Strange on Purpose

Jream Henderson and Britney Hand of NinetyNine products join me for the 206th episode of Strange on Purpose to talk about all things NinetyNine. From their latest creations to their creative pursuits, y'all are not trying to miss this one!

Operating at the intersection of sport, music + fashion, Tara has 10+ years of experience working with major brands developing creative strategies, brokering talent partnerships + executing national campaigns.As an independent talent manager, she has delivered $5 million in partnerships for various independent creatives such as Lyrical Lemonade, Hypland, Kristopher Kites, Kodone + more. Driving partnerships with brands like NFL, NBA, Nike, Jordan, Instagram, Shopify, Walmart, Jack Daniels, Netflix, Honda + more.As an independent creative strategist and producer she has worked brand direct with clients like Cheez-It, Pringles, Twix, Jordan Brand, Adidas basketball, Kanye West, Crocs, Puma, Foot Locker, Champs Sports + more.

Originally from Ponce, Pedro thought his life was going to be full of engineering work for the rest of his life. That was until a conversation with a former professor and a crazy set of events changed his life forever. From Ponce to Crocs, this is the story of Pedro Rodriguez.

Diadora, Nike, Fila and more. Jonathan de Lagarde dives deep into his career journey to date and how it's shaped him in working with the likes of Ciara and Russell Wilson.

From architect school to pumping gas. Sarmad Marzuq left a promising career that didn't fit his view on how he saw his life. Little did he know that he'd be designing shoes for KITH, ALD, and other New Balance collaborators a year from pumping gas. Committed to sharing his journey with young creatives, Sarmad jumps on the show to talk about his journey, creative block and other hot topic items in the space. Follow Sarmad here: https://www.instagram.com/sarmadmarzuq/

Today we're joined by Ricardo Emmanuel, a DJ, Photographer, Videographer, and more. He gives us insight into his creative endeavors including a project with Sean Wotherspoon at Coachella with Adidas. He's worked with brands such as Nike/Jordan, Footlocker, Merit, Usher, Instagram/meta, Adidas, Reebok, Calvin Klein! Check him out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rickydirects/

In the 200th episode of the Strange on Purpose Podcast, Chloe Mann and Aundre Gray of Reebok join us to talk about the latest Human Rights Now capsule from Reebok. The Human Rights Now! collection is a long-term product platform designed to fuel the brand’s mission to inspire human rights and human movement. The Human Rights Now! platform is just one of the Reebok’s pillars to execute its commitment to stand united against racism through creating a more inclusive environment but also contributing to and promoting Black and LatinX communities.

Running saved Alison Mariella Désir’s life. At rock bottom and searching formeaning and structure, Désir started marathon training, finding that it vastlyimproved both her physical and mental health. Yet as she became involved in thecommunity and learned its history, she realized that the sport was largely builtwith white people in mind. To help make running more inclusive and welcomingto people of color, Désir founded Harlem Run, an NYC-based running movement,and Run 4 All Women, which has raised over $150,000 for Planned Parenthoodand $270,000 for Black Voters Matter.Désir is currently co-chair of the Running Industry Diversity Coalition, a Run Happy Advocate for Brooks Running,and an Athlete Advisor for Oiselle. A graduate of Columbia University for her bachelor’s and two master’s degrees,including a master’s of education in counseling psychology, Alison has been published in Outside Magazine,contributed the foreword for Running is My Therapy by Scott Douglas, and founded the Meaning Thru MovementTour, a speaking series featuring mental health experts and fitness professionals. Running While Black is her firstbook. Alison Mariella Désir currently lives with her son, Kouri Henri, and partner, Amir Muhammad Figueroa,outside of Seattle.

Andrea Campos is a proud first-generation Latinx illustrator & photographer based in sunny California that specializes in creating expressive, upbeat work. Andrea joins us today to talk about how COVID started her journey in illustration and her new book with Jimmy Fallon and JLo!

Louis Colon of atmos USA details his unique approach to marketing and how the best part about his move to atmos is yet to come. He tells us about his rocky beginnings from calling quits on his sneaker businesses and more.

