2014 CUP Fellows Funmi Afonja Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services Director, Corporate Ratings Group Funmi Afonja is a Director in the Corporate Ratings group at Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services. Based in New York, Funmi follows a portfolio of metals and mining companies, with a combined market capitalization in excess of $10 billion. Prior to this, she was the primary analyst on rated United States-based shipping companies and a select group of transportation equipment lessors. Before joining Standard & Poor’s in 2007, Funmi worked for National City Bank (now PNC Bank) as a Senior Associate where she was a key player in underwriting syndicated bank debt primarily focused on the retail industry. Before that, Funmi was a Business Analyst in the Commercial Finance division of GE Capital for several years working in Stamford, Bangkok and Mexico City. In 2013, Funmi received an Employee Resource Group Recognition Award for leading Standard and Poor’s initiatives to connect the diverse analyst population with the executive leadership at the firm. In 2011, Funmi received the Gold ACE Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to analytical excellence and thought leadership at Standard and Poor’s. Funmi holds a bachelor of science degree in Accounting from Rutgers University and a master of business administration degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Funmi is committed to civic activity and volunteers at the Young Women’s Leadership School in Harlem. She also mentors junior analysts to help them reach their goals. Gabrielle Lyse Brown New York City Bar Association Director of Diversity and Inclusion Gabrielle Lyse Brown is the Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the New York City Bar, where she leads the Association’s efforts to enhance diversity in the legal profession across a broad range of legal employers through initiatives that foster diverse and inclusive work environments. Previously, she founded the City Bar’s Pipeline Initiative, which provides comprehensive programming for inner-city students to address academic support and enrichment, professional and substantive skill development, networking/mentoring opportunities and exposure to the legal profession. Gabrielle is committed to diversity in the profession and is active in several like-minded organizations. She is a member of the Executive Board of Directors of Practicing Attorneys for Law Students, Inc. (PALS), The Association for Legal Career Professionals (NALP), The Council of Urban Professionals (CUP), and the Bronx School of Law and Finance Advisory Board. She has spoken on numerous panels about professional readiness, mentoring, and developing diversity pipeline initiatives. MyLinh Chau ESPN Manager, Event Marketing MyLinh Chau is a Manager, Event Marketing at ESPN, Inc. In this role, MyLinh manages all aspects of sponsorship management for X Games, including onsite activation, digital, social and media obligations. Having built strong, respectful relationships with clients such as Ford, Jeep, Red Bull, Monster and GoPro, she has been integral in making the X Games a seamless and memorable experience for sponsors and fans alike. With over seven years of experience, MyLinh is no stranger to the sports and entertainment industry. Before joining ESPN, Inc. in 2013, MyLinh worked for AEG in multiple roles, event management, premium client services and arena operations. MyLinh’s varied background at AEG provided the perfect foundation for managing sponsorship fulfillment at ESPN. Recognizing the need for minority leadership in sports and entertainment in her hometown of Kansas City, MyLinh co-founded The Triple L Foundation in 2010. The Triple L Foundation partnered with LINC, a Kansas City School District after school program, and brought the business of entertainment to kids in a fun and educational way. Through The Triple L Foundation, she was able to share her love of the sports and entertainment industry with youth. Jazmin Chavez LatinoJustice PRLDEF Coordinator of Communications, Youth Leadership Network and New Media Jazmin Chavez is the Coordinator of Communications, Youth Leadership Network and New Media. She is a passionate Social Media Strategist living in New York City. A lawyer by trade, she focuses on social media and movement strategies for LatinoJustice PRLDEF. Born in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, Jazmin has lived a trans-national and bi- cultural experience. As an immigrant herself, Jazmin’s identity and ideological foundation stems from the experience of comprehending and navigating the U.S. legal system. From this foundation she serves as a passionate advocate and strategist for civil rights and has dedicated her professional life to becoming an effective justice innovator and movement entrepreneur for communities in need. Her work focuses on utilizing critical race theory, marketing in the Latino community, social justice and legal theory to examine new tactics for communication, culture creation and social movements through social media platforms, community participation leadership and narrative power analysis. She is a graduate of the University of Denver Sturm College of Law where she focused on immigration, public interest and international humanitarian law. Angelina Darrisaw Viacom Senior Manager, Digital Business Development Angelina Darrisaw is a Senior Manager of Digital Business Development at Viacom. There she identifies and develops strategic and profitable new business opportunities for Digital Media properties (e.g. apps, mobile web, websites) across all brands. Additionally, she serves her company as a communications co-chair for Viacom’s EMERGE and on the professional development committee of Viacom’s BEAT, using both roles to create informative events and growth opportunities for her colleagues. Prior to joining Viacom, Angelina worked in Digital Business Strategy at ESPN. There, she informed her company on new media trends, executed digital distribution deals, and helped roadmap the strategy for monetizing content digitally. Angelina completed her B.A. in Political Science at Davidson College and received her M.A. in Management at Wake Forest University, as a Hanesbrands Corporate Fellowship recipient. She was selected to represent Wake Forest in Managua, Nicaragua, where she created marketing and operations strategies for entrepreneurs needing assistance. Angelina is passionate about sharing business and professional skills and has been invited to speak on the topic at high schools and universities. She is a half-marathoner, an international traveler, a two-time Top 20 finalist at Miss New York USA, and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Antonio Delgado Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP Associate Antonio Delgado received his B.A. in 1999 from Colgate University, his M.A. (Oxf) in 2001 from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, and J.D. in 2005 from Harvard Law School. After graduating from law school, rather than pursue a career in the legal field, Mr. Delgado co-founded an entertainment company and became its flagship hip hop artist. The company’s mission was to encourage political activism, heighten civic engagement, and inspire social change through the power of music and hip hop culture in particular. While Mr. Delgado pursued his music career, he developed workshops in partnership with schools and nonprofit organizations to empower youth through media, wrote and produced music featured on HBO, ESPN and Warner Bros. programming, and released a full length album on iTunes. In 2009, Mr. Delgado transitioned back into the legal field and is now a fifth-year associate at Akin Gump. Mr. Delgado has become an integral piece of Akin Gump’s commitment to empowering young students of color by participating through the firm with organizations like PALS (Practicing Attorneys for Law Students Program) and SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity) – two organizations that seek to provide professional development opportunities for minority students. Tyler Falish Teach For America Manager, Constituent Strategy & Insights Tyler is the Manager on the Constituent Strategy & Insights team at Teach For America. As a member of the broader Public Affairs & Engagement team, Tyler is responsible for conducting quantitative and qualitative research aimed at better understanding Teach For America's audiences in order to inform campaigns, outreach efforts, and public affairs strategy. Tyler has a demonstrated passion for social justice issues, and has devoted his career to that end. Tyler grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and went on to study economics and marketing at the University of Wisconsin. He studied abroad on two occasions: focusing on economics at Utrecht University and entrepreneurship at Copenhagen Business School. Upon graduating, he joined Schneider National, Inc.--a leading freight transportation company--as the Market Research Manager, and was responsible for strategic planning, commercial development, and managing the student intern program. In 2010, Tyler became a Peace Corps Volunteer and served as a small enterprise development consultant in Morocco for more than two years, working primarily with rural artisans. He moved to New York City in the spring of 2013. Nicolet Gatewood Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute Development Consultant Nicolet Gatewood is an experienced museum professional versed in fundraising, communications, strategic planning, programming and exhibition development. Her work focuses on the marriage of culture and