ABOUT BAMS CONX
New in 2023, BAMS CONX (Connects) is our inaugural, one-day the ultimate super connector conference that brings together creators, industry leaders, and movers and shakers who shape, influence and amplify Black artistry, Black business, and imagination across Greater Boston and beyond! The conference will focus on the intersection of arts & culture, design, diversity/equity/inclusion, workforce development, entrepreneurship, civic engagement, and social impact.
SESSIONS - June 22, 2023, 9am - 4:30pm
REGISTRATION & CREDENTIAL PICK-UP
8:00 AM
Berklee Performance Center, 136 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, MA 02115
Get all the information you need to experience the first BAMS CONX conference. Make sure to pick-up your credential before going to your first session.
SESSION 1:
Creative Career Equity: Innovative pathways for the next generation to learn & create
9:00 AM
Berklee Performance Center, 136 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, MA 02115
The creative economy starts with investment and the intentional development of new and emerging artists within our educational system and into early adulthood. Learn from leaders who are creating new pathways for artists into college and creative career readiness.
Speakers:
Aysha Upchurch (moderator)
Amber Torres, Julia Meija and Mickey Factz
Panel Sponsor
SESSION 2:
Boston is a sole city: Sneakers and cutting edge design, tech and commerce
9:30 AM
David Recital Hall,
921 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02115
Boston is Sole City. Most of the sneaker industry brands at the global and local level are headquartered here in Boston, and this group of owners, designers, marketers and techies will tell you how the sneaker industry is at the cutting edge of art, fashion, design, tech, community, culture and commerce.
Speakers:
Che Anderson (moderator)
Sidney Baptista, Rekha Purwah, Natan Santos, and Joamil Rodriguez
Panel Sponsor
SESSION 3:
Queendom: Motherhood, Music & Movement Building
10:30 AM
Berklee Performance Center 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
The ingenuity of Black women is what elevates and molds community, often while Black women unapologetically drive force behind some of the most important social and cultural movements of our time. At the center of that is the delicate balance of being a mother, leading with intention, and creating from the heart. Hear from some of the music industry's most respected champions of change about their life's work and legacy.
Speakers:
Joëlle Fontaine (moderator)
Dyana Williams, Maimouna "Mumu Fresh" Youssef,
and Terri Lyne Carrington
Panel Sponsor
SESSION 4:
Words to Stand On: Going from Local to Global Songwriting and Production
1:00 PM
Berklee Performance Center 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
Musicians are global citizens, and they are making culturally impactful music on a local and global scale. This conversation will give an inside-the-studio perspective on songwriting and production from some of the industry's best in Boston and beyond.
Speakers:
Cliff Notez (moderator)
Genie Santiago, Johnny Charles, Kevin Ross and Nadine El Roubi
Panel Sponsor
MASTERCLASS:
From the Mud: Songwriter's Session
1:30 PM
David Friend Recital Hall
921 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02115
A 60-minute masterclass lead the incomparable, GRAMMY-nominated singer, songwriter, and workshop facilitator, Maimouna "Mumu Fresh" Youssef who will explore the fundamentals of music composition & songwriting! Attendees will discover different sounds, song structure, music history and will compose their own original song.
Facilitator:
Maimouna "MuMu Fresh" Youssef
KEYNOTE:
Getting to the Mic: Building Your Brand Identity through Strategy, Collaboration and Intention
2:30 PM
Berklee Performance Center 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
Getting your music and your message heard in today's music industry is a significant challenge. Hear from leaders in the industry who know how to amplify Black creatives through strategy, collaboration and intention.
Speakers:
Jazzmyn RED (moderator)
Sammye-Ruth Scott and Ryan Haslam
Panel Sponsor
INDUSTRY MEETUP:
unCommon Stage curated by BAMS Fest
6:00 - 9:00 PM
Corner of Boylston and Tremont Streets, Boston, MA
Are you up for a little more networking inside a beer garden? Join BAMS Fest as we curate a dope line-up of three emerging local artists set to take the music industry by storm. This event is an event you don't want to miss.
Partners
You must 21+ to drink. ID's will be checked and wristbands will be distributed at the gate. Food & Beverage available for purchase.
2023 BAMS CONX SPEAKERS
Maimouna Youssef
Grammy-nominated Singer, Songwriter and MC,
Founder of Muniversity Studies
Ryan Haslam
Senior Talent Relations Director of
UnitedMasters
Dyana Williams
Broadcaster, Celebrity Strategist and Co-creator Black Music History Month
Sammye-Ruth Scott
Director of A&R
Atlantic Records
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Mickey Factz
Hip Hop Artist and
Founder of Pendulum Ink
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Julia Mejia
City Councilor, At-Large
City of Boston
Johnny Charles
Senior Business Consultant
J.P. Morgan Chase
Terri Lyne Carrington
Jazz drummer and Founder
Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice
Kevin Ross
Chart topping performer, singer, songwriter and producer
Nadine El Roubi
Sudanese singer, songwriter, and rapper
Genie Santiago
Musician, songwriter and community collaborator
Joëlle Fontaine
Founder & CEO of
Kreyol
Che Anderson
Asst. Vice Chancellor for City & Community Relations of
UMASS Chan Medical School
Joamil Rodriguez
CEO and Owner of
LACED
Rekha Purwaha
Director of Public Relations
Vibram
Cliff Notez
CEO and Co-Owner of HipStory
Aysha Upchurch
Educator and Director
HipHopEx Lab, Harvard University
Sidney Baptista
CEO and Founder
PYNRS
Amber Dominga
Public Art Project Manager for the City of Boston
Natan Santos
Marketing Director of CONVERSE
Jazzmyn RED
U.S. Ambassador of Hip Hop and Cultural Exchange, DEI Leader, and Hip Hop Activist