Shows
The Science of FlippingThe ADU Playbook: Build Wealth With Accessory Dwelling Units | Kevin TrinhWant to learn how to build wealth with ADUs? Join Kevin Trinh’s ADU Mastermind in San Diego — where investors learn how to find, build, and scale cash‑flowing ADU projects.
DM “ADU Mastermind” to @thekevintrinh
In this episode, I sat down with ADU expert Kevin Trinh, who’s built over 180 accessory dwelling units and is quietly dominating a niche that more real estate investors need to pay attention to. Kevin broke down exactly how to spot ADU potential, what cities allow this strategy, how to structure the financing, and the long-term wealth-buildi...
2025-10-1730 min
Meet the ADsEp. #15: "The White Lotus" with 1st AD Justin RitsonThis episode features Justin Ritson - the 1st Assistant Director of all three Seasons of the HBO series "The White Lotus" created by Mike White.Justin told us the most interesting things about how shooting changed from Season 1 to 3 and why the shoot days tripled over time. You will never guess how many shoot days the first season had! He also speaks about how troubling filming out on the sea is, among other things explains the famous boat stunt with Jennifer Coolidge in Season 2 and the challenge of filming with only Russian speaking extras. We c...
2025-07-011h 06
A Dose of Black Joy and CaffeineSeason 9 - [EP 229] Justin Gerrard (Head of Organic Growth) at MistplayJustin Gerrard is a seasoned marketing leader with over 15 years of industry experience building growth frameworks, launching and scaling new products, and finding creative solutions for engaging target audiences at companies including Discord, Twitch, and Microsoft. He is currently the Head of Organic Growth at Mistplay, the #1 loyalty rewards app for mobile gamers.Prior to his current role, he was Head of Marketing at Backyard, a video chat startup, which was acquired by Discord. Before this, he built the performance marketing department at Twitch; helped launch the livestreaming business at Meetme, growing revenues by $55M; and cofounded a mobile da...
2024-08-2230 min
Glocal CitizensEpisode 190: Come Chop with Stanley LumaxGreetings Glocal Citizens!
This week on the podcast I have the pleasure of hosting a social innovator who intersects not only my local experiences in Brooklyn and Accra, he is the husband of my guest on Episode 139, Asmeret Berhe-Lumax and on the Advisory Committee of Episodes 42/43 guest, Nana Eyeson-Akiwowo’s African Health Now. A fellow Ghanaian, Stanley Lumax is currently the Executive Brand Marketing Director at JP Morgan Chase, where he manages the Sapphire and Freedom Unlimited portfolios. Prior to this role, he partnered with Complex Media Networks to create Climate, an agency built to help brands ha...
2023-09-0547 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 6: EP96] Stanley Lumax (Executive Brand Marketing Director) JP Morgan ChaseStanley Lumax is currently the Executive Brand Marketing Director at JP Morgan Chase, where he manages the Sapphire and Freedom Unlimited portfolios. Prior to this role, he partnered with Complex Media Networks to create Climate, an agency built to help brands harness the power of youth culture. He has also managed the basketball business at Nike. During his time at several agencies including Wieden and Kennedy, Anomaly and Translation, he managed the Converse, National Basketball Association, Indiana Pacers, JBL, Mountain Dew, Beats By Dre’ an and an host of other brands that have impacted popular culture. He’s taken this expe...
2023-06-2245 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 6: EP95] Stew Cornelius (Vice President, Entertainment Partnerships) MultiplierStewart Cornelius is the vice president of entertainment at Multiplier. A first-generation Ghanaian-American with deep roots in the entertainment industry, Stewart’s passions intersect culture,entertainment and sports. Stewart also spearheads Multiplier’s DEIA initiatives and media platformdevelopment.
Throughout his career, Stewart’s worked with high-profile clients, athletes, and celebrities, but at hiscore he’s just a laid-back kid from Brooklyn with big ideas and a lot of enthusiasm for what he does.Prior to joining Multiplier, Stewart was head of U.S. entertainment and athlete partners at Twitter...
2023-06-2149 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 6: EP94] Julian Gilliam “LOGIK” (Artist, Founder & Blockchain Architect) Studio LOGIKJulian Gilliam, better known as LOGIK, is a leading artist and entrepreneur at the intersection of big tech, web3, and culture. With a background as a former D1 athlete and Creative Director at Google, LOGIK uses his platform to amplify Black and marginalized voices, especially in spaces where representation is limited. He has collaborated with remarkable brands such as the Chicago Bulls, Mastercard, and LifeWtr on NFT drops and was a featured speaker at Veecon 2022.
LOGIK is also the founder of Studio LOGIK, a Web 3 agency that helps clients explore the possibilities of the decentralized web. The...
2023-06-2055 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 6: EP93] Andy Deaza (Creative) Formerly TikTokAndy Deaza has forged a pretty non-traditional path to becoming a leader within the creative marketing industry, having held positions at JWT, Arnold New York, Mullen Lowe, FCB New York, and McCann. Acting on his love for diversity, he’s also acted as a member of the ADCOLOR® conference and awards for over a decade. In addition he’s written for Spike Lee’s Spike DDB, followed by time at both BBDO and McCann New York. Having just ended a three stint as a member of TikTok’s Global Creative Lab in service of their global business marketing team, Andy now...
2023-06-1952 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 6: EP92] Florian Koenigsberger (Photographer & Technologist) GoogleFlorian is a photographer and technologist on a mission to advance representational justice for historically underserved communities. In the wake of Mr. Floyd's murder in the summer of 2020, he helped found See In Black, a collective of Black photographers whose two-week print sale raised over $500,000 for five intersectional, Black-centric charities. At Google, he built and leads the company's Image Equity Initiative, a cross-product mission to fight historical racial bias by creating camera and imagery products that work more equitably for people of color, especially those with darker skin tones. For these efforts, he was recognized with a 2022 Grand Prix...
2023-06-1656 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 6: EP91] Abiola Oke (Adisa Advisory) CEO & Founder
Abiola Oke is a highly accomplished and esteemed entrepreneur, recognized internationally as a media executive and revered business strategist. Currently, he holds the position of Founder and CEO at Adisa Consultants, a reputable independent business strategy consulting firm. Abiola and his team at Adisa Consultants provide invaluable guidance to companies and entrepreneurs, skillfully navigating the complexities of the ever-evolving business landscape, with a particular focus on the dynamic intersection of entertainment, media, and technology.
Additionally, Abiola is a Co-Founder of OkayMedia, a comprehensive international media and entertainment company. With his exceptional leadership, he served as CEO for a...
2023-06-1549 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 6: EP90] Jonathan Jackson (Entrepreneur) Writer and SpeakerJonathan Jackson is a writer, speaker, and entrepreneur focused on the intersection of community, culture, and commerce.
Most recently, Jonathan was Executive Director of Narrative & Content at Standard Chartered Bank, building strategy across 40+ markets globally inside the Digital Channels and Data Analytics Group, based in Singapore. As a co-founder and former Head of Corporate Brand at Blavity Inc, he helped spearheaded go-to-market strategy and industry penetration, helping it grow to a media brand for Black millennials and Gen Z in the U.S. reaching over 100M millennials and communities of color a month.
He was th...
2023-06-1445 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 6: EP89] Carl Desir (Homecoming Coaching & CPD Consulting) Founder, Head Coach/ConsultantCarl believes we all hold more agency than we realize. Whether he’s hosting a podcast, coaching a client, or focusing on organizational transformation, this belief is always front and center. With this belief, Carl founded The Boom List in 2018 to celebrate and highlight creative thinkers of color across varied industries. As head coach at Homecoming Coaching, he partners with clients to discover their creative process to find action toward their purpose.
