Broken Promises
event
Details
Date
Tues, Oct 16
Time
9:00AM – 9:45AM
Stage
Breakthrough stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Speakers & Moderators
Philonise Floyed
Activist, Brother of George Floyd
Tru Pettigrew
Author, Activist, Former Chief Diversity Officer, Minnesota Timberwolves
Aaron Walton
CEO, Walton Isaacson
It’s been over four years since the murder of George Floyd, and the subsquent promises that were made by corporate America. In this impactful conversation, George Floyd’s brother, Philonise Floyd, will talk about the work he is doing to continue his brothers legacy and the need for brands to keep their commitments because our country’s future may way in the balance.
Details
Date
Tues, Oct 16
Time
9:00AM – 9:45AM
Stage
Breakthrough stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Culture, Marketing's New Buzzword
event
Details
Date
Tues, Oct 17
Time
9:50AM – 10:35AM
Stage
Breakthrough stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Speakers & Moderators
Author, “For the Culture”
Lola Bakare
CMO Advisor & Founder of Be/Co
Aaron Walton
CEO, Walton Isaacson
“Culture” has quickly become the marketing and advertising industry’s favorite new buzzword. It has become table stakes for marketers who want to prove to their clients that they understand how to make brands cool and relevant. But culture is not what everyone thinks it is, and during this keynote, Dr. Marcus Collins, Author, “For the Culture”, will help us understand what culture is, what it isn’t and most importantly what it takes to be a cultural marketing expert.
Details
Date
Tues, Oct 17
Time
9:50AM – 10:35AM
Stage
Breakthrough stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Black and Spirited - How Uncle Nearest Became a Billion Dollar Brand
event
Details
Date
Tues, Oct 17
Time
1:10PM – 1:55PM
Stage
Breakthrough stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Speakers & Moderators
Co-founder & Board Member, Uncle Nearest, Inc., President & CEO, Nashwood, Inc.
Aaron Walton
CEO, Walton Isaacson
Keith Weaver and his wife Fawn Weaver have taken the spirits industry by storm, proving that Black consumers are not driving premium spirits growth as customers but as founders. In this fireside chat we will discuss how Uncle Nearest has gone from boutique bourbon brand to full blown spirits industry unicorn, surpassing 1 billion dollars in valuation. Keith will share how Uncle Nearest cracked the code and what’s next for the power house duo, who are set to take over the spirits industry.
Details
Date
Tues, Oct 17
Time
1:10PM – 1:55PM
Stage
Breakthrough stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
The Black Economic Crisis
event
Details
Date
Tues, Oct 17
Time
11:30AM – 12:10PM
Stage
Breakthrough stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Speakers & Moderators
Aaron Walton
CEO, Walton Isaacson
John Hope Bryant is an author and economist focused on helping underserved communities close the wealth inequality gap. In this fireside chat, John will outline the current state of Black America, the economic crisis he is fighting hard to eliminate and what the Black community needs to do to ensure it can economically survive in a world that is becoming more financially polarizing.
Details
Date
Tues, Oct 17
Time
11:30AM – 12:10PM
Stage
Breakthrough stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Provocation On Purpose: Why Blackweek Matters
event
Details
Date
Tues, Oct 17
Time
10:40AM – 11:25AM
Stage
Breakthrough stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Speakers & Moderators
Jonathan Mildenhall
CMO, Rocket Companies
Founder & CEO, MakeLoveNotPorn
Aaron Walton
CEO, Walton Isaacson
Jonathan Mildenhall will sit down with his first boss Cindy Gallop to discuss how a kid from Leeds, has overcome adversity to become one of the most influential CMOs and marketers in the advertising industry. This candid conversation will unpack the challenges that marketers of color face in an industry where politics, cronyism and other factors impact the objectivity necessary for diversity to thrive. He will also talk about the big plans he has to help level the playing field in an industry that needs more bravery!
Details
Date
Tues, Oct 17
Time
10:40AM – 11:25AM
Stage
Breakthrough stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
United States of Bias
event
Details
Date
Tues, Oct 17
Time
9:00 – 9:45AM
Stage
Breakthrough stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Speakers & Moderators
Ibram X. Kendi
Best Selling Author, “Stamped From the Beginnng”, Professor, Boston University
Toure
Writer & Journalist
Aaron Walton
CEO, Walton Isaacson
Award winning author of the book, “Stamped From The Beginning”, that became a must watch documentary on Netflix, Ibram X. Kendi will take Blackweek attendees on a historical rollercoaster ride of the history of racism and bias in America. Moderated by journalist and podcaster, Toure, this fireside chat, will seek to uncover the origin of bias in America and how it consciously and subconsciously impacts the opportunities people of color are afforded.
