Why We’re Here For It
By Tiffany R. Warren, President and Founder, ADCOLOR; SVP, Chief Diversity Officer, Omnicom Group
At the start of 2020, like the beginning of so many new years, the ADCOLOR team and GSD&M were full of hope for what great things lay in the months ahead.
In 2019, we had asked the community what they were willing to stand for, and as we considered our future as advocates and creatives in the advertising industry, we felt that the powerful statement of “Here For It” was the right foundational message for 2020.
However, we—like the rest of the industry and the world—had no idea what challenges we all would face as the events of 2020 unfolded.
What’s powerful about this year’s theme is that it’s even more applicable after everything we have experienced as a society. “Here For It” is about showing up, being present, continuing the fight and striving for progress. While 2020 has run us through the wringer, our manifesto says we must still be here “for calling out injustice of every form and railing against it every time; for taking care of one another when taking a stand takes its toll; for spreading love across our cultures and being better allies to each other.”
This year has certainly taken its toll, especially for those who have long fought for equality and justice. And even though we’re exhausted, we must use this time to effect change. The world is tuned in, and diversity, equity and inclusion are at the forefront. We have to capitalize on this opportunity and hold those around us accountable. And it is integral to our mission to urge everyone to keep up the same energy a week, month and year from now.
I have been incredibly proud to see how the ADCOLOR community has done just that: standing up for Black lives and showing up in such incredible ways. This community has used their platforms on and offline to not only create positive change, but be the change that creative industries need so desperately.
The honorees, nominees and beacons of 2020 are those who have gone above and beyond to make a difference, whether at their job, in their industry or throughout the world. They have emerged as leaders and advocates by using their unique talents and inherent passions to dismantle the status quo and invoke change. These are individuals who are truly “Here For It.”
2020 HONOREES
LEGEND
Soon Mee Kim, EVP, Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leader, Porter Novelli
Passionate about using the power of the workplace to drive societal change, Kim has been doing just that since she became Porter Novelli’s first global diversity, equity and inclusion leader in 2017. In that time, she’s been driving a culture of necessary disruption and challenging the organization and industry to champion diversity in and out of the office.
Tiffany Smith-Anoa’i, EVP, Entertainment Diversity, Inclusion and Communications, West Coast, ViacomCBS
A lifelong advocate for creating diversity on both sides of the camera, Smith-Anoa’i works tirelessly to recruit, nurture and hire inclusive talent at ViacomCBS. Outside of these duties, she is also the co-founder of CBS EYE Speak, a program that promotes female empowerment and growth for women at CBS and beyond.
Alvin Bowles, VP, Global Marketing Partnerships, Facebook
With almost two decades of media experience, Bowles is responsible for Facebook’s worldwide network of global partners and developing scalable solutions for advertisers. Before Facebook, he led teams at Viacom, Time Warner, and the BET all while championing diverse voices and leadership.
BEACON AWARD
Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi, Cofounders, Black Lives Matter
ADVOCATE
Damon Jones, Chief Communications Officer, Procter & Gamble
During his tenure, Jones has led P&G to be recognized in the CPG world and beyond for its creative, advocacy-based campaigns that inspire dialogue and enable collective action to advance equality. Following his passion for community engagement, Jones also served as the communications director for the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
Don Lemon, Anchor, CNN
Is there any seminal news event in the last decade that Lemon hasn’t covered? The Emmy Award-winning anchor of CNN Tonight is certainly known for his tenacious reporting, straightforward storytelling and candid commentary, especially on issues which require holding politicians and public officials accountable. He also has been an outspoken voice for the LGBTQ community in the media and beyond, and is an inspiration to LGBTQ young people across the country.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Renetta McCann, Chief Inclusion Experience Officer, Publicis Groupe
Though McCann went to school with every intention of becoming a lawyer, she found herself in the advertising world. Self-described as a “business strategist who practices at the intersection of people and organizations,” she has been named to Forbes’ list of “100 Most Powerful Women,” and Essence’s “50 Women Who are Changing the World.”
Warrington Hudlin, Founding President, Black Filmmaker Foundation
Best known for producing (with brother Reginald) hit movies like House Party, Boomerang and Bebe’s Kids in the 1990s, Hudlin has long been an advocate for Black filmmakers. In 1978, he co-founded the Black Filmmaker Foundation, a nonprofit with a mission to nurture Black filmmakers. More recently, he founded dvRepublic.com and is the executive producer of the multicultural, socially concerned digital film company BFF DV Lab.
