Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie van Vark.
Raised in Thomasville, GA and rooted in historic Overtown, Stephanie van Vark learned community service at an early age. She madethe neighborhood of Overtown in Miami, FL, her home 10-years after graduating from Florida State University and quickly recognized the need to help restate the memories and messages of the community once known as the premier African American entertainment mecca of the South. She combined her wealth of knowledge in film, marketing and community relations to launch StephanieCreates, a media, event production and communications company that advances communities. The company is the creator of Going Overtown, outreach that tells the story of today’s Historic Overtown and Talking Business, the web series by, for and about business owners.
Stephanie van Vark has celebrated success as the Producer of the Conversation With The CEO Entrepreneur Television Series and the Youth Town Hall Meeting on MDCTV and CBS4. She is the screenwriter of made-for-DVD documentaries, The Ancient Spanish Monastery and Monastery of the Holy Spirit, and optioned screenplays, Free For All, with a well-respected Hollywood producer, and Runaway Wedding, with a Spanish television network. She has also received credits as a Script Supervisor for small feature film and video projects, and as a contributing writer for various online, business and lifestyle publications. Mrs. van Vark serves as a P.S. 305 Board Member to advocate for youth and schools, was selected a 2020 “Triumphant Spirits and Vessels” Woman of Substance by the Black Affairs Advisory Board, and is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
She enjoys creating, travel, ballroom dancing, and special moments with family and friends.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I struggle with stepping outside of my comfort zone. For example, this is a challenge for me. Being interviewed for an article about myself and my company. I’m so familiar with being behind the scenes. To step up, take credit for my work and celebrate success is something I work on daily.
Please tell us about Stephanie Creates.
Stephanie Creates uses media, events production and communications to build and restore the heart and soul of communities and cultures. Community is more than just “the hood” you live in but spans the globe to include those with shared common attitudes, interests, and goals. The company has created digital content, marketing and communication services for agencies like the University of Miami, Urgent, Inc., Adrienne Arsht Center, Cuban American Bar Association Pro Bono Project, Historic Black Police Precinct & Courthouse Museum, Uptown Avenue 7 Community Redevelopment Agency, and Miami Dade College, just to name a few, using ultra-creative strategies that are visual, participatory, innovative and effortless. We are most proud of signature projects produced by Stephanie Creates. Going Overtown is communication and outreach for and about the historic Overtown community, and Talking Business, a web series with small business owners discussing the ebbs and flows of business and the pivot plan.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would have started earlier. My company was incorporated in 2008, but we didn’t officially start until 2012. I spent most of that time preparing, getting an education and trying to make everything perfect before getting started. Business ownership is never perfect. Just take the leap of faith.
Contact Info:
- Address: Space Called Tribe Co-Work and Urban Innovation Lab, 937 NW 3rd Avenue, Miami, FL 33136
- Website: https://stephaniecreates.com/
- Phone: 305-710-2212
- Email: stephanie@stephaniecreates.com
- Instagram: @stephaniecreates
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieCreates-387569045248
- Twitter: @stephaniecr8s
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanievanvark/
Image Credit:
Tracy Ann Simmonds
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