Alex “Uncle Al” Aquino is widely recognized as a pioneer for his early dedication to the development of hip-hop culture and artistry in the San Francisco Bay Area. Alex has been intensely involved with hip-hop culture in the Bay Area since 1982, when he started as a young b-boy. In 1987, he became a hip-hop event and club promoter in Northern California and established a management company and independent record label, Ace Beat Entertainment, in 1989. From 1989 to 1996 Aquino managed various turntablists and other artists such as Mix Master Mike (now DJ for the legendary Beastie Boys), DJ Apollo, Q-Bert (one of the most recognizable DJ icons in the industry) and Shortkut, who were collectively known as the Invisbl Scratch Piklz and West Coast Rock Steady DJs.

In 1992, Alex became a member of legendary hip-hop/b-boy troupe Rock Steady Crew as their West Coast spokesman. Since 1992 Alex has been active in programming and stage-managing the Annual Rock Steady Crew Anniversary. In 1995, Alex founded Hip-Hop.com Inc., the first hip-hop culture website. In 1996, Aquino founded the International Turntablist Federation (ITF) and one year later had established chapters in 16 countries. By the end of 2001 ITF had chapters in 23 countries.

In 2005 Alex joined the Ankh Marketing team and merged Hip-Hop.com into its aesthetic. In 2007 Alex joined forces with Michael “Mega” Yabut and became a partner with BLACK SCALE clothing brand and a co-owner of the BLACK SCALE flagship store in San Francisco.

Darius’ motto of “Life is an idea, so live it creatively” is typical of his approach to everything he encounters. At a young age he realized the importance of being several moves ahead of the competition with a top 3 finish at Nor Cal Scholastic Chess Tournament—a momentary lapse in concentration kept him from the number one spot. He has been focused ever since.

With over 10 years of advertising, branding and creative experience, Darius has won several Addy awards and worked on branding for blue chip clients such as General Motors (across all brands), Disney, Nationwide, Coors Light, Coca Cola, Bank of America, FX Networks, Allstate, Proctor & Gamble, Cingular Wireless, and Washington Mutual. He was instrumental in the launch of Cadillac CTS among the urban market with Vivica Fox in 2004. Darius earned a masters degree in Advertising Management from SI Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and holds a B.A. in Psychology from UC Santa Cruz.

Drawn to music at an early age, Tom Flannery was introduced to hip-hop by his older brother when the genre was solely referred to as “rap.” Tom attended his first live concert in elementary school and began playing the tenor sax in 6th grade. His time with the jazz band helped form his music foundation. He was the Student Activities Director as an 8th grader and officially began organizing and producing music events in 1992. Tom was accepted into UC Berkeley as a Freshman and graduated in 2002. After college, Tom studied business in New York. He returned to the Bay Area and started Ankh Marketing with college friends Kamel Bell and Thomas Goodwin. Tom is a quick thinker and shines during times of adversity. Tom is currently a partner at Ankh, specifically heading the marketing department.

The name, Russell “Big Russ” Gatewood, has been synonymous with the Bay Area music scene for nearly 25 years. His fingerprint can be found on almost every aspect and genre of music dating back to the ’80s. His career began when hip-hop showed him that turntables could be a musical instrument. He took that inspiration and ran with it, learned the craft from legends, spearheaded a local DJ collective and quickly became one of the more popular DJs in the region.

As the ’90s began, he (along with his longtime business partner Rick Patrick) formed what has become an entertainment staple in the Northern California, The World Famous Rick & Russ Show. The Rick & Russ Show received instant acclaim and was immediately successful.

In 2000 Russell joined Music Buddah (Mubu.com), an on-line music recommendation company, that led the way into the digital music revolution. As their Urban Music Manager, he recruited and managed nine genre editors, and along the way compiled the largest digital library of its kind in less than a year.

It was then that Universal Music Group asked him to join their marketing team. During his eight-year tenure he worked with the industry’s brightest minds and superstars. He was on the ground floor of superstar careers in the making: Kanye West, 50 Cent, Nickelback, Fall Out Boy, Rihanna, Justin Bieber and Keyshia Cole, among others. His pioneering marketing efforts and grass roots approach proved to be just what was needed to bridge the gap between physical and digital landscapes.

Over the years, Russell’s marketing efforts have skillfully blended artistry with technology and professionalism. His attention to detail makes him the “go to guy” when a huge impression must be made. Russ is a proven leader with an entrepreneurial spirit and a track record to prove it. He continues to break new ground as he plans to launch his own company, About Face Imaging & Consulting, in 2011.

Known as Tommy throughout his native San Francisco, Thomas possesses a rare set of skills and professional experience. With nearly 15 years as a program director, teacher, dean and senior administrator within some of San Francisco’s public schools and private schools, Thomas is an accomplished and respected educator and cultural competency trainer.

Additionally Thomas is the co-founder, Chief Operations Officer, and Production Director of Ankh Marketing. Thomas has produced hundreds of events with attendance ranging from a few hundred to 15,000 and tour managed for Mos Def, Goapele and others.

Since graduating from UC Berkeley and winning a Community Justice Fellowship from the Open Society Institute to orchestrate an urban marketing campaign (raising awareness around criminal justice issues for youth of color disproportionately effected by the justice system), Kamel has been primed for success in his current position as Co-Founder and CEO of Ankh Marketing.

