Photo: Courtesy of Tachand Dubuisson
How she got her start: "I started in the industry as a freelancer, working with some of the greatest agencies to exist pre-pandemic before launching an agency for the people, APT-122," says Dubuisson.
APT-122, which was founded in 2021, describes itself as an experience agency dedicated to amplifying historically marginalized voices and redesigning systems for economic opportunities within live events. "We proudly stand at the forefront of creating equitable opportunities in live events and help reshape the future of storytelling in the experiential industry," reads the company's website.
What innovation means to her: "Innovation takes on many forms, but the version of it that resonates the most to me is 'disruption,'" Dubuisson says. "People working to effect significant change in moderate ways. The people we admire are tempered radicals—quiet disrupters using creativity and technology as a tool. It is important for me to stay innovative and forward-thinking in this way in order to continue to create safe spaces for brands and creatives looking to cultivate better and more inclusive experiences in the industry."
How she stays inspired: "Knowing that we all deserve to live on purpose, and understanding that we do not all have that privilege, keeps me inspired," she explains. "Staying close to the vision of creating safe spaces and a pipeline for more creatives to step out of survival mode pushes my drive for excellence. And having the opportunity to lead by example allows me to continue to dream in color." 
"At APT-122, we felt immensely proud to be able to facilitate an event in which Black and brown folks could thrive, whether that was performing onstage, working behind the scenes, or being part of the audience," says Dubuisson of the UnitedMasters event.Photo: Michael Catapano
Career highlights: Dubuisson cites her work on UnitedMasters: A Celebration of Independence—a celebration of hip-hop on Feb. 3 at the Hollywood Palladium—as a standout moment. "From vinyl records to streaming platforms, hip-hop’s evolution has come a long way as the genre approaches its golden anniversary," she notes. "We created the ultimate concert experience to showcase these artists, while centering the Black and brown audiences that made hip-hop great. We knew that APT-122’s ethos of diverse excellence made us best placed to create an event that championed the independent artists challenging the status quo."
She is particularly proud of being able to handpick a team that showcased her company's commitment to supporting people of color, and cultivating a safe space in which they were able to bring their creativity to the table. "From the stage design, which featured the pillars of independence that form the foundation of hip-hop, to a dedicated ‘gold record wall’ social space where fans could capture and share their experience, the team’s excellence shone through at every touchpoint," she says.
Her vision for the future of experiential: "Our dream is to do our part in alleviating the wealth gap and lengthening the life span of Black and brown dollars," she says. "We see an industry paying creatives of color what we’re worth, and reshaping the future of storytelling in live experiences by amplifying our voices."
This feature is sponsored by Spiro, the global brand experience agency for the new now. Spiro delivers culture-bending, out-of-this-world live brand experiences that give all your stakeholders a chance to experience your brand long after your event ends.
