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E38: Uzo Ometu: The Founder of BlackOakTV on The Power of Storytelling and Empowering Black Voices
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Over the past decade a dynamic group of black filmmakers such as Jordan Peele, Ava DuVernay, Ryan Cooglar, and Barry Jenkins have ignited the imaginations of audiences around the globe. Following in the footsteps of trailblazers such as John Singleton, Antoine Fuqua, and Spike Lee, this new class of storytellers have garnered not only critical praise but box office dominance and growing appeal.
Our guest this week is here to remind listeners of the growing number of powerful and talented black voices in both filmmaking, comedy, and television. Uzo Ometu is the co-founder of BlackOakTV, a groundbreaking new streaming service hoping to bring more underrepresented voices into the forefront while serving black audiences. Prior to starting BlackOakTV Uzo worked at YouTube, where he helped in their efforts to partner with the greater media industry by acquiring content from media companies large and small. Prior to that role, while still at Google, Uzo served as a consultant for digital media agencies and as a liaison between some of Google's Product and Sales teams in the Media & Technology Solutions organization.
Before YouTube and Google, Uzo got his technical and marketing credentials working at a digital media agency, Morpheus Media, where he led audience development efforts for media brands, including ESPN, ABC News, and The Economist. In this episode Roger and Uzo explore both the founding of BlackOakTV while also discussing the lessons Uzo learned during his time in Silicon Valley. Uzo lays out the mission statement of BlackOakTV while conveying the amazing power of storytelling to transform lives and galvanize underserved communities. This is a must listen episode for anyone interested in content creation, filmmaking, or the business of entertainment and digital streaming.
Topics include:
- Uzo’s Background in Content, Media, and Journalism
- The Incredible Power of Good Storytelling
- What Differentiates BlackOakTV From Its Competitors
- Unpacking BlackOakTV’s Content Creation Model
- The Challenges & Rewards of Co-Founding a Media Startup
Connect with Uzo:
Uzo’s Movie Recommendation:
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Produced By: Social Chameleon
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