Revision Path

"You can create your own path. Trust yourself." When Tiffany Mikell told me this before we recorded, I knew we would be in for a great conversation. Tiffany is doing a ton of work these days as CEO of Black Star Media and technology director of Trans*H4CK, a hackathon and speaker series for the trans and gender non-conforming community. Tiffany and I first met in person at SXSW, so that's where we started things off. From there, we spoke about the successes and future plans of both Black Star Media and Trans*H4CK, their recent grant endowment, and the power of educational technology solutions for communities of color (specifically, Black communities). I'm excited to see what she'll have in store in the future! Tiffany Mikell on Twitter BlackStarMedia BlackStarMedia on Twitter Take our audience survey for a chance to win a $100 Amazon.com gift card! http://revisionpath.com/survey SPECIAL OFFER! Use discount code revisionpath and save 20% off any purchase at Creative Market! http://goo.gl/kMM0M

Theresa Stewart is an interaction designer for gravitytank, an innovation consultancy in Chicago, Illinois. Her enthusiasm for interaction design is deeply rooted in her love of problem solving and she has helped companies craft meaningful solutions in a range of industries including consumer electronics, retail, and healthcare. We started by talking about her work at gravitytank, and then moved into discussing the concept of play in design, the type of health data wearables should track, and her recent time in Iceland attending DesignMarch part of AIGA's Spring B'Reykjavik. Thanks to Amy Schwartz for the introduction! Theresa Stewart on Twitter Theresa Stewart on LinkedIn Theresa Stewart on Behance

Kaya Thomas' star is on the rise! Maybe you've heard of her because of her popular iPhone app We Read Too. Or maybe you know her as one The Root's 2015 Young Futurists. Or maybe you've seen her on stage at Black Girls Rock being honored by First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama! It's all in a day's work for this Dartmouth computer science sophomore. We talked about her work and the importance of visibility for Black developers (specifically Black women), combating unsupportive company culture, and what it means to be supportive of diversity. There's no sign of things slowing down for Kaya, and I'm so excited to share this conversation with you. Kaya Thomas is a superstar! Kaya Thomas' Website Kaya Thomas on Twitter Kaya Thomas on YouTube We Read Too We Read Too on Twitter

Harlo Holmes is someone I've wanted to have on the show for a long time. I first heard about her work when she was a research fellow with The Guardian Project, and now she's a digital security trainer with the Freedom of the Press Foundation. Throughout her career, Harlo has been solving all the puzzles that new media presents in a number of different ways as a software developer, media scholar, and activist. We started off talking about her past and current work, which then segued into a great discussion about metadata, the Internet of Things, and some of the current and new problems that we're all facing with data security as we live in a digitally-connected world. Harlo is definitely someone you'll hear more about in the future, and I'm super stoked to have her come on the show. Harlo Holmes on Twitter Freedom of the Press Foundation The Guardian Project

School might be out for the summer, but learning never stops when Tamika D. Williams is around. She's a photographer and a working designer, and is an associate design professor at Alabama A&M University who is responsible for coordinating the graphic design program for the school's visual art department. A large chunk of our conversation is about design education at HBCUs, but we also touched on diversity in design academia and talked about what students need to do to succeed as professional designers. Tamika's enthusiasm and dedication to the craft of design is really inspiring, and I'm thrilled to share this conversation with you all. Enjoy! WMS Design Studios Tamika D. Williams at Alabama A&M University Tamika D. Williams' Website Tamika D. Williams on LinkedIn Tamika D. Williams on Twitter

I'm ending off June with an absolutely amazing interview with design educator Silas Munro. Over the years, Silas has collaborated with some huge names in the art world, such as MoMA, the Walker art Center, and GOOD. (He even taught one of our previous guests on the show -- Ariana Farquharson!) We spoke a lot about design education and pedagogy, touched on diversity in the field of design vis-à-vis competitions like ADC Young Guns, and explored the notion of an African-American/Black design aesthetic. I love his idea that designers can operate along several different modes of creativity, and his work is living proof of that. It's an exciting time to be a designer thanks to people like Silas! Silas Munro's Website Silas Munro at the Vermont College of Fine Arts Silas Munro at Miami University "The Whitest Winners You Know" SPECIAL OFFER! Use discount code revisionpath and save 20% off any purchase at Creative Market! http://goo.gl/kMM0M7

