From neighborhood stages to Saturday Night Live’s iconic platform, Kenan Thompson has built a career defined by both longevity and authenticity. In this inspiring talk, he reflects on how Black creatives can expand their influence without losing the essence of where they come from. With warmth and wit, Kenan shares lessons from his journey—how to navigate bigger stages, balance mainstream success with cultural responsibility, and ensure your voice remains your own. This is a story about resilience, ownership, and the power of staying true to your roots while speaking to the world.

The microphone is no longer reserved for the few—it belongs to everyone. In this provocative talk, cultural commentator Charlamagne Tha God unpacks the explosive rise of podcasting and the democratization of media, where everyday voices compete with legacy institutions for our attention. What happens when everyone becomes a pundit, a personality, a platform? With humor and sharp insight, Charlamagne explores the power and pitfalls of this new ecosystem—how it’s amplifying diverse perspectives, reshaping influence, and redefining truth in real time.

Marriott CMO Julius Robinson and BET CMO Kimberly Paige join Jerri DeVard for a candid conversation on driving growth in a climate where language is shifting, DE&I is under fire, and the corporate lexicon itself can become a battleground. How can today’s leaders stay authentic, resilient, and impactful while navigating these high-stakes changes?

In a world where headlines travel faster than facts and algorithms often reward outrage over accuracy, how do we hold onto truth? Journalist Don Lemon takes the stage to explore the urgent challenge of navigating misinformation in our hyperconnected era. Drawing from his own experiences covering pivotal moments in history and confronting falsehoods in real time, Lemon reveals why truth-telling is both more difficult—and more necessary—than ever.