Loading...
Be INSPIRED
Summit Kick Off

Summit Kick Off

Location

85 Murray Hill Rd, Vestal, NY 13850

Date & Time

April 11, 2026 – 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM

About the MOC Summit

The MOC Summit at Binghamton University invites you to step into your power and take ownership of the stories you tell and the spaces you shape. This year’s theme, Owning the Record: Mastering Vision, Amplifying Voice, Building Legacy, challenges you to move beyond representation and toward action—claiming your vision, using your voice with intention, and building something that lasts.

Last year at the Summit, we looked inward. We asked ourselves a fundamental question: “What Do I Represent?” Through that journey, we laid the groundwork of our individual aspirations (your self-vision), identified the core values that steady us, and found strength in our shared community.

However, a vision only becomes a reality when you take ownership of the narrative.

This year, we evolve from defining our identity to demonstrating our power. Inspired by the boundary-breaking work of our keynote speaker, Dr. A.D. Carson, we are moving beyond just being “present”—we want you to be the authors of our own excellence.

Join us at the MOC Summit to own your voice, sharpen your vision, and help build a legacy rooted in accountability, creativity, and collective impact.

This year’s event features an inspiring lineup of speakers who are leaders in their fields. We will kick things off with a virtual welcome from Chancellor John B. King Jr., a dedicated champion for student access and excellence who has led both the SUNY system and the U.S. Department of Education. Our keynote speaker, A.D. Carson, is a renowned educator and hip-hop artist whose work sparks vital conversations across literature and history. We’re also lucky to have a Binghamton alum, Darien Wright, as our closing speaker. He currently serves as CFO/COO of the National Geographic Society, bringing a wealth of experience in global impact and strategy.

Registration Fee

Per Attendee

$26
REGISTER NOW

Our Speakers

Chancellor John B King Jr headshot
Chancellor John B King Jr headshot

Chancellor John B. King Jr.

John B. King Jr. is the 15th Chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY), the largest comprehensive system of public higher education in the United States. As Chancellor, King and the SUNY Board of Trustees have established four pillars to guide SUNY’s progress: student success; research and scholarship; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and economic development and upward mobility.

Under Chancellor King’s leadership, SUNY has seen its largest operating aid increase in five decades, including double-digit percentage increases for every state-operated campus, the first two back-to-back operating aid increases for community colleges in decades, and dedicated recurring annual funding for expanding mental health services, services for students with disabilities, paid internships, and research, as well as addressing food insecurity.

Under Chancellor King, SUNY has experienced three years of enrollment gains in every sector for the first time in 15 years. As part of the Chancellor’s commitment to student success, SUNY launched ASAP and ACE – the nation’s leading, evidence-based retention and completion initiatives – which is at 34 campuses and is in the process of scaling them to reach 10,000 students within the next two years. Chancellor King has also championed a System-wide Civics and Service Agenda, which includes the launch of the Empire State Service Corps to provide paid community service opportunities to hundreds of SUNY students each year.

Learn more about Chancellor John B. King Jr. at SUNY.EDU

Chancellor John B. King Jr.

Welcome Speaker (Virtual)

A lifelong leader in public education, equity and opportunity for all.
Pic of AD Carson
Pic of AD Carson

A.D. Carson

A.D. Carson is an Associate Professor of Hip-Hop and a Shannon Center Fellow for Advanced Studies at the University of Virginia. He is from Decatur, Illinois. His work as a performance artist, educator, writer, and commentator deals with issues of race, place, history, literature, hip-hop, rhetorics & performance. He has written essays and music for Rolling Stone, Washington Post, SPIN, Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg, NPR’s Code Switch, Bleacher Report, Scalawag, and a number of other outlets.

Dr. Carson is suspicious of academia and academics, but he earned a Ph.D. in Rhetorics, Communication, and Information Design at Clemson University in 2017 by submitting the rap album, Owning My Masters: The Rhetorics of Rhymes & Revolutions as his doctoral dissertation.

