For those making and breaking recent headlines, The Guardian Activate Summit held at New York’s Paley Center for Media was a venue of choice on Thursday. Notable media and social network executives were there to discuss openness, social good initiatives, and describe new offerings.

Among those making appearances were Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, whose company just purchased SlideShare; Arianna Huffington, whose Huffington Post is the subject of recent sale rumors; and Alan Rusbridger, editor of The Guardian, the outlet that uncovered News Corporation’s wrongdoings. Nike’s recently unveiled sneakers designed for Olympians also debuted on stage. Below are key highlights.

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If you ever got a terrific piece of career advice, here is your opportunity to share it.

New York Women in Communications has launched an interactive video series called “Connect with the Women Who Connect the World,” featuring journalists Katie Couric and Arianna Huffington, Internet executive Susan Lyne, marketing expert Mary Lou Quinlan, and CRT/Tanaka‘s chief creative officer Patrice Tanaka (pictured, who talks about her late-in-life adoption of ballroom dancing). Each has won a Matrix Award from Women in Communications.

Women interested in participating in the program are asked to record and submit a 25-second video sharing the best advice they have ever received.

A montage of the produced series will launch at The Matrix Awards on April 23, held during a luncheon at The Waldorf Hotel, where the 2012 Matrix Award honorees will be saluted. The organization plans to continue the series throughout the year to inspire the next generations of communications pros.

TechCrunch's Michael Arrington

TechCrunch writers are speaking out about the news that TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington is launching a $20 million venture capital fund, CrunchFund, news that has been met with criticism and confusion since it was announced.

Writer MG Siegler’s post “TechCrunch As We Know It May Be Over” warns AOL against bringing in their own EIC to replace Arrington, saying it would be a “a colossal fucking mistake” and says he’s letting “our readers, know before you find out via a press release.” Writer Paul Carr defends the site against a separate column in the Times that also questions the ethics of the launch. (TechCrunch’s Carr previously wrote a column criticizing the move though supportive of Arrington and the site.)

Both writers talk about the journalistic independence that TechCrunch reporters have, and it’s both interesting and insightful to read these two columns about the situation. But it would be better for TechCrunch if there was a more cohesive message coming from the company leadership on what’s happening.

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Twitter co-founder Biz Stone announced on his blog today that he will be serving as AOL’s Social Impact Advisor.

Also announced today, the “30-Day Service Challenge,” a philanthropic program launched “to kick off the first official week of the new Huffington Post Media Group at AOL,” Arianna Huffington writes in a HuffPo post. The program will encourage people across the now-joint organization to give back to their local communities. There will also be additional coverage of companies and individual people who are doing good works.

Stone says his role at Twitter won’t change. And AllThingsD reports that Stone is getting AOL equity. Both that site and Mashable also suspect that this is a way for AOL to get some good PR after last week’s layoffs. True.

In an essay on The Huffington Post discussing the site’s merger with AOL, Arianna Huffington, HuffPo co-founder and now president and EIC of The Huffington Post Media Group, speaks to what is most important to the newly merged media outlet.

“By combining HuffPost with AOL’s network of sites, thriving video initiative, local focus, and international reach, we know we’ll be creating a company that can have an enormous impact, reaching a global audience on every imaginable platform.”

(As with The Daily, we wonder if that means new pitching opportunities for publicists. Note, the New York Times pinpoints the AOL sites that will likely disappear and the staff adjustments that will probably be made.)

Moreover, the acquisition gives AOL a jolt that it needs. Huffington also addressed that in a video she and AOL CEO Tim Armstrong recorded for AllThingsD.

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Kraft Foods and its partners the Points of Light Institute and the HandsOn Network are hosting America’s Sunday Supper this Sunday, January 16 at the Newseum in Washington D.C.

At the supper, there will also be a panel focused on volunteerism with guests including the Huffington Post’s Arianna Huffington (left), Olympic medalist Carl Lewis, and Fox news correspondent Juan Williams (right). According to the press release announcing the event, it is in celebration of Monday’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and Dr. King’s “passion for service.”

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Four PR people crashed the New York Observer Power 150 List this year, a ranking dominated by extremely rich and powerful people in finance and politics, topped off with a healthy mix of media moguls and editors from all sides of the MSM wars including Anna Wintour, Henry Blodget, Tina Brown, Arianna Huffington, David Remnick, Nick Denton, Scott Dadich, (responsible for WIRED‘s app), and Dennis Crowley (Foursquare super Mayor)

The “purely subjective, data-free ranking” includes:

Howard Rubenstein (#17)–Founder of Rubenstein Communications, and godfather of New York PR

Steve Rubenstein (#78)–The “fresh-faced heir apparent” to the empire, credited as a force behind the restoration of the High Line

Peggy Siegel (#86)–Called the city’s “most notorious publicist” by the chatty, salmon-colored newspaper

Richard Edelman (#133)–Davos regular, and President and CEO of independent megafirm Edelman Public Relations.  We’re sure he’s enjoying his characterization as “one of the truly good guys in an industry not known for them.”

Also notable is the inclusion of MDC Partners Chairman Miles Nadal at #94.  Nadal joins the list for acquiring a string of interesting small and midsize marketing, social media and PR firms to bolt on to his growing advertising conglomerate.

Photo: Nancy Lazarus

The growing role of social media versus websites, openness versus privacy, community giving, and the new movie The Social Network were among the topics covered when Arianna Huffington interviewed Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s COO, during day three of Advertising Week at a Huffington Post event on social media.

For marketers to reach their audience, Sandberg said, “Now people are spending more time on social media and less time than they once did on websites. More marketers now are tying their campaigns to social media since that is where their customers are.” She said that the personalized nature of social media was also a factor driving its popularity. Read more

Maegan Carberry has worn many hats in her media career, from Arianna Huffington‘s chief of staff to Chicago Tribune columnist. Now, Carberry is heading up communications for Rock the Vote, the well known voter registration organization.

PRNewser caught up with Carberry this week for her first feature interview since joining the organization this past April.

What can we expect to hear from Rock the Vote this election season? How has the organization’s messaging changed in recently?

First off, it is our 20 year anniversary. We were founded in 1990, after there was a movement to censor music in America. A bunch of recording industry executives came together to empower people who listened to their music.

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[Mark Green referees Arianna Huffington vs. Mary Matalin]

Account wins in this edition of Spin the Agencies of Record includes a fashion designer, baby changing stations for SUVs, a market research company, public transportation, and a new syndicated radio show:

Fashion designer Sue Wong loves Loving + Company

Resound Marketing cleans up on the fly by winning Dipe n’ Go, baby changing stations for SUVs, minivans, and hatchback vehicles.

Trylon SMR works both sides of the aisle to launch “Both Sides Now,” the new nationally-syndicated talk radio show with Arianna Huffington, Mary Matalin and former NYC Public Advocate, Mark Green.

Communispace, the market research company using “private customer communities” signs Text 100 as agency of record.

San Antonio’s public transportation provider VIA Metropolitan hops aboard Creative Civilization’s client list for advertising and marketing services.