CultureCon NYC Announces Over 25 Panels Across 2 Stages, Featuring 100 Speakers

The Creative Collective NYC, a community dedicated to creatives of color and the architects of CultureCon™, is bringing the highly-anticipated event back to New York City on Saturday, Oct. 8.

New York City is the last stop on a three-city CultureCon tour, with previous activations popping up in Atlanta and Los Angeles. CultureCon 2022 is presented by HBO Max™. Major partners include LinkedIn, Cash App, Square, Meta’s We The Culture, Nike Yardrunners, Netflix, Audible, Disney’s Onyx Collective, TikTok, Toyota, Prime Video, Wieden and Kennedy, Google, Grey Goose Vodka and Patron Tequila, Foot Locker, Condé Nast, Clinique, COCA-COLA®, Scotch Porter, JET, Stackwell Capital, Skillshare, TONL and annex88. For tickets, visit: www.theccnyc.com/culturecon.

CultureCon is the go-to destination for diverse creatives, entrepreneurs, and young professionals. The conference will feature inspiring conversations, skill-building workshops, interactive activations, and the opportunity to shop at the Small Business Market. Leading up to CultureCon, guests will be invited to attend CultureCon Week — an offering of exclusive events, workshops, parties and experiences leading up to the big weekend.

See below for a preview of what to expect:

Conversations and activations you can’t miss:

– HBO Max is proud to be the presenting partner for all three CultureCon conferences in Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York City. HBO Max will kick off Culture Con week in New York with a HBO Max Scene in Black curated brunch highlighting visionaries and culture shifters within the local creative community. In addition, Scene in Black will host the VIP and talent lounges at the conference and will bring an exciting conversation to the CultureCon stage. HBO Max’s unwavering support of CultureCon shines a spotlight on creatives of color, supporting thousands of Black and Brown creatives in attendance by providing access to engaging conversations, networking, and creative inspiration.

– LinkedIn will host a panel on the Culture stage focused on unconventional career journeys and the art of the professional pivot, in addition to hosting an event during CultureCon Week and an immersive experience in Activation Alley.

– Cash App joins Square’s return to CultureCon to accelerate Black and Brown creatives and entrepreneurs taking their work to the next level. Square and Cash App believe in economic empowerment, opportunity and success for all. They will support CultureCon by powering the Small Business Marketplace featuring Square Register and Cash App Pay, and participating in a conversation on the Creator Stage and an activation during CultureCon Week.

– Meta’s We The Culture touch down at CultureCon with a panel discussion and interactive activation inspired by the Black creatives who are influencing emerging fashion trends and driving Black commerce in mainstream culture. Guests will be invited to learn more about the benefits of creating content on Instagram and Facebook and how to unlock access to tools, resources, and education to help them grow as a creator.

– Nike Yardrunners (3.0) debuts at CultureCon, as the brand continues to honor the rich history and heritage of HBCUs and the authentic hold they have on global sport and culture. Nike Yardrunners past and present will catalyze creativity and community on the Culture Stage, fuel CultureCon attendees at the Nike Drip Bar and celebrate with surprising moments along the way.

– Netflix returns to CultureCon to host their highly-anticipated kick-off event on Friday, Oct. 7, celebrating the release of their upcoming documentary feature The Redeem Team with an exclusive conversation with Executive Producer and Olympian Dwyane Wade. Strong Black Lead will also lead a conversation on the Culture Stage with the creative team behind Entergalactic including Kenya Barris, Maurice Williams, and Karina Manashil. From the minds of Kid Cudi and Kenya Barris comes a story of two young artists navigating the twists and turns of finding love in New York City.

– Audible returns to the Culture Stage at CultureCon with a compelling panel highlighting a highly anticipated new Audible Original scripted dramedy podcast, Kym, as well as a must-visit interactive destination in Activation Alley.