Learn more about Carl:
Homecoming Coaching: https://www.homecomingcoaching.com/
CPD Consulting: https://www.cpd-consulting.com/
The Boom List...
2023-06-131h 00
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 6: EP88] Andre Gray (ANNEX88) Chief Creative OfficerAndre is a former DII basketball/overseas pro basketball player turned creative, author and equity-builder. French (Parisian). English (native). Spanish (futbol). German. Award-winning creative from Cannes Lions to One Show to Clio, formerly Las Vegas Tourism, IHG hotels and Tumi pitch winning Executive Creative Director at GREY, global Creative Director at TBWA\Neboko in Amsterdam, formerly Digitas, Sid Lee and Y&R in Paris. Recently Cannes Lions Outdoor Jury 2022, Adweek Creative 100 and One Show 2023 Integrated and Experiential Jury. Mr. Gray is the author of Digital Anthropomorphism: Humanizing the Brand, a Master of Arts in Global Communications, a staunch advocate...
2023-06-1147 min
A Dose of Black Joy and CaffeinePart 2 [Season 5 Finale: EP 87] Sharon Harris (Chief Marketing Officer) Ascential Digital CommerceSharon Harris is the CMO for Ascential Digital Commerce. Ascential Digital Commerce is pioneering how brands win in digital commerce. Supporting global brands including P&G, Haleon, 3M, Logitech, and Mattel, our expertise helps clients make better decisions in real-time. Ascential is marketplace agnostic and applying global insights to drive outcomes across Amazon, Walmart, Instacart, Mercado Libre, Alibaba, and others by optimizing and accelerating brands and manufacturers digital commerce performance.
Sharon leads the marketing efforts to position the brand and accelerate its growth as a global digital commerce platform. Her extensive experience in growing brands and disrupting c...
2023-04-0742 min
A Dose of Black Joy and CaffeinePart 1 [Season 5 Finale: EP86] Tracey Lincoln (Director, Social Media) Parkwood Entertainment & (Founder & Executive Producer) Athens Park MediaWhether it’s inspiring or enticing audiences on digital platforms, or crafting stories for broadcast and streaming networks, Tracey Lincoln’s innate desire is to make space for audiences to explore their humanity, and connect with characters through content that intrigues. Simply put, Tracey just loves making stuff.
As a Los Angeles native, her work in entertainment is a natural fit, as her past work at FX Networks, Hulu, Google, Disney and Paramount Pictures have allowed her to produce and direct award-winning content for series like Atlanta, American Horror Story, Marvel's Legion and more.
2023-04-0748 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP85] Tracey Coleman Mutombo (Executive Creative Director) GMR MarketingTracey Coleman is Creative Director and multicultural marketing maven with over 15 years of experience in marketing and advertising. Tracey began her career in New York City as an Art Director at Ogilvy, where she was trained on the fundamentals of traditional advertising by industry giants. Like a typical millennial, she soon grew weary of tradition and left the company for a hip, boutique agency that specialized in multicultural marketing, celebrity events, beauty and spirits. That’s where things got interesting. At Walton Isaacson, Tracey led creative teams for Clear Ultra Shea Hair & Scalp (Unilever) and Courvoisier cognac wh...
2023-04-0348 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP84] Jackie Velasquez-Ross (CEO) JVR ConsultingJackie Velasquez-Ross began her career in San Francisco recruiting creative talent in advertising. Over time, Design and Research became her passion and specialty. She’s hired Executive Leaders and ICs for Facebook, Instagram, InVision, Blavity, and many others. Most recently, she built Twitter’s Design & Research recruiting team and practice. Jackie’s currently running a strategic recruiting and career coaching practice. When she’s not working, she chases after preschooler twins and orders lots of takeout to avoid cooking dinner.
2023-04-0250 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP 83] Tai Beauchamp (Entrepreneur, Chief Producer & CEO)A former beauty and fashion magazine editor of O, The Oprah Magazine, Seventeen, andInStyle, Tai is also an established serial entrepreneur and TV host who has hosted her ownshows on TLC and GSN. Last summer, Tai hosted and produced Lens of Culture, a travel showcreated for millennials of color on CleoTV. She is also a regular contributor to network and cableTV including ABC, NBC, E!, BET, TVOne, among others.A true multi-hyphenate committed to the upliftment of women, in 2019 Tai launched BeyondReady, a purposeful development platform that partners with corporations, organizations, andbrands to support the professional and personal growth...
2023-04-0252 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP 82] Sharon Kimbrough (Advertising Legend & Author)Kimbrough is a writer and an award-winning producer who started her advertising career as a Creative Secretary in 1974 with Burrell Communications Group.
Kimbrough won first place at the Orlando Urban Film Festival for the short film, Raggedy Man, that she produced with longtime industry friends. Most recently, she served as Co-Producer on a documentary entitled Burrell: Advertising Revolution which highlights Tom Burrell and the positive impact his agency had on advertising targeted to the African American community. The documentary aired on PBS.
Kimbrough is a Christian and an active member of her church, Murchison-Isom Temple CME w...
2023-03-1051 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP 81] Ivellisse (ivi) Morales (Bombilla) Founder & CEOIvellisse "Ivi" is an award-winning entrepreneur who brings a decade of experience in using marketing as a force for good—for brands of all sizes. From inside major creative agencies like IDEO and Ogilvy and beyond, Ivi has sharpened her creative skillset in public relations, media, design, marketing and communications all in the spirit for positive change. She's a speaker, poet and writer who’s been recognized and featured by ADCOLOR, Adweek, Time Magazine, The 3% Conference and the PR Club’s Bell Ringer Awards. In 2018, she stepped out as the visionary behind bombilla®, a branding & design agency for social change...
2023-03-0933 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP 80] Angelina Darrisaw (C-Suite Coach) Founder & CEOAngelina Darrisaw is the founder and CEO of C-Suite Coach, a firm that offers expertly designed professional development and coaching programs for working professionals and small business leaders. C-Suite Coach has staffed coaches and provided training programs for Google, Major League Baseball, NYU's Veteran Lab Accelerator, Zendesk, Oscar Health, Year Up, Omnicom, SEO, THowardF, and many others.
C-Suite Coach, a WBENC, NMSDC and NGLCC certified business, is a preferred supplier for Google, with contracts ranging from Supplier Diversity consulting and content design for racial equity programs. C-Suite Coach also services Black & Latinx small businesses by supporting Google's...
2023-03-0843 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP 79] Veronica Appleton (The Marketing Arm) Vice President of Talent Management, Inclusion & Workplace BelongingVeronica Appleton is a scholar, practitioner and children’s author. Currently, she serves as a scholar-practitioner holding professional roles within the corporate sector and in academia. Dr. Appleton works as lecturer for DePaul University College of Communication, facilitator for Northwestern University Weinberg School of Arts & Sciences Executive Education Program in Racial Equity in Business, and head facilitator for Yale University’s Women in Leadership Executive Education program. She’s also a certified diversity professional and works as Vice President for Talent Management and Inclusion within The Marketing Arm, an advertising agency within Omnicom Group, Inc.
As a renown...
2023-03-0744 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP 78] Vanessa Vining (The Cultural Effect) & Tia (Yatia) Hopkins (eSentire)About Vanessa: Culturally inclusive ecosystems are at the heart of what drives this Chicago native. Vanessa has an uncanny ability to enter a room, any room, and come away with new relationships. Learning and teaching are in her DNA and that openness in an ever-evolving world fuels her ability to articulate culture and business.
About Tia: Tia Hopkins has spent more than two decades in the IT and IT Security industry and is currently the Field CTO & Chief Cyber Risk Strategist at eSentire. In addition to her role at eSentire, Tia is an adjunct professor of Cybersecurity...
