Black Indigenous People of Color Summit

Welcome Keynote, Will Ragland, Creative Director | 10am-10:45am | The Forum

Will is an entertainment advertising veteran who currently works as a Creative Director at a leading industry Streamer and has led campaigns for a variety of tv series and films, including Emancipation and Black Bird.

In his prior role as an agency Creative Director, he was responsible for building teams from the ground up, mentoring young designers, and establishing the creative culture as a lead designer on film franchises and brands such as Spider-Man and Johnnie Walker.

As a self-taught designer who benefitted from having incredible mentors throughout his career, Will focuses on supporting the next generation of creative professionals.

Summit Attendee Connection | 11:00AM-11:30AM | The Forum

Student attendees will engage in some interactive discussions and activities to better clarify their goals and intentions for their particiaption in the BIPOC Student Summit

BIPOC Creatives Panel | 11:30AM-12:30PM | The Forum

The BIPOC Creatives gueslt panel includes 4-5 creatvies from various backgrounds and industries. The panle will focus on thier career journey as an artist/designer, and will include a Q&A for students to engage with them. The panlesits include:
 

Panelists:

Lauri Brown, SVP Global Creative Advertising, NBCUniversal

Niole Guice (Fashion Design, '09), Freelance Designer/llustrator

Steve Kim, Freelance Illustrator

Gabriel Samaro,  Quality Assurance Tester, Naughty Dog

Justin Hopkins, Artist/Director

Mike Chubb, Lead VFX Artist, Treyarch Studios (Activision)

Lunch and Portfolio Reviews | 12:30PM-1:30PM | Elaine's

Following the panel we will provide lunch and invite the panelists to join us. Students are strongly enocuraged to bring a few pieces of their work to engage in a casual conversation with any of the panelists, and gain insight and feedback from these talented BIPOC Creatives!

Creating Dangerously: Mindful Tools for BIPOC Wellbeing | 1:30PM-2:15PM| The Forum 

As Creatives, it can be so easy to endlessly chase down that spark of inspiration, or grind ourselves down with work. But what if cultivating a practice to slow down, rest, and know what's really on our mind could actually help you feel more Creative and less reactive to the over-stimulation of the world? In this interactive session we’ll explore a few ways that developing a meditation practice can help you break away from cycles of stress and anxiety to cultivate more spaciousness, greater clarity, and a deeper sense of Creative self-awareness. 

Career Networking as a BIPOC Creative | 2:30PM-3:15PM | The Forum

Our Career Services team will present various networking strateiges as a BIPOC Creative and organization and resources that specficially support and recruit BIPOC Creatives. 

Closing Speaker, April Showers, CEO and Founder of Afro Unicorn | 3:15PM-3:45PM | The Forum

April Showers is a lead-by-example creator who works to uplift, advocate, and inspire all to achieve
greatness. She is focused on fusing her passions with her life’s purpose to help other entrepreneurs
on their journey. Founder and CEO of Afro Unicorn™, a brand designed to remind women and
children of color how unique, divine and magical they truly are. Her goal from the beginning was to
help normalize Black Beauty; to give black and brown girls a unicorn that represents them and
encourages them to love the skin that they are in and embrace the crown on their heads. You are
Unique, Divine, and Magical.

Multiple business owner and single mother of two, April started a movement of like-minded Black
Unicorns through apparel and accessories in May 2019. In May 2022 she launched in Walmart as the
first Black Woman & first Black licensed brand in Party Supplies for a major retailer. The Afro Unicorn
Brand will also be entering Walmart's children's apparel, drink-ware, toys, and holiday categories in
over 3800 stores nationwide and in Target in the fall. April knows what it takes to build a brand from
the ground up to retail. Her passion is to teach others how to develop their brands. With a goal to
help see us all win.