2021 was a year of evolution,
a year of transition, a year of adaptation,
a year of re-imagination,
a year of deep transformation.
For our company, we officially became worker-owned in July, with an inaugural group of five co-owners. We are eternally grateful for our consultants at ICA Group, who worked with us every step of the way to make our dream of becoming a worker-owned company a reality. And on that subject…
We could not be more excited to announce three new owners! With the addition of Jacqueline Devine, our Artist and Influencer Engagement manager; Keri Goff, our Associate Creative Director; and Sonjia Hyon, our Senior Director of Operations, to our ownership team, we now have eight owners — 44% of the company — which is a monumental step forward in our goal of being majority worker-owned. We have always believed in true equity, and the addition of new owners is fundamental to that vision. We have also been blessed this year to expand our team, and the new additions have added new, appreciated perspectives and incredible skillsets.
WELCOME THE NEW CO-OWNERS
And just like our company, the way we tell stories continues to evolve: all year long, we worked to stay pragmatic in our execution and steadfast in our delivery. When circumstances called for it, we worked in deep collaboration with our partners to convert in-person events to virtual ones (and at times, back to in-person), facilitating powerful conversations, holding space for artistic expressions and finding new ways to expand audiences within the ever-changing reality of this time.
As a company rooted in storytelling, and one that resolutely believes in its power, we also have been searching for ways to expand the ways in which we tell stories. This is what led us to launch our first-ever Storyteller in Residence program. Created to support the work of voices rarely amplified, we’ll be inviting two storytellers to join us as collaborators as we embark on this journey over the next year. Not only will this uplift essential voices, we hope it will also deepen our own storytelling work.
Things aren’t back to normal, whatever that might’ve meant, and they probably never will be. But we also can’t afford for them to be, and nor should it be the goal — “normal” prioritized too few and marginalized, disenfranchised and harmed too many. The goal is restoration. The goal is joy. The goal is the creation of what’s next, and that should forever be rooted in equity, compassion and authenticity.
Our deepest gratitude to our partners, collaborators, vendors, friends, families and everyone else who helped us push the limits in 2021. Without you, we couldn’t do the work we are honored to do.
Here’s to 2022.
THE SOZE CO-OWNERSHIP TEAM
2021 HIGHLIGHTS
We were honored to work on projects and participate in campaigns that were fueled by compassion, authenticity and equity — our three core values. We have the privilege of only doing work we believe in and that we’re proud of, and without our incredible clients and partners it wouldn’t be possible.
Here are some highlights from the past year:
CEASEFIREPA
We worked with CeaseFirePA, a gun violence prevention coalition, to rebrand their organization to better reflect the work they do as well as mirror the communities they serve. Working in close collaboration with the CFPA leadership team, their board and their partners, we updated the entire brand — a package that included a new logo, a full communication guide and a new website — in a way that honored the people most impacted by this critical issue. * New branding not yet launched
CENTER FOR CULTURAL POWER / CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT LAB
In collaboration with the Center for Cultural Power and Cultural Engagement Lab, we created the Cultural Power Lab, with the goal of inspiring conversation and civic participation through art and content created by people with proximity to issues and communities. To drive these conversations, we created three cohorts of artists, activists, creators and influencers from key target markets — rotated every three months — to amplify the artistic work of the organization and the artists who created it. The combined reach of this project was over 10 million impressions, with 40+ influencers participating throughout the year.
FUTURO MEDIA
In September 2021, we partnered with Futuro Media Group to produce their first virtual event for the We Imagine…Us Project — a kick-off to their first ever fiction podcast series, The Long Way Around. Hosted by Futuro’s founder and president, Maria Hinojosa, we were deeply honored to produce an event focused on racial solidarity and equity., The event gathered a diverse group of community and thought leaders to share their visions for a reimagined future through intimate interviews and panel discussion.
FWD.US | IMMIGRANT HERITAGE MONTH
In 2014, we partnered with FWD.us to launch Immigrant Heritage Month. Within a year, President Obama declared June officially as Immigrant Heritage Month, and ever since, it’s become one of our signature campaigns — expanding and evolving each year. In 2021, we developed a uniquely curated Immigrant Heritage Month “story box” that was sent to those who’ve supported over the years, which included books, food, self-care items and more. The reverberation of this project led to social media posts reaching more than 300 million people and, perhaps just as importantly, we were able to support over a dozen small businesses, led or founded by immigrants or children of immigrants, in the process of constructing each box.