2023-03-0654 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP 77] Lexi B (Sista Circle) Tech Operations ExecutiveAlexandria Butler (aka Lexi B) is a self-proclaimed Freedom Fighter and leader in building executive leadership and workplace equity in the tech industry. After several years working at some of the biggest tech companies in Silicon Valley such as Airbnb, Facebook and Twitter, Butler founded Sista Circle: Black Women in Tech, initially as a way to meet another Black woman in tech to be mentored, as they make up less than 3% of the tech workforce. Today this community has over 15,000 members in a global online community sharing their insights, challenges, tips and opportunities. SC:BWiT launched a new and instantly p...
2023-02-1751 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP 76] Michelle Olomojobi (LLULO) Owner"My name is Michelle Olomojobi and I am a multifaceted designer, creative and innovator. My biggest influence comes from God, the greatest creator of all time. I find immense joy in exploring unique ways to display the continent of Africa through my brand, LLULO."
2023-02-1645 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP 75] Selena Davant & Jena Dominique (Founders) Made in ColorSelena Davant: Selena is a creative entrepreneur currently invested in building Made in Color – a creative agency based in Oakland, CA, that provides a nurturing environment for creatives of color to produce mind-blowing work for organizations like McKinsey & Co, Clubhouse, BLCK VC, and many others. With a passion for unlocking innovative solutions and amplifying meaningful, inclusive, intentional stories, Selena is your go-to for all things creative, strategic, managerial, and relational. Together with her co-founder and their team, Selena is dedicated to the art and science of executing work that is impactful and uplifts people.
Jena Dominique: Jena Dominique...
2023-02-1553 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP 74] Mimo Haile-Smith (Mimo's Coffee) Co-FounderMimo is a mission-led professional that has worked in social impact, public health, and nonprofit engagement for the past 10 years. She has had the opportunity to manage various efforts that lead to social change ranging from violence prevention in Oakland, HIV Research/Prevention in West/Central Africa, and homelessness prevention in Santa Clara county. She is the co-founder of Coco Coalition, a nonprofit that addresses emotional, mental, and social health by creating experiences and mobilizing women of the African Diaspora.
In 2020, she ventured to entrepreneurship by inheriting her mom's Ethiopian coffee business and rebranding to Mimo's Coffee!...
2023-02-1447 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP 73] Noemie Tshinanga (Photographer and Filmmaker)Noemie Marguerite is a Congolese Photographer and Filmmaker focused on work that helps people accept their grey area. In the words of Savannah Saint Juste, Noémie is a revolutionary artist with the grand ability to grasp the raw emotions and beauty of everything that she captures, whether it is in the form of photos or videos. It is almost as if Noémie’s eyes are capable of visualizing what’s not there and internally has structures in which she can turn anything into a visual escapade.
2023-02-1344 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP 72] Angela Brown (RCA Records) Director, MarketingAngela Brown is currently a Director of Marketing at RCA Records under Sony Music Entertainment where she uses cultural and strategic thinking to create relationships with Artists, Managers and internal RCA teams to manage and lead rollouts and campaigns for projects for emerging and established music artists across the RCA roster.
In her previous ad agency life, she was behind breaking the internet with the Popeyes Chicken “...y’all good?" chicken sandwich campaign of 2019 and was a speaker at Adweek’s 2019 Brandweek. Angela has been featured in several publications including AdAge, Adweek, The Root, Essence, The Daily Dot’s ...
2023-02-0356 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP 71] Eno Oduok (Wieden+Kennedy) Community ManagerEno Oduok might be somewhere between a virtual architect and a digital alchemist but overall she’s human. She’s a dream chaser, your favorite hustler, a typical Aquarius, passionate storyteller & writer, social entrepreneur, community advocate, and an award-winning multidisciplinary creative who is passionate about amplifying the voices and stories of people in the community, especially overlooked ones.
At 22, she was named a 2022 Forbes 30 under 30 list honoree in the Media category and Youngest category. At 23, she was named a 2022 Houston Business Journal Outstanding Diversity Champion. Eno’s work and advocacy has been featured on Forbes, Business Insider, Ad Age...
2023-02-0248 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP 70] Ashley Elleby (Amazon Music) Global Head of Lifecycle MarketingAshley has 12+ years of experience in digital marketing, brand and product growth, and product management at top tier CPG companies, Google, CapitalG, and Amazon Music. In her new role at Amazon Music, she is responsible for global engagement and retention for the Amazon Music app and platform. Prior to Amazon, Ashley worked at CapitalG, Google’s growth stage venture capital firm where she supported their B2C & B2B portfolio companies to help them build critical partnerships, drive user acquisition and retention, and support their top line revenue growth efforts as they prepared for IPOs. While at Google, she wa...
2023-02-0147 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP 69] Chavonne Hodges (Entrepreneur) Mental Health AdvocateChavonne Hodges is an award-winning wellness entrepreneur and mental health advocate who is passionate about learning, meditation, and creativity. In 2016, she launched GrillzandGranola, a company that curates and creates fitness experiences for underrepresented women, starting with their signature TrapAerobics class. Through her entrepreneurial endeavors, she has garnered various features from publications like Forbes, Google, Yahoo! Lifestyle, and won multiple grants from Amex, Upworthy, and more for her wellness work in the BIPOC community.
Outside of her entrepreneurial Endeavors, Chavonne is a seasoned learning & development + DEI professional with roots in the advertising industry. Currently, she works in tech s...
2023-01-3140 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP 68] Neisha Tweed Bell (Meta) Global Head of Inclusive Content & ExperiencesNeisha is an award-winning creative marketer, people manager, and DEI advocate with a protagonist spirit and optimism at her core. She got her start as a creative director at various ad agencies and is now Global Head of Inclusive Content & Experiences at Meta where she works with brands to reinvent what inclusive creativity looks like from mobile to the metaverse. Her experience across the past fifteen years spans CPG, healthcare, retail, financial services, telecom, multicultural and non-profits; her highlight reel features storytelling for everything from tequila to toothpaste to tablets --the ones with touch screens and the ones you take...
2023-01-3050 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP 67] Danielle Skeen (Microsoft) Specialist Sales DirectorMarketer. Black Woman in tech. Entrepreneur. Danielle Skeen wears many hats and wears them well. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, this Island lady has always had an innate desire to and ability to connect with people. Her passion for diversity and inclusion coupled with her creative, strategic thinking and love of storytelling, has led her to be a powerful influence on corporate and organizational structure.
Danielle is a graduate of Florida State University with a degree in Communication. Her early-in-career endeavors included positions at MTV Networks and Bad Boy Entertainment. In 2012 Danielle left the media and entertainment industry and ve...
2023-01-2749 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP 66] Alencia Johnson (1063 West Broad) Chief Impact Officer & FounderAlencia Johnson leads at the intersection of social impact & culture change, cultivating over 15 years of experience marrying cultural cornerstones -- advocacy, politics, corporate & entertainment -- to disrupt for good. As Founder of 1063 West Broad, she connects brands, organizations & people to mission driven solutions.
She has worked for the presidential campaigns of Pres. Obama, Sen. Elizabeth Warren & Pres. Biden as well as Planned Parenthood’s national office.
Alencia has been recognized by EBONY’s “Power 100” list, PRWeek’s “40 Under 40” & more. Her board service includes the Warner Music Group/Blavatnik Social Justice Fund & Human Rights First, and she was appoin...
2023-01-2631 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP 65] Liv Lewis (EGAMI Group) Executive Vice President, Client ExperienceLiv Lewis is an award-winning communications strategist, integrated marketing expert, and culture savant. With over a decade of agency and entrepreneurial experience, she has worked on some of the world’s most compelling brands. Her experience spans over various consumer categories such as beauty (both prestige and mass), CPG, corporate communication, DE&I, entertainment, and lifestyle. She has managed integrated marketing efforts and communications efforts for global brands, such as Calvin Klein, Vera Wang, American Express, Johnson & Johnson’s Neutrogena, Fannie Mae, Bath & Body Works, Pfizer, Astellas, Banfi Wines, Army and Procter & Gamble brands including Crest, Tide, Downy, PUR and...
