Speaker Bios

Damian Hoskins is the Executive Director of Elementz Hip Hop Cultural Art Center in Cincinnati. Through the preservation, protection, and advancement of Hip Hop as art, culture and a global creative force, Elementz fosters talent, ignites potential, and inspires possibilities for youth ages 8-20. Damian is also a professor of Hip Hop Studies at the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music.

Previously, Hoskins was Vice President of Arts Impact at ArtsWave, the leading fundraiser and promoter of the arts in Greater Cincinnati, where he managed a multi-million-dollar grant-making process for the region’s vibrant arts sector. Damian is also a woodworker, painter, graphic designer and branding strategist for organizations such as the Preschool Promise, The Urban League, Black Art Speaks and the Strive Partnership.

Hoskins holds a bachelor’s degree in English education from Central State University and a Master’s Degree from the Art Academy of Cincinnati.

Camille Jones is a writer, dancer, choreographer, creative collaborator, and Sr. Program Manager at Elementz Cincinnati with 10+ years of professional writing and dance experience. Her dance work has led to appearances in film and featured choreography in commercial work, music videos, and stage performances. She is also co-founder of a black-women-led dance team called (CA)^2 (pronounced see-A-squared) dance crew.

As a writer, Camille has created articles, blog posts, poetry and hosted poetry workshops. Camille has commissioned work for major institutions such as the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, the Cincinnati Art Museum for the Whitfield Lovell and Kara Walker exhibits, respectively, as well as Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, the BT Rise FIRE conference and bi3. This year, Camille is excited to present her very first visual poetry album, a project that is grant-funded by the Ohio Arts Council.

Whenever possible, Camille works to combine creative mediums she loves: poetry and dance. She graduated summa cum laude as a dual-degree major earning a B.S. in Psychology and a B.A. in English from the University of Cincinnati.

Dr. Jeff Menzise is a clinical psychologist, author and international consultant. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, he maintains strong ties to his hometown through consulting work with grassroots organizations, educators and senior administrators. Globally, Dr. Menzise has partnered with Ministries of Education in the Caribbean and West Africa to provide professional development for teachers, administrators, families, students and mental health professionals. In 2019, he co‑hosted a community Town Hall with Taraji P. Henson and The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation to address mental health access and the barriers of stigma and affordability.

As a scholar, Dr. Menzise has presented papers and workshops worldwide and is the author of 10 books, numerous articles and multiple Issue Guides for the Kettering Foundation as a Public Scholar. A champion of racial reconciliation and healing, he previously served as Assistant Director of the internationally renowned Race Relations Institute at Fisk University, helping convene large‑scale international dialogues on race and racism. He is currently an Associate Professor with the Morgan State University Institute for Urban Research and the immediate past president of the Association of Black Psychologists, Washington, DC Chapter. He is a proud graduate of Fisk University and Howard University.

The Queen City was struck with unrest after the killing of 19-year-old Timothy Thomas at the hands of Cincinnati Police. As protests, rioting, and looting occurred in response to the 15th black man to be killed by CPD within a 5 year span, there was a huge spotlight on Cincinnati for the wrong reasons. A change was needed to address the tainted relationship between the inner city and CPD.

A year after Thomas’ death, Copwatch was founded by Islord Allah, Life Allah, Gavin Leonard and Dureka Bonds. It was an effort to hold police accountable for their interactions with the community via camcorders. There were also lessons given on how to properly interact with police in order to hopefully walk away unscathed, but there was something missing to completely bridge the communities together.

After conducting surveys within the community on a tether that could empower everyone, Hip-Hop culture was a constant theme. So after finding a location and financial support, Elementz was born on the corner of Central Parkway and Liberty. Named after the 5 elements of Hip-Hop (Emcee, Breakdance, Deejaying, Graffiti, and Knowledge of Self), Cincinnati’s center for Hip-Hop culture became a staple in the city. With Islord Allah named as the first Director, Elementz grew into a landmark of Hip-Hop culture, gaining respect and collaboration from national Hip-Hop acts such as Killer Mike, Wu-Tang Clan, Talib Kweli and many more.

Leading into the 2010s following financial hardships, leadership over Elementz was passed onto Brother Abdullah, who started out as a volunteer-turned instructor- turned director. Alongside Tom Kent, Elementz gained more finances and notoriety throughout Cincinnati, leading many creatives into leadership positions around the city.

Following the pandemic in 2020, Elementz leadership was passed onto Damian Hoskins, who led Elementz into their first center that they own. With a bright future on the horizon, Elementz continues to build on the legacy of what came before, and continues to prove just how powerful Hip-Hop culture is.