The Creative Collective NYC (TheCCnyc) has announced its third annual Creative Class, honoring groundbreaking Black thought leaders and entrepreneurs.
Founded by Imani Ellis, the Creative Collective NYC is a community dedicated to curating brave spaces for creatives of color. The collective’s marquee event is CultureCon, a conference celebrating the impact diverse voices have on culture, but each year, TheCCnyc salutes a list of notables from across a variety of disciplines, in the categories of tech (dubbed the “Digital Vanguards”), fashion and beauty (“The Trendsetters”), health and wellness (“The Healers”), entertainment and arts (“The Culture Shifters”) and social good (“The Visionaries”).
The 2022 list highlights 44 Black culture-shifters who inspire Black people to be their most unapologetic selves, while shaping their own future and building their vision from the ground up.
“We are honored to unveil our third annual Creative Class honorees. Truly for the culture, these change-makers are incredibly inspiring,” Ellis stated. “Our goal is to amplify these innovators and give credit where credit is clearly due in hopes to inspire the next generation of creative leaders.”
The 2022 honorees include fashion stylist and costume designer Zerina Akers; Naj Austin, founder and CEO of Ethel’s Club; “Pose” actor, performer, creator and recording artist Dyllón Burnside; Arielle Chambers, founder of Bleacher Report’s HighlightHER; Pinky Cole, CEO of Slutty Vegan ATL + Bar Vegan ATL; “Batwoman” actor, producer and motivational speaker Nick Creegan; Arinze Emeagwali, culture and community marketing lead at Instagram; Brittney Escovedo, CEO and founder of Beyond 8; beauty reporter, news curator and culture writer Darian Harvin; TikTok creator and model Wisdom Kaye; Cam Kirk, photographer and founder of Cam Kirk Studios; Etienne Maurice, founder and CEO of WalkGoodLA; Dushane Ramsay, senior brand strategist at Square; award-winning filmmaker, writer and actor Cameron J. Ross; Ryan Wilson, co-founder of The Gathering Spot; and Jovian Zayne, CEO and founder of The OnPurpose Movement, among others.
Find the full 2022 Creative Class list at theccnyc.com.
Creative Class alumni include, among others, Kizzmekia Corbett, the key scientist behind the COVID-19 vaccine; activist and educator Brittany Packnett Cunningham; sports reporter Taylor Rooks; photographer Joshua Kissi; Lindsey People Wagner and Sandrine Charles, founders of Black in Fashion Council; Darian Hall and Elisa Shankle, co-founders of wellness studio Heal Haus; Alex Wolf; Anifa Mvuemba, founder of Hanifa Official; Elise Smith, co-founder and CEO at Praxis Labs.
(Pictured above Darian Harvin, Nick Creegan, Etienne Maurice and Zerina Akers)
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