For IHM 2021, we also created a multi-city out-of-home advertising campaign, using many of the celebrity photographs we have taken in years’ past. The striking art direction on murals, wallscapes, wheatpasting, one-sheeters, transit shelters, street kiosks, and billboards in Times Square, showcased the diverse, essential and creative contributions provided by immigrants through a highly visible, creative campaign.
Additionally, we collaborated with 25 creators on TikTok and Instagram to uplift their immigrant heritage stories and inspire their audience to share theirs’ as well. These creators had a combined reach of over 30 million followers, and collectively had almost 5 million views across all videos.
FWD.US | TULSA BLACK WALL STREET LEGACY FESTIVAL
In partnership with the Terence Crutcher Foundation, we had the privilege of co-producing the Black Wall Street Legacy Fest commemorating the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre this past May. Attended by over 50,000 people and broadcasted live, we helped to produce a multi-day summit and public festival in Tulsa’s historic Greenwood neighborhood.
We curated various programmed events within the summit and public festival that featured community leaders, artists, politicians, and members of the Tulsa community. All of the programming explored urgent issues, ranging from the needs of those still living with the everyday consequences of the massacre, to the erasure of essential history, to the state and future of Black Wall Street.
Joining us in the uplifting of Black Wall Street massacre survivors, Mother Randel, Viola Fletcher and Hughes Van Ellis, were Alfre Woodard, Jay Ellis, Rep. Cori Bush, Ben Crump, Brittany Packnett-Cunningham, Pastor Mike Todd, and many more!
GALAXY GIVES | SCHOOL LUNCH FOR ALL
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, we partnered with Galaxy Gives to launch School Lunch For All, with the goal of ending school lunch debt and ensuring long-term access to school meals for all students in America. Since launching in 2020, the necessity to provide school meals for all students has only intensified. To respond to that need, we doubled down on our efforts — we supported the California team that successfully passed a law providing universal school meals for all K–12 students throughout the state this past summer, which was quickly followed by a similar law in Maine; we backed and amplified efforts to secure and expand school meal waivers, which ensured schools’ abilities to provide unrestricted meal access to students through the 2021–2022 school year; we co-created works of art with a group of students and established artists to tell the story and impact of school nutrition on our young people’s well being and development; and finally, along with artist/muralist Aliyah Paulsingh, the American Federation of Teachers, FreshFarm’s FoodPrints, and Congressman Jamaal Bowman, we visited Kimball Elementary School in Washington DC in November, to amplify the work of our partners on the ground and the importance of long term, guaranteed, and unrestricted access to healthy school meals for each and every K–12 student in this country. The work is far from over but we are excited to take things to the next level in 2022 and expand our partnerships as we push towards a future enveloped in equity and justice.
GIRLS WHO CODE | MARSHALL PLAN FOR MOMS
COVID-19 changed the way we work unlike anything in decades, and the impact it had on moms in the workforce was catastrophic. To ensure that moms were centered in this new reality of work, we were hired by Girls Who Code to help create the Marshall Plan for Moms. The extended storytelling campaign featured a large-scale story collection process, which captured the diverse experiences of moms, both in the traditional and non-traditional workplaces and at home. This allowed us to share stories with press partners, build out a broad coalition, and support on the creation of the Workplaces Work for Mom playbook, changing the overarching narrative and helping to drive deeply needed support for moms, women and others.
GOOGLE | CREATIVITY STARTS FROM WITHIN
We partnered with Google this fall to produce “Creativity Starts From Within: Accessibility for a More Innovative World.” Our collective goal was to spotlight the creative power of the disability community and the role of technology in creating a more accessible world for everyone. Hosted by Jezz Chung, we curated a vibrant and diverse lineup of live musical and visual performances, video profiles of designer Jessica Oddi and painter Raul Pizarro, a panel conversation moderated with community advocates and more. By centering disabled people who adapt and innovate in an often-inaccessible world, we illustrated how artists and creators can be partners and collaborators while reimagining technology’s possibilities — highlighting many of Google’s tools and products that support this community in the process.