Seun Erinle definitely has her hands full. She's 1/2 of the Chattanooga-based design company Grid Principles, she teaches students ages 12-18 about website development through her program A.I.R. Labs, and she's the creator of BlerdNation, a growing social network for the Black nerd community. We talked about how she managed to juggle it all, what she's learned since becoming an entrepreneur, and the bustling tech scene across Africa (particularly Nigeria). Seun's upbeat attitude and persistent nature has definitely set her up for success. Learn more about her in this week's interview! Seun Erinle's Website Seun Erinle on Twitter A.I.R. Labs A.I.R. Labs on Twitter BlerdNation™ BlerdNation™ on Twitter Grid Principles SPECIAL OFFER! Use discount code revisionpath and save 20% off any purchase at Creative Market! http://goo.gl/kMM0M7

I first heard about Alpha Bah from an introduction by Michael Rain. Alpha is the creator of ZNews Africa, an Android app that provides the latest news content from across Africa. We spoke about how he got the inspiration to create ZNews Africa, what he's learned from his time at Columbia University, and the importance of creating platforms for Africans to tell their stories. If you want to learn more about what's going on in Africa, check out what Alpha is up to! Thanks for the intro, Michael! Alpha Bah on Twitter ZNews Africa ZNews Africa on Google Play

"Anything is possible. It's never too late to change your story because my story keeps changing." When Tracey Coleman told me that before we started recording, I had an idea this would be an amazing conversation. We talked about her unconventional path into design from the world of biology, how it's like working in the agency world, the advice that has really stuck with her the longest, and her latest globetrotting adventure. Tracey really has a lot of inspiring things to say, and you can really tell she lives her life and doesn't let life live through her! Enjoy! Tracey Coleman's Website Curly Girl Collective Brooklyn Travel Addict

June kicks off with a great interview with Damian Madray. Damian Madray is senior product designer at Neo Interactive, and the founder of Hunie — a community for designers, founders, and developers for design feedback — and TheGlint, a series of salons that facilitate meaningful conversations. Our conversation mainly centered around his two creations, but Damian also talked a lot about passion and drive and how those two things motivate his work. One of Damian's big goals is learning how to design culture, so if you're in the Bay Area, there's a good chance you'll hear more about Damian in the future! Damian Madray on Twitter Hunie Hunie on Twitter TheGlint TheGlint on Instagram TheGlint on Twitter

Even if you haven't heard of Frederick Townes, there's a pretty good chance you've seen his work. Frederick is the founder of W3 Markup, W3 EDGE, the popular WordPress plugin W3 Total Cache, and was the founding CTO for Mashable. Now he's taking the real estate world by storm as the co-founder and CTO of Placester, which just raised $15M in Series B funding! We talked about his rise to success and what he's learned over the years, such as the importance of relationships and how culture in an organization is the key to business success. Frederick had a lot of really great information to share, so I hope you enjoy our conversation! Frederick Townes' Website

While I was in Austin a few months ago, I had the opportunity to visit Sanders\Wingo and give my presentation "Where Are The Black Designers?". And that's where I met Roy Milton 2! Roy's an art director for the Austin-based firm and has helped shape the look and feel for campaigns for clients like AT&T and Bee Sweet Lemonade. We spoke about art direction -- what it is and why it's important -- and also talked about pursuing industry awards, the benefits of diversity in advertising and design, and how his dad was one of his biggest artistic influences. Roy also does a lot in the local Austin creative scene, so I'm really glad to have him on to represent. Thanks Roy! Roy Milton 2's Website Roy Milton 2 on LinkedIn

