Omar Wasow

Described by The New York Times as “Silicon Alley’s Philosopher-Prince,” Omar Wasow’s work as the Executive Director of BlackPlanet.com and the Internet Analyst for NBC has earned him a reputation as a leading commentator on the challenges and opportunities of new media and the new economy. Whether online or on-air, Wasow constantly works to demystify technology issues and provide an accessible window into the geek world he lives and loves. In that capacity Wasow tutored Oprah Winfrey in her first exploration of the Internet in the 12-part series Oprah Goes Online. Wasow’s success as a credible and friendly guide to the Internet led Newsweek to name him one of the “fifty most influential people to watch in cyberspace,” and People to call him the “Sexiest Internet Executive.”

Wasow has also achieved remarkable success as an online entrepreneur. A perpetual pioneer, he founded the visionary cyberspace community, New York Online, in 1993 and guided the Internet presence of such illustrious clients as Consumer Reports, The New Yorker, Pfizer, Samsung and the Government of Martinique. His success in web design and new media applications helped to shatter early myths that the Internet was a financial dead end. He is also currently pursuing a doctorate in African American studies and political science at Harvard University.

Wasow’s keen insider’s perspective, sharp wit and anecdotal style captivate audiences and reveal web-related marketing and business strategies that work. In fact, Successful Meetings Magazine named him one of the “21 Top Speakers for the 21st Century.” His stories of actual online successes and failures as well as the many ways the Internet is transforming our social, political and economic futures provide a compelling new vision for life online.

At A Glance: Programming from the age of eleven and first online at age twelve, Omar Wasow has honed his high-tech skills for more than two decades, accumulating unique experiences and insights about the nature of the Internet. Wasow launched BlackPlanet.com in 1999 and has overseen its phenomenal growth to become the leading site for African Americans and one of the 50 most heavily trafficked sites on the Internet.

In addition to running a company full-time, Wasow is the weekend technology correspondent for cable TV’s MSNBC and a regular contributor to the Op-Ed column in USA Today. In 1998, Wasow was among a select few granted a Next Generation Leaders Fellowship by the Rockefeller Foundation. This program seeks to build a network of leaders who will collaborate to devise innovative, community-based solutions to many of today’s challenges.

As the Co-Chair of the Coalition for Independent Public Charter Schools and as a member of several non-profit boards including the Third Wave Fund, WorldStudio and the Center for Communication Wasow is also an advocate for social issues.

Wasow is both literally and figuratively bringing a new face to the Internet. Before founding New York Online, he completed an individually designed major in Race and Ethnic Relations at Stanford University. Following school he worked on the Advance Team of Freedom coordinating a twenty-two city cross-country voter registration drive. Later he became the Assistant Director of Strictly Business, a non-profit job training program that taught legal entrepreneurship to former drug-dealers.