A social media sneaker critique spilled into an in-person confrontation Saturday at ComplexCon in Las Vegas.

During the convention’s “Sneaker of the Year” discussion, rapper and panel member Lil Yachty addressed a recent Instagram video shared by industry veteran Brandon “Bimma” Williams, who was in the audience. The rapper’s expletive-laced rant lasted nearly seven minutes and was rooted in Williams’ criticisms of Lil Yachty’s upcoming Air Force 1 collaboration.

“It’s like bro, every shoe don’t gotta be fifty f**king colors,” Lil Yachty said. “I wanted to do some real calm, sexy s**t. Like, navy blue is a good-ass color. And white, you feel me?”

The rapper’s Nike “Us Force 1” Air Force 1 collaboration, which is branded with the logos of his Concrete Boys group rather than his own, has received flack from Williams and other social media users for what they perceive as an overly simplistic design reminiscent of Nike’s widely available general release colorways. In his original video shared Nov. 13, Williams plays off of the rapper’s “Lil Boat” nickname, using several puns to dissect the collaboration. 

“Let’s talk about why Lil Boat’s Uptowns probably should have stayed docked,” Williams said. “Look, after a year of unwanted white-on-white Air Force 1 collabs, these just feel like a general release. Maybe throw these overboard.”

Williams, who has parlayed his industry experience into his own collaboration marketing platform, said he believed Lil Yachty’s “It’s Us” branding was too similar to Kith’s “Just Us” mantra. Williams also questioned the rapper’s authenticity as “one of hip-hop’s biggest sneakerheads,” citing a story where Lil Yachty admitted to being unfamiliar with Jay-Z’s music. 

“This is my thing, right?,” Lil Yachty said during Saturday’s panel. “I hate when people act as if all shoes must be like this…I don’t even understand. Everyone has their own take on a sneaker, so if I wanted to make an Air Force and I want it to be white and blue, if you don’t like it, that’s cool.”

Aesthetic aside, what Lil Yachty seemed to take exception with most was Williams questioning his personal ties to hip-hop and sneaker culture. 

The profanity-laden clips circulated on numerous social media accounts Saturday, and Williams took to his own @bimmawilliams Instagram Monday to respond. Once again using nautical puns and Jay-Z references, Williams ran through his resumé and addressed the tense situation. 

“There’s a difference between hate and a critique,” Williams said in the Monday response. “The latter is a gift and in return, you try to reduce me to a hater…and even though ya’ll tried to have standing up there silently, I didn’t need a mic because the community stood with me.”

Lil Yachty’s Concrete Boys x Nike Air Force 1 Low “Us Force 1” collaboration will be released first on Nov. 20 followed by a global release on Dec. 2. Retail pricing has not been confirmed.

Not long after delivering a purposeful Saucony Originals collaboration, Claima, the Bimma Williams and BJ Frogozo-founded podcast turned creative content agency is back with another. This time, Claima reimagined the iconic Clarks Originals Wallabee.

The collaboration with Clarks Originals, Claima explained in a statement, was created to remind the creative world that good things take time.

It was inspired by a recent trip Williams took to Mexico City with his wife, Katelyn Williams, a fellow entrepreneur and owner of Kate’s Ice Cream in Portland, Ore. More specifically, Claima explained in a statement that the approach to its design was “defined by resilience and enjoyment as it embraces the city’s honoring of fun, creative expression and refreshing mindset to never take life or yourself too seriously.”

Claima’s collaboration with Clarks Originals features two colorways of the Wallabee: purple
and cream leather. For this collab, Claima reimagined the iconic look with colored leather uppers and amber gold leather collars. Also, the looks include Clarks Originals x Claima fobs.

However, the highlight of each colorway is the “Purpose Heart” design that is stitched into the shoe’s uppers. The design, according to Claima, was inspired by Katelyn Williams and serve as a nod to the best things that took time in Bimma Williams’ life.

The Claima x Clarks Originals Wallabees will arrive on Nov. 3 for presale exclusively via Claimastories.myshopify.com/products/clarks-claima. The two looks will each retail for $170.

In May, Claima revealed its “Claim A Seat” product- and film-based effort, and announced plans to release a range of collaborations over the following months. In September, Claima delivered its collab with Saucony Originals, a reimagined version of the 3D Grid Hurricane, an archival shoe created by the brand’s first Black designer, John Acevedo.

