How Imani Ellis, Founder & CEO of The Creative Collective and CultureCon, Brought Inclusivity Into the Creative Space
Welcome to Second Life, a podcast spotlighting successful women who've made major career changes—and fearlessly mastered the pivot. Hosted by Hillary Kerr, co-founder and chief content officer at Who What Wear, each episode gives you a direct line to women who are game changers in their fields. Subscribe to Second Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts to stay tuned.
Many of our Second Life stories start with a gap in a specific market in which incredibly talented entrepreneurs find a solution to fill the need, and Imani Ellis is the epitome of this case. In 2016, after a successful stint in the NBC Page Program and working in communications at Bravo, Ellis recognized a gap—there wasn’t a space where Black and Brown creatives could connect, share resources, and grow together. Instead of waiting for the community to emerge, she created it herself. From her living room in Harlem, she founded The Creative Collective, a space designed to uplift young creatives of color by offering them networking opportunities and essential resources. And, importantly, she did it all while working her way up to the VP level at her day job.
In 2017, Ellis launched CultureCon, an annual conference that quickly became the centerpiece of The Creative Collective's mission. Over the past seven years, she has scaled the Collective and CultureCon into platforms of immense influence, evolving into a hub of inspiration, offering panels, workshops, job fairs, and unique activations to empower its attendees. The event has attracted prominent figures like Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, and Regina King, solidifying its role as a beacon for creatives of color.
Ellis’s dedication and entrepreneurial spirit led her to new beginnings and endings. In 2022, she made the bold decision to leave NBC Universal, where she had climbed the ranks from page to vice president of communications, unscripted entertainment publicity, in just 10 years. Her leap into full-time entrepreneurship allowed her to further expand and diversify her business ventures, with a clear focus on community-building and empowering underrepresented voices.
Listen to the latest episode of Second Life to discover how, by creating spaces for others to thrive in, Ellis has built not only a thriving business but also a movement that continues to inspire and support the next generation of creatives.
Next: Meet Chelsea Hirschhorn, the Founder and CEO of Frida, Who Is Transforming Parenthood
-
Meet the Founder of Texas Beeworks, Erika Thompson
Hear her story here.
By Adrienne Faurote
-
Meet Aisha Bowe: The Founder of STEMBoard at the Forefront of Space Exploration
Hear her story here.
By Adrienne Faurote
-
How Taryn Delanie Smith Evolved From Pageant Queen to Viral Content Creator
Hear her story here.
By Adrienne Faurote
-
How Rebecca Zhou, Founder and CEO of Soft Services, Has Become the Ultimate Brand Builder
Hear her story here.
By Adrienne Faurote
-
Meet Lauren Caris Cohan, the Multifaceted Creative and Chief Creative Officer of Reformation
Hear her story here.
By Adrienne Faurote
-
Second Life Gift Guide
Guest-inspired gifts!
By Claire Schmidt
-
How Artist and Author Geo Rutherford Went Viral on TikTok With Her Haunted Series
Hear her story here.
By Adrienne Faurote
-
From Oscar-Nominated Actress and Director to Successful Beauty Founder: Scarlett Johansson
Hear her story here.
By Adrienne Faurote