Today we’d like to introduce you to Kendall Hurns.
Hi Kendall, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always had my finger on the pulse of many things at the forefront of pop culture. A creative at heart, I’m a multi-hyphenate entrepreneur who continues to establish myself as a staple in the arts, fashion, and sports culture.
With humble beginnings from the south side of Chicago, my unique journey started shortly after high school. While my plan was to pursue a degree in Business Management, the opportunity presented itself to manage my close friend who was recently drafted to the NBA. Without hesitation, I entered the world of sports management.
My career continued to soar as I began managing four-time NBA champion Andre Iguodala in 2008. During this journey, my love for fashion, art, entertainment, and entrepreneurship began to blossom. This segued into my life’s passion of creating my own lifestyle brand, Robotic Minds; delivering the mantra that we can create, destroy, and rebuild ourselves at any given moment. This phrase would prove to be the blueprint for my life moving forward.
In 2013, myself and talented New York artist P. Scott created NY-CH Gallery, located in Chicago’s Pilsen arts district. In an effort to stay true to my brand and life’s mantra, I shifted my focus by joining forces with Hebru Brantley in 2017 serving as Director of Merchandise for Hebru Brand Studios. My commitment to evolving within the art space helped birth The Arte Haus, which encompasses a myriad of actions from artist management to artist collaboration projects, along with providing art consultancy and interior design services all under one roof. My plan is to continually reinvent myself in pursuit of my dreams and goals.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There’s no such thing as a smooth road. My entrepreneurial dreams were simply a kickstarter, the universe provided a journey of struggle that was absolutely necessary for me to grow. Funding woes and risk taking with a high level of uncertainty that ended in losses were just a couple of my struggles along the way.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As a multi-hyphenate entrepreneur, the majority of my work is centered around inclusivity and providing access to minorities that don’t often exist in creative spaces.
At The Arte Haus we have the pleasure of working with dynamic artists like b. Robert Moore who had his inaugural solo show at Thinkspace Projects in LA. Mia Lee who is coming off a partnership with Urban Outfitters and Chance The Rapper, preparing for her solo and lots of exciting things to come. Edo, whose style is extremely captivating, was featured on a billboard in Chicago as part of Expo Chicago. Esteban Whiteside out of DC is quickly becoming a favorite artist of many, his work makes you think, saying out loud what most keep to themselves. Collaboration is a huge part of AH, I curated our second annual group show, From Arte Haus To Yours, which featured artists I have in my personal collection and am inspired by, Hebru Brantley, Brandon Deener, Mia Lee, Robert Peterson, Julian Gaines, and, b. Robert Moore. Our main objective is to bring principles of inclusivity to the art arena and create community
My brand, Robotic Minds, focuses on preserving black culture through fashion and design while going against the norm. Regardless of how your journey starts, you control how it ends. Our motto is “program your own mind or society’s will.” I’m excited for what’s to come for RMC, we have a lot of good things in the works.
I’d be remiss to say I’m most proud of living in my purpose.
How do you define success?
As cliche as it sounds, living within your purpose is the ultimate definition of success. It allows for genuine practice and excitement in my everyday endeavors. Also, bringing people along for the journey is the cherry on top.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kendallhurns.com
- Instagram: @kendallhurns
- Twitter: @kendallhurns
Image Credits
Bradley Murray
