Industry Innovators 2024: Ashley Henderson

Ashley HendersonPhoto: Courtesy of League Twenty TwoAshley Henderson is the founder and executive producer of League Twenty Two. She's based in Los Angeles.

How she got her start: "I graduated from Howard University in 2011. While there, I had various internships in the music and radio space, interning at Interscope Records in the promotions department. That's where my true discovery and love for events, marketing, and promotion really began. Upon graduation, I started at Hollywood & Highland working in the special events department, working with various brands and agencies to facilitate their activations, red carpets, and movie premieres.

In 2015, I transitioned to MAC Cosmetics as the event manager, North America, where I led retail experiences, influencer collaborations and activations, and introduced the brand to large festivals like Beautycon and Generation Ipsy. In 2018, I decided to leave MAC and operate League Twenty Two in a full-time capacity, which has grown extremely fast. We’ve been tapped by brands like Nike, Jordan, Converse, Pandora SiriusXM, Amazon, and AT&T to name a few. Our team has also expanded with some amazing creatives in NYC and Atlanta, with our HQ office located in Downtown Los Angeles."

What innovation means to her: "Innovation means pushing boundaries, finding creative solutions to complex problems, or exploring uncharted territories. It could also involve blending existing ideas in unique ways or disrupting conventional thinking to bring about positive change. Ultimately, making a meaningful impact within your community or globally, which is what League Twenty Two did with the conceptualization and production of the Nike Yardrunners campaign. We were able to partner with Arinze Emeagwali and Rich Palmer (Nike alums and Howard grads) to collaborate and be intentional about amplifying HBCU students, alumni, and universities."

Where she finds inspiration: "I draw inspiration from '90s music videos, moments in culture and on social, and traveling to various cities, paying attention to the small details that often get overlooked. And from Black creators and innovators like Pharrell and Kanye."

The other concept within Clinique @ CultureCon was Clinique House of Beauty, which highlighted four hero products and featured a guest appearance from actress and Clinique ambassador Marsai Martin.Photo: Courtesy of League Twenty Two

Memorable moments: "Hmm, so many special projects we’ve worked on, from Nike Yardrunners to the Howard U x Jordan partnership and launching Colin Kaepernick's apparel product with Nike, symbolizing his trailblazing journey. I would say a special project was Clinique @ CultureCon. Introducing brands like Clinique to a very Black and brown cultural space is what we take pride in. Clinique is part of the Estée Lauder portfolio, so being able to work with and produce projects for a previous employer is definitely a full-circle moment. It shows that you can take that leap of faith, bet on yourself, and actually win. And the experiential work I’ve done in the beauty space (MAC Cosmetics) is super special to me—it's really where I learned the business of a brand and brand marketing."

Her vision for the future of experiential: "My vision for the future of experiential is that we continue to push boundaries, create off-the-wall wild and dreamy ideas, and that brands start leaning into that and be open to it—not playing it safe. Everything has been done before a million times over. How can we elevate? How can we give experiential a new face? How do we market in extraordinary ways but also include the audiences that you are marketing to—in the concept development and production phases—in an authentic way?"

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