GLAAD’s Webby Award-winning web series Changemakers, is back for an all-new season, premiering Monday, February 6th. Season two will feature an array of Black queer excellence including WNBA Star Layshia Clarendon, Shark Tank’s Braxton Fleming (Stealth Bros & Co), House of Tulip Executive Director Mariah Moore, and Head Developer of ValiDate Dani Lalonders.
The series, which is presented by Ally Financial and produced by NEON, GLAAD’s digital content brand aiming to increase the visibility of Black LGBTQ people, released a trailer today, highlighting what viewers can expect to see in the new season. This four-episode season will spotlight the powerful work of bold founders and CEOs of Black trans and nonbinary-owned businesses who are reshaping their communities and disrupting their industries.
“A Changemaker is someone who finds a need and fills the void,” Braxton Fleming says in the trailer. Fleming is the founder and CEO of Stealth Bros & Co, a luxury Dopp kit supply company for convenient and stylish medical and personal storage for the transgender, diabetic, IVF and other personal/medical communities.
Mariah Moore, whose story will be told in the premiere episode, says that “I leaned into my experiences as a young Black trans woman. More than anything, I didn’t want anyone to ever feel the amount of pain that I felt.” Moore leads the New-Orleans based nonprofit House of Tulip, which provides zero-barrier housing, case management, linkage to care, and community programming to trans and gender nonconforming people in need of a safe place to stay while growing the supply of affordable housing in the area.
These stories and more will be amplified through this collection of intimate docu-shorts in season two of Changemakers. NEON leverages the power of storytelling and GLAAD’s platform to create multi-dimensional and accurate portraits of the Black LGBTQ experience.
GLAAD’s Creative Director and co-founder of NEON Abdool Corlette stated that, “The new season of Changemakers is so timely because it tackles some of the most pressing issues facing Black LGBTQ people across industries. From sports to housing to video games to health care, Changemakers is shining a light on four Black trans and nonbinary leaders who are fighting to make sure that the needs of their communities are not ignored.”
On top of being a presenting sponsor, Ally is donating $10,000 to each “Changemaker” to empower them to continue making positive change in their communities. “The decision to work with GLAAD for the second consecutive year to amplify the voices of these LGBTQ+ trail blazers was an easy one. We stand next to, and celebrate, the victories of these entrepreneurs, and hope this program will continue to leave a lasting impact on the LGBTQ+ community and beyond,” said Reggie Willis, Chief Diversity Officer at Ally.
First premiering in 2022, the first season of Changemakers featured four Black LGBTQ small business owners: Kingsley Gbadegesin of the clothing brand K.NGSLEY; Jannah Handy and Kiyanna Stewart, owners of Brooklyn-based antique/vintage concept shop BLK MKT Vintage; nonprofit founder Guy Anthony of Black, Gifted & Whole; and Chef Joya, a premiere vegan chef in Charlotte, NC. Watch season one here.
“This series humanizes issues. It allows audiences to see the people being the change. It allows audiences to peek into what it takes to move mountains and make shifts in industries that have often neglected Black LGBTQ communities,” said Major Nesby, Co-Director of Changemakers & Founder of NEON.
The season premiere of Changemakers will be available to watch on GLAAD’s YouTube and social media platforms on Monday, February 6th, with new episodes each week through February 27th.