Meet Elonte Davis

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Elonte Davis. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Elonte , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I found my purpose by paying attention to what gave me goosebumps. It wasn’t a perfect moment or a big break. It was the little things. Documenting my city. Giving people their flowers while they’re here. Telling stories that normally get overlooked. I started paying attention to how photography made me feel. It became therapeutic while at the same time it was immortalizing people. I realized my purpose was rooted in appreciation. I create so people feel seen, heard, remembered. That’s what keeps me going. My purpose isn’t just a talent. It’s a responsibility.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

My name is Elonte Davis but most people know me as Slumdog Visionaire. I’m a photographer, storyteller, and creative director from Detroit. Everything I do is rooted in appreciation, documenting the people, places, and moments that often get overlooked and making sure they feel seen, valued, and remembered!

I just dropped my first book from my first solo show called “This Is What I’m Doing and This Is Where I’m At”. A Detroit children photo essay published by Irwin House Gallery! It’s a raw, honest story about growth, family, and learning to embrace where you come from. Around that same time, one of my photos was featured in the New York Times for Luminosity, a yearlong exhibition at the Charles H. Wright Museum running from April 4, 2025 through March 2026.

That show means everything to me. My nephew Aiden is on the wall. My little cousin Karsyn is in it too,my good friend Terrell Aglin used a fire torch to turn that image into art. My pastor and church members are there as well, painted by my friend Dominic Lemonious. These aren’t just creative collaborations. This is my family. This is love. This is legacy.

Just recently I spoke to some 8th graders at DAAS, sharing my story and showing them what it looks like to turn your purpose into something real. Whether it’s in a classroom, a museum, or out in the streets, I’m committed to telling our stories the way they deserve to be told.

I was also recently selected to be part of a powerful cohort called Container,a new mobile platform built to highlight Detroit’s creative scene. It’s a 20-foot shipping container turned into a traveling stage that brings local voices to new spaces. I’ll be featured in activations and professionally documented through audio, video, and photography as part of the journey.

This isn’t about trends. This is about building something that can’t be erased. I’m just getting started

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1. Vision and Follow Through
It all starts with a vision. You gotta see it before it’s real. But having vision means nothing if you don’t follow through. I’ve always been big on ideas but even bigger on execution. From shooting on the block to having my work hang in a museum, none of it happened without showing up day after day. If you believe in it, move like it’s already yours.

2. Storytelling
Telling real stories changed my life. Photography gave me a voice and writing gave me a way to process what I was going through. My book, my films, my photos, it’s all storytelling. That’s how I honor the people around me. That’s how I document what matters. If you’re just starting out, learn how to tell your story with honesty. That’s how people connect.

3. Emotional Intelligence and Appreciation
The biggest flex is leading with love. Knowing how to appreciate people, moments, and even the hard times, that’s what OVLA is all about. Overlook Nothing, Appreciate Everything. My family’s on those museum walls. My friends helped bring that vision to life. None of this happens without being present, being grateful, and showing love for real.

Also listening and self awareness is key!
Being able to truly listen and check yourself will take you further than talent ever will. Self awareness keeps you grounded. Listening opens doors. You learn more by paying attention than you ever will by trying to be heard all the time. That’s how you grow for real.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Before I ever got my own book published a few others played a major role in how I saw the world and started moving through it. “Makes Me Wanna Holler by Nathan McCall” was the first one that really spoke to me. He was a smart young man growing up in the ghetto who ended up in prison, but it was in there that he started learning, reading, and building himself up. That made me realize I didn’t want to wait for life to break me down before I started growing. I wanted to learn now, not the hard way.

Then I came across James Baldwin’s “The fire next time” and I was so impressed of how he articulated his thoughts and his vocabulary as I was looking up the words I didn’t know.

Then I came across a book called”The Game On Consignment”. It had the Willie Lynch letter in it, and that letter lit a fire in me. I saw how deep the system goes and how it was designed to divide and destroy us. That’s when I made the choice to move different—to go against everything that letter stood for and focus on being an asset to my people and my community.

“Freakonomics “was another one that shifted my mindset. Two economists broke down real-world situations and showed how a street hustler, after all the risk, danger, and stress, ends up making about the same as someone working in fast food. That blew my mind. It made me think deeper about the long game and where I really wanted to end up.

All of that shaped how I move, and eventually it led me to create “This Is What I’m Doing and This Is Where I’m At”. Thag book helped me reflect, tell my truth, and leave something behind that could inspire others. The biggest lesson from all these books? Your story matters. Knowledge is power. And once you get it, you gotta do something with it.

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