Comedian

@Garyowencomedy Back at #ClevelandImprov Starting Tonight...

 

We hope you're ready to get you laugh on Cleveland! It all starts tonight, with the return of comedian Gary Owen. 

It's sure to be a weekend of gut-wrenching laughs, as Owen is back here in the city to perform a lineup of 7 shows between tonight and Sunday! Thinking of each and everyone of his past shows, this is definitely an occasion you do not want to miss out on. It's not too late to get your tickets either. Simply log on to www.clevelandimprov.com and order your regular or GOLD seating packages. Typically, Gary's shows are a sold-out affair, so you surely want to act fast!

In other Gary Owen news, he's also gearing up for the release of the new film Get Hard, in which he is featured alongside fellow comedians and actors Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell. 

For more information and continuous updates on Gary Owen, visit his official website at www.garyowen.com

A Night at the Improv with Jay Phillips...

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Tonight's show at the Cleveland Improv was definitely one to remember.  The show featured comedians Rob Ward, Patrick Melton, and headliner Jay Phillips. Phillips is no newcomer to comedy, having been all over HBO comedy specials and Def Comedy Jam. He also carried a leading role in the 2008 film Semi Pro alongside Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, and Outkast's Andre Benjamin. He's now a part of the new BET sketch series The Xperiment! 

Rob Ward emcee'd the show, offering his own unique brand of comedy that had the audience at ease. Ward often emcees a number of shows here at the Improv, and continues to build his following with each show. He always does a fantastic job with warming the crowd up. 

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Patrick Melton followed Ward with a hilarious set that had the audience laughing energetically from the start. There wasn't necessarily one thing that Melton focus on. He talked about a variety of topics, but it was more conversational. That's what made him easily relate with the crowd, ultimately wining them over, Both Ward and Melton were the added bonus of the night, as with the Improv, only the headliner is advertised. You don't necessarily know who you're getting with the openers, so being completely honest, the show could go one of two ways. Tonight was definitely one of those nights where each comedian rocked hard.

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Following the trend of the night, Jay Phillips commandeered the crowd with no trouble whatsoever. His often animated delivery made for a fun time, and his style, also conversational, definitely won the audience immediately. It was basically like he was spending the night talking with friends, and nothing was off limits. One of the things that stood out for me was his impression of President Barack Obama. Anyone in the audience would say he was "spot on" with the President's dialect. We definitely can't give too much away in reference to what he joked about, but we emphatically say that Phillips is absolutely hilarious, and you'd be doing yourself a disservice by not going out to see him, wherever the is.

Phillips will be here in Cleveland throughout the remainder of the weekend performing with both Patrick Melton and Rob Ward at the Cleveland Improv. For more info or to purchase tickets, contact 216-696-4977, or visit www.clevelandimprov.com

Jay Phillips can be found on both Twitter and Instagram with the handle: @jayphillipslive

Patrick Melton can be found on both Twitter and Instagram with the handle: @pmelt

Rob Ward can be found on Instagram with the handle: @robwardcomedy

 

Steve Harvey to Speak at the 20th Annual Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Summit...

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NEW YORK, March 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Where Innovation and Capital Meet. Join BLACKENTERPRISE at the 2015 Entrepreneurs Summit hosted by Nationwide on Wednesday, May 13 through Saturday, May 16, at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, with a powerhouse lineup of some of the nation's most accomplished and celebrated entrepreneurs and motivational speakers. Steve Harvey, No. 1 New York Times best-selling author, Emmy Award-winning television host, and renowned radio personality, is confirmed as one of the Summit's keynote speakers at the 2015 Entrepreneurs Summit.

An annual highlight of the Summit is the presentation of the nation's top awards for African American business achievement and community involvement. The Black Enterprise Trailblazer Award will be presented to legendary record producer, musician, and humanitarian, Quincy Jones; and music executive and entrepreneur Clarence Avant, at the BE 100s Gala on Friday, May 15. This award recognizes the outstanding achievement of an individual who has had broad and positive impact on his or her industry as well as the community at large, while serving as a champion of entrepreneurship and business growth, employment opportunities, and wealth creation for African Americans. 

Celebrating more than 60 years of performing and music industry involvement, Jones's creative magic has spanned more than six decades, beginning with the music of the post-swing era and continuing through today's high-technology age. An impresario in the broadest and most creative sense of the word, Jones's career encompasses the roles of composer, record producer, artist, film producer, arranger, conductor, instrumentalist, TV producer, record company executive, magazine founder, multimedia entrepreneur and humanitarian. As a master inventor of musical hybrids, he has shuffled pop, soul, hip-hop, jazz, classical, African and Brazilian music into many dazzling fusions, traversing virtually every medium, including records, live performance, movies, and television. As producer and conductor of the historic "We Are The World" recording (one of the best-selling singles of all time) and Michael Jackson's multiplatinum solo albums, Off The WallBad, and Thriller (the best-selling album of all time, with more than 50 million copies sold), Jones stands as one of the most successful and admired creative artist/executives in the entertainment world.

