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THE ADCOLOR FUTURES PRESENTED BY APPLE
SPONSORED BY 72andSunny, NBC UNIVERSAL, DEUTSCH

Go-Getters, Big Dreamers, Hard-Workers and Overall Amazing Individuals

ADCOLOR FUTURES is a unique program that is dedicated to identifying and nurturing the next generation of leaders in the advertising, marketing, media, and public relations industries. The program offers sponsorship to attend the ADCOLOR Conference & Awards, career training through ADCOLOR University, short and long term mentorship, as well as activities designed to inspire creativity and build camaraderie.

Requirements Program FAQ
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REQUIREMENTS

All selected ADCOLOR FUTURES must meet all of the following criteria:

  • 1 – 3 years of experience in the creative/communications industry.
  • Be Black/African-American, American Indian/Native American, Hispanic/Latinx, Asian/Pacific-Islander, Middle Eastern, Arab/MENA, Disabled, LGBTQ+, and/or Military Veteran.
  • Be able to demonstrate how you Rise Up & Reach Back:

    Rise Up: How have you gone above and beyond in your career?

    E.g.: Notable accomplishments, clear business results, awards and recognition in the field.

    Reach Back: How have you gone out of your way to help others?

    E.g.: Extent of involvement, influence on peers and impact of involvement on your organization, industry and /or community.

WE HEAR YOU

by DEUTSCH

2019 Futures Class

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Consumer Marketing Operations Manager, Ops Lead for Messenger & WhatsApp at Facebook

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Client Solutions Manager at Facebook

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Account Executive at Ogilvy

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Manager, Government Communications at Comcast NBCUniversal

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Assistant Multicultural Media Strategist at Hearts & Science

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Assistant Manager of PR and Social Media at Ad Council

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Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft

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Art Director

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Social Strategist at Edelman Digital

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Brand Strategist at fluent360

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Comms and Media Planner at Wieden+Kennedy

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Strategist

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Jr. Copywriter at FCB West

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Copy Supervisor at Patients & Purpose

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Copywriter at Ogilvy

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Sr. Product Designer at Elephant

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Digital Media Planner at OMD

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Marketing Strategist at Squarespace

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Copywriter at FCB Chicago

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Graphic Designer at Wieden+Kennedy

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Account Coordinator at HBO

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Account Manager at Facebook

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Talent Program Manager & DEI Lead at Havas WorldWide Chicago

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Associate Creative at BuzzFeed

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Product Marketing Manager at YouTube

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Sponsorship Marketing Associate at NPR

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Creative Strategist at Vox Media

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Assistant Account Executive at FleishmanHillard

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Account Manager for Nonprofits at Facebook

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Assistant Producer at Ogilvy

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Ace Patterson

Facebook

During the day, Ace Patterson works in Consumer Marketing at Facebook, working closely with the marketing directors for both the WhatsApp and Messenger apps to provide operational, planning, and financial support.

At night, he is hip-hop recording/performing artist, Call Me Ace, who delivers positive, heartfelt messages on hope, empowerment, and perseverance. His last album, Airplane Mode, debuted at #3 on the iTunes Top 40 Hip Hop Album Chart as well as #50 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Album Sales Chart.

Ace is a 1st-generation Jamaican-American and 1st-generation college student, graduating with his BA from Columbia University and MBA from the University of California, Berkeley-Haas. Ace has a diverse slate of marketing, strategy, operations, and consulting experience across various industries, including technology, media, entertainment (music and film), automotive, and education. Originally from the New York Metro Area, Ace currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, who is 25x better a person than Ace could ever be.
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Alex Harris

Facebook

Alex Harris is a Client Solutions Manager at Facebook in the Chicago-based NA Agency team. She was previously an Agency Partner Manager consulting independent advertising agencies in the US and Canada on how best to grow small and medium businesses on Facebook. Prior to Facebook, Alex researched consumer behavior and marketing at Columbia Business School and worked in consumer insights at Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. She graduated from Texas Tech University with a B.A. in Psychology and enjoys watching classic 90s sci-fi adventure movies.
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Alex Studer

Ogilvy

Born and raised in the Chicago area, Alex Studer studied Advertising and Communications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. There, he was President of the largest chapter of the American Advertising Federation in the country, named one of AAF’s Most Promising Multicultural Students, and founded and launched the student-run advertising publication Verge.

So far in his career, Alex has worked at various companies/agencies, including HealthSmart, Bailey Lauerman, and, through the Multicultural Advertising Intern Program, Saatchi & Saatchi. Most recently, Alex spent two years at Deutsch NY, where he led ACUVUE’s largest 360 product launch campaign, and he founded and led Deutsch’s diversity & inclusion group, Beyond. Alex currently serves as an Account Executive at Ogilvy on the Nestlé portfolio.

