Background
The Sharp Award is named after advertising legend and industry diversity pioneer William “Bill” Sharp. His lasting devotion to helping young African-American students find careers in the advertising industry has been an inspiration to many in the field.
The winner of the inaugural Bill Sharp Award is Johnnie R. Lovett, who grew from a cart collector in the local grocery store to the founder of his own startup consulting company, StayFreshOnline, Inc., which specializes in image and brand development. Lovett is a senior at Illinois State University with majors in public relations and business. Lovett is also a recent graduate of The Marcus Graham Project’s iCR8 Summer Boot Camp, a 10-week program that gives aspirants in the field of advertising and marketing the exposure and experience necessary to solidify careers within the industry.
