Prof. Ebony Utley

Speaker

Higher Ed Professor

Storytelling for Startups

Long Beach, CA, United States

Business: Entrepreneurship, communication

15+ Years of Experience

Doctoral or professional degree, Communication,
Northwestern University

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About Me

Ebony A. Utley, Ph.D. is a professorpreneur. As a Professor of Communication Studies at California State University Long Beach she researches and teaches interpersonal communication with a specialization in communication skills for entrepreneurs. As an entrepreneur, she translates her research into socially impactful technology, experiences, and services in the realms of edtech, wellness, domestic violence prevention, and storytelling for startups. As an intrapreneur, Dr. Utley has been Associate Director for the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the founder of the Social Justice Entrepreneurship program both at CSULB. As an emerging investor, she co-founded Ensemble Innovation, a founder-friendly venture studio that starts, buys, partners, and invests in scalable SaaS technologies built by ambitious BIPOC founders creating economic engines in unexpected places.

Speaks about

  • entrepreneurship
  • pitching
  • ideation
  • entrepreneurial mindset
  • customer discovery
  • go to market strategy
  • storytelling

Available For

  • Conferences / panels
  • Guest judging
  • In-class lectures
  • Keynotes
  • Media interviews
  • Online engagements
  • Q&A sessions
  • Workshops

Online Presence

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Primary Skills

communication

Touching lives, shaping futures

  • California State University, Dominguez HillsASI Clothes Closet, California State University, DH.

    By offering students free clothing, they will not have to worry about not being able to afford new clothes for school or for professional reasons. We will be helping students professionally and academically. - Itzel Marin, Director of Student Services, ASI

    The ASI Clothes Closet is a service that provides students with free casual and professional clothing. Donors can drop-off their donations at the ASI Office (LSU 231). For information, please contact asidss@csudh.edu

  • Scholarship AmericaProviding access to college scholarships.

    I am proud to say, as the nation’s largest nonprofit private scholarship organization, Scholarship America is 100% student focused. On behalf of students everywhere, we serve as a scholarship resource, guiding advocate, and driving force for student success. We believe in the power of a scholarship, and we believe in providing support beyond a scholarship, to help students persist and complete college with less debt. We are also advocates for students, currently working to raise awareness of aid displacement and scholarship taxability—we are committed to ensuring that students receive the full benefit of the scholarships they earn to help make their dreams possible. - Robert C. Ballard, President & CEO, Scholarship America

    Rated as one of the top charities in education, Scholarship America works directly with students, parents, colleges, businesses and communities to help students fulfill their college dreams. Since it was founded in 1958, Scholarship America has distributed $4.2 billion to more than 2.5 million students. For details, visit their website at https://scholarshipamerica.org/

  • FLIKAccelerating careers & companies through curated internships

    FLIK is on a mission to advance women's economic participation globally by connecting female students with top female founders and leaders across the world through meaningful apprenticeships.

    FLIK is a platform that connects female founders/leaders and students across the world via meaningful apprenticeships. Founders get helping hands on their businesses from ambitious talent and apprentices learn through career-relevant experience, skills training, and mentorship. These connections are elevating women-led ventures globally. To know more visit: https://www.weareflik.com/

  • I Am PerspectiveGaining perspective one conversation at a time.

    "Right now, there's a level of false empathy that we exude as people. But if I sit here and talk with you and you tell me about intimate stories about what's going on in your home and how that's affecting you, it becomes different. " - Jo'rell

    I Am Perspective curates programs that are intended to nurture and respect each and every shared perspective, providing a safe space for all, free of judgement or personal inhibitions stemming from societal pressures, like the need to be ‘politically correct.’ With targeted explorative questions, every conversation also challenges participants to dive deep within themselves to uncover the “why” behind their current perspective.




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