Anthem Judge on Building a Black-Owned Business Rooted in Community
For Black Business Month, we spoke with Chris Crawford, Founder and CEO of Harlem-based creative agency Elite Media and an Anthem Awards Winner and Judge, about building a purpose-driven business, the power of Black-owned businesses, and the story behind the Anthem Award-winning initiative The Schoolys.
Recognized by The Anthem Awards across Community Outreach, Corporate Social Responsibility, Employee Retention, Events, and more, The Schoolys demonstrates what can happen when a business invests its creativity and resources directly into its community.
What inspired you to start Elite Media?
My parents were a huge influence. My father was an educator, and my mother was a scientist. I was also inspired by Marcus Graham, Eddie Murphy’s character in Boomerang. Seeing that representation allowed me to imagine a career where I could come up with big ideas and build an incredible life through creativity.
What makes you most proud of the work you have done?
It would probably be The Schoolys. It was our opportunity to take a problem in our community and give it the same care and respect we would give a client’s challenge. We chose not to go to Cannes that year. Instead, we took the $150,000 we would have spent and invested it in a local school. Previously, around 20% of its teachers were leaving each year. Following the first year of The Schoolys, none of them left.
It demonstrated that good business does not have to look past the community. It can fully engage with it, honor it, and protect its possibilities.
@anthemawards “ You have no choice but to be inspired every step of the day” 💡 This Black Business Month, we’re celebrating Chris Crawford (Founder and CEO of Elite Media) and the purpose, community, and inspiration at the heart of his journey as a Black business owner. Discover the four guiding principles behind the company he’s built.
How did The Schoolys come to life?
We adopted a school just a few blocks from our Harlem office. When we visited, we asked the principal what the school truly needed. We did not want to assume we already knew. She told us she needed help retaining the teachers who cared so deeply about the students. The school had 50 staff members, from educators to cafeteria workers, so we divided the $150,000 we would have spent at Cannes among them. Each received a $3,000 Radical Self-Care Grant that they could use for education, wellness, or anything else that would help them feel and live better.
Why was celebrating the staff so important?
We wanted to honor these educators and staff members the way our industry honors celebrities. Gayle King joined the celebration, their faces appeared on billboards, and what would normally have been an assembly for students became a celebration of the staff. In advertising, we can be affirmed and recognized all the time. There are many people doing incredible work who never receive that same recognition. The Schoolys asks: How do we honor and protect the people who are protecting our children?
Your connection to education is also personal. How did your father inspire this work?
My father was an educator, and his first teaching position was at a public school in Harlem. He passed away before the age of 54 with more than a year of unused vacation time. He never took a day off. I sometimes wonder what might have happened if he had a program like The Schoolys. What if someone had encouraged him to take time for himself so he could return stronger for his family and students?
Sometimes we can take something we have experienced and channel it back into the community to address a challenge affecting countless others.
What sets Elite Media apart as a creative partner?
We are not performative. We put our money, time, and energy where our mouths are. We started in the community, we refused to leave the community, and our office remains in the community. We hire from the community, and the people who benefit from our work beyond client projects are part of that community.
You cannot rely on platitudes to create meaningful impact. You need the receipts.
What do you wish more people understood about working with Black business owners?
I wish people understood how much of a force multiplier working with a Black business owner can be. As a Black business owner, I have to consider many different perspectives. I think about how I am showing up, what someone else’s concerns might be, and how my lived experience can strengthen the work. Then I bring all of those perspectives together to solve the client’s challenge.
The Black experience is not a small box. It is broad and complex. Black business owners have often had to specialize in many different things simply to succeed. They are often overqualified, frequently overworked, and extremely prepared for the moment.
What advice would you give someone considering starting a business?
Be honest about why you want to do it. Is it because you genuinely want to do the work, or because you want your ego to be celebrated? What you see on social media is not reality. People say they want to start a business because they do not want a boss, but when you work for yourself, everyone is your boss. Your employees are your boss, and your clients are your boss.
If you are grounded in the right reasons, keep going. Perfection should not be the goal. Improvement should be, and you can only improve if you continue moving forward.
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Is your organization creating meaningful change in its community? The Anthem Awards recognizes the people, organizations, and initiatives turning purpose into measurable impact. Enter the 6th Annual Anthem Awards by the Extended Entry Deadline on Friday, September 18, at entries.anthemawards.com