HBO | EYES ON THE PRIZE: HALLOWED GROUND
In September, coinciding with the release of HBO’s documentary, “Eyes On The Prize: Hallowed Ground,” directed by Sophia Nahli Allison, we produced a cultural summit of reflection, release, and response to create spaces for Black audiences to consider both recent and past movements of Black liberation through the lens of collective healing.
The event had clear intentions: to highlight Black women and their transformative contributions to culture and liberation movements; to draw HBCU audiences interested in themes of justice and equity; and solidify the director of the documentary, Sophia Nahli Allison, as the critically-acclaimed, genre-transcending artist and filmmaker that she is.
As part of the summit, we collaborated with We The Urban — a media platform focused on celebrating inclusivity, self-love, and marginalized voices, developed a customized website to host the event, and worked with various influencers who live tweeted throughout the event.
HBO | SIMPLE AS WATER
In November 2021, we partnered with HBO to produce two private dinner-and-screenings for the documentary “Simple As Water,” directed by Academy Award winner, Megan Mylan — a film about the impact of war through the lens of Syrian families.
Hosted by Maytha Alhassen in Los Angeles, and Paola Mendoza in New York, the events focused on the importance of uplifting the stories of refugees, migrants and immigrants, and featured conversations between the filmmakers, people featured in the film and organization leaders, holding space for the invited audiences in both locations.
In honor of the film, we produced the “Family Knows No Borders” art installation in NYC’s Battery Park, a pop-up that encouraged members of the general public to write messages of support for refugees or tell their own stories about their families and how they got to the United States.
We are honored to have had some of the leading voices and influencers in the family separation and refugee crises in attendance at both events and sharing about the installation on social media.
JUSTLEADERSHIPUSA | #JUSTUS
In partnership with JustLeadershipUSA, The Soze Agency launched the #JustUs campaign to provide a platform for allies and supporters of criminal justice reform to call for federal and state legislatures to protect the incarcerated population in the U.S. — specifically in times of a pandemic or natural/man-made disaster.
The #JustUs campaign was amplified on billboards across the country to draw attention to the issue and urge people to take action. The campaign launched ahead of Rebuilding the Table, a two-day virtual event to accompany the 2020 Democratic National Convention.
Additionally, after developing the Kentucky Mobilization Report to lay out engagement opportunities for recently re-enfranchised Kentuckians, The Soze Agency partnered with local leaders and organizations to execute the #JusticeVotesKY campaign. As a localized arm of JustLeadershipUSA’s national #JusticeVotes campaign, the Kentucky-focused efforts brought to life the strategy laid out in the report.
LITTLETON ROAD PRODUCTIONS | FOR THE PATIENTS
Often overlooked, patients’ rights are an issue that impacts millions of people each year — a theme central to Littleton Road Productions’ and Peacock’s series “Dr. Death,” based on the podcast series of the same name.
For the release of this critically acclaimed television show, we developed a public awareness campaign about the rights of patients, which was called “For The Patients.” Through content supported by research and expert advice, the campaign was a call to action for patient-centered care that empowers the public with the tools and resources they need to engage their doctors, medical institutions and political representatives.
Centering the themes and events of the show, we developed and implemented a long-form storytelling campaign to highlight the issue, which included a full social media effort — including dozens of creative assets that explained the issues of patient safety, how to research your doctor and hospitals, and what to do if you've experienced harm as a patient.
NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR INCARCERATED AND FORMERLY INCARCERATED WOMEN AND GIRLS
In partnership with the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls, we launched a multi-pronged, integrated cultural campaign calling on the Biden Administration to grant clemency to 100 women in the first 100 days of their time in office. We created out-of-home assets, a series of short videos showcasing the stories of a group of women from the campaign — featuring commissioned artwork from Russell Craig and narration by Mahogany L. Browne — virtual programming, social media assets and a digital hub to highlight more stories of women at the forefront of our campaign.
