When combing through the media outlets with a discerning eye, it becomes clear that despite our national obsession with reality shows, celebrity gossip and the ingestion of stories on war, poverty and climate change, there is a steadily growing yearning from the masses for more good in the world.
Enter pop culture icons: from the speeches at the recent Emmy Awards calling for racial and gender equality, to LeBron James providing college scholarships to under-served youth, or Taylor Swift and Dr. Dre donating royalties from their albums to causes benefiting arts and education, the social good platform is gaining increased visibility on all fronts.
"Pop culture is the ideal medium to raise awareness and increase engagement for social good, given that in many ways it is literally the fabric of our lives via our passion points of fashion, art, entertainment, music and sports," says iconic32 co-founder, Sergio Morales.
iconic32 is a fast rising authority at the convergence of social good and pop culture--a lifestyle firm and innovation studio that drives social good via pop culture. Part experiential agency, part youth culture think tank, part e-commerce and design studio, and part content creator, all in the name of social good and to engage Millennials and Gen Zers via pop culture.
On Saturday October 3rd, 2015, in a first-of-its-kind event dedicated to "reimagining the future through the fusion of innovation, social good and pop culture," iconic 32 will host the Pop Culture Summit in New York City from 9am to 6pm, on the campus of John Jay College, located at 524 W. 59th Street.
Serving as Master of Ceremonies will be the Fox TV hit series, Empire actor and iconic 32 co-founder, Malik Yoba. The event is presented in partnership with John Jay College, New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, KIND Snacks, Suja Juice, Sound Tea, Chameleon Cold Brew, Mocada Museum and Sankofa.
Speakers and presenters are to include Grammy Award winner, Commissioner Gordon Williams; rapper, Fat Joe; Bollywood actress, Shenaz Treasury; noted photographer and film director, Jonathan Mannion; Emmy Award winner, Lisa Russell; New York University professor Martha Diaz; actor/activist Hill Harper; and Huffington Post viner Chaz Smith is also running a digital co-creation workshop.
For more information on the Pop Culture Summit, please visit www.iconic32.com.
Follow Akoshia Yoba on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Yobagirl