Born in Ethiopia, I grew up in the small town of St. Augustine, Florida, before heading west to California to earn my BFA, build a beautiful family, and seek better waves—while creating purpose-driven work and nurturing a collaborative team and community. For the past 13 years, I’ve worked at INNOCEAN USA, leading creative efforts on the Hyundai and Genesis accounts.

I’m also the director, writer, and producer of Wade in the Water: A Journey into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture—an award-winning, feature-length independent documentary that explores the millennium-old tradition of Black surfing, tracing its roots from Africa to the Americas. The film has garnered over 186 million impressions worldwide and secured distribution deals with platforms including PBS, Video Project, and Comcast.