A major highlight was in March of this year, when we produced a public event in Washington DC, just steps from the White House, which featured remarks from Andrea James, Rep. Cori Bush, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley and a performance from Resistance Revival Chorus, drawing notable media coverage from CNN, NPR, Forbes, USA Today, and many more!
THE NATIONAL DOMESTIC WORKERS ALLIANCE | CARE CAN’T WAIT SUMMIT
Produced for The Care Can’t Wait Coalition, led by The National Domestic Workers Alliance, “The Care Can’t Wait Summit” convened individuals and stakeholders across the United States to build a stronger, broader base of support for public investment in the caregiving industry as part of the COVID-19 recovery plan. Broadcasted virtually, the event had over 300,000 viewers, garnered millions of impressions and featured an incredible lineup of speakers and performers, including Vice President Kamala Harris, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Amy Schumer, Cristela Alonzo, Dawn-Lyen Gardner, Academy Award Winner Jon Batiste, India.Arie, Ai-jen Poo, former NFL player Devon Still, and many more.
THE NEW JERSEY COUNCIL OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES
To promote equity within the higher education system, the New Jersey Council of County Colleges created the Community College Opportunity Grant, providing people who qualify with access to a free community college education in the state. To ensure that the opportunity was visible to as many prospective students as possible, we created a statewide, integrated creative campaign, which included social, digital, radio, video and out-of-home ads, a promotional materials toolkit — both for the industry and employment sector leaders and for government agencies — a website, email marketing, and new branding for the campaign.
NATIONAL IMMIGRATION LAW CENTER + RESILIENCE FORCE | IMMIGRANTS ARE ESSENTIAL
Since May 2020, we’ve had the honor of working on Immigrants are Essential, an ongoing campaign led by the National Immigration Law Center and Resilience Force. Using a variety of storytelling techniques — including a full digital campaign with hundreds of original artist commissions, out-of-home advertising, public art pop-ups and more — the campaign is dedicated to uplifting the stories and importance of immigrant essential workers. Since its inception, the campaign’s central focus has been to center the stories of immigrants who are essential to driving economic, climate, and social recovery in this country. This past January, we created an out-of-home campaign in Washington, DC to coincide with President Biden’s inauguration, blanketing the capital with the message that “Immigrants Are Essential”; and in October, we created an interactive exhibit at The National Mall, allowing thousands of people to leave moving messages of hope for immigrants, among many other highlights.
RIGHT OF RETURN FELLOWSHIP
In partnership with our co-chairs, acclaimed artists, Jesse Krimes and Russell Craig, The Right of Return fellowship officially launched its fourth year, continuing as the the only fellowship dedicated to exclusively funding formerly incarcerated artists. Due to generous new funding from the Mellon Foundation, the Art for Justice Fund and Open Philanthropy Project, the fellowship program will continue to invest in formerly incarcerated artists — supporting the creation of original works produced in partnership with advocates and organizers to further legal system transformation efforts.
THE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE ON CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS | VISION FOR JUSTICE
To underscore the racial and economic oppression woven into the fabric of our society, we produced a virtual summit with The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and Civil Rights Corps to amplify their Vision for Justice platform. Open to the public, the summit featured more than 30 of the most respected, trusted organizers, civic leaders, activists and directly impacted people who have been doing the work to end mass incarceration (including the late Michael K. Williams) — ultimately engaging thousands of live viewers from 13 different countries.
VITAL STRATEGIES
We started working with Vital Strategies in 2020 on various COVID-19 communications-related projects. This year, we supported the public health organization on two important projects. In the first part of 2021, we helped to update the organization’s tagline, which was developed after months of strategy, messaging and focus group feedback, launched at the end of October in the “Reimagine Public Health” campaign.
We also worked with their Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) program team to produce the #CountingEveryone creative campaign that shed light on the necessity of developing strong, coordinated civil registration programs in countries with historically low rates of recording birth and deaths. For the campaign, we produced, edited and directed three videos shot in three different countries — Bangladesh, Colombia and Rwanda — along with full digital assets and additional collateral.
