- Programming
- …
- Programming
- Programming
- …
- Programming
SCHEDULE
Friday, September 11
PLC Detroit | Icon Building | 200 Walker Street, Detroit
Sign up for breakout sessions & activities by downloading the Black Footwear Forum app or visiting our Attendee Hub.
8:00 AM – Check-in & Breakfast
Morning Sessions - Auditorium
9:00 AM – Welcome
- Speaker: Portia Blunt
9:15 AM – Introduction of Theme: CommUNITY
- Speaker: Jacques Slade
9:30 AM – Communal Conversations by MoveDetroit
Bringing together leaders from Detroit's art, technology, music, and design communities they'll explore the role community plays in creative practice. Each panelist has intentionally built spaces where people can connect, collaborate, and create together. Through an open conversation, they'll share why community has been central to their work, how they went about building their unique communities, and what makes Detroit's creative ecosystem unlike any other.
- Speakers: Sydney James | Maher Hachem | Mervin Montante | De'Lon Dixon | Hilary Doe
10:00 AM – A Decade of Cultivating Talent & Creative by New Balance + PLC Detroit
For ten years, New Balance and PENSOLE/PLC have built one of the industry’s strongest design talent ecosystems, rooted in mentorship, community, and real career acceleration. This panel brings together the partnerships’ founders and alumni to explore how an intentional investment in creative culture shaped an alternative way to build a talent pipeline within New Balance, grounded in long‑term vision and community.
- Speakers: Dr. D'Wayne Edwards | Jared Goldman | Jordan Johnson | Bryan Wilson | Jatonah Henry
10:45 AM – CommUNITY in Motion: How We Build, Scale, and Sustain Culture Together by adidas
In alignment with this year's BFF theme, CommUNITY, adidas leaders will share how community has influenced their leadership journeys and shaped their impact across the footwear industry. The discussion will explore how intentional connections, mentorship, and collective action create opportunities, drive innovation, and help build a stronger pipeline of future Black leaders in footwear.
- Speakers: Iman Tyson | Ben Lee | Tony Holmes | Elaina Pitts
11:15 AM – Networking Break
- Sneaker Law with Kenneth Anand
11:30 AM – Breakout Sessions
BLACK EDEN: The History & Legacy of Idlewild Historic commUNITY by Merrell
Location: Back Lawn
A conversation celebrating the rich history, cultural significance, and enduring legacy of Idlewild, Michigan, through the voices of those deeply connected to the community.
- Speakers: Kurt Johnson | Chris Grier | Susan Matos | Nicolina "Koko" Stubbs
Lose Yourself: What It Takes to Move as One
Location: Atrium
A conversation about the question: What does it take to move as one?
- Speakers: Johan Martinez-Khalilian | Dr. D'Wayne Edwards
Foot Locker THREADED: Taking Your Brand to the Next Level
Location: Foot Locker Studio
Join Foot Locker for an interactive conversation about what makes an emerging brand stand out. Hear directly from Foot Locker leaders across buying, marketing and community, alongside founders sharing firsthand lessons from their own journeys. Learn how Foot Locker’s THREADED program helps put those insights into action and supports emerging brands as they grow and scale. Bring your questions, gain firsthand insight and learn how to apply.
- Speakers: Conor Richardson | Donald Dudley | Alan Baxter | Jordan Dixon | Deverin McNeill | Stephon Sparrow
The Laws of the Game
Location: Room 1600
Join industry veteran and attorney Kenneth Anand for an educational, highly interactive two-part workshop on the legal side of the sneaker game. Drawing on 22+ years in fashion and footwear law, his time as GC and Head of Business Development at Yeezy, and insights from Sneaker Law (a credible course text and coveted coffee-table book sold in sneaker shops worldwide), Kenneth turns complex rules into practical moves creators and brands can use right away.
- Speaker: Kenneth Anand
The Power of Perspective: How Community Shapes Creativity by Skechers
Location: Room 1602
Being different isn’t a weakness, it’s a superpower. This concept reflects the reality of how products are created through collaboration across design and development, all the way to marketing. Emphasizing that innovation comes from a range of lives experiences, this session provides practical insights and reflection that can be self-applied.
- Speakers: Elan Hawkins | RJ Santiago | Claudia Beltran
JBRC Voices Presents: Touch One, Touch All: Celebrating Latino/a Excellence
Location: Room 1604
In this session led by executives across the business of culture, we engage in recognition, education, and celebration of cross-culturalism and duality. Specifically, the parallels of the modern shared experiences of Black and US Latino communities throughout culture and commerce.
- Speakers: Lorena Serrano | Mel Peralta | Javier Farfan
Shop Talk: Growing CommUNITY Through Sport & Culture by Nike Inc.
Location: Shop Talk Lounge
In this ShopTalk conversation, Sebastian Jackson will sit down with Deb Williams, Director, Basketball Brand Marketing in LA, to explore how NIKE, Inc. is building deeper connections across Los Angeles through listening, partnership, and community-centered Experiences. As one of NIKE's most influential and strategically important cities, Los Angeles continues to serve as a platform for innovation, connection, and community impact. From NIKE's tri-brand presence during NBA All-Star Weekend, including The Shaw activation, to deeper, long-term investments such as The Crenshaw Rec, Deb will share how the company is evolving from creating memorable moments to building lasting community value – while shaping the future of sport and culture.
