Opening Remarks: Blackweek Is
Sponsored by
boon
Details
Date
Tue, Oct 7
Time
9:00AM -9:15AM
Stage
Breakthrough stage
Address
Spring Studios
50 Varick St,
New York, NY 10013
Speakers & Moderators
Blackweek Co-founder Joe Anthony kicks off the conference with a powerful framing of what Blackweek is: a cultural and economic forum where ideas, creativity, and influence converge. In his opening remarks, Anthony will set the tone for the week ahead—unpacking the mission, the movement, and why Blackweek has become the space where culture meets commerce and shapes the future.
Nigel Sylvester
Nigel
Sylvester
Sylvester
boon
Nigel Sylvester is a professional BMX athlete, creative visionary, entrepreneur, and philanthropist from Queens, New York. Known for pushing boundaries through his progressive riding style and viral content, Nigel made history as the first BMX rider signed to Jordan Brand, with instant classic sneaker collaborations including the March 2025 AJ4 “Brick by Brick” release and August 2025 AJ1 low “Better with Time”. He serves as the Creative Advisor for New Era and has worked with brands like MTA, McDonald’s, Mercedes-Benz, Saratoga, David Yurman, Moncler, and Fendi, where he designed the brand’s first BMX bike. Nigel founded the GO brand, hosts GO Ride, an annual transnational bike ride, and launched the Nigel Sylvester Foundation to empower underserved youth through bikes, recovery spaces, and after-school programs. Recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30, Creative Collective, HYPEBEAST 100, Nice Kicks, and featured in ESPN’s Body Issue, his influence spans sports, fashion, and culture, with appearances on the covers of Footwear News, Wonderland, TMRW Magazine, Numéro, and PREME. He has also walked runway shows at Paris Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week for Kid Super, Casablanca, Willy Chavarria, and Hermès.
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Mara Brock Akil
Mara
Brock Akil
Brock Akil
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MARA BROCK AKIL has written and produced over 400 episodes of television, leaving her mark on Hollywood. She’s received Essence Magazine’s Visionary Award and the prestigious Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award by NATPE, and has been named in Variety and The Hollywood Reporter’s Showrunner Power Lists, as well as The Hollywood Reporter’s “Women in Entertainment Power100” multiple times. In 2020, Brock Akil entered into a deal with Netflix to exclusively produce television shows for the streaming platform under her new banner, story27 Productions. In 2021, she launched her own digital Dézine (i.e. digital magazine), InTheLandOfMara. Her credits include writing and producing the hit show Girlfriends (2000-2008), The Game (2006-2015), Being Mary Jane (2013-2019), and executive producing Netflix’s STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING which was on the Academy Awards® Documentary Feature Shortlist. Brock Akil’s most recent project was the critically acclaimed Netflix series adaptation of the 1975 Judy Blume novel FOREVER, starring Karen Pittman, Wood Harris, Lovie Simone, Michael Cooper Jr., and more. The series was renewed for a season 2 and premiered to rave reviews.
In 2021, Mara expanded her passion for non-profit work and started her very own non-profit writing residency in Los Angeles, the Writers’ Colony. The mission is to support up-and-coming underrepresented writers/creatives. The impact of the Writer’s Colony is something Mara’s very proud of. She is delighted to continue the colony’s commitment to nurturing emerging writers, and providing them with exposure, access, and the tools they need to continue on their journeys.
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Beyond the Beat: Hip-Hop's Blueprint for Building Lasting Legacies
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
Hip-hop is more than music—it’s a global movement, a cultural engine, and a masterclass in reinvention. In this powerful talk, Mona Scott-Young explores how hip-hop’s pioneers have transformed their artistry into multi-decade careers, expanding into film, entrepreneurship, and activism while continuing to influence the world stage. Drawing on her experience at the forefront of music and media, she reveals the strategies and mindset that turn moments into movements and artists into icons. This is a story of vision, resilience, and the cultural imprint that ensures hip-hop’s legacy will inspire generations to come.
From Fighting for Gold, to Fighting for Your Life
Sponsored by
boon
Details
Date
Tue, Oct 7
Time
12:00PM – 12:45PM
Stage
Salon stage
Address
Spring Studios
50 Varick St,
New York, NY 10013
Speakers & Moderators
Olympic Gold Medalist
Psychologist, CEO & Founder of Therapy for Black Girls
Diversity Media Strategy & Investment, General Motors
Mike Tresvant
TBD
Olympic gold medalist Tianna Madison nearly lost her life to a complication from a fibroid—an experience that exposed painful truths about inequities in our healthcare system. In this deeply personal talk, she shares her story to spotlight the urgent need for systemic change: why Black women are disproportionately dismissed, misdiagnosed, and left vulnerable, and what the healthcare industry must do to ensure every patient receives equal, evidence-based care. Madison challenges providers, policymakers, and communities to reimagine a healthcare system where survival and dignity are not determined by race, gender, or bias, but by a shared standard of humanity.
Real Magic, Real Data: The Future of Cultural Relevance at Scale
Sponsored by
boon
Details
Date
Tue, Oct 7
Time
1:00PM – 1:45PM
Stage
Breakthrough stage
Address
Spring Studios
50 Varick St,
New York, NY 10013
Speakers & Moderators
Global Chief Creative Officer, WPP
Global Vice President of Creative Strategy & Content, Coca-Cola
A narrative on Coke’s journey from iconic design to algorithim-informed cultural engagement.
AI's Impact on Hardware
Sponsored by
boon
Details
Date
Tue, Oct 7
Time
12:15PM – 1:00PM
Stage
Premier stage
Address
Spring Studios
50 Varick St,
New York, NY 10013
Speakers & Moderators
Diversity Media Strategy & Investment, General Motors
Mike Tresvant
TBD
Coming soon.
You Ain't Ready for AI, You Just Think You Are
Sponsored by
boon
Details
Date
Tue, Oct 7
Time
12:00PM – 12:45PM
Stage
Premier stage
Address
Spring Studios
50 Varick St,
New York, NY 10013
Speakers & Moderators
Diversity Media Strategy & Investment, General Motors
Mike Tresvant
TBD
AI may dominate boardroom conversations, but most Fortune 500 brands are far from prepared. Former Meta executive and Alpha co-founder Alvin Bowles exposes the gaps—fractured data, missing talent, and ethical blind spots—that stand between hype and real impact. With sharp insights, he challenges leaders to move beyond buzzwords and build the vision and infrastructure needed to truly compete in the age of intelligent technology.