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January 2013

DreamWeek Sets A Goal To Share San Antonio’s Voice / San Antonio Business Journal

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By Andi Rodriguez : January 11, 2013

On Jan. 21, San Antonio will host the nation’s largest Martin Luther King Jr. march and day of service, designed to strengthen communities and bridge barriers, moving us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a beloved community.

However for Shokare (Sho) Nakpodia, one day wasn’t enough. Nakpodia, founding partner of San Antonio agency The MightyGroup, has kicked off ‘DreamWeek,’ celebrating Dr. King’s spirit for 12 days with a citywide summit.

Nakpodia explains this inaugural event is intended to promote an exchange of ideas on universal issues facing our multi-cultural community.

Nakpodia, who emigrated to the U.S. from a village in Africa, is today a successful agency owner and regarded community leader.

However, it was at the suggestion of Mayor Julián Castro, that he reached further, beyond his commercial success, to make a difference.

“The mayor challenged us to find ways to tell San Antonio’s story to a national audience … and what renders us unique,” Nakpodia says. He spoke to numerous leaders across the city and it was Tom Frost senior who led him to his DreamWeek idea.

“Tom shared that within his travels and experience, he discovered that San Antonio was highly regarded for the civilized way in which we resolved conflicts, and that led me back to Dr. King,” Nakpodia continues.

Nakpodia articulates that the singular goal of DreamWeek is to advance the voice and engage those who seek to understand their communities’ key issues by providing a forum for diverse partners and activities.

Starting Jan. 11 through Tuesday, Jan. 22, DreamWeek’s 12 days will focus on the following themes: City, Sports, Cuisine, Health, Energy, Technology, Education, Arts, Youth, Spirit, Justice and Business — with corresponding events all within or near San Antonio’s downtown area.

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First DreamWeek to begin with SAGE briefing / San Antonio Express News

By NEWS

By Mark D. Wilson : January 7, 2013

San Antonio for Growth on the Eastside (SAGE) will hold its quarterly Eastside Business Briefing Friday at 7:30 a.m. to coincide with the beginning of the first 12-day multicultural summit DreamWeek. The briefing will be held at The Spire, 230 Center St.

Sho Nakpodia, president of DreamWeek, said the idea behind the event is to get as many people as possible to modernize Martin Luther King Jr.’s message by providing a platform for the exchange of ideas and meaningful discussions about universal issues facing in the city’s diverse communities.

“We want to create this dynamic celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision,” Nakpodia said.

A part of that vision, according to DreamWeek’s website, is “to lay the foundation of tolerance, by creating dialog across cultures and communities.”

DreamWeek activities run from Friday through Jan. 22, and revolve around the themes of the city, sports, cuisine, health, energy, technology, education, arts, youth, spirit, justice and business. Events include morning workshops, luncheons and evening mixers in an around the downtown area.

The 12-day gathering wraps up with one of the largest MLK Day march in the United States, an event which was begun 26 years ago.

Jackie Gorman, SAGE executive director, said the SAGE briefing on Friday will feature a panel discussion led by community activist Aaronetta Pierce, a nationally known speaker on African American art; Katie Luber, director of the San Antonio Museum of Art; and others.

The briefing will focus on “the business of culture,” Gorman said.

Gorman said part of King’s vision was a shared culture, where all cultures are recognized and valued.

More information on the first annual DreamWeek is available at www.dreamweek.org.

mdwilson@primetimenewspapers.com