YOGA ALLIANCE
Yoga Alliance fosters an expansive, accessible and equitable yoga community. We partnered with Yoga Alliance to create the #AllForYoga campaign — a multi-phase digital storytelling campaign that allows teachers and practitioners to connect, share experiences and learnings and more. We continued our work with Yoga Alliance, supporting on long-term strategic planning, and are currently working on a very exciting project that will launch in 2022.
MINDEROO FOUNDATION | #NOPLASTICWASTE
To highlight the plastic pollution crisis facing our oceans, we developed the #NoPlasticWaste campaign for the Minderoo Foundation in 2019, evolving the multi-channel effort in 2021 to be more expansive, educational and actionable. Central to these efforts was the launch of the Plastic Waste Makers Index — the first report to ever track the companies creating, and funding the creation of, plastic waste — which allowed the campaign to name the companies who are contributing the most to global problem of plastic waste.
WE’RE PROUD TO WORK WITH ALL OUR AMAZING CLIENTS AND PARTNERS
NEW TEAM MEMBERS
Liliana Avila
Liliana Avila works in the operations department as the Junior Manager. Liliana began her career working with non-profit organizations, community leaders, elected officials such as Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, San Joaquin Valley Health Fund, Black Child Legacy Campaign, Listos California, the Department of Sound, Governor Gavin Newsom Inauguration and more.
Liliana received her B.A. in Public Relations and Spanish from Hofstra University in 2016. She is currently completing her masters degree at the New School where she is studying International Affairs with a concentration in Social Justice and City Development. Her studies are focused on agricultural labor rights, labor organizing movements and immigrant rights.
Jubilee Cho
Jubilee Cho (she/her) is a visual designer and photographer based in Seattle that is passionate about using design as a tool for advocacy, storytelling and moving the people and culture forward. Jubilee is a recent graduate from the University of Washington who received her Bachelor degree in Visual Communication Design and Law, Societies and Justice.
Prior to Soze, Jubilee has worked with non-profit organizations, start ups, local Seattle creatives, and practices freelance for design + photo. Jubilee is passionate about using her work to uplift women of color in the creative industry, advocate for accessible mental health + wellness, and bringing narratives and stories to life.
Anjali Gupta
Anjali Gupta is a creative strategist who believes in the power of storytelling to spark meaningful change. From building 360° advertising campaigns for major brands to developing DE&I initiatives and freelancing for nonprofits, she is driven to make a difference through inclusive, purpose-driven work.
Prior to joining the Soze team as Associate Strategy Director, she worked at Group Nine Media and The Marketing Arm. She is a passionate advocate for equity in creative spaces, a voracious pop culture enthusiast, and a lifelong learner at heart.
Melissa June
Melissa is a Senior Associate working in Operations. She is a keen researcher, advocate for mental health, and problem-solver. She has a strong passion for helping others especially those at an economic and psychological disadvantage. Over the years she has been able to work in various settings delivering behavior therapy, facilitating support groups, researching advances in Autism resources, and mentoring athletes. With a complex background, she believes that the bottom line of every industry is people and ensuring everyone’s voices are heard as we work toward progress
Melissa aims to use her skills at an Operational level to assure organization, collaboration and processes create space for growth and success. She graduated with a B.S. from Villanova University in Cognitive and Behavior Neuroscience and a minor in Psychology and recently completed her Masters in Psychology from Queens College.
Zach Norman
Zach is a graphic designer and illustrator who believes in the power of stories. Prior to Soze, Zach has worked as brand designer and freelance illustrator, creating visuals for awareness campaigns and visual identities for non-profit organizations.
His father, a community organizer, taught him the importance of addressing issues with what you’ve got. So, Zach is devoted to using his creative skills to promote educational equity, support marginalized communities, and help share stories that go unheard. Zach grew up in Anderson, SC and received his B.F.A. from SCAD, Savannah.
Alicia Torres
Alicia is an Associate Producer working on the Experiential team. With a passion for representing black and brown communities within the marketing industry, Alicia brings experience in project management and producing. Prior to The Soze Agency, Alicia began her career journey at CSM working on numerous integrated accounts in the Sport + Entertainment world.
Alicia earned her B.S. in Sport Management at Syracuse University, and hopes to continue to provide spaces for first generation college students.