The 2023 Black Footwear Forum provided countless captivating moments from the Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design in Detroit last weekend. Claima’s Bimma Williams was front and center for several of them.

Aside from several footwear industry powerhouses wearing his upcoming Saucony 3D Grid Hurricane collaboration on stage, Williams — host and co-founder of the Claima podcast and creative agency — was a recipient of a Blacklight Award, which recognizes the accomplishments of designers, retail moguls and others. Specifically, Williams went home with the Entrepreneur Award, which was presented by last year’s winner, retailer James Whitner.

What’s more, Williams delivered one of the most compelling conversations of the four-day event, which was held from Sept. 21-24. The entrepreneur had a one-on-one conversation with Jae Tips, a self-taught designer who created one of this year’s best collaborations, a reimagined Saucony Grid Azura 2000.

With this year’s event now complete, Williams revealed to FN the lessons he learned from the 2023 Black Footwear Forum and offered a look at the future of Claima.

What moment resonated with you the most from the forum this year?

“The entire experience itself. This was my first time seeing Pensole Lewis College and it was breathtaking. To see [school founder] D’Wayne [Edwards’] vision grow from the operation in Portland to 460,000 square feet in Detroit is just incredible. On top of that, being around so many Black footwear professionals was like being home. No code switching, just the ability to be 100 percent authentic. The future of the industry is very bright.”

What did you learn from the weekend that you can apply to both the Claima podcast and the creative agency side?

“[The best quote was:] ‘If brands aren’t authentic, they aren’t going to survive,’ from [Jordan Brand chairman] Larry Miller. Hearing from Larry and some of his insights from building Jordan Brand was a huge help. It’s easy to take whatever opportunity that comes your way, but all opportunities do not authentically line up with your brand. It was reassuring to me to maintain our values and continue down the focused path that we’re on.”

What gave you the confidence to launch your own company after being inside the major corporate system?

“After being at three different brands, I knew how those systems worked. After being at Saucony, I understood how to run a business from end to end. I understood how to put systems and processes into place and I understood how to manage people. All of the signs in 2020 told me it was time to be on us. We had clients in place, I had a safety net of cash, and if it all failed, then I figured the experience gained would allow me to find a job.”

What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned since stepping out on your own?

“Having a clear vision of your purpose and sticking to it has been critical to our success. If you don’t have a purpose, it’s hard to imagine how you’ll be able to gain traction and become successful. I say this because, if clients or consumers are clear on what you offer, they’ll go to whoever presents that information more clearly. Also, folks want to support people they can trust and believe, something bigger than just money. So having a purpose solves all of those things.”

Do you ever miss working for a major footwear brand?

“I miss the people. I’ve made friends that will last me a lifetime while working at different brands. But I’m very excited about my day to day now and what we’re building through Claima.”

Looking ahead, how will Claima evolve?

“We want to reach more Black and brown creatives. [We’ll have] different shows, whether web based, streaming or TV — and experiential concepts that can take place in different markets. Also, unique product collaborations like we’re doing with Saucony.”

The Black Footwear Forum returned to its home this weekend, the Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design in Detroit, a four-day event held from Sept. 21-24 geared toward sharing information critical for success and advancing opportunity for those in the industry. And like last year, industry legends went home with Blacklight Awards celebrating their incredible accomplishments.

This year, there were two Blacklight Award honorees: Cheresse Thornhill-Goldson of S.E.E.D. at Adidas and Claima co-founder Bimma Williams. For Thornhill-Goldson, she won the Women’s Advocate Icon Award (presented by, Jazerai Allen-Lord, whom the award is named after), and Williams received the Entrepreneur Award (presented by retail mogul James Whitner, also whom the award is named after).

Below are speeches from the award winners that have been edited for clarity.

