Creators of Color

Overcoming Bias Through Greatness | Creators of Color

Join us for Episode 4 of the Creators of Color podcast, where we reflect on our interviews with King(sley), Stro, and Cece Xie and share our year-end takeaways.    In this episode, we discuss the challenges that creators of color may face, how to improve as a creator, how to overcome biases and barriers, and how to succeed in the face of a challenging economic environment in 2023.    Whether you're just starting out on your creative journey or looking to take your career to the next level, this episode has something for you. Tune in to hear valuable insights and practical advice from some of the most talented creators of color in the industry.

Cece Xie | Managing Expectations & Immigrant Parents | Creators of Color

In episode 3 of Creators of Color, host Avi Gandhi sits down with Cece Xie, a Yale undergrad and Harvard law graduate who left a successful career in law to pursue her passion for content creation.  In this candid conversation, Cece shares her experiences navigating the financial challenges of being a creator, the impact of her background on her search for a manager, and how to cultivate a supportive community while navigating toxicity online. Tune in for valuable insights and practical tips on how to thrive as a creator of color in today's digital landscape.

Directed by Stro | Finding Your Community | Creators of Color

Stro (@DirectedByStro) is one of the most influential directors on the Internet. Since the fondly-remembered days of Vine, when the biggest creators in the world lived and created together at 1600 Vine in Hollywood, Stro has been behind the camera producing, directing, shooting, and editing skits for the likes of megastars Lele Pons, Twan, Brent Rivera, and more. Today, as the cofounder of production company Room 1041, he produces the YouTube channels for Rosanna Pansino, MyLifeAsEva, Larray, Hannah Stocking, Twan, and many more. Despite his deep friendships with creators of all backgrounds, however, this Vietnamese-Canadian living in Los Angeles has always struggled to connect with both peers of Vietnamese descent and the broader AAPI community. In this second episode of Creators of Color, host Avi Gandhi digs into the challenges Stro has faced connecting with his own identity, and how his upbringing and experiences as the son of refugees have helped him succeed at working with the biggest creators in the world.

King(sley) | Diversity and YouTube’s Evolution | Creators of Color

King(sley) was one of the first gay, black creators on YouTube with over a million followers. For nearly a decade from 2011 to 2018, he was a defining voice in youth pop culture, winning a YouTube Entertainment Award and collaborating with some of the biggest names on the internet. Behind the fame and followers, though, he struggled with a sense of isolation as one of the only creators of color invited to sit among the top (mostly white) creators on the platform. In this first episode of Creators of Color, host Avi Gandhi - who was King(sley)’s agent at the height of his career - digs in to the challenges and difficulties King faced as a top creator at a time when Black talent were even more underrepresented and underincluded than they are today, as well as what today’s creators of color need to know to build their careers in an otherwise homogenous industry.