MOBI is a series of curated social connectivity events for gay and queer people of color to see their holistic self while promoting community, wellness, and personal development.
We achieve this through our signature programming: MOBItalks, a personal and professional development series for Black gay men and MOBIfest, an interactive wellness experience that celebrates Black queer voices in fashion, music, visual arts and media. With a focus on wellness, MOBI connects individuals to opportunities to better themselves before, during, and after our events.
MOBI is supported in partnership with the New York Blood Center’s Project ACHIEVE.
DASHAWN USHER | Founder and Executive Director | (He, Him, His)
DaShawn Usher is a native New Yorker and an award-winning advocate, published researcher, and celebrated leader within the LGBT community and HIV prevention field. He has cultivated more than 13 years of extensive experience in research, program development and design, health communications, and campaigns. DaShawn was featured in OUT magazine’s OUT100 list for his efforts. He has worked with communities, locally, nationally, and internationally. DaShawn is the Founder and Executive Director of Mobilizing Our Brothers Initiative (MOBI), a series of curated social connectivity events for Black gay and queer people of color to see their holistic self while promoting community, wellness, and personal development. DaShawn currently serves as the Programs Officer, Communities of Color at GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBT media advocacy organization.
JULIAN J. WALKER | Deputy Director / Ambassador | (He, Him, His)
Julian J. Walker is an esteemed silver screen actor featured in “Blackbird”, Bounce TV's "Saints & Sinners '' and BET's hit series “Being Mary Jane”. This Jackson, MS native has trailblazed in the literary sectors with his artistic work, “A Year Without You” featured on NBC News Best Black Queer Books list in 2020. For the past six years Julian has partnered with leaders and organizations across the globe in hopes of creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ POC. He's currently the Deputy Director for Mobilizing Our Brother's Initiative (MOBI) and Communities of Color Ambassador for GLAAD, the world's largest LGBTQ+ organization.
For more information on Julian please visit his website www.julianjwalker.com
ANTHONY CURRY | Director of Events and Operations | (He, Him, His)
Anthony Curry is a passionate and creative New York City born and raised event professional with 11+ years of crafting creative client-centric event solutions, creating memorable experiences for his attendees, and ultimately ensuring the goal and purpose of each event is met above and beyond expectations. He believes in the power events have in fostering community beyond the logistics .
Highlights of his career include holding Event Leadership roles at Parsons School of Design, The Clinton Global Initiative, Haymarket Media, PowHERful Foundation and Philanthropy Unbound.
Being a thought leader, creative trailblazer, and curator of events that speak to a bigger purpose beyond the nuts and bolts is the unique special sauce words faintly describe Anthony’s skill set. His passion for creating safe spaces especially within the LGBTQIA+ community that allow for individuals to feel welcomed and valued while ensuring they walk away with a purposeful engagement is and will always be his goal.
LAQUANN DAWSON | Visual Director | (He, Him, His)
LaQuann Dawson (he / him) (Brooklyn, NY, 1994) is a filmmaker, creative director, and photographer out of Elyria, Ohio now living in Brooklyn, New York. His interest in photography grew out of a desire to document himself and the world around him. At 13, he began making self-portraits and over the past decade has created a prolific body of work that has evolved, exploring themes of Blackness, healing, isolation, community, desire, joy and disappointment.
LaQuann has been featured in Out Magazine’s 2021 Out100 list. LaQuann is the visual director for MOBInyc and director of MOBItalks: A Digital Series. He is one fourth of HIM Podcast. He is the creative director and curator for Impulse Group NYC’s Our Light Through Darkness coffee table book (2021). LaQuann’s work focuses on the visibility, the wellness and the sexual liberation of queer people of color.
He has shared his work through exhibition, discussion and publication that include: Out Magazine, GLAAD, NYLON, Obvious Magazine, OUT, NY Latino Film Festival, MOBIflix, theGENERhouse Film Festival, Bushwick Film Festival, the homosexual object, Queer as I, RGB, the BlkQueer Romantics, Queering Radical Pedagogies at Pratt University, Jack’d, RiskRestricted, Kaltblut and The Tenth Magazine.
DWYANE WILLIAMS | Director of Community Engagement | (He, Him, His)
Dwyane Williams contributes a decade of experience working in community mobilization and organizing throughout the U.S. -- with some of his most notable work in Houston and Atlanta. During this time, he has found inventive ways to combine HIV research, community engagement and social connectivity. Dwyane began this journey through HIV vaccine research and later began focusing on community level programming and organizing safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults.
He has continuously grown his leadership in community engagement among various communities including youth, communities of color, LGBTQ+ and other marginalized and underserved populations with an emphasis on programming for gay and queer men of color. Throughout his experiences, he has integrated knowledge of health, social and economic matters with social innovation strategies aimed at addressing community challenges and has led various initiatives focused on the leadership pipeline among men of color. He contributes experience in direct service, research, grant management and community organizing.
