Sharifa Murdock Shares Her Journey to ENVSN

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Planning and organizing a large scale event is not an easy task. ENVSNFest co-founder, Sharifa Murdock is one of the best in the business. She is responsible for planning, organizing, and executing a variety of large events and trade shows around the country. Events and trade shows cover a small area in the hospitality industry that caters to M.I.C.E., meetings, incentives, conferencing, and exhibitions. M.I.C.E. is a niche area in the hospitality industry that focuses a variety of events and ENVSNFest falls into that category.  

Sharifa has solid experience in the fashion, music, and hospitality (event planning) industries with an insane ability to bring her visions to life. She recently sat down with us to discuss what her journey to creating ENVSNFest was like and how she was able to make it happen. If you missed it, submit your email below to get the webinar recap of Journey to ENVSNFest w/ Sharifa Murdock.

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Ayesha Curry Talks “Following Your Passion” with Chris ‘Coseezy’ Strachan

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Exclusive Conversation: Pursue Your Passion w/ Ayesha Curry and Chris ‘Coseezy’ Strachan.

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Ayesha Curry is a very busy woman. From cooking shows to restaurants to baby shoes to a new magazine, she is truly the personification of the phrase “pursue your passion.” In addition to her many personal projects popping off, she is super-focused when it comes to giving back to the community of Oakland and she stays true to her goals at all times. 

Mrs. Curry recently spoke with Chris ‘Coseezy’ Strachan and gave us all some gems to consider when pursuing your passion.  Throughout the conversation, she gave us quite a few tips. She talked everything from her favorite recipes to launching her magazine “Sweet July” to her Fempire series on EllenTube to all of the workings of eatlearnplay.org, and balancing family with work. Speaking of which, Stephen Curry dropped in for a mid-conversation cameo as well. Oh and Ayesha may or may not be dropping a new cookbook in September….stay tuned!

Thanks to Ayesha and Coseezy for this entertaining conversation, and for giving us all inspiration to “pursue your passion.” If you missed the live stream, drop your email address above to get a link to the full replay.

Sneakerschool Grad Jae Tips Gives Us An Inside Look At His Passion for Sneakers

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When you have a passion for sneakers, finding a career in the industry seems like a stretch. Sneakerschool grad John Cotton, aka @JaeTips, is a sneakerhead at heart. His love for sneakers has been a thing since he was a kid. As he got older, he found ways to turn his passion into profit so that he could potentially pursue a career in the sneaker industry. 

He decided to try his hand at sneaker design and headed over to the Nike Bespoke lab in New York City. There, with the help of the designers (who are also Sneakerschool students),  he brought his sneaker idea to life. He created his iconic 1 of 1 shoe. His “Air Tips” design is one for the books and has been the talk of the town since its creation. As a final project, students have to create an unboxing video and Jae Tips used his famed Bespoke 1 of 1 for his presentation. We bumped into John at ComplexCon Chicago this past summer (pre-Air Tips) and watching him grow through his sneaker passion into potential designer status is dope. 

In this live ZOOM, he tells us all about his sneaker journey, shows off his unboxing final Sneakerschool project, and answers viewer questions about how to turn your passion into a career. ICYMI, drop your email in the section below to hear the whole convo. If a career in the sneaker industry is something you want to know more about, visit Yellowbrick.co/sneakers for info. 

Students get insider access to key areas of the industry with 45+ on-demand video lessons, and build real-world skills through self-paced projects and simulations.

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Keeping Creative During Quarantine w/ Leah McSweeney

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Trying to stay busy while the world is at a standstill isn’t easy. The Coronavirus pandemic shut down major parts of the world and many people are at home, trying to figure out next steps. For creatives like Leah McSweeney, staying motivated and active in her craft isn’t easy. McSweeney is the founder of Married to the Mob, a popular streetwear brand for women. MTTM has been around since 2004. Despite the current situation, McSweeney successfully relaunched the MTTM brand last month with new designs and products. Aside from being a mom, a designer, and a RHONY, she is a contributor in the Complex x Parsons Streetwear Essentials program. She sat down and gave us a few insider tips and some solid insight into owning and running a streetwear brand.

McSweeney recently sat down for a Live ZOOM conversation with the Yellowbrick team. She discussed everything from how she launched MTTM NYC to how she stays motivated, creative, and most importantly, SANE during the current pandemic situation. If you missed the live chat, drop your email below for the full replay link. 

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MARTKD Series | Celebrating Artists like Athletes

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Webinar Series: Celebrating Artists Like Athletes (Episodes 1-6)

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Trying to stay motivated and focused is a major key during the Pandemic of 2020. With limited movement, the Internet has become a major  source for information and motivation. The Martk’d Webinar Series was carefully crafted to give you access to the information and the tools you need to stay sharp.  

