Business

More Than Cloth : The Avi8ted Mindset of Charlton Woodyard II

WASHINGTON INFORMER — Growing up in Washington, D.C. in the ’90s wasn’t easy. With the influence of drugs and crime, one could easily find themselves on the wrong path. Charlton Woodyard II’s parents had a different idea that included private schools, martial arts, and a strict home environment that allowed him the space to fulfill his own destiny. He attributes these circumstances to what he now describes as an aviated mindset. He is sharing his philosophy with the world through his company, Avi8ted Holdings. They recently launched a clothing line, Avi8ted Thoughts, which promotes positive thinking and the idea that you can achieve beyond your wildest dreams.

Published

5 years ago

July 29, 2019

Oakland Post

Lafayette Barnes IV

Growing up in Washington, D.C. in the ’90s wasn’t easy. With the influence of drugs and crime, one could easily find themselves on the wrong path. Charlton Woodyard II’s parents had a different idea that included private schools, martial arts, and a strict home environment that allowed him the space to fulfill his own destiny. He attributes these circumstances to what he now describes as an aviated mindset. He is sharing his philosophy with the world through his company, Avi8ted Holdings. They recently launched a clothing line, Avi8ted Thoughts, which promotes positive thinking and the idea that you can achieve beyond your wildest dreams.

A purebred Washingtonian, Charlton Woodyard II was born in Southeast Washington, DC at Washington Hospital Center in 1987. While in elementary school, his family moved to K St. Northwest where crippling poverty was flagrant. Despite the conditions, having a grandfather who worked for NASA at Goddard, he was inspired to achieve in education. He was also inspired by martial arts, which at times got him in a bit of trouble at school. His teachers recommended that he take an aptitude test, which resulted in his parents sending him to Georgetown Day School (GDS) where he attended throughout the rest of his secondary education. His classmates included kids of Fortune 500 company CEOs and congressmen, which exposed him to a new lifestyle that he embraced.

As a student of martial arts, he enjoyed the practical and personal aspects and was inspired by Bruce Lee. His father signed his brother and him up for Tae Kwon Do and cultivated a competitive environment around physical fitness. His teacher, Sherman Spinks, who is a legend in the taekwondo community, developed the mental fortitude within him to understand the meaning of hard work. As Junior Olympics champions, he learned to push himself to do things he wasn’t aware he had the ability to do.

What is Avi8ted?

Avi8ted Thoughts, as a business and lifestyle company, is a subsidiary of Avi8ted Holdings, an impact investment and business development company. The goal of Avi8ted Holdings is to develop an ecosystem that provides resources where ideas can thrive. The first business is Avi8ted Thoughts, a clothing company.

According to Charlton, Avi8ted is grounded in the concept of the law of attraction.

“An Avi8ted thought is one that is pure and positive, necessary and eternal,” he says.

Charlton would prefer to ask, what does it mean to you? He describes is as a “divine dream or purpose”, which shouldn’t be boxed in as it is very personal to each individual. He was able to ask artist and celebrity Jaden Smith about what an Avi8ted Thought meant to him. He answered that it’s a mission to provide a better human experience.

Charlton understands that this concept is a big leap. He doesn’t want to inundate people with such a large burden of responsibility. “Making the world a better place doesn’t happen in one day”, he said. He wants people to understand that they first can make their personal world a better place by understanding the constructs that exist and how they interact with them.

“Avi8ted Thoughts, the clothing brand serves as the uniform we can all point to as the way to connect”, said Charlton.

He recently released his first line with the “Follow the Sun” capsule collection. In his words, “the sun, both literally and metaphorically, is something you would want to follow considering it is the thing that gives us life on earth. But also it means to follow your light, follow the things that help you to grow.”

In 2018 he participated in the Remote Year program which allowed him to travel and study in various countries for months at a time and learn about global entrepreneurship. He visited Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, and Malaysia where he formed relationships that changed his thought process. He met two friends in Japan who introduced him to augmented reality which he included in his production process and can be seen in his “Follow the Sun” capsule.

