GLOBAL BLACK ECONOMIC FORUM ANNOUNCES DEMOCRACY, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND HEALTH EQUITY PROGRAMMING FOR THE 2026 ESSENCE FESTIVAL OF CULTURE

National leaders, advocates, labor organizers, healthcare innovators, entrepreneurs, educators, and policymakers will convene to explore solutions shaping the future of Black communities.

NEW ORLEANS, LA — The Global Black Economic Forum (GBEF) today announced a dynamic slate of programming for the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture focused on advancing democracy, expanding economic opportunity, strengthening workforce development, supporting entrepreneurship, and improving health outcomes for Black communities.

Taking place July 2–5 in New Orleans, GBEF’s programming will bring together leaders from government, business, labor, healthcare, philanthropy, higher education, and advocacy to address some of the most pressing challenges facing Black communities while highlighting actionable pathways toward progress.

At a time when the freedom to vote, healthcare access, workforce inclusion efforts, and economic opportunity programs face increasing challenges, GBEF’s programming will center practical solutions, community resources, and strategies designed to help individuals, families, and communities build a stronger future.

“Communities across the country are navigating unprecedented challenges that impact their ability to build wealth, access healthcare, participate fully in our democracy, and secure economic opportunity,” said Alphonso David, President and CEO of the Global Black Economic Forum. “Our goal is not simply to identify problems. It is to convene leaders, elevate solutions, and connect people with the information, resources, and opportunities they need to thrive.”

Featured Programming Highlights

Thursday, July 2 — GBEF Business Summit, Four Seasons New Orleans

GBEF Recap 2025/2026 | 11:00 a.m.

Featuring Alphonso David, President & CEO of the Global Black Economic Forum; Cortena Williams, Owner of Williams Professional Water Restoration Service LLC; Don Cravins, President & CEO of the National Minority Supplier Development Council; and Monica Simpson, Executive Director of SisterSong.

The Next Era of Black Economic Power | 11:45 a.m.

Featuring Ty Boyea Robinson, CEO of CapEQ and Board Member of the Freedom Economy; Robert L. Greene, CEO of the National Association of Investment Companies; and Esosa Osa, CEO of Onyx Impact.

Africa’s Economic Future: Growth, Talent, and Global Opportunity | 12:15 p.m.

Featuring Mr. Parks Tau, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competitions for the Republic of South Africa.

Women Leading the Future of the Utility Industry | 2:00 p.m.

Featuring John Hudson, Chief External Affairs Officer at Entergy; Colette Honorable, EVP & Chief External Affairs Officer at Exelon; and Nicole Daggs, EVP, Human Resources & Corporate Services at NextEra.

Fireside Chat on the Future of Workforce Development | 2:45 p.m.

Featuring Aaliyah Haqq, Chief Operating Officer of GBEF’s Academy for Advancing Excellence; and April Verrett, President of the Service Employees International Union.

Building the Future Workforce: HBCUs, Career Pathways, and Work-Integrated Accelerators | 3:15 p.m.

Featuring Dr. Jasmine Haywood, Strategy Director, Credentials of Value at Lumina Foundation; Dr. David Wilson, President of Morgan State University; and Keisha Bell, Global Head of the Office of Black Affairs at JPMorganChase.

From the Ballot Box to the Balance Sheet: Elections, Economics, and Building Power | 3:45 p.m.

Featuring Ashley Etienne, CEO of Etienne & Saint and Political News Contributor; Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey; and Juliana Stratton, Lieutenant Governor of Illinois.

Friday, July 3 — GBEF Headquarters

Declaration of Independence Documentary | 11:00 a.m.
Featuring Dr. Sesha Joi Moon, Chief Diversity Officer and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Declaration of Independence Discussion | 11:25 a.m.
Featuring Dr. Sesha Joi Moon and Stacey Holman, award-winning producer and director of Declarations: Black Americans and the Revolutionary War.

Women’s Health & Wellness | 11:50 a.m.
Featuring Dr. Judith Joseph, psychiatrist, researcher, author, and award-winning content creator; Dr. Davida Hunter-Cummins, licensed clinical psychologist, executive leader, and founder of TriSage and Novara; Dr. Topeka Sam, Founder of The Ladies of Hope Ministries, Inc.; and Dr. Janifer Tropez, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Tulane University.

