Throughout the 2023 summer semester, I have been interning with the nonprofit organization ,100 Roses from Concrete, which serves as a platform for equitizing the advertising industry for people of color and women through connection, opportunity, and collaboration. It acknowledges and addresses the challenges faced by individuals from minority backgrounds who often feel marginalized or overlooked within the industry (or often don’t know how to get in the industry). This organization provides a valuable space where people of color can find connection, community, and inspiration for their journeys in advertising.
The organization focuses on supporting underrepresented professionals and students in advertising, marketing, media, and public relations. They boast initiatives dedicated to the growth and development of young creatives in underserved communities. These programs offer resources like education, mentorship, industry experience, & scholarships, to aspiring advertising professionals. They also offer valuable professional development opportunities through workshops and training sessions.
The program I am in is called 2023 Growth Initiative, an unpaid remote internship where participants are split into teams, given specific roles that emulate those of an advertising agency, and tasked to collaborate to ideate and produce an advertising campaign for a real-life nonprofit client. Working with the nonprofit HBCUs Outside, I took the role of a strategist on our creative team. On our team we had a Project Manager, Account Manager, another Strategist, two Copywriters, two Art Directors, & a production lead. We also have moderators in our team, who are current advertising professionals at various companies, who act as consultants throughout the program. The organization has achieved significant success, producing ten televised commercials for nonprofit organizations, reaching an audience of over 20 million.
