Last Updated:
September 29, 2023
My Life in
Bullet Points
Long Story Short
I never know how to bring this up, so I'm just going to say (write?) it. I am who I am and where I am because I am a two-time brain tumor survivor. Those two experiences have put me on a lifelong path when it comes to design (and not design): I’ve been practicing writing in cursive since I was in kindergarten; and started my first business selling $3 graffiti-style name cards to my classmates between the ages of ten and eleven. I designed tattoos, bead jewelry, comic strips for the school paper, yearbooks, my first font, and more by high school. After graduating in 2015 with a degree in Visual Communication Design, I opened my own brand consultancy (2015-2020), known as Studio Seals. Through Studio Seals, I worked with over 250 clients partners, ranging from small startups to national and global brands (2015-2020). ¶ Inspired by the lack of diversity in the graphic design industry, I launched the diversity-driven font foundry known as
Vocal Type. Through Vocal, each typeface highlights a piece of history from a different underrepresented race, ethnicity, or gender—from the Women’s Suffrage Movement in Argentina to the Civil Rights Movement in America and beyond. ¶
Since founding Vocal Type in 2016, my fonts have gone from being inspired by progressive movements to becoming a part of them: taking shape in the form of Black Lives Matter street murals, brand campaigns for the 2020 Virtual March On Washington, political campaigns like that of Stacey Abrams, logos like the Amazon Labor Union, and so much more. ¶ Now 29, I’ve been named an Ascender by the Type Directors Club (in its inaugural year), a Young Gun by the One Club for Creativity, a Black Design Visionary by Instagram and the Brooklyn Museum (in its inaugural year), and a Forbes 30 Under 30 Lister. ¶ If you’re interested in hearing the full story, you should book me for a lecture. Or just click that button above. ¶
Awards & Judging
Interviews & Mentions
