Why BLK & Bold's CEO was tapped for NY Ad week

CEO of BLK & Bold Pernell Cezar was invited to the Roundel / Target panel for Ad week in NY . The topics?of discussion?included BIPOC entrepreneurship and the impact of Target’s commitment to advance racial equity. As Cezar is?being regarded as an expert in the consumer goods industry he shares his insight on the experience and what it felt like to share the stage with an old?colleague.

Q: What was it like participating in ad week?

A: My experience for ad week was really great. It’s always fun to showcase great partnership with this case, being Roundel, and how their efforts really impacted us in our journey to retail.

Q: Why did they ask you to be on the panel??

?A: As a Black owned business that was part of the beginning stages of what was Roundel's media fund; I have a long-standing history to how their efforts really have changed the game for emerging businesses, especially Black owned businesses, and the plight that we have with limited resources and connectivity to industries where we don’t have much representation. Additionally, Target's media fund is publicly stated to be a contribution of $25 million of grant support for Black businesses that are at Target and looking to expand their marketing reach to households that shop target in retail as a way to help create more equity of access to marketing initiatives.

Q: What did you enjoy about the other panelist?

A: Being on the panel with a friend and long-standing colleague, and now turned entrepreneur, Jasmin Foster; it’s always great to take up space with a like minded person you respect a lot.?We have very similar journeys where we both come from the retailer and consumer goods industry, and then parlayed our professional background into our north stars and manifested it in?two different categories with stationery and?beyond - with Jasmin, and of course BLK & Bold with the beverages. It's always great to pour into the audience and?each other, in that sense. Filipa Iboko and Sarah Travis, both from Roundel, it was great?to hear their why on how they create such a game changing program, but also how they look to continue to build more equity of brand representation, and sustainability?through the seat they have within their professional roles in a larger entity such as Roundel and Target.?

Q: What was the highlight of the event?

A: The highlight of the event would be getting to talk to passionate?attendees after the event. We had an opportunity to talk to other entrepreneurs that have very brilliant?businesses that they're looking to bring into market and looking to scale. You also have passionate marketing professionals that all want to continue to further how their personal values overlap with a professional journey. It's just something different around people that talk about what they care about in their values and how they manifest more of that with their actual time?today, not with their aspirations for how their time could be used for their?values in the future.?