This fundraising event for a criminal justice reform organization celebrated the last decade of the organization as well as the release of a documentary about its work.

The experience is two things at once: one of my tightest accomplishments and one of the toughest professional experience I’ve had. Putting this together was chaotic and tense, and I ultimately lost money on the project. But att the end of the night I had grown closer to Ebony and Nico (my co-creators), we hosted a creative show featuring an award-winning documentarian and civil rights leaders, and attendees enjoyed the night.

We created scripts, a full run of show, a gallery wall featuring physical photos from the last ten years, and video-mapped a wall with digital images and an animated Lady Justice.

I’m incorporating things I tried (and accomplished that night) now at a different scale, I actively practice things that prevent myself from acting in the way that their leadership did towards the team, and I’ve deepened relationships with some of my co-creators from that time.

AVL by Kagan Entertainment. Co-created by Gideon’s Promise staff and volunteers, Nico Giles, Ebony Willis, and me.