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ConCreates: How Ex-Cons Built a Successful Creative Agency
June 03, 2025 · 77 min

In this week’s episode, host Scott “Sourdough” Power welcomes Vincent Bragg and Joe Michael Nickson, the co-founders of ConCreates, a creative agency that elevates the talents of individuals with criminal backgrounds. Vincent and Joe, both former inmates who met in prison, tell us how their lived experiences inspired them to challenge societal stereotypes surrounding incarceration and led to the founding of ConCreates. 

ConCreates connects currently and formerly incarcerated individuals—known as ConCreators—with established brands, like Meta and Google, seeking innovative perspectives. The agency aims to provide these individuals with meaningful work and fair compensation that matches their skill sets. A key aspect of their values is the belief that diversity benefits businesses and, more importantly, that it fosters creativity. Vincent and Joe discuss how their unique insights attract major corporate partners, allowing them to disrupt conventional marketing narratives with authentic stories.

This episode explores how ConCreates empowers its ConCreators, demonstrating that creativity can emerge from adversity when the right conditions are present. Vincent and Joe’s mission goes beyond generating ideas; it's about diversity of perspective and giving talented people a well-deserved second chance. 

Links mentioned in this episode:

Arterial

Arthouse

ArtsvilleUSA

ConCreates

ConCreates on Facebook

ConCreates on Instagram

Crewest Studio

First Friday Exhibitions

NOT REAL ART

NOT REAL ART Podcast

Remote Video Series

Scott “Sourdough” Power

For more information, please visit https://notrealart.com/concreates