Biographies of Keynote Presenters

AWARDS DINNER & KEYNOTE CONVERSATION

Featuring Robin S. 

Robin S, a true Dance icon placed her first gold single, with the worldwide chart-topping smash and dance music classic – remixed with great success by Stonebridge – ‘Show Me Love’. 

Robin was named Best Dance Artist at the Billboard Awards in 1993 and ‘Show Me Love’ received the award for Best Dance Single. Robin also earned the award for Best Dance Artist at the Winter Dance Music Conference. She has continued to make an impact across the globe with #1 billboard single such as ‘Shout It Out Loud’ as well as other top charting songs like ‘Love For Love’, ‘What I Do Best’, ‘I Want To Thank You’ and the song “Giving You All That I’ve Got” off the Space Jam soundtrack. With  TV appearances and a string of tours around the globe, showcasing her unique blend of vocal excellence, energy and show stopping songs to create powerful and passionate performances.

A house diva whose productions use live instrumentation just as much as electronics, Robin S. debuted on the scene with the top ten hit “Show Me Love.” The Queens, New York native was signed by big beat records in 1993, and debuted with the hot single, which climbed the charts during 1994, and spurred her first album, also titled Show Me Love. After working on her songwriting for several years, she began recruiting producers such as Eric “E-Smoove” Miller and Todd Terry to work on her second album. Released in 1997 on Atlantic, “From Now On” reflected broader interests for Robin S., encompassing gospel and ballads in addition to HI- NRG dance floor material. 

Recently the center of an international media storm following the release of Beyonce’s newest single “Break My Soul” which samples her iconic 90’s anthem “Show Me Love”. The wave of influence has greatly impacted the house music veteran in terms of licensing, special projects, and collaboration requests.

Red bull recently licensed the smash hit “Show Me Love” for their dance your style competitions around the world, and recent collaborations include DJ Icon and Carl Cox; a few of the largest names in electronic music.

Robin S. is currently getting ready for the 30th Anniversary Show Me Love Tour across America and Europe

“It’s always been important to me to create music that inspires people. Good music should be both timeless and constantly evolving. Beyonce inspires me with her artistry, and I am thrilled that she felt moved by my music, I’m so proud of her and honored to have influenced her message.” – Robin S.

Career highlights include:

  • Remixed “Show Me Love” track by Stonebridge was re-released in ’93 and peaked at No. 1 on Hot Dance Music / Club Play, No. 1 Hot Dance singles sales, No. 7 on Hot R&B / Hip-Hop singles and tracks and No. 5 on Billboard Hot 100. This success earned her a spot on the ’94 “American Music Awards” as a performer.
  • “Luv 4 Luv” saw similar success and was at the top spot on the US Dance chart.
  • “What I Do Best” peaked at 21 in the Netherlands, was a top 40 hit in Belgium and a top 50 hit in the UK.
  • “It Must Be Love” had two weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart and was No. 91 on the Billboard Hot 100.
  • In 2016 she collaborated with DJ escape on “Shout It Loud” and Hit No. 1 on the US Dance Chart.
  • “Break My Soul” has reached no. 1 in Israel and the top 10 in Australia, Canada, Greece, Ireland, Japan, the UK, and the us. Hit no. 15 on Billboard Hot 100 and Beyonce’s highest debut since 2017’s “Walk On Water.” It is Beyonce’s tenth No. 1.

Friday, October 20; 12:10-1:10pm

Lunchtime Keynote

Featuring McKinley Wallace III

McKinley Wallace III, a mixed-media painter and art educator, received his Master of Arts in Teaching and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees from Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). His studio work has been shown in solo exhibitions at 3S Artspace, MICA, York College, Waller Gallery, and Creative Alliance, as well as group shows at Goucher College, African American Museum of Dallas, African American Museum of Dallas, Band of Vices, Carroll Mansion, Washington Project for the Arts, Arlington Art Center, Main Line Art Center, Towson University, and Terrault Gallery. In recognition of his craft, he has received many awards, including a Maryland State Arts Council’s Individual Artist Award, Bethesda Painting Award, and the Baker Artist Award

Saturday, October 21; 12:00-1:00pm

Lunchtime Keynote

Featuring Theo Wilson

Theo Wilson began his speaking career in the N.A.A.C.P. at the age of 15, and has always had a passion for social justice.  He attended Florida A&M University, where he obtained his B.A. in Theater Performance.  Theo returned to Denver and is now the Executive Director of Shop Talk Live, inc.  The organization uses the barber shop as a staging ground for community dialogue and healing.  After viral video success beginning in 2015, Theo grew his social media following to well over 70,000 people.  Due to audience demand, he published his first book in 2017, “The Law of Action.” The book addresses some of the misconceptions about the law of attraction, and the role direct action plays into manifestation. It can be found on Amazon.com, or his website, TheoWilson.net. In 2017, his TED Talk entitled, “A Black Man Goes Undercover in the Alt Right,” was seen world wide, amassing a total of over 17 million views.

Theo is the host of The History Channel’s hit series, “I Was There.”  He has been featured on Good Morning America, BuzzFeed, CNN, Good Day Canada, and TV One.

Biographies of Special Presenters

Silvermoon Mars LaRose is a member of the Narragansett Tribe and the Assistant Director of the Tomaquag Museum. She has worked in tribal communities for over 20 years, serving in the areas of health and human services, education, and humanities. As a public servant, Silvermoon serves on the Rhode Island State Council for the Arts, and as the secretary for the Charlestown Conservation Commission. Additionally, she is the vice chair for the Avenue Concept supporting local public art ecosystems. As an artist and educator, she hopes to foster Indigenous empowerment through education, community building, and the sharing of cultural knowledge and traditional arts. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, a minor in Justice Law and Society from the University of Rhode Island, and a partially completed Masters in Rehabilitation Counseling from Western Washington University.

Kirsten Greenidge is a playwright from Boston, Massachusetts. She attended Wesleyan University where she studied playwriting and won her first playwriting award. Kirsten then received her MFA from the University of Iowa. Kirsten’s work explores the intersections of race, class, and gender as she seeks to create more multidimensional roles for underrepresented actors of color, more roles for women, and plays that challenge mainstream audiences and provoke change. She is known for such works as The Luck of the Irish, Baltimore, and Milk Like Sugar. For her play Milk Like Sugar, Kirsten received the Village Voice Obie Award, a Lucille Lortel nomination, an AUDELCO nomination, and an Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) Award. Kirsten is currently a playwright in residence at Company One Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts, as part of the Mellon Foundation's National Playwright Residency Program. She is also an Assistant Professor of Theatre at the School of Theatre at Boston University.