When TIME Magazine released its first-ever TIME100 AI list — recognizing the 100 most influential people in artificial intelligence — something remarkable stood out. Ten of those 100 people were Black. And nine of those ten were women. That's not just a statistic. That's a statement about who is doing the most important work in AI right now, even as the mainstream narrative keeps pointing elsewhere.

At Encoded Noire, we believe the future of AI for our communities depends on knowing who's already in that room. So here's what you need to know about these ten trailblazers — and why their work is directly relevant to every Black and brown business owner, artist, and entrepreneur reading this.

The Ten Pioneers You Should Know

Why This Matters to You Right Now

Here's the honest truth: Black and brown professionals make up only about 10% of AI specialists in the United States. That means the technology being built to automate marketing, analyze customers, and generate content is largely being built without our voices, our faces, or our communities in mind.

The good news? That's changing. And it's changing faster than most people realize — driven by the kind of people on this list. But their work only matters if we show up to use these tools, build with them, and demand that AI serves our communities instead of erasing them.

At Encoded Noire, that's exactly what we're doing. We use AI tools every day to build content, create brand ambassadors, and tell stories that would have been impossible five years ago. Taylor — our AI influencer — was built because we believed people of color deserved AI that represented them. Niecy Speaks exists because we believe AI should amplify Black voices, not replace them.

The pioneers on TIME's list are laying the foundation. We're building on it. And if you're a Black or brown business owner who hasn't started using AI in your marketing yet — this is your sign. The table has been set by people who look like us. Let's sit down.

Encoded Noire is a creative agency built for people of color — combining film, photography, AI content, and marketing strategy. Based in Acadiana, Louisiana. Let's talk about what we can build for you.

I want to tell you something that most marketing agencies will never say: the most powerful thing you can do for your brand isn't spending money. It's telling the truth.

I built Louisiana Creole Culture's Facebook page to over 77,000 followers. Not a single paid ad. Not one influencer partnership. No viral moment that the algorithm handed us. Just consistent, authentic, culturally grounded content — and a community that was hungry for it because no one else was feeding them.

Here's everything that experience taught me about marketing for Black and brown businesses.

Your Culture Is Your Competitive Advantage

The biggest mistake I see Black and brown business owners make is trying to sound like everyone else. They copy the aesthetic of big brands, use the same stock photos, write the same generic captions. And then they wonder why nobody's engaging.

Here's the truth: your culture, your accent, your community, your history — that is your moat. Nobody can fake authenticity. Nobody can compete with lived experience. When we built Louisiana Creole Culture's page, we weren't trying to appeal to everyone. We were speaking directly to Creole people who had spent their whole lives watching their culture get erased, misrepresented, or absorbed into someone else's narrative. We gave them something real. They responded.

The lesson: Stop trying to market to everyone. Market deeply to your people first. The broader audience will follow.

Consistency Beats Virality Every Time

I've watched pages with a million followers post one viral video and then disappear for three weeks. I've seen businesses spend thousands on a single campaign and get nothing lasting in return. Viral moments are lottery tickets. Consistency is a savings account.

77,000 followers didn't happen overnight. It happened post by post, week by week, for years. We showed up when it was inconvenient. We posted about cultural events that mainstream outlets ignored. We celebrated people our community knew but the algorithm didn't.

The lesson: Build a content rhythm you can sustain. Two posts a week for two years beats ten posts a week for two months.

Community Is the Strategy

Most brands think of social media as a broadcasting platform — a megaphone to push messages out. The most successful pages I've ever seen treat it as a gathering place. Louisiana Creole Culture isn't just a page. It's a community center that happens to exist online.

People share our content because it says something they've felt but couldn't articulate. They tag their family members. They comment with their own stories. They feel seen. That feeling is not something you can buy with an ad budget. It has to be earned through genuine investment in the community you serve.

The lesson: Ask yourself: does your content give your community something — information, pride, recognition, laughter? If the answer is no, it's just noise.

What This Means for Your Business

I'm not telling you paid ads don't work. They do — when you have a clear message, a defined audience, and content worth promoting. But if your content isn't connecting organically, paid promotion will just amplify the disconnection faster.

Before you spend a dollar on ads, ask yourself: am I telling the truth about who I am and who I serve? Am I showing up consistently? Am I building community or just broadcasting?

If you can answer yes to all three — you're ready. And if not, that's exactly the work we do at Encoded Noire. We help you find that truth, build that consistency, and connect with the community that's been waiting for you.

Milton Arceneaux is the founder of Encoded Noire — a creative agency built for people of color in Acadiana, Louisiana and beyond. Ready to build your community? Let's talk.