Derrick N. Ashong is a renowned media maverick, who has enjoyed a decorated career as a producer, musician and entrepreneur. Derrick is the founding CEO of TBTM and the creator of Take Back the Mic: The World Cup of Hip Hop. Redefining the crossroads of culture, finance and technology, Derrick’s global perspectives fuel innovative interactive media and the subject of his insightful keynote speeches – which he has formerly delivered for the UK Parliament, Harvard and the United Nations.
Derrick’s decorated career began in the arts, during his studies at Harvard University. In 2003, Derrick became the Co-founder of Soulfège, a band, under the name “DNA”. Since then, Derrick has worked with countless music moguls, such as Janet Jackson and Debbie Allen, with his work distributed globally via MTV and the BBC World Service. In 1997, Derrick appeared as Buakei in Steven Spielberg’s Amistad, before co-founding his own agency – ASAFO Media LLC. As one of social media’s earliest influencers, Derrick pioneered video podcasting with the likes of Oprah and John Legend. Other prominent media commitments of Derrick’s include being the Host of The Derrick Ashong Experience on Oprah Radio and the Host of The Stream on Al Jazeera English – winning a Royal Television Society Award and several Emmy nominations for his work.
Aside from his media commitments, Derrick is also a prominent entrepreneur – having also been the Founder of Ashong Ventures. As the CEO of TBTM, Derrick has created an award-winning media fintech company that is turning culture into currency for creators and audiences – working with Fortune 100 organisations, like Mastercard. Derrick’s revered digital series earned him a place in the finals of the 2015 and 2016 Emmy Awards, achieving recognition as a finalist in Original Interactive Programming, along with seven other international honours.
Today, Derrick is highly sought after as a keynote speaker, speaking on issues related to technology, culture and society. Whether he is interviewing global icons, such as Kofi Annan and Desmond Tutu, or commanding the stage at the Mobile World Congress, Derrick is a seasoned speaker who delivers magnetic presentations that resonate globally. When hired as a keynote speaker, Derrick shares his global perspectives on artificial intelligence, seismic shifts in the global population, leadership, reconnecting to reality and the big business of small businesses. If you are looking for a speaker whose 25+ years of experience in the media industry will inform their detailed keynote speeches on the crossroads of culture, technology and finance, hire Derrick N. Ashong today.
How to hire Derrick N. Ashong
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Derrick N. Ashong for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
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Derrick N. Ashong's official speaking topics are listed below:
AI - The Human Element:
AI is evolving at light speed, but humanity has been slow to grasp the implications. While technology has improved many aspects of human life, it has also brought deep challenges, from the rise of disinformation to an epidemic of loneliness. How do we as a society plan in advance, for the potential challenges of the most powerful technology in human history, and build into it a set of core values that safeguard the future of humanity?
The Digital South - Reaching the Next Billion:
There are seismic shifts taking place in the global population. Societies around the world are ageing, except in Africa, the only continent whose population is both young (average age 19) and growing. Even as developed countries face imminent population decline, the youth in their communities are more connected to global culture than ever before. How do we speak to the first truly global generation, in every corner of the world, in ways that resonate and help them build a better future?
A New Kind of Leadership - Beyond the Politics of the Past:
We live in a world where people are losing faith in institutions we used to rely upon - from the Press to Religion to Governments, Banks and Academia. At the same time, a new generation of voices has risen up to share their own value systems, leveraging new technologies to reach massive audiences. It’s time to revisit what leadership looks like in the modern world and explore how to train, identify and learn from the next generation of global leaders.
Age of Intimacy - Finding Connection in the Disconnected World:
Technology has given us access to the entire world and made us lonelier than ever in the process. At a time when young people struggle to meet, date and form families, conversations on masculinity, femininity and the rules of intimacy have been hijacked by extreme ideas that threaten to further separate us. How can we reimagine our identities, communities and ideals in order to build deeper, more meaningful experiences that help bridge the new, gendered face of the digital divide?
Information Fog - Reconnecting to Reality:
Modern society is a whirlwind of information What is reality? We're inundated with so much information it's almost impossible to identify what's real. How do we learn to find truth in a world flooded with lies? People are literally living in parallel worlds. What are the implications of it? So how do we bridge the gap between these realities?
The Big Business of Small Business - Solopreneurs & SMEs:
What happens in a world where everyone has their own small business? How is AI rapidly transforming entrepreneurship on a massive scale and what are the implications for big brands and consumers?
- 2025 - Leader of TBTM
- 2014 - Founder & CEO of TBTM
- 2014 - Entrepreneur in Residence at Thesis Ventures
- 2013 - Anchor of Fusion, the ABC & Univision Joint Venture
- 2012 - Nominated for a News & Documentary Emmy Award
- 2012 - Winner of a Royal Television Society Award
- 2011 - Host of "The Stream" on Al Jazeera English
- 2009 - Fellow of the abc* Foundation
- 2009 - Host of "The Derrick Ashong Experience" on Oprah Radio
- 2008 - Founder of Ashong Ventures
- 2006 - Board Member of Interra
- 2003 - Co-Founder of Derrick N. Ashong & Soulfège
- 2003 - Co-Founder of ASAFO Media LLC
- 1997 - Played "Buakei" in Steven Spielberg's "Amistad"
- Creator of "Take Back the Mic: The World of Hip Hop", Emmy finalist in 2015 & 2016
