About Us
There is no other organization globally that supports this community with the emphasis on wellness, empowerment, and amplification. We are Black gay/queer men who are leaders, mavericks, and the best at what we do.
Our Reach
NATIVE SON has grown organically over the last four years based on satisfying a need in the Black gay community. We have seen significant growth in 2020 during Covid-19 and the racial equity protest by serving the community with relevant content and virtual convenings. Social media is our biggest connection with our community and audience.
Chairman/CEO/Founder
Emil Wilbekin
Emil Wilbekin is a multimedia maverick - writer, producer, and editor, Deacon at First Corinthian Baptist Church in Harlem, and an Assistant Professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Emil has served as Chief Content Officer at Afropunk, Editor-at-Large at Essence, Managing Editor of Essence.com, Editor-in-Chief of Giant and Giantmag.com, Style Guru at Complex, VP of Brand Development at Marc Eckō Enterprises, Editorial Director/Vice President of Vibe Ventures and Editor-in-Chief of Vibe Magazine. Under Emil’s leadership, Vibe won the National Magazine Award for General Excellence in 2002. He holds a B.S. in Mass Media Arts from Hampton University, and an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University.
President
Darnell L. Moore
Darnell L. Moore is a celebrated author, producer, and creative from Camden, NJ. His memoir "No Ashes in the Fire" garnered a Lambda Literary Award and was recognized as a New York Times 100 Notable Book. Darnell has been a writer-in-residence at Columbia University and a Senior Fellow at USC. He most recently served as Netflix's VP of Inclusion Strategy and currently runs Six Zero Nine Creatives, a boutique creative consulting agency whose name is an homage to his hometown. He’s hard at work on his second book, tentatively titled “I Can Show You Better Than I Can Tell You: Black Men Freeing Ourselves” and he’s finishing the final season of his award-winning podcast, which is titled, Being Seen.
Treasurer
James Cole Jr.
James Cole, Jr. is the Founder and CEO of The Jasco Group, a multidimensional investment management firm based in New York City. James is a member of the Board of Directors of American International Group, a leading global insurance organization. James is the Founder and President of Jasco Philanthropies and his philanthropic work also includes serving as the on the Board of Directors of Jumpstart. James served as the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education under President Barack Obama where he was the Chief Operating Officer and also oversaw the Department’s work on President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Task Force.
Secretary
Arnell Davis
Arnell Davis has more than 15 years of experience across the media and entertainment industry, building and leading marketing efforts at Netflix, HBO and CBS. He spent over a decade at Netflix, where he supported the company's expansion into original programming, consumer products, sports and most recently, podcasts.
Engagement Lead
Lena Waithe
Lena Waithe is an Emmy-winning writer, producer, actor, and founder of Hillman Grad. Known for Master of None, The Chi, and Queen & Slim, Waithe’s recent producorial credits include the Emmy-nominated documentary Being Mary Tyler Moore, the 2023 Sundance Films A Thousand and One and Kokomo City, as well the Tony-nominated play, Ain’t No Mo’. In November 2024, Waithe launched her podcast series, Legacy Talk.
Fundraising Co-Lead
Ahmed Akkad
Ahmed Akkad, Chief Creative Officer and CEO, Ahmed Akkad Studio LLC, is a designer and creator living and working in East Hampton, New York. His over 35 year career has spanned fashion, jewelry, fabric, home accessories, furniture, interiors and decorative objects. Ahmed’s work has been featured in numerous global publications including Vogue, Italian Vogue, Vogue Homme, W, Vibe, Rolling Stone, Details, The New York Times, The Observer, Arena, Latina and O, amongst many others. He graduated from the American University in Cairo, with a degree in Comparative Literature and Theater.
Fundraising Co-Lead
Susan Akkad
Susan Akkad serves as the Senior Vice President, Local and Cultural Innovation at The Estée Lauder Companies. Susan’s impressive career spans more than two decades at The Estée Lauder Companies, with a variety of key leadership roles across brands and functions, touching every aspect of the company’s business. Prior to her current role, she was Senior Vice President of Global Communications and Artist Relations at MAC, overseeing the brand’s dynamic communications strategy and the vital work of the MAC AIDS Fund. Susan is a native Virginian and grew up in Charlottesville. She holds her undergraduate degree in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University.
Outreach Lead
George M. Johnson
George M Johnson is an Award-Winning Black Non-Binary Writer, Author, and Executive Producer located in the LA area. They are the New York Times BestsellingAuthor of the Young Adult memoir All Boys Aren’t Blue which as of 2024 is the #1 most banned and challenged book in the United States.Their second book WE ARE NOT BROKEN received the Carter G. Woodson Honor. Their third book Flamboyants received 4 starred reviews and was an instant Indie Bestseller, while their fourth book There’s Always Next Year was the Good Morning America Young Adult Book club pick for December 2025.
Research Lead
Andrew “Drew” McCaskill
Andrew “Drew” McCaskill is a senior communications executive with more than 20 years of experience advising CEOs and executive leadership teams on corporate reputation, executive communications, and stakeholder engagement during periods of growth, transformation, and heightened scrutiny. Most recently, Drew served as Senior Director of Global Communications at LinkedIn, where he reported to the Chief Communications Officer and led corporate communications across executive messaging, global employer brand storytelling, and inclusive consumer communications. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College and an MBA from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.