– Disney’s Onyx Collective makes their inaugural debut at CultureCon ready to amplify creatives and their culturally-specific stories. On Saturday, Oct. 8, New York Times best-selling author/comedian/actress Phoebe Robinson conducts an exclusive fireside conversation on the Culture Stage with award-winning actress, producer, activist, and CEO Tracee Ellis Ross on the power of storytelling, living an authentic truth and her upcoming docuseries, The Hair Tales, a celebration of Black women’s identity, beauty and humanity. In addition, Onyx Collective will have a dynamic activation in Activation Alley and more.

– Join TikTok’s Head of N.A. Creative Agency Partnerships, Krystle Watler, in a conversation with Head of Creative at R/GA NY, Shannon Washington; Rapper and Singer, Big Boss Vette; and founder of TrapStix Lip Balm, Aysia Hilliard; as they discuss the real-world impact of #BlackTikTok on culture.

– Toyota recognizes and celebrates emerging Black creators who embody passion, purpose and innovation and those who dare to Drive Culture Forward.

– Prime Video makes its CultureCon debut showcasing an expansive slate of culturally relevant content during CultureCon week including special screenings of the upcoming psychological horror film Nanny and upcoming drama series Riches. To further highlight and celebrate Black stories, the week will culminate with a conversation amongst Prime Video and Amazon Freevee talent sharing their dynamic paths on the Culture stage, and a must-see experience in Activation Alley where guests will engage through an immersive viewing experience and customizable take-aways.

– Wieden+Kennedy is the first ad agency to ever sponsor CultureCon and they’re pulling up in a big way! The global agency, notable for creating “Just Do It” for Nike, will lead a captivating panel on the Creator Workshop stage featuring three of its creatives, Tray Edwards, Tania Taiwo and Sabreen Jafry where they’ll discuss how they found ways to use their creative passions to impact the world. Join them after the panel where they’ll be doing a meet and greet with creators from the audience.

– Google is proud to support the entrepreneurial community of creators and influencers of color and their impact on culture through participation at CultureCon. This year, Google TV will host a conversation on the Culture Stage, spotlighting the power of experimentation and the ways it’s creating new possibilities for Black storytellers. In addition, Grow with Google will host a workshop on the Creator Stage, providing creators with tangible tactics to grow their brands on YouTube. Tech Equity Collective, an initiative started by Google, to increase Black+ representation in tech, will host a workshop on the Creator Stage demystifying the tech industry for creatives. The panel will feature Joy Ofodu, Brandon Tory and Florian Koenigsberger.

– Grey Goose Vodkaand Patron Tequila join CultureCon for the second year in a row, hosting a Networking Happy Hour for CultureCon NYC attendees. Guests will connect for post-conference conversations over refreshing, custom Grey Goose and Patron cocktails.

– Footlocker NYCwill curate a modern immersive experience, giving attendees an opportunity to step away from everything else and be immersed in the world of Footlocker and Reebok. This space will be a mix between your modern pop up experience and a one day only Reebok bodega corner store. There will be custom branded items on display, as well as giveaways for attendees.

– Condé Nast makes their CultureCon premiere with a celebratory dinner in partnership with Bon Appétit, highlighting Black chefs and innovators in the food space. Additionally, Condé Nast will take to the Culture stage with a conversation on the future of storytelling.

– Clinique is proud to be the exclusive beauty partner of CultureCon NYC. The brand will be present on site to provide award winning skincare and trending makeup products for all go and “glow-getters” attending the ultimate creative homecoming. It will also curate a special beauty station for talent to help keep them glowing and camera ready throughout the jam-packed day of activities.

– COCA-COLA® will serve as the official beverage sponsor of CultureCon NYC, inviting guests to taste the feeling, with a dedicated truck filled to the brim with COCA-COLA® products.

