Letter From the Founder: Adcolor's Vision Changed Who the Industry Could See

Twenty years ago, I was tired of watching extraordinary people wonder whether they belonged in an industry their talent was helping to build. 

I knew those people. Sometimes, I was them. 

Their work was shaping culture, yet recognition didn’t always follow. I watched talented people question their futures because they couldn’t see a path forward. I understood how lonely that could feel even in a room full of people. 

I founded Adcolor because I wanted people who had been overlooked or underestimated to find one another and build relationships that could help them go further. And I believed that getting ahead came with a responsibility to reach back. 

To rise up and reach back. 

For 20 years, this community has shown what those words can mean in someone’s life. People who came to Adcolor looking for direction now help others find theirs. Our awards and conference gave that community a place to gather. To shine and be seen. 

Through our Futures and Leaders programs, we deepened our investment in their careers. Adcolor in Music extended that work into an industry where our community’s influence has always deserved greater acknowledgement. But so much of our impact happens beyond anything we can put on a program. 

I think about the introductions that changed careers and the people who might have left these industries if they hadn’t found the support to stay. Their presence has changed the work. Their leadership has changed what others believe is possible. 

I am deeply proud of what we have built together. I also know that 20 years of impact does not make an organization immune to the rollbacks. We have faced pressures before that have required difficult decisions about what we can sustain. 

As I look back, there have been moments when our resources could not meet our ambitions. As a founder, that is painful to acknowledge. It is also something I owe this community to share and reflect on as we evaluate what our next 20 years should look like. 

We are listening to a community that is hurting and whose needs have evolved, asking what meaningful support looks like at this pivotal point in our history. 

That same care is guiding our 20th anniversary celebration. I want us to celebrate our history knowing we are also doing the work to sustain our future. I have had to find the nerve for this part, too. There is vulnerability in acknowledging that a route needs to change, especially when you care so deeply about where you promised to go. 

But I know where our roots are. They are in the experience of being underestimated and creating a way out of no way. They are in people who made time for us before anyone knew our names. I carry those people with me, and I know many of you do, too. Those roots give us the confidence to consider different routes forward. 

We will keep pouring into the talent telling new stories and driving innovation, while finding ways to make that support more useful and sustainable. 

That conviction is part of why we chose our 2014 Catalyst honoree, Charles D. King, founder of Macro, as our 2027 Beacon Award honoree. The progression from Catalyst to Beacon carries meaning for us. Through Macro, Charles has put his belief in storytellers of color into practice, building a business that helps bring their perspectives to audiences. His work reflects the connection between recognizing talent and investing in what that talent can do. 

For a community that has too often had to wait for someone else’s permission, there is power in seeing someone create a route of their own and open it to others. Charles’ example gives someone else a reason to believe they can build, too. 

When I think about Adcolor’s future, I often picture someone who hasn’t found us yet. They may be questioning whether there is room for them in this business. Or they may be doing well by every visible measure while quietly wondering where they can go to feel understood. I want Adcolor to be there when they come looking. That is what keeps me committed to the work, especially when the work is hard. 

To everyone who has given something of themselves to Adcolor, thank you. Some of you believed when there was little to point to. Others found us along the way and made this community your own. You have helped carry a vision that has always been bigger than any one person.

Thank you to the Adcolor Team, Board of Directors, Adcolor Industry Coalition, Advisory Board, Community Group Leads, Leaders Advisory Board, our community of exceptional vendors, corporate partners, and hundreds of alumni! And to ADWEEK, thank you for helping tell our community’s stories and recognizing its influence on the industry. 

Twenty years ago, I found the nerve to begin. I could not have imagined where this journey would take me or how many people would help shape it. Knowing what this community is capable of gives me every reason to keep going. We are excited for what comes next, and we hope you will remain with us on the journey.