Creatives in Color gives diverse, creative professionals in higher and more visible positions a platform to share their experiences – in hopes of motivating and inspiring other BIPOC creatives in our community.

This year, Creatives on Creatives is an interview style format in which the speakers will present their personal experiences navigating their career path. We were inspired by Variety Magazine's Actors on Actors series, and thought it would be inspiring to hear how each speaker navigates adversity they may have faced and how they overcame it in the creative industry. We want the audience to be inspired but also informed. The speakers will engage in a natural conversation as we sit back and listen to the many stories they share with one another. Come check out how creativity meets inclusivity and invokes change for the better.

Why Creatives in Color?

From our perspective, the Indy creative community lacks BIPOC representation. We want to provide a safe space for all creatives to gather and share their unique experiences. By curating a space where people can come together and spark healthy dialogue, we hope to make the Indy community more diverse and inclusive.

We hope that having underrepresented creatives speak about their career experiences will allow other BIPOC creatives to feel supported and more connected with our community. We worry that people of color might think they don’t have the opportunity to succeed in our creative industry. By spotlighting people of color who are successful and pushing norms in our community, we hope young BIPOC designers will feel they have a place in our community and a support system here.

Speakers:

Michael Williams II

Owner and Founder, Salamat Cookies & Photographer

Michael aims to share his knowledge and experience scaling small businesses with a focus on community development. Coming from a Controls Automation and Engineering background, then taking over as marketing director of a startup coconut company, to raising money and starting a non-profit initiative bringing basketballs to kids in the Philippines, all leading up to founding SALAMAT Cookies!, he takes a metrics based and a proven intuitive emotional approach to consult with small businesses along with scaling his own.

Arturo Contreras

Senior Creative Lead, Eli Lilly

Arturo is a visual content creator and branding specialist with more than a decade's worth of expertise, connections, skills, and insights. He has had the pleasure of leading creative teams, updating national brands, and connecting with people around the world to achieve a global citizen perspective on life.