In today’s marketplace, diversity isn’t just a moral imperative—it’s a financial one. Reflecting the diverse tapestry of global audiences that brands and businesses serve is a crucial asset for the bottom line. This lively and insightful session brings together brand leaders and marketers to explore how to make an impact, find innovation, and achieve lucrative results. Learn how cutting-edge companies are building diverse teams and leveraging their impact to spark innovation, foster creativity, and drive growth. Understand your audience: Dive deep into how a diverse team provides unparalleled insights into Black and Brown demographics. Building high-performing and inclusive teams: Unpack 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: Discover how to cultivate 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 enhance productivity and impact over the long term.

Decades of data bias and a lack of diverse data professionals have left advertisers with data that lacks the cultural insights necessary to provide a complete picture. In this panel, moderated by Amy Lanzi of Digitas, we will explore the extent of this issue and discuss what steps are needed to ensure greater representation in data, enabling brands to achieve higher relevance 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) as they discuss how generative AI and machine learning can bridge the cultural understanding gap for advertisers.

Since 2021, Black founders in the United States have seen a decline in venture funding, with only 0.48% of all venture capital going to Black-led startups in 2023. This is the lowest percentage in recent history, down from 0.74% in the first half of 2023 to just 0.13% in the third quarter. This panel will explore both conscious and unconscious biases affecting founders and discuss why investing in Black Ambition is essential.

Black women Chief Creative Officers—that’s not a phrase you hear every day. These trailblazing women represent a movement gaining momentum in the advertising industry. In a field where most creative campaigns are still driven by a white male perspective, what happens when we see the world through the eyes of a Black woman? In this panel discussion, we’ll explore the challenges Black women creatives face in advancing their careers, getting their ideas heard, and the unique perspectives they bring to the table.

In 2024, 90% of all digital media investment will be made programmatically. However, there are very few diverse-owned programmatic platforms. With more money being invested in programmatic advertising, it’s essential that we see the emergence of diverse-owned ad tech companies. In this panel, we will uncover the monopolies that exist in ad tech, the corresponding impact for publishers, and what it will take for a diverse-owned player to break through.

We are living in the most polarizing time in modern history, where it seems like we are in a perpetual political cycle, where campaign narratives are focused on division not unification. In this 45 minute fireside chat moderated by Arturo Nunez, Senatorial candidate, Hill Harper will discuss the current state of democracy, the challenges with the democratic party, how diversity impacts election results and how being in a perpetual political cycle will continue to be a challenge in unifying our country.

Self-proclaimed as the ‘Michael Bay of advertising’ for her tendency to disrupt the status quo, Cindy Gallop is unafraid to make the advertising industry uncomfortable. In this bold discussion, Cindy will explore the advantages of embracing diverse women’s perspectives in advertising and how the future of the industry is tied to its commitment to women in leadership. She’ll address the dangers of perpetuating white male psychology as the dominant narrative and how this can alienate critical consumer groups essential for business growth.

Ever wonder how brands like Apple, Nike, and the NBA consistently rank among the most beloved in the world? Arturo Nunez, one of the industry’s top marketing minds with senior roles at these companies and more, will reveal the secrets to building brand loyalty. In today’s competitive marketplace, forging meaningful emotional connections is crucial. Arturo will explain how to create these connections and transform them into tangible ROI.

As the world and the U.S. become increasingly diverse, healthcare marketing has lagged behind in adapting to these changes. With 1 in 5 Americans now senior citizens, many of whom are diverse consumers, is the healthcare industry truly prepared to engage authentically with all audiences? This panel will explore what it will take to build meaningful connections with communities that have historically been distrustful of healthcare institutions. We’ll also examine the evolving roles of media, agencies, content, influencers, and data in creating culturally relevant communications that ensure every audience receives the care and attention they deserve.

Are women more likely than men to embrace diversity as a growth strategy? In this panel, Amber Guild, CEO of McCann NYC, will engage with senior women marketers responsible for expanding multi-billion dollar brands, all of whom have made diversity a central driver of their business. We will explore the proportion of diverse audiences within their total addressable market, how these audiences influence R&D, the challenges of managing scale and ensuring authentic engagement, and how demographic shifts shape their go-to-market strategies.