CALLING ALL CHANGE MAKERS! An Evening with Ariell R. Johnson

CALLING ALL CHANGE MAKERS! An Evening with Ariell R. Johnson

The Office of Intercultural Development and Gender and Sexuality Programming are excited to welcome Entrepreneur, "Blerd", and Change Maker Ariell R. Johnson of Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse to Lafayette College. Ariell will be leading a conversation on place making, inclusion, and equity in the geek community. A true child of the 80’s, Ariell R. Johnson grew up on a diet of He‐Man, She‐Ra, Thundercats, & Transformers. This would be the gateway to a lifelong love of super‐powers, super‐heroes, and comics. With the love and support of her family and friends, she turned this passion into a career at the age of 32 when she opened, Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse in Philadelphia, a comic book store and coffee shop hybrid. Amalgam is the only black‐woman owned shop of its kind, and the only black‐woman owned comic book store on the East Coast. Ariell has a strong passion and commitment to diversity, representation, and inclusivity. She uses her shop to showcase and promote works that are created by and feature people of color, different faiths, women, and the LGBTQ community. The excitement about Amalgam has garnered national media attention, leading to Ariell’s 2016 "Geek of the Year" nomination. Amalgam, which opened on December 14, 2015, just celebrated it’s 1 year anniversary!