Beverly Macy is a hero in tech and teaching
- Every Media Productions
- Apr 22
- 4 min read
With a career that bridges digital technology innovation, bestselling authorship, and over two decades of academic work at UCLA, Beverly Macy shares her insights on technology, education and the bright future she’s helping to shape.
Beverly Macy: "From Corporate America to entrepreneur to the academic world."
Beverly Macy’s career spans corporate leadership, entrepreneurship, and academia, giving her a rare perspective on the evolution of technology. A pioneer in understanding digital transformation, she authored the best-selling “The Power of Real-Time Social Media Marketing” in 2011, helping students and professionals grasp the power of emerging platforms.
From early work in mainframe software to witnessing the rise of the PC and Macintosh, Beverly has always been at the forefront of innovation. Today, she focuses on AI and Digital Ownership, while continuing to teach at UCLA, where she has inspired students worldwide for over 20 years.
Deeply rooted in Los Angeles, Beverly is also a dedicated community advocate, serving as a Volunteer Curator for the LA County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Looking ahead, she is preparing the second edition of her book “From PCs to AI… Pioneering Digital Ownership and Beyond” set for release in Fall 2025, covering emerging topics like Agentic AI and Vibe Coding.
Personally, she finds joy in supporting her grandson, a young piano prodigy and artist, celebrating a future full of creativity and promise.
In the following interview, Beverly Macy reflects on the milestones of her remarkable journey, the values that drive her work, and the exciting projects that lie ahead.
Hi Beverly, what’s your background and what led you to where you are today?
From Corporate America to entrepreneur to the academic world, my vantage points have enabled a unique set of perspectives on major developments over the years. This has made me especially qualified for my current work in AI and helps me frame these new tectonic developments with both an eye to the future.
When my first best-selling book "The Power of Real-Time Social Media Marketing" was published by McGraw-Hill in 2011, the potential value of social media and its relevance was hard for many to grasp at first. I understood it and could translate its meaning to businesses, students and brands. I traveled to boardrooms and executive meetings all around the world to help foster critical thinking among decision-makers and leaders around these new developments.
In the early part of my career my world consisted of software development for mainframe and mini-computers and our crowd paid little attention to much else in the tech world. America was still basking in the glow of the moon landing. Millions of people around the world had gathered around their televisions to watch two U.S. astronauts do something no one had ever done before, and computers played a big part in that. It was thrilling to be in the field.
I was working in the Bay Area when IBM announced the first Personal Computer and was also there for the announcement of Apple's Macintosh. Fast forward to now and my focus is on AI and Digital Ownership.
I have been teaching at UCLA Anderson School of Management and UCLA Extension for over 20 years and it is one of my crowning achievements. I love sharing my years of knowledge with young students from all over the world.
Beverly Macy collaborated with Lamborghini on strategic marketing initiatives.
What does your city or community mean to you, both personally and professionally?
I am a native Angeleno and love being a part of the broader Los Angeles. I have always believed in giving back to the community and I am currently a Volunteer Curator for the Los Angeles County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. We manage a military museum with over 4000 artifacts dating back to the American Revolutionary War.
Can you describe a moment in your journey when you felt truly tested and how you handled it?
I think that 9-11 was a unique challenge for me personally and for the company I was working with at the time. It is incredibly difficult to console people in an environment with so much fear and uncertainity. I am grateful to the business leaders I have had an opportunity to learn from and was able to draw on their example.
What kind of impact do you hope your work has on others?
One of my most favorite things in the whole world is to hear from former UCLA students as they share their successes and career journey with me. Here's a recent email from a student from South Africa "I wanted to thank you. You helped me prepare for the job of my dreams and I wanted you to know I got the position!" This makes everything worth it.
In my volunteer position I am especially proud of showcasing the brave men and women who have sacrificed all for our Country. We develop displays highlighting military and veteran achievements on and off the battlefield. It makes me very proud.
What’s on the horizon for you?
I am currently working on a 2nd Edition of my current book on AI and Digital Ownership. There are so many updates and advancements in the field including video production, Agentic AI, Vibe Coding and so much more. Look for that in the Fall of 2025.
And of course I focus on my friends and family. My grandson in a piano prodigy and an artist who recently sold a drawing! You could say I am his 'manager' as we catalog his work and watch his creativity bloom. And, by the way, he's only 9 years old. The future is so bright!
Connect with Beverly Macy
About the author
Fábio Borges is an award-winning international journalist and founder of Every Media Productions. Since 1996, he has reported from the Americas, Europe and Asia, producing over 4,000 news and entertainment stories. Based in Los Angeles, he’s dedicated to highlighting voices that inspire real change locally and worldwide.