2023-01-2552 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP 64] Kai Deveraux Lawson (Dentsu Creative, Americas) SVP of Diversity Equity and InclusionKai Deveraux Lawson, uses her lifelong passion for culture, and nearly a decade of experience in advertising, to tell honest stories that shed light on the need for Diversity & Inclusion in the workplace. Her experience led her to launch the culturally focused platforms, Mixed Company Podcast and her blog, Mylifeofkai.com. On these platforms, she shares her first hand experiences in life, travel and career, from the perspective of a millennial woman of color.
Kai has been a featured speaker for premier conferences including The 3% Conference and ADCOLOR, and has been featured in trade and cultural publications...
2023-01-2452 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 5: EP 63] Shannon Washington (R/GA) US Chief Creative Officer (Season 5 Premiere Episode)Creative, traveler, culturist, and friendly provocateur. Shannon Washington is a busy woman.
Currently, Shannon serves as the US Chief Creative Officer, Connected Communications for R/GA US, the network’s largest and flagship region with a sharp focus on reshaping the region’s creative vision, fidelity and culture for a post-pandemic world.
Since joining R/GA in 2020, her intersectional and craft-centric style of leadership has led to a renewed creative vigor in the office, netting an impressive set of wins to include 4 Webbys (including 2022 Agency of the Year), 3 ADC Cubes, 5 Clios, 2 AICP Awards and 2 Cannes Lions...
2023-01-2157 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[2-Part Season 4 Finale: EP 62] Aaron Walton (Walton Issacson) CEO/Founder (Part 1) & Renetta Mccann (Publicis Groupe) Chief Inclusion Experience Officer (Part 2)About Aaron: Recognized as a trailblazer and thought leader, Aaron Walton’s focus on innovation and cultural engagement has transformed traditional marketing and advertising strategies. As the CEO / co-founder of Walton Isaacson (WI), a full-service advertising agency, with offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and New York, Aaron’s focus is squarely on identifying unseen opportunities rooted in cultural insights and connections, transforming the definition of the agency model by prioritizing diversity of thinking and encouraging strategic solutions that defy tradition. Founded in partnership with famed NBA superstar and entrepreneurial legend, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, WI has built inventive and dynamic bu...
2022-12-021h 20
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 4: EP 61] Aubrey Walker (Putney) Chief Creative Officer/Co-OwnerAubrey Walker III was trained at the Portfolio Center, School for Creative Communication Arts in
Atlanta, GA. In his first year of the two-year program, Aubrey was recruited as a Copywriter with MATLOCK, working on Publix, BellSouth and BMW.
In 2000, Aubrey joined CHWA in Oakland, California as a Copywriter, working directly under Carol H. Williams, the only African American woman in the Advertising Hall of Fame. While under her tutelage Aubrey quickly became the lead writer on Coors Light.
Not long after, Aubrey moved to Chicago as an ACD at Burrell. His duties t...
2022-12-0144 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 4: EP 60] Tiffany Edwards (Droga 5) Global Head of Diversity & InclusionAs Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Droga5, Tiffany Edwards is a change agent and an unshakable advocate for diversity and inclusion (D&I) in the creative industry. Since joining Droga5 in 2016 as its first diversity leader, Tiffany has played a pivotal role in the agency’s journey. Her tenacity and focus on ensuring Droga5 upholds its commitment to diversity permeates every aspect of our workplace.
She has led internal efforts around diverse talent, agency-wide training and policy and practice change; worked with leaders to ensure their pipelines are broad and their workflows are inclusive; launched D5...
2022-11-3045 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 4: EP 59] Simeon Coker (Twitter) Creative Development Manager & Dorado Quick (The Springhill Company) Creative Director, Writer[Season 4: EP 59] Simeon Coker (Twitter) Creative Development Manager & Dorado Quick (The Springhill Company) Creative Director, Writer - Guest Co-Host Kendra D. Croft (Ten35) Associate Creative Director
Simeon is an award-winning Creative Director, 21st Century People Manager, and DEI accomplice working to change how brands and marketers create and engage with consumers. He started his career working in media sales, then transitioned to advertising where he worked at various agencies on integrated campaigns. Simeon is now the Creative Development Manager at Twitter Next where he works to grow conversations on the platform through innovative ideas.
Dorado sea...
2022-11-2959 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 4: EP 58] Jason Rosario (BBDO Worldwide) Chief DE&I OfficerAn Afro-Latino native New Yorker, Jason Rosario has spent most of his life breaking down barriers and building up inclusive cultures. He is passionate about innovation and the power of creativity to drive change.
As Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, Jason oversees diversity, equity and inclusion practices across BBDO Worldwide—the most awarded agency network in the world. In this role, he impacts agency diversity policy and plans, recruitment, retention, training, and education. He also influences the agency’s creative to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion, in the network, the industry, and in society at large.
Ja...
2022-11-2828 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 4: EP 57] Tamon George & Gary Williams (Creative Theory Agency) Co-FoundersGary Williams and Tamon George make up the DC-based creative agency, Creative Theory. They might have met as photographers but have since grown their business to where they now pick and chose creatives to work with. The two share their 1st lives as 9-5'ers and professional athletes and what put them on the entrepreneur path.
Tamon and Gary and I chat about the importance of family, the role of authenticity and inclusivity in life and business.
For more information about Creative Theory: https://creativetheory.agency/
To follow Gary on IG @masterwilliams
T...
2022-11-2544 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 4: EP 56] Corey Lipsey (Citi) Vice President, Global Business Development & StrategyCorey Lipsey is a talented strategist with over ten years’ experience building innovative client solutions and optimizing customer-driven experiences. He’s an enthusiastic and curious leader focused on global market expansion and fintech innovations.
As VP of Global Business Development and Strategy at Citi, Corey actively collaborates with internal and externals partners in strategy development, deal structuring, negotiation, and project implementation.
Corey received his MBA from Howard University School of Business in Washington, DC, concentrating in International Business and Strategic Management. He’s a passionate global citizen with emerging market experience as a former Consulting Fellow...
2022-11-2435 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 4: EP 55] Wade G. Morgan (Airtable) Product Strategy & OperationsWade thrives in spaces where people aspire to create a new status quo. As an early hire at Airtable, where he joined as the 2nd Account Executive on the Enterprise Sales team, Wade leveraged his accumulated learnings from thousands of customer conversations to pivot his career from Sales to Product, currently working in Product Strategy & Operations at the company. Prior to Airtable, Wade began his career in LinkedIn’s Business Leadership Program after graduating from Stanford University. While at Stanford, he joined the Nu Sigma chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and walked on the Men's Basketball team, winning 2 NI...
2022-11-2351 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 4: EP 54] Mei Holmes (Lori Harvey Enterprises, LLC) Finance ManagerExecutive producer & Host of True Transitions Show. Catch New Episodes of True Transitions Every Sunday! For Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Content Follow Mei on Instagram: @TrueTransitionsTV and follow him @LookingFor_Mei
2022-11-2236 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 4: EP 53] Ronnie Dickerson Stewart (Founder & Principal) OhHeyCoach Guest Co-Host Kendra D. Croft [Season 4: EP 54] (Ten35) Associate Creative DirectorRonnie Dickerson Stewart is an award-winning talent, inclusion, and executive leadership development consultant and the founder of OhHeyCoach, a Career Navigation and Leadership Development Consultancy.
