The Come Up

*Adds Co-Founder to Resume* Last month, we filled a space with some of the top creative thinkers in the states. To quantify, we gathered with 140 mid-level, Senior, and Executive creatives to connect, share industry insights and a delicious brunch. 5/4/24 goes down in my books as one of the proudest moments of my career…but most importantly it served as a catalyst for others who made career-changing, meaningful connections. DEI is a hot topic right now… with many negative narratives surfacing. In a world where so many great talents feel unseen, we provided a room to network across, and to network up to leverage new opportunities. I am overwhelmed at the outpour of support, DM’s, and humbled by the respect of our peers and those who have been in this industry far longer than my 12 years of being a marketer. Not to mention the attendees who drove and flew in for this exclusive event.?? My first thank you goes to my co-founder, Dèja Mays . Next— The One Club for Creativity’s WAATBP who made this partnership possible. Adrienne L. Lucas, J.D., Eunice Adarquah , Deja and I poured months of planning into this event. We couldn’t have imagined having a better partner, as we merged paths and combined efforts to bring resources to black and brown creatives. Thank you to all of our esteemed panelist who took time out of their busy schedules to join us. Thank you to my village and Sponsors like: CHEMISTRY AGENCY , 404 Public Relations & Communications Firm , Jermaine Bomade Vodka, Scratch Out Loud DJ School, Eugene Bush of Etre Productions ??, Snaptastic Photo Booth, Advertising For Change, @nikkiskitchenatl ??, SnapTastic Photo Booths , @primephocus , @shootworks , and everyone who showed us love! Drop your city below if you want #thecomeup to come to your city! ????

Can't stop thinking about it so we'll just keep talking about it. We were so thrilled to host the first-ever #WAATBP Atlanta Pop-Up. Our city showed up and set the bar high in a space that our industry desperately needs. Community x Collaboration = Change. A special shout out to The One Club for Creativity, The Come Up, and all of our panelists for making it happen. Dèja Mays, A.P. Chaney, Kaleeta McDade, Johnell Gipson, Sherman Winfield, Sharon Harris, Christofer Peterson, Renee Williams Royal, Janis Middleton, Dr. Nicole Garner Scott, Kelsey Matthews, Brandon Butler, Peter B.., Adrienne L. Lucas, J.D., Bem Joiner

Last weekend was a wonderful example of community through collaboration. I so enjoyed supporting my good sis Adrienne L. Lucas, J.D. as she and The Come Up brought The One Club for Creativity's Where Are All the Black People to ATL at Miami Ad School and Chemistry. It was also refreshing to connect with new faces and reconnect people I had been in conversation with over the past few months in person. ?? One takeaway from the entire experience was collaboration (whether formal or informal) can truly make a lasting impact. Excited to use this insight as my north star over the next few months. #socialimpact #DEIB #networkacross #ATLcreatives #liftingasweclimb

This past weekend, AFC had the pleasure of sponsoring and participating in this amazing event! Where Are all the Black People & The Come up cultivated a truly special and fruitful environment for us Atlanta folks, with safe space provided by Chemistry. Dèja Mays, Adrienne L. Lucas, J.D., Eunice A., Sharon Harris, Sherman Winfield, Janis Middleton, Kaleeta McDade, Renee Williams Royal, Dr. Nicole Garner Scott, A.P. Chaney, Johnell Gipson, Christofer Peterson, Kelsey Matthews, David Tann, Jason Whyte, The One Club TheOneClub Thank you all for your presence, your words of wisdom, and your lived experiences that have truly earned you the success and platforms you deserve. Thank you for paving the way for us as artists, creatives, producers, and industry professionals. So many key takeaways. So, where do we go from here…? We move steadfast, and we remain patient. We know our time is coming because we see you. You showed up and you showed us what we all can achieve. #WAATBP #ATL #TheComeUp #AdvertisingforChange

Oftentimes when you’re quietly putting in the work, it can feel as if nobody sees you. I’ve felt that way for quite some time; so much so, that I began to wonder if all of the creativity, love, and passion I put into my craft was being misplaced. But last weekend, The One Club for Creativity gave me a timely reminder that every moment on your journey is designed to take you exactly where you’re meant to be. I had the honor and pleasure of sharing the stage and room with several of Atlanta’s advertising/marketing industry titans at ‘The Come Up’ Brunch, a panel and mixer dedicated to empowering the city’s emerging Black talent. I expressed some key insights about my extremely non-traditional path, how Black culture moves marketing forward, and some of my favorite projects to date. Thank you Dèja Mays, Kelsey Matthews, and Adrienne L. Lucas, J.D. for inviting me and creating a safe space for our community to exchange resources, information, and wisdom, and thank you Chris Breen and Chemistry for hosting us. And special shout out to my mentors, colleagues, and community leaders Janis Middleton Sherman Winfield A.P. Chaney Kaleeta McDade Renee Williams Royal Christofer Peterson, Brandon Butler Peter B. Bem Joiner for paving the way for the generation of Black visonairies. I’m excited to see what’s next, and hungry to continue doing the work.

