Episode 16

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Published on:

10th Dec 2025

Inside the AI Company That's Putting Black People First | Create Labs x Tonl

While most AI systems struggle to properly represent diverse skin tones and features, these visionary founders have built a solution that puts Black representation at the forefront.

Walter Gainer II  @Itsthegreatwalt  speaks with with Karen Okonkwo (Tonl) and Abron Maldonado (Create Labs) to learn how how ai is empowering our community and how their collaboration is solving the Bias problem in Image Generation.

Discover how their groundbreaking partnership is creating AI that actually sees us, respects our image, and provides opportunities rather than threats to Black creators.

This isn't just about better AI images—it's about who controls our digital representation and whether we'll be participants or just subjects in the AI revolution.


CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTS:

Karen Okonkwo: https://www.instagram.com/karenokonkwo/

Tonl: https://tonl.co/

Abron Maldonado: https://www.instagram.com/abron_ai/

Create Labs: https://createlabs.io/


FOLLOW to the Working While Black Show for more conversations about career growth, entrepreneurship, technology, and more.


CHAPTERS:

(03:45) - AI's Racial Bias

(09:08) - Collaboration Decision

(13:25) - The Pushback On DEI

(16:25) - Does AI Hurt Black Creatives and Photographers?

(20:25) - Future of AI Predictions

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About the Podcast

The Working While Black Show
A Career Mixtape for professionals looking to make a change in their career
Imagine never having uncertainty about your career again! That’s the mission of The Working While Black Show, to curate a collection of stories and insight from leaders who have gone from surviving to thriving in the workplace.

Think of this podcast as a career mixtape with a carefully curated collection of episodes designed to guide you on your path to new growth.

The Working While Black show is dedicated to providing resources and information for Black professionals feeling discouraged about their growth. We're speaking to Black leaders who share the lessons they’ve learned navigating professional environments and entrepreneurial pursuits.

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Walter Gainer II