Outside of work, Alex plays and coaches in the largest LGBTQ+ volleyball league in the country, Gotham Volleyball, and competes in tournaments around the US through the North American Gay Volleyball Association (NAGVA).

Alex plans to continue his career in NYC for the foreseeable future. He hopes to one day get the opportunity to work on a campaign or piece of content that breaks down barriers and spreads messages of inclusivity and love.
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Alexandra Givan

Comcast NBCUniversal

Alexandra Givan is a Government Communications Manager for Comcast Corporation, based in Washington, DC. In this role, she supports the company’s government affairs communications activities in the nation’s capital, including Comcast’s communication with national audiences on all federal, regulatory and legislative issues. As manager, Alexandra also designs and implements plans, strategies, and programming to enhance and support Comcast’s corporate reputation efforts among key DC audiences.

Prior to joining Comcast full time in 2016, Alexandra interned with NBC’s Washington, D.C. affiliate (WRC-TV), NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

In 2018, she was awarded the “Influencer of the Year” award by the UMD Student Success Leadership Council (SSLC) for her commitment to and mentorship of minority undergraduates at The University of Maryland.

She is a proud and active alumna of the T. Howard Foundation for Diversity in Media. Alexandra is also a member of multiple professional organizations including ColorComm, Women in Cable Telecommunications, and The National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications.

In her spare time, Alexandra loves experiencing new cultures and exploring new customs abroad; growing and grooming her plant collection; and playing volleyball.

A native of New York, Alexandra graduated from The University of Maryland, College Park with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism (cum laude) and a certificate in African American Studies.
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Aniqua Hendricks

Hearts & Science

Aniqua Hendricks is an Assistant Multicultural Media Strategist at Hearts & Science where she plans and strategizes media for Cricket Wireless. Within 30 days of graduating from college, she accepted the position and started out in the New York office where she worked on the multicultural strategy team for P&G at Hearts. She later transferred to the Strategy team in Atlanta to work on the Cricket Wireless/AT&T business. In her career, Aniqua approaches every project with curiosity, creativity, and humility—a rare combination for a junior level employee. She applies her passion for diversity and inclusion with critical thought to accomplish goals. She also love a good shoe a hot political topic, and some glitter.

Outside the office, Aniqua applies equal dedication to community and service. She volunteers every Wednesday at her local church to help youth from low-income backgrounds. She acts as a key resource to aid their personal growth and development, investing time and heart to help lift up others. Her family is from a small island called, Jost Van Dyke, where she learned how to make an array of traditional Caribbean dishes. Unfortunately, she did not learn how to swim but that is one of her goals for 2019. Although only at the inception of her career, Aniqua hopes her passion for making a positive impact on communities of color and speaking up for those without a voice while using media as a medium, can help drive a multi-cultural conversation and spark positive lasting social change.
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Barbara Gonzalez

Ad Council

A proud native Nuyorican with roots in East Harlem, Barbara is a storyteller by nature and trade. By day, she strategizes and crafts the front facing language for notable Ad Council campaigns on topics such as teen suicide, LGBT acceptance, and more. In her free time, she’s a freelance writer at Bustle where she explores the complexities of identity as it pertains to race, gender, sexuality, ability and more. Her passion lies in uplifting those from underrepresented identities and bringing their narratives to the forefront of media in order to create measurable and effective change.
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Bryan Stromer

Microsoft

As a Product Marketing Manager in Microsoft’s rotational marketing program, Bryan Stromer leads field advocacy and communications for Microsoft’s worldwide e-commerce business. Prior to rotating to this role, he was a creative strategist in the Microsoft 365 Studio. In addition, he is a passionate advocate for the disability community. He currently serves as the co-lead for Microsoft’s employees with mobility impairments discussion group and serves on the review committee of Microsoft’s DisAbility Scholarship.

Prior to joining Microsoft, Bryan interned in BlackRock’s HR department, where he led the establishment of the firm’s first disability employee resource group, which has since expanded globally.

In addition to his corporate work, he spent the summer of 2017 as a Humanity in Action fellow in Warsaw, Poland. While in Warsaw, Bryan worked with various NGOs to advance the civil rights of people with disabilities and the LGBTQ+ population in Poland.

Bryan is a 2017 graduate of Vanderbilt University, where he was a Posse Foundation Scholar.