For over 17 years, she built her career in advertising and marketing, initially focusing on media strategy and investment with Starcom, FCB/IPG, Burrell, and Digitas. In 2012, while with Digitas, she pivoted to serve in a new area: Talent Engagement, DEI, and People Development. From Digitas, she was promoted, and in 2020 matriculated to lead at the Publicis Groupe holding company level as Chief Diversity Officer. At a critical time during the global pandemic, she shi...
2022-11-2151 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 4: EP 52] Kameron Richie (Game Seven Marketing) Creative Producer"I am originally from Texas with a background in printmaking and residency work, though I can still make a decent plate of fajitas. My work experience varies as I’ve worked as a curator, editor, product manager, and producer for VSCO as well as a creative producer for The New Company. Alongside I work as a photographer, photo assistant, and writer to create product marketing and editorial needs for clients." - Kameron Richie (Game Seven Marketing) Creative Producer
2022-11-1837 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 4: EP 51] Kayla Robinson, Filmmaker Guest Co-Host Kendra D. Croft (Ten35) Associate Creative DirectorKayla Robinson is a director, writer and artist born in San Antonio, TX. After receiving her B.A. in Advertising from The University of Texas at Austin, she began her career as an art director in New York and Silicon Valley developing award-winning ads and films for top brands like Apple and Snickers.
Passionate about capturing authentic human experiences, Kayla harnesses vulnerability as a superpower. Her first short film ‘Ball is Ball’, inspired by her own experience with sexual trauma, received high praise for its honest portrayal of PTSD in sexual assault survivors. Her latest film, ‘Quilted Educat...
2022-11-1749 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 4: EP 50] Adrian Octavius Walker (Getty Images) Senior Art Director (Celebrating 50 Episodes)Adrian Octavius Walker is a mixed media artist/photographer whose work seeks to expand the canon surrounding the nuances of Black life through tenderness and grit. His fascination with the tangible is the driving force to expand his visual language through various materials. Walker’s passion lies in using his practice to platform critical discourse around the imagination in black nostalgia. His work cast questions that inspire the viewer to investigate their own biases and opportunities for community engagement. Adrian’s approach to both still photography and sculpture is rooted in his commitment to archiving Black stories for the futu...
2022-11-1655 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 4: EP 49] Akoua Smith (Cash App) Senior DesignerOriginally from Mobile, Alabama, The South holds a special place in Akoua’s heart. Feeling destined to do more, Akoua attended Savannah College of Art and Design and earned her B.F.A, majoring in Advertising with a minor in Photography.
Ready to take on the industry, Akoua spent time at Goodbye, Silverstein & Partners, Matchstic and CNN before moving to the West coast for Google Brand Studio. During her 3 years at Google, Akoua was a key part and leader of many internal initiatives. Aside from being an invaluable member of the Brand Studio creative team as a Br...
2022-11-1550 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 4: EP 48] Cimone Key (CK Creative Studio) PresidentCimone Key is the founder and chief executive officer of Cimone Key Creative Studio, an award-winning branding and digital marketing agency. Growing up from coast to coast, with roots extending back to Germany, Cimone is well-traveled and well-versed in the world of design, connection, and entrepreneurship. It was her passion as a young girl, knowing in her heart she was born to utilize her perspective in a profound way, that inspired Cimone’s unique journey to open her own design studio.
It all began with her investment as a student at The Art Institute of Dallas, which pr...
2022-11-1440 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 4: EP 47] Christian Lowe (CEO & Founder) The Green Book ProjectChristian Lowe is the founder and creator of The Green Book Project. A mobile app that helps people from marginalized groups find inclusive businesses and avoid discrimination. Prior to founding The Green Book Project, Christian worked as a software engineer at Change.org, where he developed digital tools that help everyday people create the change they want to see. In addition to his work at The Green Book Project, Christian also sits on the Board of Trustees for Semester at Sea and is a loud and proud graduate of Texas A&M University. When he's not working on The G...
2022-11-1143 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 4: EP 46] Warren Jones (Toasted Life) Co-FounderWarren Jones is an entrepreneur, creative strategist and experience curator currently assisting brands in their efforts to engage diverse communities in meaningful, impactful ways. He is the Co-Founder of Toasted Life, a community-based experiential brand that specializes in designing 360 lifestyle experiences and engagements that center the needs of multicultural audiences through events, activations and cultural programming. Prior to becoming a full-time entrepreneur and consultant, Warren managed cultural programs for Airbnb's design team in their SF headquarters helping to establish creative equity, advocacy and belonging within the organization's culture. Prior to Airbnb, Warren managed diversity programs at Apple Inc. where...
2022-11-1053 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 4: EP 45] Annie Jean-Baptiste (Google) Head of Product Inclusion & EquityAnnie Jean-Baptiste is the author of Building for Everyone, the first book about building inclusive products across the intersections of 12 dimensions of diversity.
She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with degrees in International Relations & Political Science. She is an avid Boston sports fan & loves to bring her dog Hercules to work.
She formerly served as an intrapreneur in residence at the University Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education, a facilitator for Penn’s Chief Learning Officer Business Acumen program and a member of both the CTA Health Equity and Access Leadership (HEAL) Coalition and sits on t...
2022-11-0941 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 4: EP 44] Natasha (Aarons) Hollis (BET) Vice President MarketingNatasha Aarons is an award winning marketer and AdAge 40 Under 40 class of 2020 honoree, with a deep expertise in crafting marketing strategies and campaigns at the intersection of culture, entertainment and technology. Currently she is the Vice President of Brand Marketing for BET+. Most recently, she was at DoorDash as the Director of Marketing for Caviar. Prior, she led US Multicultural Marketing for Google Devices & Services, overseeing marketing strategies targeted underrepresented consumers and prior, led Influencer & Experiential Marketing for Google Mobile Hardware, where she cultivated marketing partnerships with celebrities, mid-tier and micro-influencers and manages brand experiences that amplify consumer engagement...
2022-11-0852 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine[Season 4: EP 43] Myles Worthington, (WORTHI) Founder & CEO (Season 4 premiere episode)Myles Worthington is the Founder and CEO of WORTHI, an ethnographic marketing, communications and content company. Ethnography is the study of human cultures, and that’s what WORTHI does – steeps themselves in the behaviors of various people around the world, and creates the cultural relevance between their unique needs, and a brand’s unique story, to create a lasting bond.
As the company CEO and principal strategist, Myles partners with major brands like Paramount+, Lionsgate, Peloton and P&G (to name a few) to build and execute upon strategies that keep these brands relevant and resonant for tradit...
2022-11-0750 min
A Dose of Black Joy and CaffeineEP 42 - Part 2: A Refill of Joy From Gail Obaseki (Season 3 Finale)Gail’s commitment to advocacy and social change runs deep, dating back to her experiences in the 60s as part of the first wave of Black students to integrate her hometown school system and including frontline activism in the form of protests against racial injustice, the Vietnam War and apartheid. With over 35 years of advertising industry experience, Gail has led diversity and inclusion efforts, employee onboarding, project management, creative resourcing and production and studio services at J. Walter Thompson and TracyLocke ad agencies. Her ongoing passion for diversity and inclusion is continued in her role of Director of Diversity, Eq...
2022-08-0445 min
A Dose of Black Joy and CaffeineEP 41 - Part 1: A Refill of Connection From Kofi Amoo-Gottfried (Season 3 Finale)Kofi is the Chief Marketing Officer at DoorDash. He began his career at Leo Burnett Chicago & Leo Burnett London where he worked with Kellogg's, Coca Cola, and Global Giving. Prior to his role at DoorDash, Kofi was VP of Brand & Consumer Marketing at Facebook, having previously served as the company’s Head of Consumer Marketing for internet.org. Before Facebook, Kofi was Chief Strategy Officer at FCB New York. He joined FCB from Bacardi Global Brands, where he was the Global Communications Director for the Rum category and the architect for the reinvention of the Bacardi brand. As the Fo...
