BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Media personality and technology maven Shefik (shefik.info) is set to be honored at the 2nd Annual Men of Excellence Awards. A total of 35 honorees will be celebrated at this year's awards ceremony, which also includes Grammy Award winner and NAACP Image Award nominee Bishop Hezekiah Walker; New York State Assembly Member Marcos A. Crespo (Assembly District 85); and recording artist Mr. Every Day (godson of critically-acclaimed spoken-word performer and author Gil Scott-Heron). Additionally, actor Ralph Carter (CBS' "Good Times", "Raisin" on Broadway) will be making a special appearance. At the Inaugural Men of Excellence Awards in 2016, which honored legendary radio broadcast announcer and DJ Vaughn Harper, Shefik served as a guest speaker.
Produced by Linda "Cocochynna" Ford and Sean Brown, the black tie gala and awards ceremony will be held at BRIC Arts | Media House, 647 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, New York 11217, on Saturday, December 16, 2017, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET. The red carpet is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET. Tickets can be purchased online at eventbrite.com/e/2nd-annual-men-of-excellence-awards-tickets-39824438969, priced at $75 for general admission and $100 for VIP reserved seating. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Global Technology Training Center (GTTC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Throughout 2017, Shefik was very active in the community. He served as a judge for a local Miss America competition, aiding in the 2018 crowning of Miss Northern Highlands, Miss Northern Lakes, and Miss North Jersey. The winners will move on to compete for the state title of Miss New Jersey 2018. Shefik also served as moderator at a panel discussion on "Equity & Diversity: Community Dialogue", held in Washington, D.C., and he was named Master of Ceremonies for various charitable events to benefit Autism New Jersey, and Eastern Shore Self-Advocacy Project (Maryland), as well as industry leading events Maarkah New York Fashion Week SS18 (New York City), and Lehigh Valley Fashion Week (Pennsylvania). Additionally, he appeared as a guest speaker at various uplifting events, such as a holiday fundraiser for YWCA Yonkers (an affiliate of YWCA USA), the 7th Annual Broadway Sings for Pride, and Global Tech Meets Fashion Affair Fundraiser, all held in New York City and surrounding areas.
Recently, Shefik was appointed Official Member to the Forbes Technology Council, an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs, and technology executives. Membership is based upon professional accomplishments, and the council is comprised of a diverse, innovative, and extremely well-connected network of top-flight technologists.
Shefik joins other Forbes Technology Council members, who are hand-selected, to become part of a curated network of successful peers and get access to a variety of exclusive benefits and resources, including the opportunity to submit thought leadership articles and short tips on industry-related topics for publishing on forbes.com.
"I am grateful for the opportunities that have graced my career thus far, and I am tremendously proud to be honored at the 2nd Annual Men of Excellence Awards," says Shefik. "I was born in Brooklyn, New York, so it is a full-circle moment for me to receive this award in my hometown."
Shefik is currently celebrating his 20th anniversary in the professional workforce. He began his career as an entertainment publicist, working with companies such as Motown Music Publishing, Island Black Music (Island Records), and Double XXposure, as well as high-profile recording artists, such as Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee The Isley Brothers, 5-time Grammy Award winner Dionne Warwick, and Tony Award winner and 4-time Grammy Award nominee Melba Moore.
"I am fortunate to have worked with many legendary music institutions and personalities very early in my career," Shefik reflects. "By studying their extensive work — and oftentimes being hands-on with the expansion of such work — I learned the mechanics of longevity, which continues to drive the underlying system of my own career."
Shefik later expanded his skillset to technology, where he worked as Technical Producer at TIME magazine. Afterwards, he worked as Web Developer and Engineer at Condé Nast Digital (Vanity Fair, GQ, Wired), Vimeo, Columbia Law School, Publicis Modem (LG, Sanofi Pasteur), HUGE, and Penton Media, among others. Additionally, he has held senior-level positions at many celebrated brands, including IBM, NBCUniversal, MTV World, Merck, Merriam-Webster, and Wolters Kluwer.
Shefik currently serves as Lead Drupal Developer at Robert A.M. Stern Architects, as well as Lead Web Architect at Nonprofit Solutions Network. It is apparent that Shefik is on the cutting edge of multimedia, as he also serves as Executive Producer and Host of the nationally-syndicated radio show and internationally-syndicated video series, "Shefik presents Invocation" (invocation.co), a mesmerizing and thought-provoking journey through musical discovery and appreciation that spans the decades. The show is currently broadcast on 21 terrestrial radio stations and frequencies throughout the United States. As of this writing, the show has won a total of 25 industry awards (for audio, video, and website), many of which were awarded at the highest level.
As an award-winning videographer and producer, Shefik's work has been featured in television broadcasts and video productions for TIME, The Washington Center, "Unsung" (TV One), Broadway World, and a major news station in New York City. Additionally, his photography has been featured in print and online publications, such as Daily Mail, Harvard Kennedy School Magazine, Playbill, and China Press.
About 'Shefik presents Invocation'
Aptly titled "Shefik presents Invocation", the nationally-syndicated radio show is a mesmerizing and thought-provoking journey through musical discovery and appreciation that spans the decades. The show is currently broadcast on 21 terrestrial radio stations and frequencies throughout the United States. Additionally, all interview segments are shot on video and distributed internationally via outlets, such as Amazon (United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan). Each one-hour episode, executive-produced and hosted by media personality Shefik, highlights one relatable focal point (chosen by Shefik), along with an accompanying playlist of songs (curated by Shefik), encompassing a unique thematic concept that invigorates the audience with creative impact. Top recording artists, actors, business executives, politicians, community leaders, and other special guests are invited to offer their own commentary on the weekly topic, as a supplement to Shefik's engaging mindset. The radio show's online hub at invocation.co serves as a conduit for discussion of the show, while featuring related videos and auxiliary content. The journey continues right here and everywhere.
Media Contacts
Shefik
All Knight Access
+1 (914) 548-5033
shefik@allknightaccess.com
Toni Knight
All Knight Access
+1 (914) 645-4830
toni.knight@allknightaccess.com
Last Updated: May 30, 2021
