Top executives across technology, entertainment, advertising, media and marketing to discuss impact and opportunity of diversity and inclusion in business during inaugural Forbes I.D.E.A. Summit, held in March 2018 in New York City
#ForbesIDEASummit
NEW YORK (June 20, 2017) – Forbes today announced at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity a partnership with the I.D.E.A. Initiative, the largest community of corporate executives addressing the issues of inclusion, diversity, equality and awareness through a business lens.
As part of its partnership, Forbes will launch the inaugural Forbes I.D.E.A. Summit in March 2018 in New York City. Designed as the premier conference that brings together executives to discuss the impact and opportunity of diversity and inclusion in business, the Forbes I.D.E.A. Summit will convene the most important professionals of color in key leadership roles across corporate America. Executives from a wide range of industries, including technology, entertainment, advertising, media and marketing, will participate in the summit.
“We know how critical diversity is to the C-Suite and to company boards,” said Mark Howard, Chief Revenue Officer, Forbes Media. “Now is the time to bring all key business decision-makers together to discuss how companies can win in a multicultural nation.”
The discussion at the Forbes I.D.E.A. Summit will center around the power of the multicultural market and how leaders are connecting with diverse consumers, as well as recruiting and retaining diverse talent. Other topics of conversation will include the latest trends, and insights from thought leaders into how companies can best compete in a multicultural nation.
“Diversity is a growth driver, period. Whether it’s multicultural consumers or multicultural talent, companies win when they make diversity a priority,” said Steven Wolfe Pereira, Founding Board Member, I.D.E.A. Initiative and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Neustar. “People are always talking about diversity and inclusion issues, but there hasn’t been a forum to bring everyone together in one place to discuss this from a business perspective. Given the power and reach of Forbes, Forbes is the perfect partner for us to work with and to organize this important summit.”
“We know there is great energy behind corporate diversity initiatives, and everyone is looking for talent,” said Alvin Bowles, Founding Board Member, I.D.E.A. Initiative and Head of Global Publisher Sales and Operations, Facebook. “What a great opportunity to shine a light on the best and brightest talent in business to discuss how diversity can be an engine for growth.”
Today, over a third of the U.S. population is multicultural. By 2020, over half of all millennials will be African-American, Asian-American or Hispanic. Multicultural consumers are both critical cultural influencers, as well as key business drivers affecting everything from food and retail to entertainment and technology. The rise of a multicultural nation has economic, social and political ramifications that companies must address.
About Forbes Media
Forbes Media is a global media, branding and technology company, with a focus on news and information about business, investing, technology, entrepreneurship, leadership and affluent lifestyles. The company publishes Forbes and Forbes Asia magazines, as well as Forbes.com. The Forbes brand today reaches more than 94 million people worldwide with its business message each month through its magazines and 39 licensed local editions around the globe, Forbes.com, TV, conferences, research, social and mobile platforms. Forbes Media’s brand extensions include conferences, real estate, education, financial services and technology license agreements.
About I.D.E.A. Initiative The I.D.E.A. Initiative (I.D.E.A.) is a membership organization dedicated to driving business growth through diversity. As the largest community of corporate executives addressing the issues of inclusion, diversity, equality and awareness through a business lens, I.D.E.A. will shine a light on top multicultural talent ranging from today’s executives to tomorrow’s leaders. I.D.E.A. creates the forums to discover and develop multicultural talent as well as amplify and accelerate the growth potential of companies by impacting their efforts to increase the number and influence of African-American, Asian-American and Hispanic executives in key business leadership positions such as running P&Ls, holding C-Suite roles and serving on corporate boards. With a focus on the business-side of STEM-driven industries, I.D.E.A. is comprised of executives in the technology, entertainment, advertising, media and marketing industries. For more information, visit: https://www.ideainitiative.co/.
Media Contacts
Forbes: Mia Carbonell, mcarbonell@forbes.com and Laura Daunis, ldaunis@forbes.com.
I.D.E.A. Initiative: Anastasia Williams, a@ideainitiative.co
