TheLoop21.com

 Darrell Williams, Publisher, dwilliams (at) theloop21 (dot) com

Darrell Williams is an economist whose career spans academic, government and business. For more than a decade, he's advised Fortune 500 companies and government agencies on business strategy, competition policy and economic regulation, first as a partner at Economic Analysis LLC, then as a Director at global consulting firm LECG LLC. As an economics professor at UCLA, he focused on methods to help students understand and apply economics in their jobs and in their daily decision-making. Darrell began his professional career in Washington D.C. at the President's Council of Economic Advisors and worked on financial markets while in the Office of the Chief Economist at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

 Crystal Smith, Senior Editor and Writer, crystal (at) theloop21 (dot) com

Crystal P. Smith has a master's in print journalism from New York University and an undergraduate degree from UCLA's School of Film and Television. She worked at GIANT Magazine and ESSENCE Magazine while in school, but it wasn't until a summer in Ghana that she realized her passion for journalism. She does copywriting work for the web and is currently working on an original novel of fiction.

 Devona Walker, Senior Reporter and Blogger, devona (at) theloop21 (dot) com

Devona Walker graduated with a degree in journalism but did not immediately go to work in that field. She was a club DJ and HIV/AIDS counselor/tester and communicable disease investigator. Devona's journalism career began at the Los Angeles Daily News in the late '90s. Within a few years, she was recruited to start a daily newspaper in the Bay Area. She has since worked for mainstream news organizations, both big and small.

 Alyssa Giachino, Economics writer and Content Manager, alyssa (at) theloop21 (dot) com

Alyssa Giachino is a bilingual journalist who has written stories on politics, economics, immigration, the environment and labor. She has reported from New York City, New Jersey, California and Mexico City. She has a master's in journalism from New York University.

 Annie Gldzhyan, Editorial Assistant, annie (at) theloop21 (dot) com

Annie Gldzhyan is working on her Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism with a minor in Psychology at California State University, Northridge. Raised in Los Angeles, she has a wide range of goals. She has an open mind about where her experience will lead her, but she definitely hopes to write books in the future.

 Cindy Barnes-Thomas, Contributor, cindy (at) theloop21 (dot) com

Cindy Barnes-Thomas has over 10 years of experience in journalism and law. She has written for daily newspapers, trade publications and legal digests. She has worked as a public relations, legal and media consultant. Cindy is a graduate of Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and The Ohio State University College of Law. Her work has been published in The Dayton Daily News, The Virginian-Pilot/Ledger-Star, BNA’s Environmental Compliance Bulletin and Texas Environmental Compliance Bulletin. She currently works as a consultant and is working on her first novel.

 Keli Goff, Contributor

As an expert on youth and minority voters Keli Goff emerged as one of the most recognizable political pundits of the 2008 presidential election cycle appearing on numerous national programs including: “The CBS Early Show,” CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” and BET’s “The Truth with Jeff Johnson”. She is the author of the critically acclaimed book Party Crashing: How the Hip-Hop Generation Declared Political Independence. Keli is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post and previously served as an editorial contributor to RushmoreDrive.com. Her writing has also appeared in TIME and UPTOWN Magazines. Keli holds a B.A. from New York University and a Master’s degree in Strategic Communications from Columbia University.