The Cool

Name: Derrick Beasley

Role in AOI: VP, Co-Owner, Design Team

Education History: North Carolina A&T State University – BA, Sociology | Georgia State University – Masters of Public Administration, Policy Analysis & Evaluation.

Born: Nashville, TN (Raised Durham, NC)
Current Location: Atlanta, GA

Hobbies: In no particular order: Music Listening, SLR Toting, Bike Riding, Vegetable Eating, Waste Reducing, Book Reading, Justice Advocating, Khaki Cutting, Garden Tilling, Tomato Harvesting, Juice Making, Ginger Cutting, Baseball Tossing, Golf Ball Hooking, Question Asking, Memo Drafting, Melanin Possessing, Right Fist Raising, Colbert Report Watching, Bill Maher Empathizing (not always), Vote Casting, Adventure Seeking, Family Loving, Love Giving, Love Taking, Energy Transforming, Day Dreaming, Night Scheming, Sustainable Lifestyle Striving, Social Entrepreneur.

Dream Job: A job that allows me to spread sustainable living around the world…being able to ride my bike there would be a bonus too.

What You Love About AOI: We can brainstorm for hours and still use none of the ideas from the session #mental exercise. I love our ability to refocus on our mission and openly discuss differences.

Name: Donald T Boone

Role in AOI: President, Co-Owner, Blog Contributor

Education History: North Carolina A&T State University, BS Mechanical Engineering

Born: Washington, DC (raised in Seat Pleasant)
Current Location: Seat Pleasant, MD

Hobbies: Skydiving, snowboarding, computing, blogging, investing, traveling, and EATING.

Little Known Fact: I love cycling. Yep, corny helmet, tights and all.

Dream Job: Professional Snowboarder

What you enjoy most about AOI: I love AOI because we have the opportunity to make something that was one day a simple idea into an enterprise. Through our ArtOfficial we can make smart cool again, thus, saving the youth and everything else under the sun. So let’s see if this works.

Dorian

Name: Dorian Boone

Role in AOI: VP, Co-Owner, Financial and Legal Team

Education History: Morehouse College – BS General Science | NC A&T BS Mechanical Engineering | Pursuing MBA at University of Maryland

Born: Washington, DC (raised in Seat Pleasant)
Current Location: Durham, NC

Hobbies: Traveling, trying new sports, spending time with family, eating, cooking, learning about new cultures, photography (eventually)

Dream Job: Travel Channel Show host or Little League basketball coach (can I do one or the other in the off seasons?)

Little Known Fact: closet space junkie

What I love about AOI: I love how diverse AOI is.  There is no box that is big enough to package us into.  Not only do we make cool clothes but our written work is excellent as well.  We can make you laugh, appreciate art, think, and inspire you to reach new heights in life.

Name: Matthew Green

Role in AOI: VP, Co-Owner, Design and Print Team

Education: Dematha Catholic HS. (1 of the best athletic schools in the country..google it) | North Carolina A&T State University- BS Graphic Communications Systems…AGGIE PRIDE!!!

Birthplace and Current Location: Washington, DC

Hobbies: I enjoy doing many things, all of which keep me sane. I am a part-time Photographer, Artist in nature, Designer by trade, and a full-time Dreamer/Thinker. I am a vivid follower of all things urban from music to landscapes. I appreciate food from many countries (might not like all of it but I’ll try it). And I support my friends and family with their dreams/aspirations/goals. Just like Walt Disney said “Always Keep Moving Forward”