Morehouse College News October 3, 2015 Platform Summit Returns to Morehouse with Focus on Diversity in Innovation Economy By Shandra Hill Smith Marking its third year-and the second time at Morehouse-the annual Platform Summit returned to the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center at Morehouse College. The 2015 Summit is a partnership with Morehouse College and Georgia Tech. The conference, founded by Hank Williams, focuses on diversifying the innovation economy. This year's summit kicked off with a conversation with David Drummond, Google's senior vice president for corporate development and chief legal officer. Topics for Platform Summit 2015 include "Go Ahead, Fix Education...I Dare You" and "The Problem with the Economy Is it Doesn't Need You Anymore." One highlight of the day was a presentation by Tanya Van Court, who spoke of the importance of mastering the financial language. "I would propose there's something that matters even more than mastery of English, and that is mastery of financial language," she said. "If you look at our country and all people under 30 years old, only 25 percent of them own a stock at all - and it could be a stock that they own directly because they really love Nike or they really love Apple, so they bought stock in those companies. Or it could be a stock they own indirectly because they're participating in a mutual fund. That means the other 75 percent are either a) not saving anything at all, b) saving their money in a savings account, or c) tucking it under the mattress, their shoe, in a backpack." Van Court showed the difference between savings over 30 years versus investments over a 30-year period. "How could our young people be making such a blatantly disadvantageous decision? It's similar to choosing the Cleveland Cavaliers last year as opposed to the Golden State Warriors," she added to laughter from the audience. "I mean, it is clear, it's a wrong decision. "As my grandmother would say, 'If you know better, you do better.' " Other speakers for Friday included Lisa Gelobter, White House chief digital service officer at the Department of Education; education visionary Greg Gunn; Morehouse alumnus and higher education tech entrepreneur Gene Wade; and Yvonne de la Pena, computer science learning and engagement innovator. Morehouse College Provost Garakai Campbell moderated a discussion with the Friday morning session speakers. In the afternoon, TV personality and attorney Star Jones presented before moderating a discussion by the final session speakers. The summit continues Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 3-4). For more information, go to www.platform.org<http://www.platform.org/> SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.