2014 Kathy Ireland Commencement Address

2014 Kathy Ireland Commencement Address, New England Tech’s 2014 commencement address will be delivered by world-class entrepreneur Kathy Ireland who is Chair, CEO and Chief Designer of kathy ireland Worldwide®. Ireland is one of the most influential and successful people in design and marketing, and is also a powerful advocate for women and children in need. A former supermodel who combined her fashion know-how, compassion for others, and common sense ideas to build a billion dollar brand, Ireland markets more than 15,000 products with designs in fashion, weddings, home and office. On Sunday, May 4, 2014 Kathy Ireland will share her insight about success with New England Institute of Technology graduates and their families and friends. The commencement ceremony will be held at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence beginning at 11 a.m.

Ireland appeared in 13 consecutive Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues in the 1980s and 1990s. Her first featured cover remains the top selling edition. She has acted in movies including the comedies Unnecessary Roughness, and Loaded Weapon I, and in dozens of television shows including the popular Melrose Place. She has written books for children and for busy moms and recently started her own publishing company. But it is the kathy ireland Worldwide® brand that has brought her the most success. With a focus on designing practical and affordable products, fulfilling her mission statement of “finding solutions for families, especially busy moms,” Ireland has built a fashion empire. In 2012, the former supermodel graced the cover of Forbes Magazine, which nicknamed her “Supermogul” for her success.

Ireland is committed to “putting people ahead of profits.” She is an advocate for women’s health issues and for the care and treatment of Down’s syndrome. She is an activist for veterans’ issues, global poverty eradication and education and family issues. She also supports numerous nonprofits including the Elizabeth Taylor HIV/AIDS Foundation and Feed the Children. When earthquakes hit Haiti, she quietly traveled there to help out in the orphanages. Ireland will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters during commencement for her work to improve the lives of others.

New England Institute of Technology will also confer an honorary doctor of humane letters on nationally-recognized business leader Cheryl Merchant for her contributions to the betterment of Rhode Island. Merchant is President and Chief Executive Officer of Rhode Island’s Hope Global. Known for her ability to motivate, inspire and lead innovative teams, Merchant has transformed the 131-year-old Rhode Island textile manufacturing company. Under her leadership, Hope Global has nearly tripled its revenue, product lines and market share in the automotive, industrial and defense industries. Merchant has accomplished this while focusing on teamwork, employee success and community involvement.

Hope Global employs 700 people around the world. The headquarters and largest operation is located in Rhode Island, with smaller operations in Mexico, the Czech Republic and China, and engineering sales offices in Detroit and Brazil.

Merchant got her start in the automotive field, working her way into supervisory positions at GM, Ford and Mazda, and eventually managing international operations for Lear Corporation in Mexico. She brings global experience to Hope Global, and has integrated helping others into the company philosophy. Charities that provide assistance to children and women in need are the focus at Hope. So are mentoring and training programs that help employees advance in their chosen fields.

Merchant is an active member of the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce, a Rhode Island Commodore, a trustee of the Rhode Island Economic Policy Council, a trustee of Bryant University, and a member of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce. She also serves on the Governor’s Workforce Board, which supports programs that bring business and education together. Merchant was recently named the 2014 New England Business Woman of the Year at Bryant University’s Women’s Summit.

This year marks New England Institute of Technology’s 73rd commencement ceremony. More than a thousand students will receive associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Megan Ellison Producer

Megan Ellison Producer, I’m fascinated by Megan Ellison. In the normally boring world of movie producers, she’s an intriguing star among them. Usually, you rarely know the names of producers, short of an uber-producer like Scott Rudin or one who’s heavily involved in a filmmaker’s whole universe like Scott Mosier is for Kevin Smith, but aside from those Scotts, most of them are borderline anonymous. Ellison is definitely a new breed, a throwback to an older generation where the films being made were different and exciting. Her recent Best Picture nominations and flirtation with an Oscar win has her primed to become a real star in this line of what. I wanted to show you all the films that she’s helped get onto the big screen, if only to elaborate on just how valuable to the business she is.

Ellison is a champion of the auteur. She’s come to the rescue of such filmmakers as Paul Thomas Anderson (on The Master) while also letting someone like Bennett Miller pursue a passion project (with the upcoming Foxcatcher later this year). She also gave Spike Jonze the freedom to make the masterpiece that was Her and David O. Russell the support to go wild with American Hustle. That’s an impressive run, and only a part of her resume.

Also in existence because of Ellison, we have films like The Grandmaster, Killing Them Softly, Lawless, and Spring Breakers. She sees filmmakers she admires and she gives them the tools to succeed. That’s the ideal producer in my eyes…someone who helps make memorable movies and lets unique talent be unique. I’m not the first person to praise her for this, but it’s just so rare you almost have to keep repeating it over and over again.

It’s rare that you look at producers who deserve Academy Awards, but I think we have an exception with Ellison. She had two horses in the race last year with American Hustle and Her, while the year before she was in play with Zero Dark Thirty. She’s come up short to date, but I have a feeling that she’ll be holding a statue in her hands on stage before too long has passed.

Basically, I wanted to quickly mention how great it is to have her in the business. Will all of her projects be instant classics? No, of course not, but she’s been directly responsible for some of the very best bits of cinema over the last few years, so one has to be excited about what she’ll help filmmakers do going forward!

Rod Blagojevich Dyed Hair Gray In Prison

Rod Blagojevich Dyed Hair Gray In Prison, Rod Blagojevich’s barber says the former Illinois governor’s famously thick, dark hair is dyed and will turn gray within the first months of his prison term.

Peter Vodovoz has been Blagojevich’s barber for more than two decades. Vodovoz said Wednesday that the 55-year-old Blagojevich has dyed his hair for years.

Blagojevich reported to a Colorado federal prison last week to begin serving a 14-year sentence for corruption. A prison spokesman says hair dye is banned because inmates could use it to change their appearances in escape attempts.

Vodovoz says Blagojevich’s dark-brown dye will fade quickly, and he could be as gray as talk show host Jay Leno within three months.

When he was governor, Blagojevich was so obsessive about his hair he had a security official carry a brush.

Lenny Kravitz Hunger Games

Lenny Kravitz Hunger Games, Lenny Kravitz was snapped up to appear in the Hunger Games after impressing movie bosses in his feature film debut in Precious.

The Fly Away hitmaker has been cast as stylist Cinna in the much-anticipated adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ novel – and Kravitz reveals it was his performance as a nursing assistant in the 2009 drama which landed him the coveted role.

So I finished the book and called him back and said, ‘I’d love to do it.
He tells Interview magazine, “(Director) Gary (Ross) saw Precious and said that he liked the character of Nurse John, so he thought I’d be right for the role in Hunger Games, since Cinna is somebody who is looking out for somebody and is a support figure, too.

“So he called me…He said, ‘Hi, I’m making this movie called The Hunger Games.

“I think you’d be great.If you want it, you’ve got the part.’ No audition. I was really flattered”.

Kravitz insisted on reading the book before accepting the role – and was quick to sign on after becoming hooked on the story.

He adds, “I remember I started it late one night and I needed to go to bed – I was tired and had been recording all day and night – but I couldn’t stop reading because I was captured by the story.