DJ CHINUA
Brand strategy, creative direction, event coordination, project management, leadership
In 11 years in event creation, curation, & coordination as well as 15 years of experience in education & ed leadership, I have demonstrated a pattern of replicable success and innovation in multiple industries, providing project stewardship, creative problem solving, and culturally informed brand development focusing on authentic storytelling, market positioning, feedback collection & application, and consistent high quality execution.
As founder, resident DJ, brand strategist, content and copy creator, and project manager, my event Ascendance has become perhaps the most influential underground nightlife event in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Since our founding in 2017, I have led a collective of 4-7 creatives in hosting community events averaging 600-800 attendees, primarily consisting of our target demographic of Black and Brown Gen Zers and Millennials, with specific emphasis on woman and LGBTQ+ populations.
Through my then nascent DJ career and presence in the nightlife scene as a clubgoer and patron, I identified a number of gaps in party offerings in New Orleans at the time: most importantly the lack of spaces where women and members of the LGBTQ+ community (in particular of color) feel safe that also feel fun and celebratory.
In addition, close attention to social media and broader cultural trends indicated that as Millennials were beginning our 30s and Gen Z was aging into nightlife, a surge in interest around the zodiac created an untapped opportunity to create an authentic and unique experience that centers both this underserved group and topic of interest.
As creative director, brand strategist, project manager, and lead programmer, across the last 7 years I have led Ascendance to become a consistent and important presence in New Orleans nightlife, balancing a strong and uncompromising dedication to culture, community, and safety with authentic brand expression and innovation, featuring events as varied as backyard music video premieres, festival afterparties, a talk with a US Representative, Mardi Gras balls, and COVID-19 quarantine zoom events (which reached a peak of ~2,000 attendees across all platforms).
Through community and culture work with Ascendance as well as other opportunities in my creative and professional careers, I have had the distinct privilege of collaboration with many brands and organizations, local, national, and international. Highlights include:
4 year creative partnership with Red Bull
3 year event collaboration and residency at Ace Hotel
3 years serving as creative director and event curator for official Essence Fest after party (twice in collaboration with AFROPUNK)
2 years as resident DJ and event curator for Solange Knowles’ Saint Heron Proclamation dance parties
Programming curation at New Orleans African American Museum
Brand strategy consulting for Fierce & Kind spirits
