Claima Stories with Bimma

James Whitner is a streetwear entrepreneur whose inspirational story is rooted in hard work and the hustler’s mentality. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, James grew up in the projects during the crack epidemic, where he saw  drugs tear families and communities apart including his own. A victim of homelessness while taking care of his younger brother, found himself in constant survival mode. Standing 6’4 at 13 years old, he found basketball which would be his focus and sanctuary until a career injury put his hoop dreams on hold. 

James went to the streets and started hustling, until his mid 20s. Deciding to move to North Carolina for an opportunity and putting the street life behind him. James then went to college where he applied his street knowledge to getting a degree in Business Administration. He opened his first store and it was a diamond in the rough so to speak. But as a black man who understood business, street culture, and how to grind, James had no choice but to make it work. The streetwear scene was starting to grow and James wanted to be a part of it inspired by his legal past, having to call his probation officer to even attend trade shows. But not even a week after he got off probation, James went straight to Japan

With the idea of selling jeans. Once he figured out how that worked, he came up with the idea for Social Status. With 5 store locations, he made sure that people understood the importance of the south in the streetwear community when many didn’t believe in him. He moved to Atlanta and opened A Man Maniere, luxury for the street kids. Which leads us to the amazing A Man Maniere Jordan 3, a love letter to black women.

About Claima Stories with Bimma:

 Former Nike Marketer, Bimma Williams interviews leading and emerging BIPOC creatives about how they were able to break into the notoriously guarded creative and sneaker industries. From these stories, listeners will learn how to claim their dream careers. Featuring Melody Ehsani, Jeff Staple, and James Whitner. Listen and Subscribe now.

 Subscribe: 

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claimastories/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/claimastories

James Whitner shares story about creating his own denim

 About Claima Stories with Bimma:

 Former Nike Marketer, Bimma Williams interviews leading and emerging BIPOC creatives about how they were able to break into the notoriously guarded creative and sneaker industries. From these stories, listeners will learn how to claim their dream careers. Featuring Melody Ehsani, Jeff Staple, and James Whitner. Listen and Subscribe now.

 Subscribe: 

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claimastories/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/claimastories

Laci Jordan is an artist and creative director from Huntsville, Alabama currently living in Los Angeles that has worked with Jordan Brand, Adobe, Skillshare and so many more. Raised by southern parents, her dad, a plastics engineer from Tennessee and her mother, a Jill of All Trades with roots in the church, Laci was introduced to creativity before she even realized it.

Her mother was a resourceful woman who used her gift of crafting to paint Santa Clauses black, to make sure that Laci had representation in the household, while her father would fiddle and fix electronics all over the house. With older brothers, Laci was a tomboy with an engrained love for sneakers, and a super involved kid in all things from track to marching band( yes, marching band is a sport) to working ever since she was 14.

That hard work would lead Laci to the University of Alabama where she would major in Criminal Justice with FBI dreams, but her creativity always shined through. While in school, Laci was introduced to Disney recruiters that would lead to a summer internship in Orlando. Not really feeling it, Laci returned home, where she would be an IT analyst at her old middle school. With no options back home and desperate to get out of Huntsville, she applied for any creative gig at Disney in LA.

About Claima Stories with Bimma:

 Former Nike Marketer, Bimma Williams interviews leading and emerging BIPOC creatives about how they were able to break into the notoriously guarded creative and sneaker industries. From these stories, listeners will learn how to claim their dream careers. Featuring Melody Ehsani, Jeff Staple, and James Whitner. Listen and Subscribe now.

Subscribe: 

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claimastories/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/claimastories

Laci Jordan shares story about designing for Jordan Brand

About Claima Stories with Bimma:

 Former Nike Marketer, Bimma Williams interviews leading and emerging BIPOC creatives about how they were able to break into the notoriously guarded creative and sneaker industries. From these stories, listeners will learn how to claim their dream careers. Featuring Melody Ehsani, Jeff Staple, and James Whitner. Listen and Subscribe now.

 Subscribe:  

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claimastories/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/claimastories

Anthony Supreme is the founder of Preme Magazine. His work in filmmaking and photography has taken him from Monroe, North Carolina all the way to Los Angeles. A natural go getter and finally finding a creative outlet, he began shooting and editing music videos for local artists in the city. His hustle and talent would allow him the opportunities to shoot some southern legends, including Gucci Mane. 

