Who Can You Trust for Pro Bono, Creatives for Black Lives
Free Work Helps Black Business Walk Right Up to Fortune 500 Companies
“It’s not enough to be an ally, we need an accomplice.” — Shelly Omílàdé Bell @iamshellybell
There are many facets and nuances of communication. On the surface, there is the literal translation of the word but below that is nuance and the subtle truth. Great communicators understand this and make an effort to understand how to effectively communicate to an audience. Those were my automatic thoughts when I found Creatives for Black Lives. Will they understand how important this project is to us? Our sustainability project, Digitally Connected - Peru is going to help us change the lives of millions of people for generations.
Creatives for Black Lives
Creatives for Black Lives made it simple for Black founders to find highly skilled creative professionals willing to do pro bono work (subject to availability). I was introduced to the Creatives list by another free resource, Tech for Black Founders. Tech for Black Founders is the list of technology and software free for Black founders to capture and accelerate their growth.
What I loved about these artists is that they are cash-strapped too. Hey, due to the pandemic a lot of us, don't have it. We just ain’t got it. These artists decided to share with the world their most prized possession, their time. Masters of their domains. These are busy, skilled, professionals volunteering their time and skills to help black founders push the envelope. These artists are not allies, they are accomplices! Accomplices who genuinely want to be part of the solution.
How
This is how you do it. Decide what you need for the next project a Graphic Design, Copy Writer, Digital Strategy, or more, and search the database. If there is someone you’re interested in working with, reach out to them and let them know you found them on Creatives for Black Lives.
“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.” — Peter Drucker
Graphics
I am not a graphics person. I tried to be a graphics person one time (LISC internship, Summer of 2010) but then I quickly figured out I don't have to be great at everything in order to be great. We approached Art Director, Editorial Illustrator, and Design Director for the Democratic National Committee, Ashley Siebels. Ashley took one look at what we sent her and knew she could help unify the look and feel. We divided the original version presentation into three categories: speaker notes, presentation, takeaways for the audience.
Ashley is always on the hunt for two things: Clients that bring as much passion to their ideas as I bring to my design and friends obsessed with Laura Ingalls Wilder. Find Ashley on Instagram @siebelsdesignandhound to view her work. Explore her portfolio at www.ashleysiebels.com.
Copywriter
Words are my jam! I love words! But, I can be too wordy sometimes. Is it just me, but it seems I can be too close to a project to make an objective opinion on the writing. Does anybody else feel like that? When I met Seattle native Roz Ray I was immediately at ease. Right away Roz had me convinced she could help us communicate what was not being said.
Set to release her first thriller novel about a young female detective living in Seattle’s red-light district, Blackchapel, Roz took time away from rock climbing and remodeling houses to make time for our project and we cannot thank her enough for it. Interested in reading Roz’s work right away? Explore her series Vexation Way or sci-fi fitness adventure on Medium.
On a personal note, the entire Velourit team and I would like to send a special thank you to #TechforBlackFounders for bringing companies together to offer Black founders amazingly free services that help us accelerate the growth of our tech startup.
Register as Talent
Tech for Black Founders adds new talent every day. Check back regularly for new talent. If you work at a SaaS company that’s interested in joining this initiative, please reach out to info@techforblackfounders.com.
If you’re a creative artist, you can register and commit to donating your time through Creatives for Black Lives, please reach out to me@hanadali.com. We all have a role to play, and contributing through sweat equity can be yours.
Learn more about sustainability
Digitally Connected projects are great market entry projects for corporations excited about expanding their brand into new and emerging markets. With the support of our partners and sponsors, we can fulfill the needs of people in emerging markets all over the world. Our mission is to forever change the way the world thinks about international trade and with your support of Digitally Connected we can. Learn more…
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