Dave McClinton is a graphic designer and artist who has been in this industry for well over 20 years. Dave is based out of Austin, Texas, and his experience includes brand development, logo design, web design, and print collateral. We spoke on the changing landscape of Austin, the importance of removing your ego from your work, and his shift from graphic design to art (and back!). Dave has a ton of experience and imparts some really great wisdom. Thanks so much for speaking with me, Dave! The Professional & Personal Work of Dave McClinton The Artwork of Dave McClinton

I first met Sterling Smith at a Facebook party at SXSW this year. Sterling is the CEO of Keystoke, a platform that allows for the development and deployment of mobile apps to multiple app stores at once. We talked a lot about Keystoke: team building, hiring, funding, and positioning. We also spoke about coding bootcamps, and if they are really sustainable for the tech industry. Sterling is definitely going places, and I bet you'll be hearing and seeing a lot more of him very soon! Keystoke Keystoke on Twitter Keystoke on Facebook Keystoke on Instagram Keystoke on AngelList Sterling Smith on LinkedIn

When you think about design in Columbus, OH, you think of Marshall Shorts. Aside from being an award-winning entrepreneur, artist, teacher, author, and designer, he is also the co-founder of Creative Control Fest, a conference that brings people of color from across the diaspora to expose, educate, and advocate for the opportunities in the creative industries. We talked about how he started his creative consultancy Soulo Theory Creative, how Atlanta influenced the start of Creative Control Fest, the highs and lows of conference planning, and about the tug-of-war between sponsorship and creative control. If you're in the Midwest in September, make sure you drop in and check out what Marshall is doing! Soulo Theory Creative <li><a href="http://creativecontrolfest.com">Creative Control Fest</a></li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/mrshortscreates">Marshall Shorts on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="http://instagram.com/mrshortscre

Seventy-five episodes! I'm so glad to celebrate this milestone occasion with this conversation I had with Octavia Gilmore. Octavia is founder and creative director of Creative Juice, a boutique design agency here in Atlanta, GA. Octavia and I talked about how she built Creative Juice from the ground up, gathered her team, and even gave some great advice on what she's learned since starting her business. We also talked a bit about the importance of professional organizations in this age of social media and the Internet. Design entrepreneurs -- you'll definitely want to tune in to this episode! Creative Juice Creative Juice on Twitter

I'm so glad to share this conversation with Gabriel Mays, founder and CEO of Just Add Content. Gabe previously served as a Captain in the Marine Corps for 8 years before leaving the Corps and becoming an entrepreneur. Quite the feat! We talked about his inspiring road to success, including what tech entrepreneurs need to know to have a competitive advantage in the market. I have a feeling you'll be hearing a lot more about Gabe and Just Add Content in the future! Just Add Content Gabriel Mays' Email Help Revision Path win the 2015 net awards for "Podcast of the Year"! Click here to submit your nomination!

It's amazing how many times I've crossed paths with Rafe Chisolm! We went to the same college, worked at the same place...we even live in the same part of town! And of all places, we first met in Austin, Texas at SXSW Interactive. Rafe calls himself a "generalist designer", and his unconventional journey to becoming a designer is really inspiring. We talked about that journey, how he went on several interviews with the intent to fail, and how companies can help to bring in and promote more designers of color. Really good stuff! Rafe Chisolm's Website Rafe Chisolm on Twitter

"One thing I want people to know is that there's a space for you in tech." That's just one of many bon mots from my talk with UX designer Monet Spells. I talked with her fresh off her first speaking gig at the Pro/Design Conference in New York City. We discussed her presentation, her studies at Georgia Tech, the importance of networking, wearables, world travel, and even tea! Big thanks to Adekunle Oduye for the introduction! Monet Spells' Website Monet Spells on Twitter Monet Spells on LinkedIn Help Revision Path win the 2015 net awards for "Podcast of the Year"! Click here to submit your nomination!

Anselmo Pelembe's design style is from a myriad of influences -- his colorful seaside hometown of Maputo in Mozambique, the tropical isle of Saint Helena, and a dash of jolly old England in Stamford. We talked about his creative journey, the challenges of running his business, and his exhibit of pottery during London Design Festival in 2014. Who says design has limitations? Not Anselmo! Lupa Design