Overview
MAIN STAGE: Victoria Theater
Doors open
10:00 AM – 10:45 AM
DJ Set • Networking • Seating
Welcome Remarks
10:45 AM – 10:55 AM
Chris Witherspoon, Founder & CEO, PopViewers | Founder, ViewerCon | NBC News Entertainment Contributor
Joy Reid: Beyond the Headlines
11:00 AM – 11:25 AM
Featuring: Joy Reid, Journalist, political commentator, author, and former MSNBC primetime anchor
Moderated by: Chris Witherspoon
NBC News Entertainment Contributor and ViewerCon Founder Chris Witherspoon sits down with Joy Reid for an intimate conversation about her groundbreaking career, becoming the first Black woman to anchor a primetime cable news program, and the unconventional path that made her one of America's most influential voices.
Newark Rising
11:30 AM – 11:55 AM
Featuring:
Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Mayor of Newark
Joy Reid (moderator), Journalist, political commentator, and author
A conversation exploring Newark's rise as one of America's fastest-growing destinations for film, television, technology, and the creative economy.
-Intermission: 12:00-12:30 PM-
Bevy Smith: From Harlem to Hollywood
12:30 PM – 1:00 PM
Featuring: Bevy Smith, Media personality, entrepreneur, author, and host of In Bed with Bevy
Moderated by: Taryn Finley
A candid conversation about reinvention, entrepreneurship, media, and building a career on your own terms.
Karamo Brown: Renaissance Man
1:10 PM – 1:40 PM
Featuring: Karamo Brown, Emmy Award-winning television host, producer, author, and entrepreneur
Moderated by: Chris Witherspoon
A conversation about hosting, producing, writing, entrepreneurship, and building an authentic personal brand.
SPOTLIGHT SERIES
The Next Generation of Hollywood
Celebrating a new generation of actors redefining the future of entertainment.
in Conversation with KeiLyn Durrel Jones
1:50 PM – 2:20 PM
KeiLyn Durrell Jones, Actor, Michael, How to Die Alone
Moderated by Thea Harper
In Conversation with Xavier Smalls
2:25 PM – 2:55 PM
Xavier Smalls, Actor, Beauty in Black and Madea's Destination Wedding
Moderated by Chris Witherspoon
The Future of Storytelling with Taye Diggs & MicroHouse Films
3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
Featuring:
Taye Diggs, Actor (The Best Man, All American, Rent) and Co-Founder, Microhouse Films
Troy Brookins, Co-Founder & CEO, Microhouse Films
Shelby Stone, Producer and Co-Founder, Microhouse Films
Moderated by Chris Witherspoon
From premium television and feature films to the rapidly growing world of microdramas, Taye Diggs and his MicroHouse Films partners discuss entrepreneurship, ownership, and why the next generation of entertainment belongs to creators willing to bet on themselves.
STARZ Presents: Power Book III: Raising Kanan
4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
Featuring:
Patina Miller, Tony Award-winning actor, Power Book III: Raising Kanan
Mekai Curtis, Actor, Power Book III: Raising Kanan
London Brown, Actor and comedian, Power Book III: Raising Kanan
Leslie Grossman, Actor, American Horror Story and Power Book III: Raising Kanan
Asjha Cooper, Actress, All American and Power Book III: Raising Kanan
Sascha Penn, Creator and Executive Producer, Power Book III: Raising Kanan and Power Origins
Moderated by Chris Witherspoon
A behind-the-scenes conversation celebrating the series finale, the legacy of the Power Universe, and what’s next.
Exclusive Advance Screening: STARZ’s Fightland
5:00 PM – 5:45 PM
Be among the first fans anywhere to experience STARZ's highly anticipated new series
before its official premiere.
Closing Remarks
5:50 PM – 6:00 PM
Chris Witherspoon, Founder & CEO, PopViewers | Founder, ViewerCon | NBC News Entertainment Contributor
A look back at an unforgettable inaugural ViewerCon and a preview of wha’s ahead in 2027.
STANDING ON BUSINESS: Chase Room
Where Entertainment Careers Are Built
Hosted by: Jamila Mustafa, Award-winning journalist, Actress, Host
Music by: DJ Ekua PM (Pronounced “Eh-kwah,” like Ecuador)
While the Main Stage celebrates the stories audiences love, Standing on Business explores the people, partnerships, and ideas shaping the future of entertainment. Designed for aspiring creators, entrepreneurs, executives, journalists, and professionals, these conversations pull back the curtain on how careers are built—and sustained—in today’s media landscape.
Networking & Seating
12:00 PM – 12:10 PM
Music by: DJ Ekua PM
welcome remarks
12:10 PM – 12:15 PM
Remarks from: Jamila Mustafa
Breaking Into Hollywood: Why the Future of Film & TV Is Being Built in Newark
12:15 PM –-12:45 PM
Featuring:
Desiree Hadley, Executive Director, Newark Office of Film & Television / Newark Film Works
Jon Crowley, Executive Director, New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission
Councilman Dupré Kelly, Newark Municipal Council
Keisha Katz, Director of Workforce & External Partnerships, Reel Works
Ken Gifford, Founder, Newark International Film Festival
Moderated by Latoya Shanelle, NJPAC Marketing Director/Host
Newark and New Jersey are quickly emerging as major destinations for film, television, and creative innovation. This conversation explores the investments, partnerships, and workforce initiatives helping to build a thriving entertainment ecosystem in the Garden State.
