Blackboard Inc. announced that entrepreneur and philanthropist Sheila C. Johnson, founder of Salamander Resort & Spa and Vice Chairman of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, will deliver a keynote at BbWorld 2018, the company’s annual conference. BbWorld is one of the largest edtech conferences in the world bringing together educators, administrators and industry leaders from around the world to network, learn best practices, and hear from some of the industry’s foremost experts on the future of education. The conference will take place July 17-19 in Orlando, Florida.
Ms. Johnson is a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist whose accomplishments span hospitality, sports, TV/film, the arts, education, women’s empowerment and community development. She is the founder and CEO of Salamander Hotels & Resorts, a collection of luxury properties. In addition, as Vice Chairman of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, Ms. Johnson is the only African-American woman to have ownership in three professional sports teams: the NBA’s Washington Wizards, the NHL’s Washington Capitals, and the WNBA’s Washington Mystics.
A fervent supporter of education, Ms. Johnson serves on the Board of Governors of Parsons The New School for Design in New York, and is a member of the Leadership Council at Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership (CPL) and founder of the Sheila C. Johnson Leadership Fellowship, which supports emerging leaders who share a commitment to reducing disparities in African-American communities. She is also a board member of the Jackie Robinson Foundation.
“We are honored to have such a passionate philanthropist, entrepreneur and education champion share her story and valuable insights at this year’s conference,” said Bill Ballhaus, Chairman, CEO, and President at Blackboard. “Her distinguished career and enduring commitment to education will surely serve as inspiration to our BbWorld attendees as they work to solve today’s toughest education challenges.”