Most recently, Avi8ted Thoughts has been able to partner with 202Creates as a resident of their creative entrepreneurship program headed by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. With the added workspace and resources they’ve received a lot of help building the infrastructure. With almost a decade of planning, studying, networking, and grinding he’s finally seeing his vision come to fruition.

Meanwhile, Washington, D.C. has also become one of the most physically fit cities in America. The Avi8ted Thoughts brand represents a lot of that idea.

“Wellness is a huge part of the brand”, said Charlton.

The influence of martial arts has been maintained throughout his brand. He believes that hard work is what it will take to get us ahead. Charlton cited how the ancient pyramids in Egypt were built with the mindset that people can achieve things greater than they know. He wants to project those ideals with his brand.

“You have to master yourself and find your inner rhythm before you’re able to affect the world,” said Charlton.

Charlton credits his team with putting a strong plan in place that he believes will create a lasting impression. Although the price-point is more expensive then most he believes that once people understand the mission behind the brand there will be a lot of support. The Avi8ted team reaches from D.C. to Los Angeles, CA., Atlanta, GA., and even Japan. “In a start-up, everyone is responsible for everything,” said Charlton. “These are a group of people who have “Avi8ted” themselves for this time….for us it was always about longevity”. His team helps to reel in his ambitious dreams and work to make them possible.

Currently the “Follow the Sun” capsule collection is being released in phases with the first being the “Sunrise” tee in AM (white) and PM (black). The collection debuted at their launch event on June 29 at Beyond Studios. More pop-ups are planned that will feature socks, button-ups, and shorts, all featuring the AR technology and pure and positive energy. To find out more about Avi8ted Thoughts visit www.avi8tedthoughts.com.

This post originally appeared in The Washington Informer.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

California’s small business owners cannot afford health care. Here are ways to help

Don't Miss

14 Foods You Absolutely Need in Your Kitchen

Oakland Post

1 Comment

Activism

BWOPA Honors Black Leadership and Legacy at 2024 Ella Hill Hutch Awards Dinner

On Dec. 5, BWOPA held its Annual Ella Hill Hutch Awards Ceremony, at the Fairmont Claremont Hotel in the Oakland/Berkeley Hills. At the event, the group comprised of Black women from various professional backgrounds, honored distinguished local and state leaders whose contributions have shaped civic engagement and advanced critical social issues impacting Black communities.

Published

13 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

L-R: BWOPA State Executive Director LaNiece Jones; State Asm. Mia Bonta; BWOPA 2024 Man of The Year/Urban League SFBA CEO Ken Maxey; BWOPA State President Hon. Dezie Woods-Jones; State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas; Rowena Brown, Oakland Councilmember At-Large, Elect; BWOPA State Regional Director Vashone Huff. Courtesy photo.

By Oakland Post Staff

Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) is a statewide non-profit advocacy and membership organization committed to solving problems affecting Black Californians.

On Dec. 5, BWOPA held its Annual Ella Hill Hutch Awards Ceremony, at the Fairmont Claremont Hotel in the Oakland/Berkeley Hills.

At the event, the group comprised of Black women from various professional backgrounds, honored distinguished local and state leaders whose contributions have shaped civic engagement and advanced critical social issues impacting Black communities.

The evening was hosted by Dr. Shawna Charles, founder of The Charles Communications Group (CCG) headquartered in Los Angeles. Charles served as mistress of ceremonies.

With a track record of elevating voices and empowering communities, Charles’ leadership and insight brought a certain dynamism to the celebration.

“Each year, this event not only celebrates the enduring legacy of our beloved BWOPA founding member, Ella Hill Hutch, but also reaffirms and amplifies our unwavering commitment to building and sustaining Black political power across California,” said Dezie Woods-Jones, BWOPA founding member and State president.

“Ella Hill Hutch’s trailblazing leadership continues to inspire us as we forge ahead, empowering Black women to lead, advocate, and shape a more equitable future for all,” added Woods-Jones.

This year’s event introduced the DWJ Rising Star Award, honoring young leaders like Solano County Board Supervisors-elect Cassandra James, Danielle Motley-Lewis, Naomi Waters and newly elected State Assemblymember elect Rhodesia Ransom (D-Stockton).

