“Why try to change who you were born to be and force yourself into who you think everyone will find more beautiful?” ~ Luvvie Ajayi, Digital Strategist and Author
Summary: Luvvie Ajayi is a New York Times best-selling author, speaker and digital strategist who thrives at the intersection of comedy, technology and activism. A fourteen-year blogging veteran, she is the voice behind Awesomely Luvvie, a widely-respected humor blog that covers everything pop culture – from TV, movies and technology to travel, race and life’s random adventures. It was her blog that inspired Luvvie’s debut book, I’M JUDGING YOU: The Do-Better Manual, which was released in September 2016, and instantly hit the New York Times best-seller’s list. It is a collection of essays that critiques our fame-obsessed, social media-centric lives, while encouraging us to do better. The book is the good, yet snarky, angel on your shoulder, in word form. I’M JUDGING YOU has been optioned by Shondaland to be turned into a cable series. Luvvie’s work as a culture critic and activist has brought her much acclaim. She was selected as a part of Oprah Winfrey’s inaugural Supersoul100 list in 2016, as someone who “elevates humanity.” She was voted as the Influencer of the Year at the 2016 Iris Awards and was chosen as a 2015 Black Innovator by XFINITY Comcast. She is also a past winner of the Women’s Media Center’s Social Media Award for using her voice and humor for pop culture critique and gender and racial justice.
Nationality: Nigerian
Industry: Digital Strategist and Author
Q: What do you love most about your work? on matermea.com
A: I love that I’m reaching people. That pushes me forward because sometimes you’re working in a vacuum [and] sometimes you might not feel like your work is getting anywhere. But I love the feedback I’ve been getting, when people tell me that I made their day or I made them smile while they are in the waiting room with their mom who has cancer. So, you know, just bringing joy and making people laugh.
