Alloysius (AJ) Lloyd is the Black Millennial Mogul Behind the Newest Regenerative Development Wave
Keen on making a difference in every aspect of society, Alloysius (A.J.) Lloyd sits at the intersection of multiple industries such as technology, art, finance, social impact, and environmental preservation. As a previous technical advisor and creative consultant for an unnamed African Country and as the Co-Founder of Kiji Ventures, Lloyd is finding a way to utilize Regenerative Development in order to make a difference with every decision he makes.
Lloyd has made it his personal mission to intricately engrain himself in every layer of life in order to have the widest and deepest impact as possible. By authentically learning about and working with some of the most prolific minds in the creative, financial, and philanthropic sectors, Lloyd is not only embodying an essential joie de vivre, but he is also perfectly positioned to make the positive influence across societal, class, and racial lines that he intends to. Further, by consistently finding projects that are meaningful as well as interesting and ‘cool,’ Lloyd is simultaneously able to make a difference as well as entice the youth to follow in his footsteps.
Despite the meaningful change it drives into the world, Lloyd does not simply want to facilitate philanthropic - yet profitable and creative - projects; as a black millennial running an 8 figure business, Lloyd intends on being a living blueprint for other individuals from marginal communities and intends to open up spaces for these individuals professionally with ‘exposureships.’
When it comes to social impact, Lloyd believes that giving underrepresented people exposure is just as important as preserving the environment, despite the fact that the latter may get more attention. To that point, Lloyd is eternally grateful to one of his creative mentors, artistic savant Michèle Lamy (who he was last seen with at Art Basel for her performance with Ryoji Ikeda and just last week at the Rick Owens Runway Show in Paris) and wants to pay that generosity forward.
It is precisely with his wide breadth of experience and focused modus operandi that Lloyd has quickly become one of the most interesting and significant individuals in the creative, business, and humanitarian worlds. Having been raised in the midst of the negative gravity of extreme poverty in the DC-Maryland area by his single mother, Lloyd personally understands the challenges and hardships associated with economic struggle and marginalization.
This is why Lloyd’s current, 12-14 month, mandate for himself is to exclusively invest in women with particular pertinence to women of color. These early childhood experiences have fueled Lloyd’s drive to find economic success and societal significance in order to fulfill his dreams, but also to put himself in a position to help influence society for the better as well as open doors for individuals like him.
Of course, having successfully influenced many important industries, Lloyd is now able to meaningfully help other marginalized individuals due to his resources, creativity, and power. This is why Lloyd is involved in the Regenerative Development movement. Lloyd believes we, as a society, need to be more ambitious with our goals for creating a better future, moving beyond the goals of the sustainability movement. In order to help do so, Lloyd invests in projects meant to help society and the environment and understands the deep intersection between the physical and digital worlds when it comes to freedom, security, art, and identity.
Lloyd says he is fascinated with where, “the physical and digital worlds mesh.” Lloyd is the bridge between the generations, quoting himself as an individual posited between the analog and digital, and the primer for the quantum age.
As a testament to his impact, Lloyd was recently named one of the top 100 voices in Regenerative Development for his work with Kiji Ventures in the fields of environmental preservation, finance, technology, and art as well as for creating opportunities for the youth. Further, Lloyd’s work was also honored by UNICEF with their partnership with Gucci about Regenerative Development alongside Wilson Oryema. Speaking to his wide impact, Lloyd also received his first book credit recently, in the form of a congratulatory ‘thank you,’ from award-winning Alec Maxwell, Founder of KLOSS and Digital Director of Vogue.
Clearly A.J. Lloyd is a man on a mission; his ability to utilize his experiences, his creativity, his financial prowess, and new technology in order to help the world holistically and to give marginalized individuals more opportunities is unparalleled.
Even his personal decisions are guided by this north star. Recently, Lloyd actually became one of the only black owners of a Warhol, a rarefied air occupied by the likes of Jay Z, Swizz Beatz, and only a few others. While he is proud of this acquisition as an up-and-coming art collector, he is more proud of what his purchase means to children with similar backgrounds as his; If he is able to achieve his professional and personal dreams, so can they. Beyond his appreciation for the art, Lloyd hopes to parlay this acquisition into working with hotels, big brands, or even the Warhol Foundation to curate a project that will create digital value in order to benefit marginalized kids.
Lloyd believes that there is a complete disconnect between what society says is valuable and what truly brings value-add to the people that need it the most. As a visionary, Lloyd understands that he is able to help realign this disconnect with his professional efforts.
