“Equity is one of the most important elements as a creative professional providing insight into a category that a brand most likely has no clue about. It’s the only way to build wealth and empower other people of color to be free to create authentically. I like to invest in emerging talents and often my equity is what motivates me to strategically elevate various partnerships. Equity is true leverage.

DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ARE NEEDED IN EVERY ROOM; OTHERWISE, WE’LL BE STUCK WITH A MUNDANE WAY OF SEEING THINGS.

In order to improve industry-wide inclusion efforts, there needs to be a person who is willing to discover new talent; someone who is not threatened by ideas that they may not comprehend. Different perspectives are needed in every room; otherwise, we’ll be stuck with a mundane way of seeing things. True, authentic culture and new perspectives create new sectors and endless possibilities.”

–Jerome Lamaar, Owner, The Style Monk LLC, Creative Consultant/Futurist