The FUTURES program celebrates its 10th anniversary nurturing the next generation of leaders

NEW YORK, Sept. 10, 2021 – ADCOLOR, the premier organization dedicated to celebrating and promoting professionals of color and diversity in the creative industries, today announced its 2021 class of ADCOLOR FUTURES. Building on the motto of “Rise Up, Reach Back”, the ADCOLOR FUTURES program identifies and nurtures the next generation of leaders who have one to three years of experience in their industry. The program provides training, mentorship and empowerment to selected young professionals with the goal of supporting the talent of tomorrow, today.

Launched in 2012, the FUTURES program is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. The highly competitive program saw a 15 percent acceptance rate, with only 30 young professionals selected to participate in the 2021 class after an extensive application and interview process. Those chosen showed strong leadership potential, sustained involvement in reaching back, interest in partnering with leadership to drive change through DE&I initiatives and innovative thinking to solve today’s problems.

The full roster of 2021 FUTURES is provided below.

“The selection process for the incoming class of FUTURES is something we look forward to each year,” said Deepti Turlapati, Co-Lead of the Planning Committee for the ADCOLOR Advisory Board. “The applicants never cease to inspire us, and there is truly no limit to what these young professionals can accomplish. After countless hours of reviewing their impressive applications and conducting nearly 135 interviews, we know this year’s class isn’t just here to pull up, they’re here to level up.”

“What sets the FUTURES program apart from other programs is the formula it was founded on: imagined, created and designed by the next generation of leaders for the next generation of leaders,” said Nicole Dei, Co-Lead of the Planning Committee for the ADCOLOR Advisory Board and Ms. ADCOLOR 2021. “As a 2019 FUTURE, it’s an honor to now help curate the program for the incoming classes of leaders. The 2021 FUTURES come from an array of industries, and I can’t wait for them to bring their unique perspectives, flex their skills and bring their authentic selves to the ADCOLOR family and community.”

The 30 FUTURES will be immersed in an intensive training known as ADCOLOR University, presented by Disney Advertising Sales and Omnicom Group. Facilitated by top-ranked leadership and talent consulting firms, the annual ADCOLOR University program teaches FUTURES how to meet business objectives, increase their performance in corporate settings, excel in a professional environment and take control of their career path. The specialized programming, organized around and during the annual ADCOLOR Conference and Award Show, helps the FUTURES develop soft and hard skills to excel as leaders.

The incoming class also partakes in the annual FUTURES Hackathon. This year’s hackathon, presented by Apple, has a theme of “Pull Up for Accountability”. Following the social justice issues that came to the forefront in 2020, the Hackathon brief calls on brands to go beyond hollow words and pull up with tangible change and action. While all teams receive the same brief, individual teams will be assigned to a specific industry and will customize their creative solutions accordingly. Teams receive limited time to finalize their solutions and must present it to a panel of judges, helping them to sharpen their skills in collaboration, design thinking and rapid prototyping.

“Since 2012, I’ve witnessed the force that is the FUTURES and the footprint this program has left on the industry 10 years later,” said Criseli Saenz, Director of ADCOLOR Programs. “Over the past decade, we’ve identified more than 300 of the brightest and undeniably talented individuals out there who have the thinking and skills that will push us into tomorrow. Their influence is tangible; what started as an opportunity for FUTURES to get access to ADCOLOR’s network of industry leaders has now shifted to industry leaders wanting access to the network of FUTURES.”

To learn more about the FUTURES program, please visit https://adcolor.org/futures. For additional updates on the organization, follow ADCOLOR on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

ABOUT ADCOLOR
ADCOLOR® is a not-for-profit 501(c) (6) organization whose mission is to celebrate and champion diversity in the creative industries. Our process is twofold. First, we help individuals and organizations RISE UP, letting their accomplishments and ideas shine. Then we teach these new leaders and would-be-mentors how to REACH BACK and find others who deserve to be noticed and promoted. Our goal is to create a community of diverse professionals who are here to support and uplift one another. Learn more by visiting www.adcolor.org.

