A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine

Jeremy is an experienced marketing and creator success professional with a passion for uplifting diverse voices. Currently, Jeremy serves as a Senior Creator Community Manager at CapCut, focusing on the growth and development of the template creator community. With support from the Emma Bowen and T. Howard foundations, he embarked on his career in the entertainment industry at companies like Viaco...

Ayeshia Toy is a dynamic HR leader with almost 20 years of experience, driving organizational success through a holistic focus on employee well-being and mental health. Throughout her career, she has collaborated closely with executives across diverse industries including advertising, hospitality, government, and tech, delivering strategic executive coaching, fostering talent engagement, and provi...

Sherice Torres is the Chief Marketing Officer at ChargePoint, where she oversees all marketing and communication activities. Before joining ChargePoint in August 2023, Sherice served as Chief Marketing Officer at Circle, a global financial technology firm, and as Chief Marketing Officer at Novi, the financial services division of Facebook. She previously served in senior marketing roles at Google,...

Sherlen Archibald is a fifteen-year marketing and communications expert, specializing in the intersection of art and storytelling. He is a co-founder of We The Roses, a creative agency for the Arts & Culture sector, whose goal is to equip brands and nonprofits with the tools to exist in a changing landscape. Archibald has worked with clients like Carnegie Hall, Google Arts & Culture, and m...

Justin Gerrard is a seasoned marketing leader with over 15 years of industry experience building growth frameworks, launching and scaling new products, and finding creative solutions for engaging target audiences at companies including Discord, Twitch, and Microsoft. He is currently the Head of Organic Growth at Mistplay, the #1 loyalty rewards app for mobile gamers. Prior to his current role, he...

Nicole Simpson exemplifies resilience and leadership, celebrated as a 2023 AdWeek Future is Female winner. Her transition from a 17-year career as a paralegal in diverse law sectors to a DE&I champion has been remarkable. As the Director of DE&I at RAPP, she has been instrumental in driving impactful strategies and fostering an inclusive culture. During her time at Omnicom Health Group, Ni...

Marques Gartrell is Co-Chief Creative Officer of Wieden + Kennedy New York, where he leads Wieden’s largest office alongside creative partner Brandon Henderson and president Jiah Choi.  Prior to his role as CCO, Gartrell was global ECD of McDonald’s, where he and his partner Brandon helped reinvigorate cultural relevance for the brand through iconic work like the Famous Orders platform, Menu Hacks...

Copywriter, Apple Inc. Makeda Loney (she/her) is a Copywriter and Content Creator based in the Bay Area, currently working as a Copywriter for Marcom Creative at Apple Inc. During her career, she has been named to a couple of impressive industry lists, including The Drum’s 50 under 30 in the U.S. in 2018, joined the ADCOLOR FUTURES Class of 2019, The Pitch Fanzine’s 100 Supermen and Women of 2020...

Lenworth “Joonbug” McIntosh is a Visual Artist based in Los Angeles, California. His Jamaican roots loom large throughout his work and find reflection across his creative wheelhouse, which includes Illustration, Painting and Film-Photography. An avid collector of images, Lenworth considers the preservation of archives an integral part of his practice. Across mediums, his work is narrative-driven,...

Jahbrielle is a St. Louis born, South LA raised writer, photographer and director. She focuses on truthful and compelling storytelling through music, narrative and documentary projects. Her roots run deeply through every part of her artistry, drawing inspiration from family lineage, the African diaspora, music and the magnificence of the natural world. These subjects are often incorporated into he...

Rodney Williams is the Co-founder of SoLo Funds, the largest community finance platform in the US. Since 2018, SoLo has surpassed 1M loans funded and redefined access to capital and returns for 1.5 million users. As the U.S.’s only Black led Certified B Corp fintech, SoLo continues its leadership, but grounded in the same hope and mission: to build a community that enables financial autonomy for a...

I began my career in brand management at Procter & Gamble, after graduating from Miami University (Oxford, OH). My brand-building work spans across many brands in beauty, pet, family categories, as well as capability building in corporate marketing roles. A highlight of my time was when I led  My Black is Beautiful  at P&G, and I launched the“The Talk” campaign that won over 150 industry a...

Sergio is a seasoned Creative, Marketing, and Technology executive who has helped global brands embrace creativity & digital experiences for over 20 years. Throughout his career, he has transformed Global Marketing & Product organizations through Integrated Campaigns, Digital and E-commerce platforms, Content Studios, AI & Personalization, UX design, streaming video platforms, experien...

