Meet Adrian Sutherland: Change Agent I Marketer I Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Adrian Sutherland and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Adrian, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
“If you don’t, then who will?” Everyone has a vision but the people who succeed are the one’s who can take that vision and turn it into action. I was personally past the point of waiting for someone else to produce what I felt our culture needed.

I didn’t aspire to be a millionaire and I still don’t… So, I already knew the business I was creating would be in the nonprofit space because I’m more focused on building up a prosperous community.

When I Co-Founded Minority Voices Prosper (MVP), the sole purpose was to fill the gaps I knew existed within the upbringings of our youth. As a born and raised New Yorker, I personally had to navigate life with no mentors and guidance along the way. Thankfully I can speak from a place of personal success, but I know childhood friends who didn’t make it this far – They weren’t able to get past the hood dynamics… And in some instances, paths have led to jail or unfortunate death. And that’s keeping it a hundred.

We are so under resourced, many of our kids believe if they aren’t shooting hoops or rapping on a mic, they’ve already reached the end game. From there, they get caught up in all the distractions that come with living in the hood. So, who’s putting them on to the real? That’s the gap I identified. For anyone trying to create a business, the best way to do so, is to find a gap… find a problem… And be the solution.

I realized our young people needed more perspective on what their futures could look like; but most importantly from people who look, and sound like them. How can we expect our black and brown youth to think any differently, if we aren’t even taking the time to educate? We come from the same upbringings and been through the same struggles – It would be a tragedy if we as the adults get this far, and didn’t say to the generations following us, “here’s the answers to the test.”

That was the thought process behind creating my nonprofit business MVP. I wanted to provide a platform where I could expose our youth minorities to accomplishment and achievement up close. Representation matters, I don’t care what anyone says… If they can see us and hear us in close proximity, trust me mindsets change.

That’s why with MVP spanning across events and programming, we’re partnering with influential minority voices across a variety of different career fields… People who can actually tell it… Giving our next generation real perspective, and real insights on how they can become success stories in their own right. The future is youth and it starts now – Or at least that’s the time I’m on.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I like to tell people my primary is being a Change Agent in the community, but my secondary is my career as a Sports Marketer. I currently serve as Vice President at sports marketing agency, Publicis Sport & Entertainment. I’ve spent over a decade building my reputation as a brand strategy expert leading media, social and digitally rooted marketing campaigns for top-tier global entities like Unilever, Coca-Cola, Anheuser Busch, Under Armour, Kraft Heinz, and the New York Knicks.

I have experience leading partnerships across the NBA, NFL, MLB, College Sports, Olympics and World Cup.

I can say I’ve had a blessed career, but my proudest moment was working for the Knicks. As a born and raised New Yorker, everybody who hoops, wants to make it to the NBA. Unfortunately, people from our hood don’t make it to the NBA because the only understanding we have in doing so, is shooting the basketball. But as my career evolved over time, I realized the skillsets I acquired from a marketing perspective was all I needed to get on the court. Although I only spent 1 season with my hometown Knicks, I now have the blueprint to share with the next generation on how they can make it to the league… And the good part, they don’t need to shoot the basketball because there are so many other positions they can play once they find the skillsets that separate them from the pack. Perspective is all they need and I have that!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I had a close friend visiting, it’s all about the food spots… Each day, we have to hit a dope spot where the food is valid and you get that real New York vibe. The itinerary may go as follows:

Monday: Cafeteria
Tuesday: Soco
Wednesday: Tao Downtown
Thursday: Sugarcane
Friday: Voodoo Crab
Saturday: Jue Lan Club
Sunday: Sweet Chick

Those are the food spots, we have to go to. It spans Asian, Caribbean, Soul and you can’t forget the Crab Legs – How can anyone visit your city and you don’t take them to get Crab Legs…

Saturday and Sunday we may have to hit a day party, to show how New York is a different vibe.

“The Madison” on Saturday and then “Made In Brooklyn” on Sunday will likely be the agenda. The music will be on point and the energy will have you forgetting we was just in a pandemic!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
If anyone deserves credit for my story, it’s going to be my Mother and Grandmother. Firstly, as a single parent raising two-kids in Brooklyn, NY my mother held it down. She made sure I understood the values of an education – And although some days I disagreed; I can honestly say it became a part of who I was. Secondly, my Grandmother made sure I knew how to pray, and I watched her big heart care for people who weren’t even family. Fast forward to today, and faith is a critical of my being and I’m continuously seeking ways to help others, especially through my MVP business. Go figure the foundations of education, faith, and loving thy neighbor would be the DNA makeup of the Adrian Sutherland before you – That’s why I definitely have to ShoutOut my Mom and Grandma!

Website: minorityvoicesprosper.org

Instagram: @adriansutherland_

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-sutherland-74667376/