Don Lemon
Don
Lemon
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Don Lemon is an award-winning journalist and former anchor of the long-running CNN primetime program, Don Lemon Tonight as well as CNN This Morning. He has won a variety of distinguished awards for his work which has spanned nearly three decades, including an Edward R. Murrow award, multiple Emmys and a Peabody award, among others. In addition to CNN, Lemon has served as an anchor and correspondent at the NBC and MSNBC television networks, as well as at local stations in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and St. Louis.
Lemon has covered countless global breaking news stories from the anchor desk, as well as on location, including the war in Ukraine (for which he received a Peabody award in 2022), the death of Osama Bin Laden, the inaugurations of the 44th and 45th Presidents of the United States, the school shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Newtown, Connecticut, and the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, George Floyd and Tyre Nichols. He joined CNN as a correspondent in 2006.
Lemon has been honored with countless awards not only for his journalism, but also for the impact his work and influence have made on society. He was voted one of the 150 most influential African Americans by Ebony magazine in 2009. In 2014, The Advocate included him as one of the publication’s 50 Most Influential LGBTQ People in Media. In December 2016, Lemon was honored with a Native Son Award, named after James Baldwin, recognizing and to “encourage the increased visibility and impact of black gay men in society.” In 2017, Out named him to its Power 50 list of the Most Influential LGBTQ People in the USA. And in June 2019, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village, New York, Queerty named him one of the Pride 50 “trailblazing individuals who actively ensure society remains moving towards equality, acceptance and dignity for all queer people.”
Lemon is also a best-selling author. In 2011, he broke barriers by revealing that he was gay in his auto-biographical book Transparent. A decade later, in 2021, his book This is the Fire: What I Say to My Friends About Racism, debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list. It was inspired by what he saw, learned and felt about the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.
Lemon graduated from Brooklyn College with a BA in broadcast journalism. He lives in New York City with his partner and their three dogs.


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Timit Gebru
Timnit
Gebru
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Dr. Timnit Gebru is DAIR’s founder and executive director. Prior to that she was fired by Google in December 2020 for raising issues of discrimination in the workplace, where she was serving as co-lead of the Ethical AI research team. Timnit also co-founded Black in AI, a nonprofit that works to increase the presence, inclusion, visibility and health of Black people in the field of AI, and is on the board of AddisCoder, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching algorithms and computer programming to Ethiopian and Jamaican highschool students. She has received a number of accolades including being named one of Nature’s Ten people who helped shape science and one of TIME 100’s most influential people. She is currently writing The View from Somewhere, a memoir + manifesto arguing for a technological future that serves our communities instead of one that is used for surveillance, warfare, and the centralization of power by Silicon Valley.


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Tianna Madison
Tianna
Madison
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Born and raised in Elyria, Ohio just west of Cleveland Tianna Madison was a nine-time state champion, tied with Jesse Owens for most state titles. She earned a full academic and athletic scholarship to the University of Tennessee where she was a 2x South Eastern Conference Champion (SEC) and a 2x NCAA champion. Tianna is also a two-time Olympian and three-time Olympic gold medalist. She won her first gold medal by leading off the world record-setting women’s 4x100m relay team at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, while also taking fourth in the women’s 100-meters in London.
Four years later at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Madison added two more gold medals to her collection. She set a new personal best with a mark of 7.17m/23-6 to win the women’s long jump competition and made it back-to-back Olympic titles by again leading off the women’s 4x100m Olympic champion relay team.
Madison is also a three-time World Champion in the long jump, taking home the title at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, and again at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, China. She also won the 2006 World Indoor Championship in the long jump in Moscow, Russia. She also has earned three bronze medals at world championships during her career.
In addition to her successes on the field Tianna is a trauma-informed yoga and meditation teacher, advocate for various social justice initiatives, and has a social work degree from the University of Tennessee and now uses the full range of her education as a track and field coach at San Jose State University.
She is passionate about using her lived experience and education to help others become high- performing individuals and teams while safeguarding their mental health.
Tianna speaks in front of both domestic and international audiences. Most notably a panel during Super Bowl weekend on behalf of women in sports, the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta Georgia, in Oslo Norway, for a SHE Conference on the topic of resilience before hundreds of attendees, and at the Cannes Lion Festival France on a panel for disparities in healthcare and the black maternity health crisis. Tianna is a passionate advocate for Black maternal health, driven by her personal experience. She nearly died during childbirth, and her son was born at just 26 weeks, requiring 73 days of care in the NICU.
Tianna is a credible thought leader having been called upon by the United States Olympic Committee to discuss racial bias on a year long committee in addition to being published in the Yoga Journal, The Telegraph(UK), The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Irish Times, and Newsweek on a variety of subjects. She is also author of her riveting memoir Survive and Advance a tale of a life spent running.
Now that Tianna is retired from athletics, she channels the same energy, lived experience, and social work background into making impactful change in the communities she is a part of. Tianna is dedicated to leveraging her platform and expertise to advocate for equitable healthcare, social justice, and mental health awareness. Her commitment to creating positive change and uplifting others remains unwavering as she continues to inspire and lead by example.


