John Hope Bryant is an author and economist focused on helping underserved communities close the wealth inequality gap. In this fireside chat moderated by Nicky Sparrow, Multicultural Sales at iHeart Media, both will outline the current state of Black America, the economic crisis John 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.

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!

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 Touré, this fireside chat, will seek to uncover the origin of bias in America and how it consciously and sub consciously impacts the opportunities people of color are afforded.

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 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, Larry Adams, Danisha Lomax, and Zekeera Belton to discuss how generative AI and machine learning will finally bridge the cultural understanding gap for advertisers.

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 betting big on Black Ambition needs to happen.

Black women Chief Creative Officers — that’s not something you say in a sentence every day. Well, these (four) 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.

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.

The self-proclaimed Michael Bay of advertising, because of her penchant to blow shit up, Cindy Gallop is never uncomfortable in making the advertising industry uncomfortable. In this provocative discussion, Cindy will discuss the advantages of embracing diverse women’s perspectives in advertising and how the industry’s future is tied to how aggressively it embraces women in leadership. The talk will address the dangers of perpetuating white male psychology as its predominate form of expression, and how that will and can alienate certain consumer groups critical for business growth.