Cheresse Thornhill-Goldson
Director of design education and growth/global creative direction, S.E.E.D. at Adidas

“I want to thank my family, my mom. I grew up with a single mom, like many of you. She used to wake up at 4 a.m. and take me to the bus stop so I can get to my design school, which was an hour away. Without I’m a mom, I wouldn’t be here. To my husband Leo Goldson, who is here in the room, you facilitate the Black love that we experience every day and I appreciate you and I thank you for the life that we live. To my mentors D’Wayne [Edwards], what would we do without you? D’Wayne gave me my first 10 footwear projects in the brand at Nike when I was just trying to learn. He helped me get my foot in the door and learn how to design in the way in which design should be executed. To my mentors, Kim [Shane], who wouldn’t be here with us but I know she’s watching. Ron [Wright], Wilson [Smith], E. Scott [Morris], Sabrina [Nelson], who is in here as well, you guys have supported me throughout my journey and I wouldn’t be here without you. My sisters in sole, Ashley is in here, Eliya, Precious, you all inspire me and I’m proud of the work that we’ve done and the lineage that we’re building in design coming from South Florida. So my [Adidas] S.E.E.D. fam, Jessica Smith, thank you for founding S.E.E.D., creating another opportunity for me to come back into this industry after I left. You inspire me. You know, you dreamed of a world where we can dare to dream and I’m really proud of the work that we’re doing. To our alumni and our students, thank you for trusting us and for showing up every day and doing the work that’s truly life changing. To all the women in the room, it’s our time. We got this. We are not in competition with each other, there is diversity in our diversity that we should be celebrating. This industry really needs us and we are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We can’t wait until we help facilitate the win of a sister next to us and please be your sister’s keeper.”

Bimma Williams
Co-founder, Claima

“I’m not sure many of you know, but we actually kicked off Claima here at Black Footwear Forum four years ago, it was called African American Footwear Forum and we did it Portland [Ore.] in the Portland Art Museum. The most interesting thing to me about receiving this award right now, and I’m not sure if many people know this, is I actually wasn’t going to step on that stage to be the host of what we created. I am an introvert naturally, so coming out and being on a stage is quite an accomplishment for me because of the fact that I could do this so comfortably now is blowing my own mind. I had impostor syndrome. I didn’t see me in this role. I saw me putting the play together for someone else to be in his seat. What’s so interesting about that is you can’t run from what’s really meant for you. It’s so beautiful to be here four years later. I wanted to come last year but had a commitment and when Dr. D’Wayne Edwards called and said, ‘You’re coming this year?’ I said, ‘Of course, I was waiting for this call, I was waiting to see what the schedule was.’ I was like, ‘I can’t miss it another time.’ Shout out to him, shout out to [Sneaker Week PDX co-founder] Herb [Beauclere] who sitting here in the front row because it was those two together that convinced me to get up on that stage four years ago. The whole reason that I did that in the first place was because I’m from Louisiana and I always loved sneakers, I loved them since I was nine. My folks worked at chemical plant workers, and that meant they didn’t have a network of anyone that worked in this industry. The only thing my mother knew was folks that worked in retail for an hourly wage and there’s no disrespect to that, but she couldn’t see a way that she could get me out of her house doing that, so she wasn’t really forthcoming and pushing me down that path. It took a lot to get here, and I’ve been getting a lot of different questions from different creatives and creators and entrepreneurs, and there are nuances to all of those titles. Folks have been asking me, ‘How did I start Claima? How do we get here?’ And honestly, I don’t think that’s what you’re really asking me. I think what you’re asking me is, ‘How do you get over the fear?’ How do you move forward with taking the first step?’ For me, I’ll be honest, I was terrified. I was working at ‘my dream job,’ I was working at Nike, and I left during the middle of the pandemic. You’ve got to wonder what the hell convinced someone to leave a paying job in the middle of a pandemic? And the only thing that convinced you to do that is your purpose. Whenever you ask me, ‘Why did I do it?’ it’s because of y’all. When we think about us, we think about our community, don’t chase anything, don’t do it for trend, don’t do it because somebody else is doing it. Do it because it’s something that you believe you’re here to do and help the rest of your community. When I say claim a seat at any table of your choosing, that’s what I mean. Go do what’s in your heart.”

Claima revealed its “Claim A Seat” product- and film-based effort in May, and announced plans to release a range of collaborations over the following months. The next product to drop is with Saucony, a reimagined version of an archival shoe created by the brand’s first Black designer.

Arriving today from Claima, the podcast turned creative content agency, is a new-look Saucony 3D Grid Hurricane, a running shoe that debuted in 1997 and was designed by John Acevedo.

“I came across the 3D Grid Hurricane on some random page on Instagram years ago. [Sneaker industry veteran] Jason Faustino had just joined Saucony and I half jokingly sent him a photo saying he should bring these back,” Claima co-founder Bimma Williams told FN. “I have no idea what happened from there or if he actually listened. Also, I didn’t know at the time it was designed by John Acavado. I was just drawn to the design. The shape was completely different from any Saucony I encountered in the past.”

