Shelby Stewart

Biography

Shelby Stewart is a Houston-born journalist, editor and cultural storyteller who serves as Manager of Content Operations at ESSENCE, where she helps shape editorial storytelling across digital, print and live experiences. A graduate of Dillard University with a master’s degree in communications from the University of Houston, Stewart has covered some of culture’s biggest moments, including the Golden Globes, GRAMMYs, Emmys and BET Awards. Her work is rooted in amplifying Black voices and preserving the stories, people and traditions that shape Black culture.

Sessions

1. How to Stop Waiting and Start Building

   Thu, Nov 5, 4:10 PM – 4:35 PM CT

   Track Entrepreneurship

   Arian Simone on building a movement and a business from the ground up, what it costs, and how to start before you feel ready.

2. The Man of Many Fathers

   Thu, Nov 5, 11:05 AM – 11:30 AM CT

   Track Networking

   Comedian, writer, and television host Roy Wood Jr. on his book and what family and fatherhood teach us about showing up.

3. Make It Ours: How Outsiders Rewrite the Rules of Luxury

   Thu, Nov 5, 11:40 AM – 12:05 PM CT

   Track Future of Marketing

   Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Robin Givhan on how Virgil Abloh, with no formal training, became the first Black artistic director in Louis Vuitton's 164-year history, and what his rise says about race, taste, and who gets to define a brand.

4. The Algorithm Changed Who Gets a Microphone

   Thu, Nov 5, 12:15 PM – 12:50 PM CT

   Track Creator

   Gatekeepers versus direct-to-audience: how creators across books, television, fashion, and social are building audiences and owning them.