Maximillian L. Hamilton is the CEO & Founder of Rogue Media Group, LLC (RMG), a U.S. Veteran Owned & Operated Company. RMG is the premier multicultural advertising, marketing and media agency that leverage the power of business data, virtual & live experiences, digital media, social media, original content, advertisement and network affiliates to connect brands to an affluent, educated and influential target audience.

Headquartered in New York City, with operations in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit and Houston, RMG maintains a list of esteemed clients. Today, this list includes AARP, Belvedere Vodka; a LVMH Company, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Legal & General America, Lee Hecht Harrison, Lexus Automotive, Manulife Insurance , MetLife, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Square, Inc., and Toyota Motor North America. As one of the country’s leading multicultural agencies, RMG services its clients with General Market, Black, Hispanic, Asian and LGBT marketing & advertising, digital & traditional advertising, experiential marketing, diversity & inclusion and corporate social responsibility consulting. Additionally, Hamilton established partnerships with Asia American Business Development Center, Bloomberg, LP, Corporate Corporate Counsel Women of Color and the National Association of Black Hotel Owners & Operators.

Hamilton founded RMG in 2013 under the influence of Earl G. Graves Sr., (Founder & Publisher of Earl G. Graves Publishing Co./Black Enterprise and Richard “Dick” Parsons former chairman of Citigroup and the former chairman and CEO of Time Warner Communications). Hamilton brings more than two decades of experience in media, technology, marketing, strategy, business development and executive management experience to his role with the company. Under his leadership, Hamilton created these agency franchise programs: Arena Football Association Carrier Cup, iLeadership DEI Summit, FUEL; The Ultimate Men’s Summit, Harlem Whiskey Festival, TechCast; The Future of Cybersecurity Summit; Women of Influence Brunch Series; and the Business of Medicine Summit.

Prior to Rogue Media Group, LLC, Hamilton served as Director of Multimedia Sales of Earl G. Graves Publishing Co./Black Enterprise. Hamilton was responsible for all global sales and marketing activities within the beverage, government, military, technology and telecommunications categories. Hamilton brought Bacardi USA, BASF, CIA, Goldman Sachs & Co., IBM, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marines, and a portfolio of other enterprises to the company as roster clients to the publication. His focus was on Fortune 500 customer acquisitions, custom integrated media programs, improved operational efficiency, and execution, which led to significant company growth in excess of $30 million dollars during his tenure.

From 2002–2007, Hamilton was the Director of Advertising Sales for The Network Journal (TNJ). During his tenure, he spearheaded TNJ’s “25 Influential Women in Business” and “40 Under Forty” awards recognition programs. Additional, Hamilton created TNJ’s Top Black Lawyers and Top Black Doctors Forums. His client roster there included IBM, FedEx, GE, and Major League Baseball, Macy’s, to name a few.

Hamilton is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Air Force Reserve where he served with honors during tours of duty in England, Germany, Turkey and Panama. He held dual careers both in the aviation and healthcare industries. He was honorably discharged.

Today, Hamilton leadership extends beyond his C-suite at RMG. He contributes to many organizations and charities. Hamilton served as a senior advisory board member for Keep Rising for the Stars (KR3T), the National Association of African American in Human Resources, and ScottCare Foundation. He is a member of the Baltimore Black Chamber of Commerce, the Cincinnati African American Chamber, Advertising Club of New York, the Financial Communications Society and the National Black MBA Association. Hamilton earned his A.A.S. from Air University in 2007. In 2018, he received the Made Man Award, presented to him by Hakeem Jeffries, U.S. Representative for New York's 8th congressional district.

Sonia Alleyne is an accomplished communications, business and career strategist who is the author of The Storytelling Business Journal: A Step-By-Step Guide for Creating an Effective and Authentic Story for Your Business.

She is also the co-founder of Storytellers Magic, a company that helps organizations develop and operationalize effective business narratives to build stronger and more engaging brands, and she is the podcast host of Business First with Sonia Alleyne. In her previous position as Press Secretary and Director of Public Information for the New York City Department of Finance (the nation’s largest municipal tax administration), she oversaw communications and branding, initiating several transformational programs. Sonia was editorial director at Black Enterprise and the founding editorial director of their Women of Power Summit, the premier annual leadership conference for professional women of color. At BE, she broke several exclusive cover stories, including those on Oprah Winfrey, Ursula Burns and “Black and Gay in Corporate America,” which won a GLAAD award.

Sonia is the author I Kick Ass at Work! The Strategy Journal for Career Professionals, the first journal of its kind, designed to help professionals take more accountability and access more opportunities in the workplace. She is also the co-author of Good is Not Enough: And Other Unwritten Rules for Minority Professionals, nominated for an NAACP Literary Award and contributor to Maria Shriver’s Tips for Life.

