Lisa Russell is a compassionate documentary filmmaker who has worked tirelessly to tell stories from war torn lands and illness-ravaged communities throughout the world, providing a caring, independent vehicle for those voices that otherwise might not be heard. At home, she has worked to connect socially conscious artists with organizations like the United Nations, most recently as part of her new initiative, I Sell The Shadow. From a chaotic California upbringing, to Harvard, to Kosovo, throughout Africa and still ‘round the in Brooklyn, this self-taught, self-made Emmy winner epitomizes ingenuity and inspiration. And she’s only just begun. Here’s my conversation with Lisa Russell.

The Phat Startup has been connecting the worlds of hip hop entrepreneurs and tech startups for close to two years, thorugh a series of innovative on- and offline interviews, seminars and special events. Their Tech808 conference, the organizations’ first, takes place at NYU this Friday, November 21. There are a remarkable amount of similarities between hip hop culture and the tech scene, and hopeful moguls as well as established icons from both ends of that spectrum are rushing to The Phat Startup to learn from each other.

My conversations with The Phat Startup's co-founder James Lopez and I Sell The Shadow's Lisa Russell.