2026 Face of Talent MAIP Graduation

Join the 4As Foundation on August 11th to celebrate the incredible achievements of our 2026 MAIP Fellows. Following 10 weeks of agency internships, we’re gathering at the FIT Katie Murphy Amphitheatre for a morning dedicated to connection, reflection and the bright future of advertising.

Event Agenda

8:30 AM – Doors Open, Breakfast and Networking Reception 

9:30 AM  – Welcome Remarks 

9:35 AM – Opening Keynote: Shannon Maher, Dean, Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology Fashion Institute of Technology

9:45 AM – MAIP Alumni Panel 

10:15 AM – Awards Presentation powered by Google

• MAIP Creative Fellow of the Year
• MAIP Fellow of the Year
• Partner of The Year 
• MAIP Coach of the Year
• MAIP Industry Excellence Award

10:25 AM – MAIP Alumni Keynote: Mark Robinson, Author, MAIP Alum 1977

10:45 AM – Fireside Chat and Q&A with Ronnie Dickerson Stewart, Founder & Chief Learning Officer, OhHeyCoach, MAIP Alum 2004, Moderated by Leslie Blount, Senior Reporter, Campaign US 

11:10 AM – Pinning Ceremony

11:20 AM – Closing Remarks 

11:30 AM – Networking

12:00 PM – Event Concludes

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Sessions

Opening Keynote: Empowering and Feeding the Creative Pipeline
Speaker: Shannon Maher, Dean, Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology Fashion Institute of Technology

 

The 2026 Face of Talent opening keynote  will serve as a visionary launch to the day, challenging attendees to rethink what creativity, leadership and career readiness look like in the age of AI. Centered on the future of the creative pipeline, the keynote will explore how institutions, industry and emerging talent must work together to ensure that technological transformation expands opportunity rather than narrow it. Dean Maher will underscore the enduring value of human creativity, cultural perspective, interdisciplinary thinking and adaptability, positioning this graduating class of MAIP Fellows not as entrants into a disrupted industry, but as the next generation of leaders uniquely equipped to shape it. 

 

Fireside Chat: Fighting for the Future of the Creative Pipeline with Ronnie Dickerson Stewart, Founder & Chief Learning Officer, OhHeyCoach, MAIP Alum 2004
Moderator: Leslie Blount, Senior Reporter, Campaign

This candid, thought-provoking fireside conversation explores one of the advertising industry’s most urgent challenges: protecting the next generation of creative talent in the age of AI and workforce transformation. The discussion will challenge industry leaders to rethink the consequences of shrinking entry-level pathways, particularly for historically underrepresented talent, and explore why investing in inclusive talent pipelines is no longer simply a workforce issue but a business imperative. More than a conversation about leadership, this session is a call to action for an industry to invest in the talent that will shape its future.

 

MAIP Alum Keynote
Speaker: Mark Robinson, Author, MAIP Alum 1977

In this keynote, we invite you to look both forward and back. Our speaker is a living chronicle of our industry’s journey, reminding us that inclusion through the lens of representation is an ongoing choice we must make with intention. With over four decades in advertising and the author of “Black on Madison Avenue,” Mark Robinson reflects on where we’ve made strides and where complacency risks reversing that progress. This is a call to courage, because our collective future hinges on the intentional inclusion of all voices. Authentic representation is good business, driving growth by connecting with the full spectrum of consumers. As we listen to his story, let’s be reminded: safeguarding progress is the sustainable path to success.

 

MAIP Alumni Panel
“From Equity to Impact: How Paying It Forward Redefines Future Success”
Speakers: 

• Moderator: Tiffany Warren, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Inclusion Officer, Sony Music Group 
• Chauncey Wesley, Executive Vice President, Managing Director, Investment at Omnicom Media, MAIP Alum 2004
• Marc Strachan, Founder, Coach Marc Consulting, MAIP Alum 1981
• Marques Gartrell, Co – CCO, Wieden & Kennedy NY, MAIP Alum 2006
• Sandi Preston, Chief Strategy Officer, Translation, MAIP Alum 2005
  

 

As the Class of 2026 joins a powerful legacy of over 3,000 alumni, we ask: what does it truly mean to be a “MAIPer for Life”?

Join us for a candid conversation with alumni leaders from the last two decades as they unpack Equity to Impact—the firm belief that our individual success is fundamentally linked to the collective advancement of those who follow. This session gives us space to explore not just why giving back matters, but also how it actively shapes the next generation of leaders, drives innovation and creates sustainable change.

Through personal stories and real-world examples of systemic impact, our speakers will debate the challenges of making equity sustainable in today’s landscape. Ultimately, they will challenge us to reframe our commitment to the community: it’s no longer just a duty; it’s a strategy for lasting success.