Over the weekend I attended The One Club for Creativity x WAATBP in Atlanta. I can honestly say a time was had! ????♀? Seeing so many black creatives with stories similar to mine truly inspired me to keep my creative journey going. Thank you so much to Dèja Mays and team for setting this up in a city I adore ATLANTA, the culture here is so rich. Also shout out to the coolest ECD Sherman Winfield. You did your thing on the panel! You continue to inspire all of your oneschool students we want to be like you when we grow up! ????

S/O to The Come Up?and?The One Club for Creativity for including me on this weekend's amazing #WAATBP brunch and panel!

This is one of the proudest moments of my career. Last year, I spent a lot of time talking to different colleagues/friends about their experience in the industry. A lot of us were feeling stuck. Some, we're starting to feel like giving up. Their journey to a seat at the table felt like a hard long voyage. But what if, we gave people a seat at the table? A seat where they could connect with others ...commune and have open conversations? I reached out to The One Club/ WAATBP (Adrienne L. Lucas, J.D. ) . They HEARD me. My good friend and now fellow Co-Founder Kelsey Matthews jumped on board to help dream up the vision of a brunch. The Come Up was born. (Go Follow!!! lol )This is a series of networking brunches, dinners, and mixers aimed to bring community together. There is black mid-level talent that is on the come up...they just need the real resources and real connections to get them to the next level. The team ( Adrienne L. Lucas, J.D. , Eunice A., Kelsey Matthews, and I) worked hard to make this into reality. We envisioned this to be a place where everyone was welcome to be a part of the conversation and to have a good time. We wanted people to connect genuinely. No matter what culture you come from, food is a way to bring us all together. This was a labor of love. It took a village. Thank you to Chris Breen (Chemistry) and Janis Middleton (AFC) for your support. Y'all were amazing sponsors.A special thanks to our other sponsors and volunteers. It was a beautiful experience to see us all there. This was better than I could have ever imagined. I hope if you were there, you felt seen and heard. I hope you know that there are allies who want to help. I hope you feel that you have a community. We are stronger together than we are apart. If we all dare to dream ...we can make something into reality. 140 people showed up because they wanted to be a part of something bigger. Some of the biggest names in the industry and Atlanta showed their support. We are the change. Something said in that room could have impacted someone's life. A connection could have made a difference. Thank you, Atlanta for being part of the change. The Come Up is real. Next stop LA! A special thanks to our panelists for sharing their stories and wealth of knowledge! Kaleeta McDade Sherman Winfield A.P. Chaney Johnell Gipson Sharon Harris Renee Williams Royal Janis Middleton Christofer Peterson Dr. Nicole Garner Scott Brandon Butler Bem Joiner Peter B. Another special thanks to Naadiya Mills for her amazing design skills to help bring this to life. My LinkedIn dms are always open ?? I hope this only the beginning. Photography: Donna Permell & Phil Jackson

What an experience ? This past weekend, I had the amazing opportunity to attend The One Club for Creativity's Where Are All the Black People? (WAATBP) pop-up in Atlanta in partnership with The Come Up. This unique event allowed me to connect in-person with peers and industry leaders, which is especially meaningful as someone who works fully remote. The insights shared by remarkable speakers like A.P. Chaney, Brandon Butler, Adrienne L. Lucas, J.D., Kaleeta McDade, and several others has helped me envision what my career path can look like and igniting the fire within me to continue to dream big. The panels were a great reminder of the importance of self-advocacy and authenticity in corporate spaces as well. It was also fantastic to meet my fellow MAIP 2021 alum Janeil Darnell Dickens in-person for the first time and another budding brand strategist Kiayanna Washington—connecting with you was definitely a highlight! This event not only equipped me with valuable perspectives but also reinforced the power of community within the advertising industry. A huge shoutout to Adrienne L. Lucas, J.D., Kelsey Matthews, and Chemistry for hosting such a phenomenal event. Here’s to more opportunities where we can learn, grow, and advocate for each other! #Networking #AdvertisingIndustry #CareerDevelopment #SelfAdvocacy #TheOneClubforCreativity #WAATBP #TheComeUP #MAIPFellow #Strategy

I had such a great time at the The One Club for Creativity's WAATBP x The Come Up Inaugural Brunch in Atlanta this past Saturday! The organizers put together such a vibrant event. Grateful for all the panelists who took the time to share their experiences in the creative industry and give us the most incredible advice. Special shout out to VML's own Sherman Winfield for dropping some amazing gems! I'm coming up on 3 years since graduating ONE School and 6 months since moving to ATL to join my office here, and none of this would've been possible without The One Club. I'm so thankful for the organization and the wonderful people I've met because of it!