(WXYZ) — Akil Alvin attended the Detroit School of Arts and was recently named on Forbes' '30 under 30 ' for his marketing agency Digital Detroit Media which just celebrated a decade in business this year.
To mark the occasion, Akil recently launched a unique non-profit called Culture Academy that is designed to help young creatives, especially students of color, make industry connections, with Akil’s help.
“You about to graduate, what’s next,” Akil asks a student in his former high school auditorium at Detroit School of Arts. The media mogul feels right at home, but after all, he went here not too long ago.
“Culture Academy was something that we had to do. I started this as a kid, so let’s give back to other kids,” he said.
Akil’s multi-million dollar marketing agency actually launched while he was still a student.
“My high school teachers were my first employees and still work for me to this day,” he said.
He’s worked with companies like Ford, Disney, Coca-Cola, and Bank of America. Now, leaders from some of those companies are offering their mentorship to the academy’s four signature programs.
Akil says he wants to be intentional about making more space for young black creatives.
“Stage production, TV production, music, any type of thing in the creative arts. Automotive design,” Akil said.
According to Zippia, only about 4% of executive creative directors are black and that dial hasn’t moved all that much in the last decade though it is moving higher.
“what are you hoping that the students get out of this,” 7 Action News Reporter Jenn Schanz adds.
“I hope that they see themselves in me. I came from the hood, whatever it looks like, I came from these same hallways," Akil said.
Jason Young, a senior at DSA, is part of Culture Academy'ss first cohort. He says the program helped him reconnect to school in many ways.
“Due to COVID and everything, I was just falling down a hole,” Young said. "It really made me feel like I had somebody to talk to.”
Jason is exploring multi-media production and wants to one day make documentaries.
“I really just want to give people a chance to like show themselves on camera and show the world who they are and what they can be,” he said.
Already in the first months of working with Young, Akil says he’s seen the growth with his own eyes.
He adds that the first cohorts from each school are about 90 students. So far, Culture Academy is partnered with both DSA and Communication and Media Arts High School.
Akil is also working with a school in Botswana to make this an international program.
“We want to make sure young people know their dreams are valid,” Akil said.
In late June, Culture Academy will have its inaugural gala in hopes of attracting more partners and students. To read more about the upcoming gala, click here.
