Meet Ryan Malcolm-Campbell | Branding Visual Artist + Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ryan Malcolm-Campbell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ryan, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
After my university injury and accepting that the pursuit of basketball as a career was no longer in the cards, I wanted to make sure I found something that fulfilled me and allowed me to make an impact on others.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I have plans to write a book soon that will really encompass every aspect of my journey from the beginning – but until then, I can share some condensed words. I truly want to be remembered as someone who never feared failure or judgment and continued to do things his way. I believe the biggest dream killers are fear and self-doubt. If you find a way to overcome those two barriers, your potential truly is boundless.

I take pride in my ability to pivot and adapt to every situation I have encountered on my entrepreneurial journey. From athlete, to business professional, to incorporating my business as a full-time business creative – there was never a moment I didn’t trust my ability to find a way to make it work.

Most recently, I created a dating card game called THE FIRST DATE GAME – by far my favorite project thus far. I officially launched the game May 11th of last year [2022] and it’s truly been a surreal experience watching the community grow so quickly. With 700+ copies of the game sold worldwide, three sold out speed-dating events hosted in Los Angeles, Toronto and Washington DC, growth of my TikTok following to 200k+ from reading anonymous worst date experiences, and THE FIRST DATE GAME app in preparation for launch; I’m already starting 2023 fully sprinting.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

It has now been a full year since making my move from Toronto to Los Angeles, and I’ve become very acquatinted with this city over the years as well. I’ve become a huge sushi lover as of late, so we definitely would have to make a stop at Sushi 101 for some of the best baked lobster sushi in the city. However, Los Angeles also has some incredible Black-owned restaurants that I’ve actually documented for a food blog that are a must – Alta and Post & Beam are easily two of my favorites if you’re looking for delicious shrimp and grits.

That’s enough food talk now. If you’re looking for night out with some great music and a dope vibe of diverse people – any party hosted by my good friend DJ Earry Hall will always be a memorable night. Simple and plain, if he’s hosting it, I’m going.

Lastly, life is boring without laughter. Chocolate Sundaes, hosted by Laugh Factory, is perfect for friends, family or even a date night.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

This person is not only my family member, but also my best friend. We both grew up with dreams to play professional basketball and both had to make large pivots in our lives to become full-time entrepreneurs.

Justin Alliman, Founder of Dream Chaserzzz would be an incredible candidate and continues to be an inspiration to others and a pillar in his community.

Website: mrkoa.com

Instagram: @mr.koa

Twitter: @whoismrkoa

Youtube: @THEFIRSTDATEGAME

Other: TikTok @mr.koa