7 Multicultural Women in Media Honored at ColorComm Conference

On Wed, July 20, ColorComm (C2)  kicked off their annual business conference and retreat for women of color in communications. Attracting more than 200 women of color from the across the country, the C2 conference, titled Leading the Way, was held at the Ritz Carlton, Key Biscayne in Miami, Florida. Lauren Wesley Wilson, recognized as one of the “Most Powerful in PR” by PR Week, and the founder of ColorComm, encouraged all participants to “show up, step up, and speak up” while at the conference, as well as in their careers.

During the awards ceremony, seven multicultural women pioneers in media and communications were celebrated for their accomplishments. Circle Award honorees included:

– Alexandria Boone, President and CEO, GAP Communications Group and Founder, Women of Color Foundation.
– Claudia Chan, Founder and CEO, S.H.E. Global Media, Inc.
– Beverly Durham, Senior Vice President, Porter Novelli.
– Jeanine Liburd, Executive Vice President, BET Networks.
– Romina Rosado, Senior Vice President, Editor-In-Chief News & Digital, E! News.
– Helen Shelton, Senior Partner, Finn Partners.
– Mónica Talán, Executive Vice President, Univision.

According to a press release statement, here are a few additional highlights:

On tapping into and staying connected to your Creative Genius, hosted by Ogilvy & Mather:

“The face of MadMen in 2016 looks very different,” said Jennifer Risi, managing director of Ogilvy Media Influence, New York. “Creativity requires diversity.”

“If we did a study on team diversity and the best work clients are getting, I’m sure we’d see a correlation,” said Kathy Baird, EVP, content + social at Ogilvy Public Relations, Washington, D.C.

On how the role of influencers and their impact on content and distribution has shifted, particularly as it relates to multicultural marketing, during a panel presented by Weber Shandwick:

“Social media gives influencers a platform to own their message and take the narrative back,” said panelist Veronica Marshall, VP at Weber Shandwick. “Multicultural audiences lead trends. The numbers don’t lie.”

The 2016 Circle Award Honoree Mónica Talán, EVP of corporate communications at Univision, encourages participants to be confident in your authenticity and believe in yourself,” Talan told the audience, when asked what advice she would give her 20-year-old self, “If an organization does not appreciate who you are, it may not be the best place for you.”

Follow@ColorCommntwk on Instagram and Twitter for a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the conference.