Rashad “Baba” Staton

Thankful beyond words that my good brothers @diwee_sewell @steves_styles @abu_the_ceo saw fitting for me to serve as the Master Of Ceremony for the 9th Annual @artaste_baltimore Honoree Ceremony and lifting up the amazing work of @thegrowprogrambaltimore Full Circle Moment of Gratitude when you are positioned to honor and celebrate other great community and business leaders across Baltimore who pour into our beloved communities in various capacities unselfishly. Major acknowledgment @differentregard for another amazingly crafted tailored suit and making sure majority of those attending ARTASTE 2026 looked and felt good! S/O to my village for showing up in love and support!

ARTASTE | 2026 | BALTIMORE A full weekend of Black Art & Opulence happening in Baltimore from April 24-26th. I am so honored and excited to serve as the Master of Ceremony for ARTASTE 2026 and highlighting the invaluable impact of non profit organizations serving Baltimore youth and families such as G.R.O.W (@thegrowprogrambaltimore ) founded by my good brother @diwee_sewell ARTASTE is a 7 year tradition for me that I’ve always looked forward to celebrating and witnessing the vision GROW from the inception of its founders and partners and how they purposefully infused art, fashion, culinary, culture, community and excellence to occupy the same space for everyone to enjoy and build! From 2019 to 2026, kicking off ARTASTE as a celebratory occasion with two of my favorite human beings, artists, and friends @aaronmaybin and @steves_styles , I am honored to be showcase my gift and rock my @differentregard tailored fit on the mic & stage while curating a vibe of giving and honoring an amazing organization and honorees who selflessly pour into others and make the world around us better! We plants seeds to see the fruit and trees G.R.O.W. !!! And I am grateful to pour back in my community in such capacity! As a second generation art collector and someone who literally wears the brands and culture as proudly outward expression of Baltimore’s gifts, uniqueness, and our value to the world. I am forever grateful to see a world in #MyBmore where art, service, jubilee, and community can still exist, grow and thrive in real time and over decades!!! Join me SUNDAY - April 26th 5PM at BaltimoreMuseumofIndustry for #ARTASTE2026

Friday , CLIA was proud to stand alongside community partners at the 2nd Annual Fight Against Opioids Summit in Baltimore. Our team facilitated a Know Your Rights Workshop, equipping young people and community members with tools to understand their rights, protect themselves, and advocate for healthier, safer communities. From powerful conversations to community connection, the room was filled with people committed to awareness, prevention, and collective action. Thank you to all the organizers, partners, and participants who showed up ready to learn and lead. The fight for informed, empowered communities continues. 📸 Photo Recap: 1️⃣ Youth and community members engaging during the Know Your Rights workshop 2️⃣ CLIA team sharing tools and resources for advocacy and protection 3️⃣ Community leaders and partners united for prevention and education 4️⃣ Meaningful dialogue on how Baltimore can respond to the opioid crisis together #CLIA #BaltimoreYouth #KnowYourRights #FightAgainstOpioids #BaltimoreCommunity 📸 @yoreef

Thank you to all who came and supported @thenolitaproject for our SOLD OUT fundraiser/ Birthday celebration for my Brother & Founder @dear_nolita ! Our village showed up and out for us and the appreciation for the years of commitment to community was felt. 💯

More than a fundraiser — it was a reminder of why we do this work. The Nolita Project continues to show up for youth and families with intention, consistency, and heart. From mentorship and leadership development to supporting families navigating some of life’s toughest transitions, the impact is real, and it’s growing. As we continue striving toward our mission, please know this: your contributions matter. Whether you gave financially, volunteered your time, shared a post, or simply showed up in support, you are part of the movement. It takes a village to change outcomes. And we’re building one on purpose. #NolitaProject #CommunityImpact #YouthLeadership #FundraiserRecap #StrongerTogether

Thank you @iamcatalystofchange for letting me be part of this incredible project with you—it's truly amazing! Great to see my friend @harrisforbaltimore on set as well.