ADCOLOR/ONE CLUB CREATIVE
Soham Chatterjee, Global ACD / Writer, WhatsApp—Creative X at Facebook
Officially recognized by the Miami Ad School as a global Top Dog, with over 120 awards to his name, Chatterjee has the career so many young creatives dream of. He’s worked in India, Miami and NYC, and has been commended by the Obama administration for his Flash Drives for Freedom, a project that smuggled flash drives of relevant content into North Korea. Formerly of Leo Burnett, he’s now making waves as a global ACD at WhatsApp—Creative X at Facebook.
Ivellisse Morales, Founder and CEO, Bombilla
Passionate about harnessing human creativity to power social change, Morales took the leap in 2018 to launch Bombilla, a branding and design agency that works for social change. It’s fueled by a national network of diverse creatives who work with change-focused organizations to make the world brighter. In just two years the agency has secured clients like Paid Leave for the United States (PL+US) and other Black and brown social enterprises.
CATALYST
Valeisha Butterfield Jones, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, The Recording Academy
In May, Butterfield Jones joined The Recording Academy as its first chief diversity and inclusion officer. The role is a critical part of the D&I efforts of the home of the Grammys and was specifically outlined by its Task Force for Diversity and Inclusion. Butterfield Jones, described by The Recording Academy’s chairman as “a force in driving systemic change,” previously was Google’s global head of inclusion.
ColorComm, Inc., Woman of Color in Communications
Less than a decade ago, 34 women attended the first ColorComm luncheon. Shortly thereafter, the luncheon series grew into a professional membership community and platform addressing diversity and inclusion across communications and media. ColorComm has helped more than 40,000 professionals advance and has worked with clients on D&I strategies to create safe and inclusive workspaces.
AAFCA ADCOLOR BREAKOUT CREATIVE OF THE YEAR
Janet Mock, Writer, Director and Executive Producer, FX Series POSE
As a trailblazing trans woman of color, Mock uses her storytelling talents in both print and film to advocate for the trans community as well as the larger LGBTQ community of color. In 2019, she made history as the first trans person to sign a multi-million dollar deal with a major studio with a three-year first-look arrangement with Netflix.
2020 NOMINEES
AD OF THE YEAR
“The Look”, Client: Procter & Gamble, Agency: Saturday Morning
“All for 1”, Client: Nike, Agency: Paper
“True Name”, Client: Mastercard, Agency: McCann Worldgroup
“Most Searched”, Client: Google, Agency: Brand Studio
“1916”, Client: New York Times, Agency: Droga5
ROCKSTAR
Supriya Venkatesan, Director of Content Strategy, Critical Mass
As a veteran, Venkatesan is proud to manage the U.S. Army account at Critical Mass, showcasing via the website redesign how military service is professionally and emotionally fulfilling
Chantel George, Account Executive, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions
She’s come a long way since selling piano lessons as a kid. Along with her role at LinkedIn, George is founder and CEO of Sistas in Sales, a community for women of color in sales.
KR Liu, Head of Brand Accessibility, Google Brand Studio
Liu is a nationally awarded advocate and disability rights leader with a 20-year career in accessibility marketing, policy and inclusive design. She’s launched numerous lifestyle tech brands, including augmented hearing at Doppler Labs.
MOST VALUABLE PARTNERSHIP
AT&T & 360 Agency
The multichannel Afrofuturistic lifestyle platform Dream in Black grew out of AT&T’s desire to connect with Black consumers and 360 Agency’s ability to help the brand link itself to the New Black Renaissance.
Google & Creative Theory
Working together on projects such as Google’s Annual Diversity Report, Creative Theory and Google focus on celebrating communities of color, challenging stereotypes, and creating economic opportunities for marginalized people.
HBO & The Atlantic
The two media powerhouses joined forces to create “The Massacre of Black Wall Street,” a digital comic tie-in to HBO’s Watchmen. The widely read piece on The Atlantic highlights the 1921 Tulsa Massacre and its effects on Greenwood.
RISING STAR
Nayantara Dutta, Senior Content Strategist, McCann Worldgroup, Founder, Unapologetically Muslim
A writer, strategist and third-culture kid, Dutta grew up across six countries and now brings that international perspective to her work creating visibility and community for members of the South Asian diaspora.
Justin Hutchinson, Partnership Coordinator, ThreeSixtyEight
Hutchinson is a living testament to the fact that empathy and compassion can take you anywhere. He started at ThreeSixtyEight as a sales intern and quickly rose to lead the charge for the agency’s business development group.
