sollicitudin nisi, eget posuere nisi rhoncus vel. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Integer malesuada tortor lorem, id ornare neque porttitor non. Praesent cursus id elit vel euismod. Ut ultricies odio vehicula eleifend ornare. Sed quis purus sit amet elit luctus commodo quis non nibh. Proin et vulputate est. Cras sed molestie neque. Fusce volutpat neque ex. Donec convallis, velit aliquam hendrerit lobortis, est augue mattis metus, nec volutpat mi nisl sit amet orci. Etiam congue, diam nec fermentum vehicula, dui sapien maximus dui, ut hendrerit lacus neque sed libero.

Name of Game Changer here

Story here. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed facilisis ipsum tortor, sed euismod magna finibus ac. Maecenas sollicitudin egestas neque ac aliquam. Morbi aliquet aliquet rutrum. Vivamus nec feugiat eros. Praesent finibus quam sit amet libero consectetur ullamcorper. Aliquam rhoncus sollicitudin nisi, eget posuere nisi rhoncus vel. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Integer malesuada tortor lorem, id ornare neque porttitor non. Praesent cursus id elit vel euismod. Ut ultricies odio vehicula eleifend ornare. Sed quis purus sit amet elit luctus commodo quis non nibh. Proin et vulputate est. Cras sed molestie neque. Fusce volutpat neque ex. Donec convallis, velit aliquam hendrerit lobortis, est augue mattis metus, nec volutpat mi nisl sit amet orci. Etiam congue, diam nec fermentum vehicula, dui sapien maximus dui, ut hendrerit lacus neque sed libero.

Rachaad White

Running Back, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Born in Kansas City, MO as the youngest of four boys, Rachaad has always been active. His mother, Rochelle, always emphasized respect for elders, honoring your word, being true to yourself, and being thankful for what you have. Rochelle enrolled all of her boys in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, seeking additional mentorship and positive male role models for her sons. Naturally, Rachaad couldn’t wait to find his match after seeing the opportunities his older brothers had. Rachaad played multiple sports growing up but excelled most at basketball and football. At Center High School in Kansas City, he went on to become All State in football and All Conference in basketball. Surprisingly, he wasn’t recruited by any D1 schools so he committed to a Division II school, Nebraska Kearney. Once there, his teammates saw what a great player he was and suggested he transfer to a Junior College, which would then lead him towards his goal of playing for a Power 5, Division 1 school. He took their advice and transferred to Mt San Antonio College in Walnut, California. At Mt Sac, he became a top Running Back in the nation before committing to Arizona State. At Arizona State, his ascent continued, leading the team in both rushing and receiving which caught the attention of all 32 NFL teams. In April of 2022, his ultimate dream came true. He was selected as the 91st overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his first year in the NFL, he played alongside Tom Brady, took over the starting Running Back role, contributed to the team’s playoff berth, and lead all rookie Running Backs in receiving. Rachaad resides in the Tampa area, is a devoted father to a beautiful daughter named Nevaeh, and loyal friend to many.

John Waller

EVP, Talent Management & Business Development, IFA

Born in Iowa, John is the youngest of four. His parents joke that he grew up with three moms – his actual mother and his two older sisters. His older brother Dan was less interested when John entered the picture – but he came around eventually. As the youngest, he was frequently around adults and developed an appreciation for community, friendship, and communication. His family has always valued integrity, humility, and loyalty. John spent every day of his childhood playing sports and loved being outside with friends.The family moved to Washington State during John’s fifth grade year where they stayed until John graduated high school. He followed in his older siblings footsteps and attended the University of Kansas for College. After initially considering Social Work, he earned his degree in Communication Studies and Leadership. After graduating, he moved to Kansas City and started his career in sales. While his sales career started to take off, he still had this burning desire to do more – to tap into his inner social worker and make a positive impact on a young person’s life. He enrolled to become a Big with BBBS Kansas City. It’s one of the best decisions he’ll ever make in his life. He and Rachaad became fast friends, spending valuable time together every week. They’d play all the sports, go to the pool, play at the park, eat stomach-stuffing meals, visit with his sister and her kids, and engage in meaningful conversations about this complicated, beautiful thing we call life. John continues to make his living in sales, now with a professional sports agency called IFA, and also started a plant-based food business with his wife Jessica. He resides in Minneapolis with Jessica, their daughter Maeve, son Eli, and rescue pup Javier. He and Rachaad remain as close as ever with John acting more formally as his Business Manager.

