Biography
ARI was born and raised in California, where once he learned to walk and talk, immersed himself in the chaos of 1970's Los Angeles on Hollywood Blvd until the age of twelve, when he moved to the Germantown section of Philadelphia to live with his father. In Philadelphia during the '80s, he participated in the cultural revolution of Hip-Hop, as it underwent the dramatic transformation from burgeoning regional subculture to international phenomenon. ARI graduated from art school in 1992 with a degree in graphic design. It didn't take long for him to establish himself as a creative force inside the Philadelphia music industry. Designing everything from logo and album covers to fashion and accessories, he made enough noise to reach up to the music industry in New York City, where he collaborated with some of the biggest music names of the era.
As they say, timing is everything. With momentum on his side and extensive experience within the music industry, it was a natural fit for him to accept an offer from friend and fellow artist, Steve "ESPO" Powers, to partner in publishing the Philadelphia inner city culture publication, On The Go Magazine. In only 18 issues, On The Go grew from a 50-copy black and white newsletter, distributed by hand, to a respected first-of-its-kind publication, boasting an international circulation of over [42,000] copies. On The Go Magazine achieved cult status and gathered fans all over the globe that resonate to this day. He is currently working on a 30th year anniversary book that will feature not only the best of all the past issues but will also include a previously unreleased issue from 1997 that features a photo shoot on the cover with Jay Z that ARI art directed and designed.
Ready for new challenges, ARI saw that he could apply the non-traditional strategies he'd developed to promote the magazine to the advertising world at large. Thus, On The Go Marketing was born. With contacts in both broadcast and cable television, the company spent years building it's foundation producing and activating experiential programs for some of the biggest names in the business. ARI literally helped blaze the trail for alternative and lifestyle marketing by executing cutting-edge innovative campaigns and promotions for television and film giants ABC, Disney, NBC, ESPN, X Games, and Comedy Central, to name just a few. Now 20 years strong, the agency boasts 8 full-time employees, dozens of freelancers, and is recognized by many agencies in the industry as an experiential marketing innovator. At On The Go Marketing, After years of hard work establishing the company, ARI maintains his role as Chief Creative Officer and Cofounder, but now has time to pursue his many other interests and projects in fashion, art and design. He has several ongoing collaborations with other artists and friends that keep his creativity at it's peak.