He is an avid writer and his work has been published by the Washington Post, New York Times, and WNYC. His advocacy work around disability has been featured on the Today Show, NY1, and the New York Daily News.
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Erika Casales

Hey there! I’m a recent graduate from the University of Texas at Austin (hook 'em). I studied studio art and advertising with a minor in business- the perfect avenues for me to explore my passion for creativity and people. I began my career as an only child slaving long nights and weekends on Microsoft Paint and carefully planning intricate events for my dolls. My passion for creating has drastically blossomed since that time.

My diverse family background has very much shaped my view of the world. I understand that humans at our core are more similar than we are different. This is what fuels my appetite for mass- mediated communication. I am infatuated with technology’s ability to bring people together amongst all kinds of barriers. I love intimate moments because of their ability to translate across cultures- the true driving force behind my desire to create.

I am currently living in New York City and seeking opportunities in art direction and design.

Screen reader support enabled.
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Gloria Lin

Edelman Digital

Gloria (she/her) is a content and cultural strategist. She began her career when she committed to doing thing per week that scared her. Finding a way to combine creativity, tech, and community into her livelihood was her biggest fear. She beat the challenge and the fear.  Now, she manages social content for Samsung U.S. with Edelman, where she merges these interests to build the voice of a Fortune 20 brand. Gloria’s former lives include leading 3,500+ members of the Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP) toward professional success, and speaking at Advertising Week on inclusion. During her 5-9, Gloria researches and has published articles on hackathons and the tech talent pipeline. She also leads brand and social strategy for The Cosmos, a startup empowering 2,000+ Asian women and non-binary creators. With the team, Gloria led organizational strategy and copywriting for The Cosmos Summit, where 200+ members gathered to discuss how their identities and aspirations align. The Cosmos has been featured in The NY Times, Paper Magazine, and more.  Gloria’s unabashedly dedicated to building inclusion into every organization vision she’s involved with. She also harbors secret dreams of becoming a Zumba instructor.
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Helena Berhane

fluent360

Helena Berhane is a brand strategist currently working with Omnicom multicultural agency, fluent360. As a first-generation Ethiopian-Eritrean, born in Sweden raised Chicago - she has a multidimensional perspective on identity. Helena graduated from Syracuse University where she studied Sociology and International Business. She currently works with brands such as Nissan, Denny’s, and State Farm to develop their cross-cultural strategy. Helena’s work is inspired by the power of culture and the positive impact that brands can have on building community. In her down time, she is a mentor with the Chicago Scholars Program, serves on the Alumni board of Advertising program Marcus Graham Project and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. She also works with multiple Chicago artists and entrepreneurs to develop their communications strategies so they can reach their target consumers more effectively. Her work taps into the power of unexpected connections to re-frame problems and reveal unique human truth. She considers herself a citizen of the world and is driven to find solutions that empower multicultural communities.
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James Ramseur

Wieden+Kennedy

James Ramseur is a Comms and Media Planner at Wieden + Kennedy currently working on the Nike account where he is able to help create impact throughout the world by using Nike's voice at the intersection of culture and sport.

Before his time at Wieden + Kennedy, James was learning life in a small town of 700 people called Lawtey, FL. Being that Lawtey is a small rural town void of opportunity, sports are used as a tool to help create a better life for you and your family. This is where James gathers inspiration, insight, and motivation to help create work that will make sport more accessible and enjoyable to the youth.

A proud alum of The University of Central Florida, James loves all things Florida, especially the different cultures throughout the state. He also enjoys experiencing different fine dining experiences, and is currently trying out every Michelin Starred and award-winning restaurant Drake has rapped about throughout his career (there's a lot). He also is an avid piano player and dreams of playing in a 90's R&B cover band when it's all over.
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Jennifer Jasso

My name is Jennifer Jasso. I am a proud Latina born and raised in Chicago. I am a recent first-generation graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where I earned my Bachelor's Degree in Advertising along with a certification in Media Sales. As a fellow of the 2019 Multicultural Advertising Internship Program (MAIP), I had the opportunity to work at Giant Spoon as an intern strategist. Here, I had the opportunity to work on some really cool tech clients helping develop case studies and trends for an experiential situation analysis to diving into complex audience research. I was also able to embed myself into Giant Spoon's first-ever Diversity and Inclusion Council and gave an office-wide presentation on multiculturalism and representation. I wrapped up my summer with being awarded the 2019 MAIP Fellow of the Year and am currently working towards my next steps.

Outside of work, my passions include exploring and advocating for my own culture and others, dancing, going to concerts, and creating short funny videos with my friends and family. I love working with others and collaborating to create amazing stories and experiences!
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Jorge Tajj Badil-Abish

FCB West

Jorge Tajj Badil-Abish is just as much of an enigma as his name suggests. This industry calls him a copywriter. His friends call him for help writing their Instagram captions. His mom calls him her “silly rabbit.” You can call him Tajj.

