I still remember where I was when Stevie Johnson first replied to my message: I was grocery shopping with my family.
Here I was, looking at my phone, realizing that a professional football player was actually writing back to me. I immediately started typing, overthinking what to say, and trying to figure out how to explain everything we were building.
At the time, I had no idea that one message on X would lead to years of working together, hosting events, and finding new ways to bring people into the same room.
But what I remember most about that first conversation is how quickly it felt natural. Speaking with Stevie felt like talking to one of my friends.
How we connected
Back in 2021, when we first started Pigeons of New York, Whisper, one of our community members, mentioned Stevie to me. She was a Buffalo Bills fan who had met him before and told me what a great person he was. She thought Stevie would be willing to hear me out and listen to my ideas. Thank you, Whisper, for making this connection.
That was enough for me to reach out.
I sent Stevie a message on X, hoping he would respond, and kept pushing the project forward. We had a community to build and ideas we wanted to bring to life.
When his reply eventually came, I was excited about who was responding. As we started talking, though, I became even more excited about how interested he was in what we were doing.
He listened. He understood the energy behind the project. And bringing people together seemed to connect with the things he already cared about and wanted to do.
That gave us something real to build on.
Bringing the community to Las Vegas
In 2022, we had the opportunity to do our first event together in Las Vegas. Pigeons of New York community members, tech enthusiasts, Bills Mafia members, Stevie, and his friends were there. Seeing everyone come together in person was exciting on its own. Marcus "Smartz" Maxwell, my co-founder of Pigeons of New York, was there with us too.
Seeing Stevie connect with everyone made the moment even better.
A professional athlete was right there with us, hanging out, kicking it, and enjoying the experience alongside the community. For people who had been connecting online, it was a pretty cool moment.
And that has always been my experience with Stevie. The conversations feel comfortable. We can share an idea, get excited about it, and start figuring out how to make it happen.
In 2024, we put together the Creators Summit in Las Vegas around Super Bowl weekend. We rented a mansion, invited more people, and kept expanding what these gatherings could look like.
We had a freaking robot at the event, for goodness sake.
Building the Creators Summit
The Creators Summit grew out of that shared interest in bringing people together.
Stevie and I wanted to create a Super Bowl activation where creators, builders, tech enthusiasts, and people with ideas could connect. You could come from a different industry or have a completely different skill set and still bring something valuable to the room.
The way I think about it is simple: bring to the table what you desire, but make sure you come correct.
Bring your ideas. Bring your talent. Bring the effort behind whatever it is you say you want to build.
That is the kind of energy we wanted at the Creators Summit, and it is how we have continued moving together over the years.
A new chapter with PROJCT212
After a hiatus, I came back in 2026 to create PROJCT212.
This was not a sudden leap. For years I have been building the creative, technical, and production skills to turn an idea into something people can experience. Every experiment, draft, and hard lesson sharpened how I write, direct, design, and execute.
Having access to premium AI tools changed the scale of what I could do. Better models and production tools gave me more accessible ways to create, test, and refine. The tools did not replace the work I put in; they gave that work more reach.
Now I can operate as a team with my AI agents, Dots, Muse, and Grok Bot. They help me organize the moving pieces, pressure-test ideas, and keep the work moving. I bring the vision and make the final decisions; together, we have made PROJCT212 more impactful and more aligned with what I set out to build.
And once again, Stevie and I are connecting around what comes next.
We are planning our next Creators Summit activation in Los Angeles for Super Bowl 2027. There is also Vino Mafia, Cigar Mafia, and so much more that Stevie is working on. I am excited to help him and support his endeavors as we keep finding ways to create together.
Our timeline
- 2022 Las VegasOur first event together brought Pigeons of New York community members into the same room.
- 2024 Las VegasWe held the Creators Summit during Super Bowl weekend, bringing creators, builders, and people with ideas together.
- 2026 PROJCT212I came out of hiatus to create PROJCT212. Stevie and I are connecting again and planning the next Creators Summit for the next Super Bowl.
What this experience means to me
When I sent that first message, I was hoping Stevie would hear me out. Years later, we have shared experiences, events, and ideas that we are still building on.
That is what makes this relationship meaningful to me. I have had the opportunity to work alongside someone whose excitement about bringing people together has stayed consistent from our first conversation through everything we are planning now.
It also reminds me why I keep sharing what I am working on. A community member made a suggestion. I reached out. Stevie replied. We kept talking, and then we started doing things together.
There are plenty of moments I still want to share, and plenty more we have yet to create. For now, I am grateful for the experience and excited to keep adding to it.
A personal thank you to Stevie
Stevie, if you are reading this, thank you so much.
I love what you are building, and I support you and your family in everything you do. You have a beautiful family, and I believe you are an amazing role model for young men. I can see how much you inspire the people around you.
Thank you for everything you have done for me, for supporting me, and for showing up for me. I appreciate it more than you will ever know.
This relationship has given so much meaning to that saying about strangers supporting you on your journey more than anyone else. We started as two people who did not know each other. Today, we are working together to bring this project, these ideas, and these visions to life.
That means a lot to me. What started with a message became a friendship and a partnership that I am grateful for.
Thank you, Stevie. And to everyone reading, thank you for taking the time to hear this part of my story and for supporting what we are building.
Stay tuned. We have a lot more coming.