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Heather Dowdy
Heather
Dowdy
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Heather Dowdy is a globally recognized tech leader, storyteller, and accessibility advocate who bridges innovation with inclusion—connecting disability, race, and faith. She has spent the last 20 years in leadership roles at Netflix, Microsoft, and Motorola driving accessible innovation across mobile, web, streaming TV and AI. Heather is reshaping how the world thinks about accessibility – not as a compliance checkbox, but as a catalyst for creativity, equity and impact. A trusted voice in the disability community and a U.S. Access Board presidential appointee, she leads with vision, empathy, and action.


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Welcome to the Culture Economy
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BLACKWEEK Returns to NYC | October 6–9, 2025
This year, BLACKWEEK invites you to step into the future with our theme: “Welcome to the Culture Economy.” It’s more than a slogan—it’s a declaration that culture isn’t just influencing the market—it is the market. From streetwear to streaming, memes to movements, and AI to identity—every trend shaping tomorrow is rooted in the rhythms of culture today. This year’s programming will decode the creative forces, hidden signals, and societal shifts that are rewriting the rules of engagement for brands and leaders alike. If data tells you what people do, culture tells you why. And at BLACKWEEK 2025, we’re here to explore the why behind the buy.
Expect powerful conversations with cultural icons and industry leaders, interactive sessions on AI, Gen Z, and identity-driven marketing, and immersive experiences designed to push the boundaries of business and creativity.
🗓️ October 6–9, 2025
📍 Spring Studios, Tribeca — New York City
BLACKWEEK is more than a conference—it’s where the future of culture and commerce collide. Don’t miss it.
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Blackweek Expands Global Steering Committee
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We’re excited to announce the expansion of Blackweek’s Global Steering Committee, welcoming four influential leaders who will help steer the platform toward its next phase of growth and investment strategy.
Meet the New Members:
- Jerri DeVard, Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer of Office Depot, Inc
- Matt Scheckner, Chairman, Advertising Week
- Arturo Nuñez, CEO, Brand Strategist
- Rob Reilly, Global Chief Creative Officer, WPP
These industry trailblazers bring unmatched expertise in brand building, global events, creative leadership, and culturally driven marketing. Their addition will accelerate Blackweek’s global presence, help shape strategic initiatives, and create more equitable opportunities for all creators, founders, and leaders.
Continuing Leadership:
Our returning Steering Committee members also remain pivotal in driving our mission forward. Together, we’re committed to expanding our platform and impacting the industry in new and meaningful ways.
- Cindy Gallop, Founder & CEO, MakeLoveNotPorn
- Gary Vaynerchuk, Chairman, VaynerX & Vayner Media
- Amber Guild, CEO of McCann NY
- Alia Kemet, CMO, Shipt
- Katie Williams, CMO, Haleon
Together, this powerhouse team will guide Blackweek’s programming, partnerships, and expansion into new markets, ensuring that we continue to be a platform that drives economic opportunity and cultural innovation.
What’s Next for Blackweek:
With this expanded leadership, we are more committed than ever to fostering inclusive growth and shaping the future of marketing, creativity, and leadership. Stay tuned for exciting announcements and initiatives as we continue to innovate and create space for all communities in the global marketplace.
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Women Pay Less at Blackweek
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This October, Blackweek is redefining the narrative around the gender pay gap Blackweek is bringing back our pay equity pricing with a 25% discount exclusively for women. This initiative is a direct response to the systemic wage disparities that continue to affect women, especially Black women, in the workforce.
Black women in the U.S. earn, on average, only 66 to 69 cents for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men. This wage gap results in a loss of over $900,000 over the course of a 40-year career. Despite higher educational attainment, including doctorates, Black women continue to face significant wage disparities.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be part of a transformative experience. Early Bird Registration is now open, and tickets are selling fast. Secure your spot today and join us in shaping the future of culture and leadership.
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Blackweek 2025 is Officially Happening!
Blackweek 2025 is Officially Happening!
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Mark your calendars for the most transformative event of the year: Blackweek returns to Spring Studios, October 6-10, 2025.
We’re bringing together the most dynamic executives, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders for groundbreaking conversations about the future of commerce. With more talks, more speakers, and an even bigger impact, Blackweek is all about helping business leaders unlock the economic power of diverse consumer spending power, founders, executives and creators to help grow their businesses.
Get your tickets today and take advantage of our early bird registration!
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Matt Scheckner
Matt
Scheckner