Throughout his life, he has always embraced being indefinable and defying expectations. Tajj grew up in Houston, Texas, where he chose to study French instead of Spanish. In college, he became a DJ despite a distaste for large crowds. He graduated from Duke University in 2016, but didn’t end up on Wall Street or in medical school like the majority of his peers. After college, he switched coasts to attend Miami Ad School in San Francisco. And he still has to explain to people which city he actually studied in. He's a recipient of the Operation Jumpstart Scholarship and the Bill Bernbach Diversity Scholarship through the 4A’s Foundation.

Today, he's a Junior Copywriter at FCB West, working on Clorox’s global account and Hotwire.com. He brings his creative principles (create, collaborate, celebrate) to work every day. He believes each principle defines what he enjoys doing the most: bringing ideas to life, working with others, and praising creative achievement. He finds the best writing has a rhythm to it like a smooth dance, and the best ideas hit you like a great song.

Tajj has thrived on never fitting into boxes, and he hopes to continue this trend by creating work that shifts the status quo in the advertising industry.
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Julian Soto

Patients & Purpose

Julian Soto is a Copy Supervisor at Patients & Purpose, a healthcare advertising agency. In his three years at the agency he's made a mark in many ways. In his first year Julian worked on a 360 campaign where he helped cast patients for a feature-length documentary, and wrote copy for a mobile app and a billboard in Times Square. Most recently he's been a part of pro-bono work that aims to improve the healthcare for trans women of color living in New York City. His favorite part about the work is helping patients in tangible ways. From creating content that empowers patients to advocate for themselves in the doctor's office, or helping people find resources to pay for their treatments, he appreciates how important it is to craft copy that is accessible and relevant. Julian never saw himself in healthcare marketing. But he wouldn't change a thing about his experience. The work consistently pushes him creatively, and he's found fulfillment knowing he helps make a difference in people's lives and their health.
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Kelly Garcia

Ogilvy

Kelly Garcia is a Copywriter at Ogilvy for IBM, and sometimes IKEA. She got into the industry after her campaign won First Place in the One Club Boot Camp and earned her the recognition of renown Creative Directors like Gerry Graff and Ricard Valero. Kelly was never one to take the path well-trodden. With no formal portfolio school or ad training, she entered the ad industry as a Nuyorican from the Bronx, against all odds. Since then she’s been trusted to get fantasy football players to use AI to help make their picks, turn quantum computing into poetry, and sell IKEA using spoken word to highlight both the New York struggle and the New York dream. As a part-time poet and full-time believer of love, Kelly infuses her interests into her work to create empathetic and relatable experiences. When she’s not working she performs at poetry clubs in New York City, posts visceral love poems on her Instagram, and even makes her own clothes.
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Kevin Lam

Elephant

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Keyon Branch

OMD

Originally from Detroit, Michigan Keyon’s passion for marketing and advertising only intensified through his matriculation at Morehouse College. Now residing in Los Angeles, Keyon is currently a Digital Media Planner, where he plans and executes digital advertising campaigns for the CBS and Pop TV networks at OMD USA. Previously, Keyon worked on programmatic planning and buying for Lionsgate at Starcom Media. In addition to his work in advertising media, Keyon is a champion for Diversity and Inclusion in the marking and advertising space. Being a graduate of a historically black college and university, he has committed himself to encouraging and developing the next group of diverse talent and making them aware of careers in advertising and media. In his free time, Keyon is an avid dancer which he credits this as his source of discipline and drive resulting in his mantra “But Out of Limitations Comes Creativity” (Debbie Allen) in which Keyon applies across the many aspects of his life.
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Maimouna Siby

Squarespace

Maimouna Siby is a Marketing Strategist at Squarespace who is driven by the power of meaningful partnerships and human to human storytelling that inspire and change people’s lives. She's leveraged podcast sponsorships and branded content to showcase the myriad of ways Squarespace’s products empower people with creative ideas to succeed. She believes storytelling, in all its forms, is extremely powerful and that the most compelling forms of storytelling change our cultural environments, our behaviors, and ultimately human connection. Maimouna's first love is for storytelling through digital mediums for companies that care and tell stories that matter. Her second love is for programming events where she brings people together to knowledge-share, connect, and give back. As founder and co-chair of Black at Squarespace, a business resource group, Maimouna's created communal spaces, fostered meaningful partnerships, and planned engaging events for the black community inside and outside of Squarespace.

