Black Creators Network
in collaboration with New Balance

Owen Angote

Vinyl DJ • Photography

Owen Angote is a multifaceted artist hailing from Nairobi, Kenya. Raised in a family that embraced sports, education, and music, he found his voice through art at an early age. With interests in photography and music, Angote has spent decades sharpening his skills and defining his style, and in time, has been able to turn his artistic passions into his life’s work. An active creative, Owen currently works as a professional photographer while moonlighting as an acclaimed deejay, hosting the monthly ‘Vine & Vinyl’ at Hue. Feeling privileged to have a career in the arts, Owen is honored to be highlighted and recognized by the community and is enthusiastic to pass that baton of knowledge to the next generation of creatives— which he does by volunteering at the Beverly School of Kenya, encouraging the next generation of creatives to develop their voice.

Jordan Barros

Painting • Illustration • Graphic Design

Jordan Barros, 25, is a Black painter, illustrator, and graphic designer. Jordan graduated with a BA from Boston College (‘19), where he began his art career 5 years ago. He’s the son of Boston’s own Dana Barros and Veronica Barros, two vital figures in his story.

Jordan’s experiences as a Black man naturally shape his identity. Blackness and Black culture influence his entire world. Jordan conceptually records powerful chapters of his story through painting and illustration. His style is lively, expressive, and personal. Jordan is simply inspired by Black excellence.

Majesty Bland

Multifaceted Creative

Majesty Hope Bland is a multifaceted creative hailing from Detroit, Mi that reimagines the standard and caters to the individuals who desire to be set apart. From the time she was able to dress herself she has used clothing as a creative outlet, never being afraid to experiment with color and pattern and always being compared to the likes of Punky Brewster for her quirky outfits. Always having a love for creation, she found her love for designing by creating comic book characters with her father and designing their outfits which sparked passion for animation and character design/ development. Always being crafty, she used unconventional materials around her to make anything from doll clothes to purses from magazines. While unintentionally being sustainable it has become a consistent practice throughout her work with now purpose and intention. In the 9th grade her grandmother bought her first sewing machine and she has not looked back since. With experience at College for Creative Studies and Pensole Lewis Business of Design, she combines her knowledge of fiber art and tailoring to strive to amplify the beauty that already exists in the world and to spark joy while doing so. With her pieces, she builds worlds around her artwork by creating narratives that reflect her own life through fashion film and creative direction. Focusing on color, texture, and movement, she creates an intimate experience with her pieces that could only be described as wearable art pieces.

Britt Davis

Custom Shoe Creator • Creative Director

Born and raised in the artsy city of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Britt Davis has always been drawn to the arts. From building intricate LEGO sets to drawing sneakers from Eastbay magazine, her childhood was full of creativity and design. Today, Britt's designs are fueled by creative innovation and driven by the opportunity to use design as a platform to inspire others.

Britt is an Alumna of North Carolina State University, where she earned her Bachelor's degree in Industrial Design. While a student at NC State, she was a peer mentor, student ambassador, Design Camp TA, and Member of the Union Activities Board. She went on to earn her Master of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design from Savannah College of Art and Design. Her educational accolades are matched by her professional experiences, which include designing for ESPN, Viacom, SBNation, NASCAR, multiple universities and professional sports teams, and individual athletes.

Throughout her career, she has had the opportunity to work on a variety of creative projects in product design, illustration, sneaker customs and identity. Most recently, Britt has been working in professional sports and entertainment in Atlanta since 2015.

In 2020, she co-founded the LCKR ROOM with Kaila "KP" Pettis- a creative content platform and unique collective of personalities connected through design, culture and sports. As part of their passion for service, their time, talent, and resources are used to fund community programs and educational opportunities that bring awareness and access to creative careers. The goal being to uplift the next generation of creative minds and elevate minority owned and operated businesses.

Jadzia Genece

Graphic Design

I am a Somerville-based graphic designer with a deep love of dynamism, maximalism, and colloquialisms. I currently work at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston as an exhibition graphic designer, constantly in the presence of creative inspiration and bright, inquisitive minds.

