Announced Speakers
More sessions and speakers announced soon!
Agenda
Day 01
Thursday, June 18, 2026
- 12:30 PM
Join us at noon to mingle and meet your peers over a buffet lunch.
- 12:45 PM
Using insights from DCN's proprietary research that show what drives Gen Z's preference for authentic voices and creator-led content, Jason will outline the opportunity for trusted media brands that can combine professional storytelling with compelling, talent-driven engagement to compete alongside and as creators.
- 1:15 PM
How can legacy media work with independent creators in a way that feels authentic? Join Washington Post Creator President Sara Kehaulani Goo to learn about the new division of The Washington Post outside of the newsroom and Opinion section focused on the creator economy and content partnerships. Hear about how The Post is building the infrastructure to help brands scale messaging through trusted independent creators, offering a fresh blueprint for modern audience engagement and revenue.
- 1:45 PM
The creator economy has captured the vast majority of media attention across social and video, fundamentally requiring magazine brands to rethink how they collaborate with outside voices to build new audiences and diversify monetization. The key is ensuring these collaborations are additive to — and not competitive with — the core journalism of these iconic brands. Alicianne will discuss the development of Hearst’s Fashion & Luxury Creator Studios, sharing concrete learnings on audience growth, monetization, and the operating model required to make it all work. The session will offer a practical view of how legacy publishers can build durable creator programs anchored in editorial integrity and brand trust.
- 2:15 PM
Lauren Saks and Micah Gelman left the Washington Post nearly one year ago to form independent news company Local News International with Dave Jorgenson, the former Washington Post TikTok Guy. Hear how they grew a team of creators that built new audience around next-gen on-camera reporters across live and social, then went their own way. The goal: deliver the news to fans who don't interact with news publishers in traditional ways. What have they learned about building trust as independent journalists and building a modern news business that their audience wants to support?
- 2:45 PM
- 3:15 PM
Devin Smith, Director of The Wall Street Journal Talent Lab, will share how WSJ is elevating internal talent, helping journalists build personal brands, and finding ways to incorporate personalities from projects all the way to products. This session will explore the new newsroom team’s playbook and showcase a live example.
- 3:45 PM
Cameron Gidari, Major League Baseball's Vice President of Social Media & Innovation, will share his team's three-pronged influencer strategy that empowers creators to carry the MLB brand through culture. He will talk about breaking through to new audiences, deepening existing fandom, and expanding coverage of the sport in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.
- 4:15 PM
- 5:00 PM
Let’s connect and unpack what we shared and what’s next over a beer, wine or soda and snacks.