Dr. Carson received the 2021 Research Award for Excellence in the Arts & Humanities from the University of Virginia after the release of his 2020 album, i used to love to dream, with University of Michigan Press. The historic release was the first-ever rap album peer-reviewed for publication with an academic press. i used to love to dream won a Prose Award (Best eProduct) from the Association of American Publishers and was a 2024 finalist for the Open Access Book Prize and Arcadia Open Access Publishing Award from the American Council of Learned Societies. It is the third in a series of mixtap/e/ssays that follow his doctoral dissertation album.

A.D. Carson

Keynote Speaker

Associate Professor of Hip Hop and the Global South
Darien-Wright-profile photo
Darien-Wright-profile photo

Darien Wright

Darien Wright ’92, a Binghamton University alumnus, is now the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer at the National Geographic Society, stepping into these leadership roles in March 2024. Wright, whose office in Washington, D.C. reflects the organization’s global mission with maps and imagery, embraces National Geographic’s dedication to science, exploration, education, and storytelling. In his role, he oversees finances, operations, investments, technology initiatives, and experiences such as Base Camp, helping advance the Society’s goals and support its Explorer programs. With National Geographic’s long legacy of funding thousands of global research projects and engaging millions of students annually, Wright finds purpose in aligning his career with mission-driven work.

Wright credits his accounting education at Binghamton, especially the technical and strategic skills he developed, for preparing him for leadership. He also reflects on early experiences — including internships and fraternity leadership — that shaped his professional mindset. After earning an MBA from The Wharton School, he built a diverse career in finance and strategy with companies like Marriott International, gaining international business insight. Wright’s journey to National Geographic underscores his commitment to mission-oriented work that leverages both financial expertise and global perspective.

Learn more about Binghamton University alumnus Darien Wright

Darien Wright

Closing Speaker

Binghamton alumni, Darien Wright became chief operating officer and chief financial officer at the National Geographic Society in March 2024
meet with all speakers

Sponsorships

For those interested, there are several sponsor packages available for the Men of Color Summit. Choose the package right for you, your company or organization, and be a part of something special.

Donations/sponsorships of any amount are welcome and appreciated. Those sponsoring at one of our sponsorship levels listed below will be recognized as listed.

For questions or to sponsor the event, please contact mocbing@binghamton.edu.

Sponsorship levels for campus partners and individual donors

Bearcat Sponsor ($2500)

This supporter helps to cover the cost of summit networking socials and keynote speaker(s). The supporter will be recognized during the summit, on all summit promotional materials, have a session named in honor of the supporter, be recognized on the summit website, and receive a personalized Thank You from President D’Alleva.

Pegasus Sponsor ($1500)

This supporter helps to cover the cost of ten summit participants and summit materials, as well as panelists and keynote speaker(s). The supporter will be recognized during the summit, on all summit promotional materials, the summit website, and receive a personalized Thank You from President D’Alleva.

Pantone 342 Sponsor ($1000)

This supporter helps to cover the cost of a summit workshop or speaker(s). The supporter will be recognized during the summit, on summit promotional materials, summit and website.

Silver Sponsor ($500)

This supporter covers the cost of ten summit participants and summit materials. The supporter will be recognized during the summit, on summit promotional materials, in the Bartle Breezeway, and on the digital signage in The Union.

Black Sponsor ($250)

This supporter covers the cost of five summit participants and summit materials. The supporter will be recognized during the summit and in the Bartle Breezeway.

Multiple Student Sponsor ($100)

This supporter covers the cost of four summit participants and will be recognized during the summit.

Student Sponsor ($25)

This supporter covers the cost of one summit participant and will be recognized during the summit.

Note: additional sponsorship opportunities and payment methods are available for business and corporate entities, please contact mocbing@binghamton.edu for information.

Sponsorship payments

On-line at bit.ly/MOCSDonation

Write a check payable to the Binghamton University Foundation and note BUF#11222 in the memo section.

 

Mail to:
Binghamton University Foundation,
PO Box 6005,
Binghamton, NY 13902-6005

Deliver to:
Gift and Donor Records (in Old O’Connor Hall #G046)

Accomodations