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Promoting Diversity at Sundance and Beyond
Brickson Diamond (MBA 1999) was in the midst of a successful career in investment management with the $1.7 trillion Capital Group Companies when he cofounded the Blackhouse Foundation, a nonprofit aimed at advancing the careers of promising black filmmakers and performers.
“We saw an opportunity to add to the texture of a village of creators who have the power to influence a huge global audience,” says Diamond, who is never one, as he puts it, “to just sit back and wait for progress to happen.”
Diamond’s career-long engagement in promoting diversity includes serving from 2012 to 2017 as COO of the Executive Leadership Council, a prestigious membership organization dedicated to developing an inclusive business leadership pipeline for top-level black executives. At Blackhouse, he chairs an initiative that debuted in 2007 with an impressive slate of networking events, panel discussions, and workshops at the annual Sundance Film Festival in Utah. The number of black films showcased at Sundance has since increased from 7 to 39, and Blackhouse has added popular outreach events at the Cannes, Tribeca, Los Angeles, and Toronto International film festivals.
“There’s no secret formula,” Diamond says. “We create a supportive space where black artists can mingle, shine, and learn about financing, production, marketing, and distribution. We also help the industry establishment understand the power and viability of the stories this community has to tell.”
(Published April 2019)
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