It wasn’t until he met a peer  who helped him learn the craft of filmmaking and videography that Anthony really started to hone in on what was important to him, and when it became too much to balance studying social work and his rising creative career, another mentor who looked like him, would encourage him to commit 100% to what makes him happy. 

After some personal struggles, Anthony packed his cameras and drove from Charlotte to LA,  literally developing skills as a photographer on the way. Once he arrived in LA, the work continued eventually leading him to work closely with North Carolina hero, J.Cole.

About Claima Stories with Bimma:

 Former Nike Marketer, Bimma Williams interviews leading and emerging BIPOC creatives about how they were able to break into the notoriously guarded creative and sneaker industries. From these stories, listeners will learn how to claim their dream careers. Featuring Melody Ehsani, Jeff Staple, and James Whitner. Listen and Subscribe now.

 Subscribe: 

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claimastories/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/claimastories

Anthony shares story about capturing J. Cole’s album cover.

About Claima Stories with Bimma:

Former Nike Marketer, Bimma Williams interviews leading and emerging BIPOC creatives about how they were able to break into the notoriously guarded creative and sneaker industries. From these stories, listeners will learn how to claim their dream careers. Featuring Melody Ehsani, Jeff Staple, and James Whitner. Listen and Subscribe now.

Subscribe: 

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claimastories/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/claimastories

Fabi Reyna, creator and Editor in Chief of She Shreds, a magazine dedicated to shining a light and giving a platform to femme guitarists. 

Raised in Austin, Texas, Fabi lived with her single mom, who worked four jobs to make sure that her daughter was able to spread her wings and try new things. From sports to a variety of different camps, it was a music program that felt like home to Fabi.  Music would become a guiding force in her life.  

At 17, Fabi deferred college twice, joined an all femme band, and toured the country. This would spark the idea for the groundbreaking magazine and media platform, She Shreds. Seeing the need for community and support for women  and annoyed by  the images of women in the guitar community that  were hyper sexualized. 

She started She Shreds in 2012, with no real idea how to make a magazine, but she felt emotionally drawn to the task. Fabi Reyna dedication to the art of guitar playing and making sure that women, queer, and BIPOC communities are properly represented and treated fairly. 

About Claima Stories with Bimma: 

Former Nike Marketer, Bimma Williams interviews leading and emerging BIPOC creatives about how they were able to break into the notoriously guarded creative and sneaker industries. From these stories, listeners will learn how to claim their dream careers. Featuring Melody Ehsani, Jeff Staple, and James Whitner. Listen and Subscribe now. 

Subscribe: 

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claimastories/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/claimastories

Fabi Reyna shares a story about the representation of women in media.

Former Nike Marketer, Bimma Williams interviews leading and emerging BIPOC creatives about how they were able to break into the notoriously guarded creative and sneaker industries. From these stories, listeners will learn how to claim their dream careers. Featuring Melody Ehsani, Jeff Staple, and James Whitner.

Listen and Subscribe now.

Subscribe: 

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claimastories/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/claimastories

Derek Ali, also known as MixedByAli, is the resident sound engineer for TDE, and founder of Engine Ears. He’s worked with everyone from Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, YG, Mac Miller, SZA, Baby Keem, and many more of today’s industry leading artists. 

Born and Raised in Gardena, California, Ali was raised by his grandparents in a Polish household, where the Eastern European culture runs deep. Although he’s now a well established entrepreneur, Ali’s first hustle in high school was making ringtones for his friends for $20. Unconsciously, this is when he would be introduced to his dream career. 

As a teenager, Ali played Defensive End on his high school football team, even played alongside his future TDE family, SchoolBoy Q. However, after a career ending injury, he was drawn back to music and eventually found himself at Top Dawg’s house through an invite from Dave Free. This would lead to him working with Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, and Jay Rock in the beginning of their careers. 

As Ali became more immersed in becoming the best engineer he could be with mentorship from Dr. Dre, he found himself in a family of driven people that did nothing but fuel his drive to be the very best.  Surrounding himself with likeminded people led him on a journey that would take him all over the world. Eventually, he would strike out on his own to found Engine Ears.

About Claima Stories with Bimma:

Former Nike Marketer, Bimma Williams interviews leading and emerging BIPOC creatives about how they were able to break into the notoriously guarded creative and sneaker industries. From these stories, listeners will learn how to claim their dream careers. Featuring Melody Ehsani, Jeff Staple, and James Whitner. Listen and Subscribe now.

Subscribe: 

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claimastories/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/claimastories

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claimastories/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/claimastories