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Xavier Ruffin is a Milwaukee, raised creative powerhouse—filmmaker, designer, and co-founder of Cynosure Creative Agency. From experiencing homelessness in his youth to building a bold, culture-forward agency working with brands like Netflix and Amazon Prime, Xavier’s story is one of resilience, vision, and voice.
In this raw and insightful conversation, Xavier opens up about:
Discovering creativity as survival and identity
Gaining early access to art school at 13
Balancing corporate design work at Kohl’s with passion projects
Creating Mad Black Men as a response to erasure in design history
Co-founding Cynosure CA and working with Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It
Building authentic visual storytelling for global brands
Navigating client feedback, protecting creative integrity, and leading with empathy
Whether you’re a young creative trying to find your lane, a designer wanting to make a cultural impact, or a founder seeking to tell more meaningful stories—this episode will fire you up.
🎯 This episode is for you if:
You want to build a creative career with intention and integrity
You’re navigating representation and identity in the design world
You’ve ever been told “you don’t belong” and need a reminder that you do
You’re curious about transitioning from freelance to full agency ownership
You want to know how to keep your art authentic in commercial work
đź“Ś Resources Mentioned
– Cynosure Creative Agency: https://cynosureca.com
– Mad Black Men web series
– Clio Awards
– MIAD (Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design)
– Amazon Prime’s THEM
– Adobe Creative Suite, Blender
🎧 More Podcast Episodes
https://bio.site/ArtSchoolGraduatePodcast
📲 Connect with Xavier Ruffin
Instagram: @xavierruffin
Website: https://cynosureca.com