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Matthew J. (Matt) Scheckner is Chairman of Advertising Week, the world’s largest advertising / brand / content / marketing / media / tech industry summit. Markets include New York City, London, Tokyo, Sydney, Mexico City and Johannesburg. Under Scheckner’s leadership, which dates back to 2004, the B2B event has evolved into a vibrant, global tent-pole event and is the industry’s pre-eminent annual platform. The Advertising Week platform has also purposefully evolved as a vibrant, galvanizing force on a litany of broader societal issues and challenges. Scheckner’s signature recipe of blending thought leadership with one-of-a-kind evening experiences for the entire industry ecosystem propels Advertising Week. The annual festival-style event now also includes a robust streaming platform and a myriad of related year-round audio and video content, including the flagship Great Minds podcast hosted by Scheckner.
In the Summer of 2022, Scheckner concluded an effort to secure a long-term home for Advertising Week as the property was sold to Emerald, a market-leading trade show and exhibition company with a long-term commitment to grow the business. Above and beyond Advertising Week, Scheckner launched Windsor Park Entertainment in 2024 as a boutique consultancy and devekoper or original intellectual property.
Scheckner is active with many causes, including the Nelson Mandela Foundation and Education Africa USA where he serves as volunteer President. He is also the Co-Chair of the annual Hispanic Star Gala, widely hailed as the “Met Ball” for the Latin community. Scheckner has also been active with the launch of War Child in the United States, Comic Relief UK, London’s Roundhouse and Tuesday’s Children, which honored Scheckner as their 2013 Gala Honoree. He has also served as Chairman of the World Trade Center Memorial Communications Advisory Council and led a public campaign that generated $300 million towards construction and completion of the 9/11 Memorial. In 2022, he co-chaired #nowyork, a campaign to help boost NYC’s Covid recovery and in 2023-24 he co-founded the 10/7 Network as an anti-hate platform. And in 2024, Scheckner re-joined the leadership team at the VCU Brandcenter serving on the Director’s Council.
From 2006-2008, Scheckner served as Consigliere at Yahoo!, where he produced the industry’s first digital Upfront, “Broadband on Broadway” in 2007 and managed the corporation’s relationships with Madison Avenue. He also conceived and produced major corporate experiential programs around the world – – from Cannes to Pebble Beach – – and led the company’s support of the Tribeca Film Festival, an early harbinger of the modern-day explosion of creative content streaming on the web.
For more than a decade (1995-2006), Scheckner owned and ran Empire Sports & Entertainment, a New York City-based marketing and strategic consulting firm. One of Empire’s largest clients was Radio City Productions. Under Scheckner’s direction, Empire produced major events outside the Music Hall including the 1997 opening of Arthur Ashe Stadium, Pepsi’s 1999 Centennial Celebration, which featured Ray Charles, Riverdance and the Rolling Stones and several Super Bowl Halftimes. Scheckner also played a central role in shaping the Music Hall’s overall strategic plan including its acquisition by Madison Square Garden and landmark renovation in the year 2000.
Empire also served as SFX’s marketing agency developing strategies to secure more than $200 million in sponsorship across SFX’s live sports and entertainment properties. The company also partnered with Ken Sunshine and the Nashville-based Opryland to produce “Always . . . Patsy Cline” Off-Broadway. The show ran for a year at the Variety Arts Theater. Scheckner also served as Counsel on Sports Marketing for the flagship office of Hill & Knowlton where he founded the firm’s sports and entertainment practice.
From 1987 through 1994, Scheckner served as Executive Director of the New York City Sports Commission, a not-for-profit organization founded during the Koch administration. During his tenure with the Commission, Scheckner was directly responsible for successful bids for the 1993 Olympic Congress of the USA and the 1998 Goodwill Games. He saved the Jerome Boxing Club in the South Bronx from eviction and secured City funds to renovate the Club; fulfilled New York City Marathon founder Fred Lebow’s request to secure the entire Verrazano Bridge as the Marathon’s starting point; closed Central Park for the Tour de Trump cycling race (no kidding); stopped City government in it’s tracks by bringing Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton and Larry Holmes to City Hall; led New York City’s bid to host 1994 World Cup matches; and successfully secured City and Community Board approval to stage an Indy Car Race in lower Manhattan leading to a front page NY Times headline “Look Both Ways, It’s Coming.”
Prior to assuming his post with the Sports Commission, Scheckner served as a Policy Analyst with the Mayor’s Commission on the Year 2000, a blue-ribbon planning group, where he was responsible for the Commission’s work on demographics, economic development, education, transportation and waterfront development.
Among Scheckner’s other professional honors, he was selected as a member of Crain’s New York Business “Forty Under Forty” at the age of 28. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor of Marketing at the New York University Management Institute, and was appointed coordinator of NYU’s annual Summer Institute on Sports and Event Marketing in 1995. In 1998, Scheckner was appointed to a similar post as an Adjunct Professor of the Columbia Graduate School of Business.
Globally, Scheckner has lectured in Sao Paolo with Pele on sports marketing, among other venues. And in 2022 he was named to the World Federation of Advertisers Jury to select the WFA’s prestigious Marketer of the Year.
Scheckner resides in Roslyn, NY with his wife Ila and has two grown children, Benny and Eliza. Sadly, his dog Lambeau passed in 2010 but lives on in memory and a new dog, Finchley, joined the family in 2020. He is a graduate of Emory University with a Bachelor of Arts. Regarding personal pursuits, Scheckner has the distinction of having been one of two severely injured softball-playing Friars during a 2009 outfield crash in Central Park; he is an avid mediocre golfer; competed with pride for many years in the Friars Pool tournaments (having finished as high as 6th place), and now routinely gets walloped in basketball at the NY Athletic Club.


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