monday motivation 12/4/17

My advice to other young people that are upcoming and following their own journey to success: Don't be attracted to shiny things. Align yourself with people and opportunities that are really truly worth their value and align with what you really believe in. Always work to obtain tangible, substantial, and sustained success. 

Treat others fairly and respectfully, especially those who may only have to offer a good, authentic soul. If you don't, you'll end up passing all the people you wronged on the way back down. There's enough room in this sky for everyone to soar. Don't get lost in the mirage, don't chase support from people that don't appreciate the worth of your voice, and don't burn your energy climbing the unsteady ladder that is petty success. The universe has a bigger plan for you.

-Maya Penn

be the light

we’re in the thick of the holiday season, and that means many of us are spending priceless time with family and friends. some plan all year to make long trips to share in the presence of loved ones during these months. but while we do this, please don’t forget to reach out to those who are faced with this season as being a time of pain, mourning, and loneliness. think of someone in your life that may be missing that centerpiece of loved ones that we decorate the holidays around. whether it be due to loss, abuse, or other struggles, reach out. let them know you’re there. make yourself their centerpiece this holiday season even if just for a moment. going out of your way to share kindness mends hearts and saves lives. ive lost some centerpieces from my family, but I will continue to celebrate them still. make it your priority year round to share love and light with all. be kind.


-Maya Penn

Speaking at the 2017 WPO Conference

The Women Presidents’ Organization, Inc. (WPO) is a nonprofit membership organization for women CEOs/Presidents of multimillion, and billion dollar companies. The organization was formed to improve business conditions for women entrepreneurs, and to promote the acceptance and advancement of women entrepreneurs in all industries. 

I had the honor of giving a keynote speech at this years annual WPO Conference as the organization celebrated it's 20th anniversary. Here are a series of various clips from my keynote:

(Left to Right) Phyllis Newhouse CEO of Xtreme Solutions Inc., Me, and Janice Bryant Howroyd, CEO of ACT-1 Group, they are my amazing mentors, and my advisory board.

Marsha Firestone, the incredible founder of the WPO. 

Featured on Adobe Project 1324!

I was recently featured on Adobe's Project 1324 and got to share my animation process featuring a character from my series The Pollinators! You can read the Q&A here, and you can watch the video piece here.

The Pollinators - Clips

Maya Penn Makes History, Creates Animation & Narration for Opening to First Digital Report Presented to Congress- The American Museum of Women's History

Summer of 2016 I finished a project I was asked to work on by the amazing Pat Mitchell (Organizer of the official TEDWomen events) and Wendy Pangburn (member of the Congressional Commission of the American Museum of Women's History). I did the animation and narration for the opening of a report that was presented to Congress to get a Women's History Museum built in Washington. It was part of the first ever digital report presented to Congress. I attended the presentation at the Capital last month. Above is the video.

Please support the progression of the American Museum of Women's History at

 amwh.us

I'M PART OF OPRAH'S SUPER SOUL 100!

Oprah has just announced her Supersoul 100, "A collection of 100 awakened leaders and influencers hand-picked by Oprah who are using their voices and talent to elevate humanity." I am so honored to be one of the 100 along with so many amazing thought leaders, change makers, innovators and inspirations. The 100 is organized into 5 groups. I'm in the Entrepreneurs group. 

Here is the official site to learn more: http://www.supersoul.tv/supersoul-100 

So excited and blessed to be a part of a group of such uplifting and ground breaking individuals. 

-Maya

My Book You Got This! is out now!

 I'm so excited to announce that my book YOU GOT THIS! is now available! I'm so proud and happy about this and I put so much love and energy into making this book a reality.

ORDER IT HERE:

| BARNES & NOBLE | BAM | 

--

Additional places to get it

 

Maya's Reviews: Queen Sugar

Tuesday, earlier this week "Queen Sugar" premiered on OWN. An adaption of the original novel by Natalie Baszile. Directed by Ava DuVernay and executively produced by Oprah Winfrey.

The Story

 "Queen Sugar" follows the lives of three siblings from Louisiana. Nova, Charley, and Ralph Angel, who each live separately, tangled in their own worlds are brought together to join forces to take over their families beleaguered sugar cane farm after their father's tragic passing.

The characters are beautifully developed and real, perfect for a television adaption. I think what got me really invested in the show and the characters is just how relatable and familiar the Bordelon family is. Watching it you almost feel like a part of the family and naturally gravitate to inserting yourself or members of your own family into the roles of these characters which makes every calamitous, heart-wrenching moment have an even stronger impact on the viewer. I dare you not to be a blubbering mess by the end of episode one.

The Visuals

The visual aesthetic of Queen Sugar is gorgeous and immersive. Being a filmmaker myself I have such an admiration of the use of the angles and palettes used to set the tone of each scene and almost paint the story. Even if you erase the plot you still feel the vibe of each scene with how it is visually presented to the viewer. 

