National Entrepreneurship Month Powered by Art Africa Miami Arts Fair
SOUTH FLORIDA – November is National Entrepreneurship Month and our National Entrepreneurship Month Spotlight is Taj Hunter Waite, Creative Consultant for Art Africa Miami Arts Fair.
National Entrepreneurship Month and an ideal occasion to celebrate the successes and honor the legacies of all of the other enterprising entrepreneurs who are making a difference in the business world.
Taj Hunter Waite is a designer in the areas of interiors, graphics and events with a deep passion for art and culture. Her practice is best known for her design-savvy approach to combining global influences with modern luxury.
Taj’s distinctive design sensibility is modern, with a fresh approach to incorporating texture, color and pattern with timeless pieces that result in a unique design aesthetic.
Also, Taj is the Creative Consultant for Art Africa Miami Arts Fair that will be held in Historic Overtown, December 5th-10th during Art Basel and Miami Art Week
Over the past 15 years, Taj has designed and curated industry conferences and cultural events. She has completed design projects both internationally and within the United States.
In 2005, her passion for sourcing unique objects led to her co-founding The Urban Collective — a lifestyle boutique that showcased limited-edition crafts and objects d’art sourced globally with an emphasis on the continent of Africa, sustainability, and social consciousness.
In 2010, Taj was honored with the Success South Florida 40 Under 40 Leaders of Today and Tomorrow distinction. Her talents and work have also been featured in several publications such as WE Magazine for Women, Sun-Sentinel, Lioness Magazine, South Florida Caribbean News, Lonny Magazine, Domaine and many others.
For the Art Africa Miami Arts Fair, we are proud to have Taj as our Creative Consultant to curate a unique in gallery experience, special programs for community engagement as well as logistics management.
Truly a women entrepreneur who created a platform to bring ideas to life in a creative, purposeful way.
South Florida Caribbean News caught up with the talented Creative Director, Taj to get an insight into her world.
Q: How did you end up in the interior design world?
A: I had been working at a design firm, The Architects Hall in Miami, in 1994 and didn’t even know the interior design was a profession when I started. I was focused on fashion and wanted to go into merchandising. At that time, in Miami, there weren’t many outlets for aspiring fashion careers, so I was referred to a firm which was primarily architecture. The principal architect was heavily involved in both interiors and fashion. I learned design, space planning, selection of materials, contract negotiations and much more. I finished my undergrad in business and decided afterward to go to the Art Institute of Interior Design.
Fast forward to 2004, and while still at the same firm we were doing a lot of interiors projects and the firm had strong attitudes towards featuring handmade crafts from the continent of Africa. We moved our offices into the courtyard of a very artsy dining and shopping hub, and at the front of the offices were 15-foot oversized glass windows that we used to showcase art we started to collect, it became our a gallery.
Q: Tell me a little about All Things Taj?
A: I’m a designer at my core – interiors, graphics & events – but there are times it’s the least of what I do. As a Creative Consultant with a deep passion for art + culture, my service offering has grown in an exciting way.
Sharing my insight with other creatives is also very important to me. My industry can be intimidating. I’m fortunate to have a unique perspective of graduating from design school and acquiring my MBA so, I share my expertise and “how-tos” in my design and entrepreneurship course.This is essentially “all things” Taj.
Q: What advice would you give to designers just starting off in their career?
A: Seek out mentors, they are vital. My growth is a result of mentorship and, in turn, I now do the same.
Be your authentic self, and you will stand out, your tribe will connect. Sometimes uncertainties, fear, self-doubt all get in the way, but you have to push ahead and overcome. My absolute favorite quote from Dr. Seuss comes to mind; “There’s nobody you-er than you, and that’s truer than true!”
Q: Three things you are passionate about?
A: – My son, Stefen. I tell him Mommy is his co-pilot, we got this!
- The “Global Modern” aesthetic, it’s my home, my style.
- “Girl Power” causes, gets me every time. If you go to my website, I feature a few campaigns that have my ongoing support. I owe it all to the strong women I’ve had along my path. The future is Female!
For more information visit Taj and Art Africa, Miami Arts Fair