Avant was the chairman of Motown Records and board member of PolyGram. A renowned entertainment industry executive known for his keen business sense and unique deal-making skills, Avant is regarded in the highest esteem and is arguably one of the most influential African Americans in entertainment business history. He has worked with industry greats, such as Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Antonio "L.A." Reid, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and veteran music executive Doug Morris, but his scope extends beyond the music industry to people such as Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, BLACK ENTERPRISE Publisher Earl Graves, Oprah Winfrey, and BET Founder Robert Johnson. He serves as a member of the Advisory Board of Network Foundation Technologies L.L.C. Among the many honors he has received are the Heroes Award from the Los Angeles chapter of the Recording Academy, an honorary doctorate from Morehouse College, and the Thurgood Marshall Lifetime Achievement Award.

The 2015 Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Summit boasts high-powered sessions on critical business topics such as Attracting Angel Investors, Accelerating Your Tech Startup, The Art of Raising Money, It's Called Show BUSINESS, and Selling Your Ideas and Building Consumer Brands.

Confirmed speakers include: 

  • Steve Harvey, Author, Radio Personality and Television Show Host 
  • Lisa Nichols, CEO, Motivating the Masses 
  • Michael Eric Dyson, Author, Professor and Radio Host 
  • Roland Martin, Journalist, Commentator, Host, News One Now 
  • Paul Judge, Managing Partner, Judge Ventures, Advisor Opportunity Ventures 
  • Jermaine Dupri, Record Producer, Songwriter and entrepreneur 
  • Randal Pinkett, Co-Founder & CEO of BCT Partners, Speaker and Author 
  • Ken Coleman, ChairmanSaama Technologies 
  • Don Peebles, Founder, Chairman & CEO, Peebles Corp. 
  • Reginald Hudlin, American Writer, Film Director, and Producer 
  • Necole Parker, Founder and CEO, ELOCEN Group 
  • Samuel Gilmore, Founder and President, Overnight Success Inc. 
  • Tom Chikoore, Founder, Techstars Risingstars Program 
  • Kim Kimble, Celebrity Hairstylist, Owner of Kim Kimble Salons and Kimble Haircare System 
  • Chris Bennett, Co-Founder and CEO, Soldsie; Founder, Black Founders (NewME) 
  • Sherrod Shackelford & LaVon Lewis, CEOs & Co-Founders, PDG Branding & Marketing 
  • David Grain, Founder & Managing Partner, Grain Management L.L.C. 
  • Stacey Key, President & CEO, Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council 
  • Robert Santiago, Owner of Empire FX 
  • Kim Wales, Founder & CEOWales Capital

For the aspiring entrepreneur, The Small Business Success™ Boot Camp offers practical advice on how to take your business to the next level. Plus, the Black Enterprise Elevator Pitch Competition will award $10,000 for the best new business idea. 

Attendees of the 2015 Entrepreneurs Summit will also have for the first time the opportunity to tap into all the latest BLACK ENTERPRISE developments taking place in and around the Summit courtesy of the new dedicated BE Events app. Available for free on AndroidiOS and other smartphones (attendees with Windows and BlackBerry devices can go here), the app allows visitors to access the full event schedule, browse the event social media updates, receive information on all the speakers taking part in the Summit, as well as develop a personal event planner to remind them of their must-attend sessions. It also features a detailed interactive floor plan to help attendees navigate the session rooms as well as keep attendees fully up-to-date with the latest developments through a link to the #BESummit social media tag. Attendees will also receive push notifications in the event of room changes and black enterprise giveaways. 

To download the app for free, visit the iTunes App Storeand Google Play Store.

The host sponsor of the 2015 Entrepreneurs Summit is Nationwide; presenting sponsor is Walmart and platinum sponsor FedEx.

For updates, follow Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Summit page on Facebook and search the #BESummit hashtag on Twitter.  

BlackEnterprise.com is the leading website for Money, Small Business and Career development. Providing executive and entrepreneurial resources, information, and profiles on the topics of money management, employment, career and startup development, BlackEnterprise.com features expert resource articles, original video packages, and blogs, customized to empower its niche audience while consistently providing universal resource-value.

BLACK ENTERPRISEyour ultimate source to build Wealth for Life, is the premier business, investing, and wealth-building resource for African Americans. Since 1970, BE has provided essential business information and advice to professionals, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and decision makers. Every month, BLACK ENTERPRISE magazine provides 6 million readers with information on entrepreneurship, careers, and financial management. A multimedia company, BE also produces television programming, business and lifestyle events, Web content, and digital media. Visit www.blackenterprise.com for more information.