Entrepreneur, philanthropist. Born October 4, 1957 in New York City. After a brief stint at City College of New York, Russell Simmons left school to promote local musicians, including Kurtis Blow and Run-D.M.C. In 1984, he and partner Rick Rubin founded Def Jam Recordings, creating the foundation for the cultural revolution known as hip hop. Def Jam signed the forerunners of the hip hop movement, including the Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Public Enemy and Run-D.M.C.

An ambitious entrepreneur, Simmons saw Def Jam as just part of his hip hop empire. His Rush Communications firm also included Phat Farm clothing company, television shows, a management company, a magazine and an advertising agency. His movie production house has produced such films as Krush Groove and The Nutty Professor.

A strict vegan and yoga enthusiast, Simmons is also an active philanthropist. He helped found the Hip Hop Summit Action Network, the Rush Philanthropic Organization, the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, and has recently joined the Board of the National Museum of Hip-Hop; lending his boundless knowledge and resources to this most monumental cause for hip-hop culture.

Terry Stewart has been the President and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum for nearly a decade. The Museum, a nonprofit organization, exists to educate visitors, music fans and scholars from around the world about the history and continuing significance of rock and roll music.

Stewart was born and raised in Daphne, Alabama, just outside Mobile. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Rutgers University in New Jersey in 1969.  Then in 1972 and 1974, he went on to earn his MBA in Finance and JD in Law at Cornell University.

Long active nationally in civic and philanthropic endeavors, Stewart is currently on the boards of many non-profits around the US.  Stewart recognized the importance of the preservation of Hip-Hop Culture and joined the NMoH Advisory Board in 2008 and has contributed with countless resources and a vast amount of personal knowledge and experience.

Bob Santelli, a former vice president at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, has been named executive director of the Grammy Museum. The 32,000-square-foot facility is set to open in December in downtown Los Angeles, across from the Staples Center. The museum is a joint venture between the Recording Academy, which oversees the Grammy Awards, and AEG, a presenter of entertainment and sporting events.

Santelli was in charge of education and public programs at the Rock Hall from 1993 until 2000, when he left to become CEO and artistic director at the Experience Music Project in Seattle. On the side, Santelli has written more than a dozen books, including “Greetings from E Street: The Story of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.”

A longtime enthusiast of the study of various global cultures, Santelli is fully aware of and understands the significance of a culture as vast and widespread as Hip-Hop Culture.  When invited by the Board of Governors to join the NMoH Advisory Board, Bob did not hesitate to accept.  Bob’s expert understanding of high-tech museum development as well as his passion for Hip-Hop will be a vital compliment to NMoH longterm efforts.