In collaboration with 99designs by Vistaprint, Claima Stories Is Taking Its Podcast On The Road In A One-of-A-Kind MobileStudio For A Month Long Tour Across The West Coast
Today, Claima Stories, the leading career podcast committed to addressing the alarming disparity of BIPOC-youth in creative industries, is excited to commence “Claima Stories with Bimma: Storytella Road Trip”, a first-of-its-kind mobile studio storytelling tour, created in partnership with 99designs by Vistaprint.
Claima Stories is set to hit the road in a converted 93’ Mitsubishi Delica “Starwagon”, cleverly titled Storytella. The revamped state-of-the-art mobile studio, which dons the brand’s signature progressive purple, will host some of the West Coast’s most pivotal creatives within various industries for intimate interviews set to inspire the next generation of BIPOC creative frontrunners. The 30-day, 4-city tour will include Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
“In the time of being stuck at home, hate crimes, capitol riots, face masks, and multitasking, our BIPOC communities have struggled to see light in the darkness” said Bimma Williams, Co-founder and Host of Claima Stories. “Storytella is our quest to connect with BIPOC creatives in their communities to help claim their dream careers and businesses. We strive to tell authentic stories that provide the much-needed spark of inspiration and hope that has been missing.”
The tour which begins today, July 22nd and concludes Sunday, August 22nd was created with 99designs by Vistaprint as a continuation of the partnership to provide design and marketing support, as well as financial grants, to small businesses impacted by COVID-19. The program, which recently granted nearly $250,000 in support of 13 BIPOC businesses nominated by Claima Stories, will include four additional design revival grants to be awarded on the road, surprising a small business within each city to receive $15,000 and a brand makeover to help them revive and thrive after a difficult year. Grant recipients will be nominated by the creatives who are interviewed on the Storytella Road Trip, and two of the earlier grant recipients will be interviewed in LA to share their inspiring design revival stories.
“BIPOC businesses were disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and are struggling to stay in business. At the heart, Claima was created to better the well-being of BIPOC communities.” said Claima Stories Co-Founder, BJ Frogozo. “With the assistance of 99designs by Vistaprint, we look to continue to uplift and inspire BIPOC small business owners post-pandemic through storytelling, funding and resources that have long been over-promised and underserved.”
“Storytella was born out of Vistaprint and Claima’s shared vision to demonstrate the transformative power of design for small businesses. The impact of Storytella is a wonderful expression of Claima’s visual identity that genuinely reflects the heart and soul of the brand. Bimma has a gift for telling the stories of small business owners in a way that resonates with people and we’re honored to be a part of the Storytella journey” said Vistaprint CMO Ricky Engelberg.
Find the “Storytella” Road Trip Tour locations and dates below:
- San Francisco | July 22nd – July 25th
- Los Angeles | July 25th – August 5th
- Phoenix | August 10th – August 13th
- Vegas | August 13th – August 16th
‘Claima’, which is short for ‘claim a seat at the table,’ is where host Bimma Williams sits with the creative industry’s heavyweights, such as Melody Ehsani, Jeff Staple, Elise Swopes, and James Whitner to share first hand accounts that provide a refreshing and necessary lens into navigating the creative space where representation is scarce and opportunities for black & brown youth are not as accessible. Claima Stories has evolved from a passion project podcast to frontrunner in its second season, boasting the #1 spot for careers on the Apple Podcast charts.
Find more information about the upcoming van tour and the latest episodes here: https://www.claimastories.com/
About Claima Stories:
The Claima Stories podcast takes the BIPOC creative community, with a focus on BIPOC youth, behind the scenes of the notoriously guarded creative and sneaker industries, helping them to claim a seat at the table. Co-created Bimma Williams, BJ Frogozo and Adrian Anaya , bringing their diverse backgrounds in the sneaker industry, marketing and music respectively, to join forces in creating an impactful podcast addressing the alarming disparity of BIPOC youth in the sneaker and creative industries.
About 99designs by Vistaprint
With a worldwide community of more than 150,000 talented freelance designers, 99designs by Vistaprint™ is the global creative platform that makes it easy for small businesses to work with creative experts and build their brand through custom, memorable design.
About Vistaprint
Vistaprint is the marketing partner to millions of small businesses around the world, empowering each one to live their dreams. For more than 20 years, we have helped small businesses look and feel credible through high-quality marketing products and solutions that include signage, logo apparel, promotional products, face masks, flyers, postcards, business cards, websites and digital marketing. With Vistaprint, small businesses are able to create and customize their marketing with easy-to-use digital tools and design templates, or by receiving expert graphic design support. In 2020, Vistaprint acquired 99designs to expand its design offering via a worldwide community of more than 150,000 talented freelance designers to make it easy for designers and clients to work together to create designs they love. Vistaprint is focused on making great marketing and design accessible to every small business owner, allowing them to create a cohesive brand image for use in-store, online and on-the-go. To learn more, visit: www.vistaprint.com. Vistaprint is a Cimpress company (Nasdaq: CMPR).