Evan Marshall (right) alongside fellow honoree, Michael Barnes (left), at the 2025 Ohio State Black Alumni Society Scholarship and Awards Gala on Oct. 2. Credit: Courtesy of Evan Marshall.
For his lasting impacts on his community and society, Alumn Evan Marshall was one of the three Ohio State recipients for this year’s Black Alumni Society’s Buckeyes 40 Under 40.
The chief operating officer of Black Menswear (BMW Digital), Marshall was selected amongst the 40 recipients to receive the Clark Kellogg Marketing, Media and Communications award and honored during the 2025 Ohio State Black Alumni Society Scholarship and Awards Gala on Oct. 2.
Marshall described Alum Clark Kellogg as an inspiration and representative for those who are pursuing a path in media, advertising and communications. Kellogg has been a CBS Sports college basketball analyst since 1993, and this award honors those who “have painted visual masterpieces with their words and brought visibility to multinational brand campaigns,” according to the society’s Facebook page.
“I think what we’ve tried to do here, in a business standpoint, is try to create a similar path [of] representation and a similar path of how you present yourself and how you display yourself,” Marshall said. “Not only with character, with honor, in terms of showcasing opening doors for other people within spaces that typically black and brown voices aren’t seen and heard, not only from an event standpoint, but from a messaging content and a strategic standpoint.”
BMW Digital, an agency within Black Menswear, is aimed at creating marketing strategies that tell authentic stories of Black audiences, Marshall said. By creating different events, strategies, messaging and executions, the agency is able to represent those in ways they may not typically have been seen or heard, Marshall said.
Black Menswear’s mission is to connect brands with the global market of Black men to emphasize the importance of companies adapting community engagement and community development, according to their website.
Focusing on representation led by the community, Black Menswear has traveled the world in the past seven years, hosting events that highlight Black connectivity, unison and the voice of Black expression, Marshall said.
“We like to say communications is rooted in community, and you can’t have community without connectivity and unity,” Marshall said.
One of the Black Menswear’s taglines is “impact over influence,” where engagement and connectivity are at the root of the impact representation has, Marshall said.
He said creating a safe space for people to feel seen and understood is what motivates him every day.
When Marshall started at Ohio State in 2005, he studied fashion merchandising,specifically corporate retail, using corporations in Columbus like Bath & Body Works, Abercrombie and Victoria’s Secret as resources.
Marshall also started an organization named Black Retail Action Group (BRAG), a collegiate chapter aimed to assist black students who are interested in retail, according to its website.
He was a member of a hand-picked group led byGene Smith, former Ohio State athletic director, that was made up of 30 men who were recognized as emerging leaders and organization founders.
Although the size of campus can be a lot for some people, Marshall said there are ways to make it smaller and connect with impactful organizations.
“Because then you can find not only your community and the people that you kind of connect with, but also different organizations that help guide us in the path long term,” Marshall said.
Over his career, Marshall said he has led award-winning campaigns, honored for brand voice and storytelling.
With each accomplishment, Marshall makes sure he takes the time to tell himself how proud he is, which he said is something people often skip over or discourage.
“Oftentimes we don’t do that, we look to the next thing,” Marshall said, “And because we’re so focused on the next thing, we don’t take the time to enjoy and be prideful in what we’ve accomplished at this time frame.”
By taking the time to recognize and praise his accomplishments, Marshall said it helped him remain resilient throughout his journey and make it through the tough times.
“It’s not about patting yourself in the back and walking around with your chest up, it’s keeping it so that your shoulders never droop to begin with,” Marshall said.
