Apprenticeship

UNMATTE™ / APPRENTICESHIP / 2026—2027

A YEAR TO MAKE
SOMETHING REAL.

YOUR SUPPORT HELPS TURN CREATIVE POTENTIAL INTO REAL EXPERIENCE.

Over one year, three emerging creatives develop original, mission-driven ideas with hands-on mentorship. They learn to tell stories through marketing strategy, graphic design, pitch development, public relations and media outreach.

Funding helps make the learning possible: the guidance, tools and opportunities to take a concept from the first conversation to a professional pitch.

EXPLORE THEIR WORK ↗

Creative professionals collaborating around a table

REAL IDEAS. REAL EXPERIENCE. REAL OPPORTUNITY.

THE IMPACT / 2025—2027

OPPORTUNITY CHANGES EVERYTHING.

Behind every number is a person gaining access, experience, or a career pathway.

04FORMER PARTICIPANTS IN BRAND PARTNERSHIPS CAREERS

$70K+ANNUAL SALARIES REPORTED FOR THOSE FOUR GRADUATES

16APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES TO DATE*

02COHORTS / 2025 AND 2026

03APPRENTICES IN THE CURRENT COHORT

12MONTHS OF PRACTICAL LEARNING PER COHORT

*Count based on published 2025 alumni profiles plus the three current apprentices.

02 / THE PROGRAM + 2026 COHORT

THE PROGRAM. THE PEOPLE.

A year-long, hands-on creative apprenticeship built around real ideas, real deadlines, and direct mentorship. Apprentices work across marketing strategy, visual storytelling, brand partnerships, pitching, and media outreach to learn how an idea moves from concept to opportunity.

Meet the 2026 class and explore the work each apprentice is developing as part of the program.

01 / 2026

01 / STRATEGY / BRAND PARTNERSHIPS

NICOLE B.

Brand research · Outreach & relationship building · Pitch development · Campaign strategy

UNMATTE™ / 2026StrategyAPPRENTICE WORK

THEIR WORK / Strategy

The strategy behind the idea

Presentation coming soon

02 / 2026

02 / DESIGN / VISUAL STORYTELLING

TYMERA JOHNSON

Creative direction · Graphic design · Brand identity · Content production

UNMATTE™ / 2026DesignAPPRENTICE WORK

THEIR WORK / Design

Turning the idea into a visual story

Presentation coming soon

03 / 2026

03 / CLIENT ACQUISITION / PARTNERSHIPS

MAURICE JACOBS

Prospecting & lead generation · Client communication · Partnership development · Proposal & deal execution

UNMATTE™ / 2026OutreachAPPRENTICE WORK

THEIR WORK / Outreach

Taking the concept to potential partners

Presentation coming soon

03 / IDEAS IN PROGRESS

From concept to conversation.

A look inside the work our apprentices are developing and taking into the world.

PROPOSED INITIATIVE / NOT AN ANNOUNCED PARTNERSHIP

Flo Milli × Huggies

In the Potty Collaboration is an original, proposed potty-training campaign that reimagines a childhood milestone as something worth celebrating. Inspired by Flo Milli’s creative energy, the concept explores playful storytelling for parents and families. For our apprentices, the mission is hands-on creative education: learning to take an idea from marketing strategy through graphic design, pitch development, public relations and media outreach. Supporting this program helps provide the mentorship, tools and real-world experience behind that process.

StrategyComplete

DesignComplete

Pitch deckComplete

OutreachIn progress

PROPOSED INITIATIVE / NOT AN ANNOUNCED PARTNERSHIP

Ilia Mayden × Nothing

Start From Nothing. Earn Everything. An original proposed athlete-led campaign connecting the work behind basketball with Nothing’s distinctive audio products. The creative direction explores a hero commercial, social storytelling, and a product-focused landing page. Apprentices develop the strategy, visual concepts, pitch materials, and brand outreach to bring the opportunity into conversation.

StrategyComplete

DesignComplete

Pitch deckComplete

OutreachIn progress

PROPOSED INITIATIVE / NOT AN ANNOUNCED PARTNERSHIP

De’arra Taylor × Baby Phat

An original proposed fashion and campus-culture collaboration bringing De’arra Taylor and Baby Phat together through a branded experiential activation, social content, and audience participation. Apprentices translate the concept into campaign visuals, a partnership pitch, and an outreach-ready opportunity for the brand.

StrategyComplete

DesignComplete

Pitch deckComplete

OutreachIn progress

04 / GUIDANCE