🎤 TNP Talk Guest Speaker Spotlight: Rashad Staton @iamcatalystofchange @rstaton_5 This year’s Annual Fundraiser features a powerful TED Talk-style message titled “A Tale of Two Cities,” where Rashad shares the story of how he and TNP founder Wesley Hawkins were connected for years through admiration and word-of-mouth across East Baltimore—before officially meeting in 2016. What began as mutual respect from afar has grown into a decade-long brotherhood rooted in community work, collaboration, accountability, and shared purpose. Join us as we celebrate legacy, leadership, and impact at The Nolita Project Annual Fundraiser. #NoLitaProject #TNPAnnualFundraiser #ATaleOfTwoCities #TNPTalk

For the past 2-3yrs I’ve been on this journey with my good brother, friend, and business partner @bowen_dk supporting and bringing his vision of @epicartuniverse to light and to the world by traveling the State Of Maryland hosting “Equity Summit” and “Equity Kickbacks at various high schools and colleges across Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Montgomery County, PG County, Eastern Shore, and even Washington DC, educating and empowering youth and young adults about the urgency and reality of “Equity” and how such systems, norms, bureaucracies, and social determinants impact the lives of us all. Through the years, I can attest to @epicartuniverse making real life impact on impressionable minds and recentering the minds of adults leaders to stay grounded in the “why” and the necessary commitment of remaining steadfast in the fight for positive change and upward mobility! This video captures our most recent Equity Summit hosted in Baltimore City at Johns Hopkins University academic campus for 100+ student leaders across three of our Baltimore High Schools (Dunbar, Reach Partnership, Mervo) providing them access to hear, learn, and interact with Baltimore’s and Maryland’s brightest and most influential business leaders, elected officials, professional athletes, sports agents, bankers, clinicians, therapist, authors, poets, community leaders, and so many other industries and personnel! I am forever grateful that @iamcatalystofchange can be a part of the larger vision to serve and create space for positive change! Thank you to the Equity Braintrust Team, our partners, collaborators, supporters and the young people who show up courageously to learn and positioning themselves amongst greatness! #EquitySummit #EquityKickback #CatalystOfChange #CatalyticSpark #MyBmore

“A Life For A Life” - A journey of growth, reflection, brotherhood and accountability. Thank you to my good brother and Author @kevin_shird for allowing me to be a part of his journey in publicizing and marketing his newest book from moderating, documentary recording, and spreading the importance and value of humanizing those currently and formerly incarcerated and centering mental health and trauma informed care to better service and keep our communities safer and healthier! Photos captured by @yoreef 📸 at the Innagural World Mental Health Day Summit - Teen Talk Forum 2025 at Enoch Pratt Central Library featuring @kevin_shird “A Life For A Life” moderated by @rstaton_5 in collaboration with @cliayouth & @namibaltimore @citcayouthvoice @prattlibrary #ALifeForALife #Literacy #WorldMentalHealthDay #MentalHealth #TraumaInformed #Baltimore #Bmore #MyBmore #Read #YouthVoice #Community #Healing #YouthEngagement #Catalyst #Inspire #Aspire #ExhibitC

Make Sum Shake stay focus …. Or continue to Break & be Broken 😎🤞🏽✨ 🎥: @cutzofan_editor #VoiceOfTheYouth #BeYou410 #Baltimore #Explore

Baltimore — we did it! 🙌🏾 We’ve been selected by MTV to host a Mental Health Action Day Kickback right here in our city, and this moment is a testament to the power of collaboration, community, and collective vision. From the very beginning, the goal was to write a proposal that centered everyone — youth, trusted adults, nonprofits, community-based partners, and thought leaders — and to create something that brings us together around one of the most urgent issues of our time: mental health. This grant wasn’t written in isolation — it was built with others in mind, and that approach helped cultivate a space of partnership rather than siloed efforts. A huge thank you to the community partners, nonprofits, and leaders who believed in this vision and stood ready to be part of something bigger than any one of us — a shared commitment to service, healing, and connection. Being awarded by a global platform like MTV is powerful, but what’s even more powerful is what it means for Baltimore— a day designed to uplift, support, and center our people, from school-age youth to elders. Now let’s do what we do best: spread the word, repost the flyer, share the RSVP, and encourage your folks to attend and participate. Let’s show up for each other — and for the city we love. #MentalHealthAction #MTVKickbackBmore #MoreThanAShop #MyBmore #MTAS #EquityKickbacks #Baltimore #MentalHealthMatters

Still feeling incredibly honored and humbled to have served as one of the keynote speakers for the Morgan State Collegiate 100 Pinning Ceremony this past March. As a proud Morgan alum, former Collegiate 100 member, and now a leader in my community, it was surreal to return and pour into the next generation. In my remarks, I spoke about the three pillars that shaped my journey— Character, Commitment, and Community. These values were planted in me during my time at Morgan and continue to guide me as a public servant, an executive, and father. I reminded the new class that “Leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about impact,” and that “we do not rise alone—we rise together.” To the new brothers of Collegiate 100: Your journey has just begun. Lead boldly. Serve faithfully. Own your legacy. #MorganState #Collegiate100 #Leadership #Legacy #Gratitude #HBCUPride #RiseTogether