Diverse Representation To Host Black Entertainment Career Summit To Increase Black Professionals In The Industry

United Talent Agency (UTA) and Lionsgate Among Companies Participating in the Two-Day Summit

Diverse Representation, a Los Angeles-based company aimed at increasing the hiring and exposure of Black agents, attorneys, managers, publicists, and executives in the sports and entertainment industries, will host its Black Entertainment Career Summit on May 3-4 in Los Angeles. The two-day event, which will feature speakers and executives from a number of agencies, studios, networks, and production companies, aims to educate attendees about career opportunities and pathways in the entertainment industry.

While the entertainment industry recovers from the recent writer and actors strike (over 17% of Los Angeles entertainment professionals lost their jobs during this time), Diverse Representation is working to ensure Black professionals and creatives are not left behind. Taking place at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles, the Summit will bring speakers from Lionsgate/STARZ, United Talent Agency (UTA), Amazon MGM Studios, Wasserman, William Morris Endeavor (WME), Creative Artists Agency (CAA), and more. Several companies, such as NBCUniversal, will also be conducting onsite informational interviews.

“Despite increased diversity, equity and inclusion efforts over the last few years, Black professionals continue to under-index when it comes to representation in the entertainment industry. There is still a lack of Black representation in corporate roles across many studios, networks, and streamers,” said Jaia Thomas, Founder and CEO of Diverse Representation.

Thomas continued, “Our goal with the Career Summit is to close the gap by not only providing Black professionals with the information resources and tools to build successful careers in the entertainment industry but by also providing them with the unique opportunity to meet with those who have the power to hire them.”

Tia Black, a 2023 Black Entertainment Career Summit attendee said, “The Black Entertainment Career Summit is a great resource for aspiring entertainment professionals who may have the talent and passion necessary to thrive in the industry but lack the connections to get their feet in the door. Two weeks after the 2023 Black Entertainment Career Summit I received a job offer from William Morris Endeavor (WME) to enter their mailroom. None of this would have happened had I not gone to the Summit and connected with a woman who works in HR and connected me to other recruiters.”

The two-day Summit will feature a full day of engaging panel conversations and opportunities to participate in onsite interviews on May 3 from 9:00am-6:00pm and conclude on May 4 from 11:30am-1:30pm, with an exclusive networking brunch where recruiters, executives, and talent acquisition professionals from top companies in the industry will be attending. Attendees will also have the opportunity to submit their resumes for inclusion in Diverse Representation’s resume bank, which will be shared and distributed amongst all participating companies.

In an effort to highlight the experiences of Black professionals working in the entertainment industry, Diverse Representation will be utilizing the hashtag #BlackInEntertainment on May 3 across all social media platforms. Using the hashtag, Black professionals across the country will be sharing their experiences, challenges, successes, and hurdles associated with working in the entertainment industry.

For more information on this year’s Summit including the full agenda and ticketing, please visit the website.

About Diverse Representation:
The mission of Diverse Representation is to increase the hiring and exposure of Black agents, attorneys, managers, and publicists in the sports and entertainment industry. Diverse Representation not only provides the first ever comprehensive database of Black agents, attorneys, managers, and publicists but also curates various diversity programs and initiatives throughout the country.