Williams continued, “Plus, I was drawn to the name Hurricane. Growing up in Louisiana, we’ve dealt with many storms, from Andrew to Katrina and more. After the Hurricane passes, we always pick up the pieces. So it all just spoke to me on a personal level.”

This collaboration, Williams explained, represents perseverance and hope.

“Black and brown creatives can claim a seat at any table of their choosing. It doesn’t matter where they’re from, what school they went to, who they know. They deserve to do what they love. They deserve to believe in themselves. They deserve to be seen. So this collab is for all of us. It’s a symbol of encouragement. To keep going, even when it feels hard,” Williams said.

This iteration of the retro running silhouette is dressed predominantly in cream and purple, hues that are synonymous with Claima.

“The purple and cream are the distinct colors that represent the Claima brand. Purple, for us, has always been a signifier of equity. Historically, the colors red or blue have been leveraged to pull us all apart, whether it’s political like Republicans and Democrats or gangs like Bloods and Crips. We wanted to symbolize bringing us together, to the table. Purple represents that to us,” Williams explained.

To create the shoe, Williams tapped John Humphrey as co-designer. Humphrey is co-owner of New Orleans-based boutique Foster, as well as the apparel brand Beignet Boys

“John is a dear friend from Louisiana. We connected over sneakers in 2007, when we camped out for sneakers together. I was in his wedding and he has even given me insight on Saucony colorways when I worked at the brand,” Williams said. “Back in Louisiana, we always felt left out. No one was checking for us down there. As he started his own brand, the Beignet Boys, and his journey to co-own a sneaker shop named Foster, I have witnessed his struggles first hand. I knew when this opportunity came to the table, I wanted to work with no one other than him because it’s been a dream of ours.”

The sneakers are available starting Sept. 30 via Claimastories.com and retail for $150. A broader release is scheduled for Oct. 14, with the shoe arriving at select U.S. retailers, including Feature, Foster and Kicking It.

In May, Claima announced that there would be several “Claim A Seat” product collaborations, all with a charitable component. The first collaboration partner was stainless steel drinkware company MiiR, which yielded a new-look iteration of the 360 Traveler mug. Claima followed by delivering a hat with headwear company ’47.

As with all of the “Claim A Seat” collaborations, $5 from every product sold will benefit All Hands Raised, a nonprofit dedicated to transforming the educational system through advancing equity for every child. 

Aside from the sneaker, Claima and Saucony teamed up on a short film that emphasizes the importance of celebrating and uplifting creatives of color. The latest video is titled “I Can,” and features Williams sitting atop a purple Volkswagen — which Claima took on the road in July 2021 to record episodes with leaders in multiple industries — discussing his once seemingly unrealistic dream of designing a sneaker.

“It’s a very proud moment for Saucony to watch a revered alum not only grow his own brand platform with Claima, but have the impact on the world Bimma is having as a person. It’a full circle moment for myself, as I was a collaboration partner working with Bimma when he was at Saucony. It’s a lot of fun, and an honor to switch seats in the process,” said Faustino, senior brand manager at Saucony. “In celebrating our 125^th anniversary, I’ve realized Saucony has a richer history than I was aware of. This partnership has allowed Bimma to shed light on important products and people from our past in a way that connects and inspires today’s BIPOC creatives making their own space in this industry.”

Furthering its mission to uncover the systemic barriers that impact creatives of color, Claima has revealed a new product- and film-based effort, and has recruited a two powerhouse footwear brands for help.

“Claim A Seat” is the latest initiative from Claima, the podcast turned creative content agency co-founded by sneaker industry veteran Bimma Williams and former Interscope Records marketing manager BJ Frogozo. The effort is highlighted by a series of short films that explore the aforementioned barriers, which are accompanied by product launches that feature a philanthropic component.

“Working in product early on during my career at Saucony, I always wanted Claima to figure out a path to encompass product to some degree. However, this dream was placed on hold because we truly wanted to be known for our ability to tell stories through podcasts, films and experiences,” said Williams, who has also worked for other sneaker giants, including Nike and Adidas. “To keep in line with our mission of purpose and storytelling, especially at a time when collaborations have lost their distinction, we wanted our product collaboration to be impactful. If we were going to market for a product, we know placing intentionality above all was a key factor in determining our direction.”

