Will AI Kill Culture


Sponsored by

boon


Details

Date

Wed, Oct 8

Time

10:15AM – 11:10AM

Stage

Impact stage

Address

Spring Studios
50 Varick St,
New York, NY 10013

Speakers & Moderators

CEO, adQuadrant

Speaker

Founder & CEO, Sole AI | Author, Artificial Integrity

Speaker

Yvette Baez

Head of Industry, Healthcare, Google

Speaker

Global Chief Experience Design Officer, VML

Moderator

Nothing found.

As artificial intelligence becomes the lens through which we create, consume, and communicate, what happens to the cultural nuances that make us human? In this riveting talk, we will examine how data bias in large language models risks flattening diverse voices, erasing context, and diluting the richness of global cultures. How it challenges us to confront who controls the data, whose stories are centered, and what’s at stake if algorithms become the gatekeepers of culture. With clarity and urgency, calls for building AI that preserves—not erases—the depth and diversity of humanity.

This Blackweek discussion is proudly sponsored by Shipt. We’re grateful for their generous support and commitment to right-sizing industries to help create more opportunity for equity and ownership.


"It's Because You're Black"


Sponsored by

boon


Details

Date

Wed, Oct 8

Time

2:30PM – 3:15PM

Stage

Impact stage

Address

Spring Studios
50 Varick St,
New York, NY 10013

Speakers & Moderators

Global Chief Creative Officer, gotham

Speaker

Entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of aWLCo

Speaker

Nothing found.

Coming soon.

This Blackweek discussion is proudly sponsored by Shipt. We’re grateful for their generous support and commitment to right-sizing industries to help create more opportunity for equity and ownership.


Invisible Beauty – My Fight for the Fashion Industry


Sponsored by

boon


Details

Date

Wed, Oct 8

Time

11:15AM – 12:00PM

Stage

Breakthrough stage

Address

Spring Studios
50 Varick St,
New York, NY 10013

Speakers & Moderators

Fashion Industry Icon

Speaker

Award-winning Journalist & Brand Strategist

Moderator

Entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of aWLCo

Speaker

Nothing found.

Fashion trailblazer Bethann Hardison has long challenged the industry to confront exclusion and embrace diversity. From breaking barriers as a model to mentoring generations of talent, her purpose is powerfully captured in her acclaimed documentary Invisible Beauty. In this conversation with e.l.f. Cosmetics CMO Kory Marchisotto, Hardison reflects on her journey, the progress made, and the work still ahead. Together, they’ll explore how fashion and beauty brands can champion representation authentically—and why true inclusion is not just a social imperative, but a creative and commercial one.

This Blackweek discussion is proudly sponsored by Shipt. We’re grateful for their generous support and commitment to right-sizing industries to help create more opportunity for equity and ownership.


Welcome to the Meno-Economy


Sponsored by

boon


Details

Date

Wed, Oct 8

Time

11:15AM – 12:00PM

Stage

Breakthrough stage

Address

Spring Studios
50 Varick St,
New York, NY 10013

Speakers & Moderators

Author

Moderator

Entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of aWLCo

Speaker

Entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of aWLCo

Speaker

Nothing found.

For too long, menopause has been treated as a taboo—a silent passage every woman experiences but few openly discuss. Actress and entrepreneur Naomi Watts takes the stage to shine a spotlight on the “Meno Economy,” where women over 50 in America hold a staggering $15 trillion in spending power. What unites this powerful demographic is a universal life stage too often dismissed, minimized, or hidden. In this groundbreaking talk, Watts explores how normalizing menopause can unlock not only women’s health and dignity but also enormous cultural and economic opportunity. It’s time to bring menopause out of the shadows—and into the marketplace, the media, and the mainstream.

This Blackweek discussion is proudly sponsored by Shipt. We’re grateful for their generous support and commitment to right-sizing industries to help create more opportunity for equity and ownership.


"F Around and Find Out", Does Boycotting Work


Sponsored by

boon


Details

Date

Wed, Oct 8

Time

10:15AM – 11:00AM

Stage

Breakthrough stage

Address

Spring Studios
50 Varick St,
New York, NY 10013

Speakers & Moderators

Bestselling Author

Speaker

CEO, Brand Strategist

Moderator

Entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of aWLCo

Speaker

Entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of aWLCo

Speaker

Nothing found.

When brands retreat from their diversity commitments, communities take notice—and take action. In this fearless talk, activist and Until Freedom founder Tamika Mallory unpacks the power of boycotts in today’s climate, where Black consumers are mobilizing to hold corporations accountable and remind them of the undeniable strength of their dollar. With clarity and conviction, Mallory explores the history, impact, and future of economic resistance, asking whether boycotting is just a momentary disruption—or a long-term strategy to force real change.

This Blackweek discussion is proudly sponsored by Shipt. We’re grateful for their generous support and commitment to right-sizing industries to help create more opportunity for equity and ownership.