2022-08-0227 min
A Dose of Black Joy and CaffeineSeason 3 - EP 40: A Refill of Space From Mars MahoneyMars is a Sr. Strategy Lead at EA Sports where he spearheads marketing campaigns for Madden, College Football, and PGA. Previously to this, Mars worked in partnerships at Spotify where he co-led the west coast region creative solutions department. During his time at Spotify he expanded existing programs such as Black History is Now, Fresh Finds, and Film And TV Favorites. He also initiated ongoing projects like Spotify For Brands Outside Voice series. Before joining Spotify, Mars got his start in strategy by working at creative agencies where he worked on brands such as:, , Nike, Carls Jr., Infiniti, and...
2022-07-2831 min
A Dose of Black Joy and CaffeineSeason 3 - EP 39: A Refill of Community From Whitney McGowanWhitney McGowan has been working in entertainment marketing over the last 10 years, and has loved every minute of it. From medium to large networks, Whitney has been innovating how people watch and engage with a broad range of TV shows, whether it’s on social media, out of home or a streaming platform. Whitney worked at Netflix on the Global Creative Marketing team, producing creative and social media campaigns for some of your favorite Unscripted Originals. She also launched and led strategy for the brand and editorial channel: Netflix Food. Prior to that, she was the Head of Social Me...
2022-07-2652 min
A Dose of Black Joy and CaffeineSeason 3 - EP 38: A Refill of Collaboration From Matt AugustinMatt “BK” Augustin is an integral part of the Brand Partnerships & Business Development teams at FaZe Clan, the world’s largest and most prominent gaming organization. As Director of Brand & Creative Strategy, BK is responsible for pitching ideas to our current partners, seeking out new biz opportunities, overseeing brand and creative strategy for all brand sponsors, copywriting, project & brand management. (Season 3 of “A Dose of Black Joy & Caffeine" podcast is presented by The Integer Group)
2022-07-2142 min
A Dose of Black Joy and CaffeineSeason 3 - EP 37: A Refill of Resilience From Shameka M. BrownAs a 20-year veteran of the advertising industry, Shameka has shifted her creative focus toward executive coaching and leadership development. As a thought partner, she is now using innovation and her award-winning creativity to help tackle business problems like attrition and retention, one engagement at a time. Shameka is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Syracuse University. She later earned her master’s degree from the VCU Adcenter and her coaching certification from Columbia University. Shameka has earned a certification in the Foundations of NeuroLeadership from the NeuroLeadership Institute (NLI.) She is also a certified practitioner of the Neethling Br...
2022-07-1955 min
A Dose of Black Joy and CaffeineSeason 3 - EP 36: A Refill of Storytelling From Jonathan MorrisFort Worth-based entrepreneur Jonathan Morris set out to create a fresh take on the barbershop experience in Fort Worth. In 2014, Fort Worth Barber Shop officially opened its doors and quickly became one of the city’s premier men’s grooming establishments. Morris is also the co-founder of Memo Hospitality Group, the developers of the recently opened Hotel Dryce, a 21-room craft hotel in Fort Worth’s Cultural District. He is also the host of Magnolia Network’s “Self Employed.” In this docu-series, Morris travels the country to share the inspirational stories and new challenges of fellow small business owners and their journeys to bu...
2022-07-1452 min
A Dose of Black Joy and CaffeineSeason 3 - EP 35: A Refill of Peace From Amoya BuggsAmoya Buggs refills our cup with a dose of peace. Amoya Buggs has 10+ years of experience delivering exceptional client service, driving growth, and building high-performance teams. Amoya has worn many hats in client service, ranging from PR manager to social media manager to email marketer. A consistent thread is her passion for content strategy. When she isn’t nurturing client relationships with her unique ability to “bring the joy”, she is serving on the ADCOLOR Planning committee, curating the ADCOLOR FUTURES program to build the next generation of diverse talent in advertising or traveling with her husband or twin sister...
2022-07-1239 min
A Dose of Black Joy and CaffeineSeason 3 - EP 34: A Refill of Happiness From David WilsonMedia executive, entrepreneur, and storyteller David A. Wilson joins us to chat about the joy he receives from developing and launching culturally focused media platforms. David is the co-founder of TheGrio, and served as SVP of BET Digital & Studios. Most recently David co-founded AFAR Ventures, a production company dedicated to developing content and opportunities for Afro-Brazilians and major brands looking to engage them. AFAR in partnership with Netflix Brazil created Colaboratorio Criativo, the most expansive diversity project in the history of Latin American media, which develops the leading Black storytellers into scripted episodic TV series creators. In 2009 David launched...
2022-07-0739 min
A Dose of Black Joy and CaffeineSeason 3 - EP 33: A Refill of Confidence From Jazmin BurrellForbes 30 Under 30 very own Jazmin Burrell refills Jimmy McDaniels (Season 3 Guest Co-Host) cup with a dose of confidence. In additional to her 9-5 Jazmin leads her own creative practice named after her great-grandmother, Lizzie Della Creative Strategies, that specifically works with small and upcoming minority and women-led businesses to help them find their voice in a crowded market that often overlooks diverse perspectives. Jazmin has been recognized by The Drum Future 50 and as a nominee for ADCOLOR's Rising Star award. (Season 3 of “A Dose of Black Joy & Caffeine" podcast is presented by The Integer Group)
2022-07-0548 min
A Dose of Black Joy and CaffeineSeason 3 - EP 32: A Refill of Mental Health From Lincoln Stephens & Larry YarrellFor our first double guests episode we chat with the co-founders of the Marcus Graham Project. This year is their 15 Year Anniversary! Tune in to learn more about how an idea inspired by a film emerged into a non-profit social enterprise seeking to change the face of the media, marketing and advertising industry. They walk us through the weekend of activities planned, including our annual gala, Lavender Hill, which honors outstanding community, corporate, and alumni honorees. (Season 3 of “A Dose of Black Joy & Caffeine" podcast is presented by The Integer Group)
2022-06-3049 min
A Dose of Black Joy and CaffeineSeason 3 - EP 31: A Refill of Self-Validation From Elisha GreenwellElisha Greenwell was born and raised in Northern California, earned her B.A. from UC Santa Barbara and her M.F.A. from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Throughout her 18 year marketing career she has developed award-winning community-centric brand strategy for Nike, Target, Starbucks and Verizon. In 2018 she was the recipient of the ADCOLOR Change Agent award after founding The Black Joy Parade, a 30k-person movement celebrating Black culture and community. She currently lives in Oakland, Ca where she continues to run The Black Joy Parade, now in its 5th year, while serving on the board...
2022-06-2843 min
A Dose of Black Joy and CaffeineSeason 3 - EP 30: A Refill of Space From Kozza Babumba"I just need some space" and there's nothing wrong with that. Tune in as we chat with Kozza. Kozza Babumba is currently the Head of Social at Genius. He works primarily within the intersection of music, pop culture and social media, with an emphasis on community and connection. On this episode he talks about how more 9-5's and people should allow more space in their lives to process world events and so much more. (Season 3 of “A Dose of Black Joy & Caffeine" podcast is presented by The Integer Group)
2022-06-2339 min
A Dose of Black Joy and CaffeineSeason 3 - EP 29: A Refill of Rest From Sioban MassiahIt’s time to get grounded with “@justcallmesio”. Sioban (Shavon) Massiah is a Live Event Content and Programming Associate Producer at Twitter by day and Storytelling Strategist by night. She uses her passion for the art of storytelling to create powerful and impactful events and content for the last 15 years, as well as write powerful personal essays for websites such as Refinery29.com as well as for her website, JustCallMeSio.com, and contributed to multiple podcasts, as well as co-hosted one of her own, Same Energy Podcast. The best way to describe her is the perfect mix of Michelle Obama...
