Kayiita Johnson // Founder Black.Surfers

Kayiita Johnson was born and raised in Minnesota. After living in Texas and NYC, Johansson moved to northern California in 2016 and lived there until settling in Oakland, California in 2021. He earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Minnesota and a master’s degree in business administration from Stanford. Formerly a product manager at Google Nest and a semiconductor sales and firmware engineer at Texas Instruments, he currenty works as a product manager at a self-driving car company. Johnson has been surfing since 2014 and said he was drawn to the sport from the feeling of flowing with nature. It was an inevitable sport for him, he said, after spending much time skateboarding, swimming and body surfing throughout his childhood. He is the founder of Black Surfers, an organization dedicated to increasing the number of Black surfers by providing community, inspiring through representation and affecting public policy.

“Define success by the achievements of those around you.” -- Mentor

The "Wade in the Water" limited-edition portrait series showcases activists, pioneers, and future leaders in SoCal’s BIPOC surf community adorned with the leaves of Afrocarpus gracilior, aka the African Fern Pine.

Museum-quality fine art digital print

Frame recommendation:
CLASSIC LIGHT MAPLE WOOD PICTURE FRAME