I have been a creative from a young age, drawing in MS Paint after school and making flash animations in Windows Movie Maker to post to YouTube for my friends to enjoy. I have a deep love of all things nerdy, from literature and foreign languages to alternative music and manga.

I began my university career with hopes of studying political science, history, and French in order to become a diplomat in a French-speaking country. However, as I settled into university and found my people, I found out that my people are artists. Good artists – and persuasive ones, too. So after a lovely year of studying foreign politics in the beautiful city of Montréal, I decided to take a chance and study graphic design at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

It was there that I discovered that I love design of all sorts – however, my main passions would lay within the alluring sub-fields of exhibition design, logo design, and typographic exploration. I hope that my work sings of all of the things I love about life.

Annette Grant

Photography

I was born and raised in Boston, MA and have been a professional photographer for more than 14 years. I am the wife of Gregory Grant and mother of two beautiful children, Kyla and Kaleb .

As a graduate of New England School of Photography, I’ve learned the art of creative composition in the styles of portraits, documentary and action. However, my journey with basketball photography began while volunteering at a local program, No Books No Ball. This is where I had my first opportunity to view the court from the baseline. I began to not just watch the game, but capture the emotions of excitement, sadness and triumph that took place. It was also there that I realized I wanted to be a full time photographer. I found a passion that allowed me to see others in a way they didn’t always see themselves. So with encouragement from my husband, I took a leap of faith and began the pursuit.

As much as I enjoy creating portraits for children, teens and families, I really love sports photography, mainly basketball. But my work goes beyond the photograph. It extends to the relationships that are formed with families and players. I’ve met so many people from so many backgrounds while on the court. It’s allowed me to encourage and mentor others. It has also allowed me to be encouraged and mentored by those who have been in the field for a while.

My catalog extends from the community level to the NBA, and I value all of them. There were many who gave me opportunities (too many to name) that I could have only dreamed of, and I’m still so thankful for that.

Whether it’s action, portraits, or documentary photography, my goal is to tell a story. I don’t take pictures, I capture moments!

Alex Joachim

Cinematography • Videography

Alex Joachim, a Haitian American cinematographer, defies constraints in a world that often hinders artists of color. With a fusion of business expertise and artistic prowess, his photography rebels and uplifts, capturing both protest and the raw beauty within humanity. Trusted by renowned organizations like Harvard, his work, showcased in People Magazine and more, heralds a creative force ready to reshape boundaries. With awards and an arsenal of breathtaking creations, Alex stands on the brink, poised to revolutionize the creative sphere.

Cordell Jordan

Footwear design

Born and raised in Birmingham, AL I grew up part of a tight knit family that allowed us to embrace our talents and dreams. Since the age of 3 I’ve been drawing shoes and always found storytelling therapeutic. Watching athletes like Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson, Charles Barkley have signature shoes I always thought the athletes designed the product themselves so I played football and basketball with the intent to be a professional athlete and professional designer. I would stare at the television trying to draw the shoes that I saw but my TV screen was too small to make out the details, so I made my own interpretations of the designs and there my love began. School first but as soon as I completed work, I drew shoes ALL NIGHT LONG.

After being admitted to my first in 2013 I had exposure to brands over the years and in 2019 I was accepted into the annual New Balance x Pensole design class where I was offered my first job opportunity into footwear and the rest his history. Being at New Balance over the last few years I have worked on color design for events, Performance Speed, and now F.O.P. most currently where I work on athlete product and inline product across basketball, tennis, baseball and Lacrosse. It’s been a dream working at NB and I don’t see myself waking up anytime soon!

Sam Mironko

Digital storytelling

Samuel Gitori Mironko (23) is a Rwandan-American digital storyteller and creator and curator of Mironko Productions. Born in New Haven, CT, Sam was raised in South Africa and Cambridge, MA. Sam first began using a camera in 2013 at George School in PA, where he took courses in video production. He started pursuing photography more seriously while studying at Bates College where he worked as a student photographer in the college communications office. Sam’s current portfolio is comprised of both photo and video work. His photography work includes portraits, events, sports, and street photography. His video work includes short films, highlight mixtapes and event recaps.

