October Recap: Summits, Premieres and Giving Back

October packed the calendar with rooms where business, culture and giving back met, according to Black Enterprise's monthly roundup. The outlet hosted its XCEL Summit for Men in Orlando from Oct. 21 to 23, marking a decade of the gathering. Speakers there included Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, journalist Ed Gordon, Hall of Famer and investor Isiah Thomas, and former NASA astronaut Victor Glover. Earlier in the month, Advertising Week New York ran Oct. 5 to 8, with names like Issa Rae, Daymond John, John Legend and Venus Williams among those talking about where brand building is headed. Project Healthy Minds then held its fifth World Mental Health Day Festival in Manhattan on Oct. 10, featuring Terry Crews and Karl-Anthony Towns. Prime Video premiered The Greatest, its scripted Muhammad Ali series, in Times Square on Oct. 27, and Missy Elliott accepted an Icon Award from Janet Jackson at a Los Angeles benefit for Dancers Against Cancer on Oct. 22. The money lesson: the rooms you show up in, from summits to fundraisers, can open doors to mentors, partners and opportunities that a résumé alone won't.