Kudzi Chikumbu

Kudzi Chikumbu is a Director at TikTok tasked with futureproofing the international social media video app and maintaining the globality of the brand. An expert on Gen Z, online networking and building a community, Kudzi, who is also highly successful as a YouTube personality, uses his platform to empower diversity and inclusion. Above all, Kudzi is an advocate for authenticity online and his business background paired with his creativity, allows him to support corporate clients in achieving an authentic presence and resonating with audiences.

Best recognised for his contributions to the social media giant, Kudzi Chikumbu is the current Director of Creator Community at TikTok. Tasked with building partnerships and developing the community aspect of the platform, Kudzi has worked his way from the ground up to become an indispensable leader at TikTok. From initially joining musical.ly as a Senior Manager for Entertainment Partnership, before being acquired by ByteDance and later merging with TikTok, Kudzi has been a key innovator, creative thinker and driving force behind such established success. Hailed as a leader in his field, Kudzi has been named in the Fortune 40 Under 40 List, a testament to his impact on the industry.

A former accountant, Kudzi’s professional career began working for Deloitte as a Senior Consultant. Becoming disillusioned with the finance sector, and lacking an outlet for his creativity, Kudzi completed an Internship with Hulu and attended a guest lecture during his MBA which changed his future. Inspired to pursue a career in consumer-generated content with a focus on innovative technology, Kudzi, who was armed with years of experience on his own successful YouTube channel, persuaded musical.ly to put their trust in him.

Fast forward and Kudzi has won Adcolour’s 2020 Innovator Award, been named in Hollywood’s 2019 35 Rising Executives 35 and Under list and is a Gen Z expert. Able to share transformative insights as a speaker, Kudzi educates corporate clients on the benefits of targeting a younger audience and how to do it with success in the long and short term. Speaking on such subjects as: innovation, creative culture, and authenticity, Kudzi’s experiences act as a blueprint for those wanting to replicate his impressive career. Another key ambition for Kudzi is to highlight the lack of diversity in industries, and at events, he empowers guests to become more inclusive.