In addition to 6 years as a science and math teacher in urban schools, Carl Settles Jr. has worked extensively in educational publishing, software development, music, interactive media and advertising as a developer, producer, and consultant for more than 15 years.

Mr. Settles’ clients have included Dell, Liz Claiborne, Whole Foods, MPOWER Labs, Motorola, Applied Materials, Xerox, Harcourt Achieve, Walt Disney Records, Fusion Learning Systems, the University of Texas Distance Education Center, Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, EnviroMedia and a host of others.
As the VP of Cultural Diversity for the Austin Advertising Federation, Mr. Settles received 2 National Club Achievement Awards for Diversity & Multi-Cultural Initiatives. In 2007, Mr. Settles co-founded the first ever Urban Media Symposium. The event, which was held at the University of Texas College of Communication, brought together top executives, business leaders and entertainers from companies such as Nielsen Media Research, Arbitron, Burrell Communications and GSD&M Idea City.
More recently, Mr. Settles received the 2011 SXSW Dewey Winburne Community Service Award and a proclamation from the Texas State Legislature. Recognizing the need for self-sustaining approaches to diversity, Mr. Settles, in coordination with the Texas Diversity Council, is dedicated to cultivating business, educational and community infrastructure that exposes underserved populations to a vast array of career paths.