Floyd W. Green, III is a philanthropist and founder of What a Concept LLC, a company focused on creating wow moments through strategic philanthropy. In 2021, he retired from Aetna, a CVS Health company, as Vice President of Community Affairs. Since 2004, his teams developed grassroots community-based strategies to assist in new business development, customer retention, and strategic partnerships. Because of his work, he speaks nationally on Strategic Philanthropy, Cultural Consciousness, Localization, How to Go to Market, and Marketing to Diverse Consumers. He also spends time advocating nationally the importance of STEAM vs STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math). Floyd is the recipient of many professional and civic awards. Most recent include Black Doctors.org and Johns Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions 45 most influential Blacks in Healthcare, The National Action Network’s National Merit Award, and the Martin Luther King National Service Award by the Institute for the Advancement of Multicultural and Minority Medicine (IAMMM) both in Washington, DC. He is a recipient of the CT Governor’s Patron of the Arts award, the National Council of Community and Justice’s (NCCJ) Human Relations award, the 2022 Bushnell’s Yandow Award for Arts Education, and the OnCon Icon 2020, 2021, and 2022 Top Marketer Award recognizing the top marketers in the world. He is a trained actor and a member of Actor’s Equity Association. He is also a member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC), the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE), and lifetime members of the National Black MBA and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated. Floyd graduated from Lincoln University in Oxford, Pennsylvania, with a B.S. degree in History/Public Affairs. He received his MBA in Marketing/Strategy from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management, Malibu, California. Currently, a doctoral student at the University of Hartford focusing on Arts Education. Born in Newport News, Virginia, Floyd now resides in Hartford, Connecticut. 

Dr. Brandon Frame is a visionary servant leader committed to reimagining how the world sees Black men and boys. He is a professor of Social Emotional Learning at Sacred Heart University and the Founder and CEO of TheBlackManCan, Inc., a pioneering nonprofit dedicated to amplifying the brilliance, beauty, and boundless potential of Black men and boys.

Through TheBlackManCan’s programs and events, Dr. Frame has directly impacted more than 15,000 Black men and boys and cultivated a global online community of over 1 million followers, generating more than 8 million monthly impressions. His work has ignited a cultural shift transforming narratives, inspiring action, and building a powerful ecosystem of affirmation and opportunity.

Dr. Frame is also the co-founder of #hiphoped and the author of Define Yourself, Redefine the World: A Guided Journal for Boys and Men of Color and the beloved children’s book My First Tie. His impact has been recognized nationally with honors such as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major Award, BET’s Next in Class Award in Education, and being named NY1 New Yorker of the Week.

A proud graduate of Morehouse College with a doctorate from Boston University, Dr. Frame relentlessly pursues excellence with impeccable effort. His life’s work is rooted in a simple yet powerful truth: once you make an observation, you have an obligation.

Kevin Hicks is a Partner with Blackman and Associates; a franchise consulting firm, which provides franchise advisory and acquisition services for individuals and companies. Blackman and Associates identifies the most viable and lucrative franchise opportunities for its clients, with both start-up and existing businesses. The firm provides market research; marketing strategies; business plan development; franchise management recruitment; due diligence assistance, deal searches; acquisition of both debt and equity financing; and strategic franchise growth planning.

For the last twenty-five years, Mr. Hicks has been a leading advocate for minority franchising. He has worked with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, U.S. Small Business Administration, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Small Business, U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, U.S. Senate Committee On Small Business and Entrepreneurship, National Federation of Independent Business, The National Small Business Advocate; U.S. Chamber Of Commerce, and the International Franchise Association (IFA), the largest trade association in franchise industry, to increase the number of African American, Latino, and women entrepreneurs through franchising. He has participated in IFA and leading franchise industry panel discussions, forums, and conferences on start-up franchises, multi-unit franchises, and the raising of capital for minorities to purchase franchise businesses.

Mr. Hicks and his partners are responsible for increased minority ownership of many leading national brands which include; Popeye’s Fried Chicken; Subway; Papa John’s Pizza; The UPS Store; General Nutrition Center (GNC); The International House of Pancakes (IHOP); Burger King; ExxonMobil; The Coffee Beanery; Firehouse Subs; FastSigns; Midas Muffler Shop; KFC; The Athlete’s Foot; Quiznos ; Anytime Fitness; Auntie Anne’s; Batteries Plus Bulbs; Massage Envy; FedEx Delivery Routes; Two Men And A Truck; Church’s Chicken; Dunkin Donuts ;Baskin Robbins; Marriott Hotels; Golden Corral Buffet and Grill; T.G.I. Fridays; ServiceMaster, and Coverall Cleaning Concepts…to name a few. Not only a consultant, Mr. Hicks also has owned five different franchise concepts. A few examples would be;. Mr. Hicks was part of an ownership group which operated sixteen (16) Church’s Chicken restaurants in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area, which when they were sold at a substantial profit, employed over three hundred (300) people and had sales which placed them in the top ten performers of Church’s restaurants nationwide. He is currently part of a group that owns several Subway restaurants and another group that owns a Marriott hotel. Now, due to the explosion of E-Commerce, Blackman & Associates has recently embarked on a new initiative to increase the number of African American owners of FedEx Delivery route businesses. A home based business concept with 30% margins.

