Young Changemakers 2026: Valiant Freeman In Converssation With Diana Marszalek

(MENAFN- PRovoke) Growing up in Ohio, Valiant Freeman loved listening to his older relatives tell stories about their lives, their family's roots in the South and their ancestors' journeys north during the Great Migration. But even as a child, he understood that there was more to those stories than what was being said. They were lessons about survival, identity and what it meant to be Black in America, teaching him to look beyond the obvious to understand the people and experiences behind a story.

That perspective has stayed with Freeman, recently promoted to associate creative director at Weber Shandwick and one of PRovoke Media's 2026 Young Changemakers, shaping both his work for brands and his efforts to help others find their place in the communications industry.

Freeman is the first man to be named a Young Changemaker since PRovoke Media and We Communications launched the awards in 2022 to recognize emerging talent from underrepresented backgrounds. Originally focused on women, the program expanded this year to include people of all genders.

For Freeman, who grew up with three sisters and was raised largely by his mother and other women in his family, the distinction carries particular meaning. "Anytime I'm able to follow in a woman's place," he said, reflecting on the honor, "it's truly an honor."

Freeman's path into communications was hardly conventional. After graduating from Xavier University in 2019 with degrees in business administration and marketing, he worked in marketing in the Denver area before finding his way into the creative side of the industry through the G.R.O.W.T.H. Initiative, a fellowship run by 100 Roses from Concrete that helps emerging talent gain experience in advertising and communications.

That opportunity helped launch a career that included fellowships at Sesame Workshop and Google before he joined Weber Shandwick in 2022. His work at the agency has included campaigns for Cheez-It and other major consumer brands, drawing on his interest in the ways culture, identity and storytelling influence how people connect with brands.

But Freeman sees his job as something bigger than developing campaigns. He wants to challenge the assumptions brands make about their audiences, particularly people whose experiences and perspectives have historically been overlooked. That means moving beyond simply featuring underrepresented communities in campaigns to giving them a meaningful role in shaping the stories being told.

His commitment to opening doors extends beyond client work. Today, Freeman mentors young creatives through the same G.R.O.W.T.H. Initiative that helped him enter the industry, working with aspiring professionals who may not have had a traditional route into advertising or communications.

The experience has reinforced his belief that creating opportunities for underrepresented talent is only part of the challenge. The industry also needs to give those people reasons to stay by investing in their development, giving them meaningful responsibilities and opportunities to advance.

Freeman credits mentors throughout his career with doing exactly that for him, including the late Angela Mears at Weber Shandwick, who helped him grow early in his time at the agency. "We need to really just show that we care about them - not just their career, but them as people and what they really want to do in this industry and how they can shape it for the better," Freeman said.

It's a philosophy that reflects the responsibility he took on growing up as a brother and role model for his siblings. And in some ways, it brings him back to those family stories he listened to as a child: just as they helped him understand his own identity and possibilities, he now wants to help others recognize the value of their experiences and make sure their voices are heard.

In the latest PRovoke Media podcast, Freeman discusses his upbringing, the role storytelling has played in his career and why creating a more inclusive industry requires more than opening the door.

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