2022-06-2155 min
A Dose of Black Joy and CaffeineSeason 3 - EP 28: A Refill of Silence From Mark ClennonMark Clennon is a Los Angeles-based photographer with a particular focus on editorial, commercial and documentary projects. Adeptly jumping between these forms of photography, which he’s been practicing since leaving his tech career in 2017, Mark’s goal is to capture the Black experience in its totality. His images are therefore nuanced and multifaceted, capturing joy, pain, triumph and everything in between. Mark C. continue to define his own lane in the photography industry as one of the top photographers. Tune in as he shares a never before told story about how he got started in the industry. (Season 3 of “A...
2022-06-1639 min
A Dose of Black Joy and CaffeineSeason 3 - EP 27: A Refill of Compassion From Dana Blair (With guest co-host Jimmy McDaniels)Season 3 guest co-host Jimmy McDaniels (VP, Experience Architecture & Design at Integer) joins the podcast for a conversation with Dana Blair. As a veteran both in front of and behind the camera, Dana Blair knows a thing or two about creating captivating conversations. Her one-on-one interviews have carried her from the boxing ring with Venus Williams to sharing the red carpet with the likes of Shonda Rhimes, Will Packer, Angela Bassett, and Ryan Coogler amongst many other top entertainers and powerhouses. Tune in as Jimmy and Dana chat about their Louisiana roots and how Dana refills her cup of self-care...
2022-06-1449 min
A Dose of Black Joy and CaffeineSeason 3 - EP 26 - Part 2: A Refill of Love From Jabari Hearn (Season 3 Premiere)Jabari Hearn, SVP Marketing & Entertainment joins us for part 2 of our season 3 premiere episode. Over the course of his career, Jabari Hearn has earned a formidable reputation as a forward-thinking marketing executive who connects mission-driven brands with the heartbeat of popular, urban culture to reach the next generation of consumers. Jabari’s personal mission is to “be the change and inspire it in others”, which is why he co-founded a company called Monday Night Mentorship, built to coach and mentor marketers of color during the 2020 pandemic. (Season 3 of “A Dose of Black Joy & Caffeine" podcast is presented by The Integer...
2022-06-0946 min
A Dose of Black Joy and CaffeineSeason 3 - EP 25 - Part 1: A Refill of Self-Compassion From Erika J. Bennett (Season 3 Premiere)Tech, content and culture marketing executive Erika Bennett helps us kick off season 3 of “A Dose of Black Joy & Caffeine” on part 1 of our season premiere episode Erika encourages our listeners to have more self-compassion for themselves. Erika has sparked conversation, shaped opinion and driven results for some of the world's most prestigious entertainment and consumer brands through insights-driven campaigns that have created meaningful and mutually beneficial brand/consumer relationships. Bennett reminds the audience that wealth and well-being are their birthright and how in this season she is reminded not to be so hard on herself for all the ways...
2022-06-0740 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 2-EP24) A dose of Boz: The Season FinaleWe’re excited to end Season 2 with the human diamond Bozoma Saint John (badassboz) who dropped gems on gems on gems. Tune in to hear from the Hall of Fame Marketer 22’, AAF Advertising Hall of Achievement Inductee 14’, Former CMO Netflix, Endeavor, Uber, and Marketing Executive Apple & Pepsi for “A Dose of Boz” Super thankful to have the G.O.A.T join us! Share this episode with a friend on social and give Boz her flowers!
2022-04-0837 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 2 - EP23) A dose of entertainmentLights! Camera! Entertainment. On this episode we chat with Jason White! Jason White is the Chief Marketing Officer for ViacomCBS’ MTV Entertainment Group. Previously, White served as CMO of Curaleaf, the nation’s largest cannabis provider. Prior to that, he was Executive Vice President and Global Head of Marketing for Beats by Dr. Dre. While there, he oversaw the award-winning campaigns including Straight Outta Compton, LeBron James’ Re-Established and product launches with Serena Williams, Cam Newton, DJ Khaled and Pharrell, among others. Before Beats, White spent nearly a decade at Wieden+Kennedy, most recently as the Managing Director in the Sh...
2022-03-3140 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 2 - EP22) A dose of beautyOn this episode Brittany Allen and I chat with Karla Davis. Karla Davis is a high performing leader whose innovative spirit, influence and partnership is helping to change the face of beauty. Karla leads the Integrated Marketing Communications and Media Team for Ulta Beauty, and in her 6 year tenure, she has built the Integrated Marketing Communications function for the company, overseeing Category Marketing, Equity Communications, Media & Social Strategy, Brand Partnership Development, Grand Openings and Local Marketing. She helped establish the brand’s positioning, brand identity and brand purpose and launched Ulta Beauty’s first ever national advertising campaign. More recen...
2022-03-2337 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 2 - EP21) A dose of individualityOn this episode of a Dose of Black Joy & Caffeine we chat about how to show up unapologetically as your WHOLE-SELF! Brandon Rochon, Managing Chief Creative Officer has spent his whole career trying to find interesting ways to not make advertising, but build brands that are some of the most loved brands in culture. Brandon has won every single major award in the industry on both continents and is one of the world’s youngest and freshest CCO’s in the business including: 2019 AAF Hall of Achievement Inductee, 2019 ADCOLOR One Club Creative Award, Los Angeles Business Journal’s Most Influe...
2022-03-1549 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 2 - EP20) A dose of innovationOn this episode of A Dose of Black Joy & Caffeine Brittany Allen and Adu chat with Lizette Williams, a leading marketing and advertising executive with expertise at driving the convergence of brands and culture. Tune in as she shares her on P.O.V on what it takes to bring new ideas to life and revisit old ideas to keep things fresh. Lizette’s love of all things “culture” comes from being a born-and-raised New Yorker (and proud “Afro-Latina.”) Lizette serves as the Global Head of Vertical Solutions Marketing at Facebook where she leads a global marketing team tasked with devel...
2022-03-1034 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 2-EP19) A dose of strategy & cultureOn this episode we chat with Dr. Marcus Collins who is an award-winning marketer and cultural translator with one foot in the world of practice—serving as the Chief Strategy Officer at Wieden+Kennedy New York—and one foot in the world of academia—as a marketing professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. His deep understanding of brand strategy and consumer behavior has helped him bridge the academic-practitioner gap for blue-chip brands and startups alike. Prior to his advertising tenure, Marcus began his career in music and tech with a startup he co-founded before working on iTu...
2022-03-0257 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 2-EP18) A dose of empathyOn this episode of “A Dose of Black Joy & Caffeine'' we chat with music executive Tiffany R. Warren about a dose of empathy. As the world continues to redefine hiring practices, work from home policies and company culture the topic of empathy continues to be a huge topic of discussion for many business executives. Once a taboo subject, companies are going above and beyond to make sure that it’s a priority however for 2010 AAF Advertising Hall of Achievement Honoree Tiffany R. Warren (EVP, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Sony Music Group and Founder & President of ADCOLOR) it’s always been d...
2022-02-2446 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 2-EP17) A dose of financial growthOn this episode we chat with Cavel Khan who is the CRO of Tumblr responsible for global revenue, revenue operations, business marketing, AdTech and programmatic partnerships, and revenue strategy company-wide. Prior to Tumblr he was the SVP of Client Partnerships, North America at VICE. In his role he oversaw sales and account management teams for the region. Cavel Khan was a Senior Manager on the CPG vertical at Twitter. He led a team responsible for building partnerships and growing revenue with Twitter’s largest CPG advertisers across the US. He also led the CPG Mid-Market sales channel in a si...
