Yemi A.D. (CZE)
Multidisciplinary Creative, Founder & CEO of Moonshot Platform Inc.
„I’m doing this to remind all the creative kids out there: It's not about where you start your journey, but where you're headed. Trust that with imagination, your potential is limitless.“
Yemi A. D. has spent the last 20 years honing his skills as a multidisciplinary creative force. He began his career as a dancer and choreographer, and evolved to become one of the most sought after global creative directors, producers, cutting-edge communications strategists and social entrepreneurs.
Notably, his five-year collaboration with Grammy Award-winning artist Kanye West saw him imagine and execute West’s global concerts, tours, and music videos, including his VMA performance (2010), the short film “Runaway” (2010), Saturday Night Live performances (2010), and The Yeezus Tour (2013), among other works.
In 2010, Yemi founded the globally award-winning production company, JAD Productions, whose portfolio includes clients such as Google, Apple, Coca-Cola, T-Mobile, adidas Originals and Mercedes Benz. In 2022, JAD was also recognized for its digital innovation and non-profit initiative responses to pandemic challenges in Central Europe called Anti-Panic. JAD’s original productions range from Teniskology, a European sneaker festival; to Ynspirology, a music, art & culture festival; to Cycles, an immersive theatrical experience. He has delivered interactive seminars about the future of intergenerational creativity as a keynote at TEDx and the Czech Singularity University Summit (2019).
As a philanthropist and innovator of social impact, Yemi established the non-profit Dance Academy Prague (2009) and worked with former Czech president Václav Havel’s Library to produce a series of educational, human rights videos (2018). He is also the founder of several youth programs including a scholarship for talented Nigerian students to study in the EU, and has worked with children with disabilities in India and underserved youth in Indonesia. In 2019, he became the Czech Ambassador for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and was appointed as a Czech Goodwill Ambassador by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. That same year, he became the first Czech inductee in the Henry Crown Fellowship by The Aspen Global Leadership Network.
In 2021, Yemi founded Moonshot Platform Inc., a U.S.-based non-profit organization, whose mission is to accelerate emerging leaders’ innovations relative to addressing the 21st Century Grand Challenges and advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The platform, supported by former U.S. Secretary Madeleine Albright, hosted five conferences across Europe and the U.S. in 2021 with over 650 C-level changemakers, 60 international speakers and reached over 3 million people (full Impact Report here).
In December 2022, Yemi was accepted amongst 1 million applicants aboard dearMoon, the first ever civilian lunar space mission, funded by Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa. Yemi will join eight other exceptional crew members selected on a six-day orbit around the Moon aboard SpaceX’s newest rocket.