Oriel Davis-Lyons used to be a chef. But, after tiring of the long hours and intense pressure, he got into advertising. He started his career in New Zealand at Special Group and Colenso BBDO before moving to the US where he spent time at Droga5, Spotify and where he is now Chief Creative Officer at Mother New York.

He has won 100+ awards for his work on global brands, nonprofits, social justice initiatives and failed presidential campaigns. He is the owner of Corpleisure, a work-from-home-wear brand and founder of ONE School, the first free, online portfolio programme for aspiring Black creatives. Established in 2020, ONE School has graduated 130+ students to date, who are working in some of the industry’s best creative departments. He lives in New York with his family.