14 Sep New Educational Leaders: Mimi Valdes & Pharrell Williams’ Kidult Youth Enterprise

As one half of the legendary production tandem, The Neptunes, Pharrell Williams has experienced numerous triumphs in his career. He has worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry today, but his work outside of the musical arena is where his legacy will be forever defined. His other non-musical ventures include the Billionaire Boys Club clothing line and a partnership with Bionic Yarn, a textile firm that develops environmentally sustainable fabrics using recycled plastic bottles. But perhaps his latest undertaking will leave an indelible mark on the minds of the next generation. Alongside his longtime friend, Mimi Valdes, he has co-founded a new venture, called Kidult. Mimi Valdes is the former editor-in-chief of VIBE and Latina magazines respectively. She has been in the entertainment industry for close to 20 years and has worked with some of the all-time greats in the business. In 2007, Williams reached out to Valdes to express his strong desire to build something geared toward his young fan base.  In 2009, both Williams and Valdes went to work on constructing a blueprint for success and in January of this year they officially launched Kidult.com, a news and entertainment website for teens, created by Pharrell Williams. “This is something I wish I had when I was growing up as a kid,” says Williams. “Most of the other kids I went to school with didn't understand me as an individual and it was always more fun to have conversations with adults.” Kidult was created with that premise in mind; a place where kids who were misunderstood by their peers would have a place to voice their opinions and ideas with like-minded individuals with a desire to change the world they live in. This weekend, I had the esteemed pleasure to speak with Kidult Co-Founder, Mimi Valdes to learn more about the partnership she has embarked on with Williams and the vision they have for the venture as a whole.