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    This July was my first venture into one of the most popular conventions in the country, Dream Con. Created by the content creation juggernaut RDC World (short for ‘Real Dreamers Change The World’), Dream Con is easily one of the youngest youth-led conventions of its magnitude. The first iteration of the convention launched at the Waco Convention Center in 2018. These guys were in their early twenties then! From 6,000 attendees in 2022 to 45,000 in 2026, the con is just getting started. Like the founders, many of the attendees are also content creators, influencers, and social media personalities. Many of them are looking to make the same kind of living off socials as the RDC World crew.

    Let’s be clear, these dudes are working hard on these videos, and it’s clear from how proactive they’ve been. Sometimes they are ahead of the culture curve in ways PR companies only dream of. It felt like they were dictating the direction of the Kendrick/Drake battle (IYKYK). That said, the RDC World collective clears six figures in collected revenue streams (various approximations from different sources). So, if the next generation of creators is looking to follow in their digital footsteps, they’re going to have to be just as good with their finances as they are with the socials.

    Dream Con
    The flyer that brought me into the room that taught me what I could bring to the table.

    Seems like the Dream Con programming team was ahead of the curve again. On the first full day of the con, tucked into the back end of the day is “Morgan Stanley’s Fireside Chat: From Side Hustle to Generational Wealth.” Let me tell you right now, the exhibit hall was filled with young, ambitious content creators, hungry for their viral breakthrough. Not enough of them were attending this chat. The moderator? Chief Financial Officer of Dream Con, Kendale King. King opened the floor to a direct discussion with Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor Jonathan Cole. Cole, who manages a five-billion-dollar wealth portfolio with his team, was there to get to the nitty-gritty. At one point, a very intrepid attendee asked an insider question. Cole wanted all the smoke and responded in kind, ’I am very comfortable answering this uncomfortable question.’ Conversations focused on two very specific things: the mindset needed to ascend from broke, anonymous try-hard in the content space, and the technical ins and outs of digital financial literacy.

    It was refreshing to see this as an offering at Dream Con, not because no other convention in history has had the idea to present the business side of things. It was refreshing to see because the Fireside Chat panels were all about circumventing gatekeeping. Most of what Dream Con did differently was put kingmaking guest speakers and eager attendees in the closest proximity possible. From the RDC World team all the way through to the volunteers, it’s obvious that the philosophy is, ‘There’s money and opportunity for all of us.’ Not only is that a rare, grounded mindset for this ambitious convention, but for serious movers and shakers in the entertainment industry. Ain’t nobody opening the door to give people the tools and access needed once they get to the mountaintop. Dream Con bucks the idea and leans into the adage, ‘Lift as we climb.’

    Dream Con
    Jonathan Cole (L.) and Kendale King, CPA (R.) giving out (almost) free financial game at the ‘From Side Hustle to Generational Wealth’ panel.

    By the end of the chat, it was clear that the people who popped out were looking to make something more of the content creator work than just vibes. It was also very clear that there is a side to this constantly ballooning industry that requires hypervigilance and discipline to stay on top of. To be in this quieter, more serious, academic space was a sharp juxtaposition to the very goofy and enthusiastic live-streamers flooding the show floors. This fireside chat was a reminder that those two things are connected. And that if they are harnessed properly, the gatekeepers can be avoided or, hell, the gates might come tumbling down. Tip of the hat to Kendale King and the folks creating programming at Dream Con for this panel.

    Cover image via Dream Con (Eventeny)

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    The post Lift As We Climb: Finance Panel at Dream Con appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

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