Coming soon

Michel Edwards is a visionary entrepreneur and community builder who operates at the intersection of technology, talent, and social impact. As the Co-Founder and CEO of Bluu Kazi, he has architected a pioneering recruitment platform that bridges the gap between skilled professionals and transformative opportunities, with a specialized focus on the cybersecurity and IT sectors. With a founder's resilience, Michel bootstrapped the company from a concept into a high-growth venture, steering it from a negative first-year run rate to a successful talent-forward agency. His leadership is defined by a deep commitment to continuous learning, strategic partnership, and creating pathways for talent in underserved communities.

Parallel to his work in technology, Michel is the Managing Partner of Heritage Manor, a groundbreaking $40 million real estate development in Greenville, Mississippi. This ambitious project is more than a housing initiative; it is a mission to build a health-conscious, secure community for over 200 underserved and health-compromised families. By integrating wrap-around services focused on nutrition, exercise, and wellness, Heritage Manor is a testament to Michel's dedication to building sustainable, multi-generational value and honoring community pillars.

Michel's career is built on a strong foundation of enterprise sales and go-to-market expertise, having excelled in high-stakes roles at leading tech companies like GitLab, Indeed, and Culture Amp. This corporate background provided the crucible for his entrepreneurial ventures, equipping him with a sophisticated understanding of revenue growth, strategic account management, and what it takes to scale a business.

A passionate advocate for economic and educational access, Michel extends his impact through board leadership, serving as Board Chair for Women's Centers International. He is a dynamic thought leader who frequently contributes to industry conversations on workforce development, technology, and social enterprise. Michel pursued graduate studies at Georgetown University after earning a Bachelor of Science from American University. He resides in New York City with his family.

John Gianni is First Vice President Sr. Wealth Advisor at Valley National Bank John brings experience from previous roles at Key Private Bank, Capital One, Wells Fargo Private Bank and JP Morgan. John Gianni holds a 2011 - 2011 Wells Fargo Private Bank.

John is a professional, results–oriented leader with proven success in managing high net worth clients’ investment requirements. Background in planning and investment management for the UHNW space. Critical thinker, and relationship manager who can apply extensive knowledge of the financial industry and superb cross-selling skills to rapid revenue and profit growth.

Rodolfo “Rudy” Garcia is Vice President and Market Manager at Valley Bank, where he leads the Upper East Side market with a focus on strategic growth, operational excellence, and team development. With a background in financial services and a track record of success in leadership roles, Rudy has overseen high-performing teams, driven outbound sales initiatives, and built trusted client relationships across diverse communities.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and an MBA in Leadership and maintains multiple professional licenses. Fluent in Spanish, Rudy uses his bilingual skills to enhance client engagement and expand market reach. He also serves on the boards of the Forest Park Trust and Ridgewood YMCA, reflecting his commitment to community leadership. Rudy currently resides in Queens.

David Tswamuno serves as Managing Partner at Fairbridge, backing founders deploying technology to unlock critical new markets and cross-border capital formation. Drawing on global experience across alternative investments and entrepreneurship, he works to close gaps in opportunity and access. David is known for integrating disciplined investing with mission-driven insight, advancing a vision for how capital, leadership, and collaboration generate superior value through inclusive markets.

Sami Baqai is the Founder and Principal of Autokatalyst LLC, a New York–based technology and digital transformation firm that helps organizations modernize and scale through automation, advanced analytics, and artificial intelligence. He partners with leadership teams across industries to translate data and machine-learning capabilities into efficiency gains, new revenue streams, and sustainable competitive advantage.

Before founding Autokatalyst, Sami worked at GTS Securities, a quantitative trading firm, and Steadfast Financial LP, a multi-billion-dollar hedge fund. Sami holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor.

Jodi Brockington embodies the term “multi-hyphenate.” Many of her colleagues know her to be a Master Networker, Super Connector, and “Diversity Disruptor”, creating seamless and authentic interactions within the workplace, marketplace, and community. As the founder of NIARA Consulting, Jodi has developed a solid global network leading strategic and major accounts defining strategies creating innovative solutions for non-profit organizations and Fortune 500 companies. She truly enjoys connecting people as her professional expertise lies within the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)space. 

NIARA Consulting, a full-service DEIB Strategy, Advisement, and Project Development firm that provides complete consulting services for individuals, nonprofits, small businesses, and corporations. In 2022, Jodi was honored by Diversity Plus Magazine as one the Top 25 Women in Diversity. She was honored as one of America’s Leaders of Change and a DEIB Advisor to Paragon One and their Social Impact Lab’s favorite moderator. 

Her latest entrepreneurial endeavor is BLENDiD, a real-time information platform enabling people with biracial and multiracial backgrounds everywhere to connect through personalized content and community. A proud native New Yorker, Jodi has been highly educated on both coasts of the US and is a self proclaimed foodie that also helps to elevate representation in the culinary industry.  In her spare time, Jodi is an author, speaker, traveler and fitness enthusiast.