Last night the second episode aired. It has been a smash hit so far. 

-Maya

Featured in Magic Johnson's 32 Under 32 Series!

So excited to be featured in Magic Johnson's 32 Under 32 article series!

You can read it by clicking here!

-Maya :)

My Mother's Day Story (A Love Letter to My Mom)

My mother always instilled in me at a very early age: love, acceptance, and appreciation for all of my inner and outer features. Specifically, one of my most vivid early memories are of my mother expressing to me how beautiful my natural hair is. Note that this was in the early 2000's, so the natural hair movement was just starting to grow into how big it is today. Representations of natural hair styles were few and far between. But I was so young at the time, and I didn't think much of it. I just knew my hair was beautiful just the way it was.

When I was 8 years old, my mom, dad, and I moved into a new house, and a new neighborhood. The difference between this neighborhood and my old one, was that this one had way more kids on each block. Being home schooled, this gave me more opportunity to make new friends and socialize with other kids my age, and while I did make friends (some of whom I still talk to today), I started having new perspectives thrown at me about my appearance. Especially my hair.

Still rocking my curly, coily, fro, kids would ask me with a condescending grin "What's wrong with your hair?". I would sometimes hear their questions and quips echo in my head and ask myself "What IS wrong with my hair?". That was the first time a sort of odd-one-out self-awareness bubbled up. Fortunately I knew how to immediately squash those feelings by remembering my mothers loving words. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be the first time I was faced with prejudice.

My mom comes from a family of musicians and artists. In the 80's, she and her sisters had started an all female rock group called Siren. Record companies would hear their work and adore it, but once they saw the sisters in person and saw that they were an all African American group, they turned them down. Told they wouldn't know how the public would react, and that they didn't match the music they played. Shunned from playing rock and roll, a genre actually born from an extensive combination of African-American genres. 

All of this is why it was so important to my mom for me to have a rock solid confidence in my own black girl magic as I entered a world where it isn't always recognized.

Thank you mom, for giving me a space where I can let my light shine, and providing me access to creative outlets and support through all of my endeavors. Thank you for everything you've taught me and the lessons I have yet to learn. The knowledge and advice you've given me is too valuable, more precious and sought after than any jewel known to man. The fact that you've decided to bestow this upon me leaves me in awe. And although I may not always seem appreciative, or take your advice at first, it always in some way shapes me to be my best self, and I know that. I always have. And I will carry these lessons with me for the rest of my years. The love you've shown me is bountiful. You have the ability to make me feel more dazzling than a sunrise, and my heart feel full, and I thank you for that.

Thank you for always being there for me, when I wasn't always there for myself.

Thank you to all of the nurturing spirits of the sisterhood of amazing women (and girls) who I have met over the years in my travels, and even online. Women who have prayed over me, prayed for me and with me, the warm hugs and the support, the beautiful messages of encouragement, the high fives, The "You go girl", and the "keep doing what you're doing". It has meant so much, and I appreciate it with all of my heart.

For those of you who are reading this and your mother is no longer with you, rejoice in the gift that they have left you. And for those of you who have struggled to have a supportive mother figure, if you look closely you'll notice you still have a mother figure in your life whether you've realized it or not. Whether it be an aunt, a grandmother, a sister, a friend, a teacher, or a co-worker. A motherly figure who can not only fill that void, but who's nurturing and supportive, who lifts you up and wants the best for you in life.

Happy Mother's Day.

Blessing and Love,

Maya Penn

#CodedWithLove

Girls use coding every day whether they know it or not. Browsing OOTDs on Instagram, watching their favorite Youtubers latest vlogs,  playing video games, the list goes on. But these activities are just using the outside of technology. Girls need to start getting familiar with the inside of technology. This is why I've partnered with Google for their amazing #CodedWithLove campaign. Made with Code was started by Google because less than 1% of girls study computer science. Here's my #CodedWithLove story.

When I was 4 years old my dad showed me how to take apart a computer and put it back together again. That few hours of watching a machine that seemed so complex get dismantled down to screws and wires and panels, ultimately started my love for technology.

Later on at 8 years old I became the CEO of my own company called Maya's Ideas. Although I was running a successful business, there was just one thing always bugging me. I didn't have an official website.

So, at 10 years old I asked myself a seemingly simple but bold question: "How do I build my own website from scratch?". That question lead me to delve into the world of coding. I started taking initiative and learning all I could about HTML, a markup language that could be used to build basic websites. Soon, I opened up a good ol untitled Notepad document and started coding away. Eventually, I opened my document in my browser and I had my own personal website I had 100% part in building.

