This DMV expat is creating an online course for creative entrepreneurs

Fans of non-fungible tokens and digital art, take note: D.C. expat Malachi Fuller is launching a new course for entrepreneurs in the creative space.

Fuller grew up in Prince George’s County and attended University of Maryland College Park before heading to L.A. to found Hyyer Creative Consulting in 2018. He said his company particularly focuses on creative businesses and individuals rooted in Black millennial and Gen Z culture. Now, he’s creating a starter course for that audience.

Hyyer Education, Fuller said, will be a free, 60-day course open to up-and-coming creative entrepreneurs or businesses in need of some creative assistance nationwide. Fuller likened it to college office hours, as participants will be able to sign up for a few hours a week to meet with Hyyer Creative leadership and guests to talk and ask questions. Hyyer Education will begin looking for participants in August with an official launch later in the month, and will likely be held on Zoom. Fuller added that Hyyer intends to have multiple tracks as the program grows, as well.

“The purpose of it is to kind of give back in the creative space,” Fuller told Technical.ly. “We realized that people were interested and from our team’s standpoint, that we have value.”

The idea, Fuller said, is to be a first stop for businesses seeking brand development or marketing, as well as new “creative entrepreneurs.” This could be anything from people looking to break into photography or tech companies in need of digital marketing and brand development, with a specific focus on the freelance economy.

Fuller said that Hyyer decided to pursue the course with the growth of the creative and freelance industries during the pandemic, and that he wanted to create something that he himself could have used when first starting out.

“When I was in school, I didn’t have that coming up,” Fuller said. “I didn’t have anyone to guide me or tell me where to get started…Hyyer Education’s goal is essentially to provide a free resource for people.”

Despite the roots in art, Fuller said he believes there’s plenty of space for the creative industry in tech. He pointed to the need for marketing strategies of different tech products, how sites appear and things like updates to social media software that are specifically based on content.

Plus, he added, with the growth of things like NFTs, art and technology are merging more and more all the time.

“Art is getting more technical every day…so our goal is to provide resources all across the board,” Fuller said.