David A. Wilson

David A. Wilson

Co-Founder, TheGrio.com

David A. Wilson is an African-American media entrepreneur who recently moved to Brazil to focus on developing film, television, and digital content for the nation’s underserved Black population of 110 million. David is the co-founder of theGrio.com, one of the largest digital news platform focused on stories and perspectives that affects and reflects Blacks in the United States. He launched theGrio in June of 2009 and sold it to NBCUniversal in August 2010. However, in 2014 they reacquired the site from the media giant and in less than one year doubled its traffic to reach over 5 million unique visitors monthly. He sold the company yet again in 2016 to one of Hollywood’s black media giants, Byron Allen. 

Wilson also co-directed and wrote MSNBC's 2008 critically acclaimed and award-winning documentary, "Meeting David Wilson." The film chronicled his journey to find answers to today's racial disparities in America and his encounter with a descendant of his family's former slaveowners, also named David Wilson. 

Wilson has an extensive background in video and news productions. He served as lead producer and overlooked newsroom operations for NNS (Network News Service) a national news gathering service and an ABC, CBS, and Fox News conglomerate.  Prior to working at NNS, David worked at King World Productions, where he helped launch a new talk show that was syndicated in over 85% of America's television markets. 

He began his career in national broadcast television at the CBS News magazine show "48 Hours" where he researched and developed content for the program. David broke into the news business at WABC-TV in New York and later WAFF-TV an NBC affiliate in Huntsville, AL, where he produced and occasionally reported on the field. In 1998 David produced the documentary "Hidden Heroes: African-American Women in World War II," which has been inducted in Arlington's National Memorial.

David A. Wilson is a 1999 graduate of Rowan University with a B.A. in communication radio/TV/film. He was born and raised in Newark, N.J., but spent 17 years in Brooklyn, N.Y. He currently resides in Salvador, Bahia. 

All sessions by David A. Wilson

Day 3 June 08, 2018

10:45 - 12:15


Workshop E5. Indigenous & Non-Formal Knowledge Systems, Culture and Innovation

Day 1 June 06, 2018

16:30 - 18:30


Workshop B6. Futures Lab