Ever since Sam began using a camera and telling stories as a freshman in high school, he has always tried to create content and capture moments that celebrate Black people and black culture. “Whether on the court, on stage or in my backyard, using my camera to can photograph and film my friends in a way that empowers and celebrates their blackness is very special to me. I have never wanted to label my style because I am always more interested in the people I am working with than in the industry they work in. For example, I really love music so being able to photograph my favorite Afrobeats musicians is very special for me.”  “My journey as a creative has been driven by what I find interesting and where I find purpose, which leads me to a wide range of spaces and subjects. My curiosity about people experiencing both special occasions and everyday moments has taken me into schools, sporting events, concerts, family celebrations, conferences, and more. My camera has acted as a universal passport and master key that helps me form genuine connections with people that I might not have encountered otherwise.”

Jameel Murray

Menswear design

My name is Jameel Murray. I was born and raised in New York City. I am a menswear designer currently working on all lifestyle related apparel at New Balance. 

As a black creator, I am inspired to exceed the “boundaries” that black creators have always been placed within. We are expected to design and express ourselves in a certain way which has always proven to be untrue. Although we all have similarities in background and culture, our work comes from many different sources of inspiration.

I got started in design through one of my best friends. He was a menswear designer and I always looked up to his style and work ethic. After asking him to teach me a few patternmaking skills, I decided to fully pursue menswear design and enrolled at FIT. While I was at school studying menswear, my favorite brands were Jil Sander and Dior Homme (pre Kim Jones). Both brands offered a refined aesthetic while using futuristic fabrics and shapes that felt compelling.

Kaila Pettis

Custom Shoe Creator • Creative Director of FC Cincinnati

Kaila Pettis, more commonly known as "KP," was born and raised on the Southside of Chicago. Despite immediate assumptions, she is not an advocate for deep dish pizza. From scribbling friends' names onto trapper keepers during class to filming music videos for local artists, Kaila has always been enamored with creating things. And as a former athlete (because her knee just refused to let her be great), she has always been drawn to sports. Kaila found herself working as an Industrial Designer during the day, and spending nights creating sports graphics, highlight reels and branding packages for friends that went on to play professionally. Determined to combine the two things she loved: sports and design — Kaila quit her job, and hasn't looked back since. She spent the next few years working for Top 25 NCAA Division I programs, Major League Soccer (MLS) and the National Football League (NFL).

Driven by the opportunity to use design as a platform to inspire others, Kaila co-founded LCKR ROOM in 2020 with Britt Davis. They pledged to utilize their time, skillsets and resources to bring awareness and access to creative careers and elevate minority owned and operated businesses. In 2021, Kaila joined FC Cincinnati, where she became the first black female Creative Director in professional sports. Kaila currently serves as the Sr. Director of Brand and Digital Content for FC Cincinnati where she strives to elevate the brand and cultivate the talent within her team.

Brianna Robinson

Photography

Brianna (Bri) was born and raised in Dorchester, MA alongside her two sisters in 1997. She attended Bedford High School in which she was a METCO student from middle school to graduation. After graduation, she attended Quinnipiac University where she obtained, both with honors, her Bachelors of Science in Sociology '19 and her Masters of Science grad degree '20 in Interactive Media and Communications. It was during her years in undergrad that she took a strong liking to photography after a couple of friends began shooting and creating visual concepts. Bri purchased her first Canon camera and started photographing students and events around her campus. This is where she began to make a name for herself.

As she began to make her way into her professional career, photography took a bit of a backseat for some time. But it wasn’t until Bri realized she wasn’t truly happy and living out her dreams the way she wanted to. Bri began her entrepreneurial journey seeking out alternative ways to the standard 9-5 job. This included creating a small puzzle business, books, and starting a t-shirt brand, but Bri still wasn’t truly finding her “it”. It was a push from her sister who told her “If you are to focus on one thing to build, it should be photography. You’re really good at it.”