Maimouna double-majored in African American Studies and French Studies at Wesleyan University. After graduating she decided to take her love for studying and sharing narratives onto platforms with large reach and massive impact. As a first-generation Malian-American and Muslim woman she grew up not seeing herself or her community represented in any form of media and aims to gain the tools and skills to rectify this.
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Makeda Loney

FCB Chicago

Makeda Loney is a Copywriter at FCB Chicago, writing for a variety of brands across the Health and Wellness spectrum. Over the span of two and a half years, her career has led her to develop a diverse client roster including McDonald’s, Toyota, Walmart, Comcast, Nike and Delta. In 2018, she was honored as one of The Drum’s 50 under 30 in the U.S., a list celebrating young women blazing a trail in creative fields. She also serves as a Content Creator for Coalesce Chicago, an organization dedicated to cultivating and supporting diversity + inclusion in Chicago’s advertising scene.

As a Brooklyn native living in Chicago, her love for grit and glamour knows no bounds – from sending people glitter-coated poetry in the mail to literally covering herself in it in her various performances. She can also be heard arguing with Chicagoans over acceptable pizza depth and trying to spread a little glitter everywhere she goes.
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Nagini Reddy

Wieden+Kennedy

Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Nagini began her design career at Wieden + Kennedy after graduating from Portland State University’s Graphic Design program. Since then, she’s had the pleasure of working on accounts like Trolli, Secret, Instagram, AirBnb, and Nike, among others.

Nagini is passionate about uplifting those around her, especially underrepresented people in the workplace. Her commitment to diversity and inclusion in advertising is driven by a strong belief in community and the truth that unique perspectives are important in every aspect of our industries. She enjoys traveling and meeting new people, making art, comedy, and is constantly curious about the intersections between design, film, technology, and society. She stays connected within her design community and alma-mater, participating in and spearheading initiatives at Wieden+Kennedy and beyond through diversity groups like The Asiancy and organizations like Design Portland.

The biggest thing on her bucket list right now is to write and create a short television series or film about the Desi-American experience as a young millennial in the age of booming technology and societal revolution. Her main source of inspiration is her family, who have been her backbone ever since moving to America from India when she was a child.
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Nicole Dei

HBO

Nicole Dei currently serves as an account coordinator at HBO under the consumer marketing department. She is responsible for facilitating a strategic and united front across HBO marketing platforms by managing the collective budget and acting as a gatekeeper for all promotional video and photo talent requests. Previously, she worked on the digital team at Bravo! and Oxygen networks where she aided in producing and project managing Bravo’s “Daily Dish” podcast.

Nicole graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a degree in Broadcast Journalism with a concentration in African-American Studies.

Outside of her 9-5, Nicole has a passion for storytelling on topics near and dear to her heart. In January of 2019, Nicole launched “The Naked Truth with Nicole Dei,” a podcast centered around body positivity. In each episode, Nicole interviews different people of color who share their own body journeys. Nicole hopes that this podcast speaks to a range of people and helps them with their own body confidence. We have one body in this world - it’s important that we learn to love it! Nicole is a strong advocate for representation, and she knew that this podcast has created an outlet for her to tell the stories that often go unheard.
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Omar Wilson

Facebook

Omar Wilson is an Account Manager, for Entertainment, on Facebook's  Global Business Group. Within his role, he consults 40+ sports & publishing brands on how to strategically leverage Facebook's advertising solutions; to grow their audience, build their communities and monetize their content online. His clients include the NBA teams, USTA, The Onion, BeautyCon, and Barstool Sports.   Before joining Facebook, Omar worked in sports production, his first love, where he traveled the nation producing film projects for Nike EYBL, Ballislife.com, and NBA star, Chris Paul's Youth Basketball Organization. Omar has also held intern positions with the NBA Original Production department, the Chick-fil-A Foundation, and CBS Interactive, Sponsorships team.  As a native of Durham North Carolina, and graduate of Morehouse College, Omar is committed to building community and growing economic opportunities for people of color. As Director of Community partnerships for Facebook's Black@Austin, Omar leads the partnership with the Austin Black Chamber of Commerce, where his committee has consulted over 100 local black businesses on digital marketing skills, and building effective brands in the 21st century.
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Pilar McQuirter

Havas WorldWide Chicago

Pilar is a catalyst for the culture and isn't afraid to speak from the heart. As a culturally conscious strategist, her ability to empathize with and uplift different societal lenses is a trademark seen within her work. As a MAIP Alumni, she proudly champions Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) in every aspect of her life and unapologetically infuses this practice into corporate cultures.