The New Rules of Influence
12:50 PM – 1:25 PM
Featuring:
Leshelle Sargent, PR Executive, Amazon MGM Studios / Prime Video
Jahylin McKee, Founder & CEO, J. McKee & Co.
Yahnnica Tate, Senior Public Relations & Brand Marketing Expert (Former Senior Public Relations Manager, Paramount)
Moderated by: Jasmine Ellis Cooper, Influencer, Story teller, and Social Entrepreneur
A conversation about leadership, entrepreneurship, authenticity, and why relationships remain the most valuable currency in entertainment.
Audible Presents: Betting on Yourself
1:35 PM – 2:15 PM
Featuring: Joy Reid & Bevy Smith
Moderated by: Aisha Glover, Head of Urban Innovation, Audible
A candid conversation about taking risks, building a personal brand, embracing reinvention, and creating opportunities where none previously existed. Audience Ask Me Anything to Follow.
The Power of Relationships: How Strategic Partnerships Create Opportunity
2:20 PM – 3:00 PM
Featuring:
Omar J. Dorsey, Actor (Selma, Queen Sugar, Bookie, The Blind Side)
Taylor Selé, Actor and Former NFL Athlete (P-Valley, Godfather of Harlem, Survival of the Thickest)
David Mars, Managing Partner, White Owl Capital Partners
Emmai Alaquiva, Three-time Cannes Award-Winning and Six-time Emmy Award-Winning Filmmaker; Director of The Ebony Canal
Moderated by: Two Lewis, Founder, MENtour | Co-Founder, Take Two Entertainment | Executive Producer, The Nowhere Man
Behind every successful leader is a community of mentors, champions, and strategic relationships that helped shape their journey. The conversation begins with an exclusive trailer presentation for STARZ’s upcoming series, The Nowhere Man .A candid conversation about mentorship, leadership, investing in others, and creating opportunities that empower the next generation.
Presented in Partnership with MENtour
Broadway to Hollywood
3:10 PM – 3:40 PM
Featuring:
Lamar Richardson, Three-time Tony Award-winning Broadway Producer and Film & Television Producer
Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, Actor, The Color Purple and The Lion King; Writer on Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies
Dominique Thorne, Actor, Ironheart, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Judas and the Black Messiah, and Broadway’s Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
James Walker, Broadway Producer, Investor & Entertainment Attorney
Moderated by: Kayla Janel, Journalist, Creative Consultant, Model
From Broadway stages to blockbuster films and hit television series, this conversation explores the journeys of artists and producers who have successfully navigated multiple corners of the entertainment industry and built careers that transcend mediums.
Fresh off starring as Riri Williams (aka Ironheart) in Marvel’s hit Disney+ series Ironheart, Dominique Thorne joins the conversation to discuss her journey from Cornell University to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and her acclaimed Broadway debut in Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. Alongside fellow artists and producers, she’ll share insights on building a multidimensional career across stage, television, and film.
Get ready for an unforgettable day celebrating the best of television, film and pop culture at the inaugural ViewerCon. One ticket gives you access to a full day of exclusive conversations, celebrity appearances, behind-the-scenes stories, special screenings and unforgettable experiences with the stars and creators behind some of today’s biggest shows and films.
This year’s lineup features Taye Diggs (The Best Man, Stepfather), Joy Reid in conversation with Mayor Ras J. Baraka on Newark’s rise as a destination for film, television and the creative economy, Karamo Brown (Queer Eye, Karamo), Bevy Smith (host of In Bed with Bevy and star of Harlem), KeiLyn Durrell Jones (Bill Bray in Michael) and Lamar Richardson, the three-time Tony Award-winning Broadway, film and television producer who made history as the youngest Black lead producer to win a Tony Award.
Fans won’t want to miss the Ultimate Raising Kanan Series Finale Panel, bringing together GRAMMY® and Tony Award winner Patina Miller (Raq), Mekai Curtis (Kanan), London Brown (Marvin), Leslie Grossman and series creator Sascha Penn, the visionary behind Raising Kanan and Power: Origins, for an exclusive conversation celebrating one of television’s most talked-about dramas.
As a special can’t-miss event, ViewerCon attendees will be among the first fans anywhere to experience a special screening of Fightland, the highly anticipated new STARZ series executive produced by 50 Cent and starring Howard Charles.
More than a convention, ViewerCon is where fans and the entertainment industry come together. Throughout the day, attendees will experience inspiring conversations, behind-the-scenes stories, networking opportunities, immersive activations and exclusive moments that celebrate the people and projects shaping the future of entertainment. Whether you’re a devoted TV fan, an aspiring filmmaker or creator, or simply love great storytelling, ViewerCon offers an experience unlike anything else.
Additional guests, programming and special surprises will be announced leading up to the event.
VIP Passes unlock the ultimate ViewerCon experience, including access to the exclusive VIP Lounge and opportunities to connect with talent, creators, industry executives and fellow VIP guests.
ViewerCon. Built for the Fans. Powered by the Viewers.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The inaugural ViewerCon 2026 would not be possible without the support of our incredible sponsors, partners, and community champions who believe in the power of storytelling, connection, and creating opportunities for the next generation of creators.
PRESENTING SPONSOR
STARZ
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
Audible
Invest Newark
MicroHouse Films
Newark Office of Film & Television / Newark Film Works
COMMUNITY & INDUSTRY PARTNERS
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)
The Newark Museum of Art
Newark Alliance
New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission
Reel Works
Newark International Film Festival
Built for the Fans. Powered by the Viewers
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