Imani Ellis

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CEO and Founder of CultureCon and The Creative Collective

Former NBCUniversal executive 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. Founded in Ellis’s one-bedroom apartment, The Creative Collective has grown into the largest community devoted to creatives of color. In addition to community events, The Creative Collective provides countless resources and workshops. The Creative Collective’s marquee event, CultureCon, is the first-of-its-kind ideas conference that caters to all aspects of creative and young professional life. Past CultureCon speakers have included Tracee Ellis Ross, Will Smith, Regina King, John Legend, Spike Lee, Lena Waithe, and more. As a leader in talent development in media and creative industries, Ellis’s perspectives are crucial for organizations seeking a creative spark.

Ellis is regularly invited to speak at high-profile events and conferences, including Amazon, Jordan Brand, Pinterest, Advertising Week, Meta, the Women of Power Summit, Columbia Business School, and many more. Named a "Breakthrough Creative" by Ebony, a “Visionary” by Forbes, “One to Watch” by Black Enterprise, and a “Diversity Champion by AdWeek, Ellis shares invaluable insights on cultural competency and innovation.

Videos: Watch Imani Ellis Speak  >>
Topics: Talks & Conversations with Imani Ellis  >>
News: News about Imani Ellis  >>

Past Hosts Include:

Women of Power Summit
Columbia University
Meta
Google
LinkedIn

REC (Resources for Every Creator
Civic
Verizon
Amazon

Rave Reviews About Imani Ellis

“

With REC's mission of connecting, inspiring, and equipping creatives, choosing Imani Ellis to speak at REC's Creator Day presented by Google was a no-brainer. Imani, a leader in the creator economy, captivated our audience by moderating an engaging conversation with media personality and host Scottie Beam. Imani's preparation, experience as a creator, and personal connection with Scottie Beam led to an authentic and moving discussion that left attendees inspired. Imani’s presence was impactful, and we are eager to welcome her back to speak to our community of creatives anytime.

- REC (Resources for Every Creator

”

More rave reviews

"Amazon Design invited Imani for a fireside chat at our creative conference, Conflux. Her work in developing CultureCon and inclusivity in the creativity industries is vital to our collective future. Her belief that we all have a creative purpose challenged attendees to think beyond their day-to-day roles and inspired them to actively develop their communities. She was not only inspiring but also a joy to work with, as she brings a unique vibrancy and enthusiasm to her work. We look forward to finding ways to collaborate again."

-Amazon

"Imani was the perfect fit as a keynote speaker for our event. She was engaging, relatable, down to earth and inspiring. She was easy to work with, and well prepared. We were especially impressed by her commitment to deadlines, her tangible examples in her keynote, and her commanding presence on stage. She left the audience inspired and filled with clear, helpful takeaways."

-Verizon

"At Civic, we’ve had the pleasure of interacting with Imani both as a media executive & entrepreneur. In any setting or context, with a special mix of gravitas and relatability, Imani was always a joy to work with and be around. So, when the opportunity arose to ask her to host and keynote a program for one of our clients, we jumped at it. In that role, she was a true partner, considering our program’s needs as her own. As an emcee, she commanded the stage and effortlessly held the audience’s attention. As a keynote speaker, she inspired. She was also generous with her time, enthusiastically interacting with our guests at a post-event mixer."

-Civic

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Talks & Conversations with Imani Ellis

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Building (& Maintaining) a Community

Visionary founder of The Creative Collective and CultureCon, IMANI ELLIS shares her transformative insights on building and sustaining vibrant professional and creative communities. In this keynote presentation, Ellis shares her strategies for creating authentic connections while ensuring long-term ...

Visionary founder of The Creative Collective and CultureCon, IMANI ELLIS shares her transformative insights on building and sustaining vibrant professional and creative communities. In this keynote presentation, Ellis shares her strategies for creating authentic connections while ensuring long-term engagement through practical advice to help you cultivate a thriving and resilient community.

