GUY ANTHONY

CEO/PRESIDENT

Guy Anthony is an award-winning ARTivist, community leader, and philanthropist. Diagnosed with HIV as a teen, Guy has dedicated his adult life to the pursuit of neutralizing local and global HIV/AIDS-related stigmatization. He released Pos(+)tively Beautiful: Affirmations, Advocacy & Advice on World AIDS Day in 2012. This collection of inspiring narratives, raw imagery, and affirming anecdotes have earned Guy much acclaim, including being named one of the top 100 HIV prevention leaders under 30 by POZ Magazine, one of the top 100 Black LGBTQ/SGL Emerging Leaders to watch by National Black Justice Coalition, and one of DBQ Magazine’s LOUD 100 which happens to be the only LGBTQ list of 100 influential people of color. Guy served as a Program Manager/Coordinator for the Treatment Adherence program at Us Helping Us People Into Living, Inc, a local AIDS service organization serving Black communities in the Washington, D.C., area for two years. In his role at Us Helping Us, Guy worked with newly diagnosed Black gay men to help them come to terms with their status, navigate the complex health care system so they can access care, and develop plans for them to adhere to their treatment regimen and achieve viral suppression.

Guy also served on Washington, D.C.’s Ryan White Planning Council, overseeing millions of dollars in HIV funding for the city as Community Co-chair. He is a regular contributor to https://h-i-v.net/. Currently, Guy serves as brand ambassador to Janssen Pharmaceuticals, one of the country’s most significant pharmaceutical companies and has been apart of their “Positively Fearless” campaign since 2018. Guy is the Founder of the Black, Gifted & Whole Foundation, a two-fold intermediary organization that provides scholarships to Black gay men attending college.

In 2018, Guy was named one of the Top 35 Millennial Influencers by Next Bing Thing Inc., and Black Gifted & Whole was named as one of six “Black Companies You Should Know” by Ebony Magazine. In January 2020, Guy was included on Metrosource Magazine’s “People We Love” annual list that recognizes members of the LGBTQ community for their extraordinary acts of service and philanthropy, raising awareness about LGBTQ rights and culture, and for modeling excellence in being part of our community. Guy currently resides in Brooklyn, New York, and is focused on expanding Black, Gifted & Whole into international markets. On February 12, 2020, Guy Anthony released his debut rap album, “Made in Detroit” under his Guy Anthony Productions imprint.

REMMINGTON BELFORD

VP OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Remmington Foster Belford, MPS. is a high-impact strategic political communications and marketing practitioner in Washington, D.C., by way of Houston, Texas. He currently serves as the Director of Communications for the largest and most diverse Black Caucus in the history of the United States Congress. He is a second-generation Texas Southern University alumnus, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Biology, and an alumnus of the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management, where he received a Masters in Strategic Public Relations. He is a consultant with the United Negro College Fund, The Association of Black Hospital Pharmacists, and several other socially conscious organizations. His specialties include strategic communications, multicultural marketing, content and reputation management, legislative and policy analysis, government and media relations, and crisis communications. He is also the Founder and CEO of Hill Figure Strategies, LLC., and the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for The Black Gifted and Whole Foundation.

JAY LAUTNER

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Jay Lautner is an award-winning, multidisciplinary designer, brand developer, and (self-proclaimed) pop-culture expert. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Jay’s early work was most impactful in the Washington, DC area where he first volunteered for Us Helping Us, a gay, black community-based organization. Within a year Jay’s skills in graphic design and non-profit management landed him the position as Marketing Manager for the company. During this time, Jay worked on projects with internationally recognized brands such as: Janssen Pharmaceuticals, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the Center for Disease Control, and Impulse Group. Jay also managed the social media brand identity for Us Helping Us building exponentially expanding the growth of the relationship between the non-profit and its diverse audience. Jay performed exceptionally within the LGBTQ community building relationships through event organization and outreach.

In 2017 Jay was signed on to serve as the graphic designer for Black Gifted & Whole. Being impactful in graphic design, Jay focused honed in on his skills in videography and web design. This groundbreaking decision to enter the web design industry would catapult Jay into working with the titan marketing agency, Dreamscape Marketing. It is here that Jay would go on to win Gold for the 2020 AVA Digital Awards and Gold for the 2020 Muse Creative Awards. Lautner is the Creative Director at Axiist, a national web design and branding firm focusing on digitally structuring businesses across the United States. Here, Lautner is part of a team that services dozens of e-commerce businesses as well as military and government agencies.

Lautner’s portfolio continues to expand as he continues to work with growing organizations and mentor up-and-coming designers.

DEION HAWKINS

BGWhole Program Coordinator

Originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, Deion S. Hawkins, PhD currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Argumentation & Advocacy and the Director of Debate at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusets. As a first generation student and licensed high school English teacher, Deion has always been passionate about the power of education and equipping all with the power of advocacy. As a critical scholar, Deion remains committed to advancing equity and fighting racism and other systems of oppression, especially in public health spaces. His recent research can be found in Frontiers in Health Communication and Health Communication. Outside of the classroom, with over 10+ years of experience, Deion has coached multiple national finalists and champions in various debate events. Lastly, Deion is proud to humbly serve the community at large. He currently serves as a pro-bono mediator throughout the larger Boston court system and is the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) officer for Boston Health Care For the Homeless.

Jauan Durbin

BGWhole Ambassador Liason

Jauan Taylor Durbin is a proud alumnus of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. While at Morehouse, Jauan served multiple terms on the student government association as the Secretary of Diversity and Inclusion and reigned consecutively as Mr. Sophomore 17-18, Mr. Spelman College 18-19, and Mr. Historically Black Colleges and Universities 19-20. As a proud openly queer individual, Jauan has used his platform as a community organizer and youth activist to advocate for and amplify the youth’s voices and marginalized individuals and communities around the country. In hopes of being a radiating light in this world, Jauan has allowed his activism and advocacy to lead the way throughout his professional career. This has made way for him to be recognized as a Forbes Under 30 Scholar in addition to national highlights from Vice News, Revolt TV, and Ebony Magazine and a national surrogate for the Biden-Harris campaign, to name a few.