Imani Ellis

Imani Ellis is the CEO and Founder of CultureCon and The Creative Collective, a community dedicated to facilitating brave spaces for Black and Brown creatives. Born in Imani’s one-bedroom apartment as a means to foster meaningful connection, TheCCnyc has since parlayed into the largest community devoted to creatives of color. TheCCnyc's marquee event is CultureCon, a conference celebrating the impact diverse voices have on culture. Past speakers include Tracee Ellis Ross, Will Smith, Regina King, John Legend, Spike Lee, Lena Waithe, and more. CultureCon is the first of its kind ideas conference that caters to all aspects of creative and young professional life. In addition to community events, The Creative Collective provides countless resources and workshops. 

In the height of the pandemic, The Creative Collective launched CultureCon At Home, a virtual campus that reached over 22,000 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. Named a "2021 Breakthrough Creative" by Ebony, and a "Diversity Champion '' by Adweek, Imani has been recognized by Forbes as a "Visionary" and "One To Watch" by Black Enterprise. Imani graduated from Vanderbilt University with a major in communications and a double minor in German and Film.