2022-02-1743 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 2-EP16) A dose of allyshipListen to a new episode of A Dose of Black Joy & Caffeine with Christena J. Pyle, Chief Equity Officer of dentsu Americas (2021 AAF Hall of Achievement Inductee) Christena is a driving force for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at dentsu, as well as a champion for meaningful progress across the broader creative industry. Tune in as she talks about finding a mentor/ally in the #Metaverse, the great resignation and her journey to being inducted to AAF Hall of Achievement.
2022-02-1035 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 2-EP15) A dose of Black excellenceOn this episode of A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine I chat with Dhane Scotti. Dhane is the Director of Global brand strategy and development at Google but most importantly a person who dreams big, motivates others and is driven to excel in all aspects of life, this requires an intense amount of FOCUS! Tune in as Dhane shares a few gems he has applied to his personal and professional life to stay focused leading up to being inducted into the AAF Advertising Hall of Achievement in 2018.
2022-02-0351 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 1-EP14) A dose of black joy & caffeine: The Season FinaleThe season finale of A Dose of Black Joy & Caffeine is with Gail Obaseki. Advertising and marketing trailblazer! Gail has had a huge impact on the careers of so many individuals in the marketing, advertising and PR industry. It was an honor to have her on the final episode of my podcast. I had to give you your flowers! Obaseki’s commitment to advocacy and social change runs deep, dating back to her experiences in the 60s as part of the first wave of Black students to integrate her hometown school system and including frontline activism in the form of...
2021-09-3053 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 1-EP13) A dose of gifted blackness: The HBCU ExperienceOn this episode of A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine I chat with my good friend and college buddy Christan Duncan about the HBCU experience. I always tell people that if I had to do college all over again I would not because I did it right the first time and could not imagine NOT attending Alabama A&M University. Chris Duncan is a native of St. Louis, Mo and graduate of Alabama A&M University, where he received his bachelors in Marketing. Duncan wears many hats: owner/ brand architect of THRSHLD, creative marketing studio, owner/marketing Director...
2021-09-3053 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 1-EP12) A dose of tech: The App & Afrobeat QueenOn this episode of A Dose of Black Joy & Caffeine I chat with Bukola Lili Akins, Creator of Jandus, Afrocast and Khin app about two things we both love, the tech world and afro-beats :) She has spent most of my career as a mobile software engineer including running a Startup called Jandus Mobile Solutions for 4 years. Tune in to hear about her passion for working on various mobile projects ranging from entertainment and music to fashion, beauty and lifestyle apps.
2021-09-2729 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 1-EP11) A dose of swag: The Way You Move & DressOn this episode of A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine I had the opportunity to chat with what I like to say is the most fashionable guest we’ve ever had on the show and that would be SIR Michael Wayne Turner lll. Michael the Third is an award winning writer, poet, spoken word artist, actor, dancer, emcee, and choreographer. A Scholar and a Gentleman. An innovator and educator. Michael’s genius approach to his artistry is both captivating, and explosive.
2021-09-2731 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 1-EP10) A dose of fitness: The Truth is Black People SwimOn this episode of A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine I chatted with my good friend Marcus Fitts about how to make fitness a lifestyle. As a kid, when Marcus wanted to play football and baseball his mom would only allow it after he fulfilled one condition, learn to swim. Even after excelling at track and football, the foundation of swimming was what Marcus always came back to and also excelled in. He eventually went to college on a track and swimming scholarship, giving him a leg up in the sport of triathlons, which he would soon discover...
2021-09-0451 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 1-EP9) A dose of acting: The Casting CallOn this episode of A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine I chatted with Michael Oloyede about what it takes to make it in Hollywood as an actor. British born, Southern raised, Michael Oloyede is the son of Nigerian parents. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in marketing and working in the corporate world for a couple of years, thoughts of his childhood dream began to bubble up. He enrolled in the world renowned Stella Adler School of Acting and Anthony Meindl's Actor's Workshop to begin classes. Since then he has worked in film, television and stage and continues...
2021-09-0443 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 1-EP8) A dose of trill: The TX/NOLA LifeOn this episode of A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine I chatted with Candace D. Queen. A real life queen (She just is) She is a multidisciplinary designer, creative director and educator, rooted in advancing racial equity and reinvigorating communities through design and nourished by a passion for creating spaces, cultural archival and preservation. On this episode we talk about the trill life living in Texas and on the heels of Hurricane Ida we talk about the impact Hurricane Katrina had on #TX and #NOLA where she’s found a special balance that lends itself to a richer cr...
2021-09-0346 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 1-EP7) A dose of natural hair: The Beauty in Being YouOn this episode of A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine I chatted with Brittany Johnson aka @BrittJohnz. Brittany Johnson is a first-generation Jamaican-American with a passion for creativity and inclusion. She uses her Social Media, Art Direction and Design talents to develop people-first ideas and strategic solutions for her clients. Brittany aims to amplify Black Beauty as a Digital Content Creator by building educational content and advocating for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within the beauty industry. Listen in as she shares a few tips on public speaking, beauty and leaving your current career for a new one.
2021-09-0320 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 1-EP6) A dose of performing: The Queen of CrunkOn this episode of A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine I have a chat with KJ Rose (Artist Development & Performance Coach) KJ has worked with Clive Davis at J Records; coached Lil Nas X, the Lumineers, Billy Ray Cyrus, 24k Goldn, The Kid Laroi, and others; she has also performed with P.Diddy, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, and Janet Jackson. Listen in to find out why I call her the “Queen of Crunk”
2021-09-0148 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 1-EP5) A dose of meditation: The ResetOn this episode of A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine I have a chat with with Alex Tyree, a multi-talented creative inspired by empowering community through media, music and storytelling. As the founder & host of Feel the SPACE—an emerging community of artists & creatives developed through experiences centered in music, mystery, & discovery—he is excited to continue creating ways for people to feel more deeply connected. Alex Tyree has been a committed practitioner of meditation for nearly 2 years and counting. Tune in as we talk about ways to reset and relax.
2021-07-3050 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 1-EP4) A dose of chi-town: The Oprah Winfrey ShowOn this episode of A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine I have a chat with Ashley McGowan, a young legend in the tech industry, world traveler and chi-town hype woman. We talk about all things chi-town related :) From The Bulls, Oprah and of course YEEZY. Thinking about planning a U.S. va-ca? It may not be a bad idea to add Chicago to your list of states to explore.
2021-07-3042 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 1-EP3) A dose of dancing: The Savage Challenge is The Electric SlideOn this episode of A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine I have a chat with Olu Bliss, Singer and Songwriter. We talk about some of the most iconic and well known Black line dances that people can’t help but get up and move to. From The Electric Slide, Cha-Cha Slide, Tootsie Roll and a bit more modern day examples like The Savage Challenge we chat about the legacy of Black dances.
2021-07-3055 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 1-Ep2) A dose of motivation: The Black Man Head NodOn this episode of A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine I have a chat with with Jotham Ndugga-Kabuye, Director of Social Media for Twitch, founder of Marron Creatives and Sneaks and Eats. We talk about the subtle lowering of the head you give another Black person in a space with a few Black people to say “I see you & keep going ... & if anything goes down you got me right?”. Jotham also shares how he's able to manage his 9-5, multiple creative projects, family and of course his 10 step skin care routine.
2021-07-0141 min
A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine(Season 1-Ep1) A dose of food: The Corner Piece of Mac & CheeseOn this episode of A Dose of Black Joy and Caffeine I have a chat with Adrian Octavius Walker about all things yummy in the world of soul food. Tune in to hear about a few of our favorite soul food joints around the U.S. and also a very serious conversation about the wrong and right way to cook macaroni and cheese for the cookout.
2021-06-2738 min