The “Claim A Seat” product will include four releases in total. Each product launch, Claima explained, will include a donation from the partnering brands to support All Hands Raised, a racial equity-focused nonprofit based in Oregon. What’s more, $5 from each product sold will also go to the Oregon-based nonprofit.

Along with the product release, Claima will debut original content that addresses “the flaws, limitations and consistent inequities” that exist in corporate America and rooted in systemic racism.

“We decided to partner with brands that have a desire to make the world a more equitable society. It doesn’t mean that everyone we’ve partnered with is perfect and has all of the systems in place. It means they are willing to take the steps to make the world better,” Williams explained. “We also know our audience and products they care about. Our goal has always been to link the product we create with storytelling, representation and purpose at the crux of it all.”

For “Claim A Seat,” the footwear brand partners are Saucony and Clarks. With Saucony, Williams said Claima is releasing a Grid Hurricane from 1997, and the Clarks shoe is a Wallabee Low.

Aside from footwear, Claima has teamed up with stainless steel drinkware company MiiR, the partner for the first “Claim A Seat” product release. The two will deliver a new-look iteration of the 360 Traveler mug.

With the mug’s release, Claima will debut the introductory film of the series, also titled “Claim A Seat.” This film shows Williams claiming a seat on a chair that does not sit on all four legs, which Claima explained is “symbolic of the inequalities and discomfort Black and brown creatives face even after reaching the top.”

After the first film and product drop, Claima will reveal the second in the series, a silent film titled “Black & Brown Creatives Anonymous.” This film, Claima explained, documents “the experiences of Black and brown creatives in a safe space” that also has intentional product placement with the collaborative MiiR 360 Traveler.

The remaining product release will be with headwear company ’47.

Williams serves as the protagonist throughout all of the films, and is the only Black person present in most scenes. The reason for this, Claima explained, is to reveal “a parallel to his past experience as a career spanning jobs at Adidas, Nike and Saucony.”

The four other films in the series are titled “No Cap,” “Code Switching,” “Footprint” and “Exit Interview.” Each film is led by Amiri Rose, the first-ever creative director of Claima, who was hired in March. Prior to Claima, Rose had stops at Nike and independent creative agency Kamp Grizzly.

“We want our audience to feel connected to the mission of ‘Claim A Seat,’ beyond just product. We want the Black and brown creatives to know their experiences are seen, heard and felt,” Rose said. “‘Claim A Seat’ content touches on the various layered points of conflict, everyday experiences and hurdles that Black and brown creatives face, from code-switching to tokenism to microaggressions. Seeing is believing, for us it’s the first step to building large-scale change for the futures of Black and brown creatives to be different from how it is now.”

Claima will release chapters of “Claim A Seat” throughout the year, and will reveal its content and product launches in May, June, September and November.

Purvi Patel, who previously held Claima’s VP of marketing and partnerships role, is now president. Also, creative strategist Amiri Rose is now Claima’s first-ever creative director.

“Purvi has been an incredible asset and driver for Claima’s success in just one year. We’ve been blown away by what she has been able to accomplish in such a short period of time. She is eminently qualified to take on this new role and lend her experience and expertise in helping advance our mission to empower creatives and entrepreneurs of color,” Williams said in a statement. “I am excited to take Claima to its next level of success alongside Purvi and, of course, our new creative director, Amiri. He is a true force and will bring his undeniable aptitude and eye for creativity to the table. It is beyond exciting to continue the evolution of Claima alongside these two formidable executives.”

In the president role, Patel, who joined Claima in January 2022 and has had prior stints at Reebok and Sperry, will be tasked with overseeing the organization’s vision, mission and overall direction. As for Rose, whose career includes stops at Nike and independent creative agency Kamp Grizzly (the latter earning an “Outstanding Commercial” Emmy nomination in 2019 for Netflix’s “A Great Day in Hollywood”), he will oversee creative direction and strategy in storytelling through the company’s upcoming brand partnerships.

“Bimma and I connected more than 10 years ago when we worked in marketing for sister footwear brands in Boston. We were the only Black and brown folks at those brands and immediately forged a friendship as we navigated through those experiences together,” Patel said in a statement. “Since joining the Claima team officially last year, we’ve taken our marquee podcast and turned the business into a full creative content agency focused on telling stories that are rooted in representation and purpose. This focus carries through every aspect of a project we work on from the crews we hire on set all the way to the partners we feature in each campaign. I’m delighted to be able to take on this new role and steer our incredible team to new heights all while continuing our mission to inspire the next generation of creatives and entrepreneurs of color.”