Abu Ngauja, Manager, Talent Experience and Belonging, The Martin Agency
Ngauja’s belief that everyone in the world deserves to be seen as they want to be seen has motivated his work as the Martin Agency’s first-ever manager of talent engagement and inclusion.
INNOVATOR
Tamika Newhouse, Founder, AAMBC Inc.
The Shonda Rhimes of Black publishing, Newhouse has been discovering and publishing Black writers for over a decade and now works to bridge the gap between Black literary creatives and career-advancing opportunities.
Kudzi Chikumbu, Director, Creator Community, TikTok
Dedicated to using entertainment to inform and uplift people of color, Chikumbu directs TikTok’s creative community while advocating for diversity, inclusion and representation online.
Steph Loffredo, Associate Director, Social Marketing, Huge
When she isn’t developing and executing social media strategies at Huge, Loffredo is the brains behind the award-winning smart, free (yes, free) tampon dispenser Hooha.
CHANGE AGENT
Darla Price, EVP, Executive Account Director, McCann Worldgroup
A top Black executive within IPG, Price is responsible for brands such as Microsoft and Home Goods, and she’s also an executive coach with a passion for talent development and leadership.
Chanel Cathey, Founder and CEO, CJC Insights LLC
Stemming from an early love of media, Cathey grew her career from leading corporate PR into being an entrepreneur owning an agency with a concentration in reimagining brand stories.
Judy Jackson, Global Head of Culture, WPP
Encouraging individuals to bring their most authentic self to the forefront is one of Jackson’s passions, and as WPP’s global head of culture she strives to promote productive and diverse work environments.
ADCOLOR IN TECH
Andrea Belalcazar, Program Manager for Infra Diversity and Inclusion, Facebook
A first-generation American, Belalcazar designs and delivers scalable strategies to serve underrepresented communities at Facebook and beyond. Her efforts have raised more than $500,000 for nonprofits and connected over a thousand people.
MacKenzie Thomas, Product Marketing Manager, Google
A relentless advocate for the user, Thomas works to ensure Google’s products work for underserved communities and that people see positive portrayals of themselves in the stories Google tells.
Ty Heath, Global Lead, B2B Institute, LinkedIn
Heath is a firm believer in connecting people with the information they need to make intelligent decisions, helping marketers stay on top of the latest in b-to-b marketing. She is also the co-founder of TransfromHER, the premier conference for women of color in technology.
2020 FUTURES
Amala Okpala,
Partner Manager, Facebook
Amera Lulu,
Art Director, Red Fuse (VMLY&R)
Anthony Santa Maria,
Senior Associate of Communications and Marketing
Anthony Williams II,
Brand Executive, Wieden + Kennedy
Aubrei Hayes,
Diversity and Inclusion Specialist
Chanel Nyre,
Graphic Designer, EAB
Charlai Cooper,
Copywriting Intern, Deutsch
Cheyenne Cameron-Pruitt,
Account Executive, FleishmanHillard
Chizita Biosah,
Search Product Specialist, Google
Christiana Burnett,
Senior Media Planner/Buyer, Bader Rutter
Clara Lu,
Designer, Arizent
Esther Ladipo,
Agency Partner Manager, Facebook
Folasade Ade-Banjo,
Global Product Marketing Manager, Google
Jeremy Wood,
Marketing Coordinator, McGarrah Jessee
Karlie Thornton,
Art Director
Kevin Ma,
Strategist, BBH
Lauren Nicholson,
Product Marketing Manager, Microsoft
Leneil Roderique,
Senior Creative, VICE Media Group
Logan Nelson,
Senior Marketing Specialist, Truth Initiative
Madison Li,
Associate Manager, Marketing Strategy, NBCUniversal
Meghan Onserio,
Associate Product Marketing Manager, Google
Nehemiah Bishop,
Partner Manager, Facebook
Phelicia Ball,
Marketing Strategist, Mightily
Rachita Vasan,
Strategist, Leo Burnett
Sahara Gipson,
Content Partnerships Coordinator, Forbes Media
Shahrazad Hired,
Program Assistant (Communications), The Wilson Center Africa Program
Sonya Bessalel,
Assistant Account Executive, GMMB
Yessenia Downs,
Copywriter, FCB Chicago
Zanah Thirus,
Content Producer, Havas Annex
Zuha Khan,
Senior Media Planner, Trilogy Interactive