Within her first year at Havas Chicago, she was selected by the CEO as the representative for their Global Internal Havas D&I program. Through which, she was tasked with re-imagining D&I with a non-traditional, culture-first approach for Havas Chicago. She’s executed several initiatives that aid in her mission to create a confluence of culture within the agency and beyond. Including: Co-leading three #BlackAtWork activations, developing a holistic D&I strategy for Havas Chicago and leading the development of Havas Chicago's first employee resource group, Havas Faces, where she co-leads weekly educational workshops. In her first year of committing to D&I as an active practice, she was promoted from Strategist to Talent Program Manager & DEI Lead. This role allows her to work full time supporting Havas’ diversity recruiting efforts and continuing to lead the Village diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, from Havas Faces to programming and community outreach.

Born and raised in Oak Park, IL, currently residing in Chicago, IL. Her time outside of work is spent exploring and leveraging her work in the communications industry to assist emerging and established in creative careers of their own.
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Samra Seifu

BuzzFeed

Samra was born to two Ethiopian immigrants in the great city of Indianapolis, Indiana, and moved to NYC after graduating from Indiana University in 2016. She began her creative career with internships in digital campaigns for NYC-based nonprofits DoSomething.org and Global Citizen, and later moved into the tech space as a Marketing Coordinator for a hospitality website agency, where she created internal marketing assets to support the company's rebranding and reported on hospitality tech advancements. Samra felt herself gravitating towards media, and now, she spends her days as an Associate Creative at BuzzFeed. In this role, she produces co-branded posts and videos, mostly with clients in the finance and tech space, such as American Express, Bank of America, Chase, IBM, and Venmo. At BuzzFeed, Samra also gets the opportunity to work across brand verticals, and she stays connected to her nonprofit roots by producing content for mission-based clients such as March of Dimes, UNHCR, and Peace Corps. Ultimately, Samra identifies as a storyteller; someone who helps others find and amplify their voices, works to connect people to one another, and helps make a rapidly shifting media landscape more educational, inclusive, and representative of the world we live in.
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Sayid Abdullaev

YouTube

Sayid Abdullaev is a product marketing manager at Google, where he works on brand and policy strategy for YouTube. Motivated by his personal experience as a refugee, Sayid has founded multiple initiatives for LGBTQ asylum seekers and refugees and helped raise over 1 million USD for a variety of social causes. Previously, he worked as a consultant at the United Nations, focusing on the World Humanitarian Summit and youth empowerment programs. As a refugee, he overcame homelessness and violence which galvanized him to become a human rights advocate, utilizing his story to inspire people to take action to protect LGBTQ refugees and asylum seekers. He has been recognized by multiple organizations and foundations, including former US presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, for excellence in global activism. Sayid has recently ranked #4 on the Financial Times Outstanding TOP 30 Rising LGBT Leaders. Sayid is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School’s Venture Management Fellowship and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Point Scholarship to complete his bachelor’s degree in political science and entrepreneurship.
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Selly Sallah

NPR

Selly is a marketing and communications specialist currently working as a Sponsorship Marketing Associate at NPR. In her role, she has helped to build the B2B marketing strategy that makes the important work of free accessible journalism possible. Her accomplishments include coordinating thought-leadership event-activations ranging from CES to Advertising Week, and running B2B paid media campaigns generating sponsorship leads for NPR and the public media system. Before joining NPR’s sponsorship division, she worked on the Audience & Community Relations team, strengthening NPR’s audience outreach.

Prior to joining NPR, Selly worked as MAXIMUS Inc.'s CSR and Foundation Intern where she planned the Day of Service, and motivated employees to give a portion of their paychecks to charity. In 2015, Selly worked in the Obama White House's Office of Presidential Correspondence, answering mail from the American people, and articulating their thoughts and concerns for the President.

Selly received her BA in Political Science and Communications from Boston College where she graduated cum laude. While in school, Selly used her voice to amplify causes she cares about working on the campus sexual assault prevention group, the progressive student newspaper, and the Campus Activities Board. She also volunteered with Jumpstart biweekly at a local school, teaching pre-literacy skills to low-income preschoolers.
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Shantae Howell

Vox Media

A born and bread Chicagoan, Shantae Howell attended DePaul University where she had the opportunity to learn from marketing professionals at the peak of their careers. Putting what she learned in the classroom to use, Shantae interned in a variety of industries while serving on DePaul’s Public Relations Student Society of America executive board. As the chapter’s first black president, Shantae led efforts that diversified programming and worked with minority student groups to create a community that was more reflective of DePaul’s diverse student body.

After dipping her toes in multiple disciplines, Shantae graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in PR and advertising with minors in Psychological Research Methods and Graphic Design, excited to contribute to the evolving digital media landscape. Since graduating, she’s developed media relationships as an Account Coordinator on Ketchum Chicago’s CPG team and collaborated and generated millions of dollars in revenue as a Partner Manager at Facebook before joining Vox Media as a Creative Strategist in December of 2018.