This six episode series is hosted by Yellowbrick’s own Dion Walcott and includes heavy hitters like Dr. D’Wayne Edwards, Alexander John, Dee Wells, Sean Williams, Treis Hill, Katrinaa Lopes, Jayscale, Mac, Cheresse Thornhill, and Liz Connelly. 

Episode 6, has been rescheduled and a new date will be announced shortly. You can check back for update information or follow the Yellowbrick social channels for more information. In the meantime, you can register for access to the recap playlist of episodes 1-5 by adding your email to the “Register Now” field above. 

MARTkd: Understanding Creative Entrepreneurship

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Exclusive Conversation | MARTk’d Series: Episode 2 of 6

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The MARTk’d Webinar series is a 6-part series with some of the industry’s top entrepreneurs, designers, managers, and even NBA stars. Identifying a problem and creating a solution plays a major role in entrepreneurship. A lot of the businesses across industries like Sneakers, Sports, and Streetwear were created as the solution to a problem. Companies like Uber and AirBNB were the multi-million dollar solutions to everyday problems. Entrepreneurship is an option in a variety of industries, it’s just a matter of finding the “why”.

As we continue through the MARTk’d series, Episode 2 focuses on creative entrepreneurship. Host Dion Walcott sits with The Kickback Founder Jayscale (Jamal Burger) and Community Relations Programmer Mac (Macaulay Madrigal). The Kickback is a Toronto-based charity that uses sneakers to empower teenagers to do well. The shoes are not just given to them but there are activities, events, mentorship programs and DIY workshops that engage the students. Earning a pair of fresh kicks is just a perk. This is not only about sneakers but about building a community that focuses on support and encouragement to help participants navigate through life and school/work. Jayscale and Mac spoke to their journey and how they turned their passion for sneakers into an A1 organization that inspires. 

 If you missed the initial replay, drop your email in the space above for access to the replay link.

MARTkd: Conversation With a Sneaker Design Director/Program Manager

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Exclusive Conversation | MARTk’d Series: Episode 5 of 6

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Having a career in the sneaker industry is something that a lot of people dream about. Whether it’s designing a shoe or creating the blueprint for a sneaker boutique, the career opportunities are plentiful. Knowing the types of jobs that are available in an industry you are passionate about working in is important. Yellowbrick recognized that early and created Sneaker Essentials. Sneaker Essentials is a course created by F.I.T. faculty, Complex and sneaker industry experts designed to give students an inside look at the sneaker industry. 

While there are plenty of opportunities for a career in sneakers, it’s no secret that the industry is a male dominated field. While women are definitely represented, the majority of the positions are filled by men. Enter Liz Connelly and Cheresse Thornhill…trailblazers in the world of sneakers. They recognized the need to educate more women in the space and created a way to make that happen. They are the founders of S.E.E.D, an intensive sneaker program designed to teach young women the logistics behind sneaker design. From the idea of the design to the production, Liz and Cheresse decided that creating a lane for women in the sneaker industry was key. They recently sat with Yellowbrick’s own Dion Walcott to discuss their journey, the ins and outs of sneaker design and project management.

This episode, sponsored by ENVSN, focuses on women in the sneaker industry and what it takes to make that happen. Special thanks to ENVSN, a multi-dimensional community, committed to the professional and self-development of Gen Z and millennial adapters and their aficionados. The founders, Sharifa Murdock and Laura Stylez, created a platform that helps young women thrive and grow into their best selves. For more information about ENVSN, follow them on Instagram at @envsn and visit envsnfestival.com for upcoming festival info. 

 If you missed the live presentation, leave your email above to gain access to the replay ink.  

For more information about ENVSN, visit: 

ENVSNFest.com

@ENVSNFest on Instagram

BANYAN With Anya Ayoung-Chee | Fashion Conversations That Inspire

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Exclusive Conversation: Banyan Talk with Anya Ayoung-Chee

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The Fashion Industry holds a wealth of talented designers. If a career in this industry is something you are passionate about, it is important to know the journey. Being able to lock down a designer for a conversation isn’t an easy task but we managed to get it done. Fashion Designer and Social Entrepreneur, Anya Young-Chee is willing to lend her expertise. From winning Project Runway to starting her own fashion line, Anya can offer some solid industry tips. She is slated to moderate the BANYAN Webinar series LIVE talks powered by Yellowbrick.