Reette Thorns

Singer-Songwriter, 2023 American Idol Contestant

Reette Thorns grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, where she was a foster kid for most of her early adolescence. She graduated from what is now, ‘Vel Phillips Memorial’ where she was a star Track and Field athlete as well as a star basketball player. She remained a top athlete in track and field three out of four years on varsity in Wisconsin High school Athletics. She is a student at Grand Valley State university competing in Track and Field and studies Theatre. At her university, she has been recognized as Student-Athlete of the week for having all A’s by midterms and remaining top 16 in the country for track and field in NCCA D2. Reette recently participated in her first play, ‘Merry Wives of Windsor,’ with the Theatre department at Grand Valley. Most recently, Reette has given focus to acting, singing, and learning the guitar, and is preparing to take on a music minor in the early fall.

Trying to break into the entertainment industry, she recently on the show ‘American Idol’ where she received an in-person audition and the Golden Ticket to Hollywood. Since the show,she has been writing music, taking vocal lessons, and practicing instruments as she begins to find herself as an artist.

Her focus right now is finishing her degree in Theatre and starting her work in the music department. She plans to continue to write and produce music as well. In her free time, she loves to listen to and write music, play the guitar, study monologues for acting auditions and swim, a lot.

Big Brothers Big Sisters has been a part of her life for well over a decade and it was the best decision her mother ever made for her. Her Big Sister, Elizabeth, and the organization have changed her life in ways the world could never imagine. The program gave her the opportunity to have opportunities, good life choices attainable, and to find friendships, family, and love. Big Brothers Big Sisters brought her a best friend, sister, mentor, confidant, laughter, and my mom all in one.

Bill Plaschke

Sports Columnist, Los Angeles Times

Bill Plaschke, an L.A. Times sports columnist since 1996, is a member of the National Sports Media Hall of Fame and California Sports Hall of Fame. He has been named national sports columnist of the year nine times by the Associated Press, and twice by the Society of Professional Journalists and National Headliner Awards. He is the author of six books, including a collection of his columns entitled, “Plaschke: Good Sports, Spoil Sports, Foul Ball and Oddballs.” Plaschke is also a panelist on the popular ESPN daily talk show, “Around the Horn.” Plaschke has been named Man of the Year by the Los Angeles Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and has received a Pursuit of Justice Award from the California Women’s Law Center. Plaschke has appeared in a movie (“Ali”), a dramatic HBO series (“Luck”) and, in a crowning cultural moment he still does not quite understand, his name can be found in a rap song “Females Welcome” by Asher Roth. In case you were wondering – and he was – “Plaschke” is rhymed with “Great Gatsby.” Plaschke is from Louisville, Ky., graduated from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, and has three children – Tessa, Willie and MC – and a granddaughter Daisy Ann.

Nancy Lieberman

Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer

Nancy is a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, BIG3 Head Coach, 2018 Champion and Coach of the year. Two-time Olympian, silver-medalist (1976).

Her coaching career has included the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League and the BIG3 and at each step along the way she has broken barriers, elevated the profile of women in the game, and helped develop the current and next generation of basketball players. Under her leadership, the Team Power won the BIG3 championship in 2018, making her the first female coach to win a title in a men’s pro league.

She helped the United States win medals at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal (silver medal), the 1979 World Championships in Seoul (gold medal), 1975 and 1979 Pan American Games in Mexico (gold medal) and Puerto Rico (silver medal), and the gold medal in the 1979 Jones Cup in Taipei.

After winning consecutive AIAW National Championships and one WNIT Championship at Old Dominion University, Nancy was a three-time All American and two-time national player of the year in collegiate basketball for the Monarchs. She was the first pick in first ever women’s pro league, the Women’s Basketball League (WBL), for the Dallas Diamonds in 1980. In 1985, the Diamonds won the championship in the WABA and Nancy was Player of the Year. She played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the Summer Pro League in 1981 for Pat Riley in preparation for her upcoming season with the Diamonds. In 1986 and 1987, Nancy joined the USBL, becoming the first woman to play in a men’s proffessional league, 1986 with the Springfield Fame and 1987 with the Long Island Knights. The Lieberman Award, presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, recognizes the top point guard in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball for their floor leadership, playmaking and winning mentality.

