Yemi A.D.

Interdisciplinary Creator, dearMoon Space Mission Crew Member, Founder, Speaker, Goodwill Ambassador , Founder & CEO Moonshot Platform Inc.

About This Expert

Since traveling to Los Angeles to pursue a career in dance at the age of 18, Yemi A.D. has spent the last 20 years honing his skills as a multidisciplinary creative force. He began his career as a dancer and choreographer, evolving as an actor, creative director and producer, and establishing himself as a communication strategist, social entrepreneur, and founder to become one of the most sought after creatives in his sphere. Notably, his five-year collaboration with Grammy Award-winning artist Kanye West saw him create and execute West’s global concerts, tours, and music videos, including his VMA performance (2010), the short film “Runaway” (2010), Saturday Night Live performances (2010), and The Yeezus Tour (2013), among other works.

In 2010 he founded JAD Productions, one of the leading creative production companies in Europe, working with brands and clients such as Google, Apple, Coca-Cola and T-Mobile. Yemi also produces his own original projects which include Teniskology, a multi-day European sneaker festival; Ynspirology, an art, music, and culture festival catered to millenials; and Cycles, a disruptive and highly immersive theatrical experience.

JAD Productions was honored with several global awards for their clients’ events and campaigns, including Mercedes Benz & adidas Originals in 2015, 2016, and 2018. Internationally, they have also won awards for their digital innovation and non-profit initiative responding to pandemic challenges in Central Europe called Anti-Panic in 2020.

As a personality, he has played a role both behind and in front of the camera. In the film The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince of Caspian (2008), he was casted as “Ironhoof” and also played a role in The Case of Unfaithful Klara (2009), alongside Game of Thrones star Iain Glen. He has appeared on CBS Network’s ‘The Worlds Best’ TV show alongside Drew Barrymore and RuPaul, starred in Apple’s “Life on iPad” worldwide campaign and in Netflix sci-fi series Tribes of Europa.

As a speaker, he presented a TEDx talk on what millennials can teach other generations. He spoke at the Aspen Institute Central Europe and was a keynote speaker at the Czech Singularity University Summit (2019) on the future of creativity. Under the foundation of former Czech president Václav Havel, Yemi hosted a series of educational videos concerning human rights which have been disseminated throughout high schools nationwide in the Czech Republic.

Since 2017, Yemi has served on the advisory board of Slovak Telecom & Czech T-Mobile. In 2019 he became the first Czech inductee in the Henry Crown Fellowship by The Aspen Global Leadership Network. He is also the Czech Ambassador for the UN Sustainable Development Goals and was appointed as Czech Goodwill Ambassador by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2019.

With a passion for creating learning opportunities for aspiring dancers, Yemi founded the non-profit organization Dance Academy Prague in 2009 which provides training for a diverse pool of talents seeking various levels of experience. Additionally, he devotes his time to work with disadvantaged children in Indonesia, where he founded an elementary school; in India, where he presented a program for kids with impaired hearing sense; in Nigeria where he established a program granting EU scholarships to talented students; and in the Czech Republic working with children with disabilities.

In 2021, Yemi (together with another 1 million people) submitted his application for “dearMoon”—the first civilian lunar orbital mission. Funded by Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa, who invited eight creatives to join him on a six-day flight around the Moon, the mission will be operated by SpaceX’s newest rocket. In Spring 2022, Yemi was accepted into the pre-final group of 20 selected participants and is awaiting the final call.

In 2021, Yemi founded Moonshot Platform Inc., a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization previously operating from Europe, whose mission is to seek and accelerate emerging leaders and their organizations around the world who work on solutions to the 21st Century Grand Challenges & SDGs focused innovations. The platform, supported by former U.S. Secretary Madeleine Albright, hosted five conferences across Europe and the U.S. in 2021 with over 650 C-level changemakers, 60 international speakers and reached over 3 million people.