In June of 2023, Bri picked up her camera, stayed focused, and never looked back. Bri is now a photographer for Celtics Player Oshae Brissett and living out her wildest dreams.

Tayla Santos

Influencer • Content Creator

Tayla is a Boston-based Faith, Fashion and Lifestyle Influencer born and raised in Brockton, MA. Though she graduated from Lesley University with a degree in Psychology, Tayla couldn’t leave her passion for creation, fashion & photography as “just a dream.” After graduating college in 2017, she set out on a journey of sharing her daily life & style with her audience on social media.

By 2020 she was able to quit her job as an elementary school paraprofessional and make sharing her outfits online into a full-time job. Since then she has been able to partner with some of her favorite brands!

You can stay up to date with all of Tayla’s posts and daily activities on TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest via @taylasnts!

Grayland Seales

Digital art • Photography • Video production

I’m a Roxbury Native that started my journey in Digital Art my junior year at Boston English High school where I took a TV Production class. In this class I was given the opportunity to film my high school’s Basketball, Football and Baseball games. After high school I moved to Atlanta where I studied Business at Morehouse College & Video production at the Art Institute Of Atlanta. After college I then moved back to Boston where I started The Connect Sports Media where we provide video and photo services to athletes teams and organizations.

The Black Youth Inspire Me! The excitement from the youth when they see themselves in my photos and videos is overwhelming. I can remember searching Facebook as a kid hoping someone caught a photo or video of me on the field. So for the youth to know they can rely on me to capture there precious moments it gives me a sense of responsibility. I feel like I can’t let them down

OJ Slaughter

Photography

OJ Slaughter is a Virginia-born, New Jersey-raised, Boston-based artist. Their work focuses on autonomy in photography and allows subjects to work with them instead of telling them who they need to be in the photo. OJ creates work that places the viewer in a world of their making. OJ's primary goal is to capture images for our future past. Their work has captured everything from Civil Rights protests, album and magazine covers, news stories, and more. OJ works currently as the Visual Creative Director for Sound On, a music series for WBUR.

They most recently created work for The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston in collaboration with Virgil Abloh for his "Figures Of Speech" show. "Breaking Cycles" was then featured in the Deana Lawson show at the ICA.

OJ is now the Curator and Gallery Manager for Leica Gallery Boston.

Ally Thatcher

Visual design • Illustration

I’m an artist, designer and creator of Fallen Cargo. I’m always inspired to tell stories that are hidden, misunderstood, or may not have the collective’s attention. So much of our history is concealed from us, so I’ve dedicated my art and design practice to unearthing our stories. I describe my work as “quietly loud”. It is inconspicuous at the first glance, but once you give it a second look, the message speaks loudly and deeply. History, comedy, movies and Black American culture influence my work and how I articulate my ideas.

Esther Wallace

Clothing Design

Esther Wallace is an artist, turned athlete, turned entrepreneur who created playa society in 2018. Imagine never wanting to play basketball, growing up as a 6’1 kid in the city where the game was invented, Springfield, MA. Well, that was Esther, until she fell in love with the game as a sophomore in high school. She earned a Division I scholarship after her first two years of basketball, then went on to play and coach overseas.

But, before basketball, design was life. So, after she retired from the game, Esther went back to creating. Playa Society began in a basement apartment in Boston, MA – made to redefine "female athlete" and to create the culture of women's sports that we deserve, rooted in hype + recognition.

Nala Watson

Photography • Digital Production

Destiny Wilson

Visual art • Photography • Creative direction • Design

Destiny is a Charlotte-based artist who enjoys art through all mediums-- visual art, photography, creative direction, design, and more. As a recent graduate from UNC Charlotte's Belk College of Business, Destiny aims to become her own boss while serving those around her.

In the future, you can see Destiny, also known as theartvst, working on passion projects that align with her ideals and goals.

Link to Destiny's page: https://theartvst.myportfolio.com/sneaker-designs