Father-Son Lead Multimillion Design Firm Uplifted By DEI Efforts
John and Joshua Johnson are the father and son owners of the multimillion-dollar design firm Space Continuum. DEI initiatives helped bring their venture to fruition.
John founded the company in 2016 after years in corporate America, creating Space Continuum LLC as a contract furniture dealership and interior design firm. He shared with AfroTech how DEI led to the establishment of his own business, as companies sought to meet diversity goals and started contracting his services.
“A lot of the corporate clients were saying, ‘Listen, we have initiatives that we need to meet, and we’re asking, how can you help us meet those particular initiatives?’ With me already being in the marketplace and with my history and experience, everyone knew of me. So, they approached me and asked, would I consider becoming a MillerKnoll dealer, which I did,” explained John to the news outlet.
As he transitioned to his own dealership, John brought in his son, Joshua, to help in its operations. Joshua’s background in tech and marketing furthered the team to remain a crucial Black-owned business in this sector. John intends for Joshua to take over once he retires.
“I’ve been around the furniture industry. I am familiar with how to process goals… and of course, like my father stated, there are not many of us in that environment, so we’re pretty much a fly on the wall,” said Joshua, who works as the vice president of business development. “As far as the legacy standpoint, when he asked me to come back, I was familiar with the business. I saw different ventures that we can branch off into and grow the business and continue to build on its success.”
DEI initiatives were crucial to getting Space Continuum off the ground. Its high-profile clients include Honda, Ford, and Harrah’s Casino. Establishing a relationship with these long-standing companies has helped the duo emerge as respected players in this industry.
“Being in this space, DEI is so important, when it comes to entrepreneurs,” Joshua mentioned. “We understand that racism is very prevalent within corporations and also the government or who they choose to work with. There’s nothing that we can continue to put a cover on, so DEI is so important when we are actually presenting our certifications, along with our capabilities and success done in the past, to show that we’re able to fulfill these contracts.”
Space Continuum also elevated its services to clients, including design viewing through virtual reality and distribution of electric vehicle charging stations. Their continued work and expansion signal DEI’s importance in growing a minority presence in various industries.
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