Brandcenter Executive Director Vann Graves was the featured speaker at March’s CreativeMornings gathering, hosted at Brandcenter. He delivered a powerful talk on connection, creativity, and legacy based around the theme of “parallel”.
In addition to opening remarks from Head of the Richmond Chapter, Michelle Mercurio, Andrew Davies introduced the theme of “parallel”. Brandcenter alum Mary Gray Johnson (Strategy, 2019) read the CreativeMornings manifesto, and Benita Conde welcomed Graves to the stage.
Graves gave a thought provoking talk on human connection and the parallel worlds we dwell in. Drawing from personal history and cultural reflections, he underscored the theme of creative responsibility in a world that often feels divided. Graves shared the story of his great-grandfather, William Ford Sr., who worked at Richmond’s Jefferson Hotel in the early 1900s—a place of luxury he could never experience as a guest, himself, due to segregation. Now Graves is Executive Director at Brandcenter, housed in a building which was actually the original Jefferson Hotel carriage house —the meaning is not lost on him.
He explored the contradictions of our modern digital world, where people are hyper-connected in new ways, yet isolated more than ever. He challenged creatives to break these barriers, urging them to harness storytelling and authenticity to foster true human connection, rather than merely feeding the algorithms and strengthening the echo chambers they cause.
When asked about his legacy, Graves expressed hope that his work honors those who came before him and paves the way for future generations. “I hope I make you proud,” he reflected, addressing both his ancestors and his great-grandchildren yet to come. “Caring about the people coming behind you—that’s legacy.”
Graves’ talk and Q+A left the audience with a call to action: be authentic, take creative risks, and use storytelling as a force for meaningful change. He referenced the famous line from Gil Scott-Heron’s 1970 poem with an addition, “The revolution will not be televised—but maybe, just maybe, we can make it go viral.”
CreativeMornings gives creatives and artists a space to gather each month to get inspired, support each other, forge relationships and collaborate. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Richmond chapter. A video recording of Graves’ talk will be on their site soon.
All photos by Toine Rob, Christversal