Culture. This is everything.
To grow up as a Black man means being born into rhythm, love, and a blurred reflection from society’s lens. Because of that, I took time to understand who I truly am—embracing all the influences that make me, me.
I’m deeply inspired by characters who represented possibility long before it was normalized: Marcus Graham (Eddie Murphy) in Boomerang, the first Black executive I saw leading an all-Black cast. Eric Brooks (Wesley Snipes) in Blade, the first Black superhero. Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) in Training Day, who balanced morality and survival to protect his own. And Mike Lowry (Will Smith) in Bad Boys—whose confidence, fashion, and aura redefined cool for me.
Music shaped my rhythm just as much as movies did. Neo Soul, New Jack Swing, Conscious Rap, and Jazz are my soundtracks, they all live in my design process. I was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, right in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Down here, we grew up on Houston chopped and screwed, chrome rims, clean cars, jewelry and cool fits—aesthetics mattered.
I come from a people whose freedom was withheld—a people who had to be twice as good to be seen, and who were often celebrated for entertainment but not respected for intellect. I stand on the shoulders of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Marcus Garvey, Harriet Tubman, WEB Dubois, Nat Turner, and so many more who taught me that freedom is built, not given. I'm inspired by Lebron James, Kyrie Irving, Chris Johnson, 19Keys, Damon Dash, Prince, and more.
I come from limited representation. I didn't learn of Black architects until I graduated college. There were only 4 Black students in my graduating class at USC, including myself.
I move with the understanding that impactful design shuts the wrong mouths and opens the right ones. Action creates results. Authenticity creates reality. And love connects all.
Design, to me, isn’t limited to objects or spaces, it’s a life heuristic. I’ve applied it to how I think, move, love, and build wealth. Understanding that you can design your reality, that your thoughts shape your future, is one of the most powerful truths you can grasp.
I live between creativity, consciousness, Black culture, and professional design. My culture taught me resilience, expression, and reverence. I believe good design can heal communities and mirror the soul of the people it serves.