Color Magazine

What Color Magazine does

Color Magazine is a private U.S. media and events company that publishes a digital magazine and operates a portfolio of signature conferences and award programs serving professionals of color, HR and DEI leaders, and the enterprises that sponsor them. Its core offering is a digital publication hosted at colormagazine.com complemented by a free newsletter subscription, with content spanning thought leadership, interviews, and award nominations on diversity, equity, and inclusion. The events portfolio comprises annual conferences including the Women of Color Leadership & Empowerment Conference, Men of Color Leadership Conference, Employee Resource Group (ERG) Summit, Chief Diversity Officer Summit, Diversity Leader Summit, and HR Power Summit, alongside awards programs such as All-Inclusive Awards, Women of Color Innovator Awards, Women of Color STEM Achievement Awards, Best Under 40, Most Influential Men of Color, Most Influential Women Powerlist, Most Impactful Leaders POWERLIST, and Workplace That Cares.

The business generates revenue through four streams: event sponsorships sold at multiple tiers (Host Sponsor, Virtual Livestream Sponsor, Diversity Advocate Sponsor, Strategic Networking Sponsor, Team Player Sponsor), advertising and media sales across digital editions and event materials, event ticket and registration revenue (some events free for community engagement), and digital magazine/newsletter distribution. Distribution leverages a multi-channel approach including owned website, email newsletter, social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), and virtual event platforms (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, YouTube, Cvent). Named enterprise sponsors and partners include LinkedIn, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, PTC, DraftKings, Mass General Brigham, DuPont, Eastern Bank, Museum of Science, and Artists for Humanity, with SHRM recognition enabling Professional Development Credit awards to HR attendees.

The company operates as an affiliate of BridgeTower Media, a diversified B2B media group headquartered in Greensboro, NC that owns 15+ regional business publications across the U.S., providing distribution and back-office scale that an independent niche publication would lack. Headcount is reported at 1-10 employees, consistent with a small operating unit whose event production is largely amplified through BridgeTower Media's broader infrastructure. Founded circa 2008-2013 and led by Executive Vice President Jaime Zepeda, the business has operated for over a decade with no disclosed funding, acquisitions, or external institutional investors.

Name

Color Magazine

Legal name

BridgeTower Media

Website

https://colormagazine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Color Magazine is a Boston-based digital media and events company serving professionals of color, HR, and DEI leaders via a digital publication, signature conferences (Women/Men of Color Leadership, ERG and CDO Summits), and award programs, operating as a BridgeTower Media affiliate and monetizing through event sponsorships, advertising, and media sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Diversity & Inclusion Media and Events

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)

Keywords

• Diversity and inclusion media
• Professional events publishing
• DEI leadership conferences
• Business publication awards
• Minority professional networking

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Sponsorships: Organizations sponsor COLOR Magazine signature events including Women of Color Leadership Conference, Men of Color Leadership Conference, ERG Summit, Chief Diversity Officer Summit, and All-Inclusive Awards. Sponsorship tiers include Host Sponsor, Virtual Livestream Sponsor, Diversity Advocate Sponsor, Strategic Networking Sponsor, and Team Player Sponsor levels.
2. Digital Magazine Subscriptions: COLOR Magazine offers free newsletter subscriptions and sells digital magazine editions. The publication provides free content and premium content through its online platform.
3. Event Tickets and Registration: Revenue generated from professional attendees registering for and attending signature events, workshops, and conferences. Some events are offered free to the public to facilitate community engagement.
4. Advertising and Media Sales: Organizations purchase advertising space and media placement in COLOR Magazine publications, digital editions, and event materials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Color Magazine is a digital publication and event operator that produces editorial content celebrating and empowering professionals of color, and runs a portfolio of signature conferences, summits, and recognition programs. Its core paid offerings include enterprise event sponsorships across multiple tiers, paid conference registration, advertising and media placement in digital editions and event materials, and a free newsletter subscription that builds audience reach for sponsor and advertising sales.

Product overview

Color Magazine is a media and events company offering a portfolio of digital publications, signature conferences, and award programs focused on celebrating and empowering professionals of color. The core offering consists of the digital magazine publication paired with live events including the Women of Color Leadership & Empowerment Conference (WOC), Men of Color Leadership Conference (MOC), Employee Resource Group Summit, Diversity Leader Summit, Chief Diversity Officer Summit, and Professionals of Color HR Power Summit. Additionally, the company operates multiple award programs including the All-Inclusive Awards, Women of Color Innovator Awards, Women of Color STEM Achievement Awards, Best Under 40, Most Influential Men of Color, Most Influential Women Powerlist, Most Impactful Leaders POWERLIST, and Workplace That Cares. A free newsletter subscription service complements the offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Women of COLOR Innovator Awards: Annual awards recognizing outstanding women of color innovators in DEI and other industries.
• Women of COLOR Leadership and Empowerment Conference
• Men of Color Leadership Conference
• All-Inclusive Awards
• Chief Diversity Officer Summit
• Employee Resource Group Success Summit
• Professionals of COLOR Career Summit
• Women of COLOR STEM Achievement Awards