– Scotch Porter arrives at CultureCon with their award-winning, non-toxic men’s grooming and wellness products to help men look, feel, and smell their best from curl to toe. Mobilizing in Activation Alley, Scotch Porter will immerse CultureCon attendees into a 200 sq. ft. experience that aims to celebrate men and their style-expression through hair. The activation is set to include a mirrored photo booth, free samples of the Scotch Porter Hair Trial Kit, hair care regimen consultations with two hair care specialists, and a chance to win a $500 Gift Card.

– JET, the iconic and trusted home for amplification, education, entertainment and engagement of the Black community worldwide, is a proud partner of CultureCon. In line with our mission to move Black forward by being the fuel of the creative community, JET will debut a special “CultureCon” limited edition commemorative magazine at this year’s conference. Participants also can digitally create their own personalized JET Cover at www.jetmag.com, and share on social media what JET means to them by using the hashtag #MyJetStory. This is your chance to tell the world (and mama) that you made it!

– Stackwell Capital is a Black-owned and led fintech company whose mission is to offer a simpler, more accessible, and intentional pathway to increase investment participation in the Black community and promote Black wealth and financial wellbeing. Stackwell will host an intimate dinner and fireside chat catered to Black creatives and young professionals to empower them with knowledge and tools to build equity and generational wealth.

– Skillshare is gearing up for CultureCon by offering The Creative Collective NYC’s community 50% off their first year of learning. Skillshare is an online community with thousands of classes for creative people on topics like graphic design, photography, video, freelancing, UX design and much more!

– TONL will serve as the official photography partner of CultureCon. TONL is platform dedicated to providing culturally diverse stock photos that represent the true world we live in. Founded by Karen Okonkwo and Joshua Kissi, their mission was to challenge the stale, homogenous look of traditional stock photography by showcasing the many backgrounds of every day people. Their services have extended into custom photography and event photography. To learn more about TONL visit www.TONL.co and on social @TONL today.

– annex88is built to chase what’s next and elevate brands in the cultural conversation. POC-led creative agency annex88 will build an interactive moment paying homage to the CultureCon origin story.

For more information and to register for tickets, visit www.theccnyc.com/culturecon. Join the conversation via social @TheCCnyc and @CultureCon.

About CultureCon:

CultureCon™ is a conference that celebrates culture, community, and creatives of color. CultureCon is the ultimate creative homecoming, highlighting conversations that range from building a business to building a life. Forbes says “CultureCon is a conference every creative should attend.” We couldn’t agree more. Past CultureCon™ speakers include Will Smith, Spike Lee, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Legend, Regina King, Lena Waithe, Coleman Domingo, Sanaa Lathan, Keke Palmer and more. CultureCon is the first of its kind ideas conference that caters to all aspects of creative and young professional life.

About the Creative Collective NYC:

The Creative Collective NYC (TheCCnyc) is a community dedicated to curating brave spaces for creatives of color. Built from Imani Ellis’ one-bedroom apartment, the collective has now parlayed into the fastest-growing collective for creatives of color. TheCCnyc’s marquee event is CultureCon, a conference celebrating the impact diverse voices have on culture.

In addition to community events, The Creative Collective NYC provides countless resources and workshops. In the height of the pandemic, The Creative Collective NYC launched CultureCon At Home, a virtual campus that reached creatives in over 131 countries around the world, and Creative Curriculum, a series of digital masterclasses touching on everything from entrepreneurship to navigating the corporate world.

About HBO Max™

HBO Max™ is a streaming platform that offers best in class quality entertainment, delivering the greatest array of series, movies and specials for audiences of all ages from the iconic brands of HBO, Warner Bros., and DC, as well as Max Originals, blockbuster films, and beloved kids and family content. The platform launched in the United States in May 2020 and introduced a lower priced, advertising-supported tier in June 2021. Currently available in 61 countries, HBO Max began its global rollout launching in markets across Latin America and the Caribbean last summer, followed by European launches in the Nordics, Iberia, the Netherlands and Central and Eastern Europe.