Dustin Black on Curiosity, Risk, and 25 Years of Brand Building at Meerkat
Dustin Black serves as the Chief Creative Officer and Partner at Meerkat, previously known as Preston Spire, which boasts a legacy of 76 years as Minnesota's oldest independent agency. With more than 25 years dedicated to brand development, he thrives on tackling challenges. His earliest creative recollection dates back to fourth grade when he penned a play about Garfield for the Olympics of the Mind program. Black expresses regret over turning down opportunities from RISD, Parsons, Wieden, and various San Francisco firms. He co-authored "The Book of Spam" (2007), played a role in launching an ice cream business, and showcased felt birds and fish at the airport. He is a father to twin daughters in eighth grade and cherishes his mother's homemade runzas.
Key facts
- Dustin Black is Chief Creative Officer and Partner at Meerkat, the Minneapolis agency formerly known as Preston Spire
- Meerkat is employee-owned and has operated for 76 years as Minnesota's oldest independent agency
- Black has more than 25 years of experience building brands
- He participated in Olympics of the Mind in fourth grade, later renamed Odyssey of the Mind after the Olympics sued
- He was accepted to RISD and Parsons but did not attend
- He co-wrote "The Book of Spam," published by Simon and Schuster in 2007
- Felt birds and fish he made have been displayed at the airport for the past year
- He has twin daughters currently in eighth grade
Entities
Artists
- Dustin Black
- Andy Weir
Institutions
- Meerkat
- Preston Spire
- Rhode Island School of Design
- Parsons School of Design
- Wieden+Kennedy
- Simon and Schuster
- PRINT Magazine
- Odyssey of the Mind
- Olympics of the Mind
Locations
- Minneapolis
- United States
- Minnesota
- San Francisco
- Rhode Island
- New York