Program Goal
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office is excited to announce the fourth annual Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Student Summit, which will take place in person on campus on Saturday, February 24, 2024, from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The Summit’s goal is to create a community space for BIPOC-identified students to connect around shared or similar identities while addressing the realities of being a person of color within creative sectors. This program will focus on uplifting and empowering BIPOC voices through dialogue on topics of personal development, professional growth, and post-graduation opportunities.
We are thrilled to announce this year’s featured speakers:
- Ed Duncan, Senior Vice President of Design for Games/Action Figures/Plush/Inventor Relations at Mattel, Inc.
- Dawn Porter, Award-winning Filmmaker, Trilogy Films
In addition to our featured speakers, the program will include interactive panels of BIPOC creative industry professionals from Riot Games, Purpose Toys, and BLT Communications, as well as freelance artists and designers!
Summit Outcomes
As a result of participating in the BIPOC Student Summit, students will:
- Build a strong network of BIPOC creatives.
- Explore and expand upon their identity as a BIPOC person within their own personal development.
- Identify individual/community strengths and assets as BIPOC creatives for professional growth and opportunities.
- Explore how their identity(ies) influence their journey within the creative industry.
- Identify strategies for academic success to provide a successful transition into a creative field.
Who is Eligible?
This student summit is FREE and open to all currently enrolled students who self-identify as BIPOC. This program is focused on the experiences and narratives of BIPOC-identified persons in the creative field and will offer opportunities for students to self-explore and build connections around this focus.
Summit Fee and Registration
This student summit is FREE and open to all currently enrolled students. The registration deadline is Friday, February 16, 2024. All students who attend the entire full day program will be entered in a drawing to win a $50, $75, or $125 gift card to Graphaids/Amazon!
Session Details
The entire event will take place in the Forum with guest speakers and BIPOC creatives from various industries. Questions regarding participation in the 2024 BIPOC Student Summit? Email dei@otis.edu.
Session Descriptions | February 24, 2024
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Keynote Speaker, Ed Duncan, SVP of Design at Mattel | 9:30-10:30am
Ed Duncan, SVP Design, Action Figures/Games/Plush/Inventor Relations
Mattel, Inc.
Ed Duncan serves as Senior Vice President of Design at Mattel, with responsibility for action figures, games, and plush design, as well as overseeing Mattel’s Inventor Relations team. Prior to joining Mattel, Duncan led design for Takara-Tomy’s efforts outside of Japan, held several jobs on Disney Consumer Products’ Toys team, and worked as a designer and design leader at Fisher-Price and Hasbro. -
Raise Your Voice: Developing Your Personal Brand as an Emerging Artist and Designer | 10:45am-12:00pm
This interactive session will focus on how you can develop or enhance your own personal brand as you move through your professional creative career. -
Lunch | noon-1:00pm
Students will break for lunch and build off of the morning sessions
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BIPOC Creatives Panel | 1:00-2:30pm
The BIPOC Creatives guest panel includes 4-5 creatives from various backgrounds and industries. The panel will focus on their career journey as an artist/designer, and will include a Q&A for students to engage with them.
- Laila Forghani, Senior Recruiter at Snap Inc.
- Warren Nung, SVP and Executive Creative Director, BLT Communications
- Dee Dee Wright , CEO and Founder of Purpose Toys
- Oshin Tudayan, Social Media Strategist at Riot Games
- Mike Chubb, Sr. VFX Artist for Treyarch Studios
- Lanise Howard, Lanise Howard Studios
- Edwin Alvarenga, Sr. Art Director, Paramount+
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Career Networking as a BIPOC Creative | 2:45-3:30pm
Learn networking strategies and create or refine your elevator pitch to introduce yourself. Learn how to follow-up with people you met at the summit and plan your next steps, including outreach to BIPOC-supportive organizations, utilizing Career Services, and preparing for the upcoming Internship and Recruitment Day on March 14, 2024.
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Closing Speaker, Dawn Porter, Filmmaker, Trilogy Films | 3:45-4:30pm
Dawn Porter, Filmmaker, Trilogy Films
Award-winning filmmaker Dawn Porter has emerged in the entertainment industry as a leader in the art of storytelling, directing, and producing critically acclaimed projects that have impacted generations of people from all walks of life. A two-time Sundance film festival director, Porter has created work featured on HBO, Netflix, ESPN, CNN, PBS, MSNBC, and MTV Films, among other platforms.