Talent Empowerment: How to Spark Creative Innovation

Unlock your team’s full potential with IMANI ELLIS’s expertise on talent empowerment in this keynote equipping you with the tools to inspire your team, harness creativity, and achieve breakthrough results. Ellis offers a compelling framework for identifying and nurturing talent, fostering an environ ...

Unlock your team’s full potential with IMANI ELLIS’s expertise on talent empowerment in this keynote equipping you with the tools to inspire your team, harness creativity, and achieve breakthrough results. Ellis offers a compelling framework for identifying and nurturing talent, fostering an environment of collaboration, and driving innovative thinking by creating a culture where everyone feels empowered to contribute their best ideas.

How the Creator Economy Benefits Your Business

Discover the untapped potential of the creator economy with IMANI ELLIS’s insightful presentation on leveraging creative talent for business success. Ellis explains the benefits of engaging with content creators, from enhanced brand authenticity to increased customer loyalty and market reach. ...

Discover the untapped potential of the creator economy with IMANI ELLIS’s insightful presentation on leveraging creative talent for business success. Ellis explains the benefits of engaging with content creators, from enhanced brand authenticity to increased customer loyalty and market reach.

Speaker News

How Imani Ellis went from NBCU Page to VP to CEO in under ten years

CEO and Founder of CultureCon IMANI ELLIS’s career trajectory, from her start at NBCUniversal to creating a successful and influential community for creatives of color, provides a powerful and motivational story. Ellis began her career in the NBC page program and rose to the position of Vice President of Unscripted Entertainment Publicity within a decade. At the top, she saw an opportunity to support talent development for other young creative professionals and began organizing The Creative Collective’s pop-ups, panels, and fireside chats that lead to employment opportunities for attendees. Ellis’s experiences resonate with audiences seeking inspiration in entrepreneurship, leadership, and resilience.

Watch Imani Ellis in conversation with Handcrafted Pod >>

Watch Imani Ellis on HERStory >>

Press & Media

Imani Ellis Sought a Community of Creatives–So She Built It Herself - Time Magazine

CultureCon Announces 2024 Dates And Reveals Plans For ‘CultureCon On Campus’ With Max - Forbes

I'm a CEO who was burned out. So I took 30 days off from work to recharge in Paris and found my creative spark. - Business Insider

Find Your Way Back: Here’s How CEO Imani Ellis Dedicated 30 Days To Herself Abroad - Essence

3 Black Women Creatives On What CultureCon Means To Them - Refinery29

Imani Ellis Created Culturecon in Her NYC Apartment - Galore Magazine

CULTURECON Rings the Opening Bell - Nasdaq

Imani Ellis, BA’12 - Vanderbilt University

The Creative Collective's Mission to Cultivate Culture [podcast] - Ad Week

How CultureCon Scaled Intimacy and Created a Destination for Diverse Creatives - Ad Week

Ideas for the Meeting Planner

Biography

Imani Ellis is the Founder and CEO of CultureCon and The Creative Collective, a community dedicated to facilitating brave spaces for Black and Brown creative professionals. Born in Imani’s one-bedroom apartment as a means to foster meaningful connection, TheCCnyc is now the leading destination for diverse creativity and connection, providing thousands of Black and Brown creatives with the community and resources they need to thrive in their professional careers.

TheCCnyc's marquee event is CultureCon, the largest conference celebrating Black and Brown creatives and their undeniable impact on culture. CultureCon is a first-of-its-kind ideas conference that caters to all aspects of creative and professional life. The

festival-styled conference is jam-packed with masterclasses and workshops featurings a myriad of topics including entrepreneurship, marketing, mindfulness, leadership and professional growth. The CultureCon campus includes Activation Alley where guests can shop the Black-Owned Business market or get their headshot taken for their portfolio. Past speakers include Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Spike Lee, Regina King, John Legend, Lena Waithe, and more.

In addition to monthly community events, The Creative Collective provides countless resources and workshops for its community throughout the year, including Career Transparency insights and career opportunities across companies. 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 (instructors included Kerry Washington and Janelle Monáe to name a few) touching on everything from entrepreneurship to navigating the corporate world.

Named a "2024 Closer of the Wealth Gap" by Time Magazine, a "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.

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