Presented by Amazon, Disney and Meta, this year’s ceremony celebrated Richelieu Dennis, Ryan Ford, KAYTRANADA, Carmen Smith, T.D. Jakes, Dani Monroe and more for driving progress in creativity, culture and inclusion
NEW YORK, Nov. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — ADCOLOR, the premier organization dedicated to championing community and inclusion in the creative industries, unveiled the winners and honorees of its 19th Annual ADCOLOR Awards at its awards show held at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Florida.
Presented by Amazon, Disney and Meta, the prestigious event marked the culmination of ADCOLOR 2025, following three days of programming celebrating creativity, culture, and community. The ceremony, hosted by global speaker, author and journalist Mariana Atencio, honored individuals and organizations whose work embodies ADCOLOR’s mission to “Rise Up, Reach Back.”
“Those honored at this year’s ceremony exemplify our mission by using their platforms to inspire, uplift, and create pathways for the next generation of changemakers,” said Tiffany R. Warren, Founder and President of ADCOLOR. “They remind us that progress is powered by purpose, and they’re proof that inclusion and creativity are not just ideals, but forces for lasting impact.”
Among the evening’s highest honors, Chairman T.D. Jakes, Carmen Smith, and Dani Monroe received Lifetime Achievement Awards for their transformative leadership across faith, storytelling, and inclusive innovation. Richelieu Dennis, Executive Chairman of Sundial Group of Companies, was honored with the ADCOLOR | ADWEEK Beacon Award, while Ryan Ford, Managing Partner & Co-Founder of Currency Advisory Group, and GRAMMY® Award-winning producer and DJ KAYTRANADA were recognized in the ADCOLOR in Music category for their contributions to creativity and representation in the music industry.
Other honorees included Kaleeta McDade and Oved Valadez (ADCOLOR | One Club Creative), Joe Hall (Advocate), Diversability, Mark Clennon, and Stephanie Nadi Olson (Catalyst), George Felix and Sofia Hernandez (Legend), and Umar Issa and Jochebed Fekadu, named Mr. and Ms. ADCOLOR 2025.
The evening concluded with a surprise performance presented by TikTok, featuring singer-songwriter Miles Caton, whose soulful set brought the audience to its feet and ended the celebration on an inspiring note.
“In a moment when showing up isn’t always easy, our ADCOLOR partners continue to do so with heart, integrity, and intention,” said Ana Alonso Leen, VP of Partnerships at ADCOLOR. “Their presence and partnership fuel this movement, and we are deeply grateful for their commitment. Together, we’ll carry this momentum into next year as we continue to nurture, champion, and celebrate the people transforming the creative industries.”
Since its founding in 2007, the ADCOLOR Awards have celebrated individuals and organizations that elevate marginalized voices, expand representation, and inspire future leaders across advertising, marketing, media, tech and entertainment. To explore partnership opportunities for ADCOLOR 2026, contact [email protected].
The full list of this year’s winners and honorees can be found below and at adcolor.org/awards.
2025 ADCOLOR WINNERS
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ADCOLOR CREATOR OF THE YEAR
The ADCOLOR Creator of the Year builds community and creates change through their creative content on social media platforms. By promoting community and accessibility on their personal platform, they use transformative means of digital influence that leads to real-life change.
Winner: Abi Marquez, Food Content Creator, NYMA -
CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR
The Campaign of the Year recognizes a body of work that challenges norms, sparks meaningful conversations, and fosters cultural understanding. This award honors the strategic creativity and depth of execution required to engage audiences, shift perceptions, and leave a lasting impact. The campaign of the year can run on any platform (linear, print, digital, experiential, social, etc.), in any format.
Winner: The Pen to Right History, Last Prisoner Project & McCann -
ADCOLOR EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR
The ADCOLOR Executive of the Year is a senior leader at their organization (VP and above) who inspires, facilitates and implements progressive change at their own company or organization. Their innovative thinking and determination influences the ways others integrate community and belonging into business models and corporate cultures.
Winner: Shannae Ingleton-Smith, CEO and Co-Founder, Kensington Grey -
ADCOLOR IN TECH
The ADCOLOR in Tech Award recipient is a professional in the tech industry who champions accessibility and belonging, from digital platforms to programmers to educators to product innovators. By pushing boundaries and creating positive change, this individual has made significant contributions to building a more accessible tech landscape for everyone.
Winner: Rosakebia Liliana Estela Mendoza, Creative Lead & Founder, Silver Passport -
INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
The ADCOLOR Innovator is a catalyst for progress and imagination. They stand out among their peers as a game changer when it comes to issues of accessibility and belonging. A pioneer in their goals and their transformational strategies, they create breakthrough opportunities for people of all backgrounds and organizations.
Winner: Gary Coichy, Founder and CEO, Pod Digital Media -
RISING STAR
The ADCOLOR Rising Star is an up-and-comer in the creative industries with less than seven years of experience. Their brilliance, determination, and resilience makes them stand out as a leader. In their short time of rising up, they are already reaching back.
Winner: Kaleb Mulugeta, Senior Creative, Translation -
ROCKSTAR
The ADCOLOR Rockstar is an established visionary leader. Whether through their professional work or their contributions outside of it, they have a proven track record of success and the potential to achieve much more. This individual rocks their own singular path as they encourage others to shine.
