The Future of Black Owned Media
Black Owned Media Weeknd 2023 reignites the necessity of Black media and the people who document and support them. By gathering in one of the most historic cities for Black storytellers, this conference will bring together Black media owners/publishers, enriching our resources, our access and our distribution through authentic connections and intentional and engaging customized programming.
In Tulsa, the growth of Black Wall Street established a self-made economy with African Americans owning and operating more than 190 businesses in North Tulsa. Tulsa is also the home of the Tulsa Star, one of the first Black publications, the Tulsa Star provided leadership and influence in shaping Tulsa's Black community. Conference participants will have a special opportunity to explore this history firsthand.
During this conference, you’ll gain valuable insights on strategies to create a new way forward, the need to build our own ecosystem and the cultural revolution that is paving the way for our next generation. Come join us as part of this year's theme as we are committed to The Future of Black Owned Media.
In Tulsa, the growth of Black Wall Street established a self-made economy with African Americans owning and operating more than 190 businesses in North Tulsa. Tulsa is also the home of the Tulsa Star, one of the first Black publications, the Tulsa Star provided leadership and influence in shaping Tulsa's Black community. Conference participants will have a special opportunity to explore this history firsthand.
During this conference, you’ll gain valuable insights on strategies to create a new way forward, the need to build our own ecosystem and the cultural revolution that is paving the way for our next generation. Come join us as part of this year's theme as we are committed to The Future of Black Owned Media.
Speakers
Eboni K. Williams
Keynote Speaker
Attorney/Author/TV Host
Nicole Ellis
Master of Ceremonies
Dustin Ross
Host
Mandii B
Podcaster/Media Personality/Owner of Full Court Studios
Rhonesha Byng
Co-Founder BOMESI, Founder & CEO Her Agenda
DéVon Christopher Johnson
Co-founder of BOMESI and CEO/
founder of BleuLife Media Group
Tracie Powell
Founder, CEO The Pivot Fund
Grouchy Greg
Founder / AllHipHop.com
Felicia Palmer
CoFounder, CEO SOHH
Nehemiah D. Frank
founder and editor-in-chief The black wall street times
Alfred Edmond Jr.
SVP / Executive Editor-at-Large
Black Enterprise
Ryan Mitchell
Music & Culture Journalist at MTV &
Special Consultant in Entertainment
Media at GLAAD
Munson Steed
Founder Rolling Out
Reggie Gustave
Senior Brand Manager, Jameson
at Pernod Ricard
C. Zawadi Morris
Founder and Publisher
- BK Reader
Melanie Figueiredo
VP, Advertising & Sponsorship Sales, URL Media
Kori Hale
CEO, CultureBanx
Kristina Rios
Manager, Client Services at Kargo
"Tony" Antonio Neville
Actor, Comedian, Content Creator
Jules Carfora
Senior Director, Publisher Development
Bella Sharleen Roe
Senior Client Partner, Head of The Uplift Collective
Nicole Hayes
Discover Sr. Director Enterprise Marketing Center of Excellence
Michelle Matos-Becerra
Kargo (MCA)
Sam Doliner
Kargo (Fabrik)
Ashli Sims
Managing Director | Build in Tulsa
Sherrell Dorsey
Journalist, Founder, Author,
Biz Coach
Schedule
DAY 1
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Friday, June 16
9:00am – 5:00pm Attendee arrivals at the Tulsa International Airport
9:00am – 5:00pm Conference Registration (Tulsa Club)
1:00pm – 4:30pm UPFRONT: BOMESI ACCELERATOR Private Presentation (hotel indigo)
6:00pm – 8:00pm Welcome Reception sponsored by Kargo (Rooftop Sky Terrace, Tulsa Club)
8:00pm – 10:00pm Black Owned Media Weekend 2023 Welcome Dinner (Ballroom, Tulsa Club)
9:00am Departure to Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District
9:15am Continental Breakfast at Black Wall Street Liquid Lounge
10 N Greenwood Avenue s101 Tulsa, OK 74120
10:00am Greenwood Rising Black Wall St. History Center Museum & Walking Tour
12:00pm Departure to Agora Event Center
12:30pm - 1:30pm Welcome Lunch co-sponsored by Build In Tulsa (North Room & Patio)
1:30pm - 2:00pm Welcome Keynote Fireside Chat featuring Eboni K. Williams (South Room)
