LaNora Williams-Clark, Esq. (“The Muse”)
Writer/Developer/Creator/Producer
“It's not the profession, it’s the mind.” -The Muse
Not only does LaNora Williams-Clark believe this quote to be true, her life’s journey illustrates its truth. Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, Williams-Clark went on to graduate from UC Berkeley with honors in Political Science and a fulltime offer from KPMG to join their Audit team. Deciding to pursue her lifelong goal of becoming a lawyer, Williams-Clark instead attended and graduated from NYU School of Law.
Williams-Clark’s greatest asset is her sense of logic. When combined with the fact that she is an extremely creative/strategic thinker, a fast learner and a hard worker, the result is the ability to adapt those gifts to any environment. Williams-Clark entered the work force under special permission from the state because it would be one month before she was 16 and legally able to work as a Proof Operator for Bank of America. Always attracted to numbers, patterns and connections, she continued working for BofA as a teller until she graduated from high school and furthered this path by joining InRoads and interning as an Auditor with KPMG for two years. At the same time, Williams-Clark vigorously pursued all opportunities that would lead her to a Top 10 law school; leading various Pre-Law and Political Science organizations, participating on and leading moot court teams in competition, working part-time at a prestigious boutique law firm, interning for the US Secretary of Education, completing two theses and graduating at the top of her class.
Williams-Clark’s greatest gift is her sense of people. When combined with the fact that she has a genuine interest in stories, feels a personal obligation to her community, and is a natural communicator, the result is the ability to create/control any environment. She has navigated the halls of, arguably, the best public university as well as the best private law school in the country. She has worked in extremely diverse legal environments from a 8-person firm to a union, a legal clinic to a BigLaw firm. As well as on extremely diverse legal issues, from Offender Re-entry to Products Liability, Drug Policy to Constitutional Law. Her community work has spanned from the founding of a single-sex dual academy in SE Washington, DC to raising capital for the launch of a new progressive AM radio station, from supporting the Arts to protecting the Artists.
Williams-Clark’s greatest power is her sense of worth. When combined with her willingness to take risks, her resilience in the face of fear, and her relentless pursuit of happiness and purpose, the result is the ability to transcend any environment. Deciding to abandon her blooming law career, Williams-Clark found her passion in entrepreneurialship and her purpose in the creative arts. After working as a commercial litigator and constitutional lawyer in Washington, DC for nearly five years, in January 2009 she started her own strategic/creative branding firm, Muse Creative Arts Agency (Muse CAA), whose clients include The DC Office of Motion Picture and TV Development, award-winning jazz musician Marcus Johnson, and several small businesses including construction development corporations, law firms and personal fitness brands. Muse CAA also supports the development of 10 select creative entrepreneurs and their various projects, including a children’s book series, tv/film projects, theatrical projects, and other forms of storytelling. After wrapping up various projects and winding down several clients, in 2011 Williams-Clark decided to focus on her #1 client: herself.
Currently residing in Harlem, NYC, Williams-Clark is working on her first book, The Other N Word, a cross between Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point and Sister Souljah's Coldest Winter Ever, The Other N Word uses her story to uncover the historical, cultural, and experiential impediments to corporate and entrepreneurial success for African-Americans and illustrate how to accept, account for and ascend these obstacles. The other “N” word is Networking and she argues that, much like the “real” N word, we must understand the root of the term and then find a way to adapt it within our culture. For the past year, she has been blogging about her entrepreneurial journey at entreprehustler.blogspot.com and she has began a “short posting” blog about her Harlem adventure at harlemontherise.blogspot.com. Williams-Clark has recently partnered with a venture capitalist firm and is in the beta stage of her new online publication, Musings Magazine, where she will be joint owner and editor-in-chief.
A new Renaissance is taking place and Williams-Clark seeks to be at the forefront of the Re(e)mergence.