Above all, Shantae prides herself on consistently leveraging her experience and resources to support immigrant, queer and black and brown communities in and outside of the workplace.
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Tatiana Britt

FleishmanHillard

As a pre-med scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Tatiana worked as a communications assistant for UNC’s Center for Women’s Health Research – an experience that sparked an interest in exploring the intersection of politics, policy and communications. Let’s just say she never looked back. After graduating college with a bachelor’s degree in communications studies, she took her passions to Capitol Hill to work for U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and the House Committee on Education and Labor.  Her experiences in congressional press shops led Tatiana to FleishmanHillard, where she currently works as an account executive. As a brand strategist and media relations specialist, she helps clients ranging from national nonprofits to Fortune 500 companies participate in public discourse on various social, cultural and political issues. In this role, she also provides strategic counsel on legislative and corporate reputation issues for a diverse portfolio of clients spanning the technology, advertising and consumer goods industries.  Tatiana co-manages the Al Fleishman Diversity Fellowship program for FleishmanHillard’s Washington D.C. office. She also regularly represents the agency at recruiting events and participates in panels with leading journalists and public relations professionals to discuss her passion for diversifying the industry’s talent pipeline.
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Veronica Peñaloza-Wolfermann

Facebook

After graduating from UT Austin, I took my love for advertising, tech and social good to the next level with Facebook. As an Account Manager working with Nonprofits, I build social value every day by helping large and small NGOs meet their fundraising goals through Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. As an entrepreneur, I care about building brands and products that empower communities and sustain over time. A proud Latina, born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela.
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Victoria Onuzuruike

Ogilvy

Dorothy got it right when she said “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” Hailing from Kansas City, Victoria Onuzuruike is now a bonified New Yorker with an original Midwestern flare. Graduating from Williams College in 2017 with a joint degree in Economics and History, Victoria landed in the Big Apple beginning her professional journey at Ogilvy. There, Victoria started off in the company’s competitive Associates rotational program, and soon after, quickly accelerated in her role to become a fully matriculated Assistant Producer.

Since assuming this position, Victoria has actively engaged in shaping, diversifying, and contributing her perspective on productions. In 2019, her proactive thinking and strategy led Victoria to secure the epitomes of Black Girl Magic -- the “Me Too” movement’s founder Tarana Burke and LGBTQ+ advocate and singer Janelle Monae -- for IBM’s 91st Academy Awards commercial premiere, “Dear Tech.” As a young, Black queer woman in this industry, her contributions to this campaign emphasized why representation matters at all costs.

Moreover, producing projects does not stop at the end of Victoria’s work day. When she is not producing commercials for Fortune 500 companies, she is pouring her passion into her newly launched production companies VYTLZ and 32MVP. Led by women of color, Victoria uses these platforms to mentor and collaborate with other creatives, while experimenting with video techniques and production efficiencies.

With success approaching, Victoria plans to skip all the way down the yellow brick road into an optimistic, long-impacting career in advertising and production!

2019 Agenda

Click Event To Expand For More Information

  • Sep 03 Tue
  • Sep 04 Wed
  • Sep 05 Thu
  • Sep 06 Fri
  • Sep 08 Sun
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12:00pm - 3:00pm
FUTURES & ADCOLOR ADVISORY BOARD REGISTRATION
3:00pm - 5:00pm
FUTURES ORIENTATION Event open to 2019 FUTURES only

The orientation is the kick-off event to the weekend; to help the new class of FUTURES make the best of the experience. A panel of FUTURES alumni, ADCOLOR supporters and members share their stories and give advice on how to make the best of this tremendous opportunity.

6:00pm - 8:00pm
TAKE A STAND at 72andSunny Event open to 2019 FUTURES only
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8:00am - 8:30am
BREAKFAST Event open to 2019 FUTURES only
8:30am - 10:00am
PERFORMANCE DEVELOPMENT: "The Rose Effect" Experience with KJ Rose Event open to 2019 FUTURES only

KJ Rose, Artist Performance Specialist, The Rose Effect LLC

10:00am - 12:00pm
ADCOLOR University Presented by UCB@Work

Event open to 2019 FUTURES only

This two-part intensive training is facilitated by one of the world’s top-ranked leadership and talent consulting firms. FUTURES will learn how to meet business objectives, increase their performance in corporate settings, excel in the corporate professional environment and take control of their career path. They leave inspired and empowered to enrich their companies and pursue a greater role in the industry.