Details
Date
Tues, Oct 17
Time
9:00 – 9:45AM
Stage
Breakthrough stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Diversity Drives Revenue: Building Teams for Tomorrow's Markets
event
Details
Date
Tues, Oct 16
Time
1:35PM – 2:20PM
Stage
Breakthrough stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Speakers & Moderators
In today’s marketplace, diversity isn’t just a moral imperative—it’s a financial one. Reflecting the diverse tapestry of the global audiences brands and businesses serve is your biggest asset when it comes to the bottom line. This lively and insightful session brings together brand leaders and marketers to better understand how to make an impact, and find innovation, connection and lucrative results along the way. Learn how cutting-edge companies are building diverse teams, and leveraging their impacts to spark innovation, foster creativity and drive growth.
Understand your audience: Dive deep into how a diverse team offers unparalleled insights into the black and brown demographics.
Building high-performing and inclusive teams: Unpacking the strategies and best practices for assembling teams that are not only diverse, but also bring a multitude of perspectives, experiences, and ideas to the table.
Creating spaces that foster belonging: How to create a work environment where every team member feels valued, heard, and integral to the organization’s success. It’s not just about hiring; it’s about nurturing an inclusive culture to retain talent and raise productivity and impact for the long-term.
This Blackweek discussion is proudly sponsored by VML. We’re grateful for their generous support and commitment to right-sizing industries to help create more opportunity for equity and ownership.
Details
Date
Tues, Oct 16
Time
1:35PM – 2:20PM
Stage
Breakthrough stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Diverse Data Matters - DE&AI
event
Details
Date
Tues, Oct 16
Time
3:00PM – 3:40PM
Stage
Impact stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Speakers & Moderators
Danisha Lomax
EVP, Head of Client Inclusivity & Impact, Digitas
Zakeera Belton
Vice President, Customer Success, Collage Group
Decades of data bias and the lack of diverse data professionals has left the data available to advertisers absent of the cultural insights necessary to give advertisers the full picture. In this panel moderated by Amy Lanzi of Digitas we will unpack the extent of this problem and what we need to do to create greater representation in the data necessary for brands to achieve greater relevancy and impact when targeting diverse audiences. Join John Pasmore (Founder & CEO, Latimer), Larry Adams (CEO, Founder, XStereotype), Danisha Lomax (EVP, Head of Client Inclusivity & Impact at Digitas), and Zekeera Belton (Vice President, Customer Success, Collage Group) to discuss how generative AI and machine learning will finally bridge the cultural understanding gap for advertisers.
This Blackweek discussion is proudly sponsored by Digitas. We’re grateful for their generous support and commitment to right-sizing industries to help create more opportunity for equity and ownership.
Details
Date
Tues, Oct 16
Time
3:00PM – 3:40PM
Stage
Impact stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Betting on Black Ambition
event
Details
Date
Tues, Oct 16
Time
2:10PM – 2:55PM
Stage
Impact stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Speakers & Moderators
CEO, Black Ambition
Founder, Chairman & CEO, Ariel Alternatives
Paul Judge
Softbank
Dhani Jones
Former NFL Player, Investor & Entrepreneur
Black founders in the United States have faced a decline in venture funding since 2021, with only 0.48% of all venture dollars going to Black-led startups in 2023. This is the lowest percentage in recent history, and is down from 0.74% in the first half of 2023 to 0.13% in the third quarter. This panel will unpack the conscious and unconscious bias that impacts founders and will uncover why Pharrel’s Williams, Felicia Hatcher, and Les Brun’s Ariel Investments are betting big on Black Ambition
Details
Date
Tues, Oct 16
Time
2:10PM – 2:55PM
Stage
Impact stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
If Mad Men were Black Women
event
Details
Date
Tues, Oct 16
Time
10:45AM – 11:30AM
Stage
Impact stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Speakers & Moderators
CCO, McCann
Global Chief Experience Design Officeer, VML
Black women chief creative officers — that’s not something you say in a sentence every day. Well, these (three) women personify a movement in the advertising industry that is starting to gain momentum. In an industry where most creative campaigns are still driven by a White male psychology, what happens when you get a Black woman’s perspective? During this panel discussion, we will find out. Discussion topics to include: challenges Black women creatives face in advancement, getting their ideas heard, and what they bring to the table.
This Blackweek discussion is proudly sponsored by Razorfish. We’re grateful for their generous support and commitment to right-sizing industries to help create more opportunity for equity and ownership.
Details
Date
Tues, Oct 16
Time
10:45AM – 11:30AM
Stage
Impact stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013