From there I started learning Python, Javascript, and many other languages used to communicate with technology. Also being an animator, I've premiered my animations at my TEDWomen Talk which now has almost 2 million views. I use coding to do certain tasks when I animate as well.

It has always been my mission to encourage other girls to be curious and delve into the world of coding, which is why I also started my own nonprofit called Maya's Ideas 4 The Planet in 2011 and this summer I will host my own girls coding workshop in Atlanta. Last year I spoke at a Girl Scouts event in Philadelphia to 3,000 girls, and a Girls Inc. event to girls from all across Atlanta about coding, and WOW, did both groups of girls have some awesome questions about coding and computer science!

With Google's #CodedWithLove campaign, the goal is for more girls to find their love for coding and computer science this Valentine’s Day. How will you share your story through #CodedWithLove?

I received the Coretta Scott King A.N.G.E.L. Award at the Salute to Greatness Awards!

I was so honored and excited to recently receive the Coretta Scott King A.N.G.E.L. Award at the Salute to Greatness Awards!


Me and Bernice King

Me and two of the other honorees including Howard Buffet

me with Kevin Fraizer

My feature in Grist!

"In a dream world, every kid’s resume would look a lot like Maya Penn’s. Her dizzying fount of accomplishments by the tender age of 14 puts us all to shame. The multi-talented wunderkind is — so far! — an eco-fashion designer, children’s book author, artist, animator, coder, public speaker, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and environmentalist. She founded her eco-fashion line, Maya’s Ideas, when she was just 8 years old. “I guess I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit,” she says, matter-of-factly."

Read the full article here!: http://grist.org/people/this-14-year-old-will-fix-the-planet-before-she-graduates/ 

Anime Weekend Atlanta 2015!

I do a lot of reporting and interviews at various sci-fi/anime,gaming,etc. cons in the southeast and most of these are repeat cons for me. But I wanted to check out a new con this year so this September I attended Anime Weekend Atlanta (fondly known as AWA) for the first time. I went two days and it was awesome.

Anime Weekend Atlanta is a four day Anime Convention located in...well, Atlanta! It's usually held in late September and is the largest anime convention in the southeast! Here's my experience and what you should know:

My Overview

There are fun activities for anime fans of all ages! AWA offers concerts, a costume contest, dances, Dealer's Room (where I found some super cute merch!), fashion show, game shows, karaoke, gaming, workshops, and more. Aside from running around documenting the con I checked out a few workshops.

There are an array of panels and meet-ups to attend so it's easier to find more members of your fandom(s)! You can also submit a panel. There's a huge variety in panels/workshop from animation/gaming discussion, to VR, to cosplay help, to character design and much more. There's something for everyone. AWA's guests include professional voice actors, designers, cosplayers, musicians, and artists.

From what I gathered this years attendance was 25,000+. This was a big surprise for me, because while that number may sound a bit scary if you're not used to going to larger conventions, the venue is wonderful (Renaissance Waverly Hotel & Cobb Galleria Centre) and has plenty of space and places to go so the con feels super comfy.

Overall, AWA was fantastic and lots of fun for everyone. I plan on attending again next year and putting together a video of the con for a more visual representation of why you should attend! If you're in the southeast and looking to expand your con experiences then AWA is for you.

Learn more at: http://awa-con.com/

-Maya

My important campaign with the Clinton Foundation!

I WAS ON THE VIEW!! + CLIP

I was on The View this month on ABC!  Here's my segment! 

Me and Whoopi! She was so cool! I love her! :)

Maya speaks at IBM!

I was excited to be asked to be a speaker and a part of the launch of IBM Verse in New York. I spoke about the future of work and how young entrepreneurs will change the world at work. More info on my talk can be found in this Business Insider article.

Partnering with MedShare!

Me and MedShare CEO and President Charles Redding

I am happy to announce that my nonprofit Maya's Ideas 4 The Planet has partnered up with a wonderful organization called MedShare! I started a project where I have designed and created eco-friendly sanitary pads for girls in 3rd world countries. MedShare will help with the distribution of the pads. MedShare is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving healthcare and the environment through the efficient recovery and redistribution of the surplus of medical supplies and equipment to those most in need. MedShare has impacted 96 countries around the world. Learn more about my pads for girls project at http://mayasideas4theplanet.org/ and support MedShare at http://medshare.org/

Maya's Reviews: Oprah's Life You Want Weekend!

Oprah's Life you want weekend is an amazing tour event filled with positivity, light, and love for all. Oprah brought an explosive and energetic spirit to Atlanta along with incredible guests such as Iyanla Vanzant, Deepak Chopra, Rob Bell, Elizabeth Gilbert and many others. She will take you on a journey of how to co-create your life while telling her incredible stories of how she came to be the uplifting soul she is today.

Event Pictures!

Me and the beautiful India Arie