Winner: Ri-Karlo Handy, Founder and CEO, Handy Foundation
2025 ADCOLOR HONOREES
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ADCOLOR | ADWEEK BEACON AWARD
The ADCOLOR | ADWEEK Beacon Award celebrates an executive or media creative who uses their platform to drive transformative change by breaking barriers and creating opportunities for underrepresented communities.
Honoree: Richelieu Dennis, Executive Chairman, Sundial Group of Companies -
ADCOLOR IN MUSIC | EXECUTIVE HONOREE
The ADCOLOR in Music | Executive Award honors an executive or creative who champions diversity, equity and inclusion within the music industry, using their influence to foster innovation, opportunity and representation.
Honoree: Ryan Ford, Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Currency Advisory Group -
ADCOLOR IN MUSIC | ARTIST OF THE YEAR HONOREE
The ADCOLOR in Music | Artist of the Year Award spotlights an artist who is redefining modern sound and elevating representation across the global music scene, using their platform to inspire culture, expand opportunity, and drive meaningful creative impact.
Honoree: KAYTRANADA, GRAMMY® Award-winning producer and DJ -
ADCOLOR | ONE CLUB CREATIVE HONOREES
The ADCOLOR | One Club Creative Award recognizes creative professionals from historically excluded communities who have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in advertising, media, and design.
Honoree: Kaleeta McDade, Global Chief Experience Design Officer, VML
Honoree: Oved Valadez, Executive Creative Director & Founding Partner, INDUSTRY -
ADVOCATE HONOREE
The ADCOLOR Advocate is an LGBTQ+ professional in the creative industries who increases awareness of issues that affect members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies. Their work creates progress within the creative industries and beyond.
Honoree: Joe Hall, Founder, Ghetto Film School -
CATALYST HONOREES
The ADCOLOR Catalyst uses their platform to serve as a voice for a cause or community, inspiring and educating current and future generations across advertising, marketing, media, PR and entertainment.
Honoree: Diversability
– Accepted by: Tiffany Yu, Founder, Diversability
Honoree: Mark Clennon, Artist, Studio Mark Clennon
Honoree: Stephanie Nadi Olson, Founder & Executive Chair, We Are Rosie -
LEGEND HONOREES
The ADCOLOR Legend recognizes seasoned industry leaders whose groundbreaking work has created lasting, positive change and paved the way for future generations of changemakers.
Honoree: George Felix, Chief Marketing Officer, Chili’s Grill & Bar
Honoree: Sofia Hernandez, Global Head of Business Marketing & Commercial Partnerships, TikTok -
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT HONOREES
The ADCOLOR Lifetime Achievement Award honors industry icons whose professional and personal contributions exemplify ADCOLOR’s mission to Rise Up and Reach Back, creating opportunities and change across generations.
Honoree: Chairman T.D. Jakes, Chairman, The T.D. Jakes Group
Honoree: Carmen Smith, SVP, Creative Development – Product, Content & Inclusive Strategies, Disney Experiences, Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Consumer Products
Honoree: Dani Monroe, M.S.O.D., President, Center Focus International, Inc.; Founder, Martha’s Vineyard Summit -
MOST VALUABLE PARTNERSHIP (MVP)
The ADCOLOR MVP Award honors partnerships that advance DE&I impact. These collaborations between individuals, companies, or organizations demonstrate the power of connection and shared purpose to create meaningful, measurable progress.
Honoree: P&G and Mielle -
MR. & MS. ADCOLOR
Mr. and Ms. ADCOLOR are ambassadors of the ADCOLOR mission, representing the organization’s values through leadership, service, and mentorship while embodying the spirit of “Rise Up, Reach Back.”
Mr. ADCOLOR: Umar Issa, Head of Inclusive & Cultural Partnerships, Yahoo
Ms. ADCOLOR: Jochebed Fekadu, Director, Marketing and Inclusion & Impact, Omnicom Precision Marketing Group
ABOUT ADCOLOR
ADCOLOR® is a not-for-profit 501(c) (6) organization whose mission is to celebrate and champion inclusion and build community in the creative industries. Our process is twofold. First, we help individuals and organizations RISE UP, letting their accomplishments and ideas shine. Then we teach these new leaders and would-be-mentors how to REACH BACK and find others who deserve to be noticed and promoted. Our goal is to create a community of professionals who are here to support and uplift one another. Learn more by visiting www.adcolor.org.
ADCOLOR 2025 Partners
Amazon, Disney, Meta, Adweek, Apple, Droga5, Procter & Gamble, NBCUniversal, Pinterest, Spotify, Sony Music Group, Wieden+Kennedy, Anomaly, HP, JPMorgan Chase, LinkedIn, Microsoft Advertising, Omnicom, Publicis Groupe, SiriusXM Media, TikTok, Deutsch, IPG | FCB, STAMP Event Co., Netflix, Airbnb, American Express, Basis Technologies, Havas, Johannes Leonardo, Ghetto Film School | Manhattan Neighborhood Network, McCann Worldgroup, Need Pastel, Nextdoor, Tabernacle, The Trade Desk, UTA, Yahoo, Cardinal Change, MSL, The Advertising Club of NY, The People + Culture Method
ADCOLOR Vendor Partners
5WPR, DRKR PXLS Creative, Adrianne Lipscomb Graphic Design, Bravely, Debut Capital, dirty sugar, EGM Security Management, Mark Clennon Photography, Isa Beltre-Plush Merchandising Consultants, Squeaky, STAMP Event Co, the STUDIO NYC, Wendy Shanker
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