DIVERSE REPRESENTATION TO HOST 3RD ANNUAL BLACK ENTERTAINMENT CAREER SUMMIT PROVIDING EDUCATION AND OPPORTUNITY FOR BLACK PROFESSIONALS IN ENTERTAINMENT
United Talent Agency (UTA) and Lionsgate Among Companies Participating in The Two-Day Summit
LOS ANGELES – 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, answers the call of underrepresentation in the entertainment industry with its impactful, thoughtfully crafted BlackEntertainment Career Summit. Designed to increase the hiring and exposure of Blackprofessionals in the entertainment industry, Diverse Representation will host the two-day Summit on May 3-4, 2024, to provide Blackprofessionals opportunities to learn about the various careers from recruiters, executives, and human resource directors from agencies, studios, TV networks, and other entertainment organizations in the industry.
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. Striving to change the lack of Black representation in the entertainment space, the Summit is designed to bridge the gap, where attendees hear directly from the executives, ask yearning questions that often go unanswered, and ultimately equip themselves to be marketable in the industry.
Just a few of the confirmed speakers for The Summit:
- Bill Duffy - Bill founded BDA Sports, an NBA practice in 1996, and is believed to be the longest tenured Black-owned sports agency in the country. The agency was recently acquired by WME Sports (click here). Over his career, Duffy has represented 30 NBA Draft lottery picks, 44 NBA All-Star selections, and 15 NBA Champions.
- Lindsay Wagner - United Talent Agency's first-ever Chief Diversity Officer. She drives the strategy for the company's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, amplifying and articulating its commitments to the creative and business community.
- Tami Quintero - Tami is the Head of Talent Acquisition at Lionsgate, where she leads the organization's recruitment strategy, overseeing early careers through executive search across Lionsgate's Corporate, TV, and Motion Picture Groups.
“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," said Jaia Thomas, Founder and CEO of Diverse Representation. “To date, there have been very few programs or events specifically focused on recruiting and retaining more Black professionals in the entertainment industry. We hope this event helps usher in a greater number and new wave of Blackprofessionals in television, film, digital, and more.”
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.
For more information on this year’s Summitincluding the full agenda and ticketing, please visit: www.entertainmentcareers summit.com.
