Join Us in Sponsoring ONE School for Black Creatives

If you are an agency owner/executive or marketing leader at your company, this blog is for you. It’s our request for you to join us in supporting ONE School. Please read on.

The events of 2020 had a profound effect on many people and businesses. Ongoing expressions of racism in our culture that often went ignored by silent majorities were brought to the forefront. As human beings and business leaders, we were stunned and left looking for answers. 

Thanks to a passionate, thoughtful team within our business, TriComB2B began to take steps that moved us from bystanders to active participants in the fight against racism. 

Advertising has failed Blacks and minorities

Part of our efforts required us to look inwardly at our company and ultimately at our industry. With more than 40 team members, we employ only two Black associates. As industries, marketing and advertising fail minorities.

• Only 3% of CMOs are Black. 
• There are only two Black chief creative officers in the major global holding agencies. 
• 11% of industry jobs are filled by minority ethnic people.
• Of the 28,000 members of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), only 6% are Black. 

Systemic bias in our hiring processes and prohibitive costs (a two-year portfolio school can cost $40,000) are to blame.

Creating access for a new generation of Black creatives

One organization has set out to directly address these failings through an amazing program called ONE School, part of the nonprofit The One Club for Creativity. ONE School is an online portfolio school designed exclusively to give a new generation of Black creatives FREE access to some of the industry’s best talent. Working on briefs developed by the industry’s top professionals, students receive hands-on, one-on-one tutoring from Black creatives, lecturers and mentors. Upon completion, they have a top- shelf portfolio and are connected with Black mentors who can help them to build their professional networks. This exclusive school enrolls only 15 students per city. This spring, 60 students will be selected to participate in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago.

TriComB2B is thrilled to be one of a handful of companies sponsoring a Black student’s participation in ONE School. In addition to our financial contribution, we’ll also provide a six-week mentoring opportunity for an applicant who was not accepted to ONE School.

Call us to learn more about ONE School

Positive change in fighting racism is happening, and you don’t need to look hard to find ways to be part of it. Consider this blog an open invitation to other marketing agencies and organizations to join us in our support of ONE School’s expansion. Our industry falls well short in creating access for Blacks and other minorities. Given the lack of representation, it’s our obligation to create more opportunities.

Call Chris Eifert or John Buscemi to learn more about our involvement and get connected to ONE School.