Social Media Leaders Gather in Orlando for Ragan Communications & PR Daily’s Annual Conference

Orlando, FL — Over 400 social media professionals from across the country came together in late March for Ragan Communications & PR Daily’s two-day social media conference. The event offered an effective mix of thoughtful leadership, deep dives on best practice social media strategies, and real conversations about the future of social media marketing. 

Bringing her humor and warmth to the stage, the conference was hosted and emceed by social media strategist and creatorpreneur Jayde I. Powell, who led attendees through two packed days of programming. Jayde kicked off the event by sharing some affirmations for creative hotties and introducing several prominent keynote speakers, such as Victoria Lozano, executive vice president of brand marketing at Crayola, and Eder Reynoso, former social media manager of Sesame Workshop. 

One of the standout moments throughout the weekend’s events was the keynote panel, ‘How We Got Here: Finding Your Seat in the Social Media C-suite”, ' which Jayde moderated. Panelists for the discussion included Adu Adu of Grammarly, Santi Pochat from LinkedIn, and Meghan Anhalt of the brand John Deere, who shared thoughtful insights on navigating career paths in a rapidly changing digital landscape. 

In addition to the keynote panel, jayde hosted a live episode of #CreatorTeaTalk with Nicole Phillip, content creator and fellow social media professional. During the session, “The Tea On DE&I in Social Media” sparked candid dialogue about how the rollback of DE&I has impacted the social media industry, highlighting both progress made and challenges that steadily remain. Jayde and Nicole broke down the real impact of these rollbacks, the risks brands take when deprioritizing DEI, and how social media professionals can continue pushing for diverse representation and ensure that inclusivity remains a core part of their work. The discussion posed some great questions from Jayde: "How can brands and platforms do a better job of ensuring black creators receive proper recognition—and, just as importantly, compensation—for the trends they start?”

From personal stories to professional growth, the conference brought together a community of like-minded peers that will shape the future of social media for years to come.

To know what’s next for upcoming events and appearances featuring Jayde, subscribe to her newsletter or follow her on LinkedIn.