Products and services

• COLOR Magazine Digital Publication An online publication celebrating and empowering professionals of color through stories, interviews, and thought-provoking features on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• COLOR Magazine Newsletter Free e-alerts and breaking news notifications delivering diversity, equity, inclusion, and professional empowerment content to subscribers.
• Women of Color Leadership & Empowerment Conference (WOC) A signature conference delivering leadership development, inspiration, and networking for distinguished women executives, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders of color.
• Men of Color Leadership Conference (MOC) An event engaging Corporate America's most influential men of color, where top-tier executive leaders share experiences, insights, and leadership development content.
• Employee Resource Group (ERG) Summit An immersive event exploring the potential and impact of Employee Resource Groups, featuring knowledge sharing, best practices, and inspiring discussions for ERG leaders and members.
• Diversity Leader Summit A gathering hosted by COLOR Magazine to equip experienced DEI leaders with candid discussions, valuable frameworks, and connections with like-minded leaders.
• Chief Diversity Officer Summit An event inviting corporate America's leading CDOs to engage diverse professionals and discuss the future of D&I strategy, metrics, and innovation.
• Professionals of Color HR Power Summit A career summit providing human resource professionals with exclusive access to the latest HR strategies, solutions, and best practices in the professionals-of-color context.

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Best Companies GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Workplace That Cares recognition program. Best Companies Group provides benchmark research and workplace assessment data, leveraging 20+ years of expertise helping organizations build better workplaces. Recognized workplaces are celebrated to over 700k business leaders in America.
• SHRMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial recognition allowing COLOR Magazine to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP certifications at events. Enhances value proposition for HR professionals attending COLOR events.
• NAAAHR New EnglandsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Association of African Americans in Human Resources New England chapter serves as media partner for HR Power Summit and Professionals of Color events. NAAAHR provides professional network access and co-marketing for HR-focused programming.
• NEHRAsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerNew England Human Resources Association serves as media partner for HR Power Summit events, providing marketing support and professional network access.
• Boston While BlacksecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization focused on Black professional community in Boston. CEO Sheena Collier participates as panelist in ERG Success Summit discussing partnerships to recruit, engage, and retain Black talent.
• ClearRocksecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerTalent consultancy that hosted Strategic Networking presentation and guided experience at Women of Color Leadership Conference 2022. Provides professional development content and networking facilitation.
• BridgeTower MediacoreOthersBridgeTower Media is the parent company of Color Magazine. COLOR is an affiliate of BridgeTower Media which operates a network of 15+ regional business publications across the United States.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Black Enterprise: Black Enterprise is a media, events, and education company serving Black professionals, executives, and entrepreneurs with a magazine, signature events, and corporate programs—closely mirroring Color Magazine's model of combining publications with leadership conferences and awards.
• Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR): HACR is a corporate D&I organization producing Hispanic-focused executive leadership content, corporate accountability indices, and conferences—operating in the same D&I media and events space as Color Magazine but focused on the Hispanic professional segment.
• The Network Journal: The Network Journal is a business magazine and recognition program for Black professionals and entrepreneurs, with annual '40 Under 40' style awards—directly comparable to Color Magazine's Best Under 40 and Most Influential powerlists.
• DiversityInc: DiversityInc is a media and events company focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the corporate sector, producing editorial content, awards (Top 50 Companies for Diversity), and leadership events—a direct analog to Color Magazine's D&I publication and conference portfolio.
• Profiles in Diversity Journal: Profiles in Diversity Journal is a B2B magazine and digital publication featuring DEI leadership content and awards, serving a similar HR/D&I executive audience as Color Magazine and monetizing through sponsorships and recognition programs.
• National Diversity Council: The National Diversity Council produces corporate D&I conferences, summits, and awards programs (including Chief Diversity Officer events) for HR and D&I leaders, directly overlapping with Color Magazine's CDO Summit and leadership conference offerings.

Emerging players

• Blavity Inc. Blavity is a digital-first media and events company for Black millennials and professionals, with brands like Blavity, AfroTech, and 21Ninety. It competes for the same corporate D&I sponsorship dollars and Black professional audience as Color Magazine, but with a more digital-native focus.

Others

• SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management): SHRM is not a direct competitor but is a strategic ecosystem partner for Color Magazine—SHRM recognition enables Color Magazine to award PDCs. As a broader HR media and credentialing body, SHRM is a useful comparable for the HR-focused publishing and events business model.

Broad incumbents

• Essence Communications: Essence is a large-scale media and events company targeting Black women with a magazine, digital publication, and signature events (e.g., ESSENCE Festival). While broader in scope and consumer-oriented, it competes for the same Black professional women's audience and corporate sponsorship dollars.
• Working Mother Media: Working Mother Media is a long-established B2B media and recognition brand (Working Mother of the Year, Best Companies for Multicultural Women) that overlaps with Color Magazine's women-of-color professional audience and awards programs but spans a broader demographic.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ColorMagazine
• Facebookfacebook.com/colormagazineusa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/color-magazine
• Instagraminstagram.com/colormagazineusa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Color Magazine