Boys, Men, Positive Masculinity, And Why It Matters To Marketers


Sponsored by

boon


Details

Date

Wed, Oct 8

Time

9:15AM – 10:00AM

Stage

Breakthrough stage

Address

Spring Studios
50 Varick St,
New York, NY 10013

Speakers & Moderators

Founder & CEO, MakeLoveNotPorn

Speaker

Entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of aWLCo

Speaker

Nothing found.

We’re hearing a lot right now about a crisis of masculinity, the ‘male loneliness epidemic’, and the issues impeding boys’ growth and progress. Cindy Gallop, founder and CEO of MakeLoveNotPorn, shares with the Blackweek audience why this matters in marketing, especially for marketers whose target is women; the opportunity for brands to help solve this as good business; and the new cultural channels for doing so (including streaming – get the inside track on Cindy’s experience teaching as a professor at Kai Cenat’s Streamer University).

This Blackweek discussion is proudly sponsored by Shipt. We’re grateful for their generous support and commitment to right-sizing industries to help create more opportunity for equity and ownership.


Black Health is Black Wealth


Sponsored by

boon


Details

Date

Tue, Oct 7

Time

4:15PM – 5:00PM

Stage

Impact stage

Address

Spring Studios
50 Varick St,
New York, NY 10013

Speakers & Moderators

Founder & CEO, Black Health Matters

Speaker

CEO and Co-founder of Culina Health

Speaker

President & Founder, Color of Gastrointestinal Illnesses, Inc.

Speaker

President and Co-Founder, Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists (ABGH)

Moderator

Nothing found.

This conversation will explore the deep ties between financial well-being and physical health, addressing the economic cost of health disparities, how preventive care functions as financial planning, and why investing in health is one of the most powerful drivers of long-term wealth.

This Blackweek discussion is proudly sponsored by ABGH. We’re grateful for their generous support and commitment to right-sizing industries to help create more opportunity for equity and ownership.


To Doula or Not to Doula: Rethinking Maternal Care


Sponsored by

boon


Details

Date

Tue, Oct 7

Time

2:35PM – 3:20PM

Stage

Impact stage

Address

Spring Studios
50 Varick St,
New York, NY 10013

Speakers & Moderators

Founder of Mama Glow

Speaker

Executive Director of SisterSong

Speaker

Founder & President, Carol’s Daughter

Moderator

Nothing found.

Black women in America are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women—a crisis rooted in systemic inequities. In this moving talk, maternal wellness advocate and doula Latham Thomas explores how the growing embrace of doulas is reshaping maternal care and offering a pathway to saving lives. With stories from the front lines of birth work, she reveals why having a doula is more than a trend—it’s a vital intervention that centers women’s voices, restores trust, and reclaims agency in one of life’s most vulnerable moments. Thomas makes a powerful case for reimagining maternal health so that every woman, especially Black women, can give birth with dignity and thrive beyond it.

This Blackweek discussion is proudly sponsored by Shipt. We’re grateful for their generous support and commitment to right-sizing industries to help create more opportunity for equity and ownership.


Silent Warriors — The Black Male Healthcare Crisis


Sponsored by

boon


Details

Date

Tue, Oct 7

Time

3:30PM – 4:15PM

Stage

Impact stage

Address

Spring Studios
50 Varick St,
New York, NY 10013

Speakers & Moderators

Founder & CEO of Music World Entertainment, Brand Architect and Author

Speaker

Vice President and US Country Head of Culture and People Experience, Novartis Pharmaceutical

Moderator

Entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of aWLCo

Speaker

Nothing found.

Music executive and entrepreneur Matthew Knowles brings a deeply personal perspective to the urgent conversation around Black men’s health. After surviving his own battle with breast cancer, Knowles has become a passionate advocate for awareness, early detection, and proactive care. In this intimate fireside chat, he opens up about his journey, the stigma that too often keeps Black men from seeking help, and the collective work needed to confront a health crisis that claims far too many lives. His message is clear: protecting our health is protecting our future.

This Blackweek discussion is proudly sponsored by Novartis. We deeply grateful for their generous support and steadfast commitment to advancing critical health conversations, all in service of their mission to improve and extend lives.


The Black Family on Film


Sponsored by

boon


Details

Date

Tue, Oct 7

Time

2:30PM – 3:15PM

Stage

Breakthrough stage

Address

Spring Studios
50 Varick St,
New York, NY 10013

Speakers & Moderators

Filmmaker

Speaker

Author

Moderator

Entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of aWLCo

Speaker

Nothing found.

Trailblazing filmmaker Mara Brock Akil has long pushed Hollywood to expand its vision of Black life. With her record-breaking Netflix series Forever, she shattered stereotypes by centering the story of an affluent Black family—challenging the limited narratives that too often dominate film and television. In this intimate conversation with author and activist Jodie Patterson, Akil reflects on her creative journey, the cultural impact of Forever, and her mission to evolve how Black families are portrayed on screen.

This Blackweek discussion is proudly sponsored by Shipt. We’re grateful for their generous support and commitment to right-sizing industries to help create more opportunity for equity and ownership.