Simedar Jackson, a Copywriter here at Mars United, was recently inducted into the 2025 class of ADCOLOR FUTURES, a program that fosters diverse talent among the next generation of leaders in the advertising, marketing, and public relations industries. The following article profiles Jackson and the importance of programs like ADCOLOR FUTURES.
At Mars United, we’re continuously looking for ways to create impact for our clients, people, and communities. Simedar Jackson embodies this core belief.
As a Copywriter, Simedar supports two key client teams with concepting and content for digital and retail assets. While they’ve only been at Mars United for two years, Simedar arrived with eight years of experience in editorial and brand marketing that included founding a skincare brand of their own. “The FUTURES program seemed like the perfect opportunity to dig deeper into the ad industry and provide additional proof points for my work and experience as a creative,” Simedar explains.
ADCOLOR is a nonprofit organization focused on supporting people who come from a variety of backgrounds and life experiences while championing diversity, equity, and inclusion within creative industries. The organization works to build a community of professionals by celebrating their accomplishments, hosting annual conferences and awards programs, and facilitating talent development programs like FUTURES.
FUTURES is a highly selective program that carries only a 7% acceptance rate. Participants receive sponsorships to attend the annual ADCOLOR Conference (this year held in November in Florida), where they participate in pre-conference educational programming and are exposed to the broader ADCOLOR network of professionals. The experience also includes community building activities, training sessions, and interactive workshops to create opportunities for both personal and professional development.
For Simedar, the biggest takeaway from the FUTURES program was this: “Authenticity is key to transformative work.” Ensuring that all voices and backgrounds are represented not only creates a positive impact but has the power to level up creative output when properly spotlighted. “Tapping into culture is effective because people want to be seen, not sold to,” they say.
Programs like ADCOLOR are critical to the commerce marketing industry for both fostering a community and providing members with insights they can bring back to their companies, creating a ripple effect for the impact they deliver — because DE&I initiatives should be embraced by people in all facets of the workplace. “Inclusive and culturally nuanced strategy and execution have a net-positive effect on every touchpoint of our industry and directly serve both personal and business goals,” Simedar says.
Learn more about ADCOLOR and the work the organization does here.
