This past weekend, ADCOLOR took over the JW Marriott in Los Angeles, bringing a diverse group of individuals together to celebrate and discuss diversity and inclusion in the creative industries. From advertising and marketing to entertainment and tech, these industry innovators and leaders came together to celebrate this year’s theme: Moment of Truth. Here at Facebook, six of our team members have been recognized as a force in their communities, with four people highlighted as ADCOLOR Futures and two as ADCOLOR award nominees.

ADCOLOR is an organization that empowers young and diverse professionals in the creative industries through their mission to “Rise Up Reach Back.” The ADCOLOR Futures program recognizes a select group of young leaders who have paved the path in their careers to be the next leaders. By providing the platform and resources they need to support the next generation, the Futures program empowers these rising leaders to thrive in their careers and in turn empower others. ADCOLOR’s annual event gives the Futures and other professionals in the industry the opportunity to experience training and mentorship like never before. The event comprises of multiple segments where Futures and attendees hear from seasoned professionals, network with other outstanding individuals in the industry, and participate in a hackathon. As a result, the Futures of today, are given the tools and resources to in turn inspire the Futures of tomorrow.

For Deborah R., Creative Strategist at Facebook, last year’s ADCOLOR was a career-defining moment. She was working with a different company at the time, and was a participant in the ADCOLOR Futures program. Facebook’s presence at the event and her interactions with different team members inspired her to pursue a new path and join the team. This past weekend, she attended ADCOLOR as an alumni, and we caught up with her to get her perspective on experiencing this year’s event as a Facebook team member, and how ADCOLOR empowers people to take what they’ve experienced and bring it back to their own communities.

I love marketing and advertising. Being a person of color in this industry, it is important to have peers and colleagues in your corner who can champion your successes and support your career aspirations. I started my career at an entertainment company as an intern, and within 2 ½ years I worked my way up to an associate manager. For the first time in my career, I was given a seat at the table, and I struggled with feeling comfortable raising my hand in a room full of people who didn’t necessarily relate to me and my background. That’s where ADCOLOR came in for me.

Last year, I walked through the conference doors with little idea of what to expect. Taking part in the Futures program, I knew this was an amazing opportunity for me to understand more about being an individual in this industry, and learn how to take control of my career. The program turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences; I networked and met incredible people who I’m still in touch with today. Looking back at last year’s event, the hackathon was definitely the most memorable part. Jumping into a project with a group of people you’ve never met can be a challenge; as much as you’re advocating for your voice and ideas to be heard, you have to make sure you’re allowing others to be heard as well. My team came together and we created a fresh and unique idea -- one that we wouldn’t have been able to create alone, and we ended up winning the entire hackathon. It was so exciting, and also empowering!

I took everything I learned from the event and realized it was time for the next chapter of my life. The connections I made there led me to Facebook, where I’m proud to be part of a team that embraces people and perspectives from all walks of life. You can bring your whole self to work here, and the more different you are, the more perspective you can bring.

Coming back to ADCOLOR this year as a part of the Facebook team and as a Future alum, I was able to take in the conference with a whole new perspective. This year’s theme was “Moment of Truth.” After attending various sessions throughout the weekend, I realized we’re living in a huge moment of truth right now. We’re in the age of #MeToo and TIMES UP, and our culture is quickly adapting to one in which people are feeling empowered to speak up about issues and are refusing to stay quiet, and these themes really showed up throughout the weekend. One of the biggest highlights for me was Marc Pritchard’s, Chief Branding Officer of P&G, keynote. He spoke of his struggles identifying with his Latino background after spending most of his career hiding the fact that he was a Mexican-American. He spoke about the effect that embracing your culture can have on someone, and how it translates into your work. In fact, he has managed to turn his struggles with identity into some of the most memorable and impactful advertisements for P&G, including this commercial for this past year's olympics. He showed us what it truly meant to own your moment of truth.

As an ADCOLOR Future alum, it was an incredibly proud and exciting moment for me to see the Futures and award honorees from the Facebook team. I was lucky enough to chat with them before the event to gauge how they were feeling, and share words of encouragement. I was so impressed by the talent they all exuded, and felt extremely lucky to work alongside them at Facebook. On top of that, I was thrilled to see two of our own, Elisha G. and Morgan H. take home the Change Agent and Rising Star awards, respectively. Seeing them accept their honors, knowing the powerhouse of a team in support of them, creates the perfect examples of how Facebook’s culture is crafted to position you for success and support you as you make your dreams a reality. For anyone considering applying to be an ADCOLOR Future or nominee, don’t think—just do it. Speak with your manager, find the support you need to champion your amazing work, and apply. You’ll never look back.

If you're looking for a diverse team filled with peers who will stop at nothing to support and motivate you, I would definitely suggest looking to the incredible creative and advertising job opportunities on our Global Marketing Solutions team at Facebook here.