Advertising Week, the worldwide gathering of marketing, advertising, technology and brand professionals, and Watch the Yard, the leading destination for online Black college culture and Black fraternity and sorority news/culture, today announced YARDCON — a career development event and continuing education platform for the Black college community — will make its in-person debut this November 17-18 at Clark Atlanta University.
The event will bring together Black students from across the nation to meet, train with and be hired by top companies such as Endeavor, GroupBlack, Hartbeat, and more. All content will be streamed to allow for nationwide participation. The festival will also feature hands-on sessions with experts, tours of creative employers, a career fair and additional music and cultural experiences.
Established as a response to students losing internships during the pandemic in 2020, YARDCON quickly became a vital resource for Black students nationwide, connecting them with internships and career opportunities with top companies across the United States. To date, students representing 700 different colleges and universities have participated.
“After successfully hosting this event digitally for two years, we are excited to bring this dynamic experience to a vibrant HBCU campus such as Clark Atlanta University,” said Jonathan Rabb, CEO of Watch The Yard. “Yardcon allows students to engage in an enriching experience, and this year’s conference is poised to be an exceptional gathering that empowers and connects the next generation of Black leaders and creatives,” Rabb added.
“We are thrilled to partner with Jonathan and Watch the Yard to build the YARDCON platform. Advertising Week is committed to the next generation of leaders and support the talent pipeline of companies within our ecosystem,” said Lance Pillersdorf, Co-Founder & CEO Advertising Week.
Attendees will hear from a lineup of leaders in the entertainment, marketing, advertising, tech and media space. Confirmed speakers to date include:
- Bonin Bough, Co-Founder, Chief Strategy Officer, GroupBlack
- AJ Andrews, Professional Softball Player, MLBTV Host
- Brittanie Boyd, SVP, Marketing, Philadelphia 76ers
- Melani Carter, Founder, Made For The W
- Ric Edwards, VP, Brand Design – Look of Games/Executive Design Director for LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games
- Kelle Coleman, SVP, Strategic Partnerships & Experience, Nielsen
- Zaire Franklin, Linebacker, Indianapolis Colts and Host of The Trenches (Podcast)
- Adrian C. Jones, Executive Director and Market Team Lead, J.P. Morgan Private Bank
- Kesha McLeod, Brand Consultant & Author
- Thai Randolph, CEO, Hartbeat
- Jawara Tariq, VP Strategy, Hartbeat
- Joe Branch, Agent – Head of On-Court Basketball Strategy, WME (William Morris Endeavor)
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