2:00pm - 2:30pm “Undivided: How Black Owned Media Can Work Better Together To
Protect The Power Of Diverse Storytelling”
Moderator: Tracie Powell
Panelists: Nehemiah Frank, Greg Watkins, Alfred Edmond Jr., Kori Hale
(South Room)
2:30pm - 2:45pm Coffee Break
2:45pm - 3:15pm “Fostering Economic Empowerment: Building Infrastructure to
Drive Investment in Black-Owned Publishing” by Kargo
Moderator: DéVon Christopher Johnson
Panelists: Nicole Hayes, Michelle Matos-Becerra, Sam Doliner
(South Room)
3:30pm - 4:00pm “Standing Out and Getting to the Bag in a Crowded Vertical”
Panelists: Dustin Ross and Mandii B. (South Room)
4:00pm - 6:00pm Happy Hour (North Room & Patio)
After our happy hour, we encourage you to explore Tulsa on your own! There will be a Tulsa Juneteenth Celebration in the Historic Greenwood District and we will provide dinner vouchers for Sisserou's, a local Black Owned Caribbean Restaurant
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Friday, June 16
9:00am – 5:00pm Attendee arrivals at the Tulsa International Airport
9:00am – 5:00pm Conference Registration (Tulsa Club)
1:00pm – 4:30pm UPFRONT: BOMESI ACCELERATOR Private Presentation (hotel indigo)
6:00pm – 8:00pm Welcome Reception sponsored by Kargo (Rooftop Sky Terrace, Tulsa Club)
8:00pm – 10:00pm Black Owned Media Weekend 2023 Welcome Dinner (Ballroom, Tulsa Club)
- DAY 2
-
Saturday, June 17 | The Agora Event Center
9:00am Departure to Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District
9:15am Continental Breakfast at Black Wall Street Liquid Lounge
10 N Greenwood Avenue s101 Tulsa, OK 74120
10:00am Greenwood Rising Black Wall St. History Center Museum & Walking Tour
12:00pm Departure to Agora Event Center
12:30pm - 1:30pm Welcome Lunch co-sponsored by Build In Tulsa (North Room & Patio)
1:30pm - 2:00pm Welcome Keynote Fireside Chat featuring Eboni K. Williams (South Room)
2:00pm - 2:30pm “Undivided: How Black Owned Media Can Work Better Together To
Protect The Power Of Diverse Storytelling”
Moderator: Tracie Powell
Panelists: Nehemiah Frank, Greg Watkins, Alfred Edmond Jr., Kori Hale
(South Room)
2:30pm - 2:45pm Coffee Break
2:45pm - 3:15pm “Fostering Economic Empowerment: Building Infrastructure to
Drive Investment in Black-Owned Publishing” by Kargo
Moderator: DéVon Christopher Johnson
Panelists: Nicole Hayes, Michelle Matos-Becerra, Sam Doliner
(South Room)
3:30pm - 4:00pm “Standing Out and Getting to the Bag in a Crowded Vertical”
Panelists: Dustin Ross and Mandii B. (South Room)
4:00pm - 6:00pm Happy Hour (North Room & Patio)
After our happy hour, we encourage you to explore Tulsa on your own! There will be a Tulsa Juneteenth Celebration in the Historic Greenwood District and we will provide dinner vouchers for Sisserou's, a local Black Owned Caribbean Restaurant
- DAY 3
-
Sunday, June 18 | The Tulsa Club - 10:00am - 11:00am Breakfast (Ballroom)
11:00am - 12:00pm “Matching Intention With Action: An Open Dialogue About The - Experiences of Brands, Agencies and Media Owners”
- Moderator: Melanie Figueiredo
- Panelists: Reggie Gustavo, C. Zawadi Morris, Munson Steed, Kristina Rios
(Ballroom)
12:00pm - 12:30pm Coffee Break
12:30pm - 1:00pm “The other B: Black storytelling in LGBTQ Media” - Moderator: DéVon Christopher Johnson
- Panelists: Antonio "Tony" Neville and Ryan Mitchell
(Ballroom)
1:00pm - 2:00pm Networking Lunch co-sponsored by Undertone (Ballroom)
2:00pm - 4:00pm Workshops (Ballroom + Mezzanine)
Guests will have the unique opportunity to attend two workshops. - Round 1 happens from 2:00pm - 3:00pm and Round 2 happens from
- 3:00pm - 4:00pm
- Workshop 1: “Unlocking Unique Demand Opportunities To Maximize Your Revenue” presented by Undertone
- Workshop 2: “Creating Systems To Reduce Overwhelm While Running Your Media Business”
- Workshop 3: “Content Creation & Protecting Your Brand in the Age
- of AI”
4:00pm - 6:00pm Black Owned Media Weekend 2023 Closing Reception
CONFERENCE VENUES
TULSA CLUB HOTEL
115 E 5th St, Tulsa, OK 74103
The majority of the event will take place at this amazing Art Deco designed hotel in the heart of historic downtown Tulsa.
