we
.
create
.
impact
.
we
.

ABOUT US

where ideas are cultivated.

a man and woman in a car

“We strive to be living, breathing proof that anyone can make a living in the creative field - doing what they love.

moss & bakari co-founders.

OUR VISION

purpose.
over profits

Welcome to Caandor - where ideas meet their creator.

In late 2017, our founders set out to design a new breed of digital agency - fueled by genuine creative curiosity. We opened our doors (a 300 sqft subleased art space - thank you Cultural DC!) with a core set of principles and beliefs that helped us overcome failures, celebrate successes, and sharpen our craft.  

Our purpose has unwavered as we continue to create honest content, connect impact-driven voices, and empower the evolving creative specialist through next-gen technologies. In other words, we build digital roadmaps to shared experiences.  

Armed with these principles, we have been fortunate to work alongside some amazing teams, inspiring organizations and motivating national brands. This experience was essential as we learned and tinkered with our internal aspirations, and the value we wanted to contribute to the creative community.  

Today, we have grown from a local design shop to a multinational creative ecosystem, with our core pillar guiding the way;  Creative Storytelling.  

While we support organizations that are aligned to our commitment of creating a more equitable and inclusive world - our guiding purpose at Caandor is to become a conduit of change; empowering our local communities and providing real-world opportunities to the evolving creative specialist.

We help businesses of all sizes within multiple verticals. We love crafting beautiful, smart and inspired work that is focused on a business’ purpose & culture.  We look forward to working with you and seeing what we can cultivate together.

graphical user interface

Our founders in front of the first studio in NE DC 2018

a man and a woman looking at each other
a group of people sitting around a table with a laptop

Our partnership with DCPS to continue the success of our kids can be big podcast: 2019

MARKETS WE SERVE

B2B & B2C

Great products have great stories, but sometimes they need some fresh perspective to uncover.  We run brand discoveries for our clients that want to scale their digital sales, build brand awareness and grow audiences - both existing and untapped. If you have content or want to see how it can be improved, we can help.

Non-Profits & Associations

Part of a large org or non-profit? Do you feel inspired but could use some help developing your fundraising campaign, streamlining your marketing efforts, or simply dial up the creative energy through a team of diverse perspectives? If you're ready for your content to make an impact, we can help.

Education, Institutions & Community Organizers

Our team is composed of continual learners who take this same approach into every aspect of our culture and business principles. We offer on-going trainings and workshops to all of clients and have educational based content packages built to serve.

our company pillars.

pillars

We don’t do fast food. We prefer a thoughtful fine crafted meal, handpicked and made with care. We don’t believe in shortcuts and instead prioritize process overspeed.

In addition to our technical expertise, our team is also experienced in various industry domains, including healthcare, retail, technology and community based organizations. This allows us to bring a candid understanding of our clients’ specific challenges and opportunities to develop impact solutions.

Our “buddy system” — we pair two peers for each projects; a designer with another, an engineer with another, and together they collaborate with everyone else.

—the creatives.

our team is far reaching, remote and in-person. our dna consists of designers, producers, innovators, developers, painters, visual artists, strategist, photographers and multi-media artists. these super humans inspire our work and fuel our creative journey.

man dancing
legs
child on VR

moss belkessam.

co-founder & creative director

“everyone is creative. it’s just a matter of what inspires you to see it in yourself.”

Moss is an Algerian-born, web designer, photographer, illustrator & creative entrepreneur. He has founded and exited multiple creative businesses including an event ticketing platform and an award winning marketing agency.  Moss leads our design-focused client projects and internal Caandor branding efforts. When he’s not working, he’s likely working, or quoting obscure Simpson quotes that may or may not exist. (they exist)

bakari ibrahim.

co-founder & executive producer

“change your mind and you change your relation to time.”

Bakari is a Washington DC based producer, animator, & creative entrepreneur. He has 10 + years in content production, event management, and strategic partnerships. Bakari seeks to empower communities through powerful design and storytelling.

the ecosystem.

Cameron Lawson
Cameron
Lawson

Senior Video Consultant

antonio caro
antonio
caro

Director of Marketing & Strategy

Josh Craig
josh
craig

Senior Designer

kierra hurt
kierra
hurt

senior content strategist

Maeve Rose
Maeve
Rose

Senior UI/UX Designer & Web Developer

Maps Glover
Maps
Glover

Visual Art Designer

Matt Frazier
Matt
Frazier

Video Producer

Shaira Martinez
Shaira
Martinez

Senior Graphic Designer

Jose Verdu
Jose
Verdu

Senior Web Developer

Glen Gordon Jr.
Glen
Gordon

Senior Video Strategist

Tariq Ibrahim
Tariq
Ibrahim

Audio & Video Engineer

Paris Preston
Paris
Preston

Live Video & Audio Engineer

Yonas Samuel
Yonas
Samuel

UI/UX Designer

Chris Hooth
chris
hooth

Senior Audio Engineer

Ariel Mendez
Ariel
Mendez

Senior Animator & Illustrator

Anastacia Valdespino
Anastacia
Valdespino

UI/UX Strategist

scroll to load more..

—creative positions.

Join us on creating mission-driven projects that benefit from empathy, analytical thinking, and team collaboration. If this sounds like you - we’d love to hear how we can work together.

Motion Graphics Animator

We are seeking a talented and experienced Motion Graphics Animator & Video Editor to join our creative team at Caandor Labs.

Graphic Designer

We are looking for a highly creative and talented Graphic Designer to join our team at Caandor Labs.

frequently asked, happily answered.

What type of clients do you work with?
Do you design and produce your projects?
How big is your team?
How long do projects typically last?
Where is Caandor based?
What does Caandor mean?