Vanessa Nakate to Open Giving Black Conference 2026 With Climate Justice Keynote
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United States Issa Rae has established herself as a prominent figure in the entertainment industry, transitioning from web series creator to an award-nominated actress, writer, and producer, known for developing authentic narratives.
Co-founded and curated by Issa Rae, Ensemble is a next-generation branded entertainment company connecting brands with diverse creators.
Issa Rae's ColorCreative entered a strategic partnership with HarbourView Equity Partners to represent underrepresented creators and double revenue.
Canva partnered with Issa Rae's media production company HOORAE and its management division ColorCreative to support diverse creative professionals.
Rae was named 'Chief Storyteller' at Cast Jewelry Brand and debuted her partnership with the Braeve Collection, a 22-piece jewelry line.
Issa Rae continued her partnership with Stuart Weitzman, starring in their first-ever sunglasses and spring campaign.
Google announced that Rae would be an additional voice to the Google Assistant, allowing users to make it speak in her voice until October 2021.
In 2019, Rae, through her record label Raedio, partnered with Atlantic Records to produce "Kinda Love" by singer-rapper TeaMarrr.
In March 2021, Rae's production company, Hoorae, signed a five-year film and television deal with WarnerMedia.
Issa Rae is a co-owner of Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen, a Los Angeles-based independent coffee chain.
Rae is part of an investor group that bought the SailGP U.S. squad in 2023.
Jo-Issa Rae Diop, professionally known as Issa Rae, was born on January 12, 1985, in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Abdoulaye Diop, is a pediatrician and neonatologist from Senegal, and her mother, Delyna Marie Diop, is a teacher from Louisiana. Rae spent some of her childhood in Dakar, Senegal, and was primarily raised in Potomac, Maryland, before moving to Los Angeles. She graduated from Stanford University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in African and African-American Studies. Her early creative endeavors included music videos, plays, and a mock reality series called ‘Dorm Diaries’. After college, Rae pursued a theater fellowship in New York City and briefly considered law or business school before her web series gained significant attention.
Rae first gained widespread recognition with her YouTube web series, ‘Awkward Black Girl,’ which premiered in 2011. The series, which she wrote, produced, and starred in, resonated with audiences and garnered mainstream media coverage, eventually winning a Shorty Award for Best Web Show in 2013. This success led to a partnership with Pharrell Williams for the second season. Building on this momentum, Rae co-created, co-wrote, and starred in the HBO comedy series ‘Insecure’ from 2016 to 2021. ‘Insecure’ received critical acclaim, earning Rae multiple Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy nominations, and a Peabody Award for its authentic portrayal of young Black women’s lives. In 2015, her memoir, ‘The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl,’ became a New York Times bestseller.
Her career continued to expand into film, with roles in ‘The Hate U Give’ (2018), ‘Little’ (2019), ‘The Photograph’ (2020), ‘The Lovebirds’ (2020), ‘Vengeance’ (2022), and critically acclaimed performances in both ‘Barbie’ and ‘American Fiction’ in 2023. She also lent her voice to ‘Hair Love’ (2019) and as Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman in ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ (2023). Rae has a strong commitment to empowering diverse voices in media, founding her production company Hoorae Media in 2020. Through Hoorae, she has executive produced series such as ‘A Black Lady Sketch Show’ (2019–2022) and ‘Rap Sh!t’ (2022–2023). Her impact on the industry has been recognized by her inclusion in the Time 100 list of most influential people in 2018 and 2022, and she received the Peabody Trailblazer Award and the Producers Guild of America Visionary Award.
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