Mike Johns is Jamaican. He is the Founder and President of Digital Mind State formerly known as UrbanWorld Wireless, the Los Angeles based company that bridged wireless technology and hip-hop culture will be the guest speaker via Skype Video at the next Kingston BETA, Thursday April 26th, 2012 6:30pm at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.

Who is Mike Johns?
Mike Johns is the driving force behind the Digital Mind State brand, responsible for planning, business development, marketing and the company expansion. A true liaison between urban youth culture and the mobile industry, Johns has been successful at building and maintaining profitable business relationship with some of the biggest company names in mobile industry including T-Mobile, Zed, Fun Mobility, Nokia, Microsoft, amongst others. Motivated byleveling the playing field of the “Digital Divide,” he’s been dubbed “ambassador” of the urban/hip-hop lifestyle segment as well he’s achieved numerous “first” in the mobile entertainment space.

UrbanWorld was a vision Johns had early in his career while working as Marketing Director for Larry Flynt’s Rap Page Magazine. In 2001, he turned his dream into reality, brokering the company’s mobile content provider deal with T-Mobile; partnerships with Infospace, Jamster, and AT&T (UrbanWorld’s voicetones have been featured in the top ten voicetone category on AT&T for three consecutive years). Capitol Records become the first record label to conduct mobile marketing with the “urban” audience, utilizing UrbanWorld’s mobile platform followed by such industry players as Def Jam, Vibe Magazine, Adidas and Fox Network. UrbanWorld Wireless has become a worldwide leader in the distribution of urban content, while earning praise from executives at ABC Radio, BBC Radio, XXL Magazine, and an endless list of partners, vendors and clients.

With more than ten years in the industry and an unrivaled understanding of the global wireless ecosystem, Johns is creating a unique, digital entertainment experience for the youth and young adult market with the international distribution of top urban brands in music, video & film across new media platforms including Xbox Live, Playstation, mobile and digital television.

Prior to founding UrbanWorld Wireless and fresh out of college, Johns was Marketing Director for Larry Flynt owned Rap Page Magazine and was key in the marketing the Rap Page brand which quickly emerged as one of the world’s premier urban music magazine and website. By fostering relationship with artists & record label in addition to building strategic partnership with various consumer brands including Dolce & Gabbana, Johns was able to increase circulation and readership by 12%.

Prior to Rap Page Magazine, Johns worked for Fortune 500 Company, W.W Grainger moving from customer service representative to becoming account manager for Grainger’s largest client in Northern California- Pacific Gas & Electric. As manager of the $1.7 million account, Johns effectively trained more than 50 employees, lead focus groups on new product development and served as liaison between the needs of PG&E and the Grainger’s company mission. Mr. Johns began his career as Entertainment Director for University of Las Vegas responsible for booking talents; negotiate contracts, marketing and promotion of campus & city wide events including Jay-Z Hardknock Life Tour, UNLV’s annual Rebelpaloza Concert, celebrity basketball tournaments & college tailgate concert series.

Johns holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Sociology from Western Illinois University. Johns is a frequent speaker at industry events including CTIA, Mobile Marketing Forum, iHollywood Forum, Billboard, Multi-Cultural Media Expo, Showbiz Expo and a slew of music industry panels covering a wide range of topics such as on-deck and off-deck strategies, examining business models for mobile music, and how to market, promote & monetize with social network.

Mr. Johns began his career as Entertainment Director for University of Las Vegas responsible for booking talents; negotiate contracts, marketing and promotion of campus & city wide events.

Beyond education and professional experience, Johns’ passion and personality gives him a natural ability to reach young people on the streets of Crenshaw as well as the power brokers on Wall Street. It is a skill that has made his company a recognizable force in the wireless industry and the hip-hop world.

ABout Kingston BETA
Kingston Beta, our bimonthly Event staged in Jamaica, connected to the Caribbean and Diaspora – is a platform for startups, entrepreneurs, developers, designers and tech professionals – to learn, be inspired and network.

It’s become the hub for the movers and shakers in the Jamaican and Caribbean Tech Community. Over 40 events have been held, that over 2500 people attended and have seen over 80 Jamaican and Caribbean technology startups pitch their new businesses ideas. We’ve kicked off a tech entrepreneurship movement in Jamaica and growing across the Caribbean.

