Creators United Summit from Hashtag Sports Returning to State Farm Arena on September 15

Atlanta-based Summit equips Creators of Color honorees with skills and relationships to inspire a more diverse generation of sports media leadership

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ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 12, 2022

In order to foster more opportunities for people of color within the sports, content, and entertainment ecosystem, Hashtag Sports is returning to Atlanta to host the second annual Creators United Summit celebrating and educating Creators of Color honorees.

As the official host of the Summit, the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena will serve as the host venue for the event’s main day of programming on Wednesday, September 15, providing the Creators of Color cohort with unrivaled access to the award-winning arena. 

The agenda will include Camye Mackey, Chief People, Diversity & Inclusion Officer at the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena, in conversation with DeRetta Rhodes, Chief Culture Officer of the Atlanta Braves and Tim Goodly, Chief Human Resources Officer at AMB Group. Also speaking will be Torian Robinson, President at Dreamville, Que Gaskins, Interim President at NBPA, Walt Brock, Co-Founder at CrossOvr Collective,  Ashly Robinson, Head of Original Development at The Players' Tribune, and more.

We’re honored to team up with Hashtag Sports on such an important initiative that spotlights creatives of color,” said Mackey. “At the Hawks and State Farm Arena, we believe in providing highly talented diverse people with opportunities to help them grow into future leaders.”

Other event highlights will include Media Day—a takeover of the arena’s bowl featuring six content capture and creation stations designed to spotlight the style, stories, and personalities of honorees through audio, video, and social media content—as well as creative competitions, a town hall, and field trips to Atlanta-based studios and businesses, including Sean "Diddy" Combs' REVOLT and Truist Park. 

Additional Creators of Color partners include the NBPA’s THINK450 division, Minute Media, Twitter, Octagon, OneTeam Partners, the Minnesota Vikings, Turner Sports and Bleacher Report, The Venn Collective, WorkinSports by iHire, Greenfly, PhotoShelter, CrossOvr Collective, Travis Ellison Productions, and Canva.

“Atlanta’s vibrant culture and explosive growth in film and entertainment make it the perfect crossover hub to unite creators of all backgrounds for recognition, education and celebration,” said Hashtag Sports CEO Anthony Caponiti. “We’re eager to empower these talented creators with the tools and relationships necessary to grow into a diverse, empathetic, and engaging next generation of sports leaders.”

For more information on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives from the Hawks and State Farm Arena, visit Hawks.com/diversity.

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About the Atlanta Hawks

Committed to entertaining and uniting the city of Atlanta since 1968, the Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena, under the leadership of Principal Owners Tony Ressler and Jami Gertz, continue to build bridges through basketball by following its True to Atlanta mantra. On the court, the Hawks’ exciting young core is led by All-Star point guard Trae Young as the organization received the NBA’s top ranking in overall in-game experience for the last two seasons. Off the court, the Hawks organization focuses on positively impacting the lives of Atlantans through providing access to youth basketball, fighting food insecurity, and the recent transformation of State Farm Arena into Georgia’s largest-ever voting precinct for the 2020 elections. The Hawks family also includes the College Park Skyhawks (NBA G League) and Hawks Talon Gaming Club (NBA 2K League). Atlanta Hawks Membership, which includes your seat for every home game for the 2022-23 regular season, is on sale now at www.hawks.com/membership or by calling 866-715-1500. For more information on the Hawks, log on to www.hawks.com or follow us on social media @ATLHawks.

About State Farm Arena

Home to the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club, the award-winning State Farm Arena opened its doors in October 2018 following the 2nd largest renovation in NBA history. Inspired by the fans, State Farm Arena is a next-generation venue focused on experience, service and entertainment. With the NBA’s third-largest center-hung scoreboard and an immersive video experience, fan-friendly food pricing and premium restaurant options, Topgolf Swing Suites and celebrity-inspired spaces accessible to every fan, the downtown Atlanta arena stakes its claim as the city’s best sports and live entertainment venue. Named Pollstar’s 2020 Best New Concert Venue, State Farm Arena consistently ranks among the top 10 concert and event venues in the world by and hosts nearly 200 events and nearly 2 million guests annually. For more information on State Farm Arena, log on to www.statefarmarena.com today or follow us on Twitter @StateFarmArena. 

About Creators of Color

Creators of Color is a recognition program produced by Hashtag Sports that annually honors 30 people of color (ages 21-33) in sports and entertainment creative roles for their industry-shifting work. Since launching in 2020, over 500 nominations and applications have been received from business moguls, TV personalities, industry executives and peers. Honorees are hand-selected by a committee of members from The Engagement Academy of Sports & Entertainment, the prestigious judging body for The Hashtag Sports Awards. 

About Hashtag Sports

Hashtag Sports® is the premier event and recognition platform for content creators, marketers, and the next generation of creative talent driving the crossover of the sports and entertainment industries. From unparalleled experiences like the annual Hashtag Sports Festival and the Hashtag Sports Awards to inspirational digital content and mission-driven initiatives like Creators of Color led by the Engagement Academy of Sports x Entertainment, Hashtag Sports is the benchmark for fan engagement and the go-to resource for the development of a sports entertainment ecosystem powered by content, culture, and purpose.