According to organizers, the awardees all exemplify “the next generation of changemakers.”

Other awardees included:

Lifetime Achievement Awardees: Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-12) and Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson
Man of the Year: Kenneth Maxey, CEO of the Greater SF Bay Area Urban League
President’s Corporate Award: Yvette Radford, Kaiser Permanente
In the Spirit of Ella State and Chapter Awards: Dr. Carolyn Greene, Dr. Marcella K. Smith, Dr. Carolyn Drake, Tinisch Hollins, Jackie Jones, Gloria Burgess Johnson, Tamika L’Ecluse, Ellen Nash, Betty Reid Soskin, and Ay’Anna Moody.

BWOPA also celebrated local champions across its chapters, including leaders in voter education, healthcare, criminal justice reform, and community advocacy.

In a statement, BWOPA said, “Honoring Ella Hill Hutch’s legacy, BWOPA recognizes her pioneering efforts as the first Black woman elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Her tireless work amplifying underrepresented voices continues to inspire BWOPA’s mission to build Black political power across California.”

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to our members, partners and allies who believe in BWOPA’s vision to invest in building power for Black women’s leadership,” said LaNiece Jones, BWOPA State executive director. “Your support ensures that Black women have a voice at decision-making tables locally, regionally, statewide, and nationally, advancing diversity and equity in leadership spaces.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of December 11 – 17, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of December 11 – 17, 2024

Published

5 days ago

December 13, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Post News Group to Host Second Town Hall on Racism, Hate Crimes

The mission of CRD is to protect the people of California from unlawful discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations (businesses) and from hate violence and human trafficking in accordance with the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Unruh Civil Rights Act, Disabled Persons Act, and Ralph Civil Rights Act. The employment anti-discrimination provisions of the FEHA apply to public and private employers, labor organizations and employment agencies. “Housing providers” includes public and private owners, real estate agents and brokers, banks, mortgage companies, and financial institutions.

Published

1 week ago

December 10, 2024

Oakland Post

By Oakland Post Staff

On Tuesday, Dec. 10, from 5-6:30 p.m. PT, Post News Group Global Features Journalist Carla Thomas will host a second Virtual Town Hall on Racism.

Guests will include community builders Trevor Parham of Oakstop and Shawn Granberry of Hip Hop TV.

“There’s been an uptick of blatant racist acts going on in the community and it’s important for communities to have a forum, an outlet, and to be educated on the California Vs. Hate initiative that has resources available for victims and witnesses,” said Thomas. People like Trevor Parham and Shawn Granberry have found a multitude of ways to strengthen, heal, and protect the community through their entrepreneurial networks, special events, and mentoring.”

While community leaders step up, the state has added extra support with the CA vs. Hate, initiative, a non-emergency hate incident and hate crime reporting system to support individuals and communities targeted for hate.

“We are committed to making California a safer and inclusive place for all,” said James Williams, Jr. of the California Civil Rights Department.

In partnership with organizations across the state, the network is designed to support and protect diverse and underserved communities.

“Through CA vs. Hate, we support individuals and communities targeted for hate, identify options for next steps after an act of hate, and connect people with culturally competent resources and care coordination services,” said Williams.

“It’s important to report these incidents in order for us to use the data to enhance prevention and response services,” said Williams.

Funded by the California State Legislature, the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) received funding and authorization from the State Legislature to establish the non-emergency, CA vs. Hate Resource Line and Network to support individuals and communities targeted for hate.

CRD began in 1959 with the creation of the Fair Employment Practices Commission to implement California’s first state-wide protections against discrimination in the workplace. In 1980, the 1959 Fair Employment Practices Act, and the 1963 Rumford Fair Housing Act were combined and rebranded FEHA. The Fair Employment Practices Commission became a department-level agency named the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) to enforce that law.

In July 2022, DFEH’s name changed to CRD to more accurately reflect the Department’s powers and duties, which include enforcement of laws prohibiting hate violence, human trafficking, discrimination in business establishments, and discrimination in government-funded programs and activities, among others.

For more information visit the PostNewsGroup.com and CAvsHATE.ORG.