Rose added, “I am thrilled to work alongside such a dynamic team as we work towards our shared mission to place the voices and stories of people of color to the forefront in a way that truly connects and sparks change. It is my hope that through our collective work at Claima we will tell stories centered on changing the functional landscape of corporate America, and how it needs to operate for Black and brown entrepreneurs and creatives of color to be seen, feel welcomed, and work in their language.”

The announcement comes on the heels of the debut of Season 4 of the Claima Stories podcast.

The new season debuted March 14 via Apple Podcast, Amazon Music and other podcast platforms. Also, full video episodes can be viewed exclusively on the YouTube channel of Vista, the podcast’s longtime partner. It launched with MIDA restaurants owner chef Douglass Williams as a guest, and other big names for the season include Eastside Golf co-founders Olajuwon Ajanaku and Earl Cooper, Major boutique founder Duk-Ki Yu and others.

New Claima episodes air every Tuesday at 6 a.m. PT.

The podcast and creative content company has tapped the footwear brand for “Reclaim Your Water,” a three-part docuseries directed by filmmaker Faith Briggs. The effort will put a spotlight on three Black and brown entrepreneurs who are connected to, and inspired by water. According to Claima, the series will also show how each entrepreneur “reclaims what was once weaponized to build community and create change.”

“Throughout history, water has long been weaponized against Black communities, from slavery and segregation to Hurricane Katrina and the Flint water crisis,” Claima co-founder Bimma Williams said in a statement. “We were honored to work with Sperry in their commitment to equity and inclusion to not only bring awareness to this historical structural racism, consciously and subconsciously, surrounding water, but also to empower and inspire people of color to embrace and reclaim its cultural value.”

Claima said via statement that it worked alongside Sperry “to place the Black experience with water on a national stage and create storytelling that would educate and inspire a more equitable environment in the water space.” Also, Claima said the effort was created to highlight “how communities of color can reclaim water as a healing and enjoyable experience for all through the lens of each subject.”

The docuseries will offer a look inside the lives of Thurman and Torrence Thomas, co-founders of Louisiana-based Tankproof, an organization that offers free swimming lessons to underserved youth; Jahmicah Dawes, owner of the Black-owned gear shop SlimPickins Outfitters; and surf trainer Natasha Smith, who has helped teach the founders of Ebony Beach Club how to surf.

“The ‘Reclaim Your Water’ project celebrates the hard won resilience of individuals whom, in spite of longstanding systemic obstacles, choose to make a life and seek joy around water,” Briggs said in a statement. “We hope that this docuseries inspires and invites others to follow a similar path and amplifies the work these communities are doing to rewrite the narrative of Black people in a space weaponized against us. We are delighted to share their seemingly non dimmable light with our audiences.”

The partnership is a part of Sperry’s “All For Water. Water For All” purpose platform, which is focused on its commitment to protecting waterways, and serves as its declaration that all people are welcome on the water and should have access to it.

“At Sperry, we believe in the power of water and its ability to help people feel balanced, energized, and calm,” Sperry chief marketing officer Elizabeth Drori said in a statement. “As we aspire to unlock these feelings and experiences for everyone, we know that the water has not been an equitable place. It has been a privilege to partner with Claima and Faith Briggs on this groundbreaking docuseries. By sharing these important stories, we hope to spark new dialogue and understanding, and ultimately work towards creating an environment where everyone, everywhere, feels welcome on the water.

Starting today, the team behind the career-focused podcast will embark on an adventure dubbed “Claima Stories With Bimma: Storytella Road Trip.” Over the next 30 days, they will hit four states on the West Coast and meet with leaders in different industries, resulting in conversations aimed at inspiring young BIPOC creatives.

“We have all have been stuck inside over the last year or so because of COVID, and the BIPOC small business community and entrepreneurs have been impacted disproportionately,” Williams, co-founder and host of Claima Stories, told FN. “In addition to that, we have seen this outpouring from brands committing dollars to these initiatives, but less than 1% of those contributions have gone out. We thought about our platform and how we can do a little bit better, and do what we can.”

