Text Exec Sends Message

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Dez White, founder of free ephemeral messaging app Invisible Text, is excited to head to New York this month to kick off her work with the Clinton Global Initiative.

A representative of President Bill Clinton’s foundation contacted White after seeing her quoted in a June Associated Press story discussing her experience as a woman of color working in the tech field.

The invitation came as a big surprise.

“This wasn’t even in my wildest dreams,” White said.

White, 30, will develop free money management seminars for members of the African-American community, with the goal of helping people become more financially literate.

The first seminar will take place in Los Angeles in February.

“I’m really hoping to impact their lives,” she said.

The local entrepreneur said she’s excited to meet the former president at a gala dinner during her trip to New York – but first things first: She needs to get a dress.

White said she’ll probably ask Pasadena’s Koffa Design Group to make her an outfit, the same firm that designed her wedding dress.

“I’m really excited,” she said. “I don’t dress up often.”

Rocker Changed Tune

Dimitry Ioffe’s transition from rock star to ad man was pretty seamless.

He’s now the chief executive of digital marketing agency TVGla in Playa Vista, but he used to play the bass for’90s rock band 10 Speed – even selling out shows at West Hollywood venues Viper Room and Troubadour.

The band also played on the last televised episode of Ed McMahon’s “Star Search,” an opportunity he almost turned down.

“We wanted to be a real band,” said Ioffe, 42, “not some Mickey Mouse cartoon band.”

So what made band members change their minds? Free accommodations in Orlando, Fla.

Shortly after, the band signed a record deal with A&M Records. But when A&M merged with Interscope Records in 1999, the band was dropped from the label.

Ioffe, who had handled 10 Speed’s marketing, decided to make that his new career. So he quickly became an ad man and left the rock world behind.

“You know, I felt like I hit my goal. I got signed by a big record label, toured the world a couple times. … I felt like I’d done enough,” he said.

Staff reporters Omar Shamout and Subrina Hudson contributed to this column. Page 3 is compiled by editor Charles Crumpley. He can be reached at [email protected].

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