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The Can: Diversity Collective is transforming the advertising, marketing, creative and communications fields into radically inclusive spaces by providing access and opportunities for people of color and underrepresented communities to industries and global events where they have traditionally been excluded. Adrianne C. Smith, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at FleishmanHillard and Founder of the Can: Diversity Collective, sheds light on her organization's impactful initiatives and explains how human connection plays a role in advancing DE&I forward. Adrianne discusses how communicators can create a safe space to discuss ideas and ask questions along with the importance of understanding DE&I on a global level. Connect with Adrianne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriannecsmith/ Visit the Can: Diversity Collective Website: https://cannesdiversitycollective.com/ Follow Can: Diversity Collective on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cannesdiversitycollective/
Adrianne C. Smith is the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at FleishmanHillard, one of the world's leading communications and marketing agencies. She helps drive the organization's mission to become the most inclusive agency in the world. Adrianne is also the Founder and Visionary of the Can: Diversity Collective, a nonprofit created to give access and exposure to young adults of color and underrepresented communities to global thought leadership conferences in communications, advertising, marketing, creativity, economics, innovation and technology.In 2018, she launched a program where rising stars in the advertising and creative industry got the opportunity to attend and participate in the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.In 2019, Adrianne launched the first-ever DE&I activation at Cannes called “Inkwell Beach,” named as a tribute to the historic beach in Martha's Vineyard, which was a place of solace for Black people during segregation. By 2023, what started six years ago – as a small group of young professionals has grown into a cohort of more than two dozen young people from five continents. In 2023, Adrianne was named ADCOLOR's DEI Executive of the Year.She joins on Hypewomen Podcast to talk about her mission and how she inspires inclusion. Support the show
Adrianne C. Smith is SVP/Senior Partner and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at FleishmanHillard. Prior to joining FleishmanHillard, Adrianne was named the first Global Director of Inclusion and Diversity at WPP. 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 2018, she launched the first iteration of the Diversity Collective, the Cannes Can: Diversity Collective (CC:DC) (http://www.cannesdiversitycollective.com/) 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 stand-alone Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Beach in the festival's 66 years of existence and named it Inkwell Beach – Cannes (http://www.inkwellbeachcannes.com/) after the historic beach on Martha's Vineyard. In January 2024, she launched the Davos Can: Diversity Collective's – Inkwell Beach – Davos during the World Economic Forum., making history again by building the first activation committed to conversations on the global impact of diversity, equity and inclusion. Adrianne is on the Advisory Board of the Reykjavik Global Forum and has been recognized as an Outstanding Mentor by the Diversity Action Alliance, a Game Changer in the Quantum Leap category during the She Runs It Game Changers Awards and the 2023 ADCOLOR DEI Executive of the Year.
In a special Black History Month-themed episode of Yeah, That’s Probably an Ad, senior editor Nicole Ortiz hosted and spoke with five industry executives on op-eds they’ve written for us in the past around Black History Month and how we can further the diversity conversation. We were joined by Quiet Storm founder Trevor Robinson to talk about an article he wrote for us last year—one of the most popular Voice articles we’ve ever published!—looking at a rundown of racism in the advertising industry; marketer and author Frederick Joseph, who had also written an article for us in one of last year’s February print issues on how to make diversity efforts more inclusive; associate professor Monique Bell, who wrote about how diversity needs to begin in the classroom for marketers; and Adrianne C. Smith, the first global director of inclusion and diversity, and Judy Jackson, the first global head of culture, both at WPP on an upcoming print piece they wrote about how to deliver authentic work for black consumers. You can subscribe to Yeah, That’s Probably an Ad on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music and Stitcher or stream the newest episode right here
After a bit of break, we are back with Season 2 of the Reset Podcast. In our first episode of 2019, Laura speaks with Adrianne C. Smith, founder of the Cannes Can Diversity Collective and the Inkwell Beach Cannes. We talk about what it means to actual creative real diversity initiatives that lead to outstanding results, because Adrianne, doesn't just talk about, she makes real magic happen.For more information about the Cannes Can Diversity Collective: https://cannesdiversitycollective.com/Follow Adrianne on social for updates here:@adriannainsta - @cannesdiversitycollective - @inkwellbeachcannes --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-reset-podcast/support
On October 5, The One Club held their annual Multicultural Career Fair, Here Are All the Black People. Adrianne C. Smith sat down with us to talk about her initiative, Cannes Can: Diversity Collective, and her mission to bring a diverse group to Cannes. www.cannesdiversitycollective.com