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

Hi Monique, what matters most to you?
Well, autonomy, faith, and community matter a lot to me. They all remind me of my power and invite me to be my most authentic self. For a long time, I found myself doing what others thought was best for me. Faith really gave me the space to go after my dreams. At the same time, my community supported me in bringing my nonprofit, Moknowsbest, to life. As we enter 2024, autonomy, faith, and community remind me to continue on my path to serve, educate, and entertain with the Moknowsbest nonprofit.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Sure, well over the years, my journey as a Director, Producer, Video Editor, and Writer has led me to teach broadcasting and graphic design in Fulton County Schools. Witnessing the need for creative safe spaces for middle-school aged students, I founded Moknowsbest, a nonprofit organization committed to empowering young creatives. What I most want the world to know about me is that I discovered immense power through storytelling and learning to receive love from unexpected communities. Despite the discomfort and unglamorous aspects of life, I realize that sharing my story can touch hearts, spark reflection, and foster growth for both individuals and community alike.

My work is deeply rooted in themes of identity, belonging, redemption, and resistance. I am proud to have achieved recognition for my original documentary series, “The Bluest Space: Creatives Defining Fine Art Spaces.” This series has been IMDB-qualified and garnered nominations and awards at prestigious festivals, including The London Indie Festival, Austin International Art Festival, Toronto Independent Film Festival of Cift, Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival, and the Atlanta Women’s Film Festival.

I’m most proud of owning my journey of entrepreneurship. Creating Moknowsbest, producing award-winning documentaries, and hosting our flagship youth program under the Bluest Space brand has not been easy at all. I would attribute my ability to overcome challenges to my faith in Jesus Christ. My creative process has evolved through incubation with Christ and a great community to support my vision. With a lot of planning and strategy, I take one step at a time to bring my ideas to life.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

As a lover of all things lowkey and eclectic, there’s a lot of pressure to show out-of-towners a good time, so I don’t particularly enjoy the role of host. However, if I wanted to show someone a good time we’re going to enjoy leisure, food and art! We’ll take a few days to luxuriate at Jeju, hike Stone Mountain Park, brunch at Breakfast at Barney’s, lunch sushi at Volcano Steak and Sushi, and perhaps visit Spelman Museum to check out an exhibit. In the evening, enjoy networking and fun at the Production Circle with awesome ATL visual artists. Have a few drinks and listen to some amazing ATL artists at Airloom. We might do an upscale outing at El Malo or Spaceman.

On the contrary, I might trash all those plans and stage an entire week of activities to connect with local creators, lead art activities in-house, and kick back enjoying some of the best homemade dinners, made with love, at the crib. I guess it just depends on my mood.

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?
Shout out to The Bluest Eye, a novel by Toni Morrison, for inspiring me to create the Bluest Space, a safe space to nurture creativity, confidence, courage, and grit in children of single-parent households. I picked up this book on a whim during a time I was taking a closer look into my own childhood. I felt so connected to the story of this little black girl consistently regarded as “ugly,” which led to the sharp decline in her mental state. The 1970 novel reminds me so much of my own battles with self worth and mental health, in addition to the similar stories heard from family members, peers, and students alike. Morrison’s narrative reminds me of the ever relevant topic of community and the impact it can play in who we become. 

Website: https://monique-gill-professional-site.weebly.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/igoby_mo___/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moknowsbestinc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mo.lasha/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNZdZ8asbcr0_fVCOL93lYw

Other: Moknowsbest Nonprofit Website: https://www.moknowsbest.net/

Image Credits: Glenn Callwood & Kei Moore

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