Peggy Lewis

Ph.D

Dr. Peggy Lewis retired from academia as the Executive Dean of the School of Business and Graduate Studies and the School of Professional Studies at Trinity Washington University. Dr. Lewis is now a facilitator of racial reconciliation. She is a native Washingtonian and an alumna of Trinity. She received a Ph.D. with distinction from Howard University. Her dissertation title: “Preaching, Praying and Strategic Media Planning: From Montgomery to Selma, How the Civil Rights Movement Forced Journalists to Do Their Job.” Prior to Trinity, she was an Assistant Professor and Broadcast Sequence Coordinator in the Department of Journalism at Howard University. Before coming to academia, she spent nearly 20 years as an award-winning broadcast journalist in Washington, New York, and Miami before embarking on a career in public service which included working for President William Jefferson Clinton, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman, and Children’s Defense Fund Founder and President, Marian Wright Edelman. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, The Washington D.C. Chapter of the Links, Inc., and a member of the National Presbyterian Church where she serves as an Elder and Stephen Minister.

Stephen Hill

Content Creator and Television Executive

At the intersection of Music and visual distribution is where you’ll find Stephen Hill leaning on the street sign.

Most recently, Hill served as the EVP, Creative at the legendary Dick Clark Productions. He was responsible for overseeing the creative directions of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest, The Golden Globes, The Academy of Country Music Awards, The Billboard Awards, The American Music Awards and The Streamys.

Hill is the former President of Programming for BET Networks, where he spent 18 years
developing and creating programs for the leading provider of entertainment for the AfricanAmerican audience and consumers of Black culture globally.

Hill is best known for heading the team that developed and implemented the Award winning tentpole shows on BET including the BET Hip Hop Awards, Black Girls Rock!, BET Honors and the show with the largest African-American viewership every year since its inception, The BET
Awards.

Also, under Hill’s leadership, the BET team built a noteworthy catalog of quality and beloved programming including “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” “The New Edition Story, ”College Hill” , and “Tales.”

During his tenure, he supervised the growth and popularity of the network’s music shows and live events, creating not only unforgettable content and some of the most talked about moments
in television, but iconic franchises including “106 & Park,” and “Rap City: The Bassment.”

In addition to behind the desk duties, Hill occasionally showed up on front of the camera; most notably as the host for the NAACP Image Award Winning “BET News presents: An Aaliyah Reflection”, as the host for the BET Michael Jackson: Bad 25 special, and as the host for “BET’s Remembrance of Prince” in April 2016. In 2004, Prince sat down with Hill for a jovial, wideranging conversation (seen by over 1.5 million people) that has been referred to on YouTube as
“Prince’s Best Interview” (PRINCE BEST INTERVIEW AND PERFORMANCE)

Prior to joining BET Networks in 1999, Stephen worked for four years at MTV in New York City as Director of Music Programming. As Director, Hill was responsible for selecting and programming all genres of videos for airplay, working with talent and supervising the network’s
standards processes.

Hill got his start in music working with industry legend, Elroy Smith, who was programming director at WILD-AM in Boston, MA. In 1993, Hill and his team took WILD-AM to its highest ratings ever, beating six full-time FM stations in the process. Hill has also done extensive work with ABC Radio Network’s Urban Gold Format, launching their 24-hour format. Gaining many
accolades for his work with ABC Radio Networks, he also served as executive producer for the Tom Joyner Morning Show.

Hill credits much of his success to his childhood passion of announcing various songs that he kept on a tape player. He began shaping his formal career at Brown’s University’s radio station, WBRU-FM, in Providence, RI.

Ryan Detert

Founder and CEO of Influential

As Founder and CEO of Influential, an AI social data and conversion company, Ryan Detert has brought top influencers, brands, press, and financing to his venture-backed company.

With over a decade of experience in the influencer and social media space, Ryan’s mission to optimize and streamline branded content with a data-first approach has shifted the industry and led to being recognized in AdAge’s annual 40 under 40 awards in 2021.

Through Influential, Ryan has built the largest influencer marketing company in the world, by revenue, and developed invaluable partnerships with prestigious technology and media companies, including Meta, TikTok, IBM Watson, Oracle Data Cloud, IRI, and WME.

Ryan is passionate about doing well for others, and has forged philanthropic efforts with organizations that include The United Nations, WHO, and CDC, as well as U.S.-based non-profits, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and Rock The Vote.

Related Stories