Kathryn Buford

As a scholar, social entrepreneur, and consultant, Kathryn has led and consulted on projects for The Embassy of Jamaica, Americorps, BBC, Sony Entertainment, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and various small businesses, creative agencies, nonprofits and media brands. Her writings and commentary have appeared in publications like BBC, GOOD, CNBC and Live Unchained -- her former blog (of 6 years) for women and creatives across the African Diaspora. She holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Maryland, College Park with concentrations in social theory and social and cultural entrepreneurship.

Latest from Kathryn Buford

Tecplot’s EqualLogic Adoption Opens New Doors

In The Cube’s ongoing coverage of Dell Storage Forum, Dave Vellante and Stuart Miniman of Wikibon.org meet with Tecplot IT generalist, Pete Koehler (full video below).  Vellante begins by reminding viewers that The Cube finds the signal through the noise, providing only the most relevant newsworthy information.  True to style, Vellante and Miniman’s discussion with Koehler ...

Dell’s Data Protection Solutions and The Future of Back-Up

In Silicon Angle’s ongoing Dell Storage Forum coverage, Dave Vellante and Steve Miniman of Wikibon, spoke with Brett Roscoe, General Manager and Executive Director of Dell Power Vault and owner of Dell’s data management solutions.  Vellante and Roscoe discuss fluid data architecture, AppAssure, data protection strategies and replication’s pervasiveness.   For Dell, Roscoe explains that ...

YouTube Uses Content ID System to Monetize—Not Penalize

With its new publishing deals, YouTube will turn the users it once punished, into marketing opportunities.  In the self-broadcasting/file-sharing era that makes it easy for fans to access, copy and distribute music at no cost, it seems that unauthorized file sharing and usage can only be mitigated, not stopped.  Instead of using it’s Content ID ...

HP’s Cloud and Big Data Priorities

As part of Silicon Angle’s continuous coverage of HP Discover, Dave Vellante spoke with Chris and Greg Tinker, HP Discover Master Technologists, about trends in Cloud and Big Data. The Tinker’s noted the big issue for customers as they grow their businesses is the new options to consider in light of cloud convergence.  Clients must ...

The Evolution of Instagram’s Breakout Success

“We’re a bit disappointed here…We were aiming for $2 billion and they only gave us one…But, you know, sometimes s— happens.”  Although Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom kept a serious tone when offering this sarcastic response, he finally erupted in laughter.  It’s still unclear how Facebook will leverage it’s recent acquisitions and, despite it’s announcement of ...

Big Data Gets Intimate

Several companies like Facebook, Netflix, Amazon and various mobile fitness apps leverage Big Data to offer customers a personalized user experience.  In short data science “gets” us—more specifically, our inclinations, dislikes, and hopes.  To this growing list of understandings, True&Co, an online intimates retailer adds bra size.  True&Co is using it’s algorithms and recommendation system ...

A Big Data Analytic for the “New App Economy”

Big data can help businesses garner or maintain competitive advantage, to the extent that their sectors understand and apply the most useful customer profit analytics.  In a recent Kontagent post, CEO Jeff Tseng suggests Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV) is an important measure in protecting and enhancing profitability in what his team calls the “new app ...

Google’s Data Artists Will Inspire at Eyeo Festival

Bringing together pioneers in data science, arts and community engagement, the 2012 Eyeo Festival is sure to live up to its slogan: “Converge to Inspire.”  Speakers include innovators working at the intersections arts and data like Aaron Koblin, head of the Data Arts Team in Google’s Creative Lab, and Fernda Viégas and Martin Wattenberg, who ...

Big Data, Fat Brains, Social Impact

Since his Data Kind (formerly Data Without Borders) proposal last year, Jake Porway continues to pair fat brains with big data to effect positive social change.  Gina Rudan of Genuine Insights considers fat brains young, tech-savvy and informed individuals who, despite their youth, provide mentorship and leadership to older colleagues.  Data Kind began with the ...

“Not Change for Change’s Sake”: EMC on the New State of IT Enterprise

In their ongoing coverage of the 20 112 EMC World Conference, John Furrier and Dave Vellante spoke with Howard Elias, President and COO of EMC Global Services division about new trends in IT enterprise (see full video below).  As Furrier noted the culture of EMC world has slowly transformed from a “usual crowd of tech ...