1:00pm - 5:00pm
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS VIP TOUR Presented by NBCU Universal

Event open to 2019 FUTURES, ADCOLOR Board of Directors and ADCOLOR Advisory Board Members only

We cordially invite the ADCOLOR FUTURES and the ADCOLOR Advisory Board to participate in a custom, on-site NBCUniversal experience. This exclusive ADCOLOR + NBCUniversal experience will begin with a VIP Tour throughout Universal City offering a unique look behind the scenes of our UC Studio operations led by our expert facility guides. The day will culminate with an Executive Panel and networking engagement featuring several of our prominent leaders where they will have the opportunity to listen and ask questions about how each of them, and how NBCUniversal, exemplify this year’s Conference theme – “Take a Stand”.

Brian Norris, SVP, Direct to Consumer, Ad Sales (Moderator)
Mariela Ure, SVP & CMO Marketing and Sales, Universal Studios Hollywood Marketing
Kirsten Atkinson, VP, Client Partnerships
Tony Effik, SVP, Client Strategy, Ad Sales
Christel Miller, VP, Current Programming, NBC Entertainment

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9:00am - 3:30pm
TAKE A STAND at DEUTSCH Event open to 2019 ADCOLOR FUTURES only
5:00pm - 6:00pm
TAKE A STAND: THIS IS ADCOLOR

Join ADCOLOR Founder, Tiffany R. Warren, for this essential primer on all things ADCOLOR. Members of the Board of Directors, Advisory Board and FUTURES alumni will also provide a closer look into the beginnings, the journey and the future of the organization we all know and love.

Tiffany R. Warren, Founder & President, ADCOLOR & SVP, Chief Diversity Officer, Omnicom Group (Moderator)
Michelle Almeida, Talent Manager, ADCOLOR (Moderator)

Susie Nam, Chief Operating Officer, Droga5
Marc Stephenson Strachan, Chairman, ADCOLOR
Constance Cannon Frazier, Chief Operating Officer, American Advertising Federation
Michele Thornton Ghee, EVP of Business Development, Endeavor Global Marketing
Criseli Saenz, Programs Manager, ADCOLOR
Jonathan Priester, Global Black Community Inclusion Lead, Google
Candace D. Queen, Founder, Queen Creative Group
Brittany Johnson, Creative Strategist, Facebook
Joon Park, Cultural Strategist, sparks & honey

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8:00am - 3:30pm
ADCOLOR FUTURES Hackathon Presented by Apple

Open to FUTURES, Coaches and Judges only

The ADCOLOR FUTURES Hackathon gives FUTURES a platform to tackle a huge problem—in a not-so-huge amount of time. Teams will have seven hours to come up with a creative solution to a critical issue, and will present this idea to a panel of judges.

3:30pm - 4:30pm
ADCOLOR FUTURES Hackathon Presentations Presented by Apple

The ADCOLOR FUTURES Hackathon gives FUTURES a platform to tackle a huge problem--in a not-so-huge amount of time. Teams will have six hours to develop a creative initiative/campaign that demonstrates social responsibility through partnership with a nonprofit organization. This year's topic is "Stand For A Cause".

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10:00am - 12:00pm
ADCOLOR PAST, PRESENT and FUTURES BRUNCH Presented by American Express

Invitation Only

UNIVERSITY

Launched in 2012, with the belief that even the most successful professional can learn, be inspired, and share their knowledge, ADCOLOR University is an intensive training facilitated by top-ranked leadership and talent consulting firms. The FUTURES learn how to meet business objectives, increase their performance in corporate settings, excel in a professional environment, and take control of their career path. In the past, the program has introduced FUTURES and conference attendees to management and efficacy training and had special HR and management tracks focused on D&I. Currently, University is laser-focused on the FUTURES – giving specialized content to develop soft and hard skills during and around the conference.

2019 HACKATHON Stand For A Cause

The Hackathon gives FUTURES a platform to tackle a huge problem—in a not-so-huge amount of time. Working in teams of six, FUTURES will be paired with two coaches who will help them sharpen their skills in collaboration, design thinking and rapid prototyping. Teams will have seven hours to come up with a creative solution to a social issue and present that to a panel of judges.

"ADCOLOR FUTURES 2019" BY DEUTSCH

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“ADCOLOR FUTURES 2018” BY DEUTSCH

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2016 HACKATHON WHITE PAPER: "STANDING FOR SOCIAL ISSUES"

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2015 HACKATHON WHITE PAPER: "Cultural Appropriation"

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General Inquiries: info@adcolor.org | 347.297.4407
437 Madison Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10022
©2019 ADCOLOR Inc. All Rights Reserved.
General Inquiries: info@adcolor.org | 347.297.4407
437 Madison Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10022
©2019 ADCOLOR Inc. All Rights Reserved.