- Speakers: Deb Williams | Sebastian Jackson
12:30 PM – Lunch Break
Sole Boxes by Foot Locker
Food Trucks
2:00 PM – Breakout Sessions
Renewed Leadership: Create Well. Lead Well. Live Well
Location: Atrium
Renewed leadership begins with understanding that how well you create, how well you lead, and how well you live are interconnected. When we intentionally care for our mental, emotional, physical, relational, and financial well-being, we don't just feel better; we expand our capacity to create, connect, lead, and sustain success.
- Speaker: Dr. George James
JBRC Voices Presents: Sport, Culture, and the Business of Community
Location: Room 1600
Leaders across the modern sports culture landscape share concrete examples of how they build and serve community from inside the walls of the most influential leagues and teams in the world. The conversation centers on fan communities and how each league reaches underserved audiences, with golf’s growth among Black and Latino fans as a leading example.
- Speakers: Earl Cooper | Javier Farfan
Retailer CommUNITY
Location: Room 1602
Nationwide independent retailers are shaping where they live and the communities they serve through sneaker culture. This conversation will highlight three brothers who are building commUNITY in the community for the community.
- Speakers: Shake James | Jon Humphrey Jr. | Gavin Mathieu | Sean Williams
Beyond the Idea by Target
Location: Room 1604
A great idea is only the beginning. In this interactive workshop, Target Accelerators will explore how business thinking can help strengthen creative ideas and turn them into opportunities that resonate with others. Participants will learn to think beyond what they are creating by considering who they are creating for, the need or opportunity their idea addresses, what makes it meaningfully different, and why someone should care. Through guided exercises and peer discussion, participants will apply these questions to an idea of their own and walk away with a practical framework they can use to strengthen future ideas.
- Speakers: Shequeita Orr-Frazier | Mimi Udezue
Spark, Explore, Mix - Creative Inspiration
Location: Wilson Smith STU/DEO
Everyone is a designer. For each product, program, or performance, we create from our unique perspectives, & collaboration. This workshop shares inspiring stories to motivate action for whatever is your creative project, cause or focus.
- Speakers: Patrick Hunter | Cheresse Thornhill-Goldson | Matt Priest | Wilson Smith
Shop Talk: Sole Connections by Nike Inc.
Take a break and connect with fellow attendees across the industry.
Location: Shop Talk Lounge
3:00 PM – Networking Break
- Sneaker Law with Kenneth Anand
- Barber Shop by The Social Club
Afternoon Sessions - Auditorium
3:30 PM – Blacklight Awards
4:15 PM – Exponential Living: How to Power Forward in Times of Uncertainty
Today’s high-performing leaders are burned out, distracted, and pulled in every direction. In this transformative keynote, Sheri Riley makes the compelling case that the most effective leadership begins with personal development. Dr. Sheri Riley, shares her proprietary framework, The EL (Exponential Living) Solution to help high performers reclaim their time, boost productivity, and create more bandwidth—without sacrificing their well-being.
- Speaker: Sheri Riley
5:00 PM – Redeemed Sole: The Power of Resilience in Business and Life
In his Redeemed Sole keynote, NY Times bestselling author, TED speaker and executive leader Shaka Senghor draws on his journey from nearly two decades of incarceration to becoming a writer, entrepreneur, and corporate leader. Through powerful storytelling and practical leadership lessons, he explores resilience as more than surviving adversity—it is the ability to adapt in business, take ownership of your dreams, reimagine possibility, and turn setbacks into strength.
- Speaker: Shaka Senghor
5:45 PM – The King of Rock and Culture
The Rock, "N" Roll Hall of Famer, Culture Creator, Entrepreneur, and Legend DMC, will share his story of transformation and evolution while educating us all on the history of Culture. You won't want to miss this historic moment, moderated by D’Wayne Edwards.
- Speakers: Darryl "DMC" McDaniels | Dr. D'Wayne Edwards
Evening Events
7:00 PM – Necessary Rebel: A Trailblazer's Blueprint by April Walker
Location: April Walker STU/DEO at PLC
A focused conversation reflecting on building Walker Wear without an existing blueprint, navigating leadership and independence, and creating opportunity in spaces where creators, and particularly women of color were rarely recognized. And, a brief exclusive reading from the forthcoming book, followed by an audience Q&A.
- Speaker: April Walker
7:00 PM – BFF x Shaka Senghor Literary Lounge
Location: Must RSVP to receive location (spaces limited)
Join Shaka Senghor and Phil Cooley for an intimate, casual evening at the Shaka Senghor Literary Lounge. Just 20 spots available, first come, first served, for BFF participants to connect with Shaka and Detroit stakeholders, continue the conversation from his talk, and explore opportunities for creative collaboration. Come with questions, ideas, and a desire to connect.
- Speakers: Shaka Senghor | Phil Cooley
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BLACK FOOTWEAR FORUM 2026