The Joy Reid Show | 12:15 p.m.
Featuring Joy Reid, journalist, author, former MSNBC anchor, and host of The Joy Reid Show, and guests.

Health Care Under Attack: What You Need to Know Now | 1:10 p.m.
Featuring Shanley Chien, Senior Health Editor at U.S. News; Imamu Tomlinson, MD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer of Vituity; Marketa Wills, MD, CEO/Medical Director of the American Psychiatric Association; and Dr. Melicia Whitt-Glover, CEO of the Council on Black Health.

The State of the Workforce for Black Women | 1:40 p.m.
Featuring Tiffany Cross, political analyst and author; April Verrett, President of the Service Employees International Union; Congresswoman Nikema Williams, U.S. Representative for Georgia’s 5th Congressional District; Ty Boyea Robinson, CEO of CapEQ; Anne Price, Co-President and Founder of The Maven Collaborative; and Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, author of The Double Tax: How Women of Color Are Overcharged and Underpaid.

The Power of Black Philanthropy: Investing in Our Future | 2:05 p.m.
Featuring Delano Massey, Managing Editor at Axios; Dr. Alfiee M. Breland-Noble, psychologist, scientist, author, mental health correspondent, and founder of The AAKOMA Project and The MATTIE Fund; Susan Taylor Batten, President and Chief Executive Officer of ABFE; and Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Council of Negro Women.

Black Men’s Roundtable | 2:30 p.m.
Featuring Alphonso David, President & CEO of the Global Black Economic Forum; Monica Simpson, Executive Director of SisterSong; Kendrick Sampson, actor and activist; Luke James, singer, songwriter, and actor; Conscious Lee, digital educator, diversity and inclusion expert, and social media influencer; Euro Got-it, rapper; and Joseph Irvin, content creator.

Defining Power Against Ongoing Assaults | 3:50 p.m.
Featuring Rashad Robinson, social justice leader, strategist, and author; Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey; Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, U.S. Representative for the State of Texas; and Nicole Austin-Hillary, President & CEO of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

All Roads Lead to the South: Black Voters Matter — How We Fight for Our Rights, Protect Our People, and Nation Build | 4:20 p.m.
Featuring LaTosha Brown, community organizer, political strategist, consultant, and Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter; Cliff Albright, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Black Voters Matter Fund; April England-Albright, Legal Director and Chief of Staff for Black Voters Matter Fund; Ashley Allison, CNN Commentator, Owner of The Root, and CEO of Watering Hole Media; Gary Chambers, civil rights activist; State Representative Justin Pearson of Tennessee’s 86th District; and RaeShanda Lias, entrepreneur, activist, and social media strategist.

Saturday, July 4 — GBEF Headquarters

Workforce Investment and the Future of Economic Mobility| 11:00 a.m.
Featuring Shawna Young, CEO of Camelback Ventures; Aniesia Williams, Managing Partner of Dreambloc; Ken Oliver, CEO of The JUMP Project; and Jephtha Snow, COO of the National African American Insurance Association.

How Black-Led Institutions and Leaders Are Building and Sustaining the Infrastructure That Shapes American Democracy | 11:25 a.m.
Featuring Monique Pressley, trial attorney, television legal analyst and contributor, crisis manager, radio host, and certified leadership trainer; Damon Hewitt, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Melanie Campbell, President & CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation; and Regina Wallace-Jones, President of ActBlue.

How to Use Social Platforms to Inform Your Health | 11:50 a.m.
Featuring Dr. Judith Joseph, psychiatrist, researcher, and award-winning content creator; and Imamu Tomlinson, MD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer of Vituity.

Trust Black Women: Redefining the Future of Bodily Autonomy, Maternal Health, Sexuality and Culture for our Collective Liberation | 1:10 p.m.
Featuring Monica Simpson, Executive Director of SisterSong; Cynthia Bailey, actress, model, and podcaster; Monroe Elise, actress and model; Jamarah Amani, Executive Director of Southern Birth Justice Network; Kenya Parham, Chief Growth Officer at Spill; and Nikki Alexander-Tumblin, Founder and Executive Director of New Orleans Black Pride.

