Kudzi Chikumbu

Empowered by his message that "authenticity is your cheat code to success", Kudzi Chikumbu is a lifestyle influencer and the Global Head of Creator Marketing at TikTok where he is responsible for connecting and building the creator community through creator marketing, partnerships, and creator education all while advocating for diversity, inclusion, and representation online. Chikumbu's passion comes from his background as a creator where he learned first-hand how video content can help you find your tribe, feel a sense of worthiness and encourage people to live more authentically fulfilling lives. He currently works at the intersection of digital content, community, and communications to help change the face of culture online by discovering and amplifying diverse trailblazing talent. As a speaker, Chikumbu focuses on leveraging digital spaces and the importance of cultural understanding in marketing, discussing the role of authenticity and an entrepreneurial spirit in achieving success, and offering insights on building a personal brand and managing a digital presence effectively.

Chikumbu was born in Zimbabwe and grew up in South Africa which informed his strong views on race relations and diversity across the world. He began his business career as an accountant and management consultant at Deloitte in South Africa. After which he enrolled at the Stanford Graduate School of Business where he completed his MBA before starting his career in the entertainment industry. His roles span branding and marketing, business growth and change, customer experience, futurist and trend forecasting, innovation and creativity, social media influencing, and promoting workplace diversity, providing actionable takeaways for audiences to authentically connect with their audience and succeed online.

A torchbearer for authenticity, Chikumbu is also an advocate for making the world of luxury lifestyle more inclusive which he displays in his candle-loving accounts as "Sir Candle Man", aiming to bring a new, relatable, diverse, and inclusive voice to the fragrance industry. Sir Candle Man has been featured in "The Hollywood Reporter," "WWD," "NY Mag," and on "The Rachael Ray Show." Chikumbu lives in California and has been recognized extensively for his contributions, including being listed in Fortune Magazine’s 40 Under 40 list, The Hollywood Reporter's Next Gen: Hollywood’s 35 Rising Executives 35 and Under. He received ADCOLOR's Innovator Award, and was awarded AdWeek's Experiential Executive of The Year, The Culture Creators Tech Honoree, and named in Variety's Hollywood's New Leaders. He is recognized as a speaker in the LGBTQ+ community and categorized under Black Speakers.