He continued, “We were thinking about how the world is reopening and that it would be dope to reconnect with people and lift the spirits of small business owners, go find out what’s been going on.”

Williams was tight-lipped about all of the upcoming guests. However, he did reveal two names to FN: Maurice Harris, who is the owner of floral design studio and cafe Bloom & Plume, and Kacey Lynch, founder of the contemporary streetwear brand Bricks & Wood.

Although centered around great conversation, the trip — which was created in partnership with 99designs by Vistaprint — will yield more than that.

Through the aforementioned partnership, Claima Stories has already delivered more than $250,000 in grants to 12 BIPOC brands impacted adversely by COVID, as well as hate crimes. Williams said Claima Stories will be providing four more grants — $15,000 each — that will be given to people in the four cities they are visiting. Also, the grants will come with design and marketing support to help the recipient recover after a difficult year.

“We’re basically going to turn the people we interview into ambassadors. We’re going to empower them to nominate someone from their community because they know their communities better than we do,” Williams said. “With that, we have criteria [for the grants]. We want to focus on BIPOC small business owners in the consumer goods and products space and impacted by COVID. In addition to that, they have to be a business that is servicing the well-being of their community.”

For the trip, the crew will get behind the wheel of a custom 1993 Mitsubishi Delica Starwagon. The van, named Storytella, has been transformed into a state-of-the-art mobile studio and features interior accented with the podcast’s signature purple hue.

Throughout the 30 days, they will hit San Francisco (July 22-25), Los Angeles (July 25-Aug. 5), Phoenix (Aug. 10-13) and Las Vegas (Aug. 13-16) before arriving back in Portland, Ore. on Aug. 22.

“We wanted to make sure we can go into areas we had a fair chance of being comfortable and safe, and also access from Portland,” Williams said. “San Francisco is a heavily populated area of diverse talent, as well as L.A., Phoenix and Las Vegas. But they all have different types of industries that are more popular in the area than others.”

Throughout the journey — which will be shared in detail on Instagram as they go from experience to experience — Claima Stories will be speaking with people involved in wellness, streetwear, the food and beverage industry, the tech world, the beauty industry, cannabis and more.

Today, Claima Stories announced it has entered a partnership with Vistaprint and the company’s graphic design service, 99designs by Vistaprint. The partnership is part of Vistaprint’s 99 Days of Design initiative, created to empower 99 small businesses with financial support and design services.

“The impact of COVID-19 on the BIPOC small business community can not be understated. There are generational businesses within BIPOC communities that simply will not return to business. BIPOC businesses have to navigate an incredible amount of hurdles just managing their day to day operation. From dealing with racism, bias and lack of financing, the global pandemic was a cruel addition to already challenging circumstances,” Claima Stories co-founder and host Bimma Williams told FN.

With the partnership, Claima Stories will identify 12 BIPOC businesses and creatives impacted by COVID-19, who will receive $15,000, a design makeover and marketing assets to support their business growth.

“This partnership kicked off with an incredible conversation with Ricky Engelberg, the CMO at Vistaprint, at the beginning of 2021. Both fans of unique and standout branding, we both aligned on how much great design can significantly impact the outlook of any business, but especially BIPOC businesses,” Williams said. “What we appreciate most about Ricky is that he genuinely cares about how we can make an impact versus just launching another marketing campaign.”

The BIPOC businesses and creatives will be chosen from a range of creative industries including fashion, interior design and art. “We’ll be looking at three key areas including legitimate, legally established business, diverse representation of multicultural, BIPOC, women and LGBTQ owned businesses, and demonstrated need for financial assistance and a new or refreshed logo/brand identity,” Williams said.

What’s more, Claima Stories confirmed that recipients will be featured on the podcast, and the winners will be announced on a rolling basis.

Beyond the funding, Vistaprint is equipping the Claima Stories team with the resources to create a mobile podcast studio, a remodeled 1993 Mitsubishi Delica Starwagon, which will be used on 30-day tour spanning four cities: Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Francisco. (The mobile studio has been named “Storytella.”)

“After remotely producing our podcast for the past year and a half, we’re super excited about getting on the road to see our guests in person. At the moment, we’re still finalizing details, but we can share that we’ll be visiting key areas in Los Angeles like Fairfax and South La Brea,” Williams said.

Although he could not confirm the BIPOC creatives who will be guests on the podcast, Williams said the conversations will be turned into video episodes, which will begin to release in the fall.