Build Your Brand: Networking Event

Creating a strong brand is essential for an artist. This event is designed for Black young, and emerging artists to hear from panelists from a variety of artistic disciplines: from music, to visual arts, to fashion design. Artists will be able to gain knowledge on creating an authentic and sustainable brand identity from the best minds in the industry. 

You will be able to mingle and connect with eachother, panelists and industry professionals. This is an opportunity for you to create the connections you missed out on during the pandemic. 

This is an all ages event.

Meet the Host

Freda Aninkorah

Freda Aninkorah is an Entertainment Manager with over 5 years experience in Talent/Brand Management, Digital Marketing, Social Media Management and Business Consulting. With a previous Professional background in Commercial Finance and Retail Management, Freda can assess brand marketing tactics from various angles that help position her clients for various partnership opportunities, business developmental growth to help generate more exposure and business sales.

Meet the Panelists

Melissa Falconer

M.Falconer is a Toronto based self-taught visual artist. As a Black woman, she has seen and experienced how societal obstacles can negatively affect the mindsets of those who are targeted by oppression and discrimination. By creating inspirational pop art paintings, she hopes to motivate people to feel empowered, represented, hopeful, confident and loved.

Yazmin Butcher

Yazmin Butcher is a freelance illustrator, art director and writer. She’s had the pleasure of developing and designing brand identities for Black Lives Matter Canada, The National Film Board of Canada, Mary Young and easy., and has had her work published by the New York Times, CBC Arts, WWD, and Penguin Random House to name a few. When she’s not staring into her computer for work, you can find her staring into her computer for pleasure. Sometimes, just for kicks, Yazmin writes about herself in the third person.

Desiree Mckenzie

Desiree Mckenzie is an award-winning poet, arts educator, national poetry slam champion, and voice actor from Toronto. Her poetry and voice have been featured in works for CBC’s Poetic License series, When Sisters Speak, Clearco Financial’s International Women’s Day Campaign, Kids Help Phone, and Home Depot. She also facilitates a range of community arts programming with JAYU, Unity Charity, Poetry In Voice, and VIBE Arts, bringing the art of poetry into different diverse spaces. In March 2021, she released her EP, Wet Hair, now available on streaming platforms. 

Diséiye

Born and raised in Nigeria, Diséiye from an early age was drawn to the craftsmanship of tailoring. She studied Contemporary Arts at Ryerson University and classically trained in design at The Toronto Academy of Design, graduating in 2016 showcasing their graduate collection at Toronto Fashion Week as well as Fly Beyond Cancer Benefit raising funds for survivors. Diséiye now specialises in custom clothing and celebrity styling; working on music videos and live performances for artists like Aiza, SATE, Ceréna and DVSN.