Imani Ellis
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
CultureCon and The Creative Collective
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.
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.