Philanthropy has always started with something personal. What's changed is everything around it.

Over the last five years, talent engagement has shifted dramatically, away from one-off endorsements and toward deeply integrated, long-term partnerships. The celebrity cameo isn't gone, but the evidence is clear: trustworthy messengers with genuine community ties consistently outperform the biggest names with the loosest connections.

In this session, Craig and Marika will cut through the Hollywood assumptions and get into the real infrastructure of talent engagement: what works, what doesn't, and how organizations of any size can build partnerships with cultural leaders that are credible, consistent, and built to last.

You'll get a rapid-fire breakdown of five proven models for talent engagement, from product integrations and commercial co-ventures to ticket sales infrastructure, direct nonprofit ambassadorships, and co-branded campaigns, with real examples spanning MAC's VivaGlam, Rare Beauty, Kenneth Cole and the Mental Health Coalition, and artist-founded organizations like the Elton John AIDS Foundation and Born This Way Foundation.

This is a working session for practitioners who are tired of chasing names and ready to build something that lasts.

Attendees will leave with:

• A clear framework for evaluating talent partnerships across fit, function, feasibility, and return
• A breakdown of five talent engagement models and when to use each one
• A Talent Alignment Checklist to assess your next potential partnership before you make the ask Real examples of long-term talent partnerships that have built lasting trust and impact
• A reality check on Hollywood assumptions versus what's actually achievable for your organization