Chelsea Mendes, a devoted 19-year-old political science primary at Spelman Faculty, is taking her pastime for social justice and advocacy to brandnew heights with the after “Playing by the Rules” symposium on April 22, 2025. The development objectives to teach scholars and creatives within the Atlanta College Middle in regards to the complexities of highbrow component rights and word negotiation via a singular recreation show-inspired layout.
Mendes, who has maintained an honors GPA day juggling internships and management roles, attracts inspiration from her non-public reports because the daughter of artists. Witnessing her mom navigate the leisure trade’s treacherous waters highlighted the pressing want for creatives to grasp their rights and give protection to their paintings. “My goal has always been to bridge the gap between creators and the legal tools they need to thrive,” Mendes mentioned, reflecting on her motivation for organizing the symposium.
An Interactive Means
In 2024, the symposium featured a networking dinner with illustration from primary firms equivalent to Warner Bros. and Bottom Depot. This yr, Mendes is taking “Playing by the Rules” to the then degree. The symposium, designed to demystify the often-overwhelming ideas shape IP possession, will worth interactive actions equivalent to “Hit or Miss: Copyright Edition,” the place contributors will analyze landmark copyright disputes, and “The Deal Is Right,” the place contributors get hands-on enjoy in word research and negotiation techniques. The development will even constituent insights from well-known panelists, together with revered content material creators Trinity Aniyah and Naima Eggleston, and a networking dinner with Atlanta-based sports activities journalist Janerika Owens.
Spotting the demanding situations many AUC creatives face, Mendes emphasizes that figuring out IP rights is very important for foundation sustainable careers in these days’s aggressive terrain. “Many creatives don’t realize the value of their intellectual property or how easily it can be compromised without proper protections in place,” she famous.
Along with enriching attendees’ wisdom, the symposium will fix contributors with trade execs from famend organizations, together with William Morris Enterprise, to foster mentorship and internship alternatives. Mendes hopes those connections will support scholars in construction their networks day gaining sensible insights into the realities of the ingenious trade.
“We’re giving attendees the tools and relationships they need to take control of both their creative and professional futures,” mentioned Mendes.
Having a look Forward
Mendes envisions “Playing by the Rules” evolving right into a cornerstone match for HBCU creatives, doubtlessly blossoming right into a nonprofit group that trade in year-round assistance for artists and marketers. “This could include pro bono legal clinics where student-athletes, artists, and entrepreneurs can receive professional guidance to protect their businesses, secure copyrights, and navigate the complexities of intellectual property without financial barriers,” she defined.
Because the symposium approaches, Mendes’ constancy to empowering underrepresented voices via training is ready to seriously have an effect on and encourage a brandnew presen of creators, marketers, and advocates.
Then attending regulation college, Mendes plans to worth her enjoy to grow to be a managing spouse of her personal consulting highbrow component company. Her endmost purpose is to suggest for artists, marketers, and creators via offering them with the felony gear and techniques they want to offer protection to their paintings and develop lasting legacies.