Through the past six years, Kamel has helped Ankh establish one of the most respected and well-known urban marketing/event production firm in the SF Bay Area. From working with some of the biggest names in urban music and culture like Mos Def, Erykah Badu, Common, Dave Chappelle, to catalyzing major events and festivals like Rock the Bells, and producing cultural and educational initiatives with organizations such as Youth Speaks and NASA, Kamel has led Ankh towards it”s ultimate goal of creating intellectual properties integrating technology, education and culture to progress urban communities across the world.

A talented artist and visionary with a natural knack for music and entertainment, Derick “D” Prosper has built a respectable career with everlasting tenacity, perseverance and overall passion for the arts. As a teenager, D Prosper quickly advanced through the ranks as one of the most sought-after poets on the poetry slam circuit, winning several national competitions across the country and even touring with Lollapalooza. Naturally, his love for poetry led him to hip-hop where he eventually wrote and produced his own independent EP titled the adventures of mastermind in 1996. In search for a career in music, D Prosper left the comforts of his hometown of Providence Rhode Island for New York City where he found himself battling alongside then upcoming rappers Punch & Words, Original Flavor, and Jay-Z, leading up to college radio appearances Freestyling with Mos Def, Bush Babies and Pharoah Monch.

While maneuvering his way through the industry and landing a A&R gig at Columbia Records under President of A&R Gordon “The Commisioner” Williams, he met singer/actress Lauryn Hill as she was in the process of making her legendary album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Over the next two years, Prosper worked closely with Ms. Hill, assisting with her 7 Days record label imprint as well as doing production coordination of her band and working on her Diamond-selling album. This experience not only exposed him to a number of talented musicians, but allowed him to play a role in helping to produce one of the most memorable albums of that decade.

After this, D Prosper found himself working as A&R consultant for Rawkus Records alongside rapper/actor Mos Def where he produced the hit song “Mr. Nigga” featuring Q-Tip on his debut album Black on Both Sides. Prosper would then later tour the world with various artists as a road manager as well as music consultant for the political rap group dead prez.

D Prosper spent the next few years using the connections that he made in the industry to manage the careers of other fledging music producers. This move from the creative to business side of the industry led him to G-Unit/Interscope Records where he became Director of A&R in 2004. Over the next few years, D Prosper served as the creative music force behind the brand, helping artists 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Young Buck, Olivia and Tony Yayo to sell an alarming 30 million records. During his tenure, he also served as head A&R for the soundtrack for 50 Cent’s debut film Get Rich or Die Tryin and project coordinator for Vivendi Universal video game Bullet Proof, which went on to sell 5 million units.

He also got his first taste of the film business when he was given an opportunity to work with acclaimed director Jim Sheridan and produce the score for the opening scene logo for the Paramount/MTV Films Get Rich or Die Tryin starring Terrence Howard and 50 Cent. It was at this time that D Prosper felt compelled to enter the movie business and began writing various scripts.

No longer at G Unit Records, D Prosper can now be found building his resume in education and entertainment. With his hard work, dedication and talent he is sure to be future force to be reckoned with.

Brianna is a native of the east coast. She was born and raised in Boston, MA into a large family and she is the youngest of 11. Between her parents taste in soul music and her siblings’ taste in everything in between, music was a varied and daily part of her life. Her parents were avid concert goers, often times bringing along Brianna and her siblings. She studied dance as a child and choreography in high school. Although she had a deep passion for performing, she realized early that her power lay behind the scenes in the planning and executing of musical events and other entertainment performances. Being active in the community and bettering the place where you lived were promoted constantly by her parents. At the age of 11 she was appointed as the secretary of the Egmont Teen Center, a center her father founded that was created to keep the kids in the community out of trouble. The job included, amongst other things, being the master of ceremonies for the annual basketball tournament banquet, it was at this point she recognized the true power of her own voice.

As a teenager Brianna would go on to embrace her outspokenness and her desire to help others by writing and performing poetry, working as a counselor, peer educator and activities coordinator. While attending UMASS Boston (majoring in International Business & Communications) she began working as a file clerk for The Lown Cardiovascular Center & Research Foundation founded by Dr. Bernard Lown, a cardiologist and inventor of the defibrillator and 1985 Noble Peace Prize Winner. By 2003, she had been promoted to work for the Foundation as the Events & Fundraising Assistant, spearheading the Heart 2 Heart run. The campaign raised money for the Lown Foundation’s research developing cures for heart disease and promoted fellowships for physicians in third world countries. Through her leadership, Brianna generated enormous publicity and established a buzz around the campaign which was able to raise $25K which was the most ever at that time. Brianna would go on to work as an events manager for a few more organizations before moving to California and connecting with Ankh Marketing.

In 2005, the same year Brianna moved to The Bay, she attended Rock the Bells, San Francisco. Inspired by the caliber of talent and organization around the event she reached out to founder, Kamel Jacot-Bell. That October she came on as the first Ankh Marketing intern. Kamel took Brianna under his wing, soon after she joined the Ankh team, making her his assistant. With Kamel's mentoring she was able to learn and grow within the company. Her position as the only female in the group is a testament to her strength, determination, hard work and passion for the music and people. A team player able to laugh through it all, she says always, “I'm humbled and blessed to be doing what I love with people I love.”