Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Goapele and Essence Atkins Join Blavity Inc.’s Summit21 Conference to Empower Black Women to Live Their Best Lives

In Addition to the New Speakers, Full Program Details for Summit21 is Revealed Covering Topics of Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Beauty, Wellness and the art of Leveling Up with Masterclasses, Fireside Chats and More

(LOS ANGELES, Calif.) May 9, 2019 – Blavity Inc. announced a slew of new details today for Summit21, the largest influencer conference for Black women, which takes place in Atlanta on June 7-8 at AmericasMart Atlanta. Adding to its heavy-hitting #Bosslady lineup of accomplished Black women including the likes of Ms. Tina Knowles-Lawson, Karrueche Tran (TNT’s Claws), Ashley Blaine Featherson (Dear White People), Valerie Jarrett and others, Summit21 disclosed that Congresswoman Maxine Waters, R&B songstress Goapele and actress Essence Atkins will also be sharing their unique perspectives with attendees this year. Andrew Lewis (Degrassi: The Next Generation) will be signing on as MC of the event.

Here’s what you can’t miss at Summit21 this year:

Leadership Stage:

• The Power of an Idea From Concept To Completion
• Pitch Competition Semi-finals
• Leveling Up In Your Career

Entrepreneurship Stage:

• Crash Course To Launching Your Online Course
• Entrepreneurship From Launch To Practice
• Stages of A Startup And Vocabulary
• Secure The Bag: How To Land Financial Partnerships

Level-Up Stage:

• Schmoney Time – Personal Budgeting And Financial Workshop
• I’m Every Woman – A Discussion About Motherhood And The Work-Life Balance
• Mind, Body, Spirit: Finding Your Voice To Improving Your Physical And Mental Wellness
• Build Your Brand – PR, Marketing And More

Summit21 “Unspoken” Poetry Night:

• An evening gathering for attendees to enjoy chill vibes and spoken word performed by gifted Black women poets including Ashlee Haze, Alysia Harrisand Joan Leslie. Iconic singer/ songwriter/ activist, Goapele will be hosting the event. Additionally, we will be premiering #WhereIsBeauty. Starring singer/songwriter Goapele, #WhereIsBeautyis a beautifully raw visual depiction of a woman during intimate moments of self-reflectionwhile identifying her personal standard of beautyin an age where social media homogenizes women.

Art Gallery:

• Maryam Moma, Tracy Murrell, Rochelle Washington, Evelyn Quinones, Jill is Black, Alicia Renee Bell, Chrissy Brimmage, Ariel Dannielle, Phylis Iller,A’Driane Nieves, Ebony Balding, Yelaine Rodriguez, T Lang.

Small Business Row:

• To give local Atlanta-based small business a boost and expand their reach, we’re featuring six small businesses at Summit21 this year, including: J. Dow Fitness, LLC, Poise Ann, Halls of Art LLC, Elixir Candle Co., Divine Arte, Yamerra. Each will have a booth to engage conference attendees over the course of the two days.

Chateau 21:

• Shop Chateau 21 for free designer beauty products, the latest tech gear, and other dope swag to take home. A few of the brands featured in Chateau 21 include: Shea Moisture, Eden Bodyworks, Aunt jackie’s Curls and Coils, Perfect Pineapple, Beautycounter, Soho South Boutique, Chice Sugar, Legendary Rootz and more.

For more information on the conference, view the full schedule, full list of speakers and to purchase tickets, visit www.summit21conference.com.

Featured Speakers:

Congresswoman Maxine Waters – Congresswoman Maxine Waters is considered by many to be one of the most powerful women in American politics today. She has gained a reputation as a fearless and outspoken advocate for women, children, people of color and the poor. Elected in November 2018 to her fifteenth term in the U.S. House of Representatives with more than 70 percent of the vote in the 43rd Congressional District of California, Congresswoman Waters represents a large part of South Los Angeles including the communities of Westchester, Playa Del Rey, and Watts and the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County comprised of Lennox, West Athens, West Carson, Harbor Gateway and El Camino Village. The 43rd District also includes the diverse cities of Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lomita and Torrance. Congresswoman Waters made history as the first woman and first African American Chair of the House Financial Services Committee. An integral member of Congressional Democratic Leadership, Congresswoman Waters serves as a member of the Steering & Policy Committee and is the Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease. She is also a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and member and past chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Goapele -Soul and R&B singer-songwriter whose first nationally distributed album, Even Closer, peaked at #24 on the Billboard Charts for Top Independent Albums. Her 2006 album, Change it All, reached #32 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album chart and #2 on the Top Heatseekers chart.

Essence Atkins – With her innate sense of comedy and girl next-door charm, Essence Atkins is one of Hollywood’s sought after talent. She has been a familiar face in people’s living rooms for more than twenty years and her star continues to rise. This dynamo returns to the small screen starring in the highly anticipated OWN series, Ambitions, premiering June 2019. Born in New York, Essence grew up with a love for movies and admired talents like Bruce Lee, Shirley Temple and Abbott & Costello. Currently, Essence can be seen on Ambitions as Amara Hughes, a brilliant attorney that works for the Department of Justice, who is married to her rivals ex and is investigating her rival’s current husband. She was last seen on the small screen in Marlon, the NBC comedy loosely inspired by the real life of star Marlon Wayans’ life.

About 21Ninety:

21Ninety is a lifestyle platform designed for black women who are looking to invest in themselves to create and live the best version of their lives possible. As a digital hub for resources surrounding beauty, wellness, health and career, 21Ninety is the one place where black women can come together to learn,  grow, and discover. 21Ninety engages its community of burgeoning multicultural women through our daily emails complete with masterclasses, DIY tutorials, influencer interviews and at the annual Summit21 conference. 21Ninety believes that with access to tools and information, any person can begin those necessary steps towards achieving their dreams. For more information please visit www.21Ninety.com.

About Blavity Inc.:

Blavity Inc. is a media company home to the largest network of brands specifically serving black millennials through original content, video and unique experiences. Since 2014, the company has grown into a market leader for black media, reaching 30 million millennials per month through its growing brand portfolio. For more information, please visit, BlavityInc.com

Media Contact:

Dwight Harvey II, Communications Director, Blavity Inc.

dwight.harvey@blavity.com