Tom Novak is a senior behavioral analyst at Canvas8. After completing his second master's degree in cultural sociology at LSE, he was drawn to cultural insight. Tom has conducted qualitative and ethnographic research from the plazas of Santiago to Coventry's suburbs. In his spare time, he can be seen rowing down the Thames or world-building around feminist science fiction.


People want their identities to be reflected in mainstream culture

Collective Equity

People are interrogating the meaning of gender in a polarised society

Byegender

Dr. Alfred L. Martin, Jr., is an associate professor of cinematic arts at the University of Miami. His research and teaching engage audience/fandom studies and media industry studies as related to race, gender, and sexuality in American media. He's the author of 

The Generic Closet: Black Gayness and the Black-Cast Sitcom

, and a host of essays in scholarly and public-facing outlets, including 

. Martin also has nearly 20 years of experience in marketing communications for brands including Quilted Northern, Wendy's, and Johnson & Johnson.

Marcia Dawkins is a senior research scientist at the Center for Creative Leadership with over 20 years of experience in communications and media. Before joining CCL, Dawkins was a communication professor at the University of Southern California. She writes about identity and leadership. She's the author of 

Clearly Invisible: Racial Passing and the Color of Cultural Identity

, which was nominated for a Grawemeyer Award; 

, which was nominated for an NAACP Award; 

. Her thought leadership has been featured in prestigious keynotes and media outlets such as BBC World, AOL Originals, NPR, and ABC News.

 is a lecturer at the Annenberg Undergraduate Program at the University of Pennsylvania and founder of Maruthi Education Consulting. He has consulted numerous nonprofits, government agencies, corporations, and political campaigns on DEI issues. He teaches and writes about race, global media, nationalism, media activism, and social justice. He wrote on Tyler Perry’s model of cultural production.

United States

Media and Entertainment

TV, film, and social media video

Medium

Variety

Forbes

Upress

Interview with Dr. Alfred L. Martin Jr. conducted by author

Pew Research Center

US Census Bureau

Huffington Post

Atlanta Magazine

Bloomberg

The Grio

Because of Them We Can

Netflix

Interview with Dr. Marcia Dawkins conducted by author

Salon

Next TV

Screen Daily

Luminate

Hollywood Reporter

Interview with Dr. Murali Balaji conducted by author

Census

LGBT Map

Tyler Perry, an Atlanta-based writer, director, and actor, is one of the most commercially successful African-American filmmakers in history. His storytelling delves into the struggles and triumphs of everyday Black people, offering a sense of relatability and humor that transcends cultural barriers.