Reclaiming the Narrative: The Shifting Media Landscape and What It Means for Your Livelihood | 1:50 p.m.
Featuring Charles Blow, journalist, commentator, former op-ed columnist for The New York Times, and political analyst for MSNBC; Ashley Allison, CNN Commentator, Owner of The Root, and CEO of Watering Hole Media; April Ryan, reporter, author, White House Correspondent for Contrarian News, and Host of The Tea with April Ryan; Ebony McMorris, White House Correspondent at American Urban Radio Networks; Elizabeth Booker Houston, lawyer, public health professional, stand-up comedian, and political commentator; and Errin Haines, Editor-at-Large and Founding Mother at The 19th.

Sistas, Say It Louder: Reclaiming Power, Pleasure and Protection in Black Women’s Health | 2:30 p.m.
Featuring Rashad Burgess, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at Gilead Sciences; Dr. Toyin Nwafor, Executive Director for U.S. HIV Medical Affairs at Gilead Sciences; La’Deia Joyce, marketing and communications strategist; Tamar Braxton, Grammy-nominated singer; Amiyah Scott, actress and trans activist; Dr. Karri Bryant, D.Min., M.Div., First Lady and Executive Pastor of Creative; and a performance by Tamar Braxton.

Midterms and Voting | 3:50 p.m.
Featuring Angela Rye, Andrew Gillum, Bakari Sellers, Congresswoman LaMonica McIver, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, and State Senator Royce Duplessis

250th Anniversary of the United States | 4:20 p.m.
An engagement on the meaning of this holiday for people of color featuring special guests.

Sunday, July 5 — GBEF Headquarters

Lyrics on Trial: The Battle for Free Expression in the Courtroom | 11:00 a.m.
Featuring DeDe McGuire, nationally syndicated radio host; Ty Baisden, Head of Ventures & Innovation at COLTURE Holdings; and Bash - For the World, music artist.

Career Reinvention: How Do You Monetize Your New Journey and What Are the Options and How Does AI Play Into the Discussion? | 11:50 a.m.
Featuring Aaliyah Haqq. Chief Operating Officer of GBEF’s Academy for Advancing Excellence.

Seats at the Table: Protecting Black Power After Callais | 1:40 p.m.
Featuring Elizabeth Booker Houston, lawyer, public health professional, stand-up comedian, and political commentator; Esosa Osa, Founder and CEO of Onyx Impact; Daria Dawson, Executive Director at America Votes; Alanah Odoms of the ACLU of Louisiana; Dominique Sanders, Campaign Director at the Center for Science and Democracy; and Senator Raumesh Akbari, Tennessee Senate Minority Leader.

Unlocking the Vote for People Who Are Justice Impacted | 2:05 p.m.
Featuring Dr. Topeka Sam, Founder of The Ladies of Hope Ministries, Inc.; Desmond Meade, President of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and Chair of Floridians for a Fair Democracy; Sheena Meade, CEO of the Clean Slate Initiative; and Dr. Angela C. Wright, author, advocate, and motivational speaker.

Leaders on the Front Lines | 2:30 p.m.
Featuring April Ryan, reporter, author, White House Correspondent for Contrarian News, and Host of The Tea with April Ryan; Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Louisiana State Senate President Pro Temp Regina Barrow.

GBEF’s Future of Democracy activation is being developed in partnership with leading organizations including Black Voters Matter, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Xceleader’s Vote HBCU, and Onyx Impact.

Health equity will also remain a core pillar of the weekend, with LCMC Health conducting health screenings at the Convention Center, Future of Health programming, and the annual Future of Health Dinner on July 2 honoring leaders including Monica Simpson, Executive Director of SisterSong; Imamu Tomlinson, MD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer of Vituity; and Dr. Alfiee M. Breland-Noble, founder of The AAKOMA Project and The MATTIE Fund.

Additional programming announcements and participant information will be released in the coming days.

—-

About Global Black Economic Forum

The Global Black Economic Forum is an international enterprise focused on advancing the economic interests of the Black Diaspora and other marginalized groups through global summits, workplace training and leadership development, policy advocacy, and thought leadership