Tag: culturecon uncut

‘CultureCon Uncut’ Video Podcast Returns for Season 2 With Host Imani Ellis

October 16, 2025

In 2017, Imani Ellis launched CultureCon, a conference that’s become a must-attend event for more than 10,000 diverse creatives and Black professionals to connect, learn, and build community. CultureCon 2025 was packed with curated conversations designed to spark inspiration while celebrating the expansiveness of Black creativity.

Luckily, the conversation doesn’t end when the conference wraps. It continues on CultureCon Uncut, Imani’s video podcast that brings the unfiltered energy of the live event to fans everywhere. Now, Spotify is celebrating the return of the series for its second season.

Produced by The Ringer, the new season features Imani alongside special guest co-host Ike Slimster, a comedian and visual artist, in conversations with culture shifters blazing their own trails.

“We’re so proud to continue our partnership with CultureCon Studios to center and amplify the stories and creatives that shape our culture and community while celebrating creativity in all its forms,” said Kristin Jarrett, Lead, Equity, Diversity & Impact at Spotify.

The podcast’s return follows a powerhouse panel hosted by Spotify at this year’s CultureCon creative conference. On October 4, industry experts and creators—including Melyssa Ford, host of Hot & Bothered; Scott Evans, part of the new RADAR Creators class of 2025, co-host of Access Hollywood, and creator of the digital series House Guest; and Gil Arias, Spotify Creator Partner Manager—shared their insights on how to launch, grow, and thrive as audio and video creators. The conversation was moderated by none other than Xavier “X” Jernigan, the voice model for Spotify’s DJ in English.

Ready to dive in? Stream Season 2 of the CultureCon Uncut video podcast now.

In Her New Podcast, CultureCon Founder and CEO Imani Ellis Shares an Unfiltered Look at the Path to Success

August 29, 2024

In 2017, Imani Ellis revealed CultureCon to the world, a first-of-its-kind conference that spotlights culture, community, entrepreneurship, and diverse creatives. At the annual event, Black creative professionals convene to unpack topics like marketing, financing, and networking. Now, Imani is expanding the CultureCon universe with her new video podcast, CultureCon Uncut.

Spotify partnered with CultureCon Studios to develop the new series, in which Imani interviews Black culture shifters about how they forged their own paths to success. Guests include journalist and birthFUND founder Elaine Welteroth, actor and author Jay Ellis, beauty and wellness creative director Sir John, Uncle Nearest CEO and founder Fawn Weaver, and more. 

“We’re so excited to collaborate with Spotify to amplify journeys of some incredible visionaries,” said Imani. “The vulnerability and rawness of each episode is sure to inspire the next generation of world-changing creatives.”

New episodes will be released every week leading up to CultureCon, which takes place this year in New York City on October 5 and 6.

We caught up with Imani to learn more about the podcast, including why it adds a new dimension to the IRL conference this fall.

What inspired you to start a podcast?

CultureCon has become the go-to destination where ambitious creatives can share their journeys with the next generation of culture shifters. We’re dedicated to creating brave spaces where our speakers are invited to center both their triumphs and their challenges. CultureCon Uncut is our most unfiltered conversation yet, and we knew a podcast was the perfect medium to tell these brave stories. Working hand in hand with Spotify on this project has been incredible—I’m so excited for our community to tap in. 

Can you tease a specific guest or conversation?

Each guest taught me something new about the world and myself, so I enjoyed them all. I had a really great conversation with Jay Ellis where we talked about the fear of success and how you have to notice when your fear of something begins to evolve into self-sabotage. I found that topic so interesting, because we often talk about the fear of failure but don’t spend as much time discussing the fear of everything going right. 

What makes this podcast the perfect primer to CultureCon 2024?

We cover so many different topics on CultureCon Uncut—from entrepreneurship to dating to overcoming self-doubt. It’s the perfect example of what our community can expect at our conference in October. We want to meet our community wherever they are and inspire them to keep chasing their wildest ambitions.

Dive into the first episode of the podcast, featuring guest Elaine Welteroth, below: