

Celebrating Black Creative Excellence
For Black History Month, top media and marketing execs share creative high points from their careers
Illustration by Vitalii Abakumov/iStock/Getty Images Plus. Published on February 3, 2025.
Black Creative Excellence Celebrated
For Black History Month, creative innovators share key moments in their careers
Illustration by Vitalii Abakumov/iStock/Getty Images Plus. Published on February 3, 2025.
Ad Age is celebrating Black History Month by once again highlighting stories of Black creative excellence throughout February. Now in its fifth year, the project shines a light on inspiring and influential Black creators across the industry, who revisit key projects and turning points from their careers through personal essays. Four guest editors will share their stories and invite other talents in their orbit to do the same.
For the third year in a row, we are also partnering with Outfront to showcase many of the essayists on digital out-of-home media across the U.S. If you missed last year’s series, catch up on all the essays here. Join Ad Age and Outfront Media on Feb. 26 in New York for a conversation with several industry leaders from this series.

ReachTV’s Lynnwood Bibbens on the opportunity marketers are still missing
Guest editor: Lynnwood Bibbens
Chairman and CEO, ReachTV

Pod Digital Media’s Gary Coichy on building a media ecosystem for multicultural audiences
Gary Coichy
Founder and CEO, Pod Digital Media

Justin Thomas-Copeland on listening to and trusting your inner voice
Justin Thomas-Copeland
Founder and CEO, Kindrd Global

Digital Culture Group’s Crystal Foote on how one legacy is disrupting ad tech
Crystal Foote
Founder and Head of Partnerships, Digital Culture Group

Tai Beauchamp on rethinking what it means to ‘practice wellness’
Tai Beauchamp
Founder, Morning Mindset with Tai

Datwon Thomas on forging an authentic connection between the talent and the concept
Datwon Thomas
Executive Producer, Dick Clark Productions and Editor-at-Large, Vibe Magazine

VML’s Kaleeta McDade on pushing back against ‘algorithms without the rhythm’
Guest editor: Kaleeta McDade
Global Chief Experience Design Officer, VML

Savage X Fenty CMO Vanessa Wallace’s message to her younger self
Vanessa Wallace
Chief Marketing Officer, Savage x Fenty

Meta’s Damien Baines on culture and collaboration in experiential marketing
Damien Baines
Head of Experiential and Creative Development, Meta

Artis Stevens on how the ad industry can help redefine mentorship
Artis Stevens
President and CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters













Headline Teekay Teekay
Erica Taylor Haskins
Co-Founder and Chief Relationship Officer, Tinsel Experiential Designs

