Inside Cossette’s Award-Winning AI Mentors

For many Black entrepreneurs, finding the right mentor can feel out of reach. Access to guidance, lived experience, and hard-earned wisdom isn’t always readily available—yet it can make all the difference. That’s exactly the gap Cossette tackled with AI Mentors, created with the Afrodescendant Leadership Alliance (ALA). The result: multiple-category wins (MCW) for Cossette across both the 2025 Advertising and Design Awards competitions. 

By drawing on the voices, philosophies, and experiences of Black icons, the platform uses generative AI to turn inspiration into conversation—transforming success stories into accessible, interactive mentorship that meets entrepreneurs where they are.   

To go behind the scenes, we sat down with Philippe Brassard, associate creative director, and Souléman Diallo, senior copywriter at Cossette. Phil breaks down the strategy, conceptual framework, and cultural intent, while Soulé dives into the storytelling, craft, and the practical challenges of bringing such an ambitious project to life. 

Can you walk us through the evolution of AI Mentors, from initial pitch to final execution? 

Phil: The journey began in 2023 when we built ALA’s brand identity. Our key insight was that mentorship changes lives, and for Afrodescendant entrepreneurs, the gap can feel even wider. When Soulé pitched an AI-driven mentorship experience for the 2024 Gala, it immediately felt right. We curated historical speeches and writings, set creative and cultural guardrails, and rapidly prototyped the experience to ensure it felt intuitive, inspiring, and respectful.

How did the collaboration between the Cossette team and event agency Oxygène unfold, and how did each partner contribute to shaping the final experience? 

Soulé: It was a true cross-disciplinary effort from the start. Within Cossette, the creative team shaped the core idea, curated historical quotes, and developed the storytelling and overall direction. The digital team brought it to life—designing the AI-driven journey, training the AI, and engineering the interactive experience. Our design team translated the visual identity into the gala environment, making the experience feel cohesive and premium on site. Oxygène handled production, logistics, and operations, ensuring everything ran smoothly and landed exactly as envisioned on the night of the event.

Was the installation presented exclusively for the Afrodescendant Leadership Alliance (ALA) 2024 Gala, or did it live on beyond the event? 

Phil: The installation was exclusive to the ALA 2024 Gala, designed for the room, the flow of the event, and the gala’s energy. Guests were in a conversation-first mindset, so the experience had to feel immediate, intuitive, and seamlessly integrated into the evening. 

How has the project been received by audiences, clients, and the creative community since its debut? 

Soulé:  The project has been very well received, both at the gala and beyond. Audiences, clients, and the creative community appreciated that it didn’t just showcase technology—it offered a tangible first step toward a solution while highlighting a challenge often overlooked. Participants left feeling seen, supported, and equipped with practical guidance they could carry through their careers. 

What conversations did AI Mentors spark around the role of AI in mentorship, leadership, and representation? 

Phil: AI Mentors sparked important conversations about mentorship, leadership, and representation. It reframed AI from a tool of automation to a tool of connection, bringing powerful voices closer to people who may not have direct access to role models. By grounding the experience in Black thought and history, we showed how intentional AI choices shape cultural meaning. And it reframed mentorship itself—not as something AI replaces, but as a catalyst that inspires reflection, action, and the pursuit of real human guidance. 

Looking ahead, how do you see AI-driven experiential work evolving within the creative and cultural space? 

Soulé:  AI is becoming a powerful accelerator for ideas rooted in real human insight, not a replacement for creativity. It helps us develop, test, and bring concepts to life faster. AI Mentors shows where AI works best—used purposefully to meet a human need and make guidance more accessible. Looking ahead, we’ll see more AI-driven experiences that lower technical barriers, letting meaningful ideas reach audiences without being limited by production constraints.

Did this project influence how your team now approaches technology, storytelling, or collaboration on future work? 

Soulé+Phil: This project shifted how we approach technology, storytelling, and collaboration. We now use tech as a meaningful bridge that adds emotional and cultural depth, not just as a novelty. It reinforced the need for a clear strategic vision to keep creative, strategy, and production aligned. On storytelling, it taught us to design for participation, not just communication—when people feel personally addressed, the experience resonates longer.

Project AI Mentors demonstrates how technology, when guided by intention and care, can create meaningful messaging and experiential experiences. Great work!