Liz Flores is a Chicago based artist and muralist, painting the human form through shapes and colors. Working primarily with acrylic paint on canvas, her work is a reaction to life, an emotion, or a memory. Liz joins us to talk about her upbringing, love for Charmander and sooo much more!

From Guatemala to Rwanda to LA, Andres Paz Micheo has left a stamp wherever he goes. Whether it was at Adidas with Ye and Pharrell or in Rwanda helping bring essential cellular to the people, Andres has seen it all and jumps on today to talk about those experiences and more!

Johan Martinez-Khalilian is an executive coach. Khalilian grew up in Humboldt Park, Chicago. In 2005 he was featured on the cover of RedEye magazine, a youth-oriented weekly published by the Chicago Tribune. He has appeared on TV and radio shows, including The Tyra Banks Show and the Today Show. He works as a youth motivational speaker. Johan jumps on the show today talk about his upbringing, getting started as a creative and so much more!

Today we're joined by Chris Belloso, the co-founder & co-host of the Latin Wealth. Chris covers finance, podcasting struggling as a creative and more!

Andres Izquieta is a multi-hyphenate CPG entrepreneur in the areas of fashion, food and beverage, and entertainment. His passion and drive sits at the intersection of sustainability, culture, community and consumer products. He's the CEO & co-founder of sustainability based beverage company, Chiki Chiki Boom Boom, a brand driven by regeneration and social impact. He's the co-founder of Five Four Group, a multi-million dollar fashion conglomerate with brands such as Five Four, Menlo Club, New Republic, Young & Reckless, and Ales Grey, who have collectively generated over $600million in revenues. 

Texas-born, Carolina-raised. Krista started her journey back in 2015 as the youngest member of the social media team for Pope Francis' visit to the United States. There, she collaborated and learned from some of the top photographers, digital marketers, and community managers in the industry. Currently, Krista is a Senior Analyst, Digital and Social Analytics at NASCAR and a freelance photographer in Charlotte, NC. She has worked with many sports teams including the Carolina Panthers, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, Charlotte FC, Charlotte Independence soccer team and the NFL. 

A Beer marketer turned sneaker designer, Luis Moreno is on a path to find himself and bring what was once a creative outlet, into the limelight!

Shop Latinx was created after the 2016 presidential election when Chavez found herself at a career and identity crossroads. She was itching to find a passion in life using her skills to develop solutions for the Latinx community. After realizing there was no specific group amplifying the work of Latinx small business owners, Chavez built the platform. With Shop Latinx, Chavez created a space that harnesses the power of investing in the Latinx community through your dollar.  

Jesus Gonzalez is the Vice President, Creative, Latin, at Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI). Based out of the company’s Los Angeles office, he oversees the Latin Creative team, helping to sign and develop new talent, assist BMI’s family of songwriters and publishers, and serve as a liaison between the Latin music community and the industry at large. Since joining BMI, Gonzalez has overseen countless initiatives for the Company, from curating showcases, moderating panels, and signing and developing new talent to honoring two of the most iconic reggaeton pioneers, Wisin & Yandel, at the 2022 BMI Latin Awards. Additionally, he secured BMI as the PRO sponsor at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) and worked on several Hispanic Heritage Month projects to further highlight Latin songwriters. Among those were a How I Wrote That song panel at the GRAMMY Museum, various Know Them Now interviews, and a curated showcase, Sonidos, at SXSW.

Geza jumps on the pod to talk his journey and the upcoming launch of his brand, Tomorrow Isn't Promised!

Former guests, Stephanie and David join the show to talk all things Endstate, Web3 and what to expect in drop 2 for Endstate!

@lettaytellit jumps on the show next week to talk all things @respectfemalesnkrhds, building a brand and how important it is to find your own lane.

Marco Henry Negrete has been working within the sneaker industry since 2014 when he started writing for Finish Line’s The Fresh Press blog as a side gig. From there, he worked his way up to a role at Jordan’s Beaverton headquarters. During his tenure with the Jumpman, Negrete worked on both the communications and editorial sides of the brand, enabling him to witness the ins and outs of creating and communicating some of the most innovative and culture-shifting products in the world first-hand. Today he leads content and communications for Sole Savy.

