CultureCon 2026 Turns Brooklyn Into a Living “Museum of Us”

By Tracey Khan

CultureCon 2026 turned Brooklyn’s Navy Yard into a vibrant celebration of Black creativity, entrepreneurship, entertainment and community, bringing approximately 12,000 attendees together over the weekend at the Duggal Greenhouse. 

Presented by Chase Ink, this year’s CultureCon embraced the theme “Museum of Us,” celebrating the artists, entrepreneurs, creators and cultural leaders shaping the world in real time. For founder and CEO Imani Ellis, the weekend represented a remarkable evolution from the event’s humble beginnings. During a fireside conversation with New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani on Oct. 4, Ellis reflected on the journey.

“CultureCon was born in my one-bedroom apartment in Harlem, and now it’s 12,000 people,” Ellis said. What began as an intimate gathering has grown into a major creative and business platform, expanding across multiple buildings at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and creating opportunities for attendees to connect, learn and build.

Mayor Mamdani, who joined Ellis onstage, praised the community she has created and recognized the importance of providing artists and entrepreneurs with spaces where they can connect with others who share their ambitions.

“We are so proud to have you as entrepreneurs, as artists, because, frankly, what we love about this city is what you create every day in this city,” Mamdani told the CultureCon audience. He also thanked Ellis for building a community that makes people feel less isolated in a city as large as New York.

The weekend featured an impressive lineup of cultural voices, including Michael B. Jordan, John Legend, Mahershala Ali, Colin Kaepernick, Daniel Kaluuya, Niecy Nash-Betts, Aaron Pierre and Olandria Carthen, among others.

Jordan spoke directly to creators about believing in their vision, encouraging them to trust what they see even when others cannot yet recognize it.

Legend, who attended the first CultureCon, reflected on the festival’s growth while sharing that he and Pharrell Williams have completed the album they worked on together in Paris.

Ali discussed the importance of meaningful Muslim representation onscreen and the value of portraying characters as complete human beings rather than relying on stereotypes.

Mamdani also used his CultureCon appearance to discuss the challenges facing New York’s working artists, including low annual earnings, while highlighting the city’s expanded artist grant of up to $10,000.

Beyond the celebrity conversations, CultureCon 2026 placed significant emphasis on practical resources and professional development. Programming included the Creative Business Stage, Founder Summit, Creator Summit, Career Lounge, Small Business Marketplace and Braindate networking opportunities designed to help creatives develop careers, businesses and relationships. 

For Ellis, growth does not mean losing the personal connection that made CultureCon special. “As you scale, we started with 200 people, and now we’re at 12,000; you have to scale intimacy,” Ellis told Boardroom. 

That idea was woven throughout the weekend. From panels and workshops to networking and brand activations, CultureCon created an environment where inspiration could be paired with education, access and opportunity. 

With “Museum of Us,” Ellis and her team offered more than a theme. They created a living celebration of a community whose stories are still being written, and whose creativity continues to shape what comes next.

Photo credit