Elevating the Game: the Next Generation Digital Storytelling
The Challenge
In 2020, the world hit a tipping point. After the murder of George Floyd, conversations about racial injustice - and the lived experiences of Black men -could no longer be ignored.
For many, these dialogues were long overdue. But for Black men, including some of the NBA’s biggest stars, the challenge went deeper: reclaiming narrative power and dismantling generations of harmful stereotypes.
Dove Men+Care, in partnership with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) and 11 NBA players, launched a powerful initiative:
To humanize Black men through storytelling—and invite the world to listen, learn, and evolve.
The Approach
I was contracted by JOY Collective as Lead Digital Designer to build the campaign’s digital home: the Dove Men+Care Black Men C.A.R.E. platform.
But this wasn’t just a website.
It was a digital experience built to hold real stories, with tenderness and truth. Designed to spotlight the voices of NBA players beyond the game, it offered a new lens: one rooted in vulnerability, power, and purpose.
As the movement expanded, so did the vision. Dove and the NBPA set their sights on the next generation, launching Tech & Talk Virtual Camps, a bold initiative to empower youth through storytelling, strategy, and digital creation.
Engagement
The sprint followed my signature framework:
Organize It – Students explored identity, values, and what makes their story matter
Visualize It – They translated that story into design—color, imagery, and structure that reflected their truth
Build It – They got hands-on, developing their personal websites as living digital portraits
Launch It – They presented their sites to NBA players who offered affirming, actionable feedback
Across six virtual camps (co-sponsored by Dell), I curated the entire experience:
Branded the learning environment to feel elevated, safe, and culturally aligned
Created interactive polls, worksheets, and guided tools for each sprint phase
Led all live sessions, holding space for both instruction and reflection
Facilitated final showcases where students stood in their story and were seen
And here’s where it got deep…these weren’t just tech tutorials. These were transformation spaces.
Students built personal websites as digital self-portraits
Many wrote in their native languages, honoring immigrant identities while adapting to new realities
Others found the courage to name dreams, share fears, and imagine futures—on their own terms
We weren’t just teaching digital literacy.
We were unlocking digital legacy.
To bring this to life, Dove Men+Care licensed my signature curriculum, Beyond Social: How to Build a Personal Website, and brought me in to lead a complete 4-day digital sprint experience—blending storytelling with tech fluency and personal agency.
The Impact
Tech & Talk became more than a campaign extension. It became a blueprint for what’s possible when young people are given structure, tools, and space to show up fully.
And for me? It was legacy work in action.
This project embodied everything I teach at Kenekts:
Clarity over chaos
Presence over performance
Digital space as activation, not just access
This wasn’t just a workshop.
It was liberation through design.
And for me? It was legacy work in action.
This project embodied everything I teach at Kenekts:
Clarity over chaos
Presence over performance
Digital space as activation, not just access
This wasn’t just a workshop.
It was liberation through design.
“Susan brought Aaron’s vision to life in a way that was both powerful and personal. Her sprint didn’t just teach digital skills; it helped our students find their voice. It was strategic, soulful, and exactly what Code Your City stands for.”
Here’s What they Thought…
Why It Matters
When young people are guided with intention, they don’t just learn tech, they unlock their voice. When paired with structure and soul, that voice doesn’t just show up. It leads.
At Kenekts, we guide people through the same rhythm:
Organize it. Visualize it. Build it. Launch it.
Not just websites. Whole new ways of being seen.
This sprint wasn’t just instruction.
It was transformation.
And it’s only the beginning.
NEXT: Follow the journey to see how I helped a social entrepreneur elevate her curriculum through scalable digital product design, expanding her reach and reshaping student engagement with soul and strategy.