Icons, RockStars, & Innovators: Adrianne C. Smith
What makes you an Innovator?
You’re not the problem, you’re the solution! You are traveling the roads not taken…being a pioneer of change…and fearlessly creating groundbreaking initiatives and solutions!
Adrianne C. Smith was recently named the first Global Director of
Inclusion and Diversity at WPP, the largest multinational communications, advertising, public relations, technology and commerce holding company. Adrianne is also the Founder and Visionary of the Can: Diversity Collective, a non-profit organization created to provide access and exposure to young adults of color and under-represented communities to global thought leadership conferences on advertising, marketing, creativity, economics, innovation and technology. In 2017, she launched the first iteration of the Diversity Collective, the Cannes Can: Diversity Collective (CC:DC) which provides rising stars in the advertising and creative industry the
opportunity to attend and participate in the Cannes Lions International
Festival of Creativity. In 2019, she made history by creating the first standalone Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Beach in the festival’s 66 years of existence. Cannes Lions is where the best creative work in the world is judged to the highest standards.
With more than 20+ years of industry and advocacy experience, including her work as the Executive Director of the Center for Excellence in Advertising at Howard University, Adrianne has helped many individuals achieve their personal career goals and organizations achieve their strategic corporate goals. Her training and development programs were the catalyst for the success of several advertising executives. Graduates trained in her program have received numerous awards and accolades including Cannes Lion awards.
Adrianne’s career has been primarily based on making the invisible visible by creating opportunities for under-represented communities. She has created and produced both documentaries and television programs as well as participated on the launch team for a digital sub-television network. In addition to her advocacy work, Adrianne is the founder of Vision Corps Media Group (VCMG), a media incubation company developed to create new content for current and emerging media outlets.
Follow Adrianne on Meta and Twitter, and find her on LinkedIn!
The ACNY Foundation is proud to recognize outstanding industry professionals, during our 3rd Annual Black History Month recognition series titled, “Icons, Rock Stars & Innovators”.
It is our way of shining the spotlight on exemplary talent, integral to the evolution and growth of the advertising industry. Each day during Black History Month we profile a selected “Icon, Rock Star & Innovator” across all our digital platforms. In addition, our partnership The Gradient & Mixed Company podcast, allows for our programming to further extend throughout the industry; introducing and promoting these luminaries to new audiences. Follow the series on Instagram, Meta, Twitter, and LinkedIn!
Meet our illustrious lineup of “Icons, Rockstars, & Innovators” on February 26, 2020. RSVP here: https://bit.ly/31q13Pc
Take a peek at last year’s event.
P.S. Check out our other content from previous years
2019 – Online Exhibition