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Cultivating the Black Imagination Through Innovative and Interactive Experiences | Dario Calmese

December 09, 2022

In 2020, Dario Calmese made history as the first-ever Black photographer to shoot a cover for Vanity Fair—in its 106-year existence—with his portrait of Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis. But Calmese’s work goes well beyond photography; it sits at the nexus of art, fashion, and academia, pushing the boundaries of each to create unprecedentedly innovative projects that explore history, race, and what it means to be human. That same year, Calmese launched The Institute of Black Imagination (IBI), a design start-up that works to preserve, integrate, and cultivate the Black imagination through innovative and interactive experiences. IBI’s portfolio includes a widely acclaimed podcast, digital website, and a forthcoming location at the Oculus World Trade Center, all of which tap into the “Pool of Black Genius” to share the visions of the modern iconoclasts taking the reins on cultural thought and innovation. Currently a Loeb Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Calmese serves on the global advisory board for Estée Lauder Companies and is a professor at The New School’s Parsons School of Design in New York City. He is also an NYC Urban Design Forum Fellow, show director for the fashion brand Pyer Moss, and he collaborated with Adobe Lightroom to design presets specifically for people of color.
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Demo Day 2022 Highlights

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    • 8 min
      Cultivating the Black Imagination Through Innovative and Interactive Experiences | Dario Calmese

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    • 6 min
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      Preserving Democracy through Legal Action and Advocacy | Marc Elias

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    • 6 min
      Transforming Textile Waste into Raw Material Streams | Stacy Flynn

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    • 6 min
      Creating Pathways in the Clean Energy Economy | Holmes Hummel
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    • 6 min
      Advancing Food Sovereignty, Climate Justice, and Economic Empowerment in the Global South | Solomé Lemma

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    • 4 min
      Transforming the Way People Receive Healthcare | Kyle Michelson

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    • 4 min
      Building a Global Movement for Health Equity | Sriram Shamasunder

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    • 7 min
      Building Empathy and Equity within the Workforce with VR | Elise Smith

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    • 5 min
      Drum As You Are | Mona Tavakoli
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    • 8 min
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    • 1 min
      Demo Day 2022: It Takes All of Us

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