Crystal McCrary is an award-winning film, television producer, director and author. She began her career practicing entertainment law with the New York City firm of Paul Weiss before leaving to pursue a full-time career in writing, directing and producing. Since that time, she has written for several magazines, published two New York Times best-selling novels, HOMECOURT ADVANTAGE, GOTHAM DIARIES and wrote the non-fiction book INSPIRATION: Profiles of Black Women Changing Our World. She also produced original programming for TV & Film including the independent film DIRTY LAUNDRY (FOX Films) and for six seasons Ms. McCrary served as co-creator/executive producer for the NAACP Image Award nominated BET documentary series LEADING WOMEN and LEADING MEN which profiled women and men of color who have impacted the country socially, politically and culturally. She also created and executive produced the three-part documentary series INSIDE: Black Culture profiling The Studio Museum in Harlem, Evidence Dance Company and Abyssinian Baptist Church.

Most recently, Ms. McCrary directed and produced the feature-length documentary along with Amar'e Stoudemire, LITTLE BALLERS, which aired on Nickelodeon. She also produced and directed the Nickelodeon Sports series LITTLE BALLERS INDIANA with WNBA ALL-Star Skylar Diggins. She is working on the third installment of LITTLE BALLERS TEAM LILLARD with Rockhill Media and Believe Entertainment profiling NBA All-Star Damain Lillard’s AAU Team. She also is also producing three documentaries which include the history of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the building of the George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and Ariel at 35 which tells the story of the oldest and largest African-American asset management firm in the United States and her novel GOTHAM DIARIES which she co-wrote with Tonya Lewis Lee is being made into a scripted television series with Lionsgate and Courtney Kemp.

Dedicated to and outspoken on Civil Rights, Voting Rights, Children’s Rights and Women’s Rights, Ms. McCrary has appeared on several national television shows including Good Morning America, The TODAY Show, and CNN. Ms. McCrary has also appeared as a guest co-host on ABC’s The View. Ms. McCrary was previously named to Crain’s-New York Business Forty Under Forty.

Ms. McCrary is a cum laude graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and New York University School of Law and American University (J.D., 1995). Ms. McCrary also studied International European Community Law in Paris, France. She lives in New York City with her husband and three children.

LeToya Bacon is the Director of Communications and Public Relations for BET Networks, a unit of ViacomCBS, and the leading provider of quality entertainment for the African-American audience and consumers of Black culture globally. In her role, Mrs. Bacon is the Communications lead on BET Networks Award Shows, Specials, Music Programming and Strategy. She has lead Communications for over 9 years at BET Networks and helps drive mainstream publicity and recognition for multiple award-winning programs.

During her tenure, she has led communications for key tentpole events including The BET Awards, the #1 program in cable television, Black Girls Rock!, Hip Hop Awards and Soul Train Awards. In addition to awards and specials, she spearheads music programming series including Sunday Best, Music Moguls, Tales and The Grand Hustle. She prides herself on leading the strategy for BET Presents: Love & Happiness, an Obama Celebration, a live musical concert celebrating President and First Lady Obama at the White House in 2016 which featured special musical performances and tributes from their closest friends and A-list celebrities. 

Mrs. Bacon also leads the strategic Communications for BET’s sports initiatives and partnerships with the NFL (Super Bowl Gospel Celebration), NBPA (The NBPA Awards), and Roc Nation Sports (Roc Nation Throne Boxing). Her foray into sports at BET Networks speaks to her diverse career experience and getting her start in the sports and entertainment business for the Dallas Mavericks on the Media Broadcast team. 

Prior to joining BET Networks, the Southern Methodist University graduate, worked on the Communications team for BBC America and lead award-winning campaigns for series including Luther starring Idris Elba, global sci-fi hit Doctor Who, and various International UK/US formats including Dancing with the Stars and Shark Tank. Bacon is also an active member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and part of the Emmy voting Academy. Most importantly she’s a proud mother and resides in New Jersey with her husband and twins. 

As General Counsel of Complex Media, Inc., a digital media company jointly owned by Hearst and Verizon Communications, Inc., Endi Piper oversees all business and legal affairs for Complex and serves as the company’s Corporate Secretary.  As a part of the senior management team, she advises senior executives on matters including but not limited to corporate transactions, licensing and acquisitions, production, business strategy, corporate governance, privacy, litigation and intellectual property.   

Prior to Complex, Piper was the Senior Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs for TV One, LLC, a national cable network that produces original programming for the African American audience.  In this role, Piper oversaw the Business and Legal Affairs, Human Resources, and Rights Clearances/Standards and Practices Departments, as well as provided guidance and oversight for all of the company’s litigation, contractual, and corporate governance obligations. Prior to leading the Business and Legal Affairs department in 2013, she consulted with Radio One, Inc., now Urban One, Inc., supporting the launch of the TV One Network in 2004, and subsequently served as the Director and Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs at TV One.
 
Piper began her legal career at Black Entertainment Television in Business Affairs and transitioned to Production Counsel in Legal Affairs, where she supported the production of original programming and negotiated the majority of the network talent deals. Additionally, prior to joining TV One, Piper was Director of Business Affairs for Scripps Networks Interactive where she guided negotiations for a high volume of programming, acquisition, and licensing deals and oversaw rights and clearances for HGTV, Food Network, and diy Network. 

Piper is an active member of the Board of Directors for the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association (BESLA), which provides legal education and professional development for lawyers, law students and other professionals in the entertainment, sports, and related industries. 

Piper received a BA in Spanish Language and Linguistics and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia.  She also completed the coveted Cable Executive Management Program at Harvard Business School.

Traci Wilkes Smith is the Senior Vice President of Broadcasters in the Client Representation group at CSE. At CSE, Traci has built a dynamic news talent practice rich with experience, recognition and diversity.

In her 15 years as a talent agent, Traci has established extensive relationships in the media industry -- she represents numerous anchors, reporters and entertainment hosts at various networks and local stations throughout the United States. Her keen sense for talent has helped her identify and represent a diverse array of journalists in news, sports, weather and entertainment. Some of her representative clients include CNN Political Analyst April Ryan and Pulitzer Prize Washington Post reporter, Wesley Lowery.

Prior to working at CSE, Traci worked as a broadcast attorney/agent at WTA in New York. She is a member of several
 journalist organizations such as NABJ, AAJA, NAHJ and the Alliance of Women in Media.

Traci is a graduate of Rutgers College and Rutgers University School of Law, Newark, and is a member of the New York and New Jersey state bars. She has served on several boards and is an advocate for Blood Clot Awareness. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children.