Awards 2019: G. Fred DiBona, Jr. Individual Leadership Award Honorees

G. Fred DiBona, Jr. Individual Leadership Award

This spring marks the 34th Annual Arts + Business Council Awards Celebration, an opportunity for us to shine a spotlight on the leaders,  volunteers, artists, organizations, and partnerships that are doing groundbreaking work to support the creative economy.

The G. Fred Dibona Jr. Individual Leadership Award is bestowed upon individuals in the Greater Philadelphia region who have distinguished themselves as leaders in the arts, culture, or creative sectors. We’re proud to honor these two individuals who strive to use their skills and talent to support all residents of Philadelphia and provide opportunities to those who are consistently marginalized and overlooked.

ABOUT MEEGAN & TAYYIB

Little Giant Creative is the brainchild of Tayyib Smith and Meegan Denenberg. The full-service creative agency works with local and national companies and institutions to develop and executive custom brand strategies & events. Like most creative agencies, LGC connects their clientele’s message to desired audiences through expertly driven campaigns and methodology.

Where they differ from their peers is in their perspective.

LGC prides itself on applying the significant expertise of its diverse and dynamic staff to a variety of nonprofit and social justice-related programs, which seek transformative change in communities by fostering civic engagement, media literacy, and the expansion of economic opportunities for youth and people of color.

The ingenuity and passion behind LGC come from its innovative co-founders. Born and raised in the City of Brotherly Love, Tayyib Smith is a serial entrepreneur who has long served as conduit between artists, niche brands, and multicultural audiences. Meegan Denenberg, is the co-founder of Meta Global, the parent company of Little Giant, and at Pipeline Philadelphia. At LGC, Denenberg leads business development and strategic marketing where she has developed successful campaigns for Heineken, vitaminwater, Visit Philadelphia, Mural Arts and Drexel University, amongst others.

In addition to Little Giant Creative, Smith and Denenberg are also the founders of Smith & Roller, a real estate development company; Partners in the Center City coworking space Pipeline Philly; and founders of the Institute of Hip Hop Entrepreneurship.

Both Smith and Denenberg believe that inclusivity begins at the top. “If we are going to work with an audience that is truly reflective of the demography of the country, we have to have a team that is reflective of that demography as well,” Denenberg said in an interview with WHYY. “When people can see other people who look like them being the owners and having a sense of agency in the workplace, then, of course, that space is going to be more welcoming.”