AGORA EVENT CENTER
1402 S Peoria Ave #200, Tulsa, OK 74120
Within walking distance of Tulsa Club Hotel, we have curated an experience that will leverage many gems within the city, Agora being one of those gems.
ACCOMMODATIONS
We've reserved various hotels at a discounted rate for participants of this conference.
Each image is clickable and will direct to the designated Black Owned Media Weekend 2023 hotel page with rates and additional hotel information.
Each image is clickable and will direct to the designated Black Owned Media Weekend 2023 hotel page with rates and additional hotel information.
Hotel Indigo
121 South Elgin Ave, Tulsa, OK 74120
Fairfield Inn
Tulsa Downtown
Tulsa Downtown
111 N. Main St., Tulsa, OK 74103
Hotel Code:
BOM
Hyatt Place
Tulsa Downtown
Tulsa Downtown
200 Civic Center, Tulsa, OK 74103
Hotel Code:
BOME
Tulsa Club Hotel
115 E 5th St, Tulsa, OK 74103
17 West Hotel
17 W 7th St, Tulsa, OK 74119
Hotel Code:
ER88W4
Residence Inn
Tulsa Downtown
Tulsa Downtown
202 w 5th st, tulsa, ok 74103
Hotel Code:
BMSBMSA
The Mayo Hotel
115 W 5th st, tulsa, ok 74103
Aloft
Tulsa Downtown
Tulsa Downtown
200 Civic center, tulsa, ok 74103
Hotel Code:
BOMESI
General Information
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Dress Code
Conference dress code is mostly Business Casual.
- The Black Wall Street Tour, Juneteenth Festival is Casual Sportswear.
- The Closing Party is Cocktail Chic.
Weather
- The average temperature in June ranges from 71 degrees to 90 degrees. Make sure to pack sunscreen and light, cotton, clothing for outdoor activities.
Emergency Information
In case of a police emergency, please dial 911.
In case of a medical emergency, the nearest hospital is Hospital Utica Park Clinic, #3 located at 1245 S Utica Ave, Tulsa, OK 74104.
The Black Owned Media Equity & Sustainability Institute, sponsoring partners and conference organizers are not liable for any illness or physical injury sustained during the course of the conference as a result of actions taken by participants.- Participants are responsible for guarding their valuables and will not be reimbursed for stolen property.
- We ask that you take precautions to protect against the Covid-19 virus. We will not be held responsible if you contract the illness.
Please Read Carefully
By participating in the Black Owned Media Weekend 2023 you will defend, indemnify and hold harmless the Black-Owned Media Equity and Sustainability Institute, its sponsoring partners and event organizers for any and all legal actions arising out of your negligent or reckless behavior. All participants must use care and good judgment and must obey all rules and regulations in place during the conference. You will comply with all requests made by members of the Black-Owned Media Equity and Sustainability Institute and the event organizers. You must obey all laws of the State of Oklahoma. The Black-Owned Media Equity and Sustainability Institute and event organizers reserve the right to eject any participant who does not comply. Ejected participants will not be entitled to a refund of the registration fee.
You give the Black-Owned Media Equity and Sustainability Institute, sponsoring partners and conference organizers, the authorization to use and post any photographs, video recordings, or any other related material, including full names of any participants, before, during or after the event for promotional use and press coverage. You will not be entitled to any compensation for the use of your name or image
Sponsors
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