Creator Economy Summit

Thursday, April 23, 2026

• 9:00 AM Breakfast and Registration
• 9:50 AM Welcome Remarks

  Brandon Gutman, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Brand Innovators

  Marc Sternberg, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Brand Innovators

  Cynthia Glanzberg, Vice President, Content & Community, West Coast, Brand Innovators

  Emcee:  John Kraski, Strategic Partnerships, Dhar Mann Studios

• 10:00 AM Opening Keynote

  Dr. Marcus Collins, Clinical Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of Michigan – Stephen M. Ross School of Business

• 10:30 AM The New Hollywood: What Happens When Creators Own the Lot

  For decades, studios controlled the talent, the distribution, and the audience. Creators have flipped the script on all three. This session dives into who holds leverage in the New Hollywood and what everyone has to gain from getting this right.

  Chris Detert, Chief Communications Officer, Influential

  Adam Goldstein, Executive, Strategic Development, CAA

  Billy Parks, Executive Vice President, Head of FOX Creator Studios, FOX Entertainment

  Leanne Perice, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Made By All

  Moderated by: Toni Gray, Head of Production, Dhar Mann Studios

• 11:00 AM Fireside Chat with Dhar Mann

  Dhar Mann, Founder, Dhar Mann Studios

  Moderated by: Dr. Marcus Collins, Clinical Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of Michigan – Stephen M. Ross School of Business

• 11:30 AM Beating the Algorithm With Good

  Rage bait gets clicks. But it doesn’t build brands. This session brings together the brands and creators proving that positivity and inclusivity aren’t soft strategies; they’re competitive advantages. A conversation about why leading with values isn’t a risk, it’s the smartest play in the feed.

  Denise Cherry, Vice President, Marketing and Brand Experience, Rivian

  Earnest Pettie, Trends Insights Lead, YouTube

  Victoria Prince, Brand Influencer & Content Creator, @vprincemusic

  Moderated by: Kellie Matzen, Vice President of Brand & Platform Partnerships, Influencer

• 11:50 AM Networking Break
• 12:05 PM Winning Sports and Events With Creators

  This session brings together leagues, teams, athletes, and brand partners to break down what a winning creator strategy looks like in sports, and why the window to get ahead of it is right now.

  Chad Foster, Senior Manager, Strategic Brand Partnerships, Chime

  Kwaku Frimpong, Global Integrated Marketing, Meta

  Moderated by: Lee Sosin, Chief Client Officer, Props

• 12:35 PM Beyond Paid: Turning Creator Campaigns into Earned Impact

  This conversation explores how leading brands build creator ecosystems that drive earned media, spark cultural relevance, and sustain attention long after launch.

  Tara Loftis, Global President, Byoma

  Cole Moir, Vice President of Marketing, TCL

  Grace Niu, Influencer Marketing Manager, Brand Engagment, Quest Nutrition

  Moderated by: Corey Martin, Managing Director, Media + Influence, Allison Worldwide 

• 1:05 PM Lunch
• 1:05 PM Brand x Creator Breakout Workshop Sessions

  Participate in one of Dhar’s signature interactive formats designed to solve a real, persistent gap between brands and creators. Step onto real production sets for rapid-fire, 1:1 conversations with top creators. You’ll rotate through a series of new voices, new perspectives, and new sets of ideas on what it actually takes to tell stories that break through. Bring your biggest brand challenges and walk away with fresh angles, honest feedback, and ideas ready to execute, all from the place where content gets made.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

  Participating Creators: 

  Don Benjamin, Top Creator, @donbenjamin

  Big Boy, Top Creator, @bigboy

  Jimmy Darts, Creator, @jimmydarts

  Sean Does Magic, Creator, @seandoesmagic

  Andrea Espada & Ali Saleh, Top Creator, @royaltyfamily

  Derek Hough, Top Creator, @derekhough

  Topper Guild, Creator, @topperguild

  Devan Key, Creator, @devankey

  John Kranski, Creator, Dhar Mann Studios

  Nii Lartey, Creator, @doseofsociety

  Cherie Brooke Luo & Jean Luo, Creators, Tiger Sisters

  Hudson Matter, Creator, @hudsonmatter

  Jasmine McCall, Creator, @jazzymac

  Anna McNulty, Creator, @annamcnulty

  Anas Mirwah, Creator, @anas

  Drea Okeke, Creator, @dreaknowsbest

  Ross Smith, Gangster Granny Executive Producer, @rosssmith

  Liane V, Creator, @lianev

  Adam W, Creator, @adamw

  Jon Youshaei, Creator @youshaei

• 2:50 PM Behind the Deal: How Dhar Mann Builds Brand Partnerships That Actually Work

  This session will pull back the curtain on how creator-brand collaborations come together, from first conversation to final cut. A rare look at what makes these deals work from both sides of the table.

  Shadi Ghalbi, Director, Whalar Experiences, Whalar

  Justin Hochberg, Head of Partnerships and Sales, Dhar Mann Studios

  Liana Varjabedian, Senior Social and Creator Marketing Lead, Adobe

  Adam W, Creator, @adamw

• 3:20 PM The Rising Value of Emerging Podcast Creators

  As the creator economy matures, some of the smartest brand investments happen before creators reach massive scale. This panel explores how brands can support emerging podcasters through trusted, growing audio environments that are sustainable, scalable, and brand safe, and how early partnerships drive long-term value for both creators and marketers.

  Kristin Johnson, Senior Vice President, Media, Universal Pictures

  Sasha Pieterse, Host, Women in the Nude Podcast

  Moderated by: Madison Benveniste, Senior Director, Audacy Creator Lab

• 3:50 PM Networking Break
• 4:00 PM The Creator Economy Playbook: From Influence to Infrastructure

  This session brings together brands and creators navigating the shift from one-off awareness plays to long-term, full-funnel partnerships, and what it takes to build the ecosystems and infrastructure to make that work at scale.

  Garineh Magarian, Head of Social, Ring and Blink, Ring

  Andrei Najjar, Chief Marketing Officer, Cymbiotika

  Chantal Rochelle, Talent & Influencer Partnerships, Hulu

  Ross Smith, Gangster Granny Executive Producer, @rosssmith

  Moderated by: Kelli Hurley, Vice President of Content & Podcast Partnership Sales, SiriusXM

• 4:30 PM What’s Next for Content, Culture, and Commerce

  This forward-looking conversation explores where content, culture, and commerce are headed next. From new platforms and formats to shifting consumer expectations, speakers will share how they’re preparing for the next chapter of brand building in an increasingly connected ecosystem.

  Colin Deuthorn, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Aura Rewards

  Lana Ivory, Product Marketing, AI Glasses, Meta

  Devan Key, Creator & President, Keyper Company

  Liz Money, Senior Vice President, Brand & Creative, BÉIS

  Moderated by: Filippia Martin, Vice President of Brand Partnerships, West, Genius

• 5:00 PM Session Wrap