Black Creators Spark Conversation on Creativity and the Power of Influence

New York City, NY — Social strategist and creatorpreneur Jayde I. Powell had the honor of speaking at The One Club for Creativity’s Where Are All The Black People (WAATBP) conference in New York City, an annual gathering that continues to push the conversation around representation and leadership in the creative industry forward.

The panel discussion, “From Creator to Creative Director: Turning Influence Into Industry Power,” began as a pitch to the One Club and was later shortlisted by the organization through votes from her online community. The particular topic has been rooted in a truth Jayde has felt for years—that creators aren’t just “TikTok influencers”. They are creative directors, strategists, and cultural leaders shaping how brands show up online and beyond.

Jayde shared this defining moment with three of her own peers within the creator space, including content creator and host, Bashel Lewis; Dante Nicholas, creative strategist and founder of YamsThePlaylist; and Christina Westley, founder and CEO of Real Social. The panelists each brought their own perspective on what it means to lead creatively while staying grounded in culture, and unpacking how Black creators are driving brand storytelling, influencing aesthetics, and opening new doors for ownership and collaboration.

“The topic for this panel was deeply inspired by my own career in marketing and advertising and how it has overlapped with my work as a creator—the blending of influence, creativity, and strategy. Creators aren’t waiting for permission to lead. We already are. We’re redefining creative leadership from the inside out, shaping the briefs, crafting the stories, and setting the tone for what’s next.”

As creators continue to take up space in boardrooms, agencies, and brand campaigns, we must continue to rethink and redefine what the next era of creative leadership looks like. 

Across platforms, channels, and mediums, Black creators are no longer just setting trends; their overall influence is, without a doubt, shaping the direction of brand storytelling. They are the creative directors of the digital age and are leading the way for more Black creatives to be acknowledged for their work throughout creative fields.

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