AOKI
Collaborative Leadership
As a natural leader who thrives on collaboration, I bring together diverse teams—ranging from designers to videographers and artists—to execute impactful campaigns and events. I foster environments where creativity can flourish, nurturing innovative ideas while balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders to meet project goals. By valuing diverse perspectives, I ensure that every initiative benefits from collective creativity and insight.
What I Did
Executive, Creative & Art Direction
Brand Development
Product
Videography Direction
Event Production
Web design
Social Media Marketing
Design
Campaign Ideation
UX
The Team
Tiffany Wong
Lauren McKeen
Taylor Hansen Hughes
Andrew Loewen
Rachel Loewen
Chelli Look
Frances MacLeod
Alicia Kiewitt
Kamau Pendergrass - composer
Kadeeja Best - cellist
Josh Truman - carpenter
Lucy Taylor - ballerina
Leonard Perez - ballerino
The Process
AOKI was a NFP in Chicago I created in 2018. I have a passion and deep belief in artists and the arts to catalyze needed societal conversation and change. With this fire in me, I shared my vision of a NFP that would facilitate and resource artists across Chicago to collaborate on creating spaces for the public exploring the topics of justice, mourning, mercy, humility and peace. With a team of 3 we started the journey of making a dream into a reality. In one year our team met with an Executive Coach & Growth Strategist, created a business plan, facilitated a Focus Group of Chicago artists, developed a brand, established & launched the NFP.
Objectives and Goals
Objective:
To launch AOKI as a nonprofit that promotes artist collaboration and actively engages the local community.
Goals:
Develop a strong brand identity that resonates with local artists and community members.
Engage local artists and community members to participate in and support AOKI’s mission.
Secure initial funding and ongoing support to ensure the sustainability of AOKI’s initiatives.
My Role and Contributions
Role:
Executive, Creative & Art Director
Key Contributions:
Leadership:
I led and directed a diverse team of 11 artists and 5 volunteers, coordinating all aspects of the launch event, from planning to execution.Brand Development:
Spearheaded the development of AOKI’s brand identity, ensuring that it aligned with our mission of collaboration and support for the arts. This included conducting focus groups to gather insights and refine our messaging.Event Management:
Managed the launch presentation, inviting potential donors and community leaders to build relationships and secure vital support for AOKI.Videography and Marketing:
Directed videography and social media marketing efforts, creating engaging content that showcased AOKI’s values and mission to a broader audience.
Outcome and Results
Metrics:
Successfully sold-out our launch event, creating a vibrant atmosphere of community engagement and support.
Received multiple one-time donations & regular patrons contributing to support ongoing initiatives.
Qualitative Feedback:
“This was the best-run event I had ever been a part of,” said a lighting technician and Google Event Producer, emphasizing the organization and execution of the event.
A curator, who graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) and has worked with the Whitney Museum in New York, described me as an “artist prophet” and expressed her excitement about bringing friends from New York to witness AOKI’s vision.
The engagement of two well-known curators and educators in the Chicago art community led them to join AOKI’s Board, further establishing credibility and support for the nonprofit.
My team worked with over 15 creatives to put this campaign together. Andrew & Rachel Loewen on our videography and photography shoots which produced photos, 2 short commercials and 5 shorts for Instagram featuring various artisans at work.
We interviewed multiple artists asking them questions relevant to the goal of AOKI to showcase artists, their inspiration, aspirations and dreams of collaborative possibilities. We published these interviews on our Social Media.
Chelli Look & Taylor Hansen Hughes were brought on for a photo shoot of our merchandise to generate Patrons. Our Patrons received packages based on their donation amount.
We worked with Anna Zajac in developing our visual brand and initial visuals for social media. Our team produced numerous posts communicating our values, vision and calls to action for AOKI.
Additionally, we worked with Frances MacLeod who created a postcard/piece of art we would give to our Patrons of a certain amount.
This campaign grew our Instagram following from 3 to 300 and doubling our Patrons. Additionally helping fund our first event, inspire the 11 artists and over 100 attendees of our first event UNSEEN//SEEN.
Conclusion
The AOKI Launch Campaign successfully established a robust foundation for the nonprofit by creating a memorable event that engaged the community, secured initial funding, and built valuable relationships with local artists and patrons. Through effective leadership, strategic brand development, and impactful marketing, AOKI is well-positioned to continue fostering collaboration among artists in Chicago.