ADCOLOR Everywhere 2021 Partners
Amazon, Facebook, Google|YouTube, Spotify, Diageo, Doordash, TikTok, Apple, Snap Inc., LinkedIn, Citi, Disney Advertising Sales, Droga5, iHeart, Microsoft, Omnicom Group, Real Chemistry, Sony Music Group, SXM Media, Twitter, Yahoo, Minority Report Podcast, MSL, sparks & honey, Hearst, Tripadvisor, WPP, NBCUniversal, Electronic Arts, Publicis, Vevo, Wieden+Kennedy, Edelman, Media.Monks, Square, Inc., 72andSunny, MLB, NFL, DDB, Ferrara, Integral Ad Science, McCann, Mother, MullenLowe, Roundel, Taboola

ADCOLOR FUTURES Partners
Presenting Partners: Amazon, Facebook, Google|YouTube, Spotify
FUTURES Hackathon Partner: Apple
ADCOLOR University Partners: Disney Advertising Sales, Omnicom Group
FUTURES Program Partner: NBCUniversal
FUTURES Champions Partner: Electronic Arts

ADCOLOR Corporate Members
American Advertising Federation, Deutsch LA, Droga5, Energy BBDO, Facebook, Google|YouTube, Hearst Magazines Division, JKR Global, McCann Worldgroup, Microsoft, MSL, Omnicom Group, Richemont, Snap Inc., Sony Music Group, The Advertising Club of New York

ADCOLOR Vendor Partners
Adrianne Lipscomb Graphic Design, Akande Music, Bravely, Captivate Marketing Group, Cevallos Brothers Productions, Crown + Conquer, Mark Clennon Photography, Isa Beltré/Plush Merchandising Consultants, Squeaky, The Studio, Tabernacle, Wendy Shanker

2021 ADCOLOR FUTURES
Aleenah Ansari, Writer and Video Producer, Microsoft
Amy Char, Copywriter, Deutsch LA
Apshara Islam, Assistant Account Manager, Goodby Silverstein & Partners
Armando Sanchez-Monsivais, Account Executive, Amazon
Chukwuma “Chima” Egbuzie, Social Coordinator, HBOMax
Clarice Metzger, Creative Strategist, Creative Theory Agency
Daynah Singh, Copywriter, 22Squared
Devin Spady, Community Marketing Manager, Bumble
Elisabeth Apanda, Worldwide Digital Strategy Lead, Microsoft
Emily Kubicek, Data Scientist, The Walt Disney Company
Erynn Hughes, Strategist, Arc Worldwide
Hung Lang, Associate Strategic Planner, Bluechip Worldwide
Jahcelyne Patton, Digital and Content Marketing Associate, Forbes
Jamal Parker, Copywriter, Translation, LLC
Jennifer Chocolate, Creative Intern, Ayzenberg | The One Club Creative/MAIP Creative Fellow of the Year
Jochebed Fekadu, DE&I Project Manager, Omnicom Precision Marketing Group
Kahlita Finger, Client Solutions Manager, Facebook
Katie Harris, Associate Product Marketing Manager, Google
Kofi Roberts, Associate Copywriter, Publicis NY | The Clarence Leroy Holte MAIP Fellow of the Year
Laura Gamo, Brand Strategist, Edelman
Len Sheth, Senior Copywriter, Leo Burnett
Marlon Beck II, Senior Project Manager, KITH
Matthew Kurata, Brand Marketing Manager, Google
Melisa Seah, Associate Product Marketing Manager, Google
Natalie Alcide, Art Director, Grey New York
Paula Ngon, Senior Publicist, People Magazine
Paula Ximena Chirinos, Junior Associate, Weber Shandwick
Shanae Dixon, Partner Solutions Manager, Instagram
Sydney Parker, Account Manager, Facebook
Vanessa Santana, Sr Brand Experience Planner, General Mills