Meet Cornell CK Era” Killebrew | 3D AR Graphic Designer & Marketing Specialist”

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cornell “CK Era” Killebrew and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cornell “CK Era”, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My name is Cornell Killebrew. I was born and raised in Washington DC and currently reside in NYC with my wife Amber. The driving force behind starting my own business started with seeing my grandparents run their businesses when I was 13 years old. My grandmother was an author, and she started her own publishing company. She was also an educator and would always tell me “Grandson with God, you can do anything you set your mind to”. And for my grandfather, I would see pictures and hear stories of when he owned a wedding photography studio in Washington D.C. when he was younger. Growing up as a kid I always knew I was a creative. I went to a performing arts school which exposed me to a lot of things including playing the viola, taking drama and dance classes, creating sculpture in art class, and visiting museums and Broadway shows during field trips. As a kid I was inspired by the things I was fortunate to see, I was inspired, and I knew I had a lot to create & share with the world.

I initially started my business in 2018. I simply thought about what I was gifted with, and my vision was to create a business that would help minority business owners who had brands and wanted to grow their brand awareness. I’ve always been into fashion, tech, art, and interior design, so I wanted to begin helping provide services to people in these industries. This vision evolved into the idea of creating an eCommerce marketplace that combined advertising, graphic design, and content creation. I founded the company Great Gifts Club Corp., which is an eCommerce marketplace where brands of all types can add their products on the platform to grow their awareness and reach new customers. In conjunction I founded Digi with Love, which is the graphic design subsidiary of the company. I envisioned a future where my solutions would empower individuals and businesses alike to grow their market share presence and help democratize the consumer purchasing dollars to be spread among a larger variety of brands, services & entrepreneurs.

My decision to start my business of creating augmented reality art was fueled by a deep passion for AR/VR and to make this new technology a fun way to spark imagination, creativity, and playfulness among everyone around the world! Especially since most generations are now constantly on their phones, I thought this would be a great way to enhance using our phones in a more creative experience!

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

What keeps me busy professionally is being able to create storytelling elements into my artwork, creating a connection between the viewer and the piece. I’m particularly excited about exploring new themes and experimenting with different visual narratives to constantly push the boundaries of my creativity.

I got to where I am as a creative, CEO, and designer by constantly learning. I have always been interested in the latest technology, fashion, and graphic design. I also studied my favorite artists and watched many of their interviews. I taught myself graphic design using tools like Photoshop, Blender, and Adobe Illustrator. Getting to where I am now certainly wasn’t easy. Many people I knew thought my ideas were too big. But I knew what I was creating filled a void I found was needed in the world. I overcame these challenges of self-doubt and the lack of resources, by doing what I could with what I had. I always believed with God anything is possible. And I love the quote “Wealth is of the heart and mind, not the pocket” by Pharrell Williams.

My art revolves around creating digital Augmented Reality, abstract objects, characters, typography, and toy shaped figurines. What sets me apart from others is my unique style and what I choose to create. For example, the “Bitcoin Raining Cloud” came from my fascination with nature and Bitcoin. I wanted to create an abstract design combining the two. Creating storytelling elements in my artwork and establishing a connection between the viewer and the piece is something I am particularly excited about.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
It depends on which city they are visiting me in. I would say the best places in the DC metro area would be visiting the museums, going shopping in Georgetown DC, and having dinner and drinks at The Wharf waterfront.

In New York, I would take them to Soho or Columbus Circle for shopping. For the best places to eat, I would recommend Astoria, Queens. For nightlife I suggest Lower East Side or Williamsburg, BK.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
God first and my wife Amber Killebrew. As well as the family and friends that have supported me along the way.

Website: www.digiwithlove.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/ck.era

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/cornell-k

Twitter: www.twitter.com/digiwithlove

Youtube: www.youtube.com/digiwithlove

Other: My main company is GreatGiftsClub.com which is a eCommerce marketplace, for business inquiries I can be reached at info@greatgiftsclub.com. Digiwithlove is the Graphic design subsidiary of the company, contact at digiwithloveshop@gmail.com