Earlier this week, we announced our formal partnership with the national Building Leaders and Creators (BLAC) Program for 2023. The ambition of BLAC is to bring more young Black leads and creators into advertising, with the support structures in place for them to succeed and lead.
BLAC internships are 12-week, paid opportunities that place chosen applicants at ad agencies across the country. Interns participate in a curriculum with shared resources and projects, and upon completion of the program become part of a network of peers and agency leaders who will continue to provide support throughout their careers.
BLAC is now accepting applications to join its summer cohort, which will run from May 22 to Aug. 11. All applications are due this Monday, March 6.
“Our goal is to inspire and be inspired by a new generation of Black talent,” said Executive Director of BLAC Nicolet Gatewood. “Our program is unique in that we have built a connected network for our interns and alumni, as well as for our agency partners, who benefit from shared opportunities and resources to support industry-wide change. We are excited to welcome Big Communications to our group of partner agencies, which has grown from 11 at the start to over 30 agencies around the country.”
Ahead of its third season, BLAC continues to expand its program with independent U.S.-based shops in the small to mid-sized category. We mark the first BLAC agency partner in the state of Alabama and will be working with BLAC to accept local internship applications in our Account Management, Strategy, and Operations departments. As an added benefit of the partnership, members of our team will participate in BLAC’s DE&I training course.
“Seeing industry peers lead in this space is something we were drawn to at Big,” said Big Founder and CEO John Montgomery. “We are honored to support BLAC’s mission here at home and know our membership will be beneficial as we work to identify and mentor future advertising professionals from the Black community.”
BLAC’s framework connects interns at the onset with an intensive week-long training program and further builds a community through embedded sessions throughout the internship that bring them together through work and social interactions. With the participation of agencies from across the country, students are exposed to different types of agencies and a wide range of agency jobs, making this a robust program that distinguishes BLAC from other single-agency internships.
Those interested in applying for the BLAC summer cohort can submit applications online at www.blacinternship.org/2023-intern-application. Learn more about the program here or reach out to submissions@blacintership.org for more information.