Alakoye ayinde biography of williams

Mention African-Americans in radio and the first thing that comes  to mind is likely the deluge of brown artists who’ve left an indelible print on American music, followed by the Black disc-jockeys who made them famous.

Next, some might recall the handful of entrepreneurs, like Cathy Hughes, who steered vast urban radio empires.

But there is one Black radio entrepreneur, who by the nature of technological innovation, finds himself in a league alone.

His name is Ayinde Alakoye.

And even if that fails to ring a bell, chances are you know his work.

In 2007, he created the mobile app that Clear Channel turned into iHeartRadio, the broadcasting giant’s flagship Internet radio platform that boasts 70 million users.

And in 2010, after a stint writing speeches for President Obama, he launched Hitch Radio, the first mobile application to merge social media and music, effectively connecting people from around the globe to radio stations around the globe.

Before the age of 4