Who we are

Mr. Belletire, our design principle and head of IDSA at SIUC, was an absolute honor to work with. I entered the program with zeal and quickly fell in love with it. He fostered a sense of community among my classmates, creating a family of brothers and sisters. He allowed me to spend countless nights studying and working in the blue barracks. He recognized my efforts with the highest leadership and design awards and stood by me at the Midwestern Conference, alongside my parents, as I represented SIUC.

In honor of him, I had the privilege to work at Insight Product Development, Fossil Inc., and Inventables within two years of leaving SIUC. Though we didn't have the large budget of schools like CCS or Art Center, I am deeply grateful and honored by what we achieved. Thank you, sir, for your guidance—it was an honor to serve under him and to bless all his students. Without the support of the entire school, I wouldn't have made it here.

Mr. Charles Harrison was both my mentor and like a father to me. In 2002, because of him, I was awarded the OBD Portfolio Excellence Contest, receiving an Apple eMac, which kickstarted my design career. He sat down with me and critiqued my entire portfolio. To honor him, Steve Bellitire, and Vernon Lockhart, I concluded my SIUC career with the IDSA Merit Award, Ricker Ziebold Trust finalist recognition, REACH Award, SIUC IDSA Student Chapter President role, and served as Chicago Chapter IDSA Secretary (2004). I was invited into his home like a son, where I had the privilege of asking him questions about design, family, and diversity. He was an honorable man to my family and the co-founder of all I have achieved.

My mentor for the past 19 years and the current president of Project Osmosis is Mr. Lockhart. Without him and the Organization of Black Designers, I wouldn't be where I am today, and my gifts might not have flourished. They helped make my dreams come true. In 2006, I was honored with the OBD Alumni Award. Although I was in a different state, my mother spoke and received the award on my behalf. Mr. Lockhart has allowed me to serve on the Board of Project Osmosis, and I am fully committed to its initiative.

Without Senior Pastors Mike and Kathy Hayes, and Gordon and Derozette Banks, I would not have discovered my God-given calling. After my time at Fossil, I sat with Pastor Banks, who listened to my story and spoke into my life. They opened the door for me as a substitute teacher at American Heritage Academy. I passed my first test and was promoted to Full-Time Art Teacher, PE Teacher, and Middle School Basketball Coach. I was blessed with mentors whom I have remained close to, always striving to heed their guidance. Pastor Mike and Kathy took a big chance on me, entrusting me with the responsibility of leading the families at their school. What a profound responsibility I had to embrace as a Christian, learning as I went.

They also gave me my first opportunity in marketing, designing advertisements for Easter at the American Airlines Center, working with cameras, and spending over four years under Pastor Charles Rosson, fostering congregational encouragement, edification, and comfort. To abandon my calling now would be unthinkable. I am deeply grateful for the leadership and mentorship that continue to guide me to this day.

We had a small church in Marietta, GA, and I was under the transitional leadership of Pastors Schreiner, Oliver, Walker, and McDaniels. I had the opportunity to serve each pastor in various capacities, learning respect along the way. They allowed me to heal, grow, and contribute to the Marietta community. If you look at the picture the slideshow was all we had.

• Served by preaching during our Feed the Homeless Wednesday gatherings and being of the fellowship.
• Allowed to preach at the Shepards House 
• Responsible for the prayer booth at the Marietta Thrift Store (Rauses).
• Responsible for branding our Christian educational courses.
• Managed the website.
• Created presentations for our Sunday worship services.
• Led Sunday worship with songs selected by Rev. Ken McDaniels.

Since moving to Chicago in 2015, Rev. Ken and Sylvia McDaniels have sent me daily devotionals and words of encouragement, like faithful parents. Though 60% of our congregation was elderly, I flourished, feeling more like a son than just the 'talented one.'

I am grateful to the Evangelical Methodist Church for allowing me to serve and for guiding me through the many difficult situations I faced. Their leadership was instrumental in my growth.

• Learning through affordable discipleship courses.
• Become part of the media team.
• Serve as the steward of the virtual worship services every Sunday.

I am both humbled and honored to have a church home. As I get older, and after my parents passing, GriefShare, my leaders, and having a solid foundation in Chicago have been 95% of my support every Sunday. The other 5% is just me getting up and making sure I’m there. Thank you so much. 

When I came home, our Emeritus sat down with me and my parents at my family's church during one of the most difficult tests of my life. He said something to me and my parents that I have done my best to follow to this day. As he retired from leadership, I looked at the slides and knew I could handle them, drawing from my past experiences and calling. With our newly appointed Senior Pastor, I was given the opportunity to:

• Learn through discipleship courses (I couldn’t afford seminary due to my college debts and family responsibilities).
• Become part of the media team.
• Serve as the steward of the virtual worship services every Sunday.

I am both humbled and honored to have a church home. As I get older, and with my parents passing, Grief Share, my leaders, and having a solid foundation in Chicago have been 95% of my support every Sunday. The other 5% is just me getting up and making sure I’m there. Thank you so much. 

In 2005, driven by a desire to learn God's Word from A to Z, I told God I would use my hands for the rest of my life to serve Him and honor the gifts He gave me. My first artwork, 'Birth,' was hand-painted on a Wacom-style tablet. That eventually grew into a website and store with international visitors surpassing 100,000. The website became self-sufficient, with purchases from around the globe. Each artwork, inspired by scripture, was available globally in phone and desktop sizes as free downloads. We gained the most traffic through Flickr, and many websites on Google hosted our artwork.

In 2015, after a personal emergency, I paused RI for five years. Then, I rediscovered my old library in Google Photos, which I thought I had lost. I didn’t hear God speaking audibly for each artwork—I read the scripture and could literally visualize it. OurVision's faith-based service is a branch of its foundation.

To meet the needs of my family, a lifetime of serving God through design and marketing helps us leverage the cost of living while staying prepared to fulfill God's purpose. RI remains my personal library of devotion to God. I have worked to the best of my ability to honor Jesus through it, while respecting His churches. I pray to be able to serve through media, while also respecting the cost of materials to ensure accountability. But to become a burden to the church, like a marketer rather than a servant, is out of the question. All increase comes from God.

Elders Zac Poonen, his beautiful family, and the Robson family provided a website full of resources from God Himself. I first stumbled upon a DVD in our apartment and began listening to him. It was the answer to my prayer when I first sought to learn God's Word. He teaches it, and it’s all freely available. I had always been discouraged due to my collegiate debts and the responsibility I had for my family. But ever since I received that CD, I diligently worked through all 70 hours of 'Through the Bible,' read several of the books, and engaged with the 'Word of the Week' and all the videos.

Though Elder Poonen has been supportive of all my Senior Pastors, he is one of the most respected elders globally. However, I never had the opportunity to live with him and witness his actions firsthand. A beautiful church, and serious about true discipleship and serving, admonish me to submit to my local church or find one that aligns with Christ Himself.