Dana Loatman isn’t just stepping into a role—she’s stepping into a movement. As the first-ever Executive Director of the Virgil Abloh Foundation, she’s got a mandate that goes beyond titles and job descriptions. It’s about legacy, access and keeping the doors that Virgil Abloh kicked open permanently unhinged for the next wave of creatives who refuse to color inside the lines.
Loatman’s journey isn’t the standard corporate ladder climb. It’s personal. Raised by a single mother who built her world on the pillars of education, resilience, and community, she knows what it means to dream big in spaces that weren’t built for you. “I wanted to be a dancer and choreographer, but I couldn’t see a clear career path,” she admits. Instead, she attended Bowie State University, an HBCU, where she majored in Sociology and saw firsthand how talent often gets sidelined due to lack of access, not lack of ability.
Now, she’s making sure that cycle ends. “Virgil wasn’t just breaking barriers—he was making sure they stayed broken,” Loatman says. And with the Virgil Abloh Foundation, she’s putting in the real work: infrastructure, funding, strategic partnerships—the unglamorous but necessary tools that turn raw talent into sustained success.
Her vision? Disruption. The foundation isn’t here for symbolic gestures or half-measures. “We’re piloting programs designed to shake up the industry at its core,” she says. That means not just inviting young Black and Brown creatives into the room but redesigning the room entirely. With partners like LVMH and Nike already in the mix, the foundation is setting up initiatives that ensure talent isn’t just acknowledged—it’s nurtured, funded, and elevated.
Loatman’s leadership isn’t about just being seen—it’s about shifting the culture. “Black women have been defining style, music, and art forever, but the credit and the infrastructure to sustain that influence? That’s where we’ve been shut out.” She’s here to change that. The same systemic barriers she faced are the ones she’s now dismantling, brick by brick.
Her credentials are as sharp as her mission. Before this, she was the Chief of Staff for External Affairs at the Obama Foundation, orchestrating programs that exposed thousands of young people to career opportunities they never knew existed. She understands the power of access, and she’s doubling down on making sure underrepresented creatives aren’t just seen but properly resourced.
But this isn’t an easy road. “Securing resources for Black and Brown youth has always been an uphill battle. Now, with today’s political and economic climate? It’s even harder. But we’re mobilizing communities, partners, and stakeholders to ensure that opportunities exist—and last.”
For young Black women creatives wondering how to break through, Loatman’s advice is straightforward: “Dream big. Find mentors. Prioritize collaboration over competition—we’re stronger together. And never dim your light to make others comfortable.”
And as for Virgil’s legacy? It’s alive and evolving. The foundation’s work builds on the ethos of collaboration and access that defined his career. From Summit 000, an event curated by Shannon Abloh in 2023, to the growing network of industry allies, the foundation isn’t just honoring Virgil’s vision—it’s expanding it.
Loatman makes it clear: “This is more than just visibility. It’s about resources, mentorship, and real structural change. We’re not just putting young creatives on a stage—we’re making sure they have everything they need to own the entire production.”
The work is just getting started, but one thing is certain: Dana Loatman isn’t here to just protect Virgil Abloh’s legacy—she’s here to amplify it. “This isn’t easy work,” she says, “but it’s necessary. And we’re making sure the next generation doesn’t just get a seat at the table—they build the whole damn thing.”