Dessie Brown, Jr. has travelled the world as a connector among the most known and well-respected figures in the industries of media, sports, politics and business. As the brainchild of LD Unlimited - a marketing, consulting, and event production company he established over 17 years ago, he has loaned his expertise on projects for clients such as McDonalds, AT&T, State Farm, Cheetos, FX, Wingst...

An Atlanta-based, award-winning marketer (2017 Bronze Effie, 2019 Brand Innovators Top 40 under 40 Marketers, 2021 Woman to Watch in Marketing, 2022 Top FinTech Marketer), Tia Cummings-Hopkins has over 17 years of brand marketing experience across companies like Johnson & Johnson, Kellogg’s, IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Procter & Gamble. From May 2021 to May 2023, she worked at fintech gi...

Sherman Wright is the co-founder and managing partner of TEN35 ( www.ten35.com ), a creative company specializing in transforming brands through culture. An entrepreneur whose work and thought leadership has created award-winning campaigns for global brands including Pepsi, Nike, Disney, Microsoft, Polaris, Stellantis, American Express, JP Morgan Chase, Meta and the City of Chicago. Sherman's...

Kalina, Tech Trailblazer and Forbes 30 Under 30 North America Honoree, is a dynamic and visionary leader in the tech industry with over a decade of expertise in strategic event marketing, customer-led growth, and community building. As the founder of UnapologeTECH, she leads a global consulting platform dedicated to empowering individuals and businesses through training, content development, and c...

Sherman Winfield is an Atlanta-based Executive Creative Director at VML. His current duties include overseeing North America creative efforts for StudioX, the execution arm of OpenX, the bespoke agency network set up by WPP for The Coca-Cola Company. His latest work was an international launch for Minute Maid Zero Sugar, starring award-winning actor Jon Hamm. Some of his past clients from prior ag...

North St. Louis, MO native Craig James Mitchell has established himself in the intersection of storytelling, culture, and business for nearly 16 years as a Voiceover Artist, MC/Curator, Marketing Executive, and Community Builder. Since 2013, he has enhanced connections between purpose-driven brands and their respective communities under his creative and talent service, Craig Mitchell Effect LLC. H...

Liliane Bedford joins Confluential Films from Stacey Sher's Shiny Penny Productions, where she served as Vice President of Development and Production. During her time at Shiny Penny, Liliane she co-produced the upcoming A24 horror pic  Heretic  and worked to expand a robust development slate in both Film & TV.  Previously, she worked as a creative executive at Issa Rae's Hoorae Media,...

Jason is a trailblazer who has spent the past 15 years crafting immersive narratives that captivate audiences, fuel brand visibility and empower communities. He thrives in the margins, and always looking for opportunities to challenge marketing norms.  During his tenure at Logitech, Jason founded and led the Global Experiential Team, steering the enterprise business to unprecedented success with a...

Executive Director, Muse by Clio | The Clio Awards Charell Star is Executive Director of Muse by Cli o, covering the intersection of advertising and pop culture for the global publication on creativity in advertising and beyond. Prior to joining Muse , she covered style, tech, and culture for Newsweek, MadameNoire, and Business News Daily; she has appeared as a contributor and expert on Fox’s “Goo...

Desmond Marzette is a sports, lifestyle, and entertainment marketing expert with over 20 years of experience working with the biggest names and Brands in the industry: Gatorade, Levi’s, Corona, Jordan Brand, Beats, 2K Sports, EA Sports/Fifa (Hispanic Market), Nike, Old Spice, Target, Coke, and many more. He now sits as Executive Creative Director at Chiat\Day Los Angeles.  Desmond gains the most s...

As an honoree in Ad Age's prestigious  40 Under 40  list, Ryan is an accomplished marketing leader with a proven track record in Food & Beverage, Wine & Spirits, Music, and Tech industries. His expertise lies in marketing strategy, planning and operations, collaborative agency management, and the successful ideation and production of campaigns big and small; from brief to execution. No...

With a diverse career spanning tech, beauty, fashion, non-profits, and wellness, Michanda brings a wealth of insight and experience to each endeavor. She worked on the team that launched Meta’s first Latinx & Hispanic creator program, a landmark project that underscored her commitment to fostering diverse voices and perspectives within the digital realm. Prior to Meta, Michanda worked for over...