In his final year of college, Estevan Longoria decided to start his new brand. What happened next was something that he never thought would happen.

Truly a man for the people, Kevin Trotman jumps on the show to talk about his journey, what he's been able to touch at New Balance and soooo much more.

“You are responsible to yourself, to love yourself, to care for yourself, and to help yourself.”

D'ana Nunez of COVL jumps on the show this week to talk about her experience working with major brands like Nike and Instagram, launching a creative career from scratch and soooo much more. Follow D'ana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itscovl/Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strangeonpurpose/The Strange on Purpose Podcast tells the stories of professionals shattering the glass ceilings of culture and shows young professionals what happens when you are authentically you, 100% of the time. Highlighting creatives in sports, apparel, lifestyle and beyond, the show aims to connect creatives everywhere to professionals that can help guide them in their individual journey.

Troy Pryor is one of those creatives that I really look up to. We worked together in a previous role and I immediately knew that he was someone to lean on for questions and guidance in the journey. Troy jumps on the show to talk about his journey, the impact he's trying to bring and the community he's building for.

Eddy Zamora joins Izzy to talk about his story. From dropping out of college to working at the Adidas HQ, Eddy is the definition of resilient. From working in the retail store to taking a chance and pitching himself for everything, Eddy shows everyone who knows him what's possible with some hard work and confidence.

Queen Leo took the sneaker world by storm in 2019 with her Air Max 98 "La Mezcla." Today she's a jack of all trades. She's a designer, photographer, nurse practitioner, daughter and more. In this episode, Serrano opens up about imposter syndrome, being raised in an immigrant household and what she's doing to give back to the people of El Salvador.

Dubbed as the "Nicest footwear designer you'll ever meet" David Filar jumps on the show to talk about his creative journey, commitment to the underground creatives and how the immigrant mentality fuels his everyday. He has had the opportunity to design two products with Yvon Chouinard the founder of Patagonia! PSA : This episode was prerecorded. David has since made the move to work with another former SOP guest in Stephanie Howard of Endstate!

Today's episode features the latin members of the Puma Hoops design team, Jacob Garcia, Kirby Nunez and Roberto Agrait as they talk about landing their respective roles and what it's like to work in a startup within a generational business.

Jairus Morris is on a mission to educate the urban community on the importance of water. As a kid, Jairus knew friends that would play basketball for hours and and look to soda or juice to hydrate themselves. After becoming an adult, he found himself looking for a reusable water bottle but none of them spoke to him and that's when he realized that the reusable water bottle space only spoke to a select few. Through SUPLMNT, Jairus is showing that everyone deserves a seat at the table and educates the next generation on the importance of clean water.

I met John Clayton a few months ago and the first thing I thought to myself was, "This guy is just giving out free game." After talking, I realized why. A child from Philly that just wants to see people that look like him win, John jumps on the show to talk about his journey and what he really wants his legacy to be.

In late 2018, entertainment attorney Simran Kaleka came on board the Made For The W roster to help push the brand forward. With her knowledge and expertise in the industry, the brand hasn't looked back. In this episode, Simran talks about her passions and what we can do to become better advocates for women everywhere.

Launching your own thing is tough enough but when you add in a pandemic–the stakes get higher. Two weeks before the covid-19 pandemic put the island of Puerto Rico into a state of flux, Javi launched his first location in Condado, Puerto Rico. Meaning for it to just be a pop-up, Javi wanted to make sure everything went according to plan but what came next proves that entrepreneurs like Javi had to quickly adapt to the ever-changing landscape of the world–or see their hard work be driven into the ground.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/strangeonpurpose/support

The visual artist known only as @Cole on Instagram has made a name for himself with his artwork, but it’s the team behind his Ikonick brand that truly elevates his craft. In this episode, Jeff talks about what the team has up their sleeve with their new project, Metarelics. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/strangeonpurpose/support

