Shontavia Johnson

Nearly every adult has developed knowledge and expertise based on their life’s experiences, but not everyone knows how to turn that into a dynamic, engaging personal brand.

In this presentation, Shontavia shares her own story of going from unknown newbie to one of the most sought-after experts in her field by using what she already had. If you’ve ever wondered, “how do I brand myself?,” this presentation is for you! 

In this informative presentation, Shontavia dispels the common notion that wannabe entrepreneurs need to follow their passion to create a successful business. She shares a roadmap for what to follows instead: the three i’s of entrepreneurship— impact, income, and intellectual property. Using her own experience founding the Brand and Business Company, she provides a simple but effective formula to move the audience from idea to the genius zone of successful entrepreneurship.

In this powerfully effective talk, Shontavia outlines the economic impact of creating more diversity in the entrepreneurship ecosystem. Using data from McKinsey, the Kauffman Foundation, and various federal agencies, Shontavia outlines the current dismal state of DEI among entrepreneurs, the impact of improving diversity among entrepreneurs, and solutions to create positive shifts locally, nationally and globally.

There has been a seismic shift in the way brands and companies view content. We are in the midst of a content renaissance–blogs, vlogs, podcasts and photos are capturing the attention of nearly everyone with a laptop or cell phone. The people creating this content must be savvy when it comes to patents, trademarks, copyrights, and publicity rights–commonly collectively referred to as intellectual property rights. Shontavia will explain what each of these types of intellectual property protect and how content creators can develop strategies to protect the work they are creating for themselves and others.

From Sony’s first Playstation to Google’s Gmail, some of the biggest game-changing products have come from intrapreneurs inside organizations. In this talk, Shontavia will share how companies can support the internal innovators who can take them to the next level. From identifying the best intrapreneurs to creating thriving enviroments, Shontavia unpacks best practices that will help corporate leaders maintain flexible, adaptable environments for the intrapreneurial employees they want to keep.

At some point, we all wonder why we’re here. Building a meaningful life and career can be tough, but we’re all capable of doing it. In this hilarious and engaging presentation, Shontavia shares her own “cliff” moments, from quitting a prestigous, six-figure job and moving across the world, to giving up a tenured, endowed professorship to found a twice-failed company (though the third time was the charm!). This inspirational talk demonstrates how failing forward can lead to freedom, financial independence, and a life to be proud of.

• Entrepreneurship in a Post-COVID World: What we haven’t learned yet (from our mistakes)
• How developing countries and emerging global markets can improve economic development and entrepreneurship opportunities with intellectual property
• Tearing Down the Barriers for Black Inventors: How to Build a More Inclusive Innovation Ecosystem
• Academic Freedom, Social Media, and the First Amendment
• How Universities Can Support Academic Entrepreneurs