With over 20 years of packaging and producing entertainment and bringing the best talent to the global market, Jon Karas (who currently the President and Co-founder of Akoin) is a major force at the intersection of celebrity and social good. He is a founding Advisory Board member of Slate Entertainment Group, creator of disruptive crypto driven streaming and ticketing platforms. He also founded the highly successful talent management company Infinity Management International in 1990, which represents top film and television writers, directors, and producers. Jon has been involved with the sale, packaging, and financing of numerous feature films and television programs over the past decades.
Robert is a former Division 1 athlete turned serial entrepreneur. He created a proprietary algorithmic formula known as the “Influencer Model” centered around the macroeconomic effects influencers have in TET (Technology, Entertainment, and Trends). As the Founder & Managing Partner of IECP Ventures, he was the lead investor and fund manager playing an integral role in building a portfolio of over 80 digital media companies with notable exits including: InDMusic acquired by LiveNation, FameBit acquired by Google, Vessel acquired by Verizon, HelloGiggles acquired by Time Inc., and Overdog acquired by Odd Networks. He is also the founder of Digima the first Impact focused Creative Agency and Venture Studio responsible for the creation and management of the NUE (Network of Untapped Entrepreneurs) Initiative.
His innovative Internet marketing concepts have led to identifying the most lucrative global niche markets in digital media. With extensive relationships in the world of sports and entertainment Robert has become a successful negotiation and brokerage liaison of key financial deals for numerous clients.
Derek Watkins better known as Fonzworth Bentley, is a musician and author. He is perhaps best known for being Sean Combs’ former personal valet and assistant, as first seen in Making the Band 2, and was the host of MTV’s From G’s to Gents. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia.
He first appeared rapping on Da Band’s 2002 album Too Hot for TV, in the track “Cheers to Me, Mr. Bentley (Interlude)”. In 2003, Bentley was featured on the “Good Day, Good Sir” skit on OutKast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. In 2004, he had a role in the music video of Kanye West’s “The New Workout Plan”.
His debut album, C.O.L.O.U.R.S., was released via iTunes on April 26, 2011.
He was also featured, playing the violin in the “Yes We Can” music video in support of Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.
In 2007, Bentley contributed to KnowHow2GO. Bentley’s involvement in the campaign has included creation of a radio public service advertisement (“Wanna Go?”) and participation in the 2007 YMCA Black and Hispanic Achievers Teen Leadership Summit in Orlando, Florida. Bentley sang as a member of the chorus for “We Are The World”, a remake of the original for Haiti, in February 2010.
