One of the remarkable takeaways from the journey of
28-year-old Akil Alvin is that he began to achieve his dreams as
he grew up — not when. From creating programming that
revitalized his local library at seven years old, to getting himself a
job on the UniverSoul Circus marketing team at age 10, Akil
tapped into his calling at a young age. It was a surprise to no
one when, at 18, he launched his own company and took his
place among the 3% of Black men who serve as the faces and
founders of ad agencies throughout this country.
It’s clear the millennial media visionary felt it when he heard
these legendary lyrics by the late Christopher Wallace: “Stay
far from timid / Only make moves when your heart is in it /
And live the phrase ‘Sky's The Limit.’”
Since its launch in 2013, DDM has grown to work with some of the world’s leading brands and municipalities. Their undeniable client roster includes The Walt Disney Company, Bank of America, Ford Motor Company, and Coca-Cola.
The hustle hasn’t been in vain. In 2019, DDM was one of ten millennial-led
companies nationwide to be honored by the National Minority Supplier
Development Council. Akil was recognized as an Emerging Young Entrepreneur,
landing a one-year advisory partnership with Warner Media. In 2020, DDM
became the first company to be advised by the iconic Walt Disney Company.
Under Akil's leadership, DDM embarked on a full circle and historic moment in
2021 as the first ad agency on record to sign an exclusive multimillion-dollar
agreement with a municipality in the country, handling high-level messaging and
rebranding for the City of Detroit.
In 2022, Akil was named one of FORBES Magazine's 30 Under 30 as one of
North America's top 30 advertising executives. The Black Marketers
Association named Akil one of the most admired CEOs in the world. He’s
become the go-to expert for all things advertising globally. In November 2022,
he was a keynote speaker during the inaugural Week of Entrepreneurship in
Botswana. He announced the global expansion of DDM, planting our first
international division in Africa, DDM Botswana.