From the Nominator

""What does it mean to be Black in business?"⁠ 

The 2021 Black History Month social media campaign at the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business passed the mic to our Black students. This campaign serves as a model of a creative process that empowered rather than perpetuated “oppression porn.” We took high-quality studio photographs of each subject and ran them on Instagram in black and white. Each subject had their chosen word behind them in Hawkeye gold for their first image, followed by several more portraits showing different dimensions and depth of their personalities. 

The campaign received strong positive feedback from current students, alumni, faculty, staff, and social media colleagues outside the university. It also met our goal of humanizing a portion of our student population who has expressed feeling underrepresented, unseen, and unheard. The campaign also provided a platform of visibility so prospective students could picture themselves at the college."

From the Judges

This candidate did an incredible job of utilizing DEI business student ambassadors at every step of the process. This made the piece raw and engaging to the intended audience and added authenticity.