The Banyan series was created to showcase women entrepreneurs across a variety of different industries. While Fashion is Anya’s area of expertise, she lends her knowledge and shares her stories with women in the Streetwear, Sneaker Design, Music, Hospitality, Beauty and Sports Management industries. These conversations are meant to serve as inspiration and motivation for other women who are looking to do the same thing. BANYAN is a platform created to inspire women, with a focus on Caribbean creatives, to pursue their dreams and turn their passion into a career. Finding your “WHY” is important and hopefully these conversations will help you do that.

Design Director Cherese Thornhill (adidas) and lifestyle brand Founder Fe Noel were the first 2 in the series. Next up is Nikitha Cornwall (June 11th @ 2:30pm) and Fallon Seymour (June 18th @ 2:30pm). If you missed the first 2 episodes or want to sign up for upcoming episodes, leave your email in the box above.  

MARTkd: How To Become A Sneaker Designer

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Exclusive Conversation | MARTk’d Series: Episode 1 of 6

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Sneaker Design is probably the most popular career choice for people that want to work in the sneaker industry. Design has evolved over time and we have seen everything from innovative new silhouettes to daring collabs. Daring colorways are pushing the envelope and the classics are making a comeback with a twist. All of these things happen because of the designer and the ideas that they bring to the table. Episode 1 of the MARTk’d Webinar Series will tell you everything you need to know to get in the game.  

The MARTk’d live series kicked off with How To Become A Sneaker Designer. Supported by Pensole, Yellowbrick’s Dion Walcott had a live conversation with Director/Artist/Designer Alexander John, and Dr. D’Wayne Edwards (Founder of Pensole Academy). If sneaker design is something that you’re passionate about then this is the conversation for you. They dropped gems for people who are looking to get into design and how to become relevant in the space. To see the replay, you can sign up for the viewer link by dropping your email address in the space provided above. If you are ready to take your next steps in design, whether it’s in the sneaker industry or fashion/streetwear industry, visit Yellowbrick.co to find out how.

Game On! F.I.T. x Yellowbrick Launch Gaming and Esports Industry Essentials

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Yellowbrick, in collaboration with New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), today announced the launch of Gaming and Esports Industry Essentials, a program designed to explore the expansive and lucrative world of Gaming and Esports. The program will help prepare game fans, players, and aspiring designers for the gaming industry, which is expected to generate $196 billion in revenue by the year 2022. 

 

Gaming and Esports Industry Essentials exposes learners to a full host of roles and career paths, everything from game design to Esports team management. Learners will walk through a full survey of the industry, examine multiple roles, test aptitudes, and – ideally – determine a personal career fit. Upon finishing the program, learners receive a Completion Certificate from FIT. 

 

“FIT is committed to expanding and diversifying its offerings to meet the needs of the adult and non-traditional learner,” said Daniel M. Gerger, director of FIT’s Center for Continuing and Professional Studies. “These new and customized offerings reflect the depth and breadth of FIT’s unique curriculum, which continues to innovate in an ever-changing environment.”

 

“Today’s gaming world has torn down preconceived notions and proven itself to be a viable arena for creative and lucrative career paths. We’re thrilled to help open doors for the players, creators, and game enthusiasts who’ve made this movement possible,” said Rob Kingyens, President and CEO of Yellowbrick. “Few industries generate as much passion for young people as gaming.”

 

The course offers a sequence of project-based activities and assignments analyzing the basics of game design, marketing, and project management. They will gain the knowledge necessary to develop, plan, and execute Esports events – including social media content development to entice fan interaction. Instruction also covers the history of gaming, game story concept and iterative development, marketing and distribution, and the business opportunities that exist in Esports communities. 

 

“Passionate gamers come from all walks of life, but many don’t know how to transition from recreational player to industry participant and many don’t receive the same informational and educational opportunity to enter into the Esports and gaming space,” said Erin Ashley Simon, gaming TV anchor, host, and advocate. “What’s great about this program is that it offers an inside view and first step that anybody can understand, and it enables learners to imagine a place for themselves in the wider gaming world.” 

 

Instructors featured in the program represent a wide array of talent, specialties, and leadership from across the gaming community. In addition to Simon, contributors to the program include FIT faculty Maria Hwang and Dan Shefelman; General Manager & CEO of WorldGaming and Collegiate StarLeague Wim Stocks; Esports Player and commentator “Tasty” Steve Scott; Andbox Head of Marketing Francis Thai; Rockstar Games’ Sanford Santacroce; and many more. Simon, Scott, and Thai will also be offering scholarships in their name, lending financial support to learners who need help entering the program.

 

All course materials and instruction will be provided online, which means that students can complete lessons at their own pace and fit the course into their daily lives. 

 

Visitors to yellowbrick.co/gaming can sign up now for an exclusive preview of the program. The first group of students will be admitted in July.