The next one is Thursday March 26th, 2012 at our home The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel starting with networking at 6:30pm. It’s $500 for regular peeps. $200 for college students with ID. This is the second of our 5 bi-monthly events that will end the year with Caribbean BETA- The annual Tech Entrepreneurship Conference in November. Our year long theme is “Startup Local, Think Global” . Each Kingston BETA event will have a guest speaker (local,regional and global)/panel, a BETA Pitch Contest and networking with the smartest minds in the industry.

Kingston BETA is part of a network of initiatives that includes SiliconCaribe.com, Caribbean BETA, the annual tech conference coming in November, StartupWeekendJamaica, and are all working on the same mission – to drive tech entrepreneurship in the Caribbean. We believe tech entrepreneurship can and will become a major driver of startup businesses, job creation and innovation.

Kingston BETA is staged by ConnectiMass.

Do you remember Flash and Dreamweaver? The keynote speaker will be Marc Canter, the founder of Macromedia, the graphics and web development software company that, relatively recently, was acquired by Adobe.  Although the purchase of Macromedia should have left Marc set for life, and able to sit on the beach all day drinking mai tais, he has a new passion: building digital cities. This 30 year software development guru and tech entrepreneur, is now the CEO of Digital City Mechanics.

Michelle Messina Silicon Valley comes to Jamaica

Also featured on the agenda will be Michelle Messina, Vice-President of International Business Development of the Silicon Valley-based Guidewire Group, which… provides startups, their supporters, and those who do business with them with the tools, data, networks and programs they need to discover, monitor, benchmark, compare, and promote early-stage companies…

These international guests will complement a powerful crop of young tech entrepreneurs from across the region who are making their mark at home and further afield.  For the most part, they will be sharing their experience, for example, how they became successful, along with discussing the various funding options that are available.

What is Caribbean BETA ?
It’s the first of its kind, one day  Tech Entrepreneurship conference that’s about driving startup businesses, jobs and innovation in Jamaica and across the Caribbean. It will be on Friday, November 25th 2011 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica. See Conference Agenda for details.

It’s about the business of spawning successful Caribbean Tech Startups.

It’s the event where the smartest Caribbean minds in technology around the world, come to show and tell what they’re doing to change the world, to learn from experts, be inspired and get connected to talent, funding and opportunities.

It brings together the industry pioneers and fresh faces, thought leaders and technology giants from Caribbean and around the world. The event will include inspiring keynotes and workshops, refreshing panels and a BETA PitchFest contest with focus on hot sectors like mobile/web apps, social networking, multimedia content and gaming.

The First Kingston for 2011, is this Thursday, Janaury 27th at the Jamaica Pegasus at 6:30pm. The main feature will be “SHOW ME THE MONEY” will be an interactive panel-led discussion  on How Jamaican and Caribbean technology/internet entrepreneurs can develop profitable business models for their ideas and startups. We have 3 guest panelists and a couple in audience guests to share their journey, success stories and insight at the first Kingston BETA of 2011, Thursday January 27th, 2011 at the Jamaica Pegasus.

While Kingston BETA remains free, we ask that you register and join the community HERE. Be generous share with your friends and colleagues.

The Panelists are: O’Neal Campbell- Discountsja.com ( Jamaica’s Groupon.com), Alex Morrissey Songwrita/Jamaicansmusic.com and Marc Gayle- Compversions.com.

Call for Startups: We have our usual Startups Contest. Have a new venture, website, startup that’s about to pop or is already launched and you want to share it with the Caribbean Web Community. EMail ingrid@connectimass.com or Text 1 876 864 2440.

About Kingston BETA: Kingston BETA is the event, community and resource for Caribbean Tech Entrepreneurs that’s focused on educating, better connecting and celebrating the Jamaican and Caribbean tech community.Over the last 3 years old, we’ve hosted 25 events that 1000 people attended and has seen over 40 Jamaican and Caribbean technology/internet/mobile startups pitch their businesses.  A better informed, recognized and connected tech community is emerging because of  Kingston BETA.

Follow the three Rs of networking—radar, recall and reward. You have to put yourself out on your new contact’s radar within a week of connecting. So within a week you send an e-mail and say, “It was so nice to see you at….” Next is recall. Remember what they said to you. You should never be so focused on what you have to say that you forget to listen. At some point, they are going to say something personal and you need to remember it. Next comes reward. You have to give them something, nothing to do with your business, just a nice gesture. So if you write, “I remember you talked of your love of sushi restaurants. I am attaching a link to a cool Web site that features all sushi restaurants opening up in your area.” By doing this, at the very least you will get a response, and at the very most, you win yourself a brand-new network connection. Always follow the three Rs. More