What qualities contribute to making a city truly desirable?
Several key characteristics play a pivotal role: location, safety, access to essential services, sustainable architecture, inviting spaces — they (and countless other factors) combine to create an inclusive and vibrant atmosphere. They foster a sense of community.
The people at Culture x Design take them all into consideration because, as managing partner and creative director Geraud Blanks puts it, “We're designers of social spaces. We are conveners. We are facilitators. We bring people together around really cool events.”
Culture x Design is a marketing and events firm founded by three former Milwaukee Film employees: Geraud Blanks and Maureen Post serve as managing partners, while Ranell Washington assumes the role of lead cultural strategist. Following their departures from Milwaukee Film, they transformed adversity into inspiration. I asked Blanks about that inspiration, and he hopes it can impact our city.
“What I think is missing is consistency,” he said. “It's not that people here aren't already doing dope things. It's just in a city like Milwaukee, we don't have the consistency.”
On this episode of Uniquely Milwaukee, I talk with Blanks as we delve deeper into Culture x Design. You’ll also hear about two projects the organization’s working on: this month's Black History Program featuring Black History Trivia and bringing back In Retrospect: The Life & Times Of Lauryn Hill with Dr. Joan Morgan.
