ABOUT

9B Collective is the first Black-Owned Concept Art Studio made up primarily of BIPOC artists and founded by Phillip Boutté Jr., Mike Uwandi, and Aldis Hodge. Our goal is to provide a shift in the Entertainment landscape by working towards true inclusivity both in front of, and behind the camera. We are artists working across multiple disciplines. Whether it be Feature Films, Animation, Television, Video Games, XR, Graphic Design and more—we can help you flesh out your creative endeavors and push them to the limit. Let’s collaborate and empower artists together!

3 FOUNDING MEMBERS

1

125 ARTISTS AND COUNTING

PRODUCER

THE TEAM

FOUNDERS

Mike Uwandi

Mike Uwandi is a Concept Artist and Art Director working in the video game, film, and animation industries. He specializes in character design and costume concept art and has worked on projects like Supergirl, Westworld, Star Trek: Picard, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, The Mandalorian, and The Book of Boba Fett.

Phillip Boutté Jr.

Phillip has been working as a Costume Concept Artist/ Production Designer for film, music video, and television for the past 15 years. He has illustrated for a multitude of blockbuster hits including Marvel’s Black Panther, Maleficent 2: Mistress of Evil, Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, Captain Marvel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Star Trek 2 & 3, The Justice League and many more. He has also Production Designed several music videos for artists such as Ariana Grande, The Black Keys, Panic at the Disco, Tiesto feat. Busta Rhymes, Travie McCoy, Fefe Dobson, and more.

Aldis Hodge

Aldis Hodge is an entertainer and an entrepreneur, having built a career in various arts. Hodge is a horologist who’s spent many years as a conceptual designer in the horological field, and he’s also a painter with pursuits in the fine-art arena. Hodge is most well known for the characters he portrays in film and television. Hodge can currently be seen playing Hawkman opposite Dwayne Johnson in the DC Comic Black Adam, and his many other credits include One Night in Miami, Straight Outta Compton, City On A Hill, Leverage 2.0, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, Friday Night Lights, Supernatural, The Walking Dead, CSI, Universal’s The Invisible Man, and the independent feature Clemency which won the 2019 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature Film.

PRODUCER

Kelsey Tokunaga

Kelsey Tokunaga was born and raised in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. She grew up fascinated by Film and TV and the power of diverse storytelling. She went to UCLA where she got a BA in Sociology and minors in Civic Engagement and Film, TV & Digital Media, where she focused on media and how it impacts community. She has worked in many different fields from hospitality, politics and management. When she moved back to LA in 2018 her career took off in the esports space where she worked in live broadcast. From Overwatch League, Call of Duty League and working with companies like PlayStation, Epic and Riot Kelsey was able to work with some incredible teams and come from a fast-paced live entertainment background. While there she met the 9B team and has been working with them since 2022 after hearing a 9B panel on concept art at San Diego Comic Con. As soon as she joined the 9B family she knew that this was the place to marry all of her experiences and passions. Everyday she gets to work with artists around the world and to help shape stories from the ground up to create experiences that empower communities.