A member of the all latin design team at Puma Hoops, Roberto Agrait is living his childhood dream. Since he could remember, he wanted to get into sportswear design and when basketball brought him to Lasell University in Massachusetts, his dream was just getting started. In this episode, Roberto talks about how he deals with creative block, working with athletes like LaMelo Ball and Boogie Cousins and sooo much more.   --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/strangeonpurpose/support

How many stories have you heard of a retail team member at Adidas rising through the ranks and landing a job at the corporate HQ? Enter Nicolle Nicosia-Polanco, a Dominican that refuses to hear "you can't do that." A recent DACA recipient, Nicolle's story is one of the most inspiring stories ever featured on Strange on Purpose. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/strangeonpurpose/support

Psychotherapist, mental health advocate, and lady hooper with a soft spot for sneakers, Liz Beecroft is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Psychotherapist whose main mission is to educate and raise awareness on mental health. Liz joins us to talk about her journey, her day to day creative process and the importance of Mental health in creative careers.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/strangeonpurpose/support

In one of the most informative episodes yet–Meline Katchi, founder of Studio Mesmel & Design Director of IVY PARK, joins Izzy to talk about her creative process, experience as a woman in the industry and working with the likes of Jerry Lorenzo and Beyonce. instagram.com/melinekatchi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/strangeonpurpose/support

Samantha Smyser- De Leon is a Puerto Rican visual artist from Humboldt Park, Chicago. She holds a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from Columbia College Chicago with a minor in Arts Business. She works primarily at Nike as a Footwear Color Designer, at the global design level but also works as an independent installation artist, fabricator, graphic designer and illustrator, with a focus on set-design installations for special events, concerts, and video production. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/strangeonpurpose/support

Ali Six is a multi medium artist born and raised in Humboldt Park Chicago. Since he was a child he ventured with his imagination to create cartoons, and in high school painting the streets of Chicago. After realizing there was more to art than just graffiti he combined what he learned through spray paint and his love of cartoons to create Richie the Raccoon. Ali Six uses Richie to liven up the streets of Chicago and around the world with murals.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/strangeonpurpose/support

Camila Diaz finally joins the show to talk about the journey of landing her new role at Reebok, Puerto Rican creatives, the island, Anuel AA and sooo much more.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/strangeonpurpose/support

Sneaker Ether is more than a hype project, it is a multi-dimensional apparel and digital brand for the sneaker community. The brand combines elements of cryptocurrency, gaming, and sneaker culture to create one of a kind non fungible tokens (NFT's), and apparel for this universe. https://twitter.com/SneakerEther sneakerether.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/strangeonpurpose/support

In this episode, Izzy interviews MAWdoods. A Green Bay, WI native that creates pieces of art that are originally hand drawn on a Nike shoebox using the Swoosh as part of his #ShoeBoxSeries. MAWdoods talks to us on the inspiration behind his work, the creative process behind it and what's in the near future for him.  Check him out on instagram: https://instagram.com/mawdoods --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/strangeonpurpose/support

In this episode, Izzy chats with the LEGENDARY Shake James about owning a store, some of his influences and sooo much more.  Follow Shake: https://www.instagram.com/shakejmj/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/strangeonpurpose/support

When his parents wanted to narrow him into a path he wouldn't be happy with, Christian Figueroa started a long journey of following his dreams and when an opportunity came to pitch himself to the team at KITH, he didn't let it pass him up. Christian jumps on the pod today to talk about his entrepreneurial journey, breaking into the industry and sooo much more!  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/strangeonpurpose/support

Noel Bronson is a creative based in The Bronx, NY who lives by the motto that he thinks he created, but is no longer sure “Always Tired, Never Bored”. His fear of boredom has pushed him to work with various brands on various things. Titles don’t mean much to him, but he firmly believes Net 30s should be paid within 30 days. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/strangeonpurpose/support

A Jersey boy through and through, meet Sam Hart, Style Director, Brand Partnerships at @complex A dad of 2, San has been a consumer, creative, student and more of the culture for most of his life. He’s an avid sneaker collector and terrible NY sports team fan. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/strangeonpurpose/support