Cimone Key Hurst

About Cimone Key Hurst

Support CK Campus: Cimone Hurst (professionally known as Cimone Key), Founder and CEO of CK Creative Agency, a multi-award-winning creative agency trusted by Fortune 500 companies, global brands, and public-sector partners to lead branding, experiential design, and innovation at scale.Over the past decade, I’ve built and led multidisciplinary teams at the intersection of design, technology, storytelling, and real-world problem solving, helping organizations translate ideas into impact. My work spans corporate, nonprofit, and civic sectors, with clients including Amazon, Intuit, Adidas, Capital One, the NFL, Neiman Marcus, the City of Dallas, and Palo Alto Networks.I am a first-generation college graduate and creative entrepreneur whose leadership is shaped by both formal industry experience and independent practice. I began my career working within Fortune 500 advertising agencies, gaining hands-on experience inside large-scale, high-stakes creative environments before building my own firm.Through leading my agency, I’ve continued to deepen my expertise through real-world execution, experimentation, and building solutions at scale across corporate, nonprofit, and civic sectors. That combined experience—inside established institutions and through entrepreneurship—informs everything I build today.In addition to leading CK Creative, I am the Founder and Executive Director of CK Campus, a Creative + STEM initiative designed to help students and young adults connect creativity, technical skill, and problem-solving to real-world opportunities. CK Campus exists to ensure students do not have to “figure it out alone,” especially those furthest from opportunity.I’ve been recognized as a ForbesWomen feature and serve as a mentor within the Adobe Creative Apprenticeship, supporting emerging creatives as they navigate education, industry, and career pathways.I’m also a parent, which grounds my work in a long-term vision for education that is equitable, future-facing, and responsive to how students actually learn, create, and build today.At the core of my work is a simple belief:Creative and STEM talent exists everywhere. Opportunity does not.I build what I wish existed earlier, and I’m always open to conversations about education, creative workforce pathways, and systems-level impact.

Experience

1. Founder & Creative Director

   Ck Creative Agency

   Oct 2015 — Present · Dallas, TX, US

   Founder and Creative Director of a multidisciplinary creative agency delivering brand, digital, and experiential work for national and enterprise organizations.With over a decade of experience, I lead high-visibility creative initiatives across live environments, digital platforms, and integrated campaigns, often within compressed timelines, complex stakeholder ecosystems, and public-facing delivery requirements.My role focuses on creative leadership, strategic alignment, and execution oversight. I partner closely with client teams to translate vision into scalable, production-ready solutions, ensuring work is delivered with clarity, accountability, and operational rigor.Responsibilities include:• Leading creative strategy and direction across brand, digital, and experiential engagements• Serving as senior creative and client partner for enterprise and public-sector organizations• Overseeing end-to-end execution across concept development, production, and launch• Managing cross-functional teams, vendors, and production partners in high-stakes environments• Ensuring creative solutions align with business objectives, technical constraints, and delivery timelinesSelected clients and partners:Adidas, Amazon, Neiman Marcus, Sally Beauty, Capital One, Intuit, Palo Alto Networks, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Dallas, City of Dallas, City of Coppell, Olympics, F5, Chimys, Adwoa

Education

• Southern Methodist University

  Certificate of Web Design, Web Design

  2016 — 2016

• The Art Institutes

  Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.), Graphic Deisgn

  2009 — 2012